Question 1: Which classic sitcom featured the characters JJ, Thelma, and Michael Evans?
Question 2: If a book is a "potboiler", what does that mean?
The term "potboiler" originated in the 19th century, implying that a work was written fast, perhaps to "boil the pot" and put food on the table. While potboilers are often seen as lower quality literature, many famous authors have penned potboilers, including Edgar Allan Poe.
Question 3: Why does the Moon have phases?
As the Moon orbits Earth about once a month, the angle between the Earth, Moon and Sun changes, altering the amount of sunlight reflected off the lunar surface that is visible from Earth. This creates the Moon's characteristic phases from new moon to full moon and back.
Question 4: Why was Machu Picchu likely built by the Incas?
Machu Picchu was built around 1450 AD at the height of the Inca Empire. Archeological evidence suggests it was a palace complex for the Inca emperor Pachacuti and visiting nobles, featuring elegant stone structures and terraced hills.
Question 5: Who discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922?
Howard Carter was a British archaeologist who became world-famous after discovering the intact tomb of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. The discovery sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt.
Question 6: Which country celebrates the Holi festival, also known as the "Festival of Colors"?
Holi is a popular Hindu festival that marks the beginning of spring. It is celebrated by people throwing colorful powder and water at each other. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil.
Question 7: How did Peter Parker acquire his superpowers?
In most versions of the Spider-Man origin story, Peter Parker gains his powers after being bitten by a spider that had been exposed to radiation during a science experiment.
Question 8: Who first proposed the idea of a "greenhouse effect" to explain how Earth's atmosphere traps heat?
In 1824, French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier first proposed the idea that Earth's atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket, allowing solar radiation in but preventing heat from escaping - similar to how a greenhouse works. This became known as the "greenhouse effect".
Question 9: What Shakespeare play features the line "A plague on both your houses!"?
This famous line is uttered by Mercutio as he lays dying, cursing both the Montagues and Capulets for their senseless feud that led to his fatal wounding. It underscores one of the play's central themes - the tragic consequences of the two families' bitter rivalry.
Question 10: If you traveled due east from New York City, what is the first foreign country you would reach?
Although it may seem counterintuitive, if you head due east from NYC across the Atlantic Ocean, you would actually reach Portugal first before any other foreign country. This is because of how the continents are positioned on the curved surface of the Earth.
Good Times was a spin-off of the sitcom Maude. The show aired on CBS from 1974 to 1979 and was one of the first sitcoms to feature a two-parent African American family.