Religion
The Longest Verse
specifically Esther 8:9
Historians often cite the "Blank Check" as a primary cause for the escalation of WWI. Define what the "Blank Check" was and which nation issued it to whom.
The "Blank Check" was a telegram sent by Germany to Austria-Hungary in July 1914.
What is the specific process that powers the Sun, and which two elements are primarily involved?
Nuclear Fusion. In the Sun's core, extreme heat and pressure cause Hydrogen atoms to fuse together to form Helium. This process releases a massive amount of energy in the form of light and heat.
This 18th-century philosopher proposed the "Categorical Imperative," which essentially says: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." Who was he?
Immanuel Kant.
In the biological classification system (Taxonomy), humans belong to the Kingdom Animalia and the Phylum Chordata. What is the specific Order that humans belong to, which we share with lemurs, monkeys, and apes?
Primates
The "Silent" Book
The Book of Esther.
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference (1884–1885), and what was the "Principle of Effective Occupation"?
The purpose was to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa to avoid war between European powers.
Which planet in our solar system is so low in density that it would theoretically float in a giant bathtub of water?
Saturn is a gas giant composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. Its average density is about $0.687\text{ g/cm}^3$, which is less than the density of water ($1\text{ g/cm}^3$).
This famous composer was completely deaf when he composed his "Ninth Symphony" (which includes the famous "Ode to Joy" hymn we often sing). He never actually heard the thunderous applause at its premiere. Who was he?
Ludwig van Beethoven.
If a cell has a temperature-sensitive mutation in its DNA Topoisomerase II (DNA Gyrase) gene, what specific event in the replication cycle will fail when the temperature is shifted to the restrictive level?
The cell will fail at termination and segregation.
The Left-Handed Deliverer
Ehud (Judges 3:15).
While the Crusades are often viewed as a purely religious conflict, what was the primary political motivation of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I when he asked the Pope for help?
His primary goal was territorial recovery.
If an astronaut throws a tool in deep space, away from any significant gravitational pull, what will happen to the tool's motion?
It will continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed forever (unless it hits something). This is due to Inertia. According to Newton’s First Law, an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.
Light travels at approximately 300,000 kilometers per second. If the Sun were to suddenly "go out" right now, exactly how many minutes (and seconds) would pass before the missionaries at this bonfire in Chala were sitting in total darkness?
8 minutes and 20 seconds.
A red blood cell is placed in a solution with a much higher salt concentration than the inside of the cell (a hypertonic solution). Describe what happens to the cell and the name of the process involved.
the cell will shrink
The Giant's Wardrobe
5,000 shekels of bronze (which is roughly 57 to 60 kilograms or 125-150 lbs).
In the mid-19th century, Japan went from a secluded feudal society to a global industrial power in just a few decades. What event triggered this "Meiji Restoration"?
The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his "Black Ships" from the United States in 1853.
Why does the Moon have so many visible craters compared to the Earth?
The Moon has no atmosphere. On Earth, most small meteoroids burn up in the atmosphere (as "shooting stars"). Additionally, Earth has weathering, erosion, and plate tectonics that "erase" old craters, whereas the Moon is geologically quiet and unprotected.
The "Dead Sea Scrolls," discovered in 11 caves between 1947 and 1956, revolutionized our understanding of the Old Testament. In what three languages were these scrolls written?
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
If a DNA strand has the sequence $TAC$, what will be the corresponding sequence on the $mRNA$, and where in the cell does this "coding" take place?
mRNA Sequence: $AUG$. (In RNA, Adenine pairs with Uracil, and Cytosine pairs with Guanine).
The First "Musician"
Jubal (Genesis 4:21).
What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference (1884–1885), and what was the "Principle of Effective Occupation"?
The purpose was to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa to avoid war between European powers.
What is the name of the phenomenon where sunlight is scattered by the Earth's atmosphere, making the sky appear blue?
Rayleigh Scattering. Short-wavelength light (blue and violet) is scattered more easily by the molecules in the atmosphere than long-wavelength light (red). Our eyes are more sensitive to blue, so we see a blue sky.
There is only one country in the world that is "doubly landlocked"—meaning it is a landlocked country entirely surrounded by other countries that are also landlocked. Name this country.
Uzbekistan (or Liechtenstein).
Two genes, A and B, are 20 centimorgans (cM) apart on the same chromosome. If an individual with genotype $Ab/aB$ is crossed with a homozygous recessive individual ($ab/ab$), what percentage of the offspring will have the phenotype $ab$?
The percentage will be 10%.