Finals - Kaikuu General Quiz 2017

Kaikuu 2017
The General Quiz
Finals

Content and Presentation
Sameer Dharur
Raghav Pandey
Aashish Duddukuri

➢ 2 Written Rounds.
➢ 2 Infinite Pounce Rounds.
➢ 46 questions in all.
➢ Good luck!
The Deal

➢ 8 questions.
➢ 10 points per answer.
➢ No negatives, feel free to take guesses.
➢ Theme – Colors.
Written Round I

1.
In December 2013, with about six months to go for the Lok Sabha and
Assembly elections in Telangana, the TRS approached the Election
Commission with an unusual grievance.
It involved requesting a certain change on the EVMs regarding a feature
that had only just been introduced in the latest versions of the device and
set the party’s election strategy unit anxious about the potential
consequences. Eventually, the change wasn’t made and – clearly – had no
impact on the overall scheme of things.
What exactly was the subject of their complaint, that had a uniform
standard throughout the country and could not be customized for the
local elections?

Seeking a change in the representation of the
NOTA option – which also was in Pink and could
have potentially confused TRS voters.

2.
In light of the recent increase in the shootings of African Americans by the
police, a new art campaign has surfaced which hopes to end an existing
norm in certain recreational places.
The campaign believes this norm has induced an unconscious bias in the
minds of people who practice this recreational activity – which eventually
trickles down to incidents in the real world.
What is this norm they think is leading to such bias?

Black silhouettes in shooting ranges.

3.
In the first final of the 1993 World Series Cup between Australia and West
Indies at the Gabba, Dean Jones – while warming up to face Curtly
Ambrose’s new ball missiles – went up to the umpire to raise an objection
that was never done on the field before – which was eventually accepted
and conveyed to Ambrose accordingly.
In the following video, Dean Jones recalls the event and expresses regret
for it since it riled up Ambrose who ended up with a 5 wicket haul.
What specifically was he objecting to – that he viewed as a deliberately
practiced unfair ploy by the bowler?

Ambrose’s wristbands – which were cleverly
chosen as white in ODIs and red in Tests.

4.
Ehtesham Ansari is a Dubai dwelling fashion designer who become popular all
over the world for his vibrant choice of clothing, after leaving his home country
for better opportunities.
He has been returning home for a couple of months in each of the last few years
to craft clothing choices based on the personality of his subjects and the ‘mood’
they’d be present in – with specific instructions to avoid hues of blue at all times.
For the most part, Ansari says the clothes appropriately exhibit a rich fusion of
different elements – traditional, aesthetically strong looks with due twists on them.
What or whom does he design these clothes for? Why is he told to avoid any
inclusion of blue?

The singers on Coke Studio Pakistan.

Avoiding blue owing to its identifiability with Pepsi,
the sponsor’s main competitor.

5.
This ‘object’ of the 1900s had obvious Jewish connotations associated to it.
When the Nazis acquired it during WW2, it was rid of its Jewish heritage and
began to be referred with a term coined from its aesthetic appearance.
This term actually stood the test of time and is used even today. The Jewish
community condemns its use at every opportunity it gets.
What ‘object’ of great cultural value are we talking about? What is the term
derived from its aesthetic appearance?

The Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, which
came to be called The Woman in Gold as a
result of this change.

6.
Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock whose famous quarry in the mountainous
Aosta Valley in Italy comes in a distinctive green tinge.
Its mining from Italy increased in the 20th century, the most notable case being
one under the supervision of Wallace Harrison for which a large piece of the
rock had to be transported across the Atlantic. Sometime last decade, the rock
and its vicinity underwent a necessary renovation considering the visual
significance of the area – and owing to damages caused due to a social
practice that was only belatedly outlawed in 2008 after decades of damage.
Where would you most prominently see an exhibit of this rock? What hitherto
commonplace practice resulted in its prolonged damage?

The green slab seen behind speakers at the
United Nations General Assembly.

Smoking in the hall – which contributed to the
damage of this slab and the other walls,
necessitating a renovation.

