Answers to “Gates of Trivia” Science questions in Puzzle Challenge 2

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Below are the correct answers to the Science Questions in Gates of Trivia. The number (1 - 5) preceding each question indicates the stage of the game the question is in.

1

Only 10 percent of American women can:

Whistle

1

What is the only living bird with exactly two toes on each foot?

The ostrich

1

Contrary to popular belief, snakes cannot be charmed by music. Why not?

They have no sense of hearing

1

The earthworm has no:

Eyes

1

One of the three U.S. states in which tornadoes most frequently occur is, appropriately, Dorothy Gale's home in "The Wizard of Oz." Name Dorothy's home state.

Kansas

1

The science of growing plants without soil is called:

Hydroponics

1

Cows are born with four:

Stomachs

1

Why are crab apples so called?

Their sour taste

1

Swiss mountain climber George de Mestral didn't like the burs that would stick to his pants and socks. But it was those burs that led him to a 1948 invention that millions of people around the world use every day. De Mestral was the inventor of:

Velcro

1

Two varieties of insects are considered domesticated. One is the bee. What's the other?

Silkworm

1

It is impossible for humans to sneeze:

With their eyes open

1

In the early 1940s, marine engineer Richard James was trying to devise a spring that would help stabilize rocking ships. In the process, he accidentally invented something recreational in nature. It was:

The Slinky

1

Ringworm, which causes a contagious skin irritation, is classified biologically as a:

Fungus

1

The ulna is one of the two bones in the human forearm. The other bone shares its name with a term from mathematics. It's called the:

Radius

1

The red cedar tree is one of the most popular sources of the wood used for pencils, because:

It does not splinter

1

Astronomical research has proven that the most common element in the universe is:

Hydrogen

1

What puts the fizz in such soft drinks as Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper?

Carbon Dioxide

1

Which of the following letters is NOT a symbol for a chemical element?

A

1

What is the most common color of flowers?

White

1

Tartar, the hard substance that forms on teeth, has another name familiar to students of mathematics. It is:

Calculus

2

Most worldwide hurricane fatalities are primarily caused by:

Drowning

2

At room temperature, alcohol feels cooler to the touch than water because:

Alcohol evaporates faster than water

2

Men require more effort to talk than women because:

Their vocal cords are longer

2

What do meteorologists use the Beaufort scale to measure?

The velocity of winds

2

The largest living thing on earth is a:

Tree

2

Why are mandarin oranges so called?

They originated in China

2

Scientifically speaking, what is the principal characteristic that makes an animal a rodent?

Gnawing

2

The name of the orangutan is derived from the Malay language and means:

Man of the forest

2

What are the most common mammals in the United States?

Mice

2

"Dry Ice," solid carbon dioxide used as a refrigerant, does not "melt," but goes directly from solid form to gaseous form. This process is known as:

Sublimation

2

The most soothing color of the spectrum is:

Green

2

Brass is composed of the metals copper and zinc. Bronze is composed of copper and:

Tin

2

Although not often used for this purpose, apple cider vinegar would make an excellent:

Antiseptic

2

The longest and strongest bone in the human body is the:

Femur

2

Scientifically speaking, what is the primary difference between organs and glands?

Glands produce secretions

2

Molasses is made by processing:

Sugar

2

William Painter, inventor of the throwaway bottle cap, advised an aspiring entrepreneur friend of his to devise something new that people would use and then discard. This advice led to the invention of the:

Safety razor

2

What U.S. state receives the greatest average precipitation in a typical year?

Louisiana

2

What type of animal is the most difficult to train?

Fish

2

What is the strongest of the human senses?

Sight

3

What grain is used to manufacture Scotch whiskey?

Barley

3

The first cervical vertebra, which supports the human head, is aptly named for a figure in Greek mythology. It is called the:

Atlas

3

Which of the world's oceans has the most salt?

The Atlantic

3

The suffix "-ose" is used by scientists to denote sugars. What are denoted by the suffix "-ase"?

Enzymes

3

The world's first technicolor motion picture was exhibited by:

George Eastman

3

Why are grapefruits so called?

