January 2010 Quiz Answers

Whirling Dervishes?

1. Religious Sema ceremony in remembrance of God as practiced by the Mawlawi

2. Cosmic vortices that spin around periphery of black holes
3. Severe back currents or eddies during floods

4. Visible wingtip vortices in certain atmospheric conditions
Video link and explanation on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWARMM8i6x8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Deepest lake in the world.
1. Crater Lake, Oregon, United States
2. Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia
3. Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean
4. Lake Titicaca, Bolivia-Peru border, South America

Lake Baikal, a true gem, the world's deepest lake, and crystal clear water, here is a nice gallery of pictures:  

http://www.magicbaikal.com/baikal-photos.php



What do these four countries have in common?  Albania, Chad, Liechtenstein and Paraguay.
1. They are all landlocked
2. They each have a monarchy
3. Their native language is unique to their country
4. Still waiting for their first Olympic medal


It's 9:00 am local time in Beijing and the Premier calls a local official in the extreme Western city of Kashi, 2,726 driving miles to the west.  What time is it in Kashi where the call in answered?
1. 5:30 am local time in Kashi
2. 6:00 am local time in Kashi
3. 7:00 am local time in Kashi
4. 9:00 am local time, just like Beijing, in Kashi
There is only one time zone in the entire country of China, they're ALL on Beijing time.


What do these have in common?  Winnie the Poo, pizza, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Camp; Nature Park and hectare?
1. All won awards in 2009 for being favorites of pre-teens
2. 100 acres
3. Each incorrectly assumed to have domestic origin
4. Nothing in common, trick question, just to spice things up

Winnie the Poo lives in the 100 Acre Wood, 

Americans eat 100 acres of pizza daily

The entire name of this park is the 100 acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Camp

and a hectare is simply... 100 acres


Highest mountain, from base on Earth?1.
1. Mt. Everest
2. K2
3. Mauna Kea
4. Mt. Kilimanjaro
From it's base on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea part of the Big Island of Hawai'i is far and away the tallest and largest mountain on earth. 


Which best approximates speed of tectonic plate drift?
1. Recognized growth of formal upright Bonsai trees
2. Rate of fingernail growth
3. Maple tree sap drip at 40 degrees F
4. Typical starfish crawl speed


A rain shower falls on the Giant's Range of mountains in St. Louis County, Northern Minnesota... where is the runoff "headed"?
1. Northerly, out of the United States to Hudson's Bay in Canada
2. East to the Atlantic and South to the Gulf of Mexico
3. Both North and South runoffs
4. All three, North, East and Southerly runoffs


What family does bamboo fall into?
1. Grass family
2. Creepers and Climbers
3. Herb family
4. Barkless Family


Green Flash?
1. Street slang for the quick reveal of a large wad of bills, normally bound in a roll
2. Title character of a Marvel Comic book hero in development for feature film
3. An optical phenomena that is periodically viewed shortly after sunset or before sunrise
4. A political movement in Eastern Europe as an alternative to historic political parties.

A good explanation in plain English here:

http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/