7.
The Sazka Arena (as it was then called) in this country was a structure whose
creation came about in the aftermath of its ice-hockey gold medal at the 1998
Winter Olympics, and remains the second largest ice-hockey arena in Europe.
Late last year, the venue underwent a makeover with the ice being replaced by a
special kind of paint put together by a team of top chemists from all over Europe.
The organizers and the sponsors intended to deliver the darkest possible shade
for the best viewing experience – which also contrasted well with white logos.
What unique colouring choice, earning much praise recently from fans in its field?

The black hard court surface used for the
Laver Cup.

8.
Official enquiries reveal that the reason for this broadly two-pronged coloring
scheme is that the erstwhile colour symbolized vacuum based brakes in
operation while the alternative widely used today denotes air based brakes.
One of the important exceptions to this duality comes from an agreement in
the 1970s that stipulated a six month changeover, making it the only such case
in the organization of the colours being in operation on a periodic and
alternative basis – perhaps appropriate to the nature of the service.
What colouring scheme is being talked about? What exceptional instance is
this, that continues to this day despite occasional hiccups?

The choice of colours on coaches by the
Indian Railways.

The Samjhauta Express, whose rakes are
alternatively handled every 6 months by the
Indian and Pakistani railways.

➢ 15 questions.
➢ +10, -5 on the pounce.
➢ No partial pounces applicable.
➢ Good luck!
Infinite Pounce I

1.
Chinnaswamy Rajendran was a much-sought-after artist in the Telugu film
industry of the early 1980s who moved to Hyderabad from Chennai in search of
better prospects for his creative skills.
Deeply impressed by his work on the film Daana Veera Soora Karna, he was
immediately invited to collaborate on a project that required him to work with
much more voluminous materials and brought him excellent visibility among the
city’s residents. A year later, it caught the eye of one of the local luminaries in his
field who decided to use it as an appropriate background prop to convey cultural
richness for a short duration.
What recurring project is he responsible for spearheading? Where exactly would
you have seen this brief endorsement of his work a year after its inception?

The construction of the Khairatabad Ganesh idol.

Featured by K Vishwanath in a song
sequence in Sagara Sangamam, which
contributed to its popularity.

2.
Among the many trade conundrums faced in the Western countries during
World War II was the stifling of the import of silk from Japan, following which
fabric became a rare and expensive commodity.
As an improvisation, silk was substituted by a type of home-made nylon that
passed the criteria for strength, lightness and fire resistance. The stop-gap
remedy only lasted a few years but is often remembered for the innovative
solution to a crisis that helped avert a shortage for hundreds of families in
the Western countries.
What was the unlikely source of these clothes, whose traditional white
colouration made them a natural replacement?

Made from the cloth of used parachutes.

3.
A recent research from aquatic scientists at the University of Southampton
revolved around corals in the deep waters and their unique biological traits.
The depths are often to the tune of hundreds of meters, where the only
available surroundings are deep blue in colour. A unique protein was found
to exist in the corals that acted upon the conditions of these surroundings
and significantly enhanced their survival, defying all expectations of the
habitat being hostile to them.
What explains the better and unexpected survival of these corals in the
deep waters, with a connection to the single celled algae Zooxanthellae?

The pigment helped convert blue light to orange –
which enabled photosynthesis in the symbiotic algae
whose products would be consumed by the corals.

4.
The Turkish words for ‘gold’ and ‘six’ respectively are ‘altin’ and ‘alti’ –
differing only by a letter while sounding almost the same phonetically.
In a classic case of linguistic misconception, folklore suggests that an early
17th century exchange between the king and one of his artisans resulted
in an outcome that was much critiqued by the people of the country and
also deemed blasphemous to the religion by some sections. In an
attempt at damage control, the king sent a few of his workers to another
Asian country to help with a renovation exercise and set things right
among his disgruntled people.
What was this world famous outcome, hugely popular among tourists
ever since? Why did the people of his country get offended by it?

The six minarets on the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in
Istanbul, accidentally constructed after
misunderstanding the instruction for gold minarets.

