Suggested Reading 31
*In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading
*Now it's time to make a compilation of suggested reading again, although it's growing increasingly difficult.*
It's good to see @Trifecta returning for regular posting here. She is a good writer who always has a clear message with every post. https://read.cash/@Trifecta
In Can we support our faves and be fans without being fanatics?, she brings up something to which I am wholeheartedly agreeing. I have personally experienced “unhealthy fandom” from both sides, so to speak, and it is really dangerous. https://read.cash/@Trifecta/can-we-support-our-faves-and-be-fans-without-being-fanatics-219308ae
In The Fall of R. Kelly, she touches another thing I use to claim: that it is necessary not to mix up art with its creator. I once wrote about that in Private & Public – Is it Justified With a Free Press When Privacy is Outlawed? If nothing private is known about the creator, he would not get any extra power, not beyond his artistic influence, because the power emanates from his general status as being a celebrity. https://read.cash/@Trifecta/the-fall-of-r-kelly-7c3210bb https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/private-public-is-it-justified-with-a-free-press-when-privacy-is-outlawed-89a06337
I also recommend Why it's Critically Important to Regulate Emotional Response BEFORE it's Too Late and Peering through binoculars towards London Bridge. https://read.cash/@Trifecta/why-its-critically-important-to-regulate-emotional-response-before-its-too-late-989f426a https://read.cash/@Trifecta/peering-through-binoculars-towards-london-bridge-a1cfedce
@Jnavedan, as so many other authors here (myself included), has decreased his publishing frequency, but he still continues to post good articles: Can money bring you happiness?, Fight your enemy: You have no choice, and Clutter in your head. https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/can-money-bring-you-happiness-68712458 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/fight-your-enemy-you-have-no-choice-b75113bf https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/clutter-in-your-head-1c6ddbd5
@beyourself continues to produce articles about history and mythology. Among those published the recent weeks, we find: Dionysos-Greek Mythological God of Wine, Pandora-The First Woman of Greek Mythology and The Social Classes of Ancient Greek. https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/dionysos-greek-mythological-god-of-wine-17477131 https://read.cash/@beyourself/pandora-the-first-woman-of-greek-mythology-1fe392cb https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-social-classes-of-ancient-greek-a3a876e1
An author who has evolved considerably since he came to Read.cash, is @reanbooks. His choice of topics has grown more diverse, a quality I appreciate. https://read.cash/@reanbooks
In Country Icon Eagle, he discusses symbols, one of my favourite topics. I even wrote about eagles as symbols, in The Eagle as an Heraldic Symbol of Empire. Our articles are not overlapping at all, they approach this subject from entirely different perspectives. https://read.cash/@reanbooks/country-icon-eagle-6975305c https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-eagle-as-an-heraldic-symbol-of-empire-50183a24
In Painting: Beauty Or Meaning, he discusses a quite difficult matter: how to appreciate art, what's the quality in a painting? If you are interested in this question, I also suggest you read two of my articles: Art as Visual Music & The Importance of Form and Practising Art: The Art of Seeing & Beyond Mere Seeing. https://read.cash/@reanbooks/painting-beauty-or-meaning-8fa332f1 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/art-as-visual-music-the-importance-of-form-a040976f https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/practising-art-the-art-of-seeing-beyond-mere-seeing-a062694a
@reanbooks have written about many other topics as well, for instance the history of his area, such as Back to the Ancients: My Territory And Its Beliefs and Watu Penawetengan: Place of Ritual and Beginning of Faith. https://read.cash/@reanbooks https://read.cash/@reanbooks/back-to-the-ancients-my-territory-and-its-beliefs-b126499d https://read.cash/@reanbooks/watu-penawetengan-place-of-ritual-and-beginning-of-faith-f433301c
NFT marketplace is quietly collapsing, declares @xuanling11 – and I tend to agree. There are obvious problems with this concept that, at least for now, seem unsolvable. https://read.cash/@xuanling11/nft-marketplace-is-quietly-collapsing-976490be
Half Truths Control Perspectives Which Are Most Important, claims @Bre, and she is right. Incorrect or incomplete knowledge leads to distorted perspectives and incorrect conclusions – and it is important to understand that. https://read.cash/@Bre/half-truths-control-perspectives-which-are-most-important-0170b7f8
Could Russia be the next Super Power, asks @nomadghada, and 'Of Savage Disposition' — Most People Don't Actually Want Peace says @VoluntaryJapan, and I tend to agree. https://read.cash/@nomadghada/could-russia-be-the-next-super-power-2a7fd38c https://read.cash/@VoluntaryJapan/of-savage-disposition-most-people-dont-actually-want-peace-374c428b
For all football lovers here (and I know you are many), read Griezmann’s predicament by @HappyBoy - an article about football contracts. https://read.cash/@HappyBoy/griezmanns-predicament-39217a19
How do we learn to be with other people if we don't learn to be with ourselves? asks @gertu13; also read her Stealing is a bad habit. https://read.cash/@gertu13/your-space-your-time-60bb4e70 https://read.cash/@gertu13/stealing-is-a-bad-habit-66c51416
Never Be Afraid To Be Yourself, advises @Brilliance https://read.cash/@Brilliance/never-be-afraid-to-be-yourself-7eda6b7c
@milaagrosramirez claims (and rightly so) that Discipline fundamental element to achieve anything in life. I have seen several articles on this theme over the years here, but it deserves to be repeated. https://read.cash/@milaagrosramirez https://read.cash/@milaagrosramirez/discipline-fundamental-element-to-achieve-anything-in-life-236f25b7
No one is talentless! claims @turuncu. But it requires persistence to develop a talent. https://read.cash/@turuncu/no-one-is-talentless-bde693b1
In Run the race but at your pace, @Tomi-Ajax discusses the process of learning. I quote: https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/run-the-race-but-at-your-pace-fe4cf3a7
“*But what matters most isn't the time spent but achieving the goal. So remember to learn at your pace, you can get inspired by the actions of others, but don't compare.“*
I would also recommend Learning wisely, by the same author. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/learning-wisely-e939c1f6
@Sydney2 writes about The Art of Romanticising Your Life, and I think the message she conveys is essential for a good life. https://read.cash/@Sydney2 https://read.cash/@Sydney2/the-art-of-romanticising-your-life-63ec7a0a
In I am the captain of my soul!, @Amjad_Ali_Waincne claims that forgiveness is the best revenge. https://read.cash/@Amjad_Ali_Waince/i-am-the-captain-of-my-soul-1d9c305d
@Jelena gives us Life changing quotes from the movie The Godfather. https://read.cash/@Jelena https://read.cash/@Jelena/life-changing-quotes-from-the-movie-the-godfather-902df172
Stay Caffeinated! says @curiouscat in an article I include because of my own interest in coffee. However, I don't think coffee is a suitable beverage for small children. https://read.cash/@curiouscat/stay-caffeinated-d3ee6ec8 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#coffee-health-amp-history
Allow me to quote a post by @remona - A Garden is more than plants, it feeds a soul. I like her approach to her garden. https://read.cash/@remona https://read.cash/@remona/a-garden-is-more-than-plants-it-feeds-a-soul-33d80086
*“[...] the garden is not just a place, it's where we heal our souls. Garden is what makes us happy, nature has the power to make us feel fulfilled."*
Finally, an article that was posted just when I laid my last hand on this issue of “Suggested Reading”: The great competition, by @Alther . https://read.cash/@Alther/the-great-competition-4f518988
Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.
Quizzes & Puzzles 42
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 41**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-41-dc26351c
**Answer to Quiz 41:1**
*The world's smallest army was founded in 1506. It still exists, 110 men strong. Where do we find this army?*
The is the Swiss Guard of the Vatican. To be enrolled to this small but prestigious army, you must be a Swiss male, 19-31 years old; you also must be single, a Catholic, have a solid reputation, and be 5-foot-3 tall or more. Furthermore, you must have completed Swiss army training.
The Renaissance-style uniforms of a Swiss Guard is easily recognisable. (Image by Rodrigo Pignatta/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)
**Answer to Quiz 41:2**
*Apart from eyes of some species, one hardly sees blue colour in mammals. There is one exception though – what?*
I don't know if this question was misunderstood, I'm not talking about a completely blue mammal, but a blue coloured part of a mammal. Here we have it, a mandrill:
Blue occurs in the face of certain primates, most clearly in the mandrill. (Detail from Image by John Leong/Pixabay. CC0/PPublic Domain.)
**Answer to Quiz 41:3**
*Who did receive the very first Nobel Prize in Physics?*
*Why was he awarded the prize?*
It was Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who, in 1901 was awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery and production of X-rays. Their practical use hardly needs any presentation, most of you have faced them in examination of broken bones, lungs, teeth etc.
**Answer to Quiz 41:4**
*What is the name of the Hunchback of Notre Dame? And who wrote the book about him?*
The name of the Hunchback is Quasimodo, and the original novel, published 1831, was written by French author Victor Hugo. The novel is an example of Gothic Romanticism. It was spectacularly successful and influenced subsequent literature – such as authors Balzac, Flaubert, Dickens and many others. Outside literature, it also resulted in an interest in Gothic architecture, not at least as represented by Notre Dame de Paris, which was renovated as a direct result of the interest that was triggered by the book.
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a world classic and has been adapted to innumerable films, TV-films or series, radio dramas, theatre plays, ballets, comics, etc.
This is one film version: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, from 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCHm5DURhMw
**Answer to Quiz 41:5**
*Why should you never ingest (eat or drink) anything sour that has been packed in aluminium (foil or can)?*
Because acid dissolves minerals, so you would get aluminium in the sour foodstuff or beverage. It should be noted that ingestion of aluminium is very harmful. Among other things, it is a strong oxidant (causing oxidation) and it is also indicated as a contributory cause of Alzheimer's disease.
**Answer to Quiz 41:6**
*This is an illustration for “The Man with the Twisted Lip”, a Sherlock Holmes story. The story was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but who made the classical illustrations (including the one displayed here) when the stories were first published? This illustrator created the appearance of Holmes, as we still think of him.*
The answer is Sidney Paget. Let me quote from my article “The Faces of Sherlock Holmes” from Meriondho Leo 155, 2018 (not available online):
“*Sherlock Holmes was not the very first detective of literature. However, he became archetypal, he became THE detective, and had an impact on subsequent literature and its various offspring in film and television as few other fictive individuals. His shadow rests over a whole genre, at that one which became dominant within as well literature as film and television during the 20th century.*
*While Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes and wrote the original stories, the visual view of Holmes came to be created by Sidney Paget (1860-1908), who illustrated the original short stories when they were published in The Strand Magazine. Paget's influence on how we perceive the appearance of Sherlock Holmes cannot be overestimated. He remains the ultimate Holmes illustrator.”*
If you want to see more of Sidney Paget's illustrations, take a look here:
https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/Sidney_Paget
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 42:1**
Which king had a stinking chronic infection in his mouth too such a degree that it affected his court protocol (nobody was allowed to come close to the king)? At the time, this king was the most powerful monarch in Europe.
**Quiz 42:2**
What is “the Hammer of Witches”, or “Malleus Maleficarum”?
A weapon?
A book?
An object of worship?
**Quiz 42:3**
Mental health problem, colour, celebration, heavy metal,… to what am I referring?
If I should give you one more clue, it would be “music”.
**Quiz 42:4**
I have previously written about how not everything called nuts are nuts in a botanical sense, and analogous about berries; this time we will look at fruit. Cultural and botanical definitions sometimes differ; so, which of the following are fruits, in the botanical sense?
orange
tomato
cabbage
cucumber
kiwi
radish
bell pepper
blueberry
carrot
avocado
**Quiz 42:5**
Imsety, Qebehsenuef, Hapy, and Duamutef – who was their father?
**Quiz 42:6**
By which gland is the hormone thyroxine produced?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 41
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 40**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-40-233ae256
**Answer to Quiz 40:1**
*Linseeds (Flaxseeds)*
*Mackerel*
*Walnuts*
*What has these three foodstuffs in common?*
Linseeds, mackerel, and walnuts are good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. If you want to know more about fats and the importance of getting the right fats, read Understanding Dietary Fats Part 1 (of 2) and Understanding Dietary Fats Part 2 (of 2). https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-1-of-2-e8b4f70d https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/understanding-dietary-fats-part-2-of-2-873ba37f
**Answer to Quiz 40:2**
*Which migrating Germanic tribe created a state in Northwest Africa (including some Mediterranean islands), a state lasting for about a century, finally ending up incorporated into the Byzantine empire?*
*Clue: They have given name to a province in Spain, and a word for destruction.*
This was the Vandals. I previously wrote about them, in Lactose Intolerance, Vandals & Germanic Migration. I quote the part that is relevant for this quiz: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/lactose-intolerance-vandals-germanic-migration-77ca4460
*The Vandals were a* *Germanic people**, who supposedly resided in Silesia around 100 AD. In 406 they crossed the Rhine, went through Gaul; and reaching the Iberian peninsula they got territory by the Romans. In 429 they continued to Africa, and in 440 their king, Geyseric, forced Rome to hand over to him a large part of Roman Africa. There he founded a state, controlling most of the north-western African coastline, as well as Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic islands.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/germanic-celtic-13402f5d
*In 533, a Byzantine army under Belisarius defeated the Vandals, and their kingdom was incorporated into the Byzantine empire. The Vandal history was at an end.*
*In 455, the Vandals arrived to Italy with an army, took and plundered Rome. There, it is said, they brought a destruction that was extraordinary - even for their time. This bad reputation is the origin of the modern meaning of the word "vandal", or "vandalism", but there is no evidence that they deserve it. Probably they were neither better nor worse than others.*
*Abbé Gregoire is often mentioned as the official "inventor" of the word. He used it, "vandalisme", in his description of the French Revolution in 1794. Yet there are sources claiming that it was used earlier than that, even as far back as in the 17th century. I have not been able to verify that.*
*The Spanish province Andalusia (Andalucia) got its name by the Vandals, who resided there for a time before continuing to Africa. It was called Vandalusia, or Vandalita; the former later becoming Andalusia.*
**Answer to Quiz 40:3**
*Miskatonic University is a literary creation. Who wrote about it?*
H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) wrote about *Miskatonic University.* It's named after the Miskatonic River, a fictional river and can be found in Ankham, a fictitious town. All these are products of the author's imagination, but he placed all of it in Massachusetts.
Miskatonic University figures in several stories by Lovecraft (in his Cthulhu Mythos), and also in numerous works by subsequent authors. It is famous for it's collection of occult literature, including the infamous “Necronomicon”, which is probably the most famous book that doesn't exist. Lovecraft refers to it, and so does his followers (other authors). However, while, indeed, Necronomicon doesn't exist, it has got a literary presence by being repeatedly referred to, and it frequently turns up in popular culture. Books called Necronomicon have also been produced and sold by unscrupulous publishers, but none of them is the real thing, since the real thing is only imaginary.
According to Lovecraft, the original of Necronomicon was in Arabic, “Kitab al-Azif“, written by Abdul Alhazred, the “Mad Arab”.
Lovecraft was a very influential author, most appreciated by other authors, but is still relatively unknown to the general international public (contrary to, for instance, Edgar Allan Poe). You can read about him in my article Lovecraft was More than Horror. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/lovecraft-was-more-than-horror-dcfc3d13
**Answer to Quiz 40:4**
*Which film-maker, active for over 60 years, was known as “The Master of Suspense”?*
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980). He is one of the most important film-makers in history, his work is often studied even by modern directors. He was a pioneer who developed the art of film-making considerably. His specialities were suspense and horror (according to the view of the time).
**Answer to Quiz 40:5**
*"There was a young lady in Riga,*
*who went on a ride with a tiger;*
*they returned from the ride*
*with the lady inside*
*and a smile on the face of the tiger.*
*What is this sort of verse called?*
It is called a ***limerick***, which @Trifecta knew. https://read.cash/@Trifecta
You can read more about limericks and other verses in Rhyme & Reason: Verse, Structure, & Memory. There are also two more examples of limericks. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/rhyme-reason-verse-structure-memory-f6ba9e9c
**Answer to Quiz 40:6**
“*Royal blue” is a shade of blue that was invented for a dress to a British queen, which queen?*
It was invented for a dress to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818), that is British Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. Incidentally, she is said to have introduced the Christmas tree to Britain in 1800.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 41:1**
The world's smallest army was founded in 1506. It still exists, 110 men strong. Where do we find this army?
**Quiz 41:2**
Apart from eyes of some species, one hardly sees blue colour in mammals. There is one exception though – what?
**Quiz 41:3**
Who did receive the very first Nobel Prize in Physics?
Why was he awarded the prize?
**Quiz 41:4**
What is the name of the Hunchback of Notre Dame? And who wrote the book about him?
**Quiz 41:5**
Why should you never ingest (eat or drink) anything sour that has been packed in aluminium (foil or can)?
**Quiz 41:6**
This is an illustration for “The Man with the Twisted Lip”, a Sherlock Holmes story. The story was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but who made the classical illustrations (including the one displayed here) when the stories were first published? This illustrator created the appearance of Holmes, as we still think of him.
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 40
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 39**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-39-a3db32ef
**Answer to Quiz 39:1**
*An important mineral, which, among other functions, serves as an antioxidant in the body, is also light sensitive. This sensitivity has and has had technical applications. To which mineral am I referring?*
The right answer is Selenium. It is a strong antioxidant and it blocks fermentation in the cells. The latter is an important anticancer effect, because, contrary to a normal cell, a cancer cell has a metabolism based on fermentation. Further, Selenium removes Cadmium and Mercury from the body.
I will not dwell much on technical uses of Selenium, but the so-called “photo electric Selenium cell” has been used for many things. Early devices utilising it where the first electric music instruments.
Read more about Selenium, its effects on health, its toxicity in high doses, and how it once was used as a murder weapon, in Selenium & Chromium: Important for Your Health. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/selenium-chromium-important-for-your-health-de84988e
**Answer to Quiz 39:2**
*There is an old tradition, still observed in some places, to put a coin over or in the mouth of a dead person. Why is this done, what is the story behind the custom?*
@Trifecta answered correctly that it was a payment for transportation to the underworld. To be more precise, it was to pay Charon, the ferryman, for transportation over the river Styx (or Acheron), which was the border between the world of the living, and the world of the dead. https://read.cash/@Trifecta
The coin is often referred to as “Charon's obol” (obol was a small coin of old Greece).
Although this was a pagan custom of old Greece and Rome, it survived into Christianity and thrived there. As late as 1878, a coin was put in the mouth of the dead Pope, Pius IX.
After the Hellenism, some Iranic cultures, especially Parthian and Sassanid culture, also put a coin in the mouth of the dead.
Interestingly, this was also the practice of the Khmer culture of old Cambodia. However, it seems to have developed independently there, since the motive is another. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/654484/putting-a-coin-in-the-mouth-of-the-dead/
Now, one can wonder, from where did this custom come originally?
It is not easy to say. It was common during the so-called Hellenism, but did it start there? It is not likely, almost nothing started there, but I have not been able to find it in Egyptian or Sumerian/Babylonian cultures. I'm still on it though, this is not the final word in the question.
**Answer to Quiz 39:3**
*Tomatoes are good for prostate health. They contain a carotenoid (a colour pigment), which is responsible for that effect. What's the name of that carotenoid?*
It is Lycopene. Although it has many health benefits, one of its effects is that it protects against prostate ailments. If you are male, you ought to eat tomatoes on a daily basis.
Lycopene can also be taken as a supplement. It is an antioxidant, protects against sun damage of the skin, and it is good for heart and circulation.
