General Knowledge Quiz

[Peterthegreat]

Hungary.

 

[martinsh]

Hungary is correct ! Your turn to lose at the conference table.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Thank you.
What "at Heavens command arose from out the azure main"?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Britain. Line from Rule Brittania.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Britain. Line from Rule Brittania.

Indeed it it is.
Your turn to rule the question.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

What did Louis Balfour present?

 

[SuspectUsual]

What did Louis Balfour present?

Jazz Club

Nice!

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Jazz Club

Nice!

A fast show of a correct answer.

Does it suit you to set the next question?

 

[SuspectUsual]

What was legally adopted throughout the island Of Great Britain on 2 August 1880?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Greenwich Mean Time.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Blimey, that was quick!

All yours

 

[Peterthegreat]

Thank you.
In which country has the hottest (natural) air temperature been recorded?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Death Valley so USA but there is some doubt over it's validity in which case it is Tunisia.

 

[MotCO]

Australia?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Death Valley so USA but there is some doubt over it's validity in which case it is Tunisia.

USA is the answer I have although as you say there is some doubt.
However for you to raise temperatures with the next question.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

What is The Shannon Number?

 

[Calthrop]

"Number" -- not, I suppose, referring to the sea-song about the "naval duel" off Boston, Mass., in the War of 1812: between the British ship Shannon and the U.S. one Chesapeake (we won) --
The Chesapeake so bold out of Boston, we've been told / Came to take the British frigate neat and handy, O ...

 

[D1511]

Not sure what the actual number is (it is millions and millions I think) but it's the number of possible permutations of games of chess

 

[Gloster]

Wasn’t it No. 5 on the Wantage Tramway?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

"Number" -- not, I suppose, referring to the sea-song about the "naval duel" off Boston, Mass., in the War of 1812: between the British ship Shannon and the U.S. one Chesapeake (we won) --
The Chesapeake so bold out of Boston, we've been told / Came to take the British frigate neat and handy, O ...

Wasn’t it No. 5 on the Wantage Tramway?

Not those I am afraid.

Not sure what the actual number is (it is millions and millions I think) but it's the number of possible permutations of games of chess

We have a winner. It is calculations of the number of possible positions after a given number of moves. It gets to be very very large very quickly.

Your move.

 

[D1511]

Thank you. I think that must be some beast of a statistical formula that Mr Shannon (presumably) developed to work that out .......it's not as easy as "347 people enter a tennis tournament so how many matches are there?" (346 obviously, because everyone loses a match, except the winner!)

BTW I've just googled it, and I was way out.......it is 10 to the power of 120 (apologies I can't fathom out how to superscript that power to write it properly), but given that 10 to the power of 6 is 1000000, the number is truly astronomical! I am unsure what greek prefix would be used in the case of 120 zeros!

Anyway, statistical meanderings aside, the phrase "cock and bull story" has become part of the English language. However, how did it originate, and where exactly?

 

[DaleCooper]

BTW I've just googled it, and I was way out.......it is 10 to the power of 120 (apologies I can't fathom out how to superscript that power to write it properly), but given that 10 to the power of 6 is 1000000, the number is truly astronomical! I am unsure what greek prefix would be used in the case of 120 zeros!

10e120 or 10^120

 

[martinsh]

Legend has it that it stage coach days there were tow inns opposite each other on opposite sides of the road in a town where overnight rests were made. Travellers from the various coaches mingled and told tall tales.

I think the location was Stony Stratford but I'm not sure

 

[D1511]

Legend has it that it stage coach days there were tow inns opposite each other on opposite sides of the road in a town where overnight rests were made. Travellers from the various coaches mingled and told tall tales.

I think the location was Stony Stratford but I'm not sure

That's correct. The two inns are actually on the same side of Stony Stratford High St about 50m apart, and London types travelling by stagecoach would tell exaggerated bragging tales of their wealth and status in London - hence the phrase.

The reason I posed the question is because I am staying in the Cock Tavern (now Hotel) at the moment!

What story do you have for us?

 

[martinsh]

I forgot my story / question - so Open Floor

 

[Donny Dave]

As you know the modern Olympics last for a maximum 16 days. However, this wasn't always the case. How many days did the longest games last for, which year was thus, and for a bonus point, where were they held?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

The 1908 Olympics in London lasted over 6 months so they have to be worth a guess.

 

[Donny Dave]

6 months and 4 days to be precise. Over to you to set a new record.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

What feat was achieved by Alfred Shaw?

 

[MotCO]

First man in a barrel going over Niagara Falls?