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The natural mineral form of lead(II) sulphide (PbS) and containing up to 0.5% of silver, what is the primary ore used for extracting lead? It was used by Ancient Egyptians to make the eye cosmetic kohl.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to see which overseas department and region of France in the Carribbean, when he landed there in 1493? He gave the island its name based on a famous shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mother Mary called 'Our Lady of [Blank]' in Spain's Castile region. Mexico City also has a basilica and shrine with the same name - the world's most visited Catholic shrine.
What sugar substitute, synthesised in 1976 by researchers at Tate & Lyle, is about 600 times sweeter than sugar, heat-stable for cooking and baking, and commonly sold under the brand name Splenda? Its name reflects that it derives from the type of disaccharide that forms the main constituent of white sugar.
This specialised mould is filled with a mixture of spiced and mashed chickpeas or fava beans to form balls of what fritter? The adoption of the Palestinian version into Israeli cuisine has led to accusations of cultural appropriation and gastronationalism.
To the 3 classical Greek orders, the Romans added two more: the Composite order, which was more ornamental than the Corinthian, and which final order, which was made simpler than Doric? It typically include relatively simple unfluted columns with round capitals, and derives its name from a famous region in central Italy that is centred around the capital of Florence.
Timeless sees Lucy and Rufus travel to Paris on May 21, 1927, a day when tens of thousands of spectators gathered to gaze at the sky in anticipation of a record-breaking feat. During this occasion, the antagonist Flynn disrupts the festivities by capturing the 'spirited' individual behind the record. Who is this?
In some societies, women do not traditionally wear the veil, while men do.
The males of which ethnic group begin to wear a veil called the tagelmust or cheich at the onset of puberty as it is regarded as a mark of manhood? This indigo-dyed cotton litham is the most recognisable trait of the group, which is one among a collective of distinct ethnic groups in North Africa.
This painting by Archer Oliver depicts which scientist alongside his notes describing the effects of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), which he suggested could be used for pain relief during surgery?
The David Dixon Award is given to the most outstanding athlete at the Commonwealth Games. In 2006, it went to Indian shooter Samaresh Jung for his tally of 7 medals. What nickname, the same as a 1964 film, did he get at the games for landing the top honour in most events?
This is the key colour scheme of which 1931 surrealist painting?
#2B251F – Dark brown (ground)
#96B2DF – Blue (clock face)
#E1B662 – Cream / yellow (cliffs)
#EBE8E5 – Off-white (white object, perhaps a person)
#9B6845 – Brown (table)
In gin-making, the dried seeds of which plant are used to impart an aromatic note that is reminiscent of star anise? It is one of the three main ingredients in absinthe and the primary flavour component in Italian sausage (salsiccia).
Identify this character who appears in a long running manga series. A combination of Superman and Captain America, his abilities give him full power to take down super-villains, making him the "World's Greatest Hero".
Identify this sneaker line (5) launched by Adidas in 1984, with Michael Jordan famously sporting a pair during the trials for the Los Angeles Olympics. The _____ (5) shares its name with an ancient Roman marketplace.
Merrill Flood was the first person to treat which optimisation problem in operations research with a mathematical approach? Its title has been used as a descriptor for Gregor Samsa's occupation in The Metamorphosis, and the routes mapped out by its solutions can be used to generate artworks (visual).
What type of polar stratospheric clouds (8 or 5) made up of ice crystals are formed when the sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon? It produces a bright iridescence that makes the sky look like mother of pearl.
In his essay from the book The Four Horsemen, Richard Dawkins suggests that critics often deny science on the premise of future falsifiability, yet the truth still holds - using the 1633 phrase Eppur si muove (yet it moves). Who is believed to have first used this phrase while under house arrest?
Identify this grape variety used in the production of a white varietal wine. Its two-word French name is believed to refer to it originally growing wild in the Loire Valley and because it is used to produce white wine.
What is the four-word title of this chart by the Economist which shows the percentage of films with no sexual content on an upward path since 2000? The title is a play on a three-word phrase most commonly heard on every film set, to reflect the lack of sexual content.
This work of literature is set in a fictional country called Panem, derived from the Latin phrase panem et circenses meaning 'bread and circuses'. Each district has its own distinct kind of bread, a character is christened 'the boy with the bread', and bread is even used as a memory device. Which 21st century trilogy is this, that was also adapted into a film trilogy?
___ (3) Wallace is a former Detroit Pistons star who shares his nickname with a structure that returned to regular service in spring 2022 after a period of five years. Every time he would make a key play, the arena would be filled with the sound of chimes. What two-word alliterative nickname?
James Balog is a climate conservation photographer who heads the EIS, a group that uses time-lapse photography to observe the reduction of what large natural structures? A video captured by EIS videographers in Jacobshavn Isbræ included footage of one such entity that caused a 1912 disaster.
