Gyaan.in

"Out of the Earth" Quiz

2011-11-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

1. What is being calculated here? And Id the Equation.

where

R_* = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy

f_p = the fraction of those stars that have planets

n_e = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets

f_ℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point

f_i = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life

f_c = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space

f_l = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space

2. What is a Goldilocks Planet?

3. Which unit of length has the symbol 'pc'?

4. Where will you find the planets : Cato Neimoidia, Dantooine, Kamino, Rattatak?

5. Connect Bernadette Rostenkowski, Rajesh Koothrappali , Howard Wolowitz, Sheldon Cooper, Amy Farrah Fowler, Penny, Leonard Hofstadter.

Melange # 3

2011-11-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

1. What is this?

2. Claim to fame of María Florencia Onori ?

3. Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin or Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin" ("We want to remain what we are") is the national motto of X. It refers to the ambition of the X's people to remain separate from, and independent of, those neighbouring countries around it that have traditionally dominated it politically and militarily: Belgium, France, and Germany. Id 'X'.

4. Coat of Arms of ?

5. What is a Salute State?

Bharat-Chakra ( VI )

2011-11-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

1. The name, 'X' , was officially given by the British as they could not pronounce the Angami name Kewhira (Tenyidie for "the land where the flower Kewhi grows"). It is so called after the wild flowering plant Kewhi, found in the mountains. Earlier, 'X' was also known as "Thigoma". 'X' is a city. Identify 'X'.

2. Identify this structure or the place.

3. Legend has it that a devout woman Kusuma offered worship to Shiva regularly by immersing a Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her daily ritual worship. Her husband's first wife, envious of her piety and standing in society murdered Kusuma's son in cold blood. An aggrieved Kusuma continued her ritual worship, and when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored to life. Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers, and then one is believed to have been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam XXXX. Which Jyotirlangam?

4. Another Q on temple : Which group/organization uses the gopuram of the Srivilliputhur temple in its seal?

5. 'Y's autobiography is called "Mere Sangarshmai Jeevan Evam xxxxxxx Movement Ka Safarnama". Its spread across three volumes and is over 3300 pages ; and is in Hindi. Identify Y. ('xxxxxxx' -- deliberately cut)

"After the Break" Quiz

2011-11-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

1. Identify the Person in this photograph. (can you name the photograph too?)

2. Simply identify this extreme sport.

3. What am i talking about, if i am hinting at 'Bosom of Abraham'?

4. Who designed this and what is being depicted?

5. The saying ___ ___ _____ is alleged to have roots going back to the crusaders, then meaning "Jerusalem is lost to the infidel, and we are on our way to paradise. The abbreviation HEP would then stand for Hierosolyma est perdita, "Jerusalem is lost" in Latin. What am i talking about?

6. X is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize for Literature and an Oscar . X wanted to refuse his Nobel Prize outright because he had no desire for public honours, but accepted it. Identify 'X' and also mention the reason as to why he accepted it?

Bharat-Chakra ( V )

2006-06-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Firstly, kindly accept my humble apologies for such a long gap between the quizzes. Starting today, Bharat-Chakra will be re-instantiated with a new vigor. Bharat-Chakra - (IV) is scrapped and no scoring will be done for the same.

Secondly, read on.... ;-)

(1) Connect the two:

(2) Priya Village Roadshow (PVR) is a joint venture company between X and Y. Name X and Y.

(3) Project ____ : collaboration with the Indian Government and universities to accelerate the development of local-language Web services. Fill in the blanks.

(4) Identify the Dude and what was his claim to fame?

(5) Connect : Dronaachaarya, Kripaacharya, Duryodhan, Karn, Ashwatthaamaa, Shakuni and Jayadrath.

Melange # 2

2006-05-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Kindly send me the answers before 8-May-2006.

