QFI Ender Bender - 2014By Srinath Bhashyam

The building in picture is a cooperative apartment building located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was built between 1880 and 1884, and was purportedly named because at the time of construction, the Upper West Side of Manhattan was sparsely inhabited and considered as remote in relation to the inhabited area of Manhattan as a particular territory in the U.S. Name this building and also how did it come into public consciousness in year 1980?

Answer Follows

A. Dakota Apartments; Shooting of John Lennon (who used to live there)

Marie Tharp was an American geologist and oceanographer. Her partnership with another geologist Bruce Heezen, was supposed to be responsible for causing a paradigm shift in earth science that led to acceptance of theories of plate tectonics and continental drift. Their joint studies led to the debunking of a popular theory that was held about oceans.

What was the theory?

Their subsequent collaboration with an Austrian landscape painter, Heinrich Berann led the publishing of what first in 1977?

Answer Follows

A. Theory - Ocean floor was a flat plain of mud; First scientific map of the ocean floor

This location in Australia nicknamed the “Horries” is a popular tourist destination on the coast of the Kimberley region in Western Australia.

Despite their name referencing another geographical feature found on rivers , they are actually fast moving tidal flows through two narrow, closely aligned gorges of the McLarty range.

What two word name is given by locals to this natural phenomenon?

Answer Follows

A. Horizontal Falls

Norway has announced a new design for its passport in 2014

The winning entry, by Oslo design studio Neue, features beautifully simplified depictions of Norway’s natural landscapes drawn with fine lines in pastel shades. The cover features a modernised version of the national crest, stamped in gold on unusually bold colours: either white, turquoise or red for immigrant, diplomat and standard passports respectively.

It has also has a unique security feature found on pages such as these (on the right) - which combines the practicality of modern security (using UV light) with something closely associated with the country. What is the feature?

Answer Follows

A. It shows the Aurora Borealis under UV light

A team of researchers at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City are studying the working of non-Newtonian fluid dynamics through paintings.

Paint moves according to non-Newtonian laws, say the researchers. Like blood, paint behaves differently depending on how much of it there is as well as its viscosity. Leader of the study and engineering professor Roberto Zenit also compared paint to saliva, which can reenter the mouth after dangling because it has elastic properties. 

"One particular property of viscoelastic fluids is that they oppose a large resistance to being stretched. Our preliminary results indicate, that, indeed, some of the blobs in the patterns result from this particular property of non-Newtonian

fluids…"

What have they been studying to establish the results?

Answer Follows

A. Jackson Pollock’s paintings

Who is speaking?

Contrary to popular perception, the person was a very reluctant speaker due to a self-perceived lack of oral talent – and was also an unashamed technophobe.

However the prime minister during that time, managed to convince this person to do the speech, and also came up with a solution to relieve the king of his anxiety about penning a powerful yet simple message.

The speech was subsequently praised not only for its delivery but also the majestic words.

What was the solution?

Answer Follows

A. King George V - First ever Christmas Royal message

Ramsay Macdonald got Rudyard Kipling to write the speech

The lift (in pic) is a passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments (each usually designed for two persons) that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building without stopping.

The name for this kind of lift derives from the latin words for “Our father” (which are the first two words of a latin prayer) and is called so because the action of the lift is similar to the movement of a particular object.

Name of lift? What object?

Answer Follows

A. Paternoster lifts; Rosary Beads

What is the name given to the tether that connects the astronaut to the space vehicle?

Answer Follows

A. Umbilical Cord - a strong lifeline by which an astronaut on a spacewalk is connected to the vehicle and supplied with air, a communication system, etc.

This was the Paramount logo for the movie ‘Ten Commandments’. Why was it designed different for this particular movie?

Answer Follows

A. To resemble Mount Sinai

This is a new typeface that was designed in 2014 by Dutch designer Christian Boer, and was designed for a specific purpose. What purpose?

How is the desired effect achieved?

Answer Follows

Dyslexie typeface for dyslexic people.

The letters are weighted towards the bottom, as if the bulk of each character’s body has slumped downwards under accelerated gravitational pressure. This sets a heavy baseline, which makes it harder for the letters to be flipped upside down

Alfred Heineken, the owner of Heineken, in 1964 wanted to rebrand his beer. He realised that at that at that time shopping was mainly done by women, and it was necessary for consumers to think positively towards Heineken over other brands.

What did he do to achieve the desired result?

Answer Follows

A. Heineken smiling e’s logo

Some Victorian tea cups had a unique design element as shown in the picture. What purpose did it serve?

Answer Follows

A. Moustache Protectors

Australian test opener Chris Rogers had to pull out of a first class match played between Victoria and Tasmania in November 2014 owing to a very unique reason. This had to do with a few innovations that were being tried during the game.

Why did he pull out?

Answer Follows

A. Pink balls were used in the Day-Night match. Rogers is colour blind

The building in picture is in Paris - What purpose does it serve?

Construction of this building ran into huge cost overruns and technical difficulties related to its high-rise design, so much so that it was referred to as the ____ (short form of french for "Very Large _____,”) a sarcastic allusion to France's successful high-speed rail system.

What is the nickname?

Answer Follows

A. Library; TGB (Tres Grande Bibliotheque)

Robert Rauschenberg was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations. In 1951 Rauschenberg created his "White Paintings," in the tradition of monochromatic painting, whose purpose was to reduce painting to its most essential nature. It is said that these paintings inspired one of his friends to come up with a seminal piece of work?

Name friend and work.

Answer Follows

A. John Cage; 4”33

The Britannia Awards are presented by BAFTA Los Angeles, a branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as "a bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities."[1] Established in 1989, it honours "individuals and companies who have dedicated their careers or corporate missions to advancing the art-forms of the moving image.

