Science
What is the 6th element on the periodic table?
carbon
What was the latest state to join the US?
Hawaii
Is Shakespeare the reason that the European starling is in the US?
yes! and they're invasive
The term "red-tape bureaucracy" came from the Civil War, or the Mexican-American War. Which one?
Civil War!
Can you teach a beaver sign language?
Yes
What is the mineral you can lick to identify?
halite
Who conquered Troy?
the Greeks
What is the "ring of fire" in the Pacific?
tectonic band of earthquakes and volcanoes that goes all the way around the Pacific (including Hawaii and California, actually)
In the Iran-Iraq War, who was the aggressor?
Iraq
What is an isometric exercise?
a static exercise like a plank!
What is an aquifer?
a body of rock or sediment that is fully saturated
What is the Defenestration of Prague?
When Protestants threw Catholics out the windows in Bohemia
Modern marijuana is _____% stronger than it was in the 1970s.
70%
Why were PFAS chemicals banned in the 2026 Winter Olympics?
PFAS chemicals, also known as forever chemicals, are not the usual performance-enhancing drugs that get banned at sporting events. These were banned b/c of environmental impacts - especially considering snowboarders may be competing in remote areas and thus spreading the chemicals, harming the environment.
Outside of performance-enhancing drugs, what is the most common way Tour de France cyclists cheat?
By injecting new, oxygen-rich blood into their veins
What is a mineral that changes color based on different lighting?
Alexandrite
What was the HRE?
Holy Roman Empire
What is dysthemia?
Persistent low-grade depression
The Dead Sea is a body of water over which both Israel and Palestine have claims. Each is worried that the other side will harm the body of water. What is the specific concern? (may give hint)
The Dead Sea has two layers: the bottom layer is salt water, the top layer is fresh water. Both sides worry that whoever controls it will overpump the fresh water, allowing the salt water to contaminate the rest, thus ruining the body of water permanently for Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.
How long is an elephant's gestation period?
18-22 months
What are the glands underneath your neck, which, when inflamed, indicate sickness?
submandibular glands
Who were the Shakers?
a religious sect in New England known for ecstatic dancing, celibacy, and quality furniture
In what state is the National Radio Quiet Zone? What is it's purpose?
West Virginia + studying and recording radio waves/ static from space!
What is the difference between the ICC and the ICJ?
The ICJ, or International Court of Justice, prosecutes nations for war crimes. The ICC, or International Criminal Court, prosecutes individuals for war crimes, and was created to fill in the gaps from the ICJ.
Which pope was almost assassinated?
Pope John Paul II