Quizzes & Puzzles 54

Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to Quizzes & Puzzles 53. New problems below the image (cartoon).

Answer to Quiz 53:1

What is the name of the criminal genius, who appears as an enemy of Sherlock Holmes in some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories?

In “The Final Problem” (published 1893), this man is introduced for the first time. Sherlock Holmes then says this about him:

“He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. [...] But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. [...] He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city...”

The answer is professor Moriarty. He appears in only two original stories, but is mentioned in several others. His role as Holmes' arch-enemy was not as clear in Doyle's originals; in later adaptions, his importance increased.

The image is by Sidney Paget: "PROFESSOR MORIARTY STOOD BEFORE ME", published in The Strand Magazine in 1893, as an illustration for “The Final Problem”.

Answer to Quiz 53:2

Which are most easily getting rancid, Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids?

The number refers to how many hydrogen atoms the molecule is lacking. The higher the number, the less stable molecule, and the easier the fat becomes rancid. So the answer is that Omega-6 fatty acids are more easily getting rancid.

Find more about the difficult but important subject of fats in Understanding Dietary Fats Part 1 (of 2) and Understanding Dietary Fats Part 2 (of 2).

Answer to Quiz 53:3

Here is a list of cities - what do they have in common?

• Karachi

• Zürich

• Johannesburg

• New York City

• Shanghai

• Toronto

• Istanbul

In most cases, the capital is the largest city in a country. These cities, however, are the largest in their respective countries, without being capitals.

Answer to Quiz 53:4

What is "the wheel of anxiety" referring to?

The Zodiac. We find this expression in Alchemy. Jacob Bhöme, an influential thinker who even inspired Newton, called the Zodiac the "elemental wheel of anguish", lit by Vulcan, or "wheel of anxiety of outward nature".

You can read more about various aspects of the Zodiac, or Zodiacs, in About Zodiacs & Astrology (Egyptian, Babylonian, Indian, Chinese)

Answer to Quiz 53:5

This is a woodblock print by Kawase Hasui from about 1930. In the print you can see a mountain, which has been depicted in countless Japanese artworks. It has a special position in Japanese tradition. What's the name of this mountain?

This mountain is Fuji-yama, or Mount Fuji.

Answer to Quiz 53:6

Who was the first Asian who received a Nobel Prize?

It was Indian (Bengali) author Rabindranath Tagore, and @Sashaa knew that.

Rabindranath Tagore, who was a painter, composer, and philosopher as well, received the Nobel prize in literature in 1913.

Answer to Quiz 53:7

Hair of the Dog and Biblical town, which rock band am I thinking of?

They never belonged to the absolutely greatest, but reached considerable fame in the middle of the 1970s, especially in Europe. According to information, the band is still active, although, with one exception, without the original members.

The band is Nazareth. Hair of the Dog (1975) is one of their most famous albums. The name “Nazareth”, despite its Biblical connotations, was not chosen for that reason - it refers to Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Answer to Quiz 53:8

Who are the Roman equivalents of the following deities from old Greece?

• Ares

• Hephaistos

• Zeus

• Aphrodite

• Poseidon

Ares – Mars

This is the god of war. The month March is named after this god.

Hephaistos – Vulcan (Vulcanus)

A blacksmith and god of fire. The word “volcano” is based on his name.

Zeus – Jupiter

The chief god and god of thunder.

Aphrodite – Venus

The goddess of love. She is also the mother of Aeneas.

Poseidon – Neptune (Neptunus)

God of the sea.

And now some new exercises for brain & memory...

Quiz 54:1

How many nucleobases are there in DNA?

Quiz 54:2

Through movies, such as “Jurassic Park”, the Jurassic has become well-known for the general public. It's a geologic period (201.3-145 million years ago), best known for its dinosaurs. But which geologic period preceded the Jurassic?

Quiz 54:3

Can you give an example of an achromatic colour?

Quiz 54:4

The human tongue has receptors for five tastes. For a long time it was believed that the tastes were just four: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, but in 2002 it was discovered that we have taste buds for a fifth taste as well. What is the fifth taste called?

Quiz 54:5

By winning the three most prestigious tournaments in the world (not necessarily the same year), you become a member of the Triple Gold Club. It has presently 30 members (eleven of them are Canadians and nine are Swedes). Which sport are we talking about?

Quiz 54:6

There is only one actor/actress who has won four Oscars. Who?

Quiz 54:7

Macintosh is a well-known name in the computer age, but it is not only Apple – it is also something associated with certain clothing, nowadays often written Mackintosh. What is “a Mackintosh”?

You'll find answers and solutions in the next “Quizzes & Puzzles”.

Quizzes & Puzzles has its own label in my Index, where all issues of the series can be found.

In my INDEX, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.

Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved

(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)

(All the images are in the Public Domain.)