If you want read more about prostate health – all men, and every woman who cares for a man, ought to learn about this – read The Prostate: Health & Illness. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-prostate-health-illness-7271a808
**Answer to Quiz 39:4**
*This is a woodblock print from 1795 by a great Japanese artist. Indeed, his woodblock prints are still the most expensive ones to acquire. Who was the artist? (His name is a pseudonym, nobody knows who he really was.)*
*The portrait shows a kabuki (a sort of theatre) actor, Nakamura Nakazo II, playing prince Koretaka, who (in the play) plays the farmer Tsuchizo. A complex portrait, showing all the three characters.*
This is the mysterious genius Sharaku. I quote my article Satoshi & Sharaku (which was my 4th article at this platform, posted in March 2020): https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/satoshi-sharaku-103177b2
“*Unless you are a fan of ukiyo-e, a Japanese art style, commonly associated with woodblock prints, you have probably never heard about* ***Sharaku****, one of the most remarkable artists in the history of art. He not only managed to keep his identity a secret, it is still unknown who he was, but he was active for only 10 months in 1794 and 1795, and during these 10 months he presented a unique style, one that influenced subsequent ukiyo-e but was never imitated. With a rough, brutal realism, he almost caricatured the kabuki actors (kabuki is a Japanese theatre form) he portrayed, and he managed to depict both the actor and the role, like a double personality, in a powerful and expressive manner. Yet many of his prints are almost ugly. But that is the style, there is so much strength, energy and character in them that they don't have to be beautiful.”*
If you want to read more about this remarkable artist, please read the full article. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/satoshi-sharaku-103177b2
**Answer to Quiz 39:5**
*Can you tell me the name of a sugar alcohol with sweet taste that is good for teeth and gums? Indeed, it is so beneficial for the teeth that the Finnish, who discovered its dental effects, once called it the solution of the caries problem. If it is* ***that*** *good can be questioned, we don't really know that yet, but it is undeniable that its effect is strong. For oral health, it's mostly used in toothpaste and chewing gums.*
*But what is this substance called?*
The answer is xylitol, in its way a very powerful substance. Its large scale use is still limited to a few regions of the world, most notably Finland and Sweden, but I'm sure it will spread globally. Caries is perhaps the most common illness in the world, and xylitol can drastically reduce its occurrence. It ought to be as common in toothpaste as fluoride is. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/preserve-your-teeth-nutrients-other-beneficial-substances-33b92d13#xylitol
Read more in Preserve Your Teeth: Nutrients & Other Beneficial Substances. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/preserve-your-teeth-nutrients-other-beneficial-substances-33b92d13
**Answer to Quiz 39:6**
*Who made “The Sound of Silence”, “Scarborough Fair”, “The Boxer”, and “Bridge over Troubled Water”?*
These are song titles by the famous duo Simon & Garfunkel. Perhaps most readers here are too young to remember them, but these songs are classics in the genre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bd1zp_q6Y
The video shows a famous concert they held in Central Park, in New York, in 1981. It contains all their best songs.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 40:1**
What has these three foodstuffs in common?
Linseeds (Flaxseeds)
Mackerel
Walnuts
**Quiz 40:2**
Which migrating Germanic tribe created a state in Northwest Africa (including some Mediterranean islands), a state lasting for about a century, finally ending up incorporated into the Byzantine empire?
Clue: They have given name to a province in Spain, and a word for destruction.
**Quiz 40:3**
Miskatonic University is a literary creation. Who wrote about it?
**Quiz 40:4**
Which film-maker, active for over 60 years, was known as “The Master of Suspense”?
**Quiz 40:5**
*"There was a young lady in Riga,*
*who went on a ride with a tiger;*
*they returned from the ride*
*with the lady inside*
*and a smile on the face of the tiger."*
What is this sort of verse called?
**Quiz 40:6**
“Royal blue” is a shade of blue that was invented for a dress to a British queen, which queen?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 39
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* Quizzes & Puzzles 38*. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-38-6711f1dc
**Answer to Quiz 38:1**
*According to tradition, Buddha Gautama reached enlightenment sitting beneath a tree – what sort of tree was that?*
He sat under a fig tree of the species *Ficus religiosa –* a banyan tree – native to India and the area around India, and South East Asia. The banyan tree has religious significance for Hindus, Buddhists and Jainists.
The tree under which Buddha Gautama sat is called the Bhodi tree, the "tree of awakening". The term “Bhodi tree” is also used for some other sacred trees of the species *Ficus religiosa.*
There is still a Bhodi tree where Buddha Gautama sat, but it is not the same tree, it has been replaced a number of times. However, the present tree is probably a direct descendant of the original Bhodi tree.
In Archaeological Survey of India, volume one, Alexander Cunningham wrote (1862):
“*The celebrated Bodhi tree still exists, but is very much decayed; one large stem, with three branches to the westward, is still green, but the other branches are barkless and rotten. The green branch perhaps belongs to some younger tree, as there are numerous stems of apparently different trees clustered together. The tree must have been renewed frequently, as the present Pipal is standing on a terrace at least 30 feet above the level of the surrounding country. It was in full vigour in 1811, when seen by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton), who describes it as in all probability not exceeding 100 years of age.”*
**Answer to Quiz 38:2**
*Bronze is a metal alloy, consisting mainly of two metals – which two metals?*
The correct answer is copper and tin. It can be compared to another metal alloy, brass, which consists of copper and zinc.
**Answer to Quiz 38:3**
*Alyosha, Ivan, Dimitri, and Smerdyakov – four brothers whose family name gave name to a novel, a world classic. What is the name of this famous novel, and who is the author?*
The novel is “The Brothers Karamazov”, and the author is Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881).
This novel has a reputation of being extremely heavy reading - but despite its very deep philosophical discussions, I never found it “heavy”. Yet, even people professionally reading or knowing about literature, often continue to praise its value without ever reading it. It's a pity, because it's really a great read.
Okay, I admit it, I'm biased. As a fan of Dostoevsky's literature, I once undertook to learn Russian in order to be able to read him in original language. I just love this literature. You might find “The Brothers Karamazov” heavier than I do, but it is still a book every well-read individual should have read. A true classic.
**Answer to Quiz 38:4**
*Brazil is the world's largest exporter of coffee, but which country is the next largest exporter? (This might be a little of a surprise.)*
I suppose a lot of people would guess Colombia, but that is number three. The next largest exporter of coffee is Vietnam.
**Answer to Quiz 38:5**
*Who is this, and who made the painting?*
The painter is Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), and the man on the picture is... Vincent van Gogh! This is a self-portrait from 1889. The original can be found at National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
**Answer to Quiz 38:6**
*According to official Olympic history, when were the first modern Olympic Games held?*
In 1896, in Athens. This, however, might be a lie, so strongly promoted as truth that it has come to pass as truth (as is the case with relatively much history). Read more in my article OLYMPIA: The Shocking History of the Olympic Games & a Radical Suggestion for the Future. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/olympia-the-shocking-history-about-the-olympic-games-a-radical-suggestion-for-the-future-6d48981e
**Answer to Quiz 38:7**
*In French history, one can find the title “Dauphin”, which has been held by a number of people (although never more than one at the same time). But who would become “le Dauphin”, what did this title mean?*
**Dauphin** was a title for the heir apparent (the crown prince) to the French throne 1350-1791 and 1824-1830. The name comes from Dauphiné, a seigneurie being a part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was sold to king Philippe VI of France in 1349. However, there were conditions as well: that the heir apparent to the French throne adopt the title “le Dauphin”; and that Dauphiné must never become a part of France. Initially it remained a seigneurie of the Holy Roman Empire, however, Louis XI still united it with France in 1461.
Strictly, le Dauphin of France should be called The Dauphin of Viennois. Dauphin was initially a nickname for the count of Vienne, because he had a dolphin (dauphin) on his coat of arms. But this happened before the area was sold to the French king.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 39:1**
An important mineral, which, among other functions, serves as an antioxidant in the body, is also light sensitive. This sensitivity has and has had technical applications. To which mineral am I referring?
**Quiz 39:2**
There is an old tradition, still observed in some places, to put a coin over or in the mouth of a dead person. Why is this done, what is the story behind the custom?
**Quiz 39:3**
Tomatoes are good for prostate health. They contain a carotenoid (a colour pigment), which is responsible for that effect. What's the name of that carotenoid?
**Quiz 39:4**
This is a woodblock print from 1795 by a great Japanese artist. Indeed, his woodblock prints are still the most expensive ones to acquire. Who was the artist? (His name is a pseudonym, nobody knows who he really was.)
The portrait shows a kabuki (a sort of theatre) actor, *Nakamura Nakazo II,* playing prince *Koretaka,* who (in the play) plays the farmer *Tsuchizo.* A complex portrait, showing all the three characters.
**Quiz 39:5**
Can you tell me the name of a sugar alcohol with sweet taste that is good for teeth and gums? Indeed, it is so beneficial for the teeth that the Finnish, who discovered its dental effects, once called it the solution of the caries problem. If it is **that** good can be questioned, we don't really know that yet, but it is undeniable that its effect is strong. For oral health, it's mostly used in toothpaste and chewing gums.
But what is this substance called?
**Quiz 39:6**
Who made “The Sound of Silence”, “Scarborough Fair”, “The Boxer”, and “Bridge over Troubled Water”?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 38
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 37**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-37-289e9c24
**Answer to Quiz 37:1**
*What were the currencies of these countries called before the adoption of the Euro?*
*France*
*Germany*
*Austria*
*Lithuania*
*Slovakia*
*The Netherlands*
*Italy*
France - franc
Germany - Deutschemark
Austria - schilling
Lithuania - litas
Slovakia - koruna
The Netherlands - guilder
Italy - lira
**Answer to Quiz 37:2**
*Which number is known as the number of the beast, and where is it first mentioned?*
The number of the beast is 666, and its first mention is in “Revelation”, the last book of the Christian Bible. Some old manuscripts give 616 as the number of the beast. In The Number 666 & The Essence of the Beast, I explain this difference and present a plausible interpretation (a sort of puzzle solving) of what the number of the beast really refers to. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-number-666-the-essence-of-the-beast-f6de601b
In order to do that one has to play with numbers, letters and the history of the time and place where this text was written. So, the above-mentioned article can also be seen as an example of puzzle solving.
**Answer to Quiz 37:3**
*Who painted this, and what was the name of his wife (who is portrayed here)?*
The painter is Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), commonly known only as “Rembrandt”. He shares with the great Italian Renaissance painters, that he is known by only his forename - a sign of his greatness! Rembrandt, however, was a Dutch Baroque artist.
His wife was named “Saskia”. She is known from many portraits. (The original of the one above can be found at Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Germany.)
**Answer to Quiz 37:4**
*Adolf Hitler, Jean Cocteau, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Charlie Chaplin had something in common – what?*
What they had in common was the same year of birth; they were all born in 1889. Apart from that, I doubt that they had very much in common.
**Answer to Quiz 37:5**
*What is the opposite of acidic; that is, what is something when its pH is high?*
If the pH of something is low, it is acidic **-** if the pH of something is high, it is alkaline. So, right answer is **alkaline**.
**Answer to Quiz 37:6**
*When Egyptian god Osiris was murdered, he was cut up into a number of pieces; how many pieces?*
He was cut into 14 pieces. I related the story in Egyptian Mummies & Mummification: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-mummies-mummification-27386004
“*Osiris, who was king, was killed by his envious (half-)brother Set. Osiris' spouse and sister, Isis, found his body and restored him to life long enough to conceive a child: Horus, the avenger. Set later found Osiris' body and cut it into 14 parts. Isis collected the parts and bound them together, thus the bandage. As a matter of fact, she found only 13 parts, the 14th, Osiris' phallus, she had made in gold. With proper ritual, Osiris was resurrected, able to get a proper funeral so he could reach afterlife. He became the god of the underworld, of the dead.*
*Osiris' bandaged body is the first Egyptian mummy, with the typical wrapping. And on Osiris and Horus, Pharaonic legitimacy was based.”*
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 38:1**
According to tradition, Buddha Gautama reached enlightenment sitting beneath a tree – what sort of tree was that?
**Quiz 38:2**
Bronze is a metal alloy, consisting mainly of two metals – which two metals?
**Quiz 38:3**
Alyosha, Ivan, Dimitri, and Smerdyakov – four brothers whose family name gave name to a novel, a world classic. What is the name of this famous novel, and who is the author?
**Quiz 38:4**
Brazil is the world's largest exporter of coffee, but which country is the next largest exporter? (This might be a little of a surprise.)
**Quiz 38:5**
Who is this, and who made the painting?
**Quiz 38:6**
According to official Olympic history, when were the first modern Olympic Games held?
**Quiz 38:7**
In French history, one can find the title “Dauphin”, which has been held by a number of people (although never more than one at the same time). But who would become “le Dauphin”, what did this title mean?
@FashTioluwa ! A special thanks to you for your recent, nice words, and the consistent interest you take in these quizzes. I hope you'll soon find something for you too. https://read.cash/@FashTioluwa
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 37
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 36**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-36-c7c09f76
**Answer to Quiz 36:1**
*Georges Prosper Remi was a famous European cartoonist. He is best known for his comic albums.*
*a. What is the name of the hero and main character of his albums?*
*b. If you have never heard the name Georges Prosper Remi, I bet you have encountered his better known pen name. Under what pen name did he publish his comic albums?*
The hero is Tintin, and the albums with his adventures belong to the most read comics in the world.
The creator of Tintin used the pen name Hergé. This name is created by pronouncing his initials G.R. (in French) in reversed order.
**Answer to Quiz 36:2**
*Who created “2001: A Space Odyssey”, the famous science-fiction movie from 1968? I want the name of the director.*
The director was Stanley Kubrick. The story was written by Arthur C. Clarke.
**Answer to Quiz 36:3**
*In music, what is the difference between polyphony and homophony?*
I quote my article Handel, Haydn & The Day When Time Stopped: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/handel-haydn-the-day-when-time-stopped-6496df90
“*Monody, or homophony, is when one part predominates while the others are merely accompanying. In old Greece it denoted a single voice singing an ode in a tragedy.*
*Polyphony is when parts are individual; no part is predominant.*
*From about 800 AD, European music started to become polyphonic; and after a few centuries, more or less all church music was. Renaissance, however, with its idolising of Antiquity, brought monody into it again. In the beginning this was done in the form of a vocal or instrumental part, accompanied by thorough bass (figures indicating accompanying chords). One of the first to use monody in this way was Vincenzo Galilei, 1533 - 1591. (The famous physicist, Galileo Galilei, was his son.)*
*Polyphony further led to forms such as the fugue, and culminated with Bach, his "Kunst der Fuge" being the most pre-eminent example. Parts are equal in importance, a clear "melody" is indistinguishable, and the impression of the music is from its totality. (Writing as two or more independent parts is called counterpoint, which is the basis for polyphony.)*
*Monody, or homophony, on the other hand, triggered the development of the opera and the oratorio, and it came to dominate the eighteenth century after the Baroque, the nineteenth century, and popular music still today. A melody and accompaniment, that is how most people think of music. Within the so-called serious genre, however, the twentieth century brought music into new directions and homophony lost its dominance.”*
**Answer to Quiz 36:4**
*Everyone has heard about oil painting, and maybe some of you have painted in oil. But what sort of oil is normally used as a medium for the colour pigments in oil painting?*
The answer is linseed (flax seed) oil.
**Answer to Quiz 36:5**
*Who created the Julian Calendar, on which our present Gregorian calendar is based?*
In order to reform the Roman calendar, Julius Caesar hired an astronomer, Sosigenes of Alexandria. The Romans had a lunar calendar and wanted to move to an Egyptian system, using solar years. So, Sosigenes created what is known as the Julian Calendar, which came into use in 45 BC. The current Gregorian Calendar is an adjustment of the Julian. This means that most of us live with a calendar based on Sosigenes's work, and, in the end, on Egyptian calendric principles.
Sosigenes introduced years of 365 ¼ days. One result of that we still see today, is the existence of 29 February every fourth year.
But who was Sosigenes?
Almost nothing is known about him. The story that he was hired by Julius Caesar comes from a single source, Pliny the Elder.
It has sometimes been said that he was a Greek from Alexandria, but that is probably based mostly on the Greek form of the name. But that does not say much. During the Hellenistic period, Greek forms of names were sometimes used for Egyptians as well, not at least in their contacts with the Romans. Pliny was a Roman writer and can be expected to use name forms he can handle. Therefore, we should not rely too much on a Greek name to really denote a Greek: Isis and Anubis, to take two examples, are also Greek names, and the figures that the names denote are certainly not Greek.
Read more about the history of calendars:
History of Months I: Julian - Gregorian - Christian Months https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-of-months-i-julian-gregorian-christian-months-22243451
History of Months II: Islamic/Arabic Months https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-of-months-ii-islamicarabic-months-87ce10ba
History of Months III: Ancient Egypt & Babylonia https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-of-months-iii-ancient-egypt-babylonia-3964b538
History of Months IV: India, China, The French Revolution & The Cruelty of April https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-of-months-iv-india-china-the-french-revolution-the-cruelty-of-april-300ec314
**Answer to Quiz 36:6**
*Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers from ancient Greece. However, contrary to most other philosophers, he did not write anything. What we know about him comes from the writings of his students, most notably one of them – a man who by his own right became one of the most influential humans ever. Who was that?*
Socrates' famous student was Plato. He did not only write about the real Socrates, he also used him as a literary character when he expressed his own philosophy. This makes it practically impossible to determine where Socrates ends and Plato begins; when does Plato really relate Socrates' words, and when does he let him express his own (Plato's) words?
You can read more about Socrates and Plato in An Ugly Philosopher, a Nagging Wife, and an Illustrious Student. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/an-ugly-philosopher-a-nagging-wife-and-an-illustrious-student-19992d42
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 37:1**
What were the currencies of these countries called before the adoption of the Euro?
France
Germany
Austria
Lithuania
Slovakia
The Netherlands
Italy
**Quiz 37:2**
Which number is known as the number of the beast, and where is it first mentioned?
**Quiz 37:3**
Who painted this, and what was the name of his wife (who is portrayed here)?
As a clue, I can mention that this is one of the most famous artists in European art history.
**Quiz 37:4**
Adolf Hitler, Jean Cocteau, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Charlie Chaplin had something in common – what?
**Quiz 37:5**
What is the opposite of acidic; that is, what is something when its pH is high?