The Grand Mosque in Mecca too had six minarets
back then – so the Sultan had to send his men to
help construct a seventh to assuage his people.

5.
David Waldstein in his article for the NYT recounts the circumstances that led to
the event in the following video.
While playing their final qualification game to the 1974 World Cup at the Estadio
Nacional, it was boycotted by the opposing team (USSR). The reason for the
boycott was also the contributing factor behind a section of the stadium always
being left empty for subsequent national and club team games (image 1) and
temporary commemorative efforts being organized (image 2).
Under whose command was the venue repurposed in the days preceding the
game to deal with a problem of over-capacity? Why was it done so?

Augusto Pinochet, who repurposed the stadium
as a prison and detention center.

6.
Miami, gifted with its barrier islands made by oceanic currents, is blessed with a
large coastline filled with many beaches.
During the middle of the 20th century, certain dissention threatened to
dethrone its evergreen tourist culture which forced the then government to
make changes to the norm in one of the barrier islands called the Virginia Key,
which contained the most secluded of beaches. The coast of this island
continues to be pretty idyllic resulting in it being appropriately used to chronicle
a recent moment of self reliance and learning.
What change to this Virginia Key made it a location of historical importance?
What moment, that earned widespread approval around the world last year,
was it chosen as the location for?

The first ‘coloured only’ beach in the USA.

Chosen as the location for the swimming
scene in Moonlight.

7.
The great famine of 1630 in India afflicted major parts of the Deccan, Gujarat
and Khandesh – resulting due to 3 successive crop failures. It remains among
the worst in the country’s history with over 2 million recorded deaths.
Less than a decade later, another curious famine – although of slightly less
proportions – occurred, which was found to be a completely man-made one.
Its effects were once again felt in the South and the West, while certain pockets
in the North remained completely immune to any of its ill-effects.
What was the cause for this man-made famine, that several historians point out
to be a disproportionate cost despite the reasons?

Shah Jahan diverting grains to the vicinity of Agra
for feeding his constructions workers at the Taj
Mahal, creating a famine in the rest of the country.

8.
Astronomer David Olson recently published a research paper in the Sky &
Telescope Magazine that attracted much public interest among literary fans.
His findings come from a recreation of the sky of Aug 20, 1817 along the Brenta
Canal in La Mira, Italy where he discovers the bright presence of Jupiter alongside
the moon – a common occurrence in the summer months. Additionally, to help
explain a reference to ‘iris’, he studies the unusually bright coloured sunsets and
twilights observed world over around this time to conclude the much impending
resolution on the astronomical inspirations behind this seminal work which
symbolized the weary disillusionment of war-stricken times.
What literary work’s origins, inspired by this author’s journey, was thus explained?
What event helped explain the bright sky referenced in the work?

Childe Harolde’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron –
thought to be influenced by a ‘star’ which
actually turned out to be Jupiter.

The eruption of Mount Tambora – widely regarded
as the most explosive volcanic eruption in history.

9.
Charlotte Serber was a Pennsylvania based statistician-turned-librarian from the
20th century whose job forced her to relocate to a little town in New Mexico.
Her biggest challenge in this role was to ensure the timely import of thousands of
textbooks, journals and manuals through an inter-library loan programme from
UC Berkeley where her boss had previously worked. However, the arrival of the
books involved an elaborate process as they were first sent to a forwarding
address in LA and eventually landed at a single P.O. Box in Santa Fe to be
collected and distributed.
Who was her boss, who was powerful enough to bail her out of future
investigations? What explains the unwieldy delivery process that the books took
before reaching the library?

Robert Oppenheimer, who had set up this
anonymous library to work with his team
on the Manhattan Project.

To avoid any interception or even detection of
the library’s existence, the books were routed
through obscure addresses.

10.
While many representations of Christ throughout history are made for worship
and are as realistic as possible, certain depictions of the old from over four
centuries ago have recently come to light which have become worn out, not
due to the test of time, but because of the repeated application of small
amounts of pressure.
They were initially made of paper stone and wood until they started being cast
in copper.
For what purpose, completely different to that of the usual depictions, were
they used? Why did they come into light over the last one year or so?

