Quizzes

Quiz #30 for 22 April

5:11 pm on 22 April 2016

We hope you are enjoying our quizzes. We think you'll find them tougher than others but also more rewarding.

Click on each question to reveal the answer, or click on the 'Show all the answers' link to see how you went and to learn more. Let us know any suggestions you have for improving the quiz by emailing quizmaster@radionz.co.nz.

Show all the answers

Q 1 What is the full name of singer Prince?

  1. Prince Rogers Nelson
  2. Prince Robert Williams
  3. Prince Walter Robertson

A Prince Rogers Nelson

Prince was named after the stage name his father used, Prince Rogers. In 1993 Prince changed his name to a symbol, which was unpronounceable, and was frequently referred to as 'The Artist Formerly Known As Prince'. When he changed his name back to Prince he became "The Artist Formerly Known as 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince'".

Prince died today (22 April, 2016) at the age of 57.

Q 2 When was the first commercial digital watch invented?

  1. 1970
  2. 1972
  3. 1974
  4. 1976

A 1972

The Pulsar P1 was released in 1972 as the first commercially available digital watch. It retailed for $US2100, and was based on LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy says that Earth's "ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea." Enough said.

Q 3 What year did the Beatles legally cease to exist as a partnership?

  1. 1969
  2. 1970
  3. 1972
  4. 1975

A 1975

The legal dissolution was finalised on 9 January 1975. In September 1969 John Lennon told the other members of the group he was leaving. The news did not become public until December 1970 when Paul McCartney filed a law suit to dissolve their contractual partnership.

Q 4 Dressed four by two timber is actually what dimensions?

A 3½ inches wide and 1½ inches thick.

Since metrication four by two is known as hundred by fifty (100mm x 50mm). It is also know as 'The Timber Formerly Known as Four By Two'.

Q 5 On sun-block, what does SPF stand for?

A Sun Protection Factor

SPF is a measure of how much sun reaches the skin. SPF 25 means that 1/25 of the burning radiation will reach the skin. This assumes that it is spread evenly at 2 milligrams per square centimetre. Slip, slop, slap everyone.

Q 6 Which of the following terms did Mork from Ork NOT use?

  1. Na-Nu Na-Nu
  2. Shazbot
  3. Vajazzle
  4. K.O.

A Vajazzle

It appears that the word Vajazzle was created by Jennifer Love Hewitt, although it went largely unnoticed until it was referred to on the reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex.

Na-Nu Na-Nu was a greeting, Shazbot an expletive, and Mork used KO instead of OK.

In this video Mork and Mindy go to interview Robin Williams

Q 7 What percentage of Earth's atmosphere is oxygen?

  1. 19
  2. 21
  3. 23
  4. 25

A 21

Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Argon is the next at 0.93% argon. There is about 0.039% carbon dioxide.

Helium - the second most common substance in the universe - makes up only 0.000524% of the atmosphere.

Q 8 What is heterochromia?

A It is a condition of the eyes where one iris is a different colour from the other.

David Bowie did not have the condition. His eye was permanently dilated after a fight with friend George Underwood over a girl.

Q 9 Who are the two old men in the Muppets TV show?

A Statler and Waldorf

Statler and Waldorf were known for their heckling and caustic remarks about what was taking place during the show.

Q 10 In the TV series House MD, what is the name of House's boss? For extra points, name his original team.

A Dr. Lisa Cuddy

Dr Cuddy, played by Lisa Edelstein was head of medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. She was frequently the voice of reason - trying to convince House to not pursue another crazy course of risky treatment.

His original team were Dr. Eric Foreman, Dr. Robert Chase, and Dr. Allison Cameron.

Show all the answers

The Quizmaster

Is the Quizmaster the source of all knowledge? Or do they just use the internet like eveyone else? Super search skills might not help you with these quizzes - their knowledge comes from outside of time and space. We get these quizzes via courier pigeon each Friday. Enjoy!

Recent quizzes

America's Cup: A quiz to clear the murky waters
Published on Tuesday 30 May 2017

Quiz #38: The great NZ history quiz
Published on Friday 10 June 2016

Quiz # 36: It's business time
Published on Friday 3 June 2016

Quiz # 37 for 3 June
Published on Friday 27 May 2016

Quiz # 34 for 20 May
Published on Friday 20 May 2016

Quiz: How well do you know Harry Potter?
Published on Friday 13 May 2016

Quiz # 32: Dan Carter's stars in your eyes
Published on Friday 6 May 2016

Quiz: May the Fourth be with you
Published on Wednesday 4 May 2016

Quiz #31: Shipwrecks, surnames and Ewoks
Published on Friday 29 April 2016