(1) Identify the dudes
(2) Connect the guy on the right with that one on the left(standing next to Mr.Nehru)
(3) Identify the dudes
(4) Identify the dude
(5) Identify the dudes

Melange # 1

2006-04-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia says , "Melange is the name of the fictional spice-drug central to the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert, and derivative works.The flavor of melange strongly resembles that of cinnamon; however, each subsequent tasting reveals a different flavor."

Gyaan.in will strive towards satisfying your quizzing appetite by presenting different flavors every week in it's new series - 'MELANGE'.

(1) Connect the 2 persons in the picture

(2) Identify the guy.

(3) Identify the Lady.

(4) Identify the Lady

(5) Connect : Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Bukovsky, Boris Nemtsov , Yevgeny Kiselyov, Vladimir V. Kara-Murza, Vladimir Ryzhkov ,Irina Khakamada

(6) What is special w.r.t : http://info.cern.ch/

(7) Connect : Beibei ,Huanhuan,Jingjing,Nini and Yingying

(8) Fill in the Blanks : ______________ attempts to greatly reduce the amount of alcohol consumed or even prohibit its production and consumption entirely.The movement can be associated with any of the counter-culture, reactionary values of the early 1900's in the United States.

(9) What phrase originated from this : It seems to have been adapted from the phrase 'to play for love (of the game)' (that is, to play for nothing). Although the theory is often heard that it represents the French word l'oeuf an 'egg' (from the resembance between an egg and a nought) this seems unlikely.

(10) Why did the designer of Taj Hotel, Mumbai commit suicide?

Answers:
(1) Connect is "Elton John". The person on the left is David Furnish and on the Left is Princess Diana.
(2) Guru Jambheshwar (also called as Swami Jamboji)
(3) Indrani Rehman, first Miss India to participate in Miss Universe
(4) Bhanu Athaiyya
(5) Committee 2008
(6) First Web-server and also the First Directory
(7) Mascots of Beijing Olympics
(8) Temperance Movement
(9) "l'oeve" in Tennis
(10) He saw that the Taj was constructed on the opposite side; committed suicide by jumping from the boat in which he came.

Bharat-Chakra ( III )

2006-04-20T05:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Quizzers,

This version of Bharat-Chakra is picture based - easy one to crack.

Simply, identify the persons in the pictures and send the answers in the following format ; Do strip the text except for the following while sending the answers

(1) Person on the left is :
(2) The lady is :
(3) The group :
(4) The person in the picture is :
(5) The person circled (convicted ) is :

Answers:
(1) Person on the left is : Jaganath Mishra, a controversial figure in the fodder scam.
(2) The lady is : Phoolan Devi
(3) The group : The Hinduja Prothers (Gopichand , Prakash and Srichand Hinduja)
(4) The person in the picture is : Aurbindo Ghosh
(5) The person circled (convicted ) is : Dara Singh (accused in the Staine's Case)

About Gyaan.in

2006-04-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Quizzers,

Gyaan.in is a NON-PROFIT GROUP/ENGINE/COMMUNTIY that aims to instill the Quizzing Culture in the Indian Subcontinent and further the same enthusiasm and enery by bringing together some of the best minds present in the quizzing world.

Though there are numerous Yahoo/Google groups that cater to specific segments of the Quizzing world, Gyaan.in would form a SINGLE stop for all the gyaan (knowledge) and trivia available.Gyaan.in would try to maintain and enhance the Best-Quality-Standards in the Quizzing Arena.

Short Term Goals:
# Consolidate all the Yahoo and Google Groups which are dedicated for Quizzing
# Get a domain registered exclusively for Gyaan.in
# The domain would also have Discussion and Trivia boards that would form a platform for all the quizzers to share various information and trivia.
# Host an ice-breaker quiz asap across various Quizzing circuits in India.

Long Term Goals :
# Conduct and co-ordinate Quizzes at various Schools, Colleges and Corporate Houses.
# Get sponsorships and financial-aids which would be used as a Charity Fund for upliftment of the downtrodden and the under-privileged sections of the society.

