General Knowledge Quiz

[Calthrop]

Thanks -- but I'd never before this question, heard of the St. Nicholas magazine; and Little Lord F. was a total guess, prompted by your mention of the author. I shall graciously stand down, and let the proles have a go at question-setting .

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I shall graciously stand down, and let the proles have a go at question-setting.

Oi! Who are you calling a profiterole?!

 

[DaleCooper]

Thanks -- but I'd never before this question, heard of the St. Nicholas magazine; and Little Lord F. was a total guess, prompted by your mention of the author. I shall graciously stand down, and let the proles have a go at question-setting .

This prole (and proud of it) will have a go:

In March 1944 at an airfield in Italy 88 B-25 Mitchell bombers of the USAAF were destroyed on the ground in a single incident. What happened?

 

[MotCO]

Did Etna erupt and destroy the planes?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Did Etna erupt and destroy the planes?

This was at Pompeii airfield so surely it would be Mt Vesuvius?

 

[DaleCooper]

Did Etna erupt and destroy the planes?

So close but...

This was at Pompeii airfield so surely it would be Mt Vesuvius?

...it was this one. Your turn...

 

[MotCO]

Do I get an assist?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Do I get an assist?

Think you should wait until the dust settles.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Do I get an assist?

Yes - very happy to give you the floor. My boss has called me very shortly into a long meeting and I am then taking my wife to airport for her flight home to England. So I can’t monitor properly.

 

[MotCO]

Yes - very happy to give you the floor. My boss has called me very shortly into a long meeting and I am then taking my wife to airport for her flight home to England. So I can’t monitor properly.

Thank you. (You mean to say your wife is not your boss? )

What do the following have in common:

Basingstoke
GCHQ
Nickname for Salvation Army girls in WW1
A driving manoeuvre

 

[Gloster]

They are not all in Westphalia, are they?

 

[DaleCooper]

Thank you. (You mean to say your wife is not your boss? )

What do the following have in common:

Basingstoke
GCHQ
Nickname for Salvation Army girls in WW1
A driving manoeuvre

Doughnut

 

[MotCO]

They are not all in Westphalia, are they?

No. I think the Salvation Army exists outside Westphalia.

 

[MotCO]

Doughnut

Indeed.

Basingstoke is Doughnut City on account of the number of roundabouts there
GCHQ is based in a circular hollow building when viewed from above
The Salvation Army girls used to cheer up the troops by providing doughnuts
Driving in tight circles with squealing tyres is doughnutting

Your turn to go round in circles.

 

[DaleCooper]

Indeed.

Basingstoke is Doughnut City on account of the number of roundabouts there
GCHQ is based in a circular hollow building when viewed from above
The Salvation Army girls used to cheer up the troops by providing doughnuts
Driving in tight circles with squealing tyres is doughnutting

Your turn to go round in circles.

Thank you.

Next question:

Which game takes place on a grid and can involve:

Still life
Oscillators
Gliders
Spaceships
Glider guns
Methuselahs

 

[DaleCooper]

Thank you.

Next question:

Which game takes place on a grid and can involve:

Still life
Oscillators
Gliders
Spaceships
Glider guns
Methuselahs

As there have been no guesses I suspect you are all thinking this must be some nerdy PlayStation or Xbox game, well It's not.

Hints:
It was devised by British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970
It's a zero-player game

 

[DaleCooper]

As there have been no guesses I suspect you are all thinking this must be some nerdy PlayStation or Xbox game, well It's not.

Hints:
It was devised by British mathematician John Horton Conway in 1970
It's a zero-player game

Perhaps a picture of a glider gun would help, if not I will reveal the answer later today.

 

[MotCO]

Is it PacMan or similar?

 

[DaleCooper]

Is it PacMan or similar?

No, it's not Pacman neither is it really similar.

 

[krus_aragon]

This is Conway's Game of Life. Originally played with counters, black squares either procreate or die off depending on how many neighbouring squares are populated. Modern implementations on computer are far easier to simulate through multiple generations.

Originally it was thought all starting positions must die out; the discovery of layouts such as the glider (and glider gun) that continue forever were big news in maths circles back in the day.

 

[DaleCooper]

This is Conway's Game of Life. Originally played with counters, black squares either procreate or die off depending on how many neighbouring squares are populated. Modern implementations on computer are far easier to simulate through multiple generations.

Originally it was thought all starting positions must die out; the discovery of layouts such as the glider (and glider gun) that continue forever were big news in maths circles back in the day.

You are absolutely right, your turn...

For those who are interested there's a Wiki page here.
You can play it here Game of Life - warning, it can be addictive.

 

[Ediswan]

Originally it was thought all starting positions must die out; the discovery of layouts such as the glider (and glider gun) that continue forever were big news in maths circles back in the day.

I have never before seen that suggested. For a start, a square of four is obviously stable.

 

[DaleCooper]

I have never before seen that suggested. For a start, a square of four is obviously stable.

Yes and a lot that oscillate between two patterns.

 

[krus_aragon]

I have never before seen that suggested. For a start, a square of four is obviously stable.

Yes and a lot that oscillate between two patterns.

Sorry, I spoke poorly there. It would be better to say: it was originally thought that no pattern could grow forever (i.e. that such growth would eventually die off), until the Gosper glider gun was discovered.

You are absolutely right, your turn...

Next question:

What does the following sequence describe:
1913:A,U
1932:H
1951:X
1970:AA

 

[MotCO]

Car Registration sequences?

 

[Gloster]

Film classifications?

 

[Strat-tastic]

Batteries and their years of development.

 

[krus_aragon]

Car Registration sequences?

A good idea, but double letter sequences for years only started c. 2000 with the current system.

Batteries and their years of development.

No, sorry. (Incidentally, Wikipedia tells me the AA battery was first introduced in 1907!)

Film classifications?

Correct: these are the years in which the BBFC introduced new film classifications. The original system in 1913 classified pictures as Universal or Adult, but was just guidance. 1932 added a Horror classification, but this was replaced with an X for Explicit content in 1951. The AA category was later split off from the A category, and restricted under-14s from admittance.

The more familiar system of U, PG, 15, 18 and R18 was introduced in 1982.

Over to you, @Gloster ...

 

[Gloster]

Which film is the longest-running theatrical release in film history? (I.e. it has not been withdrawn and then rereleased, but continued on the same release year after year.)

 

[DaleCooper]

Which film is the longest-running theatrical release in film history? (I.e. it has not been withdrawn and then rereleased, but continued on the same release year after year.)

The Sound of Music