The fumi-e, used to identify Christians for
persecution in Edo-ruled Japan.

The depiction of the times in Martin
Scorsese’s Silence.

11.
This sub-brand of the United States Printing Company, which started in
1885, developed a special font of its own for their widely used products.
On the next slide is an inspiration of the font in which, of all the alphabetical
characters, they only needed to use 4 of them extensively – mostly in a
combination of two different colours. Around the late 1960s, one variant of
their products was shipped en masse in quantities of thousands free of
charge to the other end of the world following rumours of their perception
which eventually turned out to be false alarms.
What products are these, used all over the world ever since their inception?
Why was a variant of this shipped en masse in the late 1960s to the other
end of the world?

The Ace of Spades, erroneously assumed to be an
omen of death for the Viet Cong, was shipped en
masse to demoralize their rivals in the Vietnam War.

12.
Owing to the Union Army’s lackluster early performances in the field, Lincoln and
his SoS William Seward decided on the possible recruitment of a valuable asset.
This individual, fresh off his guerilla fighting exploits in Brazil and Uruguay, was
courted by U.S Consul James Quiggle to become a major general with an
independent command. However, his demand for complete control over the US
forces and a guarantee that the Union was fighting to end Slavery meant that he
never collaborated with the American government.
Who is this individual which the Union forces were looking to recruit? When
James Quiggle had approached him, whose name did he quote to ensure that he
would have an equal standing in American history – both of whom share the
appropriate title of the ‘The Hero of Two Worlds’?

Quiggle was comparing him to Marquis de
Lafayette, both of whom held the same title.

13.
While this style of bombing first started off in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-
12, it reached its most advanced form during WWII thanks to the
deployment of the V1 rockets by the Germans, with a specially developed
cardboard tube at the end of each missile for this purpose.
In a formation, one aircraft usually was tasked to carry all such bombs
since their trajectory was different from that of the other highly explosive
ones – with the crew needing to take wind speeds into consideration to
ensure accurate delivery of the payload.
What form of bombing, inflicting damage of a unique kind, was thus
facilitated?

Leaflet bombs intended for
psychological warfare.

14.
With the shift in location of this annual event from Forest Hills four decades
ago, a much needed change was brought about to the flying patterns starting
out from the nearby airport to avoid having them fly directly over the venue of
the event which historically had caused difficulty in the sporadic one word
communication that is necessary for its functioning.
Long cited as an issue, the altering of flight pattern path had been restricted to
the 2 crucial days of this annual event, only to be extended for the entire
duration post the 1990s.
Which annual event has caused such an alteration in flight patterns? How does
this event face a different kind of noise problem since 2016 – something which
has strong precedent in a similar event across the Atlantic?

The U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows.

The pelting of rain on the new roof at
Arthur Ashe Stadium.

15.
Vichy was an unoccupied region of France that persecuted Jews and collaborated
with the Nazi government during WW2. The territory under the control of the
Vichy government also included the overseas French territories such as in North
Africa which was seen as ‘an integral part of Vichy’.
In a means to symbolically sever his ties from the puppet government, this
memorable character decides to bin an entire bottle of water, containing the label
'Vichy water' after having turned a blind eye to the original perpetrator of a
murder. His act is followed by an iconic line stating a plan of action, which also
lent itself to the title of cult 1995 film.
Which memorable character? Which film’s title came about as a result?

Inspector Renault from Casablanca.

‘Round up the usual suspects’ which inspired
the cult film over half a century later.

