“‘Dig, boy,dig’”, shouted the Canadian engineer, Mr W L Lake, at his men as they watched elephants emerging out of the dense forest with ___ stains on their feet”. This is possibly the most distilled – though fanciful – version of the legend explaining the siting and naming of this place. Two events separated by seven years have become fused, but although neither is likely to be provable, such evidence that does exist appears sufficiently detailed to be credible.Various web sites offer variations on the elephant’s foot story, a consensus of which would be that engineers extending the Dibru-Sadiya railway line to Ledo for the Assam Railways and Trading Company (AR&TC) in 1882 were using elephants for haulage and noticed that the mud on one pachyderm’s feet smelled of ___. Retracing the trail of footprints, they found ___ seeping to the surface. One of the engineers, the Englishman (not Canadian) William Lake (aka "Willie Leova" Lake), was an ‘___ enthusiast’ and persuaded the company to do something that made this place economically important to India. What place? Fill in the blank too.
Answer: Digboi, oil
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Question 865: That's a damn order!
Question 864: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
Okay, there are only 3 instances of any such thing happening, i.e. Aamir and Shah Rukh in the same film! Yes, three. In "Luck by Chance, both have special appearances but not in the same scene. In Swades, Shah Rukh shows the villagers the movie "Yaadon Ki Baarat" which stars Aamir as a child actor, but Aamir didn't actually star in Swades, so that doesn't count. The picture shown here is a scene from a long-forgotten film having special appearances from both the Khans in the same scene! So, all you have to do is identify this film which is the directorial debut of "X". X then went on to make his 2nd and 3rd film with Aamir too. His 2nd was a disaster, but he shot to fame with the 3rd. Then he directed Shah Rukh in his 4th, which also was a superhit. The film, which shares its name with a famous Aamir Khan song, also has a special appearance from Saif Ali Khan. Enough clues, identify the film and its director.
Answer: Ashutosh Govariker's "Pehla Nasha"
Friday, October 29, 2010
Question 863: Linear eqns in 3 variables?
Let's get creative now:
Chris Squire(bassist) and Alan White(drums) of the band "Yes" contacted Jimmy Page(guitarist) of "Led Zeppelin" to form a rock supergroup. Page believe the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former "Led Zeppelin" exfrontman Robert Plant. Plant did attend one of their rehearsal on 28 February 1981, but decided not to join the group citing his dislike for the complexity of the music. Without a firm commitment from Plant, and contractual issues on who should manage the group, the project was shelved shortly thereafter.
What was this supergroup called and WHY?
Answer: The supergroup was called XYZ, short for eX-Yes-and-led Zeppelin
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Question 862: Hold your breath
The picture shows a mountain in the Himalayan mountain range, lying in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarkhand, India near Sinla pass. It is considered sacred by Hindus. Its appearance is distinctly similar to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Near this mountain lie Parvati Lake and Jonglingkong Lake. Jonglingkong Lake is sacred, as Manasarovar, to the Hindus.
What is this mountain called? and why?
Answer: It's the Om Parbat, as it is most popular known, beacuse its distinct snow pattern forms the Hindu symbol of "aum/om". Good going ppl!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Question 861: From Here to Eternity
Connect/Identify the blanked part in pic 1: (It leaps to the eye)
Answer: Droste effect/droste. It was named after the brand Droste(in pic 1) and others followed: Knights of the Lambda Calculus, Pink Floyd's UmmaGumma, Memento movie poster, and The Laughing Cow logo.
Question 860
Another question from Rishi Raj:
Identify the flag(in the news).
Answer: Myanmar/Burma. It was adopted as the national flag of the Republic of Burma last week.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Question 859: Tamraj Kilvish?
I am not much of a Star Wars fan, but this one is for all those of you who are Star Wars fans and also for those of you who aren't: This term is a prominent moral, philosophical, and psychic concept in the Star Wars universe. It is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope(pic 1), and appears in all subsequent Star Wars fiction. So, what has this term got to do with the guys in pic 2 and the book in pic 3? Put fundae! (Hint: pic 2 and pic 3 are opposites)
Answer: The connect is Dark Side: Dark Side of the force(used in Star Wars), Dark Side of the Moon(Pink Floyd's kickass album) and Dark Side of the Sun(a book)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Question 857: Fast and furious
CONNECT:
Answer: Bret Lee: Brett Bix cover, in his music band Six and Out, special appearance in Victory and has sung a song for Asha Bhosale's album.
Question 856: Up and Above!!
Question contributed by Tejas Gokhale.
'X' was a British schoolmaster by profession though you might know him for completely different reasons! It might be interesting to note that he also served in World War 1. What made 'X' famous were his visits to 'goddess' 'Y'! He visited 'Y' thrice in his life but the third one turned out to be a disaster.
