Classic for beginners
Questions from Dmitry Zharkov, club "Mozgovorot" 1990-1998
In 1876, one of the teachers at the Boston School for the Deaf and Dumb invented something that was completely unnecessary for his students, but turned out to be very necessary for all of us. What is it?
Answer: A. Bell invented the telephone.
Source(s): Chemistry and life, 10/85, p.95
In the mountainous regions of Central Asia, there was a custom: when a child was born, the father planted 40 poplars. For what?
Answer: To build a house for his coming of age
Source(s): Science and Life, 4/88, p.160
The first such mechanism was manufactured by Spanish mechanics on the instructions of the Holy Inquisition, and more than one sinner experienced its effects. It has survived almost unchanged to this day, and all of you have probably experienced its effect on yourself. What kind of mechanism is this?
Answer: Drill.
Source(s): V. Nemtsov. Favorites, vol.1. M, Young Guard, 1982, p.75
One day, American Cleon Fraze, going on a picnic, forgot a can opener. And I thought about it. What did he invent?
Answer: Self-opening jars
Sources: Science and Life, 9/90, p.86
There is a restaurant in London whose owner, cooks and waiters are as bald as a billiard ball. Name this restaurant's advertisement, or at least the gist of it.
Answer: “With us you will never find a hair in the soup.”
Source(s): Knowledge is power, 9/88, p.93
This pyramid is located on Staten Island, New York, near the Statue of Liberty. It is growing, and, according to forecasts, it will soon become larger than the Statue of Liberty, and by 2005 it will overtake the Cheops pyramid. What kind of pyramid is this?
Answer: A mountain of garbage.
Source(s): Around the World, 9/90, p.58
Guess the old Indian riddle: Who serves a person before his birth, during his life, after his death?
Recently, genetic scientists discovered a new mutation in mice, which is phenotypically manifested in the fact that the mouse is black at birth and becomes white with age. Showing a certain erudition and sense of humor, geneticists unofficially named these mice... What did they call them?
Bernard Shaw was asked why women live longer than men. The witty Bernard Shaw replied: “Because they don’t have...” Who or what?
Answer: Zhen
Source(s): Physicists continue to joke. M, Mir, 1968, p.145
One day, a clumsy maid of a certain Mr. Bellon knocked over a kerosene lamp on the table. However, instead of punishing the culprit, Bellon became thoughtful - and after a while he became rich. On what?
Answer: He opened the world's first dry cleaner.
Modern science rejects this very possibility. But according to the ideas of the New Guinean Hua tribe, a man can still do this, but only in three cases: if someone bewitches him, if he eats food that a woman touched during her menstrual period, or if he eats an opossum animal. So what can he do?
Answer: Get pregnant or give birth.
Sources: J.May. Curious Facts. NY, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1980, p.30
It is estimated that this could be used to make a three-inch nail, 900 pencil leads, 2200 match heads, 7 bars of soap, gunpowder for one charge, flea poison for one dog and forty liters of mineral water. What is it about?
Answer: About a person.
Sources: http://www.netside.com/~bishop/triv.html (09/18/96)
At the World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna in 1961, a local teenager entered the locker room of the famous weightlifter Yuri Vlasov. He explained to Vlasov that he did this only to look at his idol and hear a few words from him. Vlasov said something like “If you want to be strong, you have to work hard.” The teenager took this covenant to heart. What was his name?
Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Sources: Yu. Vlasov. Justice of power. Science-Culture-Art, M., 1995, p.235
He was revered in Rus' both on weekdays and on holidays, especially since HE is an important attribute of one of them. But in recent years, Russians have often remembered him in vain. What is it about?
If the coat of arms of a knight of an ancient European family had a crown, then the number of teeth in it indicated this. If there was a fortress wall, this was indicated by the number of battlements on the wall. If there was a plume, this was indicated by the number of feathers in it. What is this?
Answer: The number of crusades in which his family took part.
Sources: V. Chivilikhin, Collection. Op. in 4 volumes, vol. 4, M., Sovremennik, 1985, p. 102
Imagine the following situation. A telephone rings in the house and an unfamiliar male voice asks: - Is this phone number 22-22-22? Could you call 03 and call an ambulance to the phone booth in the park? In response to the question why he could not call himself, the caller explained the reason for this. Why couldn’t he call 03 himself?
Answer: The finger got stuck in the hole with the number 2. Hence the need for an ambulance. (Actually, this is a joke, but the logic is beautiful).
