Question 1: What is the psychological phenomenon where people believe they are superior to others in their ability to perform specific tasks?
Question 2: Who invented the electric light bulb?
Thomas Edison invented the practical electric light bulb in 1879. While other inventors had developed early versions of electric lighting, Edison's was the first practical and commercially viable incarnation.
Question 3: Which animal is known as the world's smallest mammal?
The bumblebee bat, also known as Kitti's hog-nosed bat, weighs only about 2 grams. It can be found in parts of Thailand and Myanmar.
Question 4: If a mineral can be scratched easily, how would it be described on the Mohs scale of hardness?
The Mohs scale is a qualitative measurement of a mineral's resistance to scratching, ranging from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Talc has a Mohs hardness of 1, making it the softest mineral, while diamond has a hardness of 10, making it the hardest mineral known.
Question 5: Who is the patron saint of Ireland, celebrated on March 17th each year?
St. Patrick is best known for spreading Christianity throughout Ireland and is also associated with the legend of driving snakes out of the country.
Question 6: Where was the mathematical concept of zero first invented?
The concept of zero as a number, along with its accompanying symbol, was first invented in India around the 5th century AD. It later migrated to the Islamic world and Europe, revolutionizing mathematics as we know it today.
Question 7: How many Tony Awards did the original Broadway production of "The Sound of Music" win in 1960?
"The Sound of Music" premiered on Broadway in 1959 and won 5 Tony Awards in 1960, including Best Musical. The show is based on the true story of the von Trapp family and features beloved songs like "Edelweiss" and "My Favorite Things."
Question 8: What is the tallest tree species in the world?
Coast Redwoods are native to the west coast of the United States. They can reach heights of over 375 feet (115 meters) and live for more than 2,000 years.
Question 9: If a movie "sweeps" the major Academy Awards, how many awards did it win?
A movie "sweeping" the major Academy Awards means it wins the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. This rare achievement has only happened three times in history: "It Happened One Night" (1934), "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991).
Question 10: Who discovered blood circulation?
English physician William Harvey discovered blood circulation in the early 17th century. He published his revolutionary findings in a book called "Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus" in 1628.
Illusory superiority, also known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, is a cognitive bias where people overestimate their own skills and abilities compared to others. This effect is often observed in individuals with lower expertise in the given task.