As a matter of fact goddess 'Y' is known by 4 names- A Tibetan one and another Indian. The other two are more recent ones and commonly known. 1st a British survey name while 2nd the one with which it is known today.
Years later in 1999, Conrad Anker, an American rock climber made an astonishing discovery about 'X' spurring a new controversy!
Well, this story has also been popularized by an 'Archer'.
What am i talking about? Put complete fundae!
Answer: X is indeed George Mallory who "supposedly" climbed Mount everest before Edmund Hillary did, but this isn't proved yet. Jeffrey Archer wrote a fictional biopic on Mallory's life called Paths of Glory. Y is Mount Everest/Chomolungma(Tibetan)/Sagarmatha(Indian)/Peak XV(Survey). It is said that George Mallory had told his wife Ruth, that he would place her photo on the mount when he reaches the summit. But during his expedition, he died in an avalanche and his body wasn't found until 1999. When his body was examined, it was found that Mallory's wallet did not have Ruth's photograph in it!
Question 855
X was an Italian philosopher and writer during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and a playwright. X is most famous for a short political treatise, Z, written in 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after X's death. Since the sixteenth century, generations of politicians remain attracted and repelled by the cynical approach to power posited in Z and his other works. Whatever his personal intentions, which are still debated today, his surname yielded the modern political word Y—the use of cunning and deceitful stratagem in politics. X? Y? Z?
Answer: X: Niccolo Machiavelli Y: Machiavellianism Z: The Prince
Question 854: -188
Sitter: Parody of which album cover?
Answer: Iron Maiden's 1983 album "The Number of the Beast". Just for your information, 854-188=666
Friday, October 22, 2010
Question 853: Hey Ram(u)
X was a political leader in the Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a former cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh and a sitting MLA, when he was slain by his political rivals in 2005. He started as a cimmunist/Naxalite in the footsteps of his father and later entered electoral politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party. He even produced a film Sri Ramulayya based on the biography of his father. X? What's his claim to fame?
Answer: X: Paritala Ravi. Ramu's next film "Rakht Charitra" is a biopic of his life, in which Paritala Ravi is portrayed by ....whatshisname....yeah Vivek Oberoi.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Question 852
Today's question is contributed by Amogh Kinikar, who has also designed the Quizlexic logo.
X has given a solution for the theorem A which has been stated by Y and also named after Y. He represented USSR at the IMO and got a perfect score of 100%. X also was awarded the Z, and happens to be the only person to decline it. Identify X,Y,Z and A.
.jpg)
Y
Z
Answer: X: Gregory Perelman Y: Henri Poincare Z: The Fields Medal A: Poincare conjecture
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Question 851
Today's question from Rishi Raj.
This photo was taken after (1/100)th second of what historical event? Explain all you can.
Answer: Its the Trinity test explosion and not Hiroshima/Nagasaki. Tricky question from Rishi Raj.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Question 849: Duck
X is famous for his wild onstage antics: intense jumps and running back and forth across the stage while playing his guitar. He would clamber on to another band member's shoulders during concerts and they would make their way through the audience with smoke streaming from a satchel on his own back, while he played an extended improvised guitar solo. When performing live he frequently uses a Chuck Berry move, which involves hopping on one leg while bringing the other one up and down.
Also when live he performs his "spasm", during which he throws himself to the ground, kicking, shaking, and spinning in circles, while playing the guitar. Both moves can be seen on various videos. He developed the "spasm" while he was playing live in a small club in Australia, after he accidentally tripped over a cable on stage while playing his solo. He covered it up by having a seizure-like "spasm" on stage to make it seem like part of the act. It has been a trademark of his ever since. He also performs "the bob". In the bob, he headbangs while tapping his feet. He taps his right foot twice when headbanging up, and his left foot twice when headbanging down. This is his general rhythmic movement while performing.
Answer: Angous Young, founder and lead guitarist of AC/DC
Friday, October 15, 2010
Question 847
This question is contributed by Soumya.
X has been designed by Y. It is a triangular section of aluminium twisted into a helix shape and then coated with coloured soils. A jewel-encrusted box was used to house a message, which was laser-engraved onto a miniature 18 carat gold leaf—representative of the ancient Indian 'patras. X has a number of technological features like ability to capture images and sound, a GPS technology, Embedded LEDs which can change into the colours of a country’s flag and a text messaging capability.
X reached India on June 25th.
Identify X and Y.
Answer: X: The Queen's Baton for the 2010 CWG Y: Michael Foley
Question 846
Id. Connect. Who's been left out? (order important)
Answer: Quoting "indian", "DAVID DIXON AWARD - GIVEN TO THE BEST PLAYER OF THE COMMONWEATLTH GAMES INTRODUCED IN 2002 MANCHESTER COMMONWEALTH GAMES.
2002 - NATALIE DU TOIT - SWIMMER -- SOUTHAFRICA.