During Prohibition in the United States, smugglers often transported whiskey on ships. They transported it in boxes, and for extra safety they lined the bottles in the boxes with salt. For what?
Answer: If there was a threat of inspection, the boxes were simply thrown overboard, they sank, and then the salt dissolved, and the smugglers picked up the floating boxes.
Sources: Around the World, 5/93, p.52
In the American state of Mississippi there is a monument to two natives of St. Petersburg. Who are they?
Answer: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Source(s): Crocodile, 19/89, p.15
In one of Victor Pelevin’s novels, two heroes conduct a dialogue in which they discuss Lenin’s plan for an armed uprising, Lenin’s cooperative plan, the GOELRO plan, the industrialization plan, the plan for building socialism in a single country, and even the Marshall Plan and the secret plan of world Zionism. What are the characters doing during this dialogue?
Answer: They smoke anasha (plan, marijuana).
Source(s): V. Pelevin. Life of insects, in the book: V. Pelevin. Works in two volumes, vol.2. Tambourine of the Upper World. M., Terra, 1996, p.93
Physiological scientists believe that THIS is the largest organ in the human body. It is even larger in mass than the liver. Transplantations of its parts began a long time ago, but no one has yet managed to transplant it entirely. What is this?
In some places in Ireland, until recently, the profession of a tinsmith, in contrast to the profession of a blacksmith, was considered extremely unprestigious. They did not even have the right to live permanently in one place and were forced to constantly roam. And this was connected with the legend that a tinsmith once did a job that a blacksmith refused. What kind of work was this?
Answer: Make nails for the crucifixion of Christ.
Sources: F.H.Stauffer. The Queer, the Quaint, the Quizzical: A Cabinet for the Curious. R.A.Tripple, Philadelphia, 1882 (reprint 1968), p.168
There is a police academy in the city of Kaliningrad. Its two buildings are located on different sides of the street, and they are connected by an overpass. What do local drivers mockingly call this crossing?
Answer: Garbage chute.
Sources: http://www.anekdot.ru/an/an9809/o980910.html
During the Second World War, the German army organized an excellent interception of enemy encryption. But here’s what’s remarkable: while the German codebreakers knew both English and Russian perfectly well, deciphering Russian radiograms took much more time than English and American ones. Why?
Answer: Russian radio operators transmitted radiograms with a large number of spelling errors, which confused the punctual Germans.
Sources: Technology for Youth, 6/86, p.58
Chemists know special types of polymer gels, the molecules of which are rings interlocked with each other. What do scientists call such polymers?
The report of the president of the Coca-Cola company on the results of 1996 said: “A billion years ago, man appeared on Earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity arose. A billion seconds ago, the Beatles changed music forever. A billion glasses of Coca-Cola ago were ...". What happened?
When ancient Greek warriors went into battle, they were advised to have a small coin with them - an obol. A coin or some small valuable item was placed in the hands or on the cheek of the deceased. For what?
Answer: To pay the carrier of the souls of the dead across the River Styx
Questions from Odessa 1991-1993 (Not in the Database, authors unknown)
The last book of A. Dumas the Father, which consisted of more than 1000 pages, was not dedicated to the brave musketeers and did not describe any historical events at all. Interestingly, in almost any bookstore you will find several similar books by different authors. What is this book?
Answer: Cookbook - "Big cook dictionary"
At the beginning of the great book-monument of Russian literature, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” a phenomenon is mentioned, thanks to which scientists were able to establish the date of the battle described in the book. What is this phenomenon?
Answer: Eclipse of the sun
This game was known in ancient times. One of the Greek amphoras depicts Achilles and Ajax playing it. Game attributes were made from someone's remains. What kind of game is it?
Answer: Bones
Where did the Frenchman Louis Blériot end up in 1909, covering 31 km in 27 minutes?
Answer: In England. He flew across the English Channel
In the 18th century in Paris, hats came into fashion, on which a rod was attached, and a chain hung from it to the ground. Why was such a strange decoration needed?
Answer: Lightning rod. Invented by US Ambassador to France B. Franklin
The French king Charles XII was terrified of being poisoned. This fear turned into real mania. In the end the king died, but not from poison. And from what?
Answer: From hunger
They say that once in Ancient Greece a donkey wandered into a vineyard and ate part of the grape bushes. Subsequently, a monument was erected to this donkey. For what?