➢ 8 questions.
➢ 10 points per answer.
➢ No negatives, feel free to take guesses.
➢ Theme – Nomenclature.
Written Round II

1.
A recent announcement by the GHMC of a proposed bridge connecting an
upscale area in the city to its business and residential counterpart – has drawn
much ire from ecological conservationists.
The assertion is that the flattening of rocks and encroachment would destroy
the subsistence of one of the city’s important natural resources that was the
primary one of its kind for the Golconda Fort. Studies reveal that the area lost
to encroachment in this region would increase from 40 acres in 2010 to 65 acres
today, owing to its unfortunate location stressed by the commercial activity.
What geographical feature, widely known for its ‘secretive’ presence in the city?
What apt headline, referencing a pop chartbuster from the 1970s, did The
Hindu use to describe this problem?

Durgam Cheruvu – Hyderabad’s ‘secret’ lake.

2.
Montmartre, a district in Paris, was studded with certain landmarks from
the 17th century owing to its geographic characteristics.
As urbanization took over, a few which stood the test of time were
converted to open air places of dancing and entertainment where cheap
liquor was served. This coincidence is believed to have resulted in a
similar landmark to be associated to a place of such entertainment.
What place are we talking about?

3.
While the structure had been in existence since 1933, it was only in 1947 that it
earned its famous moniker when advertisements were scraped off and a colour
was given to it that would help it to blend in with the surroundings.
The structure played a crucial role in its early years to protect the businesses
surrounding it while its measured 37 feet height ensures no added advantage
is enjoyed by the right handed. Despite automation having intruded into most
facets of this area, its 127 slots and 3 man team ensures that all visitors remain
updated of the happenings taking place across the country.
What modern day oddity is being referred to, a reconstruction of which now
allows 274 people to enjoy a view of proceedings from?

The Fenway Park Green Monster.

4.
Named the Word of the 20th Century by the American Dialect Society, its
origins in New Orleans remain hazy to this date – with one of the likely
explanations being that it referred to the flowery fragrance of the
perfumes used by the prostitutes in the city’s Storyville red light district.
The art form, described by this enigmatic word, was thus believed to be
have originated as a form of entertainment in brothels around the city –
whose final letters were eventually replaced by Broadway when it made its
way to NYC as a popular means of recreation.
What field of art, whose shortened name is believed to have derived from
the general fragrance observed in the local brothels?

Jazz music, getting its name from the ‘jasmine’ scent
commonly observed in New Orleans’ brothels.

5.
Plywood was first used for construction in the 19th century but looked down
upon in the elite circles for being cheap despite its versatility. It has been widely
suggested that some of it was a nomenclature issue stemming from its use as a
means of covering to lend strength and durability.
This perception changed at the beginning of the 20th century when it was
adopted for more high-tech and high-profile purposes, most notably by a
company based in Calabasas that prioritized the requirement of speed – made
possible by plywood’s lightness and ability to be molded.
What nomenclature issue, which also became a pejorative word in the English
language, was responsible for its initial unpopularity? Where was it famously
used in the early 20th century, which ensured its worldwide recognition?

‘Veneer’ which comes from the decorative
covering of plywood applied upon coarser wood.

Used to make the famous Lockheed Vega that
flew Amelia Earhart across the Atlantic.

6.
‘New Data on the Delateralization of Ḍād and Ẓā’ is an often-referred-to
linguistics research paper from the University of Washington that examines
the history and evolution of these two letters in the Arabic language and
describes the superimposition of the former with the latter in colloquial
parlance as a natural phonological change over several years.
Further research suggests that the blurring of the line between the
pronunciation of these letters began around the mid-8th century BC and is
almost complete today, thereby – according to one interpretation – annulling
a growing Indian attempt at replicating authenticity.
What linguistic confusion, occurring in India every year, does this research
shed light on?

Ramadan vs Ramzan, with the former often
identified as authentic in the Indian subcontinent.

7.
Matthew Nimetz, an American diplomat, has been tackling a unique geopolitical
crisis since being an envoy in the Clinton administration – following which he has
been employed by the UN to carry on his negotiation efforts.
The core issue has been ongoing since an east European shakeup 26 years ago
and deals with the choice of nomenclature for one of the countries that resulted.
The conflict is with the neighbouring Greece, who objected to its name that was
allegedly an affront to its integrity – a charge repeatedly denied by the country
which claims rights to the name owing to the historical origins of its people.
Which country that gained its independence in the early 1990s suffers from this
identity crisis? How do they justify their claim to the name, invoking a certain
figure from the 4th century BC?

