Science & Nature50 randomly selected Science & Nature questions for quizmasters. New random selection made weekly. Next update: Monday 13th April 2026 (Please note: Questions are taken from our database of previous quizzes. Some questions and answers may be outdated.) |
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| 1. | What common liquid has the chemical formula C2H6O? |
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Ethanol / Alcohol / Ethyl alcohol | |
| 2. | Also called the Continental Toy Spaniel, what 'P' describes this breed of dog? |
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Papillon (French for "butterfly" (ears)) | |
| 3. | Responsible for an estimated 300–500 million deaths during the 20th century, but officially certified as eradicated in 1979. What was it? |
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Smallpox | |
| 4. | What volatile oil is distilled mainly from the resin of Pine trees? |
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Turpentine | |
| 5. | In the world of technology, what are ASIMO, TOPIO and Nao? |
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Robots | |
| 6. | Which letter is furthest right on an English language computer keyboard? |
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P | |
| 7. | What scientist published his Annus mirabilis papers in 1905? |
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Albert Einstein (from Latin annus mīrābilis, "extraordinary year") | |
| 8. | In computing, what is the word bit short for? |
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Binary digit | |
| 9. | How many of the 8 major planets in our solar system have rings? |
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4 (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) | |
| 10. | Sn is the chemical symbol for what metal element? |
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Tin (Latin: stannum) | |
| 11. | Hypoglycæmia is the medical term for someone with low levels of what in their blood? |
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Sugar / Glucose | |
| 12. | What 'L' describes the five human vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis? |
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Lumbar | |
| 13. | In mathematics, what is the value of 5 factorial? |
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120 (5×4×3×2×1) | |
| 14. | The Pascal is the SI derived unit measurement of what? |
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Force / Stress / Pressure | |
| 15. | In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds ___ times the speed of sound. (fill in the blank) |
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five (Mach 5) | |
| 16. | This breed of dog, developed in Southern Africa, is commonly called a Rhodesian what? |
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Ridgeback | |
| 17. | What name is given to rain with elevated levels of hydrogen ions caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide? |
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Acid rain | |
| 18. | What happens to water at 273 degrees Kelvin? |
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It freezes (water boils at 373 K) | |
| 19. | Ascorbic acid is the base constituent of what essential vitamin? |
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Vitamin C | |
| 20. | What gas makes up over 90% of natural gas? |
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Methane | |
| 21. | Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by the deficiency of what vitamin? |
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B1 / Thiamine | |
| 22. | What are the two subatomic particles contained in the nucleus of an atom? |
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Protons and Neutrons | |
| 23. | What 'C' describes the intelligent personal assistant released by Microsoft for several of its operating systems in 2014? |
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Cortana | |
| 24. | Also known as the white of the eye, what 'S' describes the opaque, fibrous, protective, outer layer of the eye containing collagen and elastic fibre? |
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Sclera | |
| 25. | What island was home to the now extinct Dodo? |
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Mauritius | |
| 26. | What material powers the world's five largest power producing facilities? |
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Water (Hydroelectric dams) | |
| 27. | What 'F' describes a pair of counterbalanced railway carriages permanently connected by a cable and pulley for transit on a steep slope? |
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Funicular | |
| 28. | What followed Mercury and Gemini? |
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Apollo (US human spaceflight programs) | |
| 29. | Where in your body would you find the rods and cones? |
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Eyes (Photoreceptors) | |
| 30. | Native to India, what 'G' describes this fish-eating crocodile? |
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Gharial / Gavial | |
| 31. | In computer terms, what does the acronym GUI stand for? |
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Graphical user interface | |
| 32. | What 'T' is the scientific name for the windpipe? |
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Trachea | |
| 33. | What valuable product can be gained by mining kimberlites or lamproites? |
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Diamond | |
| 34. | Who became the first American to orbit the Earth on 20th February 1962? |
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John Glenn (John H. Glenn, Jr.) | |
| 35. | What term for something lacking pigmentation is derived from the Latin word for 'white'? |
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Albino (Latin: albus) | |
| 36. | Aboard a U.S.-launched V-2 rocket on 20th February 1947, what were the first animals sent into space? |
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Fruit flies | |
| 37. | The force that makes hurricanes rotate in different directions on either side of the Equator is is known as the ______ effect? (fill in the blank) |
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Coriolis | |
| 38. | Named after a Titan of Greek mythology, what 'A' describes the highest vertebra of the backbone, supporting the skull? |
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Atlas (C1) | |
| 39. | Named after the place in which they live, what is the only penguin with a natural habitat north of the equator? |
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Galápagos penguin | |
| 40. | What alkaline earth metal has the atomic number 12 in the periodic table? |
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Magnesium | |
| 41. | What body part is surgically removed in an orchidectomy? |
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Testicles | |
| 42. | The world's first synthetic plastic, polyoxybenzylmethylene-glycolanhydride, was patented in 1909 under what name? |
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Bakelite | |
| 43. | A brand name introduced by Corning Inc. in 1915, what is the most commonly used term for borosilicate glass? |
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Pyrex (Gorilla Glass, a different material, was officially introduced by Corning in February 2008) | |
| 44. | What flowering plant gets its name from the Latin for wolf? |
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Lupin / Lupine (Latin: lupinus) | |
| 45. | What is the only species of deer in which both male and female have antlers? |
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Reindeer / Caribou | |
| 46. | A silkworm's preferred food are white ______ leaves. (fill in the blank) |
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Mulberry | |
| 47. | What does the 'V' stand for in the fertility treatment IVF? |
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Vitro (In vitro fertilization) | |
| 48. | What 4-letter word can be spelt using the chemical symbols for Tungsten, Arsenic and Phosphorus? |
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Wasp | |
| 49. | In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858, who introduced his theory that evolution resulted from a process of natural selection? |
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Charles Darwin | |
| 50. | Pinnaplasty is the surgical correction of what body part? |
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Ear | |
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