What is the only metal on Earth that it liquid at room temperature?
Mercury is the only metal on the planet that stays in a liquid state at room temperature and standard pressure. This is because of weak bonds between mercury atoms.
If a person was thrown into space without a spacesuit, how would they die?
We've all seen the movies: if you're ever thrown out into the vacuum of space, you can basically expect to disintegrate, right? Or your blood will boil, or something. Not true! Turns out, we're made of tougher stuff than Hollywood seems to think. For example, although many liquids do boil in open space, our blood is kept in check by our circulatory system and would therefore be OK. Freezing isn't a concern either, as a vacuum actually acts as a pretty good insulator. It's not all good news though: your death would still be pretty gruesome. The lack of air will render you unconscious in about 15 seconds... before you asphyxiate and die in about a minute.
The venom of some tarantulas can be used as…
The scientific method of transforming a venom into a painkiller is called "toxineering." But wait, they don't do that! Yes, they do--the venom of the Peruvian green velvet tarantula can be an effective and non-addictive alternative to opioid painkillers.
The oldest known animal of all-time was a…
The oldest known animal ever to grace the face of the Earth was a mollusk, which lived from 1499 until 2006. It managed to survive 507 years on the planet, through wars and empires and some of humanities greatest moments... until scientists accidentally killed it.
Which of these foods will essentially never spoil, or become inedible?
Honey is one food that is not capable of spoiling. It is possible to safely eat honey that is thousands of years old. FYI, the oldest honey ever found was in ceramic jars discovered in the tomb of a noblewoman in Georgia (the country), not far from Tbilisi. It was 5,500 years old, and as far as we know, no one decided to eat it.
True or False: A bolt of lightning is hotter than the surface of the Sun.
A lightning bolt is astonishingly 5 times hotter than the sun’s surface. Also, a single lightning bolt has enough energy to cook 100,000 pieces of toast.
Which common flower can help to clean up radioactive waste?
How could you start a fire with a piece of ice?
A fire can be started with ice. The trick? Carve the ice into a lens that focuses the sun's rays, much like a magnifying glass.
Which of these facts about Platypuses is true?
The platypus, with its famously strange appearance, is a classic childhood favorite. Silly name + silly looks = every kid's most beloved animal. But the platypus is hiding a deadly secret: The male platypus has sharp spurs on its hind feet that can produce a toxic venom. A well-aimed strike from a full-grown male platypus can prove fatal to a dog.
True or False: Male sharks have thicker skin than female sharks.
Female sharks have thicker skins than their male counterparts. Scientists think it’s because males like to bite females during mating.
Which planet in our solar system is known for occasionally “snowing” metal?
On Venus, it sometimes snows metal. Two types have been found, which scientists have called galena and bismuthinite.
Roughly how long does it take for light from the Sun to reach us here on Earth?
The sun is over 400 times farther away from our planet than the moon. It also takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the light of the sun to reach earth.
What is the difference between a poison and a venom?
Poison is secreted and must be touched to take effect. Meanwhile, venom has to be injected.
How long does it take for the brain to react to alcohol consumption?
Brain cells experience a reaction to alcohol consumption within a mere 6 minutes. Alcohol is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which means it can actually touch brain cells directly. This helped perpetuate the idea that “alcohol kills brain cells,” which is somewhat of a myth anyway: moderate alcohol use doesn't kill brain cells, while rampant abuse can damage the brain.
True or False: The Moon is getting farther away.
True! The moon is slowly drifting away from our planet, by about 1.48 inches, or 3.78 centimeters every year.
Before the term “Scientist” was coined in 1833, they were often called...
The term scientist was coined by a scholar named William Whewell, who was studying at Cambridge at the time. He proposed the new title as a parallel to "artist", reasoning that if a person who advances the world of art is an artist, then a person who advances the world of science ought to be a scientist.
Roughly how much does a cumulus cloud weigh?
A cumulus cloud weighs about as much as 80 elephants.
How much stronger is Earth’s gravity, compared to the Moon?
If you lived on the moon, you would weigh a lot less than you do now. Gravity on the moon is a mere sixth of the gravity on Earth. This is because the moon has only 1% of the mass of Earth. A human’s weight will vary depending on what planet they are on.
Who said this quote? “Science is not only a discipline of reason but, also, one of romance and passion.”
That’s a Stephen Hawking quote.
True or False: Human hair is about as strong as Kevlar.
If you're ever in need of a makeshift bullet-proof vest, look no further than the hairs on your own head. Pound-for-pound, human hair has a similar strength ratio to Kevlar (that's the bullet-proof stuff).
Which of these options was NOT a result of humans beginning to control fire?
The discovery of fire changed the way we're built. We began cooking food on controlled fires around 790,000 years ago— which meant the average human was soon consuming far less dangerous bacteria. Turns out, less raw meat = less grossness. That soon led to shorter human digestive tracts, as there was less of a need to process foods. The increase in healthy meat consumption also led to more energy available, which evolution translated into taller bodies and larger brains.
Your Results
Science Wiz
You’ve clearly been studying your trivia. Do you read textbooks in your time off? Sure, a few of those questions got past you… but that’s because we made this as hard as humanly possible. And you still did pretty dang well. Good on you.
Einstein Himself
Have you found some way to make a living off this knowledge you have? I mean your expertise is shocking. You must win every game of Trivial Pursuit you’ve ever played. Who could have such deep knowledge and understanding of the most obscure details of the scientific world? Very impressive… well done.
Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.
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Science can be endlessly fascinating—from physics to chemistry to biology, there are so many interesting and wonderful ways in which the world works. How much do you know about the scientific world? Time to find out...
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