**Quiz 37:6**
When Egyptian god Osiris was murdered, he was cut up into a number of pieces; how many pieces?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Suggested Reading 30
*In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading
*These compilations are not coming often these days. The reason is that the activity on this platform has diminished; many writers of quality material have stopped publishing here, or at least lowered the frequency of their posting drastically.*
*For me, it has become more difficult to find material for “Suggested Reading”. There is material, but it takes a much longer time to get enough for an issue, so “Suggested Reading” comes less frequently.*
We start with an important article by @Unity : Health Mafia Eye A Pandemic Opportunity in "Monkeypox". I am delighted to see more people wake up to reality: that we live in a global system of health fascism, a system created for power and profit. https://read.cash/@Unity https://read.cash/@Unity/health-mafia-eye-a-pandemic-opportunity-in-monkeypox-1fc870ef
Read also The Corona Excuse by @nomadghada. https://read.cash/@nomadghada/the-corona-excuse-cc316995
In What is Sanctuary ? and I ask This Mountain, @sanctuary.the-one-law continues to explain his ideas from various angles. https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law/what-is-sanctuary-d91cef45 https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law/i-ask-this-mountain-e37c79c0
@Jnavedan has written several articles since the last time. I suggest: Who is the enemy of the enemies of cryptocurrencies?, Who is the enemy of the enemies of cryptocurrencies? Part 2, Doubts. Don't believe everything you are told and Ramblings: Do you write or read what no one cares about? https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/who-is-the-enemy-of-the-enemies-of-cryptocurrencies-9d7a38e8 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/who-is-the-enemy-of-the-enemies-of-cryptocurrencies-part-2-f30c6cf6 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/doubts-dont-believe-everything-you-are-told-4fff930e https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/ramblings-do-you-write-or-read-what-no-one-cares-about-9a811ca1
@scottcbusiness wrote The Centralization Of NFTs - KYC & Withdrawals, where he puts the finger on a very negative development, which, at least for me, makes NFTs a big NO-NO, for the moment. https://read.cash/@scottcbusiness https://read.cash/@scottcbusiness/the-centralization-of-nfts-kyc-withdrawals-c23b6e1f
@SapphireCrypto discusses Web 3 - Decentralized Independence, and I also recommend Web 3 - Ownership Defined. https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/web-3-decentralized-independence-150449ce https://read.cash/@SapphireCrypto/web-3-ownership-defined-67554b59
@CryptoSorted writes about 5 dark sides of the BCH network. I quote the article: https://read.cash/@CryptoSorted https://read.cash/@CryptoSorted/5-dark-sides-of-the-bch-network-874b3a7a
“*... in this post, I will be sharing with you the dark sides of BCH and its community. If you're involved in any of these, you can consider evolving. The alternative to change is stagnation and backwardness. Your call.“*
This might sound negative, but we may not be so blinded by positive optimism that we become blind for the flaws. Defining the flaws is the first step of every improvement. So, whether one agrees with the exact points in this article or not, the discussion is sound; flaws must be identified in order to be fixed – and nothing is so perfect that it cannot be improved.
Bitcoin Cash, the smart money for smart people, says @alberdioni8406 – and @Fexonice1 wonders: Where are the readers gone? The latter also explains Why I will never leave BCH and read.cash platform even if everyone else does. https://read.cash/@alberdioni8406/bitcoin-cash-the-smart-money-for-smart-people-bfc2a5f1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/where-are-the-readers-gone-180396fa https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/why-i-will-never-leave-bch-and-readcash-platform-even-if-everyone-else-does-8e9675e5
There are many reasons to be critical about social media. @Tomi-Ajax brings up some in 5 reasons why you should reduce your excessive usage of social media. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/5-reasons-why-you-should-reduce-your-excessive-usage-of-social-media-d94e30a9
Is the world on the verge of self-destruction? asks @mc5punk – and given the condition of the world, the question is definitely justified. https://read.cash/@mc5punk/is-the-world-on-the-verge-of-self-destruction-fcfc688d
@Hanzell, who doesn't post as much as before, recently published an article about Magic mushrooms. https://read.cash/@Hanzell https://read.cash/@Hanzell/magic-mushrooms-0b49c62d
@pajeroz writes about bananas in Simple But Phenomenal Plants. I don't know if it is a coincidence, but @BuildingDreams also writes about bananas: What happens to your body if you eat two bananas every day for a month? https://read.cash/@pajeroz https://read.cash/@pajeroz/simple-but-phenomenal-plants-b1e255a4 https://read.cash/@BuildingDreams https://read.cash/@BuildingDreams/what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-eat-two-bananas-every-day-for-a-month-dac3197e
@BlueFlipper tries to choose: Millions Dollar Question,"Fruits or Vegetables". https://read.cash/@BlueFlipper https://read.cash/@BlueFlipper/millions-dollar-questionfruits-or-vegetables-d6f6ad5f
Always well-writing @Gemstone published Surprising Health Benefits Of Honey. This is an excellent article about one of the top superfoods. I also suggest you read My Latest Discovery: A Technique For Greater Mind Control & Pleasant Vivid Dreaming and Winds Of Adversity by the same author. https://read.cash/@Gemstone https://read.cash/@Gemstone/surprising-health-benefits-of-honey-466b3a87 https://read.cash/@Gemstone/my-latest-discovery-a-technique-for-greater-mind-control-pleasant-vivid-dreaming-aaa022cd https://read.cash/@Gemstone/winds-of-adversity-21770f0d
Another author, who is always worth reading, is @Jcnakama. Read, for instance, Another perspective on loneliness and Situations in which you really get to know a person. https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/another-perspective-on-loneliness-65ad178a https://read.cash/@JCnakama/situations-in-which-you-really-get-to-know-a-person-cf10f1f0
@gertu13 is also a writer who always writes well. Read Character and temperament, about a very important distinction. https://read.cash/@gertu13 https://read.cash/@gertu13/character-and-temperament-83c1274e
We return to @Fexonice1, who was mentioned above. I want to include one more of his articles here, namely Four keys to developing your thinking skills. https://read.cash/@Fexonice1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/four-keys-to-developing-your-thinking-skills-c2a18547
@Lixten writes about one of my own favourite topics, colour, in Colors and Feelings: How Different Colors Affect Perception and Mood. https://read.cash/@Lixten https://read.cash/@Lixten/colors-and-feelings-how-different-colors-affect-perception-and-mood-338fc3eb
*“The universe is unfathomable and no matter our development in science and technology, we can’t unlock its secret.”*
So says @Tomi-Ajax in Afterlife and the Cosmos. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/afterlife-and-the-cosmos-0bb755d9
@beyourself continues to write well about history and mythology. The three most recent articles by this author are The lost City-Atlantis, The Nine Worlds-Norse Mythology, and Asgard,Jotunheim and more... https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-lost-city-atlantis-401488bd https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-nine-worlds-norse-mythology-13666ca8 https://read.cash/@beyourself/asgardjotunheim-and-more-66c92b78
Plagiarism is a grave offence, claims @HappyBoy - and I certainly agree. If you are unsure what copyright entails, read my What You Need to Know about Copyright, where I have tried to explain this concept in an easy-to-understand way. https://read.cash/@HappyBoy/plagiarism-is-a-grave-offence-22c9d157 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/what-you-need-to-know-about-copyright-a3462799
Many Readcashers are active on other platforms as well, such as Hive and Medium. For those considering to start at such platforms, it is essential to make some preparatory research. I think Medium Lets You Reward Writers (It's an Excellent Feature!) by @cmoneyspinner can be useful reading when applicable. So can Overview: How to Write and Earn on Hive (Beginner’s Guide) by @Laurenceuuu. He offers an e-book. I have a copy, I have read it, and it is definitely useful for potential beginners at Hive. Recommended! https://read.cash/@cmoneyspinner/medium-lets-you-reward-writers-its-an-excellent-feature-ea4d4dc1 https://read.cash/@Laurenceuuu/overview-how-to-write-and-earn-on-hive-beginners-guide-c0e9da72
Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.
Quizzes & Puzzles 36
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 35**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-35-fca486a6
**Answer to Quiz 35:1**
*Herpetology (from Greek herpeton, “creeping thing”) is he science and study of reptiles and amphibians. An herpetologist is a zoologist with this speciality.*
*There is a specific branch of herpetology which deals with snakes – what is it called?*
It is called ***ophiology*** or ***ophiodiology****.*
Unreasonable fear of snakes, a quite common ailment, is called *ophidiophobia* or *ophiophobia.*
I you are interested in snakes, mythical or real, read my series about serpents and snakes: From the Sacred Cobras of Egypt to Quezalcoatl: Serpents & Snakes in Mythology, Snakes in Astrology & Heraldry, and Snakes in Real Life. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/from-the-sacred-cobras-of-egypt-to-quezalcoatl-serpents-snakes-in-mythology-fc2039be https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/snakes-in-astrology-heraldry-505ccf47 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/snakes-in-real-life-ab69ef51
**Answer to Quiz 35:2**
*Who created Winnie-the-Pooh and wrote the original story?*
English author **A. A. Milne** wrote the original story, or stories. The visual aspect of Winnie-the-Pooh, his friends and environment, were created by the excellent illustrator **E. H. Shepard**.
**Answer to Quiz 35:3**
*Speaking about Winnie-the-Pooh, a lot of people incorrectly think he was created by the Disney team, and that's a relatively common misconception about many “Disney characters or stories”. Snow White and Cinderella, for instance, are based on old folktales. However, characters and stories being Disney originals exist as well. Can you mention five characters really being created by the Disney team?*
Some examples are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Uncle Scrooge,...
**Answer to Quiz 35:4**
*Who painted these pictures?*
The answer is Milanese painter **Giuseppe Arcimboldo**. He is famous for his paintings of faces built up by vegetables, fish, etc. The most amazing fact about him is that he lived 1527-1593, while his art feels almost modern. One could suspect this to be an artist in the periphery of Renaissance art, but he was also a court portraitist at the court of Holy Roman emperor Rudolf II. If you want to read more about Arcimboldo, read my article Renaissance Artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo - Surprisingly Modern. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/renaissance-artist-giuseppe-arcimboldo-surprisingly-modern-61e7a789
**Answer to Quiz 35:5**
*In this question I ask for the name a man who changed perceived history by proving as true, the basis for an ancient story everyone at the time thought was entirely fictitious. By his work, he also founded the science of archaeology. Who was he?*
*The story is about a city, the man in our question proved that the city had really existed, he found its site and excavated it. What was the name of this city?*
*So a correct answer provides two things: the name of the man, and the name of the city.*
The man was **Heinrich Schliemann** (1822-1890); and the city was **Troy**, which he located by the help of Homer's Iliad.
You can read more in Schliemann & Troy, which is section IV of my article History – Understand the Present by Understanding the Past. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/history-understand-the-present-by-understanding-the-past-54e66be9#iv-schliemann-amp-troy
**Answer to Quiz 35:6**
*What is this symbol called and which city does it symbolize?*
This is the **Lily (giglio) of Florence**; so it is a symbol of **Florence** in Italy.
In Fleur-de-lis & The Lily of Florence, I wrote: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/fleur-de-lis-the-lily-of-florence-5ef3a335
“*There are many stories about this symbol and its origin. One connects it to when the Romans founded the city, Florentia, and the celebration of the goddess Flora. Another story refers to the death of Fiorino, a Roman praetor. He died when Fiesole was attacked.*
*In reality, there is no evidence that this was a symbol of Florence before the 12th century. The Florentines carried the Giglio in the the battles of the first crusade. The first symbol, however, was a white lily on a red background. The colours were reversed in 1266, when the Guelph party wanted to mark their victory over the Ghibellines.*
*According to Roman mythology, the lily came from a drop of milk falling from the breast of the goddess Juno. (Compare that to the Christian view that the first lily was born from the tear of Eve when she had to leave the Garden of Eden.)*
*The Florentine lily is an iris, the Giaggiolo, also called Orris root or Florentine iris.”*
**Answer to Quiz 35:7**
*Everyone has heard about the United Arab Emirates – and the two most well-known of these seven emirates are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but do you know the names of the other five?*
They are **Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah**, and **Umm Al Quwain**.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 36:1**
Georges Prosper Remi was a famous European cartoonist. He is best known for his comic albums.
What is the name of the hero and main character of his albums?
If you have never heard the name Georges Prosper Remi, I bet you have encountered his better known pen name. Under what pen name did he publish his comic albums?
**Quiz 36:2**
Who created *“2001: A Space Odyssey”,* the famous science-fiction movie from 1968*?* I want the name of the director.
**Quiz 36:3**
In music, what is the difference between polyphony and homophony?
**Quiz 36:4**
Everyone has heard about oil painting, and maybe some of you have painted in oil. But what sort of oil is normally used as a medium for the colour pigments in oil painting?
**Quiz 36:5**
Who created the Julian Calendar, on which our present Gregorian calendar is based?
**Quiz 36:6**
Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers from ancient Greece. However, contrary to most other philosophers, he did not write anything. What we know about him comes from the writings of his students, most notably one of them – a man who by his own right became one of the most influential humans ever. Who was that?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 35
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 34* *. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-34-4f723049
**Answer to Quiz 34:1**
*Where did they speak Oscan?*
Oscan is an Italic language, once spoken in southern Italy. It is extinct.
**Answer to Quiz 34:2**
*In the past there was a city, in Greek called Crocodilopolis (crocodile city); in which country could it be found?*
In old **Egypt**. It was situated in present day Fayoum. *Crocodilopolis* was a centre for the cult of Sobek and Egypt's sacred crocodiles. I quote my article The Sacred Crocodiles of Egypt, in which you can read more about the crocodile cult of old Egypt: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-sacred-crocodiles-of-egypt-635185a8
“*In Crocodilopolis they had a sacred crocodile called Petsuchos. It means "Sobek's son". It was regarded as a manifestation of Sobek. Petsuchos lived in a temple, was well fed and had to wear gold and jewels - and he had a clergy who waited on him. When Petsuchos died, he was mummified and given special burial ceremonies. Then he was replaced by a new Petsuchos.“*
**Answer to Quiz 34:3**
*The Colt Single Action Army revolver is a classical handgun. You'll see it almost all Western films.*
*How many shots could be fired from it without reloading?*
**Six shots**. That's why it is sometimes called *“six shooter”*. If you are a fan of Western movies, you have probably seen the hero counting the shots of his adversary, knowing that after six shots there must be a short interruption in the fire, an interruption in which one can move or attack.
**Answer to Quiz 34:4**
*There is an animal with no brain and no nervous system of any description. What animal?*
It's the **sponge**, a peculiar animal whose evolution is unclear. Has it always been without nerves, or has it lost its nerve tissues during the course of adaption? Nobody knows for sure.
**Answer to Quiz 34:5**
*What is a number called that is the sum of its own divisors (not including the number itself)?*
*Let's take a simple example to make it clear: 28 is such a number. The divisors are 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 – and the sum of these divisors is 28.*
*Another such number is 6. But what is such a number called?*
It's called a **perfect number**. @Expelliarmus30 knew this. https://read.cash/@Expelliarmus30
According to St. Augustine, God created the world in six days, just because six is a perfect number. You can read more in Perfect & Multiperfect Numbers. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/perfect-multiperfect-numbers-9de41759
**Answer to Quiz 34:6**
*Who was crowned to Imperator Augustus, when he essentially became the first emperor of The Holy Roman Empire?*
It was **Charlemagne**, who was crowned in Rome in 800 AD. He appears to have been reluctant to do this, and the Pope, Leo III, practically tricked him into a coronation.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 35:1**
*Herpetology* (from Greek *herpeton*, “creeping thing”) is he science and study of reptiles and amphibians. An *herpetologist* is a zoologist with this speciality.
There is a specific branch of herpetology which deals with snakes – what is it called?
**Quiz 35:2**
Who created Winnie-the-Pooh and wrote the original story?
**Quiz 35:3**
Speaking about Winnie-the-Pooh, a lot of people incorrectly think he was created by the Disney team, and that's a relatively common misconception about many “Disney characters or stories”. Snow White and Cinderella, for instance, are based on old folktales. However, characters and stories being Disney originals exist as well. Can you mention five characters really being created by the Disney team?
**Quiz 35:4**
Who painted these pictures?
**Quiz 35:5**
In this question I ask for the name a man who changed perceived history by proving as true, the basis for an ancient story everyone at the time thought was entirely fictitious. By his work, he also founded the science of archaeology. Who was he?
The story is about a city, the man in our question proved that the city had really existed, he found its site and excavated it. What was the name of this city?
So a correct answer provides two things: the name of the man, and the name of the city.
**Quiz 35:6**
What is this symbol called and which city does it symbolize?
**Quiz 35:7**
Everyone has heard about the United Arab Emirates – and the two most well-known of these seven emirates are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but do you know the names of the other five?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
*(All the images are in the Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 34
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 33**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-33-e52f3009
**Answer to Quiz 33:1**
*If you read a word or a sentence from left to right, and it becomes the same if you read from right to left – what is such a word or sentence called?*
*A simple example is the name “Anna”; you can read that from the left or from the right, and it still becomes “Anna”.*
It is called a palindrome. In old Greece, palindromes were called “sotadics”, named after a poet, Sotades, who often used them.
"Lewd I did live, & evil did I dwel.", is said to be the oldest palindrome in English.
You can read more about palindromes and other word games in Anagrams, Palindromes, Cryptarithms and Alphametics. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/anagrams-palindromes-cryptarithms-and-alphametics-65dd6622
*@Aimure* *knew the right answer: palindrome.* https://read.cash/@Aimure
**Answer to Quiz 33:2**
*In old Rome, what was the title of the high priest, the head of the Roman religion? Strangely, the title is still in use, still for the head of the Roman religion, although the religion is not the same anymore.*
The tile of the Roman high priest was Pontifex Maximus. When Rome became Christian, the title continued to be used by the head of the new Roman religion, now in form of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Pontifex Maximus is still one of the official titles of the Roman Catholic Pope. Read more in Pontifex Maximus & The Imperial Purple of Rome. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/pontifex-maximus-the-imperial-purple-of-rome-1bd0c336
**Answer to Quiz 33:3**
*Has there ever been a king named Dagobert? Yes it has - but where?*
There have been two Merovingian (Frankish) kings with that name, Dagobert I and Dagobert II – both during the 7th century AD.
**Answer to Quiz 33:4**
*Why is a so-called “blue baby” blue?*
The skin turns blueish because the blood contains too little oxygen. There are several different possible causes to this, some of them potentially deadly if not treated correctly.
**Answer to Quiz 33:5**
*What is paraskavedekatriaphobia?*
*There is another long word for the same thing, can you tell me that word too?*
**Paraskavedekatriaphobia** stands for an unreasonable fear of Friday the 13th. Another word for the same thing is **friggatriskaidekaphobia.**
But why the fear? Why is this specific day especially ominous? Learn more in Why are Number 13 & Friday the 13th Associated with Bad Luck? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-are-number-13-friday-the-13th-associated-with-bad-luck-ad4e06a7
**Answer to Quiz 33:6**
*In old lore, there are two “dragon points”. But what is a “dragon point”?*
It is a lunar node. But what is that?
It is where the moon's orbit and the ecliptic intersect.
Or those not being familiar with this terminology, it also can be justified to explain what the “ecliptic” is. I quote my article Zodiac, Month, Year: Some Scientific Elementa: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/zodiac-month-year-some-scientific-elementa-1ba8efbb
“*The ecliptic is the path, an imaginary line, the sun apparently follows across the sky during a year. It is "apparent", because it is the earth that rotates round the sun, but that is not how we see it. The path can be the basis for an imaginary plane, the ecliptic plane. The whole solar system is often approximated as lying in that plane, although in reality it is not entirely flat.”*
**Answer to Quiz 33:7**
*What does amber and dragon's blood have in common?*
The substance called dragon's blood is a resin, and so is amber. So the answer is that both are resinous substances.
Read more about dragon's blood in Dragon's Blood; and about amber in Amber, Organic Gem with a Long History & Many Properties, Part I and Amber, Organic Gem with a Long History & Many Properties, Part II. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/dragons-blood-f3859f85 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amber-organic-gem-with-a-long-history-many-properties-part-i-9ea705bb https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/amber-organic-gem-with-a-long-history-many-properties-part-ii-fa6314f8
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 34:1**
Where did they speak Oscan?
**Quiz 34:2**
In the past there was a city, in Greek called Crocodilopolis (crocodile city); in which country could it be found?
**Quiz 34:3**
The Colt Single Action Army revolver is a classical handgun. You'll see it almost all Western films.
How many shots could be fired from it without reloading?
**Quiz 34:4**
There is an animal with no brain and no nervous system of any description. What animal?
**Quiz 34:5**
What is a number called that is the sum of its own divisors (not including the number itself)?
Let's take a simple example to make it clear: 28 is such a number. The divisors are 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 – and the sum of these divisors is 28.
Another such number is 6. But what is such a number called?
**Quiz 34:6**
Who was crowned to Imperator Augustus, when he essentially became the first emperor of The Holy Roman Empire?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 33
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 32**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-32-549b6acd
**Answer to Quiz 32:1**
*Everyone has heard about Christopher Columbus, the official discoverer of America. In 1506, he died in Valladolid in present day Spain, but where was he born?*
Since Columbus discovered new areas of the world sailing Spanish ships, it is easy to believe he was Spanish, but he was not. He was born in the Republic of Genoa (in present day Italy).