In 1862, which French physicist improvised the setup of his long-standing collaborator Fizeau by substituting the toothed wheel for a rotating mirror and estimated the speed of light in air to be 298,000 kilometres per second? He is best associated with an 1851 experiment that used an oscillating apparatus to provide the first direct evidence of Earth's rotation.
What term (10 or 5) is used to refer to a long cliff or steep slope separating two comparatively level or more gently sloping surfaces? A shorter variation of this Italian-origin word meaning "slope" or "shoe" is used broadly to refer to a very steep bank or slope. Both variations are accepted.
Which Italian navigator and explorer made several trips to the "New World", and convinced the Europeans that the New World is not Asia, but an entirely new unknown continent in the Western Hemisphere which got renamed after him?
Which oceanic trench runs for 1,200 km from the northeast of New Caledonia to the southwest of Vanuatu, reaching depths of up to 7.6 km? It gets its name from the colonial name bestowed upon the island group that gained independence in 1980 and renamed itself as Vanuatu.
One of the few private citizens whose coffin was on display at the Rotunda, who was lain in honour in 2005, the first woman with this distinction? A flippant way of putting it would be to say that she lay in honour because she stood up for what's right, by staying seated.
Identify this Minecraft block, based on a common silicon-based mineral associated with watchmaking. In real life it has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, but in-game it is quite soft.
Which South Indian language spoken widely in coastal Karnataka (and now, Bangalore, Mumbai and the Gulf countries) separated early from Proto-South Dravidian and hence has features like the past perfect and future perfect which are not found in Tamil and Kannada? It may be written in the Tigalari script and became more widely known due to other-language films like Rangitaranga (2015) and Kantara (2022).
What is the title of this chart by The Economist which shows that while the depiction of violence has remained stable in the highest grossing films, depiction of sex has seen a sharp decline? The title swaps around a couple of the words in a four-word slogan which was associated with the American counterculture of the 1960s-70s.
Which company issued this tribute to Pandey? They added that ''..his influence will continue to colour the way we think about creativity for generations to come" - something every home would have to say.
Two often confused terms in chemistry are ________ (8) and (8). The first term measures the quantity of solute particles in the total volume of the solution, whereas the second term measures the quantity of solute particles with respect to the mass of the solvent. Which two terms that differ by a single letter? [Need both parts, no prompts on half answers; ORDER matters]
Name the current President of Chile who assumed office in March 2022 at the age of 36. An active leader in student-led resistance movements, he is the youngest president in the country's history and the second youngest state leader in the world.
Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith's 1776 magnum opus reflects upon the economics of the early Industrial Revolution, broaching topics such as the division of labour, productivity, and free markets. What is the title of this work, featured in Bragg's list of "12 Books That Changed The World", that essentially inquired into the ------ of -------?
Originating as a beachside festival to celebrate dance music on the sands of Candolim Beach in Goa, this VH1 festival was pioneered by DJ Nikhil Chinnappa as a newer cousin of the much-maligned Sunburn. Which festival that produces "a sound above and beyond”, and is now primarily held in Pune?
Which pasta sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil? Some variants incorporate Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Its name translates literally to “angry” in Italian, owing to its piquant nature.
In 1958, which physician working in equatorial Africa observed a form of paediatric cancer that was later discovered to be associated with the infection of B cell lymphocytes with Epstein-Barr Virus? An immunodeficiency-associated variant of this "NHL" can develop following HIV infection.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 1881 painting Luncheon of the Boating Party featured prominently in which 2001 French rom-com, one of the highest-grossing French films globally? The full title of the film is Le Fabuleux Destin d'[BLANK] Poulain, with the eponymous lead played by Audrey Tautou.
WHICH CLASSIC 1818 NOVEL has the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus"? It is a fitting subtitle for the book, as Prometheus was a Titan in Greek mythology who created humanity from clay. The 1818 edition also carried the following epigraph from Milton's Paradise Lost: "Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay, To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee, From darkness to promote me?"
This is a 2Cellos cover of which 1965 song by an English rock band?
This is Omar Rodriguez's minimalist version of the cover of the January 1981 issue of Rolling Stone. The cover photo of a naked man and his clothed lover was taken the previous month by Annie Leibovitz, just five hours before the man was killed. Who was the man?
What is the name of the class (5,6) from Darkest Dungeon that is motivated by a greed for illegally digging up and stealing personal artefacts and antiques? The class makes use of instruments such as pick-axes and shovels, likely also used by real-life counterparts in places such as the Egyptian pyramids.
This Penguin Modern Classics cover depicts a scenic location in the Hebrides. The novel, which is primarily written as thoughts and observations, centres on the Ramsay family and a promise that is fulfilled after a decade spanning the First World War. Which work is this?
Neemrana’s Glasshouse by the Ganges is located at which city that is often regarded as the "Yoga Capital of the World"? Prominent yogis who practised in this city include Sivananda Saraswati and Mahesh Yogi.