Answer: He was the first to come up with the idea of pruning grapes
In Germany, these seasonal workers must be at least 180 cm tall, have a deep voice, good diction and a beard. They are given special clothing free of charge. Who are they?
Answer: Santa Clauses
One philosopher was asked: Is it true that if a black cat crosses the road, you will have bad luck? The philosopher replied: True, but only if you - ... Finish the thought.
Answer: Unless you're a mouse
Iceland is a cold country. But residents of its capital pay for heating in winter “a mere trifle.” How can one explain such generosity from Reykjavik City Hall?
Answer: The city is heated by geyser water
Kanai wakes the Japanese up for work, teaches his children, and does a lot of housework. Who is this?
Answer: Japanese wife
The Irish believed that when Jesus was born, there was a horse standing near his manger. This is where a well-known sign arose. Which?
Answer: Horseshoe brings happiness
The portrait of a Spanish cardinal, painted in the 14th century, does not seem surprising to us. We see that the cardinal is a wealthy man, a learned man. What was so surprising to contemporaries in this portrait, but doesn’t seem surprising to us?
Answer: Glasses
A camel can drink 60 liters of water before traveling. But you can’t explain to him that there is a long journey ahead. How does the driver convince the camel to drink so much water?
Answer: He gives him salt
The components of this substance are castor oil, cocoa butter, lanolin, petroleum products, and dyes. Some people eat a small amount of this every day, but their health is not affected. What is this substance?
Answer: Lipstick
Sometimes the fox takes a piece of hay in its teeth and begins to slowly enter the water. When the fox fully enters the water, she releases a piece of hay and it floats away. Why is the fox doing this?
What was it that was not possible to wean visitors to the tomb of Tutankhamun from, which interfered with the preservation of the monument, as a result of which it had to be closed from visitors?
Answer: Breathe
They are trying to protect architectural monuments from this disaster in different ways. Electronic devices that make nasty sounds, slippery plastic coverings, and even special pads with protruding points reduce the harm, but do not radically save. What kind of harm?
Answer: Bird droppings damaging architectural monuments
Landau believed that although mathematics lies at the core of the work of a theoretical physicist, non-standard thinking is also of paramount importance. Here is one of Landau’s problems: continue the series: R, D, T, Ch, P, W..., indicating at least two more members of this series.
Answer:…S,B,D,D, etc. This is a series of numbers: 1,2,3,4,5,6...)
The name of this fabulous museum in Tunisia includes a four-digit number. What is the date and what kind of museum is this?
Answer: This is the “1000 and One Nights” museum
The poet and adviser to the Queen of England Walter Reilly said before his death: “This medicine is acute, but it cures all diseases.” What is this?
Answer: Axe. Comment: Reilly was executed.
In ancient Samarkand, newborns were smeared with honey and glue. Which place was smeared with honey, and which with glue, and why?
Answer: Honey - lips, so that they are eloquent, and glue - hands, so that money sticks to your hands.
Previously, American textbooks tried to prove that many original Indian inventions, such as sleighs or snowshoes, did not belong to them. But they attributed to the Indians a custom that was not invented by the Indians, but by the whites. Which?
Answer: Scalping captured enemies
Al Shah, Al Firza, Al Fil, Al Faraz, Al Rek, Al Feizah. Translate into Russian.
Answer: King, queen, knight, bishop, rook, pawn
In the capital of Syria, Damascus, there are many attractions - the grave of Muhammad's daughter Fatima, covered bazaars 12 km long, nicknamed the “pipe”, the Umayyad mosque, the Church of John the Baptist. Among its attractions is also the Temple of the First Blood. What event is it dedicated to?
Answer: It is believed that Cain killed Abel at this place
Pliny the Elder said that for crimes committed with its help, a curse lies on the iron. What kind of curse is this?
Answer: Rust
In the summer of 1212, boys aged 12 and older moved along the roads of France and Germany in groups and crowds, almost all of them barefoot and with bare heads. Each one had a cloth cross sewn onto the front of their shirt. Where were they going?
Answer: To Palestine. Children's Crusade
Since ancient times, in most Japanese houses, partitions inside the house are usually made of cardboard or thick paper. And even now, when other materials can be used, they usually adhere to the old tradition. What is the reason for this consistency?
Answer: The Japanese are afraid of earthquakes. (Not in the Database)
Europeans learned about them from the Arabs, and therefore began to call them “Arab”, although in fact they are Indian. What is it about?
