Set 1: Science and nature
Q1. Which two scientists took credit for the discovery of DNA?
A1. James Watson and Francis Crick (they relied heavily on previous work by Rosalind
Franklin and Maurice Wilkins)
Q2. What is the name of the largest body in the Asteroid Belt?
A2. Ceres
Q3. What common animal goes by the Latin name Vulpes vulpes?
A3. Red fox
Q4. Fundoplication is a surgical procedure to treat disorders of which human body system?
A4. Gastrointestinal/digestive system
Q5. Which Greek mathematician is regarded as the founder of geometry?
A5. Euclid
Q6. In which year was Pluto downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet?
A6. 2006
Q7. Which chemical element has atomic number 11?
A7. Sodium
Q8. How many identified species of bumblebee are there in the world?
A8. Over 250
Q9. The hyoid is the only bone in the human body that isn’t directly attached to another bone.
Where can it be found?
A9. The neck
Q10. To the nearest 10, what is absolute zero in degrees Centigrade?
A10. -270°C (precisely -273.15°C)
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Set 2: Science and nature
Q1. The medical condition dyspepsia is better known by what name?
A1. Indigestion
Q2. BASIC, Perl and Python are all examples of what?
A2. Computer languages
Q3. Which metal is also known as quicksilver?
A3. Mercury
Q4. The active ingredient of aspirin, salicylic acid, was originally extracted from which plant?
A4. Willow bark
Q5. Proteins are made from chains of what kind of molecule?
A5. Amino acids
Q6. What is the name of Saturn’s largest moon?
A6. Titan
Q7. Give the name and symbol of four elements on the periodic table beginning with C.
A7. Any four of carbon (C), chlorine (Cl), calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper
(Cu), cadmium (Cd), caesium (Cd), cerium (Ce), curium (Cm) and californium (Cf)
Q8. ‘Conkers’ are the seeds of which tree?
A8. Horse-chestnut
Q9. What is the boiling point of water in degrees Fahrenheit?
A9. 212oF
Q10. What is the name given to a line that touches but does not cross a curve?
A10. Tangent
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Set 3: Science and nature
Q1. Which planet in the solar system has the highest surface temperature?
A1. Venus
Q2. Mus musculus is the species name of which common animal?
A2. Mouse (specifically the common house mouse)
Q3. What does the mathematical symbol i represent?
A3. The square root of -1
Q4. Sleeping sickness is transmitted by which animal vector?
A4. Tsetse fly
Q5. What is an Ishihara Test used to examine?
A5. Colour blindness
Q6. On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, diamond has a hardness of 10. Which mineral has a
hardness of 1?
A6. Talc
Q7. Which English doctor pioneered the use of vaccinations?
A7. Edward Jenner
Q8. What is the chemical name for baking soda?
A8. Sodium bicarbonate
Q9. Analgesic is the technical name for which kind of medicine?
A9. Painkillers
Q10. What kind of animal is a natterjack?
A10. Toad
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