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Identify this Roman (6,4 or 10) appearing in Asterix and the Roman Agent, who has an imposing frame that makes him a prize specimen. His fighting skills lead many of his comrades to consider him the "most important" or "greatest" among the Roman legions.
In military tactics, what term describes the simultaneous attacking of both sides of an enemy formation? It is a classic maneuver, used most famously by Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC. A completed maneuver can result in the attacking army facing the enemy in front, both sides, and on the rear, effectively encircling the enemy. Sun Tzu argues against using this tactic in Art of War, as the target army would fight with more ferocity when surrounded.
Which central holy scripture of a religion from the Indian subcontinent has its key sections classified according to the ragas in which the hymns are to be sung? There are 31 single ragas and 29 mixed (or mishrit) ragas, that combine two or three ragas together.
This is the partial filmography of a particular director. Which 2024 film would follow this list?
The Childhood of a Leader (2015)
Vox Lux (2018)
Fake Doctors, Real Friends hosted by Zach Braff and Donald Faison is a rewatch podcast based on which TV series that ran from 2001 to 2010?
Rembrandt's masterpiece The Night Watch is currently undergoing an extensive research and conservation effort behind a glass barrier at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. But this isn't an arts quad, it's a science quad.
The first problem that restorers face is that of mounting the painting in a frame, as 400 years of hanging have worn down the canvas. Experts have opted to fold over the canvas edges, insert a metal rod along each side and attach it to the wooden frame of the painting using what basic mechanical device that can be trusted to maintain the right amount of tension in the canvas? Sensors track this tension and it can be adjusted when needed.
This form of architectural glass was manufactured by hand-blowing molten glass into a tube that was then flattened on an iron plate. Identify this style (10) which was used in the Gothic period for stained glass windows and shares its name with a wide newspaper format that arose in the 18th century.
Nominated under the “Authority Figures” category, identify this villain, the wicked headmistress of Crunchem Hall, who first appeared in a 1988 children’s novel. LitHub describes her name as being "full of grinding consonants."
Which 1953 novel was in part inspired by Duško Popov, a Soviet double agent who embarrassed his counterpart, beating him for $50,000 in a game of baccarat? The novel introduced this as a direct plot element, however the 2006 film adaptation changed the game of choice to the high-stakes Texas hold 'em.
Name this style of parquet flooring that uses V-shaped patterns. The word derives from the French for ‘rafter’ since it resembles the shape of closely-spaced rafters in homes. You’ll also know the word from the logo of a French automobile company, or even the American energy giant of the same name.
The look of the 60s and 70s, what form of trousers originated from sailors in the US Navy around the early 19th century because they did not have a required uniform? The wide flaring form of these alliteratively-named pants made it easy for sailors to roll up the ends while working on boats.
On 18 July 2021, Google celebrated Dr. Kadambini Ganguly's 160th birth anniversary with a Doodle. What was the letter “G” in Google shaped to form - an object that was integral to the first woman who was trained as a physician in India?
This island is home to the Galápagos petrel, one of the six endemic seabirds of the Galápagos. It is named in honour of the first president of Ecuador, as it was during his presidency that Ecuador took possession of the archipelago. Which island is this? (Minor variations accepted)
The 1689 work An Essay Concerning Human Understanding was suppressed by the Vatican for describing that the human mind is a "blank slate" at birth, filled later through experience. This contradicted Christian beliefs that people have an innate awareness of God. Which English philosopher published this work?
The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states that after the cremation of the Buddha's body, the fragments that remained were divided into eight portions. Which ancient city, the capital of the Shakyas, received a portion on account of being the Buddha's childhood home until he renounced material life? Piprahwa in Bihar and Tilaurakot in Nepal are two archaeological sites claiming to be this city.
This comic series by Garth Ennis follows a clandestine group in their attempts to police and take down enhanced individuals. Which comic series, named for the clandestine group? The group's name is not accurate because of this character (visual) being a member.
The gyil is an instrument often played in Ghana. It features resonating gourds that have holes covered with a shimmering ephemeral substance known for its high tensile strength, giving this instrument its unique sound. What substance from the world of fauna is this?
Telegony is a disproven theory of hereditary that is a common feature in the origin stories of several heroes in Greek mythology, including Theseus. Specifically, it refers to the tale of Theseus's mother Aethra, who escaped from the bedchamber of the drunken king Aegeus and met with the god Poseidon later that night. What is telegony?
This image of NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006. What is the name of this pair of interacting galaxies (8), arising from the resemblance of its streams of stellar dust to certain sensory appendages on the heads of insects? The answer is in plural form.
What object - integral to the spread of modern civilisation - inspired the bottle design of Galop d’Hermès? The object gets its name from a combination of the Old English words for "to ascend" and "rope”.
Which 2022 psycho-slasher film serves as a prequel to another slasher film that was also released earlier in 2022? It tells the 1918 origin story of the titular villain, a young girl who dreams of becoming a film star but ends up commiting a series of violent acts on her family's Texas farm.
The Butterfly Effect is the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate, or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in another location. WHICH MATHEMATICAL THEORY is this a prime example of?
