Sci-Biz-Tech quiz, conducted for Covid relief

1. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
BTS (Business, Technology and
Science) Quiz (Prelisms)
Jyotesh (Jmin)
Krittika (RM – Relationship
Manager)
Vindhuja (V)

2. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q1*
In March this year, a new Dead Sea scroll was
discovered.
The area it was discovered in had already been
explored previously. The decision to re-excavate
it was made after an archaeologist discovered a
buried Roman-era sandal during a pee break.
Most archaeologists would have missed making
that discovery. What made this one particularly
eagle eyed?
(bigger image on next slide)

3. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh

4. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q2
In 1995, this place of natural significance reintroduced wolves after 70
years. This caused deer to be more cautious and avoid valleys, leading
to tree and grass regeneration, helping reduce erosion and stabilize the
land.
This fact was referenced in a 2018 college commencement address by
US footballer Abby Wambach to exhort the women there to “be the
wolf” and not its counterpart who is supposed to keep their head
down and not stray off the beaten track.
Which place? Who is the wolf’s counterpart?

5. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q3
In mid-2020, Bob had an unusual tech support issue where “a timeline
application” showed an error “Safari cannot open the page because
your ipad is not connected to the internet”.
Upon confirming with IT, he was asked to check that his “Wi-Fi was off
and Airplane mode was on”. As a quick fix, IT asked his colleague, Doug,
to screenshot the timeline on his own ipad, briefly turn on the wi-fi and
then AirDrop it between the two.
Why are Bob and Doug in airplane mode?

6. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q4
When mathematics uses Big-O notation to represent asymptotic
function growth, it used the Greek O instead of the Latin O for the
same.
This would probably confuse anyone with even a passing knowledge of
Greek due to what oddity?

7. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q5
This SMBC panel provides an alternate explanation for which famous
serendipity?

8. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q6*
This is a diagram of
Iron’s equivalent to
the water cycle,
important given Iron’s
role in supporting life.
What punny name is
this cycle known by?

9. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q7
The late 2020 malware and backdoor supply chain attacks on security
software maker SolarWinds had large implications for their customers
and infected many with a Trojanized version.
What were the two attacks (a backdoor dll and an attacking malware)
named, appropriately? #kolstylz

10. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q8
Fill in the blanks with a suitable pun on an “effect” that causes people
to have made up memories

11. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q9*
Hydrogen peroxide is broken down into
water and oxygen with the aid of potassium
iodide as a catalyst, in an exothermic
reaction. If the hydrogen peroxide is first
mixed with soap and coloring agents, the
substance produced by the reaction is often
called X’s Y because of its appearance,
where X is an animal (the reaction is also
known by other names).
What is this experiment/substance called ?

12. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q10
This element was isolated in 1830 and named by its discoverer after a
goddess of beauty, allegedly because he was struck by the colorful
compounds it produces.
What element, a compound of which is used to manufacture a more
vitriolic substance?

13. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q11
From late February 2021, a website with the single question “Er komid
eldgos?” in a European language captured the attention of people awaiting
a certain event, who refreshed it constantly to get updates. The site also
showcased a themed Spotify playlist with songs like “All Shook Up” by Elvis
Presley, “Baby I’m Burnin’” by Dolly Parton and “Ring of Fire” by Johnny
Cash.
The website finally changed status on 19/20 March, 2021. What was it
tracking?

14. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q12*
This natural rock arch feature named
_______, used to stand in the south-east
part of the eponymous, uninhabited
island. The waters around the arch are a
popular destination for divers who spot
sharks, turtles, manta rays and dolphins.
The arch recently collapsed due to natural
erosion, leading locals to name the
remaining columns the 'Pillars of ___‘
What was this formation called?

15. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q13
The zecchino was produced by the
Republic of Venice from the late 12th-
19th centuries. It depicts the ruler of
Venice receiving a standard from St.
Mark.
Given the above, it is humorously
being called the “Original X” ,
referencing current events. Give X.

16. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q14
A Tale of Two Cities.
X is a commune in the Gironde department in South-East France, known for
producing dessert wines. In the late 17th century, a certain Frenchman from
this area arrived in northeastern America (then called New France), and
appended his name with the grand-sounding title of “Sieur de X” (Lord of X)
to construct a fictional noble identity. He proceeded to achieve various
positions as commanders of French forts. Notably in 1701 he founded a fort,
later a city Y, which went on to become the centre of a particular industry in
the 20th century.
Give X and Y.

17. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q15
Glassware tinted a
pale yellow-green like
this was popular from
the 1830s till the
Second World War.
What was used to
produce the color?

18. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q16
Starting May 2020, BT engineers in the UK have been removing working
4G and 5G equipment from 12,000 of BT’s sites.
What is the intent of this exercise, which will cost BT over USD 700
million ?

19. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q17*
This company’s first product was named after a species of South
African snake, apparently because “it looked like it had just eaten a
Logitech _____ for lunch”. Subsequently, almost all of the company’s
products in this category have been named after snakes – including
some imaginary serpents such as Ourobouros and Basilisk.
Which company, whose glowing green logo continues with the
serpentine aesthetic?

20. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q18*
X, an American e-commerce start-up is said to have experienced a 4000%
growth in the pandemic.
They sell a premium, handmade, locally-produced version of a product
otherwise imported from China or mass-produced locally with cheap
materials.
However, the anticipated Q4’20 surge fell flat as their digital advertising was
drowned out by other large, heavily funded campaigns- much to the surprise
of the founders.
What does X sell? Why did their projections fail?

21. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q19*
The inhabitants of Greenwood, Tulsa created their own economy and thrived
up until the massacre and destruction of the district, 100 years ago. Jim
Crow Segregation separated the races but united the black dollar resulting in
a self sustained black economy.
The place gained the nickname _____ ___ ______ as the epicenter of wealth
and enterprise in Black America.
This affluent and wealthiest African-American enclave was home to doctors,
lawyers and notable entrepreneurs like J.B. Stradford.
FITB

22. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q20
The circulation of a certain publication reached a peak in 2016, when 200m
copies in 32 different languages were distributed worldwide.
It is often cited alongside the Bible, the Qur’an and Harry Potter books in
terms of total number of copies printed.
It is also said to have been an aspirational souvenir Indian tourists carried
back home.
After 70 years, the successful career of this iconic and ‘most-loved product’
came to an end with 40 mn copies of the 2021 edition.
ID

23. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Answers - Prelims

24. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q1*
In March this year, a new Dead Sea scroll was
discovered.
The area it was discovered in had already been
explored previously. The decision to re-excavate
it was made after an archaeologist discovered a
buried Roman-era sandal during a pee break.
Most archaeologists would have missed making
that discovery. What made this one particularly
eagle eyed?
(bigger image on next slide)

25. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh

26. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A1
Oriah Amichai is female and had to crouch to pee – bringing her closer
to the floor

27. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q2
In 1995, this place of natural significance reintroduced wolves after 70
years. This caused deer to be more cautious and avoid valleys, leading
to tree and grass regeneration, helping reduce erosion and stabilize the
land.
This fact was referenced in a 2018 college commencement address by
US footballer Abby Wambach to exhort the women there to “be the
wolf” and not its counterpart who is supposed to keep their head
down and not stray off the beaten track.
Which place? Who is the wolf’s counterpart?

28. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A2
Yellowstone National Park
Little Red Riding hood

29. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q3
In mid-2020, Bob had an unusual tech support issue where “a timeline
application” showed an error “Safari cannot open the page because
your ipad is not connected to the internet”.
Upon confirming with IT, he was asked to check that his “Wi-Fi was off
and Airplane mode was on”. As a quick fix, IT asked his colleague, Doug,
to screenshot the timeline on his own ipad, briefly turn on the wi-fi and
then AirDrop it between the two.
Why are Bob and Doug in airplane mode?

30. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A3

31. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q4
When mathematics uses Big-O notation to represent asymptotic
function growth, it used the Greek O instead of the Latin O for the
same.
This would probably confuse anyone with even a passing knowledge of
Greek due to what oddity?

32. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A4
The Greek O is Omicron – literally Little-O

33. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q5
This SMBC panel provides an alternate explanation for which famous
serendipity?

34. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A5

35. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q6*
This is a diagram of
Iron’s equivalent to
the water cycle,
important given Iron’s
role in supporting life.
What punny name is
this cycle known by?

36. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A6

37. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q7
The late 2020 malware and backdoor supply chain attacks on security
software maker SolarWinds had large implications for their customers
and infected many with a Trojanized version.
What were the two attacks (a backdoor dll and an attacking malware)
named, appropriately? #kolstylz

38. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A7
SunBurst and SuperNova

39. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q8
Fill in the blanks with a suitable pun on an “effect” that causes people
to have made up memories

40. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A8

41. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q9*
Hydrogen peroxide is broken down into
water and oxygen with the aid of potassium
iodide as a catalyst, in an exothermic
reaction. If the hydrogen peroxide is first
mixed with soap and coloring agents, the
substance produced by the reaction is often
called X’s Y because of its appearance,
where X is an animal (the reaction is also
known by other names).
What is this experiment/substance called ?

42. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A9
Elephant’s toothpaste

43. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q10
This element was isolated in 1830 and named by its discoverer after a
goddess of beauty, allegedly because he was struck by the colorful
compounds it produces.
What element, a compound of which is used to manufacture a more
vitriolic substance?

44. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A10
Vanadium

45. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q11
From late February 2021, a website with the single question “Er komid
eldgos?” in a European language captured the attention of people awaiting
a certain event, who refreshed it constantly to get updates. The site also
showcased a themed Spotify playlist with songs like “All Shook Up” by Elvis
Presley, “Baby I’m Burnin’” by Dolly Parton and “Ring of Fire” by Johnny
Cash.
The website finally changed status on 19/20 March, 2021. What was it
tracking?

46. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A11
The Icelandic volcano eruption of March 2021 (Fagradalsfjall)

47. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q12*
This natural rock arch feature named
_______, used to stand in the south-east
part of the eponymous, uninhabited
island. The waters around the arch are a
popular destination for divers who spot
sharks, turtles, manta rays and dolphins.
The arch recently collapsed due to natural
erosion, leading locals to name the
remaining columns the 'Pillars of ___‘
What was this formation called?

48. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Answer
Darwin’s Arch

49. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q13
The zecchino was produced by the
Republic of Venice from the late 12th-
19th centuries. It depicts the ruler of
Venice receiving a standard from St.
Mark.
Given the above, it is humorously
being called the “Original X” ,
referencing current events. Give X.

50. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A13
The original Dogecoin

51. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q14
A Tale of Two Cities.
X is a commune in the Gironde department in South-East France, known for
producing dessert wines. In the late 17th century, a certain Frenchman from
this area arrived in northeastern America (then called New France), and
appended his name with the grand-sounding title of “Sieur de X” (Lord of X)
to construct a fictional noble identity. He proceeded to achieve various
positions as commanders of French forts. Notably in 1701 he founded a fort,
later a city Y, which went on to become the centre of a particular industry in
the 20th century.
Give X and Y.

52. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A14
• X = Cadillac
• Y = Detroit

53. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q15
Glassware tinted a
pale yellow-green like
this was popular from
the 1830s till the
Second World War.
What was used to
produce the color?

54. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A15
Uranium

55. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q16
Starting May 2020, BT engineers in the UK have been removing working
4G and 5G equipment from 12,000 of BT’s sites.
What is the intent of this exercise, which will cost BT over USD 700
million ?

56. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A16
To remove Huawei equipment because of alleged security threats

57. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q17*
This company’s first product was named after a species of South
African snake, apparently because “it looked like it had just eaten a
Logitech _____ for lunch”. Subsequently, almost all of the company’s
products in this category have been named after snakes – including
some imaginary serpents such as Ourobouros and Basilisk.
Which company, whose glowing green logo continues with the
serpentine aesthetic?

58. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A17
Razer

59. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q18*
The fate of the Chángzhēng wǔ hào, the mission launcher for the first
module for China’s space station, has reminded experts of a 1979 incident.
In 1979, the president of the Esperance local government area in Australia,
symbolically “fined” NASA USD 400 for a similar occurrence.
What was NASA fined for ?

60. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A18
Space littering/debris (Skylab)

61. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q19*
Described below is the fundamental idea behind the working of an iconic
gadget, popularised in the 1980s, familiar to most of us growing up.
“Use of photo-sensing cells to detect scanning lines on a monitor screen and
using synchronization information to calculate the scan line position at the
time of detection.
Use of photo-sensing cells to detect IR emitters placed nearby the display.”
Image from patent application on next slide.

62. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh

63. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A19
Video Shooting Series
light gun/ NES Zapper

64. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
Q20
Who, about whom?
“I saw him and talked with him almost every day for several years, and above
all I actually collaborated with him. I owe more to him than to anyone else in
the world with one exception, and my association with him is the one
romantic incident in my life.”
The author of the above also wrote, defending the value of his field for its
own sake:
“I still say to myself when I am depressed, and find myself forced to listen to
pompous and tiresome people, 'Well, I have done one thing you could never
have done, and that is to have collaborated with both X and ________ on
something like equal terms.”

65. BTS Quiz Vindhuja, Krittika, Jyotesh
A20
Hardy and ramanujam