Answer: About the numbers
This word came into Russian from German or French and goes back to the Arabic word “gamala” - to wear. It is believed to have supernatural powers and bring happiness and good fortune to the owner. What is it about?
Answer: Amulet
The Chinese say: “Was your last rice tasty?”, the ancient Persians: “May your shadow not diminish!”, the Turks: “May Allah bless you!” What do we say?
Answer: Hello!
The inhabitants of ancient Lydia first came to this idea. In Miletus it was with the image of a lion, in Ephesus - a bee, in Chios - a sphinx, in Teos - a griffin. And it was made from amber. What is it about?
Answer: About coins
There are about one hundred trillion of them in total. Each of them functions as a walled city. There are power plants that generate energy. There are factories and complex transport systems. Exports and imports are strictly checked at customs. What is this?
Answer: Cells of the human body
What criminal act committed in a public place was punishable in Ancient Babylon by cutting off the lip?
Answer: Kiss
At first it was a lead, silver or gold stick in a metal case. Such sticks were used until the 16th century, when graphite deposits were found in England. Since then, he has changed his appearance all the time. What is it about?
Answer: About the pencil
This number owes its origin to the Roman Emperor Nero. The Christians he persecuted added up the numerical values of the letters of Nero's first name, surname and title and arrived at this number. It used to be called the “number of the beast.” What is this number and what is it called now?
Answer: 666 - “number of the devil”
In 1900, the Viennese physician Karl Landsteiner discovered special substances in red blood cells, which he called agglutinogens. They come in two types. Some people have one type, others another, some have both at once, and some do not have them at all. How are these people different?
Answer: Blood type.
Whatever the form, these products are divided into two types - returning and non-returning. What is this?
Answer: Boomerang
Egypt is considered its cradle. It has even been found in ancient tombs. Humanity did not yet know how to prepare bread, but it was already widely used. She was appreciated by the people of many countries, and not only women. What is this?
Answer: Cosmetics
The Greeks and Romans considered this item of clothing a sign of barbarism and never wore it. But it could be seen on representatives of barbarian peoples - Scythians, Germans, Celts, Phrygians. If we were in our time, the Greeks and Romans would consider us all barbarians. What would bother them so much about our clothes?
Answer: Trousers
This title was first awarded to the Duke of Anjou in France in 1569. In Russia it appeared with the reforms of Peter 1 in 1695. The word itself is translated from Latin as “the most important.” What is this title?
Answer: Generalissimo
In 1915, Professor Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky invented something that saved the lives of millions of people both in war and in peacetime - in production, during accidents and fires. What is this?
Answer: Mask
Sailors and travelers in ancient Greece made sacrifices to these four mythical brothers. Their names were Boreas, Zephyr, Eurus and Noth. What did they control?
Answer: Winds - north, west, south and east)
They grow at a rate of 12 mm per month, and more slowly at night than during the day. About a hundred of them fall per day. What is it about?
Answer: About hair
An unusual museum has recently opened in Delhi. The exhibits on display tell the story of the origin and development of these devices. Here you can also see Thai vases, probably the first devices of this kind in the world, which were in use 4 thousand years ago. There are also luxurious rooms from the palaces of British monarchs. And portable urns that nobles took with them on campaigns and travels. Sixty countries sent exhibits and books on this topic to the museum. What kind of exhibits are on display in this museum?
Answer: Toilets
There is a beautiful ancient Greek myth about a beautiful nymph who fell in love with the proud and narcissistic Narcissus. From the torment of unrequited love, this nymph dried up so that only her voice remained. What was her name?
Answer: Echo
Most of them are in the Erg-er-Ravi desert, but there are also a lot of them in the Sahara. Even special maps of caravan routes have been compiled with marks of the places where they usually visit. Caravans were especially often their victims. One day, 60 people and 90 camels died because of them. What is this?
Answer: Mirages
Which shoe did Cinderella lose - her left or right foot?
Answer: The shoes were the same on both feet
In ancient Rome and Greece, signs could be seen in public places written on wooden boards or engraved on copper. They were placed in the most prominent places. All this was called the Latin word “I shout out.” Say this word.
When the Portuguese brought it to Europe from China in the 16th century, it was called “apple from China.” What is it called now?
Answer: Orange
Doctors of the 17th century sometimes gave the patient to hold in his hands a small turtle made of thin glass, filled with alcohol, in which small glass balls floated. For what?