Macedonia, which continues to be officially
called Former Yugoslavic Republic of
Macedonia (FYRoM) to this date.

Justified that Alexander The Great’s kingdom – in the
same region – was called Macedon, giving them the
right to name the present day country Macedonia.

8.
Originating in the English language in the early 19th century, this expression is
named after a European region, referring to the unique sense of fulfilling
vindictiveness and prejudice – often in a relentless and brutal manner.
In a recent interaction at a political discussion in India, one of the high profile
guests claimed that a former friend of his used this phrase to describe his
actions that involved the both of them in a long-standing tussle.
What phrase is this, denoting the sort of vindictiveness unique to a region?
Who said this to whom, an appropriate choice of words given the person’s
origins?

Sicilian revenge, stemming from the
mafia’s actions.

Sonia Gandhi to Subramanian Swamy!

➢ 15 questions.
➢ +10, -5 on the pounce.
➢ No partial pounces applicable.
➢ Good luck!
Infinite Pounce II

16.
Among the many executive orders signed by FDR in the midst of WW2 was one
that sought to undo a growing menace that the LIFE magazine described as ‘the
most malignant of all the viruses that affect the tissues of a nation when at war’.
The response was to set up specific centers at 8 top cities – under the
supervision of Harvard professors Robert H Knapp and Gordon Allport – which
were also open to public interaction. However, owing to differences between
them and the government, the funding stopped and The Boston Herald stepped
in to keep the centers running, along with crowdsourced support.
What was the objective of these centers, seen as an ignored necessity during
the times? What circumstances brought about the fallout with the government?

Rumour Clinics, that sought to dispel the fake
news of the times.

The attack on Pearl Harbour whose full information
was concealed by the govt for 3 weeks leading to a
loss of trust with the clinic keepers and the people.

17.
Point Two Vests – appropriately based in the US and UK owing to maximum
demand – manufactures padded clothing to meet safety concerns in a field.
Following more than a dozen deaths from 2007-2010, the company came out with
a new variant of their product that was found to improve protection by 69% when
combined with the ordinary variant and mitigated the damage to internal organs
by 20% - in the event of commonly occurring accidents. However, a good number
of veterans have also been skeptical of this improvisation citing issues of
impedance and false triggers that could derail their pursuit.
Where have these creations been put into use? What ubiquitous feature, invented
in the 1950s and made possible with the help of a canister, have been incorporated
into the newer variants?

The jackets used in equestrian sports.

Fitted with airbags to minimize damage from
the horses upon a collapse.

18.
One of the areas of professional disagreement between Edwin Lutyens and
Herbert Baker was the latter’s inclination to include indigenous elements in his
design to ensure authenticity – while Lutyens was more interested in creating a
new architectural form in a classical approach.
However, on one of his most important projects, Lutyens changed his mind to
incorporate a certain indigenous element that gave buildings a royal touch
especially when placed at the entrances. The inspiration for this stemmed from an
event he witnessed in the early 20th century that convinced him of the royalty of
the element that Baker had previously stressed upon.
What did he eventually choose to include, in one of his most high profile projects?
What event caused him to change his mind and accept their grandeur?

The carving of decorated elephants on the entrance
walls of Rashtrapathi Bhavan to convey royalty.

Inspired from the cavalcade of King George V in his
pompous arrival for the 1911 Delhi Durbar.

19.
Juan Carlos Ortiz is a Miami dwelling marketing professional who has to his
credit The Cannes Lions Award – the world’s most prestigious one in his field.
Roughly a decade ago, he was called back home to Colombia by his
government on an urgent mission that required his unorthodox inputs in the
country’s dense forest areas towards the latter part of the year. His
recommendation was followed by the coordinated effort of government
officials and army men in procuring and installing numerous coniferous trees
at strategic areas to best amplify the desired effect.
What exactly was the deterring approach in these efforts, that eventually
yielded successful results and made him a national icon?

