General Knowledge Quiz

[Peterthegreat]

Sultan of Brunei?

 

[InkyScrolls]

Sultan of Brunei?

Correct - Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III, to give him his full title. Over to you.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Eugene Cernan was the last person to do what?

 

[DaleCooper]

Eugene Cernan was the last person to do what?

Walk on the moon.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Walk on the moon.

That is correct. Your turn to blast off with the next question.

 

[DaleCooper]

That is correct. Your turn to blast off with the next question.

Thank you.

Next question:

Apart from being the licence number of a taxi what is a "taxicab number"?

 

[Gloster]

An easily memorable number, like WHI 1212?

 

[DaleCooper]

An easily memorable number, like WHI 1212?

Not in the majority of examples.

 

[D6130]

Is it a combination number for opening locks, safes, etc.?

 

[xotGD]

Barristers having to take the next case when it is their turn - next cab off the rank.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Apart from being the licence number of a taxi what is a "taxicab number"?

The number that us dinosaurs phone when we want to book one?

 

[DaleCooper]

Is it a combination number for opening locks, safes, etc.?

Barristers having to take the next case when it is their turn - next cab off the rank.

The number that us dinosaurs phone when we want to book one?

I'm glad it's inspired some imaginative suggestions, alas none are correct.

The "most famous" taxicab number is 1729.

 

[D6130]

Prime numbers?

 

[DaleCooper]

Prime numbers?

No but you're in the right neighbourhood.

 

[MasterSpenny]

Square numbers?

 

[Greenheart]

A number divisible by six other numbers?

 

[Ashley Hill]

I googled it and still don’t understand it

 

[InkyScrolls]

A number which can be formed in two ways through the addition of cubes? 1729 is the lowest example of this (I forget the specific cubes used).

 

[MotCO]

A number which can be formed in two ways through the addition of cubes? 1729 is the lowest example of this (I forget the specific cubes used).

I was looking at cubes and found that 1728 was a cube (12 x 12 x 12). So presumably adding 1 cubed would give you 1729.

 

[DaleCooper]

Square numbers?

No

A number divisible by six other numbers?

No

I googled it and still don’t understand it

I posed the question and I'm not sure I understand either.

I was looking at cubes and found that 1728 was a cube (12 x 12 x 12). So presumably adding 1 cubed would give you 1729.

So close.

A number which can be formed in two ways through the addition of cubes? 1729 is the lowest example of this (I forget the specific cubes used).

1^3 + 12^3 = 9^3 + 10^3 = 1729

Some can be formed in more than two ways but essentially you are correct, your turn...

 

[MotCO]

No

No

I posed the question and I'm not sure I understand either.

So close.

1^3 + 12^3 = 9^3 + 10^3 = 1729

Some can be formed in more than two ways but essentially you are correct, your turn...

But why call it a taxicab number ???!!!

 

[DaleCooper]

But why call it a taxicab number ???!!!

Taxicab number - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The name is derived from a conversation in about 1919 involving mathematicians G. H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan. As told by Hardy:

I remember once going to see him [Ramanujan] when he was lying ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxi-cab No. 1729, and remarked that the number seemed to be rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavourable omen. "No," he replied, "it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two [positive] cubes in two different ways."

 

[InkyScrolls]

Thank you.

Each letter of the English alphabet appears silently in at least one word - with one exception. What is that letter?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Q

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Z

 

[DaleCooper]

X

 

[MasterSpenny]

B

 

[MotCO]

J

 

[Loppylugs]

F

 

[Peterthegreat]

V