Question 1: Why does cilantro taste soapy to some people?
Question 2: Why is Beyoncé's full name Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter?
Beyoncé kept her maiden name Knowles after marrying Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, in 2008. She then added his last name to hers, becoming Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter.
Question 3: What is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust?
Despite being the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, aluminum was not discovered and isolated until 1825 by Danish chemist Hans Christian Ørsted. Before then, aluminum was considered more precious than gold or silver due to the difficulty in extracting it from ores.
Question 4: In George Orwell's novel "1984", what is the name of the fictional language spoken in the totalitarian state of Oceania?
Newspeak is a controlled language created by the totalitarian state as a tool to limit freedom of thought and concepts that pose a threat to its rule, such as freedom, self-expression, individuality, and peace.
Question 5: What famous ancient Greek temple is located on the Acropolis in Athens?
The Parthenon was built between 447-432 BCE and is considered the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron.
Question 6: Who was the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt?
Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BC. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin, and served as the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.
Question 7: How old are the oldest known cave paintings?
The oldest known cave paintings are located in the Cueva de las Manos in Argentina. They are estimated to be between 45,000 and 52,000 years old. Cave paintings have been found on every continent except Antarctica.
Question 8: Which famous fashion designer founded the company that originally sold haute couture but expanded into ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, and fragrances?
Coco Chanel founded her namesake fashion label in 1909. She revolutionized women's fashion with timeless designs like her signature suits and little black dresses. The Chanel brand today remains a global powerhouse in the luxury fashion industry.
Question 9: Who invented the World Wide Web in 1989?
Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, invented the World Wide Web while working at CERN. He wrote the first web browser and editor, and developed the protocols and standards that form the foundation of the modern web.
Question 10: Why was the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen significant in music history?
The music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody", filmed in 1975, is considered groundbreaking and helped launch the music video industry that took off with the start of MTV in 1981. The song itself was also highly innovative, employing an unusual structure and a blend of musical styles.
Scientists have found that some people carry a gene called OR6A2 that enables them to strongly perceive the aldehydes in cilantro leaves as a soapy smell and flavor. This genetic quirk is more common in certain ethnicities. An estimated 4-14% of people experience this soapy taste from cilantro.