They grow in grape-like clusters

3

A grasshopper's sense of hearing is centered in its:

Front knees

3

Baby snakes and baby chicks get out of their eggs by using:

Temporary teeth

3

The three key elements that make up all fertilizers are nitrogen, potassium, and:

Phosphorous

3

Which of the following animals are most closely related to giraffes?

Okapis

3

What is the world's most popular food?

Rice

3

Aqua regia, Latin for "royal water," is a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. It was so named because:

It can dissolve gold

3

About one-tenth of the earth's surface is:

Ice-covered

3

Why are tangerines so called?

They are named for Tangier, Morocco

3

Approximately how long is a light-year?

6 trillion miles

3

Which of the following scientists does NOT have a chemical element named for him or her?

Isaac Newton

3

Silly Putty was accidentally invented in the search for a synthetic rubber. What other consumer product was invented while searching for a rubber substitute?

Chewing gum

3

The physicist who invented the mercury thermometer was named:

Fahrenheit

3

What animals have the largest brain in proportion to their size?

Ants

3

Leopold Godowsky, who in 1935 invented Kodachrome, the first color film for amateur photographers, was the brother-in-law of what famous American?

George Gershwin

4

Snowflakes are composed of about 90 percent:

Air

4

Camels' humps are used for the storage of:

Fat

4

Deer have no:

Gall Bladders

4

The "Race" and the "Cyclone" were names given to two of the earliest:

Electric hair dryers

4

Robert A. Chesebrough, the Brooklyn chemist who invented Vaseline petroleum jelly in 1879, lived to the age of 96. He attributed his longevity to Vaseline -- every day he:

Ate it

4

Over 90% of the people who suffer from gout are:

Men

4

Which of the following is not classified as a rodent?

Raccoon

4

The theory that sounds could not be heard without a medium of propagation was originally propounded by:

Aristotle

4

Which of the following locations is recognized by the Guinness Book as the world's windiest place?

Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica

4

Why are pineapples so called?

Their resemblance to pine cones

4

What element gives both the green color to emeralds and the red color to rubies?

Chromium

4

According to the Book of Genesis, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in a rain of brimstone and fire. Brimstone is another name for:

Sulfur

4

Only two chemical elements are liquids at room temperature. One is mercury. Name the other.

Bromine

4

Hail cannot occur:

When the surface temperature is below freezing

4

Scientifically speaking, what is the principal difference between monkeys and apes?

Monkeys have tails

4

In what country will you find the world's highest waterfall?

Venezuela

4

If your mouth were completely dry, you would not be able to:

Taste anything

4

Which chemical element has the lowest boiling point?

Helium

4

What state receives the least amount of average rainfall annually?

Arizona

4

In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, you will find an explanation of how to make:

Butter

5

Camphor, used in the manufacture of medicines and celluloid, is obtained from:

The camphor tree

5

Whose lungs can hold more air?

An adult human

5

Most species of spiders have exactly six:

Eyes

5

What is the largest member of the deer family?

Moose

5

In 1772, three scientists independently discovered a new gas. One of the three called the gas "foul air," but today we call it:

Nitrogen

5

In order to eat, a frog must:

Close its eyes

5

During the mating season, the male seal will not:

Eat

5

Fill a quart bottle with wine, and a 2nd quart bottle with water. Take a teaspoon of wine from wine bottle; pour it in water bottle. Stir water bottle, then take a teaspoon from water bottle and pour it in wine bottle. There is now:

The same amount of water in wine bottle as wine in water bottle

5

Butterflies' sense of taste is centered in their:

Feet

5

Pigs always sleep:

On their right side

5

The sugar substitute saccharin is synthesized from:

Seawater

5

The earth is farthest from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere's:

Summer

5

Which of the following would not be possible without air pollution?

Rain

5

The fish that are the fastest swimmers have:

Forked tails

5

If you're a chicken, what is your normal body temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit?

107

5

What is the ultimate source of the raw material used to make shellac?

Insects

5

What is the weakest sense in most species of birds?

Smell

5

Which of the following countries does NOT have a chemical element named for it?

Russia

5

The first gems discovered by prehistoric man were:

Pearls

5

The name for what chemical element is derived from a German word for the devil and evil spirits?

Nickel