Answer: Measure the temperature.
Comment: The warmer the alcohol, the more balls sink.
Rock lizards have invented an ingeniously simple way to protect themselves from snakes. Once it is used, the snake is deprived of any opportunity to swallow this tempting prey, although the lizard has neither a shell nor poison. What does a rock lizard do to escape from snakes?
Answer: It curls up in a ring, and the snake cannot swallow it - there is no place to start swallowing it whole, and the snake does not know how to tear its prey into pieces
In order for a date palm or other useful tree to grow better in the desert, people from ancient times covered their tree trunks with stones. For what?
Answer: Stones glow in the sun. Moisture condenses on them, which then flows into the sand and feeds the roots of the trees.
In France in the Middle Ages, poor peasant families ate poultry (chickens, ducks, geese) only in two similar cases. Which ones?
Answer: In case of death of the owner and in case of death of the bird
What do the words “solo”, “estuary”, “peace”, “bun”, “eyelids”, “game” have in common?
Answer: these are anagrams of the names of the cities of Oslo, Milan, Rome, Kabul, Kyiv and Riga
One of these two plants, similar in culinary purposes, originated in Africa, but is currently grown most often in America. The other, on the contrary, appeared in America, and the world supplies it mainly from Africa. Name both.
Answer: Coffee and cocoa
Ron Dennis, the director of the McLaren team, one of the most famous and popular Formula 1 teams, believes that he achieved many brilliant victories primarily because he always adhered to the principle: “The second is only the first...” Complete the aphorism of a Formula 1 old-timer.
Answer: "... from the losers."
Everyone knows that the Spaniards extremely successfully used their cavalry in the wars of the Conquista against the Indians, who had no domesticated riding animals, except for llamas and guanacos, unfit for battle. Why didn't the Indians domesticate wild mustangs, which are easily tamed?
Answer: they simply did not exist - they are descendants of feral horses brought by the Spaniards.
Questions from Boris Burda 1992-1994
As you know, the ancient Greeks placed a copper coin under the tongue of the dead to pay off hellish carrier om Charon. Why did they also put a honey cake in the coffin?
Answer: To throw to Cerberus.
Source(s): M.V.Gorbanevsky. In the world of names and titles. M., Knowledge, 1983, p. 160.
Imagine that there is a hippopotamus in front of you. A zoo visitor asked the watchman a question about him. The watchman replied: “Madam, only the other hippopotamus is interested in this, and he knows.” What did the visitor ask?
Answer:"Is it a female or a male?"
A young girl who wanted to be accepted into an archaeological expedition was advised by archaeologists to study a certain thick book, every line of which, according to them, is imbued with love for humanity, and rightly assured her that a person who thoroughly studied this book would be gladly taken on any expedition. What kind of book is this?
Linda Ware of Redmond, Washington, invented this 16-pound device. It consists of several components: an inflatable chest, a belt to constrict the chest, which causes shortness of breath and increased blood pressure, a 5-liter container filled with water with a mechanism that suddenly begins to move, and a three-kilogram bag of shot that is tightly attached to the bladder area. What is the purpose achieved by using this device?
Answer: Show men the hardships of pregnancy.
In Russia it starts from the first, in England - from the seventh, in Israel - also from the seventh, although there it is the first. What is this?
Answer: A week
The demand for sculpture in Nepal is always high. After all, the gods of the countless Hindu pantheon live in the Himalayas. Now tell me, why should stone statues, for example, Shiva, have even a slight defect? For the same reason, wooden figures are made assemblies from different types of wood.
Answer: So that the statue does not come to life.
Questions from the BR of the Odessa festival 1991
There is a legend that says that a shepherd named Kaddi, who lived in the Kaffa province of Ethiopia, was driving goats through the thicket and watched as the goats frolicked and became excited. He tasted the berries, similar to cherries, and felt an influx of strength and vigor. What was the name of this plant, its fruits and the drink made from them?
Answer: Coffee.
Comment: Based on the name of the province where this happened, the plant, its fruits and the drink made from them are called coffee.
Questions from the BR of the Odessa festival 1991
The legendary Pele published his book “I am Pele”. After this, a certain indicator rose quite seriously in Brazil, for which the ministry responsible for this indicator awarded Pele a gold medal. What kind of ministry is this?
Answer: Ministry of Education.