In tune with the purpose of the award, they’re named after few people who’ve acted the bridge.

Name the people after whom, these awards are named:-

1. Britannia awards for excellence in film

2. Britannia award for excellence in directing

3. Britannia award for excellent in comedy

Answer Follows

A.

1. Britannia awards for excellence in film

Stanley Kubrick

2. Britannia award for excellence in directing

John Schlesinger

3. Britannia award for excellent in comedy

Charlie Chaplin

Valaparaiso was a booming trading centre at the turn of the 20th century. However two developments in the beginning of the century dealt crushing blows to commercial activity and the city was left a shadow of its former glory.

1. One of the developments was geographic

2. The other had to do with the invention of a chemical process that reduced the demand for one of its exports.

Name both the reasons

Answer Follows

A.

1. Building of Panama Canal

2. Invention of Haber process, reduced demand for Chilean Saltpeter

Norway also came up with a contest to redesign currency. The mandated theme was “The Sea” in honour of “its importance for Norway’s business sector and economic prosperity”.

Its designs for the 50-, 200-, 500-, and 1000-kroner notes feature pixellated images of the Norwegian coastline distorted in accordance with different stages of what aspect associated with the sea in ascending order? The pictures on the obverse are also supposed to represent the same.

Image

Answer Follows

A.Beaufort Scale

The Voyageurs is an unofficial Canadian soccer supporters group founded in 1996, notable for their support of Canada's national teams.

A Voyageur was a trader, particularly in furs, who worked (and explored) in the area of Canada and the northern United States from the 16th to early 19th centuries; they were often of Quebecois extraction.

Apart from this significance, the name was also chosen because it had elements of cultural unity denoted by it.

What was the other reason?

Answer Follows

A. Voyageur is both an English and a French word, thereby having connotations of cultural harmony

Cape Agulhas (literally ‘Cape of the needles) is the holder of a geographic distinction. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as a major hazard on the traditional clipper route and is sometimes regarded as one of the great capes.

However, it is a common misconception that another feature nearby is the holder of the said distinction.

Name the other feature and what is the distinction?

Answer Follows

A. Southernmost point of Africa; Cape of Good Hope

A hairstyle called the Titus Cut was very popular in France in the 1700s. Was a short layered hairstyle. What led to the popularity of this hairstyle in the country?

Answer Follows

A. The short hair was meant to imitate the way the executioner sheared off the hair of those prisoners of the revolution who approached the guillotine so that the blade could cut cleanly through the neck

Connect

Answer Follows

A. Willow; Salicylic acid derives from Salx (latin for willow). Extracted from these trees initially

Connect

Answer Follows

A: Felix (Old name of Yemen, inspiration for Sonic, Lindbergh carried a Felix doll on the trans atlantic flight for good luck)

This province in Argentina is named for Portuguese word for beautiful. It is in northeastern Argentina, part of the Gran Chaco Region. Its northeast end touches Asunción, Paraguay, and borders the provinces of Chaco and Salta to its south and west, respectively.

Coincidentally it is also the antipode of another region which used to have the exact same name.

Both names please?

Answer Follows

A. Formosa; Taiwan

This term meaning ‘relating to athens’ was used to describe specific architectural features originating from this region. In the late 17th century it became an architectural term designating a small column on entablature over a larger one.

This has ultimately descended into its common meaning.

Word?

Answer Follows

A. Attic

Connect

Answer Follows

William Moulton Marston; Creator of Wonder woman, Systolic blood pressure test which is an integral part of the polygraph machine

Wonder woman’s weapon is called the ‘Lasso of Truth’

While we are all aware that there doubts regarding whether Obama was born in the U.S, a similar controversy came about with Senator John McCain as well, as to whether he was born in the U.S.

Put fundae

Answer Follows

A. McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone

The Dutch festival of Sinterklaas on December 5th, the country’s most important children’s holiday, is annual slugfest of racial politics. The problem is the figure of Zwarte Piet, an impish clown with a black face who accompanies Sinterklaas on his rounds, distributing presents and biscuits.

The character is derived from 17th-century paintings of Moorish slaves, and many Dutch with African ancestry find it offensive. Most white Dutch fail to see the problem, and react angrily to accusations that their tradition is racist.

What is the explanation the dutch give for his appearance

Answer Follows

A. SinterKlaas = Santa Klaus. The black face is from the chimney soot.

In WWI slang, who was an alleyman?

Answer Follows

A. Germans from Allemagne

The US presidential campaign slogan of Franklin Pierce in 1852 which was probably intended to indicate to voters the ‘sharpness’ of his campaign,was a pun on his name and the winner of the 1844 election, who was his friend.

What was the slogan?

Answer Follows

A. We Polked you in ’44, we will Pierce you in ‘52

This name of Lord Karthikeya is a pun which refers to both his role as the commander-in-chief of gods, and also alludes to one of his wives.

What is the name?

Answer Follows

A. Devasenapati (Devasena being his wife)

Both these athletes get their respective nicknames ‘Singing’ and ‘Chariots’ due to similar reasons.

How do they get their nicknames?

Answer Follows

A.

Martin Offiah - Chariots of fire

Miguel Indurain - Singing in the rain

Id the artist of this 1590 painting. In the world of paintings with Still life and Portraits, how is this unique?

Answer Follows

A. Giuseppe Arcimboldo; Both a still life and portait of the grocer

The Piano concerto for the left hand composed by Maurice Ravel was commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein, who was a notable Austrian composer himself.

Why did Wittgenstein ask Ravel to compose this piece for him ?

Answer Follows

A. Wittgenstein lost his right hand in WWI - could play only with his left hand