**Answer to Quiz 32:2**
*Most people know that a piste is a marked path for skiing or some similar sport. However, a piste is also the area for an entirely different activity, an indoors sport. Which sport am I thinking of?*
It's fencing; the fencing area is called a piste.
**Answer to Quiz 32:3**
*In this portrait of Van Gogh from 1887 (painted by Toulouse-Latrec), we can see a typical glass at the bottom right corner. But of what is it typical? What did Vincent Van Gogh drink?*
Van Gogh drinks from a typical absinthe glass.
Today it is hard to realise the impact absinthe had on a whole generation of authors and artists, but it was profound. You can read more about this in my old article The Cult of the Green Fairy; La Fée Verte. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-cult-of-the-green-fairy-la-fee-verte-641c4182
**Answer to Quiz 32:4**
*We were recently discussing Frankenstein and its author Mary Shelley. Mary was married to an English poet who drowned under somewhat unclear circumstances. Where did he drown – in which lake?*
I was the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and he drowned in Lake Geneva, in Switzerland. I have previously written about this in Byron & Shelley: Egyptomania & Shelley's Funeral. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/byron-shelley-egyptomania-shelleys-funeral-30d3c429
**Answer to Quiz 32:5**
*There is a scale for measuring and comparing the hotness of peppers. What is it called?*
The answer is Scoville; SHU (Scoville Heat Units) are used to express the hotness of peppers. I quote my article: More Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove & Pepper. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/more-spices-cinnamon-nutmeg-clove-pepper-1f18e180
*“[...] ordinary Cayenne pepper is 30,000-50,000 SHU, while the strongest peppers, like Indian naga jolokia is rated at more than 1,000,000 SHU. Chemically pure capsaicin is rated at 16 million SHU, and the strongest chemical known in this respect, resiniferatoxin, is rated at 108,800 millions SHU.“*
**Answer to Quiz 32:6**
*If you are a vet and get a patient with strangles; which sort of animal are you dealing with?*
A horse. Strangles is a serious infection that has the potential of being life-threatening for the horse.
**Answer to Quiz 32:7**
*Why Didn't They Ask Evans?*
*This is a difficult question, because there seems to be too little information. But it is not; it is just a matter of whether or not you are into the genre of literature to which the question refers.\*
This was a puzzling question. If you have no idea what it is about, it might seem as too little information even to be a proper question. Yet it refers to a novel by Agatha Christie, titled "Why Didn't They Ask Evans". That is not sufficient as an answer, you must explain too why they didn't.
The story is a about a forged will of John Savage. Evans wasn't asked to witness its signing, although she would have been close at hand. That was because she would have recognised that the dying man who was signing it wasn't John Savage, but an impostor.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 33:1**
If you read a word or a sentence from left to right, and it becomes the same if you read from right to left – what is such a word or sentence called?
A simple example is the name “Anna”; you can read that from the left or from the right, and it still becomes “Anna”.
**Quiz 33:2**
In old Rome, what was the title of the high priest, the head of the Roman religion? Strangely, the title is still in use, still for the head of the Roman religion, although the religion is not the same anymore.
**Quiz 33:3**
Has there ever been a king named Dagobert? Yes it has - but where?
**Quiz 33:4**
Why is a so-called “blue baby” blue?
**Quiz 33:5**
What is ***paraskavedekatriaphobia?***
There is another long word for the same thing, can you tell me that word too?
**Quiz 33:6**
In old lore, there are two “dragon points”. But what is a “dragon point”?
**Quiz 33:7**
What does amber and dragon's blood have in common?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 32
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* Quizzes & Puzzles 31*. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-31-c41e09fc
**Answer to Quiz 31:1**
*If your breath smells acetone, of what is that a sign?*
It indicates a high presence of ketones in the blood, which, in turn, can be a symptom of diabetes. However, it can also be a result of the diet, or of high alcohol consumption.
**Answer to Quiz 31:2**
*Two well-known operas, by two different composers, are based on two (stage) plays by a French dramatist, one the sequel of the other.*
*The main character has a name that can be associated with a publication. What is his occupation?*
This, of course, is Figaro, and he is a barber.
The plays were written by by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The French original titles are "Le barbier de Séville, ou la précaution inutile" and "La folle journée, ou le mariage de Figaro".
The operas are Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro".
The publication I referred to as a clue is "Le Figaro", a French newspaper, published regularly (with a couple of short interruptions) since 1825.
**Answer to Quiz 31:3**
*Have you ever heard about "The ouzo effect"? What is it, and what causes it?*
Beverages containing anise (such as ouzo), become milky or cloudy when water is added to them. The reason is the presence of anethole, a substance occurring in anise and fennel.
**Answer to Quiz 31:4**
*I think you all know that sapphire is a gemstone. Although a sapphire is often blue, it can come in any colour. If it is red, however, it goes under another name. What is a “red sapphire” called?*
It is a **ruby**. The different colours of corundum, the technical name of this mineral, come from trace of various elements. The red colour of rubies derives mainly from chromium.
**Answer to Quiz 31:5**
*A crossbred dog - half Mastiff, half Bloodhound - plays a major role in this very famous novel, written by a physician, who began writing while he waited for patients.*
*Which is the novel, and who is the author?*
The novel is “**The Hound of the Baskervilles**” and the author was **Sir Arthur Conan Doyle**. It is the third of his four novels about Sherlock Holmes, the archetypal detective.
Of course such a prominent story has also been made to film. The best one is probably the one with Jeremy Brett as the famous detective. It is available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFXT7_cKgKo
If you prefer an audiobook, it is also available on YouTube. But of course, nothing compares to the written original.
**Answer to Quiz 31:6**
*What object is in some cultures a symbol of vanity, while in others symbolising self-reflection and truth?*
A mirror. You can read more about various aspects of mirrors in my old article, Magic Mirror on the Wall. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/magic-mirror-on-the-wall-8d437cb3
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory..*
**Quiz 32:1**
Everyone has heard about Christopher Columbus, the official discoverer of America. In 1506, he died in Valladolid in present day Spain, but where was he born?
**Quiz 32:2**
Most people know that a piste is a marked path for skiing or some similar sport. However, a piste is also the area for an entirely different activity, an indoors sport. Which sport am I thinking of?
**Quiz 32:3**
In this portrait of Van Gogh from 1887 (painted by Toulouse-Latrec), we can see a typical glass at the bottom right corner. But of what is it typical? What did Vincent Van Gogh drink?
**Quiz 32:4**
We were recently discussing Frankenstein and its author Mary Shelley. Mary was married to an English poet who drowned under somewhat unclear circumstances. Where did he drown – in which lake?
**Quiz 32:5**
There is a scale for measuring and comparing the hotness of peppers. What is it called?
**Quiz 32:6**
If you are a vet and get a patient with strangles; which sort of animal are you dealing with?
**Quiz 32:7**
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
This is a difficult question, because there seems to be too little information. But it is not; it is just a matter of whether or not you are into the genre of literature to which the question refers.
Since this is so difficult, I make it an extra question - so we have 7 this time.
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 31
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* Quizzes & Puzzles 30*. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-30-a22b2e24
**Answer to Quiz 30:1**
*If, in directions to music (sheet music), you find the abbreviation “sfz”, what does it mean?*
It stands or ***sforzando***, and means that a note should be played with sudden strong accent or emphasis. @jstjylrd_ knew that. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
The word is Italian, traditionally the international language of music directions.
**Answer to Quiz 30:2**
*In Norse mythology, the chief god, Odin, has two ravens. Every morning they gather news for their master. What are the ravens' names? (Incidentally, the names mean “thought” and “memory”.)*
Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory). Spelling Hugin and Munin is also fine. @jstjylrd_ gave us a correct answer. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
Ravens and crows play a prominent role in mythology and religion. If you want to learn more about that, read Crows, Ravens & Tengu. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/crows-ravens-tengu-d4fffba1
**Answer to Quiz 30:3**
*A small country in the Caribbean has two times in history declared itself an Empire. None of these in reality insignificant two empires survived its first megalomaniac emperor. Which country was that? (It still exists today.)*
As an answer, I quote my article “***Emperors, Purple & The Roman Legacy”****,* Meriondho Leo, June 2012, an article also being an integrated part of my e-book ***“Imperium”***, from 2020:
“*Even Haiti has had two emperors. Jean-Jacques Dessalines made himself an emperor, as Jacques I, in 1803, and his empire lasted until he was murdered in 1806. He led the second successful revolt against the French, who had held Haiti as a colony since 1697. The first (at least initially) successful revolt was led by the legendary Toussaint L'Ouverture, who was successful at first but was finally defeated by Napoleon I and brought to France, where he died in 1803. But that is another story.*
*The second "emperor" of Haiti was Faustin-Élie Soulouque, who made himself an emperor in 1841, as Faustin I. He was forced to abdicate in 1859, after a failed attempt to take the Dominican Republic. His reign was an attempt to copy Napoleon I of France in almost every way, although without losing its specific Haitian touch.”*
**Answer to Quiz 30:4**
*A certain flower symbolised secrecy for the old Romans. Hanging over a table, it meant that the conversation there was to remain confidential. There is an expression based on that custom which is sometimes used (quoted in Latin) even today.*
*What flower, and what expression?*
The expression is "sub rosa", under the rose. @jstjylrd_ knew this answer as well. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
**Answer to Quiz 30:5**
*Who was created first, Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse?*
Mickey Mouse; he is about 6 years older than Donald Duck.
**Answer to Quiz 30:6**
*Were birds the first vertebrates to develop powered flight? I not, what did it before them?*
No, birds were not first, pterosaurs were. They dominated the airspace 228-66 million years ago. It's very possible they were better flyers than the birds are. In any case, birds did not evolve properly until the pterosaurs were gone and left the niche free for them.
Pterosaurs, of which the most well known is the pterodactylus, were not dinosaurs, rather cousins of dinosaurs. They belonged to their own line, Pterosauria, a line that eventually became extinct in the great mass extinction that also killed off the dinosaurs.
@jstjylrd_ had the answer: pterosaurs, and reached four right answers this time! https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 31:1**
If your breath smells acetone, of what is that a sign?
**Quiz 31:2**
Two well-known operas, by two different composers, are based on two (stage) plays by a French dramatist, one the sequel of the other.
The main character has a name that can be associated with a publication. What is his occupation?
**Quiz 31:3**
Have you ever heard about *"The ouzo effect"*? What is it, and what causes it?
**Quiz 31:4**
I think you all know that sapphire is a gemstone. Although a sapphire is often blue, it can come in any colour. If it is red, however, it goes under another name. What is a “red sapphire” called?
**Quiz 31:5**
A crossbred dog - half Mastiff, half Bloodhound - plays a major role in this very famous novel, written by a physician, who began writing while he waited for patients.
Which is the novel, and who is the author?
**Quiz 31:6**
What object is in some cultures a symbol of vanity, while in others symbolising self-reflection and truth?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 30
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 29**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-29-11a9d9ee
Answer to Quiz 29:1
*There are many fans of horror at this platform; let's ask about two real horror classics. Most people are familiar with the names Frankenstein and Dracula.*
*Who (or what) were they? (Think carefully before you answer, because here lies a trap.)*
*Who wrote the original story about Frankenstein?*
*And who wrote the original story about Dracula?*
The story of Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley; and Bram Stoker wrote about Dracula. @jstjylrd_ knew this. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
Dracula is a vampire, indeed a pioneer vampire, as @Danika expressed it. As well @Danika as @jstjylrd_ provided the right answer. https://read.cash/@Danika https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
But who or what was Frankenstein? A monster, even a created monster? No, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, was the scientist who created the monster – not the monster itself. This was the trap I mentioned in the question.
I you want to read more about Dracula, read my article The Ultimate Vampire. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-ultimate-vampire-aed59cec
I have also written an analysis of Frankenstein: Frankenstein, Religion & Creativity. It deals with a deep problem, namely (I quote from my article): https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/frankenstein-religion-creativity-9286e9e3
“*To what extent is Victor Frankenstein responsible for his monster's misdeeds? More generally; to what extent is a creator responsible for the consequences of his creation? Or has he (the creator) obligations to his creation?”*
**Answer to Quiz 29:2**
*In many great cities, there is a large museum of art, well-known by its mere name. So let me give you the name of three museums, and you tell me in which cities they are.*
*Prado?*
*The Louvre?*
*The Hermitage?*
Prado is in Madrid (Spain); The Louvre is in Paris (France), and The Hermitage is in St. Petersburg (Russia). @jstjylrd_ gave us the right cities. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
**Answer to Quiz 29:3**
*In ancient times, one star was sometimes believed to be a “second sun”, adding to the sun's heat if it were in conjunction with it. Which star was that?*
It was Sirius, the “Dog Star”.
In The Dog Star & The Dog Days, I wrote: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-dog-star-the-dog-days-sirius-the-egyptian-calendar-3792593b
“*Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, so ancient peoples thought it added to the sun's heat when it was in conjunction with the sun. This most evidently was the case with the Romans. Also the Egyptians considered Sirius as a second sun.“*
If you are interested in this subject, you can read about The Dog Star & the Dog Days - Sirius & the Egyptian Calendar. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-dog-star-the-dog-days-sirius-the-egyptian-calendar-3792593b
**Answer to Quiz 29:4**
*A well-known fruit cultivar is named after Maria Ann Smith. Which fruit are we talking about? (Only one is right.)*
*A grape?*
*An apple?*
*A pear?*
*A plum?*
*A tomato?*
The cultivar named after Maria Ann Smith is the well-known apple ***Granny Smith***, a green, hard, and sour apple sort, originally created in Australia.
@jstjylrd_ answered correctly, “a green apple”. https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
**Answer to Quiz 29:5**
*Normally cats, big and small, are solitaires. That is to say, they live their lives alone, except when mating or for females having babies. One of the big cats, however, is genuinely social – which one?*
Lions are the only social cats. @Aimure and @Danika provided this answer. https://read.cash/@Aimure https://read.cash/@Danika
**Answer to Quiz 29:6**
*From what comes the red in the eyes of an albino? What causes the red colour?*
The eyes of an albino contain no pigments; the red colour is simply the colour of blood. All eyes have it, but normally pigment colour hides it.
*The champion of “Quizzes & Puzzles 29” is* *@jstjylrd_**, who provided several right answers.* https://read.cash/@jstjylrd_
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 30:1**
If, in directions to music (sheet music), you find the abbreviation “sfz”, what does it mean?
**Quiz 30:2**
In Norse mythology, the chief god, Odin, has two ravens. Every morning they gather news for their master. What are the ravens' names? (Incidentally, the names mean “thought” and “memory”.)
**Quiz 30:3**
A small country in the Caribbean has two times in history declared itself an Empire. None of these in reality insignificant two empires survived its first megalomaniac emperor. Which country was that? (It still exists today.)
**Quiz 30:4**
A certain flower symbolised secrecy for the old Romans. Hanging over a table, it meant that the conversation there was to remain confidential. There is an expression based on that custom which is sometimes used (quoted in Latin) even today.
What flower, and what expression?
**Quiz 30:5**
Who was created first, Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse?
**Quiz 30:6**
Were birds the first vertebrates to develop powered flight? I not, what did it before them?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 29
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 28**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-28-e6206c9f
**Quiz 28:1**
*Can you give examples of animals with exoskeleton?*
@Danika answered “cockroaches, crabs, shrimps”, which is right. @Ling01 answered “spider”, which is also correct. https://read.cash/@Danika https://read.cash/@Ling01
An exoskeleton is an external, outer skeleton - contrary to an endoskeleton, an inner skeleton (as in humans). What we call a shell, of for instance a crab, is an exoskeleton. However, all exoskeletons are not that large and clear.
**Quiz 28:2**
*One person in the history of France, was as well emperor as president – although not at the same time – who was that?*
@Tomi-Ajax answered Napoleon. I had to ask him to specify that answer because Napoleon can be both right and wrong. I came to the conclusion that he meant the wrong Napoleon, so his answer was wrong. It was not THE Napoleon, or Napoleon I. However, it was his nephew, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, as an emperor known as Napoleon III. He was a president 1848-1852, and an emperor 1852-1870. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax
**Quiz 28:3**
*Wimbledon, the world's most prestigious tennis tournament, opened up for professional players in 1968. The time that followed, and still continues, is called Wimbledon's Open Era; that is the time after 1968.*
*So, after 1968, which player was the first to reach 5 Wimbledon victories?*
It was Swedish tennis player Björn Borg, who won Wimbledon 5 consecutive years from 1976 to 1980.
**Quiz 28:4**
*Which system for communication has got its name from a king with toothache?*
As well @Danika as @Tomi-Ajax answered Bluetooth, which is right. It is named after 10th century Viking King Harald Bluetooth, who got this epithet because he had a blue tooth. I have previously written about this in Bluetooth Technology, a 10th Century King & a Female Warrior. https://read.cash/@Danika https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/bluetooth-technology-a-10th-century-king-a-female-warrior-448bb4ed
**Quiz 28:5**
*What is Dante Alighieri's most famous work?*
It is Divina Commedia, or the Divine Comedy. It consists of three parts; @Ling01 answered only with the names of the parts: ”Inferno, Purgatory and Paradiso”, which I still accept as correct. https://read.cash/@Ling01
This work from the 1300s is one of the absolutely greatest classics. Its influence on subsequent European literature and art cannot be overrated.
**Quiz 28:6**
*Do frogs have teeth?*
Not in a human sense, but they have indeed teeth. In Animal Teeth, Sabre-Toothed Tigers & Dragon's Teeth, I wrote: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/animal-teeth-sabre-toothed-tigers-dragons-teeth-3ee1c91e
“*Frogs are often said to lack teeth, but that is not entirely correct. They have "maxillary teeth", set in the upper jaw. Some of them have vomerine teeth which are very small palatal teeth. Frogs do not cut or chew, their concern is for holding a prey while swallowing it. Toads, however, are lacking teeth altogether.”*
@Ling01 knew that frogs have teeth! https://read.cash/@Ling01
**Quiz 28:7**
*What is the Korean version of the Chinese yin-yang symbol called?*
Here, again, the right answer came from @Ling01: it is called taegeuk. It is found on the South Korean flag, which is called **taegeukgi** (gi means flag). You can read more about this symbol and the flag here. https://read.cash/@Ling01 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/nisshoki-taegeukgi-the-nordic-cross-d2122aac#taegeukgi-the-flag-of-korea-south
*The star of “Quizzes & Puzzles 28” is* *@Ling01**, who provided 4 correct answers. Nobody has ever done that before.* https://read.cash/@Ling01
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 29:1**
There are many fans of horror at this platform; let's ask about two real horror classics. Most people are familiar with the names Frankenstein and Dracula.
Who (or what) were they? (Think carefully before you answer, because here lies a trap.)
Who wrote the original story about Frankenstein?
And who wrote the original story about Dracula?
**Quiz 29:2**
In many great cities, there is a large museum of art, well-known by its mere name. So let me give you the name of three museums, and you tell me in which cities they are.
Prado?
The Louvre?
The Hermitage?
**Quiz 29:3**
In ancient times, one star was sometimes believed to be a “second sun”, adding to the sun's heat if it were in conjunction with it. Which star was that?
**Quiz 29:4**
A well-known fruit cultivar is named after Maria Ann Smith. Which fruit are we talking about? (Only one is right.)
A grape?
An apple?
A pear?
A plum?
A tomato?