If any of you is interested in the operations/activities of Gyaan.in and would like to align yourselves with this endeavour , please do kindly get in touch with me.

Again, I would like to state that Gyaan.in is a NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY of QUIZZERs, and there are no business motives behind this.

--vEnKAt

Bharat-Chakra ( II )

2006-04-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Answers on Friday (21-April-2006). Kindly mention the Subject Name as "Answers - Bharat-Chakra ( II )" while sending the answers to the above mentioned mail id.

(1) 'X' collected stones from the Shivalik foothills and neighbouring riverbeds on his bicycle over a period of seven years (1958 to 1965) and created this landmark what would otherwise have been a dumping ground for urban and industrial waste. The creator picked up pieces of foundry lime-kiln and metal workshop wastes and shaped them with his creative genius, resembling human, animal or abstract forms. The layout is based on the fantasy of a lost kingdom. What is 'X' and who created it?

(2) "Defying international law and disregarding the rights of the lower riparian country, India built 'Z' in 1975 on the 'X1' River just 11 miles from the border of 'Y'. The 'Z' diverted 'X1' water into India’s 'X2' River, causing tremendous hardship to 'Y'.One researcher estimates that the water diversion causes annual losses of more than $4 billion in one of the world’s poorest countries."

What is being reported here? [X1, X2 , Y and Z have been intentionally hidden]

(3) 'X' was the first Asian American and Indian American member of the US Congress.Identify 'X'.

(4) 'X' was a pioneer in bringing about a telecom revolution in India; he introduced the Rural automatic telephone exchanges [RAX] to some of the most isolated regions in the country.Accesibility ( and not density ) was his motto.The bright yellow STD PCO boxes in Inida is a direct manifestation of his efforts.He was the Chief Technology Adviser to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

(5) This term 'T' changed its meaning from the name of a Kingdom to a collection of civil and military officers under the 'T' king, all of which were non-hereditary offices. Whats 'T' ? [Hint : The 'T' kings were called Swargadeos]

Answers:

(1) Nek Chand's Rock Garden
(2) India and The Farakka Dam .X1 = Ganges; X2 = Hoogly ; Y= Bangladesh; Z = Farakka Dam.
(3) Dalip Singh Saund
(4) Sam Pitroda
(5) Ahom

Bharat-Chakra ( I )

2006-04-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

Gyaan.in is proud to present "Bharat-Chakra" - a series of quizzes aiming to explore and present various facets/trivia/info w.r.t India.

The quiz will be presented on Every Friday and the answers will be posted on the next Friday. Hope all of you like it.

(1) This art-form or style of fighting, more appropriately stick-fighting , is practiced in Southern India - especially in Tamilnadu(and also in Kerala).Hand and foot movements along with good reflexes are mandatory for this form of fighting.In this art, when the Master recognizes the Student has mastered the curriculum, only then he gives the red scarf to acknowledge him as a Master. Hence no "black-belt syndromes"! This form of fighting can also be seen in many Kollywood movies(esp during the 70-80s era).

(2) 'X' was instrumental in the downfall of the Mughal Empire.He was well known for his forts and guerrilla tactics that he used successfully to conquer and annexe many regions and provinces.He is also remembered for being the only secular king in medieval India. An organization has also adopted a new religion and made him the principal deity.Identify 'X'.[ Hint : Mumbai's International Airport was renamed in his honour]

(3) Her debut feature film won her the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for an Oscar.She is a New York-based Indian film director.Her latest project is Maisha, a film lab to help East Africans and South Asians learn to make films. Her last master work Monsoon Wedding, a film about a chaotic Punjabi Indian wedding, was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival.Identify this female.

(4) 'Z' happens to be a distinguished Atomic and Nuclear scientist .He studied cosmic rays under the Nobel laureate Dr.C. V. Raman at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.The Indian space Program was his brainchild - he can be clearly called as the Father of the Indian space Program. He was also involved in the creation on IIM ,Ahmedabad. Identify this National Hero and a Great Indian Physicist.