In Norse mythology, which supernatural being leads his armies into battle against Aesir and Vanir in Ragnarök? Deriving his name from the Old Norse word for 'black', this figure's sword brings forth flames that engulf the world. This character featured in Thor: Ragnarok, ultimately killing Hela.
Which cloud-based software company founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu is the subject of the fourth chapter of The Earnicons? Its employees have gone on to start several other ventures, including Freshworks.
Czech military general Jan Žižka led forces against the Catholics in a series of conflicts starting from the 1410s to win the recognition of the faith of which Christian movement that followed the teachings of its eponymous Bohemian reformer? Despite being completely blind by the final stages of his life, he never lost a single battle.
Eddie Izzard played 19 characters including the enterprising Pip, his icy, beloved Estella, the convict Magwitch and the cobwebbed Miss Havisham in this West End production of which 1860s novel that was published as a serial in the author's periodical All the Year Round?
To date, which is the the only German language song to peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, doing so in 1983? The "rock" song by Austrian singer Falco is incidentally about a classical composer, as is referenced in the title.
Which Indian physicist - who worked on the acoustics of musical instruments - lends his name to the scattering of photons by a material, resulting in the photon having a different frequency? It forms the basis for a spectroscopic technique used to determine vibrational modes of molecules.
Which Disney princess is seen here in Hong's Unhappily Ever After series as a despondent Syrian refugee?
A 2018 Meredith Broussard book republished by Neural is subtitled How Computers Misunderstood the World. What is the title of the book, that negates a concept that's much in vogue these days? This concept may remind you of a Kubrick/Spielberg movie as well.
The most significant work on the general case solution to the three body problem was first proposed by a French mathematician in the 1890s. While it is not a full solution, it established the existence of an infinite number of periodic solutions and laid the fundamental framework of approaches to the solution. Identify this mathematician, who is no stranger to unsolved problems.
Which brand founded in 2014 by sisters Suhasini and Anindita Sampath after an inspiring workout session is known for its range of multigrain energy slabs, protein slabs, and breakfast cereals? It is now owned by ITC.
One of the major features of the Ionic order are these scroll-shaped elements present in the capital of the column. They have been the subject of much theoretical and practical discourse, based on a brief and obscure passage by our old friend Vitruvius. The only tools required to design these features were a straight-edge, a right angle, string (to establish half-lengths) and a compass. What are they called, derived simply from the Latin word for their shape?
Identify this singer, the "first lady of Crunk & B", featuring on Tube Girl's post.
In the formal table setting for a full course dinner, all knives are kept to the right of the plate, with the blade facing inwards for convenience. Which is the only knife kept left of the plate, on a separate plate, with the blade outwards, for easy usage?
The Korean War started soon after World War 2, and was then followed by the Cold War. Sakhalin Koreans could not stay in touch with their families in South Korea due to what 'barrier' created by the Soviet Union, usually associated with the European side, intended to block open contact with the West?
Even though this sub-climate within Group C (Temperate) of climate classification is seen in places like East Coast of South America and the West Coast of Iberia, Its name refers to the coastal regions of a namesake geographic entity where it is seen predominantly. What type of climate is this, also referred to in the "[BLANK] trinity" of major agricultural crops that have traditionally grown well here (wheat, grapes and olives)?
Which Japanese company, originally founded as a shipbuilding business in 1896, is now famous worldwide for its motorcycles, ATVs, and jet skis, and shares its name with a major city in Japan? It also sponsored a MotoGP team between 2002 and 2008.
Emily Davison was arrested nine times, went on hunger strike seven times and was force-fed 49 times. She ran onto the track during the 1913 Epsom Derby and was killed by being trampled by a horse owned by King George V. Some say she was carrying a purple, white and green flag. What cause was she an activist for?
What television miniseries, named for its two protagonists, follows the couple’s idyllic suburban life, until their reality starts moving through different decades of sitcom homages and television tropes? Given the show’s premise, each episode is titled with a phrase heard in the world of television, including “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience,” “We Interrupt This Program,” and “Previously On”.
Which sculptor has inspired jewellery designers to create pieces inspired by the oval openings from his sculptures that depicted abstractions of the human figure, typically a mother-and-child or reclining figures based on the chacmool sculptures of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica?
One of W.E.B. DuBois's favourite quotes was semper novi quid ex Africa (out of Africa, always something new). This is not an original quote by him, but instead first appeared in the 77 AD work Naturalis Historia by which Roman author?
Identify this leaf shape, that is squared or cut straight across, appearing as if it's been cut off. Often seen in tuliptree species, it shares its name with a process or a function in programming that involves shortening or cutting off a piece of data by removing characters, digits, or bytes from the end.
Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Henry the VIII and Queen Victoria all suffered from ‘The King of Diseases and the Disease of Kings’. Traditionally believed to derive from the excesses of rich lifestyles, this disease has no proper cure, but modern medicine can treat it, thanks to research stemming from Emil Fischer’s Nobel Prize-winning efforts. Name this disease which gets its name from the Latin for ‘drop’.
