science trivia
What is the nearest planet to the sun
Mercury
Where can you find the smallest bone in the human body?
Middle Ear
What is considered the highest mountain in Africa?
Mount Kilimanjaro
What is the study of mushrooms called?
Mycology
Scientists believe that the continents of the earth were all one large landmass 280 million years ago. The moving of tectonic plates caused this mass to break off into different pieces, making up the continents as we know them today. What was this landmass called?
Pangea
Discovered by Alexander Fleming, this is now used to treat infections and is considered one of the most important discoveries in the field of medical science. What is it?
Penicillin
A spider monkey's tail can carry its weight and hold on to branches. This type of tail - which can hold on to objects and support the weight of the animal to which it belongs - are called what type of tail?
Prehensile tail
This planet has a collective 53 moons, making it the planet in our solar system with the most number of moons.
Saturn
The concept of gravity was discovered by which famous physicist?
Sir Isaac Newton
What was the name of the first man-made satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957?
Sputnik 1
True or False? Electrons are smaller than atoms.
T
True or false: your hair and your nails are made from the same material.
T
What tissues connect the muscles to the bones?
Tendons
This theory aims to explain how Pangea became separate continents, suggesting that the movement of tectonic plates caused the mass to break off and drift into different places.
The Continental Drift Theory
Which oath of ethics taken by doctors is named after an Ancient Greek physician?
The Hippocratic Oath.
What is it called when a solid matter transitions to a gas immediately without having to pass through the liquid state?
sublimation
The joints of the body are designed so that they allow bones to interface and move. This specific type of joint however, is rigid and does not allow movement. What type of joint is this?
suture joints
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of science. The man behind the award - Alfred Nobel - invented what?
dynamite
On what part of your body would you find the pinna?
ear
What part of the human body serves the purpose of maintaining balance?
ears
Does the earth go around the sun, or does the sun go around the earth?
earth around sun
What is the largest known land animal?
elephant
This medical term is used to refer to items 'based on experience'
empiric
When you open a bottle of wine and leave it exposed to the air, the ethanol in it reacts with oxygen. This reaction forms what?
ethanoic acid
This relationship between muscles means that one muscle assists the movement of another.
synergistic
True or false: the graduated cylinder is a tool that's used to measure fluid volume.
t
Joseph Henry was given credit for this invention in 1831 which was said to revolutionize the way that people communicate during the time. What was his invention?
telegraph
This part of the brain deals with hearing and language
temporal lobe
How do airplanes stay in the air?
wing shape
From which body part does the majority of your body heat escape?
you lose heat evenly throughout your body.
True or False? All radioactive material is man-made.
false
True or false: sound travels faster in air than in water.
false
This measurement - approximately six feet - is used to measure the depth of water. What is it?
fathom
This lunar phase happens when less than a full moon but more than a half moon is illuminated.
gibbous phase
This is the only type of canine that can climb trees. What is it called
gray fox
This refers to the amount of blood cells in a certain amount of blood
hematocrit
Which freezes faster, hot water or cold water?
hot
What is a material that will not carry an electrical charge called?
insulator
Bright's Disease affects what part of the body?
kidney
This animal's fingerprints closely resemble that of a human's. So much so in fact, that inspecting its fingerprint side by side with a human print might make it impossible to differentiate. What animal is it?
koala
What part of the plant conducts photosyntehsis?
leaf
Optics is the study of what?
light
What is chalk made of?
limestone
What is the heaviest organ in the human body?
liver
The name of this disease stems from the medieval term that means 'bad air'. What disease is it?
malaria
This type of cell division results two four daughter cells, each one with half the number of chromosomes in the parent cells. What is it called?
meiosis
At what temperature are Celsius and Fahrenheit equal?
-40
How many colors are in the rainbow?
7
Roughly how long does it take for the sun's light to reach Earth: 8 minutes, 8 hours or 8 days?
8 mins
What percentage of the total number of known animals are invertebrates?
95%
On what continent will you not find bees?
Antarctica
What is the largest desert in the world?
Antarctica
The plant Earth is surrounded by different layers of gas, which when taken together, we call the...?
Atmosphere
Where is the world's most active volcano located?
Hawaii
This Greek physician was the first to keep records of his patients' histories
Hippocrates
Which is the most abundant element in the universe?
Hydrogen
What does the vestibular sense do?
Informs the brain of a person's position in space informs the brain of the relative position of certain body parts to others
Who was the scientist to propose the three laws of motion?
Isaac Newton
This animal was the first ever to be launched into space. She was strapped into the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft which was sent out into outer space on November 3, 1957. What was her name?
Laika- dog
True or False? Lasers work by focusing on sound waves.