(5) 'X' was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a family with strong ties to the film industry. His father Salim Khan is a successful screenplay writer. One of Salim Khan's wives (he has two) is the famous dancer Helen. X's brothers P and Q are also actors, if not as successful as X. X has has two younger sisters, one married to actor Atul Agnihotri.X has also been in the news for some controversial reasons.[Trivia : He always appears in films wearing a bracelet with a turquoise stone; his father wears a similar "lucky" bracelet.]

Answers:
(1) Silambattam (Silambam)
(2) Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonslé
(3) Mira Nair
(4) Vikram Sarabhai
(5) 'X' = Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan popularly known as Salman Khan; 'P'= Sohail Khan ; 'Q' =Arbaaz Khan

5 Qs on Cults/Movements

2006-04-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Questions:

(1) The group 'G' reveres Shiva as their chief god, and is involved in ancient yoga, primitive Buddhism and Mahayanist Buddhist teachings. The group's ultimate aim is to 'save all living things from transmigration.' The group is often referred to as a new Buddhist sect, but it also claims to be an original religion based on Hinduism and created by Mr. X. Identify 'X' and 'G'.
[ a Big Clue : G currently operating under the name 'Aleph,' is best known for its March 20, 1995 terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway system.]

(2) This religious cult was was linked to an infamous 1984 criminal case in which salmonella bacteria was used to contaminate a US restaurant's salad bars.The devotees of this religion are sometime referred to as "Orange People". Identify the leader of this cult.

(3) This movement was found by a Korean Minister, who claimed that Jesus had come in his dreams when he was 15 and asked him to finish the task that was unaccomplished after his(Jesus) crucification.Members were initially dubbed "Moon Children" and the leader of the movement was called as "Father Moon".Critics call the members of this movement/cult as 'Moonies'. Name the Leader and the Movement.

(4) This symbol has been one of the best known symbols of Zoroastrian theology.Name the symbol.

(5) This religious movement or the so called philosophy aims at "knowing how to know" . It has attracted lots of controversies(leading it to be branded as a'cult' and not a movement) and is at the same time been endorsed by celebrities like Tom Cruise. (Hint : Hubbard)

Answers:

1. G= Aum Shinrikyo (spelled Om Shinri Kyo), X = Shoko Asahara
2. Rajneesh or Osho
3. Leader = Sun Myung Moon (Original Name - Mun Yong-myong), Unification Church or Unification Movement
4. Faravahar or Farohar
5. Scientology

Computer Games Quiz

2006-04-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Questions :

(1)"The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him." Identify this 'Most-Famous' Game.

(2)"After defeating Shub-Niggurath, you arrive back at your home base on Earth, but it's not all blue skies and butterflies. Apparently, not all 'X' forces have been subdued. Chaos ensues as you blast your way through the 'X' minions and toward the infested gateway. Your only choice is to find the source of evil and shut it down. Without any hesitation, and with more guts than common sense, you leap into a portal of unknown destination." Identify this game that has set a new paradigm in the Gaming world.

(3)"World War II rages and nations fall. SS head Himmler has Hitler's full backing to twist science and the occult into an army capable of annihilating the Allies once and for all. Battling alone, you're on an intense mission to pierce the black heart of the Third Reich and stop Himmler -- or die trying. Fighting in advanced team-based multiplayer mode, you'll wage your own WWII in an all-out Axis vs. Allies contest for frontline domination." Identify the Game.

(4) In this Game ‘X', you use a paddle, and hit a small ball at several blocks above you. The goal of the game is to get rid of all the blocks without losing your ball. In this type of game we only get one bat and a ball, and it is our job to destroy the bricks at the top of the screen, by bouncing the ball at them. Once you miss to return the ball, you lose a life. It's really simple. Name X.