“*A cultivar is a subspecies classification describing plants varieties which are produced through artificial selection.”*
(Definition quoted from https://biologydictionary.net/)
**Quiz 29:5**
Normally cats, big and small, are solitaires. That is to say, they live their lives alone, except when mating or for females having babies. One of the big cats, however, is genuinely social – which one?
**Quiz 29:6**
From what comes the red in the eyes of an albino? What causes the red colour?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 28
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 27**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-27-2288a9e6
**Answer to Quiz 27:1**
*There is an old riddle: “Which weighs more, one kilogram lead or one kilogram feathers?” The answer, of course, is that, although feathers are light and lead is very heavy, they weigh the same, namely one kilogram.*
*But how is it with this:* ***Which weighs more, one cubic meter gold or one cubic meter lead?***
Gold is denser than lead, so a cubic meter gold weighs more than a cubic meter lead. In fact, a cubic meter lead weighs 11340 kg, while a cubic meter gold weighs 19320 kg, almost the double.
This question caused some confusion, but @Aimure nailed it. I think @Tomi-Ajax knew this too, although he did not give the answer to the question. https://read.cash/@Aimure https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax
**Answer to Quiz 27:2**
*Which versatile, Florentine 16th century artist is best known as a goldsmith and for his autobiography, which, still today, is an interesting and entertaining read?*
This question was about Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571). For those being interested in this versatile artist or his time, I certainly recommend his autobiography. It has been translated to English.
**Answer to Quiz 27:3**
*Which Empire came to its absolute end in 1453, when the Turks took Constantinople?*
The right answer is the Byzantine Empire. @Tomi-Ajax provided the correct answer. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax
The Byzantine Empire was the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, after its division in West Rome and East Rome. When the Ottoman Turks took it over and formed their own Empire in the area, they also wanted to connect to the Roman tradition. Mehmet II, the Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, adopted the title "Kayser-i- Rûm", Caesar of the Romans.
**Answer to Quiz 27:4**
*All of you know that there is a country named Great Britain. But why is it great, where is (or was) the small Britain?*
The name “Britain”, or “Brittany”, is the same as “Bretagne”, now a part of France. Greater Brittany became Great Britain, while Lesser Brittany is now called Bretagne - a peninsula inhabited people whose Celtic ancestors fled England from Germanic invasion in the Middle Ages. These Germanic peoples, Anglo-Saxons, came to stay.
**Answer to Quiz 27:5**
“*Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” was a very famous album in its time. It still is, since it heralded many news to the pop/rock music. But who was the artist?*
Given how famous this album and its creators are, it surprised me that nobody came up with the answer. “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” was created by the Beatles (producer George Martin). It was their 8th studio album and introduced many news into pop/rock music. It's the peak of the Beatles' creativity and has influenced subsequent rock music more than maybe any other individual album. Among many other things, it was the start of what's sometimes called art rock, and it was the first time lyrics were reproduced on an album cover.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3PhWT10BW3VDM5IcVodrdUpVIhU8f7Z-
**Answer to Quiz 27:6**
*In Norse mythology, there is a world tree, Yggdrasil; what sort of tree (what species) is it?*
It's an Ash tree that upholds the universe.
Ygg is a name of the god Odin, and drasil (or drasill) means horse – so the total meaning becomes Odin's horse, which initially might have meant Odin's gallows. This might sound strange, but Odin, the highest god, once sacrificed himself by hanging himself in a tree (probably Yggdrasil [or Yggdrasill]).
In Hávamál, 138, Odin himself describes this event:
“*I know that I hung on a windy tree*
*nine long nights,*
*wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,*
*myself to myself,*
*on that tree of which no man knows*
*from where its roots run.”*
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 28:1**
Can you give examples of animals with exoskeleton?
**Quiz 28:2**
One person in the history of France, was as well emperor as president – although not at the same time – who was that?
**Quiz 28:3**
Wimbledon, the world's most prestigious tennis tournament, opened up for professional players in 1968. The time that followed, and still continues, is called Wimbledon's Open Era; that is the time after 1968.
So, after 1968, which player was the first to reach 5 Wimbledon victories?
**Quiz 28:4**
Which system for communication has got its name from a king with toothache?
**Quiz 28:5**
What is Dante Alighieri's most famous work?
**Quiz 28:6**
Do frogs have teeth?
**Quiz 28:7**
What is the Korean version of the Chinese yin-yang symbol called?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Suggested Reading 29
*In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading
*I had intended to post new issues in this series more often, but unfortunately (and understandably), many well-writing members post much less than before and fewer interesting new members turn up. The result is that I find less articles to include in “Suggested Readings”; it simply takes a longer time to get a decent collection.*
Many of you are confused by what's happening right now. How is it going to be with Read.cash in the future? Or with BCH? Or with crypto in general? There are different ways to approach such questions.
Let's start with our philosopher, @Jnavedan and his Crypto regulation: security or freedom? Why not also read What will be the next step in social media? https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/crypto-regulation-security-or-freedom-082abd4a https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/what-will-be-the-next-step-in-social-media-b33c97ef
As a contrast, I suggest you read @Fexonice1 - whose consistent optimism is refreshing and must be respected even by those who don't necessarily share it. I suggest you read Read dot cash writer's exodus, do you think this is the end? And SmartBCH is the key to real Freedom of money. I also recommend his more recent Ignorance-The palace of poverty, an article about a more general topic; what he says there has universal relevance. https://read.cash/@Fexonice1 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/read-dot-cash-writers-exodus-do-you-think-this-is-the-end-ccde6a6a https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/smartbch-is-the-key-to-real-freedom-of-money-73c06429 https://read.cash/@Fexonice1/ignorance-the-palace-of-poverty-8ce1eb46
Read also (3) things that makes Bitcoin Cash a currency to bet on by @alberdioni8406 . What he describes is not really true yet, but the potential is there. https://read.cash/@alberdioni8406/3-things-that-makes-bitcoin-cash-a-currency-to-bet-on-8f94493e
@xuanling11 gives an uncommonly balanced view on decentralization, in Modern Economic Nonsense — Decentralization may not work as everyone expects it would. https://read.cash/@xuanling11 https://read.cash/@xuanling11/modern-economic-nonsense-decentralization-may-not-work-as-everyone-expects-it-would-df993dce
@sanctuary.the-one-law wrote about Epiphany - Context in Conflicts Resolution. https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law/epiphany-context-in-conflicts-resolution-198b8140
A short but important post by @Jaxson - about growing trouble with traditional banking: A disturbing trend in banks seazing funds. https://read.cash/@Jaxson https://read.cash/@Jaxson/a-disturbing-trend-in-banks-seazing-funds-ca1a8808
Then I want recommend two articles by one of the real veterans here, @wakeupkitty : I'll be fine how about you? and Lack of oil. https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/ill-be-fine-how-about-you-856ee94b https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/lack-of-oil-48befa1d
@frdchckn writes about how How Writers Change the World, and I fully agree. A long time ago I published a related article: Words are Power - But only if you Have Something to Say. https://read.cash/@frdchckn https://read.cash/@frdchckn/how-writers-change-the-world-1ffa974d https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/words-are-power-but-only-if-you-have-something-to-say-158e1b4d
@zulfrontado wrote a very good article about How to be Self-Taught, where she lists a number of ways to learn by oneself. I fully agree and I have always supported and applied similar ideas. I think it is very essential to learn to learn by oneself. Compare my articles Acquiring Knowledge: Experience and Reading and Learning Languages - How I do. https://read.cash/@zulfrontado https://read.cash/@zulfrontado/how-to-be-self-taught-eaa43d40 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/acquiring-knowledge-experience-and-reading-a4f8d51d https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/learning-languages-how-i-do-a576f6c9
We Came Here To LEARN says @Magical_Wrld and put the finger on an important point: nobody is born with anything, ability to do something is a result of sometimes endless practice – hard work. I love the message of this article, because I have faced this misconception many times. People say: *how lucky you are, knowing this or that.* Lucky! Rubbish, it has nothing to do with luck, it is a result of determined and targeted practice. I am not wasting my time, but use it consciously, with self-discipline - that's the secret. https://read.cash/@Magical_Wrld/we-came-here-to-learn-035e5219
@Tomi-Ajax draws conclusions about What history teaches us – quite essential conclusions. https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/what-history-teaches-us-d96bb79f
Don't Think You Understand Life says @Davinchysax in a very clear-sighted article. https://read.cash/@Davinchysax/dont-think-you-understand-life-fb605fde
In We've All Been There, @Olasquare writes about how one should not allow fear of the unfamiliar hold oneself back. Essential insights. (I have touched similar ideas in Fear & Self-Control.) https://read.cash/@Olasquare/weve-all-been-there-c2cedee5 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/fear-self-control-76f11ac7
@JCnakama always writes good articles. I suggest you read Time puts everyone in their place and Without a family. Or visit his profile for other choices. https://read.cash/@JCnakama https://read.cash/@JCnakama/time-puts-everyone-in-their-place-959b8221 https://read.cash/@JCnakama/without-a-family-03b82b58
In Things You Need To Stop Caring About!!, @Theblackdoll presents a list of things to which people pay too much attention. https://read.cash/@Theblackdoll/things-you-need-to-stop-caring-about-ccb55eca
@Luna1999 is definitely right when she claims that You will be happier if you get rid of unnecessary items. Yet, I would bring it one step further and say that it's better never to acquire unnecessary items in the first place. https://read.cash/@Luna1999 https://read.cash/@Luna1999/you-will-be-happier-if-you-get-rid-of-unnecessary-items-23f270d5
In How I Overcome The Anxiety Attack, @Sydney2 tells us about a great personal victory in a way hat can be of help for other people in a similar situation. https://read.cash/@Sydney2/how-i-overcome-the-anxiety-attack-889bbf1c
@Jelena writes about CBD oil - health benefits; and @AMA-T about the danger of having bad teeth in Be careful, you may have a time bomb in your mouth! https://read.cash/@Jelena https://read.cash/@Jelena/cbd-oil-health-benefits-5a17470e https://read.cash/@AMA-T https://read.cash/@AMA-T/be-careful-you-may-have-a-time-bomb-in-your-mouth-47b486c7
On the whole, @AMA-T is worth to read, especially for those of you being interested in health. https://read.cash/@AMA-T
Tour de Force by @Princessbusayo is the story about someone who puts her soul in what she is doing, and takes pride in doing it well. https://read.cash/@Princessbusayo/tour-de-force-2600cacc
@Ling01 explains Magic Realism (literary genre) in Magic Realism: Common Characteristics. https://read.cash/@Ling01 https://read.cash/@Ling01/magic-realism-common-characteristics-43c55345
Finally, we have Phnom Penh's history as a place like no other! by @BettyRB https://read.cash/@BettyRB/phnom-penhs-history-as-a-place-like-no-other-4f7c2fb2
Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.
Quizzes & Puzzles 27
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 26**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-26-941d80b9
**Answer to Quiz 26:1**
*In the answer 25:1, in the question about diaeresis, I mentioned the term diphthong, which denotes two written vowels representing only one sound. I gave the example “Paul”. But what is it called if you write* ***three*** *vowels and they represent just one vowel sound? As in French “eau” (water).*
It's called a “**triphthong**”. This is quite logical, since “di-” means two, and “tri-” means three.
**Answer to Quiz 26:2**
*Baron, Duke, Earl, Marquess, Viscount – five British noble titles in alphabetical order. Can you order them after rank, from highest to lowest?*
The highest in rank is a **Duke, followed by a Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and finally a Baron**. These are the five ranks of British peerage.
Via French duc, duke stems from Latin “dux”, literally meaning leader. In the Roman empire, dux referred to certain military leaders.
Marquess comes from old French marchis (ruler of a border area), modern French marquis. But ultimately this is also derived from Roman times.
Earl is the British equivalent to count. But, although count is of French and ultimately Roman origin, earl is derived from an old Norse word for chieftain, jarl. However, in Norse history, a jarl had higher rank, more comparable to a duke.
Viscount means vice count.
A baron is the lowest noble of the peerage, although there are other nobles beneath the peerage (baronets and knights). It also came to England via France. It normally denoted a warrior with a fief.
Noble titles are a huge subject, which would include a lot of history. This is just some brief comments. Also note that what's stated here refers to the British titles.
**Answer to Quiz 26:3**
“*We seek him here, we seek him there,*
*Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.*
*Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?*
*That damned elusive -------”*
*From which well-known novel is this taken?*
*Who wrote it?*
*Which is the missing word, and who is the sought person? Here I want not only his "nickname", but also his full name, including his title.*
The complete verse looks like this:
We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?
That damned elusive pimpernel.
It is taken from "The Scarlet Pimpernel", which was written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1865–1947), a British author of Hungarian origin.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is the alias of a British so-called fop - Sir Percy Blakeney, Baronet - who saves French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French revolution. In due course it became a whole series of novels about Sir Percy and his companions.
This story has been made to film more than once. One classic is the one from 1934 with Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon:
https://youtu.be/jvtVrQb5DTY
However, the best movie version is probably that from 1982, with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour:
https://youtu.be/TpBkJ0Xb6ME
**Answer to Quiz 26:4**
*What animal, a land-living mammal, is said always to remember everything?*
*Is there any reason to believe that there is any truth behind this saying? If so, why?*
The animal that always remember is the elephant. @Danika provided this answer and supported it with some scientific facts. I would like to add that the elephant has the largest brain of all land-living mammals, a well-developed brain at that. https://read.cash/@Danika https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-26-941d80b9#comment-8a83dc9d
**Answer to Quiz 26:5**
*Speaking of memory, which herbal spice is often said to strengthen memory?*
Well, while @Sydney2 suggested cinnamon, gingko biloba, and turmeric, and these might very well be good for the memory - the spice most often claimed to strengthen memory is rosemary. https://read.cash/@Sydney2 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/another-three-spices-aphrodites-birth-smoke-king-minos-daughter-8d15a193#rosemary-spice-hallowed-to-aphrodite
**Answer to Quiz 26:6**
*Assume that you are at sea, seeing a vessel and its lights at a distance. You see a green light to the left and a red to the right; is the vessel moving away from you, or is it approaching you?*
Since a vessel has green light on its right side, and red on its left – green to the left and red to the right imply that it is approaching you, coming towards you.
@Aimure correctly answered this. https://read.cash/@Aimure
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 27:1**
There is an old riddle: “Which weighs more, one kilogram lead or one kilogram feathers?” The answer, of course, is that, although feathers are light and lead is very heavy, they weigh the same, namely one kilogram.
But how is it with this: **Which weighs more, one cubic meter gold or one cubic meter lead?**
**Quiz 27:2**
Which versatile, Florentine 16th century artist is best known as a goldsmith and for his autobiography, which, still today, is an interesting and entertaining read?
**Quiz 27:3**
Which empire came to its absolute end in 1453, when the Turks took Constantinople?
**Quiz 27:4**
All of you know that there is a country named Great Britain. But why is it great, where is (or was) the small Britain?
**Quiz 27:5**
“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” was a very famous album in its time. It still is, since it heralded many news to the pop/rock music. But who was the artist?
**Quiz 27:6**
In Norse mythology, there is a world tree, Yggdrasil; what sort of tree (what species) is it?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 26
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 25**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-25-216290f3
**Answer to Quiz 25:1**
*In the word naïve, what are the two dots (¨) called, and what do they mean?*
The dots are called “diaeresis“, or “trema”, and they mark that the two consecutive vowels are not a diphthong - that is to say, they make two different syllables and are pronounced separately. In the example, it means that “naïve” should be pronounced na-iv (the “e” is mute). The opposite would be a diphthong, for example in the name Paul, which is only one syllable - “a” and “u” mark one single sound.
In some languages, similar two dots over a vowel mark something else entirely, namely “umlaut”. It changes the pronunciation of the vowel. Examples are “ü” “ä”, and ”ö” in German.
The answer to my question, however, was ”diaeresis”. I used the example, ”naïve”in order to prevent any confusion with ”umlaut”.
@lonestranger answered “ diaeresis” right, but didn't know what it meant. So half a point it is. @Aimure was close as well, but didn't really recall the right answer. https://read.cash/@lonestranger https://read.cash/@Aimure
Answer to Quiz 25:2
*Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge discovered and isolated caffeine. He did not originally intend to do so, however, the suggestion to analyse coffee came from someone else. Being impressed by Runge's discoveries about belladonna, a cultural giant gave him a few coffee beans to analyse. Who was this cultural giant?*
It was none less than Goethe, one of the heavyweights of German literature. You can read about caffeine in my article Coffee - Plants & the Function of Caffeine. (It's the second article in a four article series about coffee.) https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/coffee-plants-the-function-of-caffeine-cb4ac1b6 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#coffee-health-amp-history
**Answer to Quiz 25:3**
*In 1706, William Jones, a Welsh mathematician, gave name to something all educated people today have at least heard about, an important mathematical constant. What was it he named?*
He gave name to pi, or π. It denotes
“the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter”.
Sometimes it's said to be 3.14, but that is just an approximation. The exact π cannot be expressed as a decimal number.
It's probably the most famous number in the world, and its importance certainly matches its fame.
**Answer to Quiz 25:4**
*What is the name of the famous folktale, where a queen tries to kill her step-daughter with a poisoned apple?*
Snow White.
@TheGuy provided a correct answer. https://read.cash/@TheGuy
**Answer to Quiz 25:5**
*Which part of the body is affected if you suffer from* ***Amblyopia?***
It's the eyes, which @Aimure knew. https://read.cash/@Aimure
***Amblyopia*** is also called “lazy eye”. It is a condition in which the vision is gradually reduced in one eye, sometimes as far as to making it blind. It typically starts in early childhood, and should not be left untreated. A warning sign is if your child's eyes don't seem to work together. You can see that if the eyes are not both focussing on the same point.
**Answer to Quiz 25:6**
*Japanese art is known for its woodblock prints. In the 1600s-1800s, during the Edo period, a genre with secular motives dominated Japanese popular art culture. The prints from this time also influenced many European artists, for instance Van Gogh.*
*With a Japanese term, what is this genre called? (The term is usually translated to “picture from the floating world”. However, the Japanese term is commonly used.)*
This art is called *“ukiyo-e”.*
I have written extensively about this art, most of the articles in the Japanology section of my Index is about various ukiyo-e artists and their artworks and display many woodblock prints. If you are interested in learning more about this art, there is much to read. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#japanology
If you think there is too much and you want a selection as a start, I suggest:
Emperor & Shogun, The Edo Period and Ukiyo-e https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/emperor-shogun-the-edo-period-and-ukiyo-e-69239b66
Satoshi & Sharaku https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/satoshi-sharaku-103177b2
The Master of the Macabre https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-master-of-the-macabre-c753c740
Three Masters of Bijinga https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/three-masters-of-bijinga-b707e205
Chushingura – The 47 Ronin https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/chushingura-the-47-ronin-c28548ca
Hokusai, Manga & the Most Famous Japanese Artwork Ever https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hokusai-manga-the-most-famous-japanese-artwork-ever-21e50210
Hiroshige, the Great Master of Landscapes https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/hiroshige-the-great-master-of-landscapes-abba4af3
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 26:1**
In the answer 25:1, se above, in the question about diaeresis, I mentioned the term diphthong, which denotes two written vowels representing only one sound. I gave the example “Paul”. But what is it called if you write **three** vowels and they represent just one vowel sound? As in French “eau” (water).
**Quiz 26:2**
Baron, Duke, Earl, Marquess, Viscount – five British noble titles in alphabetical order. Can you order them after rank, from highest to lowest?
**Quiz 26:3**
*“We seek him here, we seek him there,*
*Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.*
*Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?*
*That damned elusive ---------”*
From which well-known novel is this taken?
Who wrote it?
Which is the missing word, and who is the sought person? Here I want not only his "nickname", but also his full name, including his title.
