The Nature of Things
It’s a Numbers Game
Whodunits
May Observances
Can You Hear Me Now?
100

This sweet food is made by bees

What is honey? Honey never goes bad because it is inhospitable to bacteria

100

This is the base number of innings in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game.

What is nine? The games sometimes go into more innings to break a tie. The MLB game with the most innings was played in 1920 between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins. It ran for 26 innings and would have gone longer if it had not been called due to darkness.

100

This 1985 film is based on a board game whodunit.

What is Clue? The movie has three endings.

100

This first leg of the Triple Crown takes place on the first Saturday in May

What is the Kentucky Derby? It’s also known as the Running of the Roses or the Run for the Roses.

100

You hear a sonic boom on Earth when this happens.

What is when something exceeds the speed of sound? When you hear a whip crack, it’s because it breaks the speed of sound. You’re hearing a mini sonic boom.

200

It is the hardest gem in the world

What is diamond? The stone is made entirely of carbon. Russia has the largest reserve of diamonds—650 million carats out of an estimated 1.2 billion carats in the ground.

200

When we do something at the very last minute, it is called doing it at this hour.

What is 11th? You can think of the 11th hour as “just in the nick of time.”

200

This granddaddy-of-them-all sleuth was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Who is Sherlock Holmes? As of 2021, the Sherlock character has appeared in 226 films.

200

On May 15, we celebrate this natural phenomenon, something Judy Garland made famous in a tune that ends with “Why, oh why can’t I?

What is rainbow? The day is Over the Rainbow Day, and the tune is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

200

These flying mammals have poor night vision, but their hearing can be better than human hearing.

What are bats? They navigate by what is called echolocation. They send out a sound and wait for an echo, which helps them locate or avoid objects.

300

Found in the northern hemisphere, this is the world’s biggest island.

What is Greenland? Eighty percent of the island is covered in ice. Of its 56,000 inhabitants, 17,000 live in the capital city of Nuuk.

300

Those who are intuitive are said to have this sense

What is sixth? It can refer to a spiritual experience.

300

Agatha Christie’s highly rated mystery takes place on this train

What is the Orient Express? In the 1974 film version, Ingrid Bergan won an Academy Award.

300

On May 14, the world honors the migratory species of these animals.

What are birds? It’s World Migratory Bird Day, an international day of commemoration promoting bird migration and conservation.

300

These pets hear higher frequencies than humans.

What are dogs? That’s the reason they sometimes react to things we cannot see or hear

400

This country owns almost all the pandas of the world

What is China? They loan their 1,600 pandas to other countries but retain ownership of them. They call it panda diplomacy

400

This is the degree of the most serious burn.

What is fourth? First-degree burns are superficial and affect the epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin. Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and part of the dermis, which is the inner layer of skin. Third-degree burns destroy both the dermis and epidermis. Fourth-degree burns can damage the underlying organs.

400

This 1963 classic stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and is set in Paris

What is Charade? Other cast members of note include Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, and James Coburn. It has been called “the best Alfred Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock didn’t make.

400

) For the entire month of May, we raise awareness of this type of health.

What is mental? It’s National Mental Health Month.

400

This part of the ear continues to grow

What is earlobe? Genetics do not determine whether earlobes grow

500

Baby owls are mostly called this.

What are owlets? A female owl is called an owl hen, and a male owl is called an owl coco. Owlets remain with their parents from four to 10 weeks, depending on the species.

500

A statement or issue known as this rail is bound to be controversial and could lead to the end of a politician’s career or destroy someone’s credibility

What is third? There’s another meaning: It’s an additional rail that uses electricity to power subways.

500

This fictional writer is the grand dame of sleuths and resides in Cabot Cove, Maine

Who is Jessica Fletcher? The TV drama is Murder She Wrote, and Jessica Fletcher is played by Angela Lansbury. She always outwits the police and solves the crime long before they do.

500

We begin and end with observances—May 1 is this observance, and the last Monday in May is this observance

What are May Day and Memorial Day? Memorial Day honors all military members who died while serving, not just those who died while serving in wars. May Day was traditionally a day to herald the changing of the seasons but later became a commemoration of workers’ rights.

500

 When we place this next to our ear, we are not hearing the ocean.

What is seashell? What we hear is the sound of blood traveling through veins in our ear.