From c. 2150 BC, a series of exceptionally low annual Nile floods (caused by the 4.2-kiloyear event) led to the collapse of the Sixth Dynasty marking the end of the ___ _______ (3,7) period in ancient Egyptian history. Which period (3,7), that saw the construction of the pyramids, and was succeeded by the First Intermediate Period?

A series of extraordinary floods caused by the influence of the 4.2-kiloyear event in the lower Yangtze River area led to the wipeout of which Neolithic jade culture centred around present-day Zhejiang? Discovered following excavations by Shi Xingeng in 1936, the largest ancient walled city in China was part of this culture.

Which 2008 action thriller starring over 40 Mollywood stars including Mohanlal and Mammooty was a fundraiser for the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists? It shares its name with a sports format that was emerging around that time.

What weak chemical force attracts neutral molecules to each other in gases, and in almost all organic liquids and solids? It is named for a Dutch physicist who postulated these intermolecular forces in 1873 while developing a theory to account for the properties of real/non-ideal gases. He won the 1910 Nobel Prize for Physics.

______ (6) is a collective noun for a group of pickpockets. This is something a pickpocket might do, and is used in a similar sense in the title of a Guy Ritchie film. What term?

Although the word “evolution” in its present sense was first used by Charles Bonnet in 1762 for his concept of pre-formation, in which females carried a miniature form of all future generations, which famous book first published in 1859 on the same subject surprisingly did not mention the term "evolution" at all?

What force is exerted on a charged particle moving through a combination of an electric field and magnetic field? Also known as electromagnetic force, it is named after a Dutch physicist who arrived at a complete derivation for it in 1895 and later won the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics.

This screen grab from Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next references a cult-classic film. From the attire worn by Ariana and her posse, you can assume this sequence was shot on a Wednesday. Which film?

____ (4) is a collective noun for a group of batteries. One would have come across this term in the name of a portable device encountered in the same context. What term?

This unique form of tourism involves traveling to a country/destination and purchasing the local edition of a particular product. Following this, they visit at least four railway stations and a few utilities agencies but make sure to avoid landing up in jail. What product, that saw sales boom during lockdowns, acts as their itinerary?

Shortly after leaving the Galápagos in 1835, Darwin noticed that a pair of birds he had collected from different islands were not all alike – his first hint that species might evolve over time. What group of passerine birds from the family Mimidae were these?

The only illustration in the 1859 publication of The Origin of Species was a sketch showing Darwin’s early insight into how a genus of related species might originate by divergence from a starting point. What is the three-word term Darwin uses to describe this drawing, a common visual metaphor for the connection of all living things?

Having played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL from 2011 to 2015, which Dutch all-rounder has turned up for 29 games for the franchise? He has also captained Essex in the County Championship.

Mexico: For the prescription-less availability of a drug called pentobarbital; Switzerland: Largely due to efforts of an organisation called Dignitas; Oregon: Owing to the alliteratively named _____ (5) with Dignity Act. What specific reason, that is legal in the Netherlands, inspired tourism to these locations?

______ (6) is a collective noun for a group of motorcyclists. What is this mechanism that one might be able to spot on a motorcycle? We hope you can score on this crucial question.

Between 1917 and 1937, American photographer Alfred Stieglitz made over 300 portraits of his muse, later his wife. Which modernist American painter, known for her paintings of non-human subjects, was Stieglitz’s muse?

Jose Miguel _______ (7), a respected military hero and a founder of Chile is said to have set up one of the earliest national newspapers in his home country, the Aurora de Chile. Which lake (7) was named to honour him? The lake is referred to as Lake Buenos Aires on the Argentine side.

By what punny altered name did Democrat challenger Marcus Flowers call his far-right Republican opponent, Marjorie Taylor Greene, following allegations that she had lied under oath while testifying about her role in the 2021 United States Capitol attack?

The village of Nejapa, El Salvador, annually celebrates the festival of Los Bolas de Fuego that commemorates a phenomenon that took place in 1658. What phenomenon, attracting a category of thrill-seeking hunters who also head to Hawaii, Iceland, and Indonesia in its pursuit?

In this takeover defense tactic, the target company sells its most attractive assets to a friendly third party or spins off the valuable assets in a separate entity to make the company less attractive. What is this tactic called? It shares its name with ceremonial objects housed at the Tower of London.

Hans Zimmer began work on a 2014 film by writing a four-minute piece about what it meant to be a father. At the end of the filming, the director gave Zimmer a watch with the inscription “This is no time for caution.” Which film?

A central religious text mentions the use of one black and one white string for a particular practise. When it is bright enough for the two strings to be distinguishable, the practice begins and when they are no longer distinguishable, the practice ends. What roughly month-long practise?

In the run-up to the 2016 US Presidential Elections, Donald Trump's campaign released a Pac-Man inspired parody video to disparage his Democratic opponent. What replaced the snack pellets in the parody? The highest possible score in the game was presumably 33,000.

This tactic against hostile takeovers involves companies liquidating or destroying valuable assets to make themselves unattractive to hostile bidders. What is this tactic called, sharing its name with a military strategy where defending forces would destroy anything that could be useful to the enemy?