Science & Nature50 randomly selected Science & Nature questions for quizmasters. New random selection made weekly. Next update: Monday 23rd March 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 Some questions and answers may be outdated.)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 'C' describes a substance used to increase the rate of a chemical reaction? |
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Catalyst | |
| 2. | Correctly spell the name of this dog breed. |
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Chihuahua | |
| 3. | Suspended from a string, what 'P' describes this instrument? |
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Plumb-bob / Plummet | |
| 4. | In forensic science, what does the 'F' in AFIS stand for? |
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Fingerprint (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) | |
| 5. | The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of what? |
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Radioactivity | |
| 6. | What mathematical term is Latin for "pebble"? |
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Calculus | |
| 7. | In computing, what does PDF stand for? |
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Portable Document Format | |
| 8. | What chemical element takes its name from the Greek word for pale green? |
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Chlorine (Greek: χλωρóς khlôros) | |
| 9. | Polysomnography is the scientific study of what? |
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Sleep | |
| 10. | Protium, deuterium, and tritium are isotopes of what chemical element? |
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Hydrogen (1H, 2H (D), and 3H (T)) | |
| 11. | In the maths acronyms PEMDAS, BEDMAS, BODMAS and BIDMAS, what does the D stand for? |
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Division | |
| 12. | What 5-letter word can be spelt using the chemical symbols for Samarium, Iridium and Potassium? |
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Smirk | |
| 13. | To one decimal place, in m/s2, what is the acceleration of objects under the influence of Earth's gravity? |
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9.8 (9.80665 m/s2) | |
| 14. | Hyperopia is a medical term for what? |
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Far-sightedness / Longsightedness (Myopia is nearsightedness / shortsightedness) | |
| 15. | A derivative of the US opioid epidemic, "Hillbilly Heroin" is a nickname given to what pharmaceutical? |
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Oxycodone (OxyContin / Roxicodone / etc.) | |
| 16. | What is the only element in the periodic table whose English spelling has no letters in common with the phrase "THREE WISE MEN"? |
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Gold | |
| 17. | What machine tool has a headstock and a tailstock? |
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Lathe | |
| 18. | A branch of entomology, coleopterology is the scientific study of what group of insects? |
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Beetles | |
| 19. | Which of Saturn's moons is the only known body in the Solar System other than the Earth where liquid falls as rain on a solid surface? |
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Titan (Liquid methane) | |
| 20. | Who is credited with the invention of the modern hovercraft in the 1950s? |
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Christopher Cockerell | |
| 21. | The common hepatic artery is a short blood vessel supplying oxygenated blood to what organ of the body? |
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Liver | |
| 22. | To the nearest whole number, how many times stronger is Earth's gravity compared to that of the Moon? |
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6 (9.807 m/s2 / 1.622 m/s2) | |
| 23. | Name the only two islands on which orangutans can be found in the wild? |
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Borneo and Sumatra | |
| 24. | What name is given to a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge? |
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Electron | |
| 25. | What name is given to a young cow before she has had her first calf? |
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Heifer | |
| 26. | In battery technology terms, LiPo is an abbreviation of what? |
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Lithium Polymer | |
| 27. | What large object in our solar system was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory, Arizona in February 1930? |
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Pluto | |
| 28. | Endemic to Africa and largely terrestrial, hunting its prey on foot, what 'S' describes this bird of prey? |
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Secretarybird | |
| 29. | What is the chemical symbol for lead? |
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Pb (Latin: plumbum) | |
| 30. | For what piece of computer hardware did American inventor Douglas Engelbart apply for a patent in 1967? |
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Mouse (patent received in 1970) | |
| 31. | What is the name of the space probe, launched in 1972, carrying this plaque depicting a guide to planet earth? |
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Pioneer 10 | |
| 32. | In the context of PTZ security cameras, what does PTZ stand for? |
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Pan-Tilt-Zoom | |
| 33. | In human beings, deep tenderness at McBurney's point is an indication of acute what? |
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Appendicitis | |
| 34. | What 'A' is a term used to describe the farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, or water plants? |
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Aquaculture / Aquafarming | |
| 35. | Where on your body is your gluteus maximus? |
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Buttocks | |
| 36. | What do people with bruxism habitually do? |
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Grind their teeth | |
| 37. | California ebony, Texas brown, Costa Rican red, Mexican pink, and Peruvian pinktoe are all types of what? |
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Spider (Tarantula) | |
| 38. | In computing, what do the initials ISP stand for? |
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Internet service provider | |
| 39. | Named for the markings on its back and sides, what name is given to this, the smallest and most common seal in the Arctic? |
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Ringed seal | |
| 40. | Named after its Scottish inventor, Napier's Bones were the 17th century equivalent of what modern-day electronic device? |
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Calculator | |
| 41. | In service since 1956, what English name is given the Tupolev TU-95 strategic bomber? |
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Bear | |
| 42. | In the human body, what is the more common name for the tympanic membrane, or myringa? |
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Eardrum | |
| 43. | In the animal kingdom, an elver is a young what? |
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Eel | |
| 44. | What two words describe the elementary particle believed to have been identified at CERN in 2012? |
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Higgs boson | |
| 45. | With the formula (CH3)2CO, what 'A' is the active ingredient in many nail polish removers and paint thinners? |
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Acetone | |
| 46. | What 'W' describes the intermediate phase when the Moon's apparent size is increasing from new moon toward full moon? |
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Waxing (Waning when the size is apparently decreasing) | |
| 47. | Cynophobia is the fear of what type of animal? |
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Dogs | |
| 48. | Estimated to have been anything from 10 to 20 metres long, what is the name of this extinct species of mackerel shark? |
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Megalodon | |
| 49. | What genus of flower are these? |
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Iris | |
| 50. | Translate the following Morse Code into a four letter word:
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QUIZ | |
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