Planting Christmas trees in the important regions
of conflict with the FARC in a bid to get them to
give up arms and return home for the festival.

20.
Peter Barlow was a British engineer tasked by the government to undertake
his most challenging public project in 1870, following widespread calls from
the local population.
The need for the complicated structure came from the disruption caused to a
certain industry because of directional conflicts, increasing costs to the tune of
several hundreds of pounds. His construction helped serve the purpose but
was also criticized for being claustrophobic and creepy at 100 feet long and 7
feet across, besides just being expensive for the public – many of whom
required the services of the facility on a daily basis.
Where was structure built, a necessity to many working people? Why was it no
longer necessary towards the end of the century?

An underground tunnel beneath the Thames to
enable easy movement across London.

The construction of the Tower Bridge which negated
the need for any such inconvenient arrangements.

21.
Sir Arthur Eddington was a physicist and mathematician of the early 20th
century who took a keen interest in carrying out astrophysical experiments.
Among his career’s biggest moments was when he dispatched a team to the
tiny island of Principe off the coast of West Africa in May 1919 to observe and
photograph the Hyades cluster of stars, closest to the solar system, to create an
adequate contrast of measuring the gap observed amongst them at different
times. The results eventually confirmed a large enough gap, vindicating a
certain important scientific proposition put-forth earlier in the decade.
What did Eddington and his team end up validating? How did they find the
conducive conditions to accurately estimate this gap across time periods?

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity – which proposed that
light from other sources passing by the Sun was
twice as bent as estimated by Newtonian physics.

Measured it on the day of the total solar
eclipse to ensure no interference from sun’s
own light in the process!

22.
Trench watches, designed for military purposes during the Great War, had
two major improvements to the standard design of watches at the time –
one of which dealt with accessibility while the other dealt with appearance.
While numerous companies produced such watches, a Swedish company
of the name Langendorf Watch Company aka Lanco was a major supplier
to USA. The variant in the following picture is a WWI ‘Gold’ Trench Watch,
whose best known piece journeyed across the world touching Paris, Wake
Island and Hanoi before being hereditarily passed on in a popular context.
What are the two improvements to trench watches? Where, over a couple
of decades ago, did this traveling Lancet make a significant appearance?

Wrist watches, and the use of radium on
the dial.

This was the ‘hunk of metal’ passed on
to Butch in Pulp Fiction.

23.
The stretch from Ludhiana to Amritsar in Punjab, like multiple other places in
the state, is known for its rich sugarcane farms that form the livelihood for
several families in the region.
One of the only few periods of downturn was one that occurred roughly 25
years ago – marked by the invention of a special tractor from a research unit in
Chandigarh, whose deployment was deemed inevitable in the region at the
time owing to the structural nature of the crop. The brief phase of its usage
soon concluded and normalcy was restored in a year’s time.
Whose brainchild was the deployment of these special tractors? What special
feature did they possess, or why were they necessary?

Equipped the tractors with bullet-proof armor
to help flush out Khalistani militants hiding in
the high sugarcane fields.

24.
Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest serving PM from the 20th century, writes in
his memoirs Afternoon Light of an incident during his time as Premier of
Victoria State that brought much diplomatic hostility on the global stage.
He blames a foreign protagonist whom he termed a ‘modern day Coriolanus’
for disregarding the chorus of people around him and going ahead on his
brutal wild-goose chase. He also suggested that all activities in the regard
needed to be stopped to ensure no further escalation of tensions at a time
when the people of the two countries needed a sense of unity during WW2.
What incident is Menzies talking about?

Douglas Jardine, whose bodyline tactics
chilled the diplomatic relations between
England and Australia for a while.