Laser" is actually an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers concentrate light waves, not sound waves. FALSE
This term is commonly used today to refer to errors with computer systems. It was first coined when a moth was trapped in an early model of the personal computer, causing it to crash. What is this word?
bug
This is the quality of an object that allows it to float on water
buoyancy
This is the phenomenon that explains why people will tend to refuse to offer help when there are other people present during an emergency.
bystander effect
When a substance goes from one state of matter to another, what is that process called?
change of state
An unlit match has what form of energy?
chemical
Space travelers from the United States are called astronauts. From Russia, they're called cosmonauts. Where are taikonauts from?
china
What two substances are the main components of bronze?
copper and tin
This type of bond involves the sharing of electron pairs between different atoms. What do you call this bond?
covalent
What color is the blood inside your body?
dark red
What does DNA stand for?
deoxyribonucleic acid
What is the hardest known natural material?
diamonds
Why do bubbles pop shortly after their blown?
dirt from the air
In what year was Alaska sold to the United States of America?
1867
Who is regarded as the man who invented the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell
This essential gas is important so that we can breath
Oxygen
What's the boiling point of water?
100 c
How many elements are there in the periodic table?
118
An egg's shell is what percentage of its total weight?
12%
How long does a human red blood cell survive?
120 days
Using feet, how long does the human small intestine measure on average?
17
Leo Gertstenzang is typically credited for the invention of q-tips - one of the most important modern day necessities for personal care. What year did he invent them?
1923
How many bones are in the human body?
206
How many teeth does an adult human have?
32
What is the rarest blood type?
AB negative
ATP is the molecular unit of energy that gives our body fuel on a cellular level. What does ATP stand for?
Adenosine triphosphate
This is the unit of measure used to quantify radioactive element activity.
Becqueral
What is the largest known animal?
Blue whale
Had pirates known about this vitamin, then they wouldn't have suffered from scurvy. What vitamin is this
C
The oldest living tree is 4,843 years old and can be found where?
California
This man is responsible for reshaping the way early man believed the solar system worked. He proposed that the Earth was not the center of the universe, and that the sun was instead at the center of our solar system. Who was he?
Copernicus
Animals that are active during dawn and dusk are called what type of animals?
Crepuscular
The earth has three layers of varying temperatures. What are its three layers?
Crust, mantle, and core
What is the scientific term for peeling skin?
Desquamation
In what country can you find the Suez Canal?
Egypt
True or false: chloroplasts can be found in animal cells
F
True or false? Shark cartilage can cure cancer.
F
rue or false: the Large Magellanic Cloud is farther from the Earth than Andromeda.
F
True or False? Chameleons change colors only to blend into their environment.
False. Chameleons also change colors for other reasons, like to regulate body temperature, when feeling aggression, and when feeling excited.
This planet spins the fastest, completing one whole rotation in just 10 hours. Which planet is it?
Jupiter
What is the largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
Is Pluto a planet?
No (dwarf planet)
Can you hear anything in outer space?
No, there is medium for sound to travel through
Do diamonds last forever?
No. Diamonds do not last forever. They'll eventually degrade to graphite, though the process takes over a billion years.
Can humans see the Great Wall of China from space?
No. Unless you're in low orbit "under a specific set of weather and lighting conditions,
How many senses do humans have?
Thought the answer was five? You actually have more—many neurologists identify nine or more senses.
How does fat leave your body when you lose weight?
Through your sweat, urine, and breath.
This Saturn moon has a methane cycle, differentiating it from the other moons of the planet. What is its name?
Titan
What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City
What is the hottest planet in the solar system?
Venus
Many of us believe that the average human has 5 senses, but that's not actually true. What two other senses do we have that are often left unknown to most lay people?
Vestibular and proprioceptive senses
Can an airplane go in reverse?
Yes
Can gold be created from other elements?
Yes
Will there be an impact on your height if you go to space?
Yes
Can lightning strike the same place twice?
Yes, and this happens regularly.
Most of a penny is made from what type of metal?
Zinc
This type of muscle relationship refers to two muscles that never move in the same direction. When one is flexed, the other will always be extended.
antagnostic
What will two particles of opposing charges do - repel or attract?
attract
What is the tallest type of grass?
bamboo
Who has more hair follicles, blondes or brunettes?
blondes
What do bees collect and use to create honey?
nectar
In 1953, the United States of America conducted its first and only nuclear artillery test. Where was the test held?
nevada
From what tree do acorns come from?
oak trees
Animals that eat both plants and meat are called what?
omnivore
What is the bone diseases that literally translates to 'porous bones'?
osteoporosis
Diabetes develops as the result of a problem with which specific organ in the body?
pancreas
What mountain peak is farthest from the center of the Earth?
peak of Chimborazo in Ecuado
What are the only two egg-laying mammals in existence in the world today
platypus and echidna
What is the only rock that floats?
pumice
Lagomorph, refers to what type of animal?
rabbit
What is a geiger counter used to measure?
radiation
What is it called when you make light change direction by passing it through a lens?
refraction
How long is the memory of a goldfish?
several days
Dolly was the first ever living creature to be cloned. What type of animal was she?
sheep
Which of Newton's Laws state that 'for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?'
third
This jungle animal, when in groups, is referred to as an ambush. What kind of animal is this?
tiger
True or false - lightning is hotter than the sun.
true
What is the only planet that spins clockwise?
venus
This 'v' word describes a fluid's ability to resist flowing. What is it?
viscosity