**Quiz 26:4**
What animal, a land-living mammal, is said always to remember everything?
Is there any reason to believe that there is any truth behind this saying? If so, why?
**Quiz 26:5**
Speaking of memory, which herbal spice is often said to strengthen memory?
**Quiz 26:6**
Assume that you are at sea, seeing a vessel and its lights at a distance. You see a green light to the left and a red to the right; is the vessel moving away from you, or is it approaching you?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 25
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 24**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-24-43d3bd97
Quiz 24:1
*Natural (non-synthetic) colour pigments (extracted and used by humans) are normally derived from the plant kingdom or from minerals. However, a few pigments come from the animal kingdom. Most people know that genuine sepia is one of them (secretion from a cuttlefish); can you give examples of other colour pigments (used by humans, now or in history) being of animal origin?*
The most striking example is ***purple***. The original source of genuine purple was Murex brandaris, a gastropod.
Another example is ***carmine*** (or cochineal), a bright red colour made from ground insects of the species Kermes vermilio, or Dactylopius coccus.
At third example is ***ivory black***, which is made from charred ivory.
You can read more about animal colours in Colours IV: Colours of Animals. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/colours-iv-colours-of-animals-0523e0d8
If you want to know more about purple, read my series in 4 parts:
Pontifex Maximus & The Imperial Purple of Rome https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/pontifex-maximus-the-imperial-purple-of-rome-1bd0c336
Purple Earth https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/purple-earth-5ec47aaf
When Something is so Red, it is Purple: Purple in Chinese & Japanese Symbology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/when-something-is-so-red-it-is-purple-purple-in-chinese-japanese-symbology-70e051af
Purple Light? It Doesn't Exist! And what is Visual Purple? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/purple-light-it-doesnt-exist-and-what-is-visual-purple-1f1004b0
Quiz 24:2
*Who were the three sisters Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos?*
They are the three Fates of Greek mythology. Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis stretches it out (measures it and decides about destiny), and finally Atropos cuts it off.
Quiz 24:3
*This is 1910 year's model of the probably most famous car ever. What is this car called?*
This is a T-Ford, which is one of the best known cars ever. It was the first mass-produced car. The photo is taken by Harry Shipler in 1910. (Publix Domain.)
Quiz 24:4
*Nimes in France has given name to a fabric and Genoa in Italy to a garment (made of that fabric), which is used all over the world today. What fabric and garment?*
*Clue: I bet all of you, or almost all of you use this garment regularly or occasionally.*
The fabric, to which Nimes gave its name is ***denim*** (from “de Nimes”), and the garment whose name is derived from the name “Genoa”, is ***jeans***.
Quiz 24:5
*Here I ask for a well-known 17th century Frenchman, known for his big nose. He was a duellist and a writer, and also became a literary character in his own right, when stories were created about him. What was his name?*
The answer is Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655), a writer, duellist, drinker, gambler, and swordsman, who also became a literary character in his own right when others created stories about him. The general picture of him is based on a play by Edmond Rostand, where his big nose is getting much attention.
*Valvert: Your nose is... very big.*
*Cyrano: Yes, very.*
*Valvert: Ha!*
*Cyrano: Is that all?*
*(From Rostand's play)*
Quiz 24:6
*In the history of script, Mesrop Mashtots is remembered for having invented... what?*
Mesrop Mashtots (4th-5th century AD) created the Armenian script (the Armenian alphabet). Sometimes, he is attributed with other inventions (such as the Georgian alphabet) as well, but it is questionable if he did that.
(Image above: Manuscript in Armenian. From 10th-11th century. Public Domain.)
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 25:1
In the word naïve, what are the two dots (¨) called, and what do they mean?
Quiz 25:2
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge discovered and isolated caffeine. He did not originally intend to do so, however, the suggestion to analyse coffee came from someone else. Being impressed by Runge's discoveries about belladonna, a cultural giant gave him a few coffee beans to analyse. Who was this cultural giant?
Quiz 25:3
In 1706, William Jones, a Welsh mathematician, gave name to something all educated people today have at least heard about, an important mathematical constant. What was it he named?
Quiz 25:4
What is the name of the famous folktale, where a queen tries to kill her step-daughter with a poisoned apple?
Quiz 25:5
Which part of the body is affected if you suffer from ***Amblyopia***?
Quiz 25:6
Japanese art is known for its woodblock prints. In the 1600s-1800s, during the Edo period, a genre with secular motives dominated Japanese popular art culture. The prints from this time also influenced many European artists, for instance Van Gogh.
With a Japanese term, what is this genre called? (The term is usually translated to “picture from the floating world”. However, the Japanese term is commonly used.)
Clue: some great artists belonging to this genre are, for instance, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro.
(Below, I woodblock print by Hiroshige, from his famous series “*The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō*“.)
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 24
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 23**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-23-43d5a3df
Answer to Quiz 23:1
*If you eat fish, it is easy to believe that all fishes have bones... but have they?*
*Actually, they have not. Bony fishes have bones, but there are also cartilaginous fishes, whose skeleton consists of cartilage. Can you give an example of a cartilaginous fish?*
Cartilaginous fishes belong to the class Chondrichthyes. As @Aimure correctly answered, **sharks**, **skates** and **rays** are cartilaginous. So are **sawfish** as well. https://read.cash/@Aimure
(Image above: Sawfish. Photo: PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)
Answer to Quiz 23:2
*Another more modern (English) name of the flower Chaucer called "eye of the day", was once a nickname for a common girl name because of what the same flower is called in French.*
*What is the English nickname and name of the flower?*
*For what name is it a nickname?*
The flower and nickname is Daisy. Chaucer called this flower "eye of the day".
In French, the flower, daisy, is called marguerite. So from that comes the connection to Margaret. Daisy became a nickname for Margaret. (Margaret and marguerite otherwise stem from Latin margarita, pearl.)
But, for those who don't know that, who was Chaucer?
Geoffrey Chaucer, 1340-1400, was dubbed the father of English literature. His influence, not at least on the evolution of the English language, cannot be overrated.
(Image below. Geoffrey Chaucer, portrait by unknown artist. Public Domain. Original at the National Library of Wales.)
For the general public, Chaucer is best known for his “Canterbury Tales”, although he wrote much more. He was also involved in politics and served as a civil servant. Eventually, he became the brother-in-law of his long time friend John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, one of the most powerful princes in England (son of King Edward III and father of King Henry IV).
Answer to Quiz 23:3
*The probably most famous art model ever, has no eyebrows on the only existing portrait of her. What is she called?*
This, of course, it is Mona Lisa, also called La Gioconda, a portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The original can be found in Le Louvre in Paris.
The woman's real name was Lisa Gherardini.
@Aimure knew the answer here as well. https://read.cash/@Aimure
Answer to Quiz 23:4
*A classical Russian author wrote an absurd short story about a man whose nose fell off and disappeared. After diverse adventures, he got it back. What is the name of the author?*
*Strictly, this author wasn't exactly Russian. What that means, you may find out yourself. But it can be a clue.*
*An opera has been based on this story, who was the composer?*
*So, we ask for the author and the composer, two different individuals.*
The author is Nikolai Gogol, and the story's name is "The Nose" (1836). Dmitri Shostakovich made an opera based on it.
But what about that Nikolai Gogol wasn't exactly Russian?
Well, he was a Russian author, but of Ukrainian origin. Anyway, he belongs to the topmost layer of world literature. If you are interested in reading and haven't read Gogol, I certainly recommend you do so. His writings are not as massive as those by other Russian giants of literature, such as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, and his topics, especially those involving Ukrainian folklore, might be more appealing to modern readers, so he is a good choice to start with if you want to acquaint yourself with these classics.
Answer to Quiz 23:5
*There is a mythical animal whose gaze could kill. King is a clue. What was this creature called?*
The answer is ***Basilisk***. It is a mythical creature, described in many old sources.
King is a clue, because the word “basilisk” is derived from Greek “basileos” (king) and the diminutive “-ískos”. So, basilisk means “little king”. It is sometimes described as a serpent king.
Answer to Quiz 23:6
*A French author, a pioneer of science fiction, wrote a classical novel which influenced the development of submarine vehicles. Who was the author and what is the name of the novel?*
*As an extra clue we can say that one of his other novels tells about a long journey which was incredibly fast by the standards of his time.*
The author I asked for is Jules Verne, and the novel is "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (Vingt mille lieues sous les mers). The clue referred to "Around the World in Eighty Days" (Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours).
Jules Verne (1828-1905) wrote a large number of adventure stories, many of them popularising scientific ideas of the times. While his best stories are charming and entertaining in a relatively simple way, not so few are (in my opinion) boring and tedious reading. In a class of its own, however, stands "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", where Verne reaches a depth (no pun intended) otherwise absent from his writings. Even if this novel can be read as his other books, as a simple adventure, its undercurrents, along with the fascinating, archetypal character of captain Nemo, make it the author's masterpiece, and a true classic.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 24:1
Natural (non-synthetic) colour pigments (extracted and used by humans) are normally derived from the plant kingdom or from minerals. However, a few pigments come from the animal kingdom. Most people know that genuine sepia is one of them (secretion from a cuttlefish); can you give examples of other colour pigments (used by humans, now or in history) being of animal origin?
Quiz 24:2
Who were the three sisters Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos?
Quiz 24:3
This is 1910 year's model of the probably most famous car ever. What is this car called?
Quiz 24:4
Nimes in France has given name to a fabric and Genoa in Italy to a garment (made of that fabric), which is used all over the world today. What fabric and garment?
Clue: I bet all of you, or almost all of you, use this garment regularly or occasionally.
Quiz 24:5
Here I ask for a well-known 17th century Frenchman, known for his big nose. He was a duellist and a writer, and also became a literary character in his own right, when stories were created about him. What was his name?
Quiz 24:6
In the history of script, Mesrop Mashtots is remembered for having invented... what?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 23
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 22**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-22-a1643230
Answer to Quiz 22:1
We had a verse from Viridarium chymicum:
*"A beautiful forest in India is found,*
*Wherein two birds together are bound.*
*One is snow-white, the other red.*
*They bite each other until both are dead.”*
*This is alchemic symbolism. What does it mean? What is really described here?*
What is described is Cinnabar and Sulphur and the chemical reaction of mixing them. The red bird is Cinnabar, the white is Sulphur. Both die because they are disappearing and a new substance is resulting.
This is a typical example of the symbolic and sometimes obscure language of Alchemy.
Answer to Quiz 22:2
*A Japanese court lady wrote what is sometimes considered as the world's first novel. What is its name?*
The novel is “Genji Monogatari” [源氏物語] – in English translation: “The Tale of Genji”. It was written by 11th century court-lady Murasaki Shikibu.
As well @Sydney2 as @SocialSatoshi provided a correct answer to this question. https://read.cash/@Sydney2 https://read.cash/@SocialSatoshi
Answer to Quiz 22:3
*This map shows how the world is divided (red and blue) in one certain aspect. What aspect? What is the difference between the red and blue parts?*
The maps shows how the “rule of the road” applies in different countries. In the red area, one has right-hand traffic, in the blue one has left-hand traffic.
Answer to Quiz 22:4
*A (stage) play from 1921 coined a word denoting an artificial worker. Today that word is common in a large number of languages.*
*What word, and who wrote the play?*
The word is "robot", and it was invented by Karel Čapec, for his play "R.U.R. Rossum's Universal Robots" (*Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti*), Prague 1921. It is derived from old Slavic "rab", thrall.
Answer to Quiz 22:5
*There are colours with their own wavelength and colours without their own wavelength: mention at least one colour having no wavelength of its own.*
Examples are purple and brown. They have no wavelength of their own; they are not spectral colours. You can read more about this in Purple Light? It Doesn't Exist! And what is Visual Purple? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/purple-light-it-doesnt-exist-and-what-is-visual-purple-1f1004b0
Answer to Quiz 22:6
*Here we have a painting* ***only in shades of dark green****. With a term borrowed from French, what is such a painting called?*
It is said to be made “en verdaille” (from French vert(e), green.) You can read more about monochrome art in Sepia, Grisaille & Verdaille: Monochrome Art... and how about Japan? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/sepia-grisaille-verdaille-monochrome-art-and-how-about-japan-da2aed40
(The image above is “A chinoiserie procession of figures riding on elephants with temples” by Jean-Baptiste Pillement, 1728-1808. Public Domain.)
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 23:1
If you eat fish, it is easy to believe that all fishes have bones... but have they?
Actually, they have not. Bony fishes have bones, but there are also cartilaginous fishes, whose skeleton consists of cartilage. Can you give an example of a cartilaginous fish?
Quiz 23:2
Another more modern (English) name of the flower Chaucer called "eye of the day", was once a nickname for a common girl name because of what the same flower is called in French.
What is the English nickname and name of the flower?
For what name is it a nickname?
Quiz 23:3
The probably most famous art model ever, has no eyebrows on the only existing portrait of her. What is she called?
Quiz 23:4
A classical Russian author wrote an absurd short story about a man whose nose fell off and disappeared. After diverse adventures, he got it back. What is the name of the author?
Strictly, this author wasn't exactly Russian. What that means, you may find out yourself. But it can be a clue.
An opera has been based on this story, who was the composer?
So, we ask for the author and the composer, two different individuals.
Quiz 23:5
There is a mythical animal whose gaze could kill. King is a clue. What was this creature called?
Quiz 23:6
A French author, a pioneer of science fiction, wrote a classical novel which influenced the development of submarine vehicles. Who was the author and what is the name of the novel?
As an extra clue we can say that one of his other novels tells about a long journey which was incredibly fast by the standards of his time.
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Suggested Reading 28
*In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading
As some times before, we begin with @Jnavedan – his articles always inspire to thinking. I suggest What do you think of embedded supervision for DEFIs in the crypto market?, Getting out of the comfort zone, and Bitcoin Cash to the pit? Lost it all. https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/what-do-you-think-of-embedded-supervision-for-defis-in-the-crypto-market-5a19cbac https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/getting-out-of-the-comfort-zone-d6723fe2 https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/bitcoin-cash-to-the-pit-lost-it-all-94eddce8
In Kasumi did it again & in partnership with BlockNG, a New bridge is Up to enter and exit SmartBCH!, @alberdioni8406 presents something useful. https://read.cash/@alberdioni8406/kasumi-did-it-again-in-partnership-with-blockng-a-new-bridge-is-up-to-enter-and-exit-smartbch-9b6e0cf3
@Laurenceuuu also provides what, for many, is useful information: How to Set Up Ko-Fi Button in WordPress Website. https://read.cash/@Laurenceuuu https://read.cash/@Laurenceuuu/how-to-set-up-ko-fi-button-in-wordpress-website-2205e9fe
@CryptoSorted is critical when it comes to SmartBCH: 3 reasons why SmartBCH will not gain traction. https://read.cash/@CryptoSorted https://read.cash/@CryptoSorted/3-reasons-why-smartbch-will-not-gain-traction-d17bc3a1
@Bre wonders (and so do many others): What Happened To Admin At Read.cash? https://read.cash/@Bre https://read.cash/@Bre/what-happened-to-admin-at-readcash-d88c84c6
My Body Is Mine. No Caveats. Whether You Agree or Not Is 100% Irrelevant claims @VoluntaryJapan. If you still don't realise that you are a slave to your government and the government is nothing else than the ultimate in organised crime, then you really need to read this author. https://read.cash/@VoluntaryJapan/my-body-is-mine-no-caveats-whether-you-agree-or-not-is-100-irrelevant-19b356ed
Another author with a similar approach is @sanctuary.the-one-law – whose articles I have repeatedly mentioned here. His most recent post is BCH Minimum Wage. https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law https://read.cash/@sanctuary.the-one-law/bch-minimum-wage-2313ce26
Here we should also mention @Gemstone, who goes far in discussing how the majority is brainwashed and re-programmed. Read Thoughts On Individuality & Prosperity Of The Nation - or The Determining Factor: Paradigm, about how you can take control of yourself. https://read.cash/@Gemstone https://read.cash/@Gemstone/thoughts-on-individuality-prosperity-of-the-nation-8104c1cc https://read.cash/@Gemstone/the-determining-factor-paradigm-e5035c6f
@daffaputra writes about how people allow themselves to be shaped by society: Society is a prison for us. https://read.cash/@daffaputra https://read.cash/@daffaputra/society-is-a-prison-for-us-462bca04
Are We Living A Simulated Life? asks @Sydney2 – and that brings us into the difficult but interesting question of what reality is. That, in turn, leads us to an article by @Bjorn - It’s a Kind of Magic. https://read.cash/@Sydney2/are-we-living-a-simulated-life-6129033a https://read.cash/@Bjorn https://read.cash/@Bjorn/its-a-kind-of-magic-7736408e
In her own special style, @Ling01 explains surrealism in Surrealism : Dream and Reality as One and Surrealism : Dream and Reality as One (Part II). https://read.cash/@Ling01 https://read.cash/@Ling01/surrealism-dream-and-reality-as-one-1682fcd9 https://read.cash/@Ling01/surrealism-dream-and-reality-as-one-part-ii-b2089a4a
@Magical_Wrld writes Mostly We Pay For Ignorance Than Value. Despite the slightly confusing title, this post put the finger on an extremely essential, but often overlooked point. https://read.cash/@Magical_Wrld https://read.cash/@Magical_Wrld/mostly-we-pay-for-ignorance-than-value-6f93072d
*"Sometimes, do what you don't want to when you don't want to. It is good for growth."*
This is quoted from Thought Continuum by @Aimure – and it will be understood if you read the article. https://read.cash/@Aimure/thought-continuum-2877fd95
In Music And Child's Cognitive Development, @Pearlkel discusses how music can help a child to develop various abilities. I completely agree to what he says about that. https://read.cash/@Pearlkel/music-and-childs-cognitive-development-aacf74be
@pajeroz writes Be a Limited Edition Person – about not trying to imitate others. https://read.cash/@pajeroz https://read.cash/@pajeroz/be-a-limited-edition-person-8fab19f3
“Sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a step back.“
So says @Lixten in Retreat to Advance. https://read.cash/@Lixten https://read.cash/@Lixten/retreat-to-advance-2c4641e3
Without discipline there cannot be success, claims @JustMyRambles01 - and I can just agree, even if I would rather call it “self-discipline”. https://read.cash/@JustMyRambles01/without-discipline-there-cannot-be-success-b7dc506f
@gboyega-ogunmola-writer claims that Stricter Rule Condition Determines Healthy Life. https://read.cash/@gboyega-ogunmola-writer https://read.cash/@gboyega-ogunmola-writer/stricter-rule-condition-determines-healthy-life-38919788
Always well-writing @gertu13 recently published Trying to be happy, which contains much more than the modest title indicates. https://read.cash/@gertu13 https://read.cash/@gertu13/trying-to-be-happy-cf40214f
Loans: Best way to destroy friendship, says @HappyBoy – and he is right. https://read.cash/@HappyBoy/loans-best-way-to-destroy-friendship-ed5ec9c2
@Offset writes about How Painting has modernized the World, while @Alther published The beauty of the existence of color. https://read.cash/@Offset https://read.cash/@Offset/how-painting-has-modernized-the-world-63cadab8 https://read.cash/@Alther https://read.cash/@Alther/the-beauty-of-the-existence-of-color-64fd6fdc
Recently @Wrinkle published Save The World Today, Say No To Deforestation. https://read.cash/@Wrinkle https://read.cash/@Wrinkle/save-the-world-today-say-no-to-deforestation-99f3a3ab
Some history... @Shounenbat asks Who Was Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir?, while @beyourself posted several articles during the last few days: The Self-Lover/Narcissus-Greek Mythology, Cynane-The Warrior Sister, Europa-Greek mythology, Zeus-God of the Sky (Part-1), and Zeus-The Punisher (Part-2). https://read.cash/@Shounenbat https://read.cash/@Shounenbat/who-was-gudrid-thorbjarnardottir-c41ddfd6 https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-self-lovernarcissus-greek-mythology-58f2b83a https://read.cash/@beyourself/cynane-the-warrior-sister-a1fb7950 https://read.cash/@beyourself/europa-greek-mythology-fe21fc7d https://read.cash/@beyourself/zeus-god-of-the-sky-part-1-2829c53f https://read.cash/@beyourself/zeus-the-punisher-part-2-29213556
@Duvinca has written a series titled “Touring the incredible India” with 12 parts. The last part - Touring the incredible India (XII): Lodhi Gardens - came a few days ago. Links to all parts can be found at the end of the article. https://read.cash/@Duvinca https://read.cash/@Duvinca/touring-the-incredible-india-xii-lodhi-gardens-8354363d
@Jelena takes us to Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest, Hungary https://read.cash/@Jelena https://read.cash/@Jelena/fishermans-bastion-in-budapest-hungary-0ea49c5a
You all know that I use to follow new members in order to give them a push here if they are good or show promising signs. We also know that Read.cash has changed; one consequence of that is a decreased inflow of new members. Fact is, at the present time I find very little new that immediately strikes me as good. One exception is @Elisabet – a Cuban student. She writes passionately about writing and reading, and she writes well. She has published 7 articles here so far, all of them worth the while to read. I surely recommend you start from the beginning with What makes you a writer?, Pros and cons of having a goal for the number of books to read per year, and Reading is not about remembering, but about enjoying. If you like it, read the rest as well (see her profile). https://read.cash/@Elisabet https://read.cash/@Elisabet/what-makes-you-a-writer-d83c58ab https://read.cash/@Elisabet/pros-and-cons-of-having-a-goal-for-the-number-of-books-to-read-per-year-f1b1d463 https://read.cash/@Elisabet/reading-is-not-about-remembering-but-about-enjoying-deb8127b
As usual here, we will end this with fiction, and, as many times before, the author is @Ozzyy – not by any measures a new member. As a matter of fact, the productivity of @Ozzyy is remarkable, and most of his/her material is creative and interesting. The most recent post from this author is Commodities.
https://read.cash/@Ozzyy https://read.cash/@Ozzyy/commodities-30b9fbaa
Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.