(5) Bowser, king of the Koopas, has invaded the Mushroom Kingdom, and turned all the citizens to stone! The only one who can break the spell, Princess Toadstool, has been locked away in Bowser's castle. To return peace to the Mushroom Kingdom, ‘X’ must venture through eight challenging worlds, each packed to the brim with monsters and secrets. You will find all sorts of Poisonous Mushrooms ,Red Piranha Plants ,Flying Bloober and Bowser's Twin. Game?

(6) The original city simulator made an appearance for the SNES and its mouse way back when. The point is just to build your own city and control the fate of millions of fake people (the power!). Things like natural disasters, angry citizens, and high taxes can hamper your progress, but raising your cities population can get you rewards. One of these is a huge, 4 story statue of Mario, marking his second appearance in an SNES mouse game. The Game?

(7) Identify this Game from the poster (Intentionally Blocked). ** Image Not Available **

(8) This game has 9 unique civilizations.Each of the nine unique civilizations are split amongst three cultures: the Greeks, Egyptians, and Norse, with each providing their own special units, powers, heroes, and more. Game?

(9) WCG 2005 Venue ?? (WCG=World Cyber Games)

Answers:

1.Half Life
2.Quake
3.Return To Castle Wolfenstein
4.Arkanoid
5.Super Mario Bros.
6.Sim City
7.Max Payne
8.Age Of Mythology
9.Singapore

Olympics Quiz

2006-04-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

Questions :

(1)1908 Summer Olympics were actually to be held in Rome(Italy), But something happened that eventually made the venue shift to Londan(Great Brtain). What was it?

(2)A teenager named Arnold Fornachou was selling ice cream at his exposition booth. He ran into a big problem - he ran out of the paper dishes on which to serve the ice cream. In a stroke of genius, he noticed that the guy in the next booth, a Syrian named Ernest Hamwi, was selling waffles. Arnold rolled one of Ernie's wafer-thin waffles up and invented the ice cream cone. Within ten years more than one-third of all ice cream was served in a cone. What the hell am I talking about and when did this happen?

(3) In Sydney 2000 Olympics, something happened w.r.t Baseball. What was that?

(4) Easy one -- Nadia Comaneci did somthing in the 1976 Montreal Olympics that no gymnast had done before. What was her claim to fame?

(5) A Standard Stereotypical Question -- What was peculiar about 1928 Amsterdam Olympics?

(6) In Y Olympics , an extreme terrorist group(belongign to country Z) named X invaded the Olympic village and held several members of the Israeli weightlifting team hostage, and killed two of them. The terrorists demanded that Israel release numerous Arab prisoners. When the Israelis refused to make concessions, a tense stand-off ensued while negotiations continued. Eventually the captors, still holding their hostages, were offered safe passage and taken to an airport, where they were ambushed by German security forces. and blah....blah...Now give me the names of X and Y and to which country(Z) did X belong to?

(7) One more Standard Q -- :-( The Olympic flag comprises five interlaced rings on a white field. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.The rings represent the union of the five continents during the Games.Now what/why were these 5 colours specfically chosen?

(8) Belgian (fencer) Victor Boin did it for the first time at the 1920 Antwerp Games.What did he do?

Answers:

1.[Relocated to London after the Italian organizers was forced to withdraw due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906 and the number of economic and social problems the Italian government had to confront.]

2. [St. Louis Olympics - 1904 ]

3. [Until the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, baseball was restricted to amateurs. Now professional players will be admitted. ]

4. [No gymnast had ever achieved a perfect score of 10, until Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci scored perfect 10's seven times at the 1976-Montreal games.]

5. [The idea of an Olympic Flame burning from the start of the games to the closing was first introduced in 1928.]

6. [ Munich Olympics 1972, Israel, Black September ]

7. [The colors were chosen because at least one of these colors is found in the flag of every nation ]

8. [The athletes' oath was first taken by Belgian fencer Victor Boin at the 1920 Antwerp Games ]