Which 2010s film was shot with the working title of Group Hug? The title of this blockbuster was meant to evoke the much-awaited convergence of protagonists from previous ventures with working titles like Frostbite and Rasputin.
Among these peoples, Waramurungundi is considered to be the first woman. Worshipped as a fertility goddess, she is said to have given birth to all living things with her mate Wurugag and to have taught language to these people. Which group of people considers her the first woman, known for the worldview called "The Dreaming" drawing from the Rainbow Serpent creator god.
Which stadium pictured here hosted the final match at the 1966 World Cup as well as the gold medal games at the 2012 Olympics? The majority of events at the 1948 Olympics also took place here, albeit in its older version.
Which club, named after the main protagonist, who was also its founder and perpetual president, was the centre of action in the first novel by a celebrated Victorian author? Featuring characters such as Nathaniel Winkle, Augustus Snodgrass and Sam Weller, this 1836 novel popularised the genre of serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings.
During the ninth day of the Chinese New Year, the Hokkien people have a practice of celebrating the birthday of which revered figure in the Taoist ideology? Believed to be the ruler of heaven in the canon, this figure derives their two-word English name from the translation of the Chinese characters yù and dì. Depictions of this figure show them in a red outfit rather than being bedecked with a gem, as their name might suggest.
Launched in 1989, what is Toyota’s luxury segment called? Its name was deliberately chosen to sound Western, with a feel of Latin. It is Japan’s biggest premium car brand, mainly because of its largest market, USA. Some of the top models are the RX, NS and NX.
This monument in the town of Korsakov on Sakhalin island is dedicated to which people, who were brought to the island as bonded labourers under the Japanese? Japan lost control of Sakhalin just a few days before its surrender at the end of World War 2, and while it eventually repatriated most Japanese residents, many of these people remained stranded there, unable to to secure permission to depart either to Japan or to their home towns. We're looking for a country demonym as the answer here.
Devised by the sage Bharatha Muni, the navarasas are the nine basic facial expressions in Indian dance and dramas. The expression of the Kathakali artist here showcases which navarasa, a Sanskrit word that represents one's anger or ferocity (krodha) towards a person or an act? It is aptly represented by Lord Shiva.
In 1955, self-proclaimed prophet Benjamin Rodena splintered off a group of followers from an existing church, calling himself the ______ (6) as per this verse from the Bible.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a ______ (6) shall grow out of his roots."
Which religious movement did he found? It acquired more notoriety following the actions of its final prophet about 4 decades later - events depicted in this miniseries (visual).
What object was used alongside the “hanky code” during the 1980s to indicate that the individual wished to engage only in 'protected' sex? This form of a clasp with a guard covering its point is associated with members of the punk community who use it to fasten together their ripped clothes or as piercings.
Which national park is this a review of? It is known for a keystone species endemic to the Sonoran desert, that holds utmost cultural and ecological importance.
Known as the [BLANK] Brothers, twins Bob and Mike are the most successful men's doubles tennis pair of all time. They held the World No. 1 ranking for a world record 400 weeks. Give us the last name of this duo, who also grabbed the Gold at London 2012 Olympics.
As of 2019, Malkajgiri is the largest Lok Sabha constituency in India by number of electors. How many eligible electors did it have?
What term is used to refer to this type of walkway, made up of a series of [blank], that often housed shops? The shops were later replaced with coin-operated machines and became amusement centres, the context in which we perhaps best know the term today.
Of the 20 drivers active on the grid in the 2022 Formula 1 season, 19 drivers use the first 3 letters of their surname as their driver code. For example, Lewis Hamilton's driver code is HAM. Only one driver requested to be able to use one letter from his first name, and two letters from his last name, with very good reason. Who?
Following the Norman Conquest, “legal doublets”, i.e., using pairs of near-synonyms from different language roots, became common place to avoid misunderstanding. What legal doublet derives from the English word for “help” and the French word for “to hound”, the latter referring to setting hunting dogs on an animal? It is used to refer to the act of encouraging or inciting one to commit a crime.
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. WHICH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, one of the largest in the world, played a big role in developing this city of 161,000 inhabitants? This company also owns a club in the Bundesliga, based in the city.
What name (6) is this cake given in Italy, invoking the name of a meat product from the country, with the biscuit pieces representing the white flecks of fat in the original cured product?
Dewi Ratih is a Hindu goddess worshipped mainly in Java and Bali. Kala Rau, a shadowy demon chasing her, is said to have survived a beheading with just his floating head, because he had consumed a potion of immortality that had reached his throat. He then proceeded to consume Dewi Ratih whole from the night sky, only for her to emerge out of his neck since he did not have a body. This is the origin story of what natural occurence? In 2023, it's due to happen in May and October.
The 'endling' of which subspecies, which was endemic to South Africa and resembled a horse with brown and white stripes on the front part of its body, passed away in a zoo in Amsterdam in the late nineteenth century? The animal’s name is an onomatopoeic word, resembling its call, which has been transcribed as “kwa ha ha”