Quiz #16 - Where in the World is Chuck Cunningham?
If you were expecting a new Quiz this week we are sorry to say that the courier pigeon with the latest quiz did not arrive. The quiz will return next week, but in the meantime you can try some past ones.
We hope you are enjoying our quizzes. We think you'll find them tougher than others but also more rewarding.
Click on each question to reveal the answer, or click on the 'Show all the answers' link to see how you went and to learn more. Let us know any suggestions you have for improving the quiz by emailing quizmaster@radionz.co.nz.
Q 1 What is absolute zero in degrees celsius?
A -273° C
-273.15°C to be more precise. The Kelvin scale is used to measure very low temperatures. 0°K is Absolute Zero, and is where all atomic movement ceases. It is not possible to reach that temperature as there is always movement of some kind. Scientists can get very close though, using lasers and magnetic fields.
When helium is cooled to 2.17K it can pass through glass. That's cool!
Q 2 In the TV series Happy Days, what is the name of Howard and Marion Cunningham's oldest son?
A Charles "Chuck" Cunningham.
In the first two seasons Chuck is cast as a college student and basketball player. Part way through season two he disappears without explanation.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome is a term used to describe TV characters that disappear from shows without explanation. Other characters to suffer this fate include:
- Leslie Winkle from The Big Bang Theory, who was written out after season three.
- Bobby Dawson, a ballistics expert in CSI, who lasted until the middle of season eight.
- Greatjon Umber did not appear after season one of Game Of Thrones.
- Dr J. Loren Pryor, appeared only a few times in season one of The Simpsons.
The reason for these sudden departures range from "actor no longer available" to "the writers can't think of anything for the character to do".
Q 3 How long is the Channel Tunnel that runs between England and France?
A 50 km
The total length of the channel tunnel is 50.5 km, while the under-water section is 37.9 km. It took six years to build and cost about £4.6 billion.
Since many of you are on holiday, here is a documentary about it:
Q 4 How many hours a day does a typical domestic cat sleep?
A 16-20 hours
The domestic cat is a predator, and needs to sleep to conserve energy for hunting. Tackling a catnip toy or chasing a ball of string is serious work and takes a lot of energy. And staring in internet cat videos takes a lot of energy too.
Q 5 Can you name the four members of the pop group The Monkees?
A Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith.
The Monkees were put together for TV sitcom which aired from 1966 to 1968. Initially the four members made very limited contributions in the recording studio due to the demands of filming.
Q 6 Which planet is named after the Roman god of war?
A Mars
The month of March is also named for Mars. The chocolate bar of the same name is named after the man who introduced it, Forest Mars .
Q 7 What is Big Ben?
A A bell in the Great Clock of Westminster
Big Ben is the largest bell in the clock tower known officially as Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is used by most people to refer to the whole structure.
Q 8 What year was the Lego company founded?
A 1932
Lego was founded in Denmark in 1932, although the company did not start making bricks until 1949. The name is made up of two Danish words "Leg Godt", which means "play well".
In the US many people refer to the bricks as LEGOs, however the LEGO group advise that:
If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".
Q 9 How long is a marathon?
A 42.195km
The marathon was first run at the start of the modern Olympics in 1896. The length was not standardised until 1921 and was initially the distance between the Greek cities of Marathon and Athens - about 40km.
The event commemorates Greek soldier Pheidippides who is said to have run from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated.
Q 10 A deck of 52 playing cards can be ordered in how many different ways?
A 8×1067
This number is represented as 52! - the factorial of 52 - which is 52 x 51 x 50, and so on down to x 1.
The full number is 80658175170943878571660636856403766975289505440883277824000000000000.
When you shuffle a deck of cards it will be in one of those orders, and chances are (if you can execute a truly random shuffle) that you'd never see that same order again in your lifetime. In fact, you'd never see the same order in billions of years.
The aim of shuffling is to randomise the deck so that everyone in the game has a fair chance based on the cards they receive. Obviously there is also some skill required in how the player uses those cards. Players who excel at games like poker become experts at understanding the probability of card play and reading the body language of their opponents.
