Wednesday, November 30, 2011

ANSWER: Video Games

5

Space Invaders is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible. In designing the game, Nishikado drew inspiration from popular media: Breakout, The War of the Worlds, and Star Wars. To complete it, he had to design custom hardware and development tools.

Matt: WRONG
Record: 419-363

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

QUESTION: Video Games

In the original Space Invaders, how many rows of aliens are there?

ANSWER: Medicine

Malaria

In April 1894, a Scottish physician Sir Ronald Ross visited Sir Patrick Manson at his house on Queen Anne Street, London. This visit was the start of four years of collaboration and fervent research which culminated in 1898 when Ross, who was working in the Presidency General Hospital in Calcutta, proved the complete life-cycle of the malaria parasite in mosquitoes; thus proving that the mosquito was the vector for malaria in humans. He did this by showing that certain mosquito species transmit malaria to birds. He isolated malaria parasites from the salivary glands of mosquitoes that had fed on infected birds. For this work, Ross received the 1902 Nobel Prize in Medicine. After resigning from the Indian Medical Service, Ross worked at the newly established Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and directed malaria-control efforts in Egypt, Panama, Greece and Mauritius. The findings of Finlay and Ross were later confirmed by a medical board headed by Walter Reed in 1900. Its recommendations were implemented by William C. Gorgas in the health measures undertaken during construction of the Panama Canal. This public-health work saved the lives of thousands of workers and helped develop the methods used in future public-health campaigns against the disease.

Matt: WRONG
Record: 419-362

Monday, November 28, 2011

QUESTION: Medicine

Walter Reed first discovered the transmission vector of what disease?

ANSWER: Bands

UB40

The name "UB40" was selected in reference to the document issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government's Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) at the time of the band's formation. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40.

Matt: CORRECT
Record: 419-361

Sunday, November 27, 2011

QUESTION: Bands

What band is named after a British form used for collecting unemployment benefits?

ANSWER: Movies

Bert & Ernie

Characters named Ernie and Bert appear in the film It's a Wonderful Life as a policeman and a taxi driver, respectively, but those behind Sesame Street claim that it is merely a coincidence. Jerry Juhl, a writer on many Henson-related projects, said, "Despite his many talents, Jim had no memory for details like this. He knew the movie, of course, but would not have remembered the cop and the cabdriver."

Matt: CORRECT
Record: 418-361