5 recent articles:
Quizzes & Puzzles 22 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-22-a1643230
A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-personal-message-my-presence-here-readcash-writing-75a7c8cd
Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-vulture-pharaohs-two-ladies-ornithology-ancient-mythology-3670fc77
The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-advantages-of-e-publishing-and-why-it-is-a-suitable-crypto-business-e1d08d7b
Retrospection 15 – Summing up Nutrients & Dietary Supplements https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/retrospection-15-summing-up-nutrients-dietary-supplements-49028a4a
Quizzes & Puzzles 22
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* Quizzes & Puzzles 21*. New problems below the image (cartoon).*
Answer to Quiz 21:1
…
*In which country can we find the world's largest pyramid?*
*Which country has more pyramids than Egypt?*
The largest pyramid in the world is found in Mexico. It is The Quetzalcoatl Pyramid in Cholula de Rivadavia.
Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt. In Meroë, once the capital of a Nubian (or Kushite) kingdom, there are over 200 pyramids (Egypt has 118), although they are smaller and newer than those in Egypt.
Answer to Quiz 21:2
*Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), one of the most played and most influential composers of European classical music, was almost forgotten during the 80 years following his death. He was re-discovered by a later composer, who did set up one of J. S. Bach's works in 1829, which triggered his return. Who was this other composer, who brought J. S. Bach back to the top where he belonged? He, too, is famous, but not to the level of Bach.*
It was Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
(Below: Felix Mendelssohn in 1834, drawing by Friedrich Wilhelm von Schadow. Public Domain. Original at Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.)
Mendelssohn was born in 1809, in Hamburg. He belonged to a wealthy Jewish family, whose wealth was based on banking. In his home, during his childhood, famous thinkers and creative artists were frequent guests; people like Hegel, Heinrich Heine, and E.T.A. Hoffmann. Later, he befriended the aged Goethe.
Felix was a talented child who early developed into a good musician and composer. Cultivated, wealthy, and talented he learned to master the formal side of composition almost to perfection. Yet, in my opinion, something is missing in his music. Formally perfect, it has no depth, no pathos. Perhaps life was a little bit too easy for him, devoid of genuine life experience; experience from which maturity grows. A too easy life does not provide fertile soil for a mind to deepen.
One of Mendelssohn's most important contributions to music was that he revived the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. In those times Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was THE Bach, the one everyone knew about. But his father, J.S. Bach, the one we all know today, got hardly any attention at all. In 1829, Mendelssohn performed Bach's (J.S.) "Matthäuspassion," which triggered the return of Johann Sebastian, a return that has been extraordinary, leading to a unique position with a monumental influence on subsequent music.
On 4 November 1847 Mendelssohn died, only 38 years old. With a longer life, maybe he and his art would have matured and deepened.
Answer to Quiz 21:3
*One of the greatest boxers of all time, 3 times heavyweight champion of the world, changed his name when he changed religion. Thus he boxed under two different names, first one, and then the other; what two names?*
Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali.
Answer to Quiz 21:4
*Wadjet is a deity from old Egypt. She is associated with an animal. What animal?*
*She is also associated with a colour. What colour?*
Wadjet is associated with as well Horus' as Ra's eye.
“I created my Eye in flame... I made my Eye, a living serpent.”
(Horus, according to Coffin Text, Spell 313)
In one version of the myth, Ra sent away his eye and created a new. When the first eye returned, it was not pleased over this, so he transformed it to a fiery snake goddess:
*"Malachite glitters for me, I live according to my will, for I am Wadjet, Lady of the Devouring Flame, and few approach me”.*
(From The Book of the Dead)
She is mainly associated with the royal cobra, and her colour is green. She is also associated with the mineral malachite, which is a shade of green.
So the right answers are the ***animal is the cobra*** and the ***colour is green***.
You can read more about Wadjet and other Egyptian cobra deities in From the Sacred Cobras of Egypt to Quezalcoatl: Serpents & Snakes in Mythology and you can find more about Wadjet and the colour green in Colours VI: Green in Focus – Religion, Life, Death, Sex, Witchcraft... https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/from-the-sacred-cobras-of-egypt-to-quezalcoatl-serpents-snakes-in-mythology-fc2039be https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/colours-vi-green-in-focus-religion-life-death-sex-witchcraft-2f3ac906
**Answer to Quiz 21:5**
*Which continent has a name having to do with bears?*
The answer is Antarctica, which literally means anti-Arctic, the opposite of Arctic – while Arctic is derived from Greek “arktos”, which means “bear”, and “arktoi”, which refers to bear constellations on the Arctic circle.
If you want to read more about continents, please see Continents - Real & Mythical. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/continents-real-and-mythical-dfbbd954
Answer to Quiz 21:6
*So-called Siamese twins, that is conjoined twins, have physically connected bodies. Why are, or were, they called Siamese twins?*
Because of Chang and Eng Bunker, born in Siam (today Thailand), who, in the 1800s, came to the West, where they were shown for money.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 22:1
We start with a very difficult question. Look at this verse:
*"A beautiful forest in India is found,*
*Wherein two birds together are bound.*
*One is snow-white, the other red.*
*They bite each other until both are dead.”*
This is alchemic symbolism. What does it mean? What is really described here?
(The verse is taken from: D. Stolcius von Stolcenberg, Viridarium chymicum, Frankfurt 1624)
Quiz 22:2
A Japanese court lady wrote what is sometimes considered as the world's first novel. What is its name? (In Romanised Japanese or in English translation.)
Quiz 22:3
This map shows how the world is divided (red and blue) in one certain aspect. What aspect? What is the difference between the red and blue parts?
Quiz 22:4
A (stage) play from 1921 coined a word denoting an artificial worker. Today that word is common in a large number of languages.
What word, and who wrote the play?
**Quiz 22:5**
There are colours with their own wavelength and colours without their own wavelength: mention at least one colour having no wavelength of its own.
Quiz 22:6
Last, a question about art.
Here we have a painting ***only in shades of dark green***. With a term borrowed from French, what is such a painting called?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 21
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 20**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-20-280c5cc3
Answer to Quiz 20:1
Who wrote this and from which Victorian novel is it taken?
*"It was spacious, and I dare say it had once been handsome, but every discernible thing in it was covered with dust and mould, and dropping to pieces. The most prominent object was a long table with a tablecloth spread on it, as if a feast had been in preparation when the house and the clocks all stopped together. An epergne, or centerpiece of some kind was in the middle of this cloth; it was so heavily overhung with cobwebs that its form was quite undistinguishable; and, as I looked along the yellow expanse out of which I remember its seeming to grow, like a black fungus, I saw speckled legged spiders with blotchy bodies running home to it, and running out from it, as if some circumstance of the greatest public importance had just transpired in the spider community.*
*I heard the mice too, rattling behind the panels, as if the same occurrence were important to their interests. But the blackbeetles took no notice of the agitation, and groped about the hearth in a ponderous elderly way, as if they were short-sighted and hard of hearing, and not on terms with one another."*
The author is one of the greatest English novelists. If you aspire to become an author in English, this is one of the old authors whose use of written language you ought to study.
The author was *Charles Dickens* and the novel was “*Great Expectations”*, from 1860-61.
In June 1861 The Times reviewed this novel. They wrote:
*"Great Expectations is not, indeed, his best work, but it is to be ranked among his happiest. There is that flowing humour in it which disarms criticism, and which is all the more enjoyable because it belies criticism. Fault there are in abundance, but who is going to find fault when the very essence of the fun is to commit faults?"*
Dickens's position in literary England was not at this time what it had been - and that is reflected in the review. Great Expectations is from the later period of his life; it is not one of his best known novels, but - I have to disagree with The Times - it definitely is one of his best.
(Above: Charles Dickens 1858. From "*Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens"* by G. K. Chesterton, Published 1911. Public Domain.)
Dickens has a special ability to use the specific, the individual, to illustrate the general; what made Chesterton call him *"a mythologist rather than a novelist"*. His characters are extremely individual, often on the brink of being caricatures, we feel that we “know” them, yet they never lose in generality.
In the same way, time and location are very specific, Victorian England, while everything also remains universal; it could be anywhere, anytime. This is what makes Dickens a truly great author, in the most profound sense a classic.
Answer to Quiz 20:2
*Which country is considered the world's oldest still existing republic?*
It is **San Marino**, or, The Most Serene Republic Of San Marino, a very small country in the Apennines. Its territory has Italy on all sides.
San Marino has a documented existence since 885 AD. The legend tells us that Marino, a stoneworker from Dalmatia, led the first inhabitants to the area.
See more in The Peculiar Diversity of Europe. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-peculiar-diversity-of-europe-d670cb43
Answer to Quiz 20:3
*Speaking of republics, do you know that England has been a republic? It lasted only 11 years, before it became a monarchy again. When it was implemented, the king was executed; which king was that, and to which family (dynasty) did he belong?*
From 1649 to 1660, England was a republic. It was a result of a civil war, which was won by Oliver Cromwell. As a result, the king, Charles I, was beheaded. Cromwell became Lord Protector of England and gradually ruled more and more like a king himself, although he declined an offer of kingship. When he died, however, everything threatened to collapse in chaos. One of Cromwell's generals, George Monck, realised the danger, and paved the way for a restoration of the monarchy. In 1660, Charles I's oldest surviving son ascended the throne as Charles II.
(Above: King Charles I of England at his trial, January 1649. Painting by Edward Bower. Public Domain.)
So the answer to the quiz is **Charles I**, and he belonged to the House of **Stuart**, a family surrounded by a web of romantic legend.
Answer to Quiz 20:4
*If you suffer from Bromodosis, what's wrong with you then?*
Then you suffer from stinkfoot, or bad-smelling feet.
Answer to Quiz 20:5
*In Japanese art, what is Bijinga?*
In Oops, she was ugly - How art can influence language, I wrote: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/oops-she-was-ugly-how-art-can-influence-language-06db9b20
*Bijinga literally means "picture of beautiful people" but in practice it means beautiful women and girls. As a genre, bijinga continued beyond* *ukiyo-e**, and the term is still sometimes used about art displaying beautiful females.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/emperor-shogun-the-edo-period-and-ukiyo-e-69239b66
If you want a more detailed explanation (with examples), read my article Three Masters of Bijinga from April 2020. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/three-masters-of-bijinga-b707e205
Answer to Quiz 20:6
*An animal, or organism, eating mainly meat or animal flesh, is called a “carnivore”. But what is it called if it eats* ***plant material?*** *And what is it called if it eats* ***as well animal as plant material?***
An organism eating only plant material is a **herbivore**, and one eating as well animal as plant material is an **omnivore**. (@DrPsycho knew this.) https://read.cash/@DrPsycho
One can also talk about an insect eater as an **insectivore** or a fish eater as a **piscivore**.
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 21:1
Pyramids are not unique for Egypt, even if the Egyptian ones are best known. As a matter of fact, the largest pyramid in the world is not found in Egypt. Neither has Egypt the highest number of pyramids. So, I have two questions:
In which country can we find the world's largest pyramid?
Which country has more pyramids than Egypt?
Quiz 21:2
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), one of the most played and most influential composers of European classical music, was almost forgotten during the 80 years following his death. He was re-discovered by a later composer, who did set up one of J. S. Bach's works in 1829, which triggered his return. Who was this other composer, who brought J. S. Bach back to the top where he belonged?
Quiz 21:3
One of the greatest boxers of all time, 3 times heavyweight champion of the world, changed his name when he changed religion. Thus he boxed under two different names; what two names?
Quiz 21:4
Wadjet is a deity from old Egypt. She is associated with an animal. What animal?
She is also associated with a colour. What colour?
Quiz 21:5
Which continent has a name having to do with bears?
Quiz 21:6
So-called Siamese twins, that is conjoined twins, have physically connected bodies. Why are, or were, they called ***Siamese*** twins?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani.
All Rights Reserved*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 20
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 19**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-19-2b43fbd7
Answer to Quiz 19:1
*How many chemical elements are liquid in room temperature?*
In room temperature, there are only two: Mercury and Bromine.
Answer to Quiz 19:2
*How many wives had Henry VIII of England? Extra point if you can name some of them.*
He had six wives, and the story of Henry VIII and his six wives is a relatively common theme in literature and film.
The six wives were (years of marriage within parentheses):
Catherine of Aragon (1509-1533)
Anne Boleyn (1533-1536
Jane Seymour (1536-1537)
Anne of Cleves (1540-1540)
Catherine Howard (1540-1542)
Catherine Parr (1543 to Henry's death)
*(Above: portrait of Henry VIII, from 1537. Painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. Public Domain. Original at Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid.)*
The marriages with Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves ended with annulment; Jane Seymour died a natural dead; Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were beheaded (on the grounds of treason, which meant adultery); and Catherine Parr survived Henry.
There were important historical consequences of Henry's first two marriages, since he found it necessary to break his marriage with Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn, in whom he was infatuated. Further, Catherine had failed in giving him a son and male heir. When he asked Pope Clement VII to annul the marriage, the pope did not agree. As a direct consequence of that, Henry VIII reformed the Anglican Church, and made himself its head. Then he could do as he wanted. Thus the Reformation in England was a direct result of Henry's personal wish to dissolve his marriage.
Catherine, however, had a daughter, Mary, who later would become the first queen regnant in English history. She is sometimes remembered as “Bloody Mary”, although she was not more “bloody” and violent than most other 16th century monarchs.
Anne Boleyn also had a daughter, and she would become one of the most important monarchs in English history. Her name was Elizabeth, and as Elizabeth I she ruled from 1558 to 1603, a time that came to be called the Elizabethan era. The period laid the foundation for what England would become the centuries that would follow.
*(Above: an anonymous painting from around 1575, showing Elizabeth I. Public Domain. Original at National Portrait Gallery, London.)*
Answer to Quiz 19:3
*How many seats has the Swedish Academy, the body appointing the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature? I ask for seats, not members, because seats are sometimes vacant – so another way to ask the same would be to say: how many members do they have if no seat is vacant?*
The Swedish Academy, which was founded in 1796 by the Swedish King Gustaf III, has 18 seats.
*(Above: Gustaf III of Sweden. Painting from 1777 by Lorens Pasch the Younger. Public Domain. Original at Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.)*
Answer to Quiz 19:4
*How many were the initial Knights Templar, according to legend?*
According to Guillaume de Tyre (William of Tyre) there were only nine knights the first nine years the order existed – and during that time they did not accept new candidates. This is not true, they evidently admitted new candidates. Yet this has become an integrated part of Templar legend. The association of Templars with number nine appears to be a later invention. Read more in The Knights Templar & The Circular Number Nine. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-knights-templar-the-circular-number-nine-5739ad8c
Answer to Quiz 19:5
*How many were the Muses of Greek mythology?*
They were nine:
Calliope: Muse of epic poetry
Clio: Muse of history
Erato: Muse of love and lyrical poetry
Euterpe: Muse of music
Melpomene: Muse of tragedy
Polyhymnia: Muse of sacred poetry and eloquence
Terpsichore: Muse of dance
Thalia: Muse of comedy
Urania: Muse of astronomy
Answer to Quiz 19:6
*In poker, how many different combinations of “full hand” are possible?*
There are 3744 possible hands of Full Hand.
If you want to read more about playing cards, read Playing Cards - Origin, History, Legends & Oddities. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/playing-cards-origin-history-legends-oddities-d0de4dd2
Answer to Quiz 19:7
*How many steps are there between life and death, according to old Egyptian lore?*
Thirteen steps.
You can read more about number 13 in Why are Number 13 & Friday the 13th Associated with Bad Luck? https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/why-are-number-13-friday-the-13th-associated-with-bad-luck-ad4e06a7
Answer to Quiz 19:8
*Only a handful countries have been world-champions in football (soccer). How many?*
*Extra follow-up question: which ones?*
Only 8 countries have been world-champions: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and England.
@Aimure knew this.
https://read.cash/@Aimure
*“I once cried because I had no shoes to play soccer, but one day, I met a man who had no feet.”*
*(Zinedine Zidane)*
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
Quiz 20:1
Who wrote this and from which Victorian novel is it taken?
*"It was spacious, and I dare say it had once been handsome, but every discernible thing in it was covered with dust and mould, and dropping to pieces. The most prominent object was a long table with a tablecloth spread on it, as if a feast had been in preparation when the house and the clocks all stopped together. An epergne, or centerpiece of some kind was in the middle of this cloth; it was so heavily overhung with cobwebs that its form was quite undistinguishable; and, as I looked along the yellow expanse out of which I remember its seeming to grow, like a black fungus, I saw speckled legged spiders with blotchy bodies running home to it, and running out from it, as if some circumstance of the greatest public importance had just transpired in the spider community.*
*I heard the mice too, rattling behind the panels, as if the same occurrence were important to their interests. But the blackbeetles took no notice of the agitation, and groped about the hearth in a ponderous elderly way, as if they were short-sighted and hard of hearing, and not on terms with one another."*
The author is one of the greatest English novelists. If you aspire to become an author in English, this is one of the old authors whose use of written language you ought to study.
Quiz 20:2
Which country is considered the world's oldest still existing republic?
Quiz 20:3
Speaking of republics, do you know that England has been a republic? It lasted only 11 years, before it became a monarchy again. When it was implemented, the king was executed; which king was that, and to which family (dynasty) did he belong?
Quiz 20:4
If you suffer from Bromodosis, what's wrong with you then?
Quiz 20:5
In Japanese art, what is **Bijinga**?