MISSING ONE IS
2006 - SAMARESH JUNG - SHOOTER -- INDIA AT 2006 MELBOURNE COMMONWEALTH GAMES.
2010 - TRECIA KAYE SMITH - TRIPLE JUMP ATHLETE -- JAMAICA.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Question 844
Answer: Humpty Dumpty
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Question 843
X is a legendary island which was reputed during the age of exploration to lie in the Atlantic Ocean far to the west of Portugal and Spain.
It appeared on a 1367 chart by Franciscus Pizzigano. A theory which first emerged in the late eighteenth century fancifully connected it with Plato's Atlantis, but this has been dismissed by academics. X appears in virtually all of the known surviving Portolan charts of the Atlantic. On these maps, X was typically depicted on a similar scale to Portugal's, lying around 200 miles west of the Azores. It was drawn as an almost perfect rectangle, its long axis running north-south, but with seven trefoil bays shared between the east and west coasts. Each city lay on a bay.
Why has the name "X" recently come in the news especially in India?
Answer: Antilia, that's what Mukesh Ambani's new residence sky-scraper has been named.
Question 842
X is a Windows-specific computer Y first discovered in June 2010 by VirusBlokAda, a security firm based in Belarus. It is the first discovered Y that spies on and reprograms industrial systems. It was specifically written to attack Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition systems used to control and monitor industrial processes. It includes the capability to reprogram the programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and hide the changes.
It is the first-ever computer Y to include a PLC rootkit. It is also the first known Y to target critical industrial infrastructure. Furthermore, X's probable target has been said to have been high value infrastructures in Iran using Siemens control systems. According to news reports the infestation by X might have damaged Iran's nuclear facilities in Natanz and eventually delayed the start up of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant.
Plenty of clues. Identify X and Y.
Answer: X: Stuxnet Y: Worm
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Question 841
These players are a part of a unique group which got its newest member today itself. Who? What list? (There are some insignificant guys in the middle whom I have omitted)
Answer: Quoting Prasanna,
"Bowlers who have claimed Sachin Tendulkar as their maiden test wicket
Hansie Cronje caught 1992-93
Jacob Oram lbw 2002-03
Monty Panesar lbw 2005-06
Cameron White caught 2008-09
List completed by Peter George at Bengluru.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Question 840
Daniel X(October 24, 1862 – January 23, 1956) was born in northern Bohemia(now the Czech Republic). His father was a glass cutter who owned a small glass factory. It was here that a young Daniel served an apprenticeship, becoming skilled in the art of glass-cutting. In 1892 he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of crystal glass.
In 1895, X financier Armand Kosman and Franz Weis founded the X company, originally known as A. Kosmann, Daniel X & Co, which was later shortened to K.S. & Co. The company established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol (Austria), to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding process processes which Daniel X had patented. X?
Question 839
FIB:
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Question 838
X was a convicted murderer chiefly known as the author of Y, his hugely successful memoir. Y was adapted for a Hollywood film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. The book's title was based on X's nickname, derived from a butterfly tattoo on his chest. Identify X and Y.
Y
film
Answer: Quoting Joydip, "X-Henri Charrière Y-Papillon.The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starred Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière ("Papillon") and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega
Friday, October 8, 2010
Question 837
In mid-1958, X was a newly employed engineer at Y who did not yet have the right to a summer vacation. He spent the summer working on the problem in _____ design that was commonly called the "tyranny of numbers" and finally came to the conclusion that manufacturing the circuit components en masse in a single piece of ____________ material could provide a solution. On September 12 he presented his findings to the management and proved that his invention Z worked and thus that he solved the problem. Identify X, Y and Z.
Z
Answer: X: Jack Kilby Y: Texas Instruments Z: Integrated Circuit
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Question 836
Connect:
Answer: The funda is that both the couples have the same corresponding names. Actor Dilip Kumar(born Yusuf Khan) who married beauty queen Saira Bano. And music composer A.R. Rehman (born A.S. Dileep Kumar) who married another Saira Bano.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Question 835
A was born solely due to the efforts of B, although B was not A's biological father(huh?!). Identify A and B and connect.
A
Answer: A: Louis Brown, the first test tube B: Robert G. Edwards, who pioneered In Vitro Fertilisation.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Question 834
A) A screenshot of guide telling how to play 'X'[here an i-phone application]. (all blanks same)
b) Magazine:
C) Toy brand:
D) Band :
Answer: Matchbox
Question 833
Id. How are the companies founded by these guys related?Answer: Founder of Ericsson and founders of Sony. Conenct is Sony Ericsson
Quiestion 832 : Ladies First
ID, FIB n Put Fundae! (Easy, I suppose)
Answer:Belinda Clark, the first lady to score 200+ in Women's cricket and the other is Sachin Tendulkar, the first man to achieve the same feat.