What genre of music (3-3) often performed in the a cappella style gets its onomatopoeic name from two nonsense syllables often sung in harmony between lyrics in this sub-genre of rhythm and blues? Originating in African American communities in the 1940s, its lyrics are usually on love.
Which print, actually the method of weaving which results in such reversible designs, originated in China in the 5th Century BCE? It got its present English name from a trading city it used to pass through on the Silk Route connecting to Europe.
Aside from delivering zingers in Friends, Matthew Perry has appeared in guest roles in several TV shows. He made a cameo as Sam Johnston, a wealthy eccentric trying to land a date with Jules Cobb, in which TV series?
At Starbucks, ordering a Vanilla Créme Frappuccino with three pumps of caramel syrup, three pumps of toffee nut syrup, and caramel drizzle is the most accurate way to replicate what drink from the world of fiction?
Which Indian soft drink brand, relaunched by Reliance Industries in 2023, was the market leader in the 1970s and 1980s before the liberalisation policy brought foreign brands to Indian soil? Referred to only by the first part of its two-part name colloquially, it was marketed patriotically with the slogan "The Great Indian Taste".
The Lion Throne is the only surviving throne among the eight constructed by Bodawpaya, the son of Alaungpaya, the founder of which dynasty that reigned from 1752 to 1885? The throne escaped allied bombing during WW2 because it was relocated to India, just like the dynasty's last ruler.
The abbreviation "SPQG" can be seen at the entrance to the Aa-kerk ("Aa-Church") near Martinitoren ("Martini Tower" ) and Goudkantoor ("Gold Office") in the centre of which city? This Hanseatic city is dubbed the "capital of the north".
This is the crest of an ISL team from a city in Southern India. It features stylised indents that are meant to symbolise a structure constructed in 1591 to commemorate the shifting of the capital from Golkonda to this city. Which structure is represented through the indents in the crest?
These works depict the giant cod fish Pondi who was chased down a certain river by Ngurunderi, one of the heroes of the great ancestral Dreaming. The thrashing of Pondi’s tail created the characteristic bends and reaches of this river. Which river, the longest in its continent?
This company, originally founded by the Fishers as a retailer which sold other brands, intended to "bridge the void" between the older and younger generations. It later capitalised on the rise of denim as the go-to look and became known globally for its own line(s) of affordable jeans. Which company is this?
Which Western Indian flatbread, a staple of Gujarati travellers globally, is made from wheat flour, gram flour (besan), fenugreek leaves (methi) and spices? The reason for its long shelf life is the amount of oil/butter (ghee) used in its preparation.
Which acid, the simplest carboxylic acid, gets its name from the Latin word for ant in reference to early isolation by the distillation of ant bodies? They're also found naturally in certain stingless bees and in the atmosphere from forest emissions.
The account of Judith beheading Holofernes is a favourite subject of painters in the Baroque period. Our man Caravaggio has two paintings on the same topic depicting the actual moment of beheading. Another painter from Naples got inspired by Caravaggio's version and painted Judith slaying Holofernes in 1612 which many art critics interpret as interest in depicting strong women. Which painter?
Which household object takes this form in Date Everything? This dateable's greatest dream in life is to make it big in the music industry as a successful singer.
Which country's national flag features a white field with a black Shahada, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, inscribed across the entire space? It has changed its national flag several times since the 20th century, with the most recent iteration being adopted in August 2021.
WHICH CLASSIC STAGE ILLUSION was first performed for a large audience by the British magician P.T. Selbit in 1921? Selbit's trick was noticeably different from what modern audiences would expect, as his assistant was locked inside a closed wooden crate and could not be seen. The impression that the assistant could not evade her fate was created by ropes that were tied to her hands, feet, and neck, which were held by spectators from the audience throughout the trick.
Who directed the films in the Road Trilogy? A major figure in New German Cinema, his latest film takes its title from a Lou Reed song and is set in Tokyo.
The earliest use of this term is from 1951, referring to the day after a November Holiday. Specifically the name referred to the practice of workers calling in sick in order to have a four-day weekend, thus creating a problem for factory management. Today that negative association has been dropped, and the phrase refers to the busiest day in the year for retailers in the US. What 2-word phrase?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a market index used to gauge the overall performance of the U.S. stock market. In 2013, which investment banking firm replaced Bank of America on DJIA's list? The second largest in the field after JPMorgan Chase, it is named after Marcus [redacted1] and his son-in-law Samuel [redacted2].
The trailer for which 2015-2019 TV series shows an alternate version of Monroe's "Happy Birthday" performance? The man on the receiving end of the performance is suitably changed, and aged as well.
In China, hot pot styles are named after the provinces they originate from. Which style, the most globally renowned, is flavoured with the pungent "mala" seasoning that is made by simmering chili and pepper in oil, creating a numbing taste? Instant mutton and beef are the most common meats used.