Question 1: Why is the Great Barrier Reef considered endangered?
Question 2: What is the purpose of the black box in an airplane?
The black box, officially known as a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, is crucial in aviation safety. It helps investigators understand the events leading to an accident, providing valuable information for preventing similar incidents in the future.
Question 3: The 1978 musical film 'Grease' starred which two main actors in the lead roles?
Grease' is an iconic movie set in the 1950s, and tells the story of high school sweethearts Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson. The film's success helped solidify both John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's careers in Hollywood.
Question 4: Which ancient civilization is known for creating the Great Sphinx of Giza?
The Great Sphinx of Giza was built during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre (circa 2558-2532 BCE) and is considered a symbol of ancient Egyptian artistic and architectural achievement.
Question 5: How old is the Earth estimated to be?
The Earth is estimated to be approximately 4.54 billion years old, based on various dating methods, including radiometric age-dating of rocks.
Question 6: The platypus is native to which country?
The platypus is native to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is one of only two mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth, the other being the echidna.
Question 7: Where was the philosopher Socrates born?
Socrates was born in Athens, Greece, around 470 BC. He is considered one of the founders of Western philosophy, known for his Socratic method of questioning.
Question 8: How many years does it take for a bamboo plant to flower?
Bamboo plants have a highly variable flowering cycle, which can range from 12 to 120 years. After flowering, the bamboo plant dies, but its seeds can regenerate and continue the life cycle.
Question 9: How many Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals have won the Tony Award for Best Musical?
Andrew Lloyd Webber has won the Tony Award for Best Musical twice - once for "Cats" in 1983 and again for "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1988.
Question 10: How many Academy Awards did the movie "Titanic" win?
"Titanic" won 11 Academy Awards in 1998, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron. It is tied with "Ben-Hur" (1959) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) for the most Academy Awards won by a single film.
Climate change, particularly rising water temperatures, causes coral bleaching, which can lead to coral death. Additionally, human activities, such as pollution, coastal development, and overfishing, have severely impacted the reef's ecosystem.