25.
King Alfonso of Portugal – reigning in the mid-15th century – was always
looking to increase his kingdom’s wealth and sent a monk called Fra Mauro
down to Venice to help with it.
On his mission, Mauro stationed himself at the coastal entrance to the town,
took nearly every visitor to taverns in the area and badgered them with
endless questions about themselves and their travel. He was here for close to a
decade, combining these insights with the extensive library at the monastery in
the lagoon, and produced his comprehensive creation that would be the first
of its kind used by people all over the world.
What exactly was he tasked with creating in this crowdsourced manner? What
event around the time across the Ionian and Aegean seas, according to
historians, boosted the volume of information he managed to collect?

The Fra Mauro map – considered the
greatest and most comprehensive map of
the world produced in the era.

The capture of Constantinople by the Turks –
which sent a lot of refugees across who passed
through Venice and aided his information trove.

26.
In the mid-1990s, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) deployed hydrophones deep in the North and South
extremes of the Atlantic Ocean to detect prominent sources of sound pollution.
In the process, they ended up discovering a new phenomenon that produces a
loud and persistent sound at any given point of time in the region – typically in
the audible frequency range of whales, hampering their chances for survival.
The volume in recent times has been found to be more than the man-made
noises, making them a quickly worsening existential threat to marine life.
What is the source of this untreatable commotion? Which other organization,
by virtue of a prominent international agreement, assisted with collecting this
information towards the end of the decade?

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization,
which began testing the sounds in the oceans for
illegal nuclear explosions.

27.
Ehsan Elahi Zaheer was a proponent of Wahabism in the 20th who spent much
of the latter half of his life in Saudi Arabia.
At his final speech in Riyadh in 1987, he lamented the lack of institutional
support to his ideas of the religion in his home country and summed up his
disappointment with the following couplet of verses famously composed by
Amir Khusrau. His words resonated strongly back home, given the hitherto
tense environment in which dropping the jingoistic guard was viewed as
contrary to the state’s interests.
Whom is he angrily addressing in these lines? What tourist-y act of his on a
visit to the neighbouring country did he cite as being contrary to his religious
school of thought, also echoed by a few sections back home?

Zia Ul Haq, who was widely criticized for not
being tough on India in the aftermath of the
Siachen glacier skirmish.

His act of tying a thread at the Ajmer shrine of
Moinuddin Chishti – seen as a pro-Sufi gesture that
was contrary to the Wahabi school of thought.

28.
Matt Mahurin is a 20th century illustrator, photographer and director of
considerable repute, who worked alongside a number of bands including
U2, Metallica and REM directing visually popular music videos like
Metallica’s Unforgiven I and Unforgiven II.
Most of his photographical work involves him manipulating photos to
make them darker, grittier and grimmer. However, this tendency landed
him in professional trouble on one occasion, following which his
organization had to dole out a long apology to its audience.
What was this unpopular work of his, also a manipulation of a famous
photograph?

The TIME magazine cover featuring a darker OJ
Simpson, which courted racial controversy.

29.
HMS Resolute was a British Navy ship sent to the eastern Arctic in 1852 to locate
the remains and the crew of two other ships that were stuck in the ice.
Unfortunately, Resolute met the same fate and could only be rescued by an
American vessel and returned to the Queen as a gift to the empire.
In gratitude, Britain used the timber of this ship to carve out a certain product
that continues to be used in a context of great power and importance to this
day, after undergoing a minor modification in 1938 to create a front panel to
accommodate a request from the erstwhile owner in the interest of privacy.
Where would you find this object, denoting a close relationship between the
powers-that-be of the two countries? Why was this modification needed in 1938?

To front panel was created to conceal FDR’s ill
legs due to polio.

30.
Antigonus II Gonatas was a Macedonian king from the 3rd century BC
who launched a massive siege on the Greek town of Megara in 266.
Renowned author of the times Polyenus reveals that the siege was on its
way to being an overwhelming success until the Megarans devised an
ingenious ploy using pigs along with pitch or resin to unsettle the
elephants in the opposing camp. The strategy yielded successfully
terrifying results and the siege was defeated.
What recent design choice did this famous war strategy inspire, brought
to light by the man in the following image?

The flaming-horned-bulls in Bahubali 2.

Finals - Kaikuu General Quiz 2017

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Finals - Kaikuu General Quiz 2017