Quiz 20:6
An animal, or organism, eating mainly meat or animal flesh, is called a *“carnivore”*.
But what is it called if it eats **plant material?**
And what is it called if it eats **as well animal as plant material?**
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 19
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 18**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-18-0ced4826
Answer to Quiz 18:1
*What are the local names of the following countries:*
*Hungary?*
*Bhutan?*
*Finland?*
*Japan?*
Hungary – **Magyarország** – (Language: Hungarian)
Bhutan – **Druk Yul –** (Language: Dzongkha)
Finland – **Suomi –** (Language: Finnish)
Japan - **Nihon** or **Nippon** – (Language: Japanese)
Answer to Quiz 18:2
*E=mc^2*
*This must be the world's most famous equation. But what is it and what does it mean?*
Popularly, it is Einstein's formula of relativity. More precisely it is a part of his theory of special relativity. It says that the energy (of a body) equals the product of the mass (of the same body) and the square of the speed of light.
Answer to Quiz 18:3
*Who was the Sultan who was the legendary opponent of Richard Cœur-de-Lion (Richard Lionheart). This Sultan founded a de facto Empire, covering Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Yemen.*
*His name please?*
His name was S**alāh ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb** [**صلاح الدين يوسف بن ايوب]**, in the West popularly called “**Saladin**”. He founded the Ayyubid dynasty, which ruled Egypt (and more) from 1174 to 1254, when the Ayyubids were officially replaced with the peculiar Mamluks. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-egyptian-mamluks-shajar-al-durr-baibars-5ab90240
You can read more about Saladin and his dynasty in Saladin & The Ayyubid Dynasty - Saladin's Eagle, and Saladin's Citadel. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/saladin-the-ayyubid-dynasty-saladins-eagle-and-saladins-citadel-ee86c467
@Adobe101 answered correctly to Quiz 2 & 3. https://read.cash/@Adobe101
Answer to Quiz 18:4
*You have all heard about the famous Templars – the most famous knights in Christendom. Sometimes one can see the popular name of their order misspelt. So, how should it be, where should it be “s”? Of the expressions below, only one is correct; which one?*
*The Knight Templars*
*The Knights Templars*
*The Knights Templar*
The last is the correct spelling: “Knights Templar”.
Answer to Quiz 18:5
*Where can we find “solar plexus”?*
In the front of the body, in the middle, below the ribs. It is a complex system of nerves, radiating out like a sun (from which the name derives). “Gut feeling” comes from nerves and ganglia in solar plexus.
Popularly, the region around is sometimes called solar plexus, as in a case of receiving “a blow to the solar plexus”, but strictly, scientifically, the name applies only to the network of nerves and ganglia. However, if we should be really scientific, the latter is more correctly referred to as “celiac plexus”.
Answer to Quiz 18:6
*If you eat green potatoes, you risk to be poisoned, which in extreme cases can lead to death. What is the poison present in green potatoes called?*
The poison is **solanine**, and it is naturally present in all plants of the nightshade family. The family includes several plants of which parts are used for food, such as potato, tomato, eggplant, goji berries, bell peppers, paprika, cayenne and chili pepper (and related peppers), ...
Some people are allergic to nightshades and must avoid them. However, there is no general reason to avoid them because of solanine, the levels are normally too low to be harmful. The exception is potatoes being green. The green colour is not solanine, it is chlorophyll, but they develop in the same time. So, if a potato is exposed to sunlight, it develops chlorophyll and becomes green, and then its normally low level of solanine increases as well. The rule is, *never eat a potato of which a part is green.*
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
*Let's have a theme again. This time all answers are numbers. All questions ask “how many” something.*
Quiz 19:1
How many chemical elements are liquid in room temperature?
Quiz 19:2
How many wives had Henry VIII of England? Extra point if you can name some of them.
Quiz 19:3
How many seats has the Swedish Academy, the body appointing the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature? I ask for seats, not members, because seats are sometimes vacant – so another way to ask the same would be to say: how many members do they have if no seat is vacant?
Quiz 19:4
How many were the initial Knights Templar, according to legend?
Quiz 19:5
How many were the Muses of Greek mythology?
Quiz 19:6
In poker, how many different combinations of “full hand” are possible?
Quiz 19:7
How many steps are there between life and death, according to old Egyptian lore?
Quiz 19:8
Only a handful countries have been world-champions in football (soccer). How many?
Extra follow-up question: which ones?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Quizzes & Puzzles 18
*Some new problems with which to exercise the brain. But first a look at answers and solutions to* *Quizzes & Puzzles 17**. New problems below the image (cartoon).* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-17-29d8b39d
*The quizzes of “Quizzes & Puzzles 17”, were all in some way related to trains & railways – a common denominator leading us away from the trains themselves and into literature and music.*
Answer to Quiz 17:1
*In which country was the steam locomotive first introduced?*
In 1802, Richard Trevithick introduced the *Coalbrookdale Locomotive* in the ***United Kingdom***.
**Answer to Quiz 17:2**
*Future trains may very well use magnetic levitation instead of wheels on rails. Currently, there is only one such train-link in the world carrying passengers, it also happens to be the world's fastest train. In which country can you find that train?*
It is the Shanghai Maglev in China. The second magnetic levitation train carrying passengers might very well be the line Tokyo-Nagoya in Japan. It is scheduled to open in 2027. So far, however, Shanghai Maglev is the only one.
@SocialSatoshi gave the right answers to Quiz 1 & 2: United Kingdom & China. https://read.cash/@SocialSatoshi
**Answer to Quiz 17:3**
*A famous Russian author died in a railway station. The main character of one of his most famous novels also had a death associated with trains.*
*Who was the author, it's one of the greatest novelists of all times, and who was the main character of this novel?*
The author was **Leo Tolstoy**, who died on the 20th November 1910 at Astapovo railway station.
The main character, **Anna Karenina**, in the novel with the same name (published in 1878), committed suicide by throwing herself in front of an approaching train.
**Answer to Quiz 17:4**
*Trains play a central role in several of Agatha Christie's books. I ask for the title of one of them, in which the bad main character goes under an alias, which is also a noble title. What is the name of this murder story?*
The story is ***The Mystery of the Blue Train***. The character I referred to was called ***"Le Marquis"***.
"Marquis" is a French noble title in rank above that of a "comte" and below that of a "Duc". Similarly in England: a Marquess is a noble in rank above an Earl (Count) and below a Duke.
When it comes to murder mysteries, Agatha Christie is a major classic; at her best moments, she is really good. In her huge production, however, quality is uneven. “*The Mystery of the Blue Train”* does not belong to her best books – not even her best books with relation to trains. Two other books where trains play major roles, *“Murder on the Orient Express“* and *“4:50 from Paddington“* are much better.
Answer to Quiz 17:5
*In pop/rock music, synthesizers were gradually introduced during the 1970s. A German band, pioneers with their synthesizer-based music and machine-like style, made a song (in 1977) about a railway service, whose name is also the title of the song. Which band was it, and what is the name of the song?*
The band is ***Kraftwerk****,* originally from Düsseldorf*.* They have had a monumental influence on subsequent music.
The song I asked for is ***Trans-Europe Express***, which is the title track of Kraftwerk's sixth album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWSceMtAjPw
Trans-Europe Express was a real railway network in Europe 1957-1995. It covered a large part of western and central Europe.
Answer to Quiz 17:6
*In 1976, a famous English musician, one of the greatest rock artists of his era, released an album with a title indicating a train journey. The tile of this album (and title track) is mentioned in the lyrics to the song I asked for in the previous question. Who was the musician and what's the album called?*
The rock artist is, of course, ***David Bowie***, and the album and song is *“****Station to Station****”*. The title doesn't necessarily refer to railway stations; indeed, according to Bowie himself, everything in the lyrics of this song refers to the Kabbalah. However, the sounds of the intro imply a train, so it is impossible not to get that association. I think that was intentional by Bowie, even if there can be double or triple meanings of the phrase. Bowie was addicted to heavy drugs at the time, and he was deeply into occultism, it is not always possible to follow his thoughts rationally.
https://youtu.be/ZpIhsGg2SJ0
The first lines of the third verse of Trans-Europe Express refer to Bowie and his song:
“*From station to station*
*Back to Dusseldorf City*
*Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie”*
*And now some new exercises for brain & memory...*
**Quiz 18:1**
What are the local names of the following countries:
Hungary?
Bhutan?
Finland?
Japan?
Quiz 18:2
**E=mc^2**
This must be the world's most famous equation. But what is it and what does it mean?
Quiz 18:3
Who was the Sultan who was the legendary opponent of Richard Cœur-de-Lion (Richard Lionheart). This Sultan founded a de facto Empire, covering Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Yemen.
His name please?
Quiz 18:4
You have all heard about the famous Templars – the most famous knights in Christendom. Sometimes one can see the popular name of their order misspelt. So, how should it be, where should it be “s”? Of the expressions below, only one is correct; which one?
The Knight Templars
The Knights Templars
The Knights Templar
Quiz 18:5
Where can we find “solar plexus”?
Quiz 18:6
If you eat green potatoes, you risk to be poisoned, which in extreme cases can lead to death. What is the poison present in green potatoes called?
**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. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quizzes-amp-puzzles
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved
*(Cartoon by Christian Dorn/Pixabay, CC0/Public Domain.)*
Suggested Reading 27
*In* *this series**, I assume the role of a reader instead of a writer, discussing articles by other writers... things I recommend.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading
*It's only a few days since I posted* *Suggested Reading 26**, but before that, there was a long break; I had too many posts to suggest for only one issue. The rest are coming here, together with a few new ones.* https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-26-eb5c2de3
“*We do not know the outcome of scientific and technological advances. But we do know that everyday fiction mixes with reality.*
*Who knows if the singularity is already among us!”*
This (above) is quoted from the most recent article by @Jnavedan - LaMDA. To be or not to be? https://read.cash/@Jnavedan https://read.cash/@Jnavedan/lamda-to-be-or-not-to-be-a8afbfce
@Bjorn published a thought-provoking article, Defying Age, where he speculates about how it would be to stop ageing – grow very old but still look young. It's easy to wish for that, but perhaps it is not entirely without difficult consequences. https://read.cash/@Bjorn https://read.cash/@Bjorn/defying-age-d1c99cdf
Age is just a series of numbers, everyone has their own shining time, claims @Konin https://read.cash/@Konin/age-is-just-a-series-of-numbers-everyone-has-their-own-shining-time-107fc000
New member @nimrakhan says Change yourself for a change in life - and @esmeesmith explains that Everything Compounds in Life, Money & Relationship. https://read.cash/@nimrakhan https://read.cash/@nimrakhan/change-yourself-for-a-change-in-life-36f66d10 https://read.cash/@esmeesmith https://read.cash/@esmeesmith/everything-compounds-in-life-money-relationship-633d9705
@Malikbrothers786 gives us Tricks to improve our memorization power! https://read.cash/@Malikbrothers786 https://read.cash/@Malikbrothers786/tricks-to-improve-our-memorization-power-0ee77e77
If you like history and mythology, you just have to read @beyourself - who regularly writes about these topics. For a full list of his articles, visit his profile; I can only give some examples here: Prometheus:The Fire Bringer, Pegasus-Winged Horse of Greek Mythology, and The Wrath of Achilles. https://read.cash/@beyourself https://read.cash/@beyourself/prometheusthe-fire-bringer-1e84e72e https://read.cash/@beyourself/pegasus-winged-horse-of-greek-mythology-fb3ff7e1 https://read.cash/@beyourself/the-wrath-of-achilles-ca352961
@Humanpsychology wrote several good articles about selected artists from history, but became silent a month ago. I hope this author returns, his material was of a very high quality. His most recent posts were: Salvador Dali (1904-1989), Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez (1599-1660), Vincent Van Gogh (1953-1890), Donatello (1386-1466), and Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov. https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/salvador-dali-1904-1989-37f233dd https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/diego-rodriguez-de-silva-velazquez-1599-1660-47a22c15 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/vincent-van-gogh-1953-1890-38025c29 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/donatello-1386-1466-d4dafda5 https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/viktor-mikhaylovich-vasnetsov-ad0b2db2
(When I had finished writing this post, but before I published it, I saw that @Humanpsychology had indeed returned meanwhile. He/she posted Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911).) https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology https://read.cash/@Humanpsychology/valentin-aleksandrovich-serov-1865-1911-f5bbe6b2
@BettyRB also sometimes writes about history. Some recent examples: The Temple of Edfu, a magnificent and symbolic site, The secret that keeps the largest pyramid in Egypt inside, and History of Oya, the museum that has its history written in stones! I would also like to recommend Wisteria tree that is 144 years old and The world's largest wooden xylophone! by the same author. https://read.cash/@BettyRB https://read.cash/@BettyRB/the-temple-of-edfu-a-magnificent-and-symbolic-site-8158b506 https://read.cash/@BettyRB/the-secret-that-keeps-the-largest-pyramid-in-egypt-inside-d89c555b https://read.cash/@BettyRB/history-of-oya-the-museum-that-has-its-history-written-in-stones-97854024 https://read.cash/@BettyRB/wisteria-tree-that-is-144-years-old-67f08efb https://read.cash/@BettyRB/the-worlds-largest-wooden-xylophone-8f1e6a6d
A Faithful Genius! - The Man Who Knew Infinity by @foryoubtc09 discusses Ramanujan, one of the most remarkable geniuses in human history. I, too, once wrote about him in Taxicab Numbers & The Hardy-Ramanujan Number. https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09/a-faithful-genius-the-man-who-knew-infinity-4c8e2a91 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/taxicab-numbers-the-hardy-ramanujan-number-0045fb60
@Xaverius_zach wrote about The history of the keyboard and its development – and @Kristofferquincy told us about the Scariest Japanese Urban Legends and Filipino Mythology Water Creatures. https://read.cash/@Xaverius_zach https://read.cash/@Xaverius_zach/the-history-of-the-keyboard-and-its-development-63d66f23 https://read.cash/@Kristofferquincy https://read.cash/@Kristofferquincy/scariest-japanese-urban-legends-d116b337 https://read.cash/@Kristofferquincy/filipino-mythology-water-creatures-bb18e65c
@Immaculata excellently relates African folktales in a series of articles. I would call some of them fables: Folk tale: Animal kingdom, Folktale:why the tortoise shell looks cracked, Why do bats come out only at night, Elephant and the turtle, Folktales: disadvantage of greediness... This list is not exhaustive, visit the author's profile for more folktales. https://read.cash/@Immaculata https://read.cash/@Immaculata/folk-tale-animal-kingdom-98d19898 https://read.cash/@Immaculata/folktalewhy-the-tortoise-shell-looks-cracked-3a3bd5b7 https://read.cash/@Immaculata/why-do-bats-come-out-only-at-night-abec2ca3 https://read.cash/@Immaculata/elephant-and-the-turtle-50ddde8a https://read.cash/@Immaculata/folktales-disadvantage-of-greediness-db8d111f
@Trifecta wrote about Folklore characters from the Caribbean and Strange superstitions in the Caribbean. https://read.cash/@Trifecta https://read.cash/@Trifecta/folklore-characters-from-the-caribbean-fe41fdb5 https://read.cash/@Trifecta/strange-superstitions-in-the-caribbean-25163878
“*One of the most mysterious and mythical cities in the Philippines is the Biringan city found in Samar.“*
That's the beginning of a post by @Sydney2 : The Lost City of Biringan, Samar. https://read.cash/@Sydney2 https://read.cash/@Sydney2/the-lost-city-of-biringan-samar-c5f51380
Do you feel for some travelling? @CoinWall presents 6 Most Beautiful Cities in France That Should Be on Your Bucket List; @Jelena brings us on A visit to Salzburg, Mozart's hometown; and @foryoubtc09 shows us Azmak River in Akyaka. Or why not go to sea? @Ezelazra3 gives us Hidden Paradise Forest in the Ocean. https://read.cash/@CoinWall https://read.cash/@CoinWall/6-most-beautiful-cities-in-france-that-should-be-on-your-bucket-list-3aa6f0e2 https://read.cash/@Jelena https://read.cash/@Jelena/a-visit-to-salzburg-mozarts-hometown-7732ddc3 https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09 https://read.cash/@foryoubtc09/azmak-river-in-akyaka-bf0b837f https://read.cash/@Ezelazra3 https://read.cash/@Ezelazra3/hidden-paradise-forest-in-the-ocean-c3f664c6
@dark_spirit666 shows us Five traditional Indonesian weapons; and @SocialSatoshi made an observation: These Countries Have Similar Flags. https://read.cash/@dark_spirit666 https://read.cash/@dark_spirit666/five-traditional-indonesian-weapons-d485d88a https://read.cash/@SocialSatoshi https://read.cash/@SocialSatoshi/these-countries-have-similar-flags-7ff93b82
My loyal readers know that I like good quotes; I have previously published some small collections of quotes and proverbs – naturally, I am reading others' collections as well. @Tomi-Ajax decided to display his quotes in Sharing my quotes; and @tpkidkai presents 4 Life-Changing Quotes from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho that can help you be inspired. Incidentally, I certainly recommend this book, “The Alchemist”, it is full of wisdom. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#quotes-proverbs-sayings https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax https://read.cash/@Tomi-Ajax/sharing-my-quotes-58b7fd55 https://read.cash/@tpkidkai https://read.cash/@tpkidkai/4-life-changing-quotes-from-the-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho-that-can-help-you-be-inspired-19be3bbf
A Word Is Just Not A Word claims @Venvie - @Shani59 writes about Reading Books – and @McJulez claims that Reading And Writing Do Not Get Old. https://read.cash/@Venvie/a-word-is-just-not-a-word-5c7d2b44 https://read.cash/@Shani59 https://read.cash/@Shani59/reading-books-c0f2c946 https://read.cash/@McJulez https://read.cash/@McJulez/reading-and-writing-do-not-get-old-d0a986bb
@zheanders describes how to Grow As A Writer - @justanny explains how to build suspense in Beginners Guide: How to build Suspense in Your Story – and @frdchckn lists Health Benefits of Writing. https://read.cash/@zheanders https://read.cash/@zheanders/grow-as-a-writer-17a3ffb3 https://read.cash/@justanny https://read.cash/@justanny/beginners-guide-how-to-build-suspense-in-your-story-c3fa693c https://read.cash/@frdchckn https://read.cash/@frdchckn/health-benefits-of-writing-0f6154e9
Finally, some fiction:
Never To Return by @Olasquare https://read.cash/@Olasquare/never-to-return-b75b76ad
A Story of the King and 4 Wives by @Codename_Chikakiku https://read.cash/@Codename_Chikakiku/a-story-of-the-king-and-4-wives-6e1c52ce
Artificial... Intelligence? by @Ozzyy https://read.cash/@Ozzyy/artificial-intelligence-44899b07
Read the whole series, ”Suggested Reading” and my series “Retrospection”. https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#suggested-reading https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#retrospection
**In my** **INDEX****, you can find all my writings on Read.Cash, sorted by topic.** https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34
Copyright © 2022 Meleonymica/Mictorrani. All Rights Reserved.
Five recent articles:
Quizzes & Puzzles 17 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/quizzes-puzzles-17-29d8b39d
Suggested Reading 26 https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/suggested-reading-26-eb5c2de3
A Personal Message: My Presence Here, Read.cash & Writing https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/a-personal-message-my-presence-here-readcash-writing-75a7c8cd
Egyptian Vulture & Pharaoh's Two Ladies - Ornithology & Ancient Mythology https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/egyptian-vulture-pharaohs-two-ladies-ornithology-ancient-mythology-3670fc77
The Advantages of E-Publishing and Why It Is a Suitable Crypto Business https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/the-advantages-of-e-publishing-and-why-it-is-a-suitable-crypto-business-e1d08d7b
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