"C" in Science
Only popularized during COVID, this national public health agency was my guiding light for Disease Detectives, my main SciOly event on epidemiology
What is the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)?
Even after pursuing this Japanese one-word martial art for a few years and earning a blue belt, apparently my punches still came off as pushes...
My favorite show of all time: this one on Cartoon Network with the dysfunctional family of 2 rabbits, 2 cats, and their pet fish, in the wonderful city of Elmore
What is "The Amazing World of Gumball"?
One of the first times that I interacted with Sumedha (who isn't allowed to answer this) was when this former Presidential candidate came to UT, prompting Arvind to skip his own office hours
Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
If not for my strep throat the day before the concert, I would've sung with 4 other Honor Choir students about seasonal rain on the cherry blossom fields of this Asian island nation
What is Japan?
I have "dreamed" of many careers: in 5th grade, I presented on this career, not realizing the prerequisite science went beyond memorizing the Periodic Table, learning materials science, and wearing a hardhat
What is a chemical engineer?
I tried so hard to get better at basketball, but I just don't have the stamina. In the process though, I got much better at this kids basketball game that uses 2 balls
What is Knockout?
Sometimes birds (like Blu) fly in Rio, sometimes birds (and hopefully some pigs!) fly in this video game by Rovio that I still play sometimes
What is Angry Birds?
Prior to his time as a professor, this UChicago MBA alum worked with the Chicago Exchange to develop the VIX, a measure of options volatility
Who is Michael Sury?
Courtesy of this music streaming service reminiscent of elementary school days, I drove classmates insane with my humming!
What is Pandora?
Have you had your "phyll" of this organelle found in plants and key to photosynthesis, courtesy of the Calvin Cycle?
What is the chloroplast?
After playing this on Wii Sports Resorts, I thought I was good (I was not) ... 6 years later though, with 8 different types of serves, I am a force to be reckoned with (unless I play against Andy)
What is table tennis/ping pong?
While I'm sure you'd be surprised that this isn't the case anymore, people often remarked when I was a kid that I was like this prodigy and physicist, on whose show at least 2 spinoffs were created
Who is Sheldon Cooper?
In retrospect, it seems like a pipe dream, but if my team had scored 3K more points at this competition, we would have had the opportunity to meet President Biden at the White House!
What is Academic Decathlon [the national competition]?
During our elementary school winter concert, I was asked to dress up as the main character and fight the Rat King from this novel by Alexander Dumas later adapted into a famous ballet
What is The Nutcracker?
Continental drift is primarily driven by these geologic processes (like a massive lava lamp) occurring in the Earth's mantle as convergent boundaries pull tectonic plates toward the core
What are convection currents?
While I only really played genuine cricket in middle school and didn't have time afterward, I did go to the opening match in Dallas after sophomore year to watch these two inconsequential international teams play
Who are the United States and Canada?
You all know that Green Shy Guy is now my go-to character, but back on the Wii, it used to be these two characters (name either)
Who are Toadette (if my brother was playing) and Rosalina (if he wasn't)?
In 2019, these two world leader met on stage at the NRG Stadium as over 50K (1 of whom was me) people gathered to support the strengthening of their countries' strategic ties
Who are Narendra Modi and Donald Trump [Howdy Modi]?
I have never visited Mount Rushmore, but I have sung Michael Daugherty's "Mount Rushmore," which pays homage to this Lincoln speech that starts "Four scores and seven years ago..."
What is the Gettysburg Address?
I am one of the boys with a lifelong space obsession - this is the term for remnant radiation from the Big Bang that encapsulates the entire universe (Yuvraj can't answer)
What is the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)?
The only sports games that I was even semi-good at in PE class were field hockey and this indoor game that seems like a mashup of baseball and kickball - and if I kicked it well, man, did I run like my life depended on it
What is matball?
I credit this actor for watching Jessie, Bunk'd, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies
Who is Karan Brar?
As a 7-year-old, I had the great privilege of meeting Dr. Robert Curl, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for his co-discovery of these organic molecules - I held the prize in my hand too!
What are buckminsterfullerenes ("bucky balls")?
When I was younger, my uncle made frequent references to this famous Indian singer and my namesake (I need the full name) even though he passed away 15 years before I was born....
Who was Hemant Kumar?