Questions from the BR of the Odessa festival 1991
This river in the southeast of Siberia, the left tributary of the Chulym, is 380 km long, navigable for 114 km, and is little famous for anything other than timber rafting. However, it is its modest two-letter name that concludes many respectable scientific works. Name it.
The rations of Roman legionaries included a number of products. If there is a shortage
some of them could be replaced by others. And only two fairly similar plant products could not be replaced by anything and had to be issued in any case. Name them.
A number of mythologists claim that the end of matriarchy and the advent of patriarchy are associated with a certain scientific fact, which finally became known to primitive people, and somewhat reduced the most important role of water and wind in primitive mythologies. What is this fact?
Answer: N Necessary for male childbearing.
Most tin objects of ancient times are made from British tin, most jade objects not only in China, but throughout the ancient world, come from deposits of the Hindu Kush... And what is the origin of the vast majority of ancient Egyptian objects made of iron?
Answer: M Teoritic - a lot of nickel and practically does not rust.
What did a diplomat named Nico bring to France in the 16th century?
In ancient Rome, dozens of cartloads of bright red sand were brought here every day. Where and for what?
Answer: To the Colosseum, to the arena of gladiator fights, so that the blood is not visible.
Boris Burda's training. 1992
Three plants made up the wealth of ancient Hellas: grapes, olives and carob. The latter provided feed for livestock, as well as sweet giri, the name of which we use to this day. What kind of name is this?
Answer: Carat.
Comment: All carob seeds weighed exactly the same, so they were used as weights, which were called CARAT.
Question 100
In China, as a sign of loyalty to this word, during matchmaking, the bride and groom gave each other tea. This custom is associated with one curious property of the tea bush. What kind?
Answer: The tea bush does not tolerate transplantation.
Festival in Odessa "ChGK". 1991
Question 101
This plant has more than 20 percent sugar in its sap, the highest amount of sugar in its sap among plants. Local residents many centuries ago collected its juice and obtained sugar from it. And now it has become an attribute of the flag and a national symbol of a certain country. Which?
Question 102
Spanish Archbishop Bartolomeo Las Casas was an ardent defender of the Indians oppressed by the Spaniards. One of his humane actions, designed to save the Indians from backbreaking labor, brought untold grief to millions of people. Who are these people?
Question 103
Columbus set off from Palos, rather than from the much more famous and larger ports of Seville and Cadiz. They were busy - more than 140,000 of them were leaving Spain at that time. Who were they?
Answer: Jews who were then ordered to be baptized or leave Spain.
Sources: P.V. Lange. The Great Wanderer. M., Mysl, 1984, p.46.
Question 104
Answer the ancient religious riddle that was asked to children in Rus': what is Adam's front and Eve's back?
Answer: Letter "a".
Sources: N. Formanovskaya. You said "hello". M., Knowledge, 1989, p.45.
Question 105
The spider must disguise its web so that it is not noticed by the insects that serve as its prey. But scientists at Cornell University have discovered that spiders weave their webs so that there is a large pattern on it that is visible from afar. Why do spiders do this?
Answer: To prevent birds from tearing the web.
Comments: If one of the insects flies around, it’s not scary, the damage from a bird breaking through the web will be greater.
Question 106
Why, after Empress Catherine II visited Admiral Ushakov’s flagship, was the ship cleaned, much more thoroughly than before her visit?
Answer: A woman on board is a very bad omen. Even the empress.
Question 107
In medieval Russia, in the summer, special officials sealed all stoves in houses and the owners were forced to cook in the garden or vegetable garden. For what?
Answer: To reduce the risk of fire.
Question 108
Francesco de Taxis, an Italian nobleman from Bergamo, proposed to some European kings that they establish an international postal network and the transportation of passengers for a fee. What are two words that are associated with these events?
Question 109
The famous John D. Rockefeller, wanting to get rid of snakes in one of his possessions, appointed a large reward for each killed snake. However, the number of snakes in this domain still continued to increase, despite the fact that, tempted by the reward, killed snakes were continuously brought to him in ever-increasing quantities. Why?
Answer: In order not to be left without a reward, the residents of these places began to breed snakes.
Sources: "24 hours", N 20 (153), 1992
Question 110
The famous English physicist and chemist laid the foundations for his great discovery in childhood, when he discovered that there was very little point in sending him into the forest to pick up ripe strawberries. Say his last name.
Question 111
The daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Rantsev, who served under Nicholas I, married a guard major, originally from Livonia. Her husband, respecting his wife’s family, took a double surname, combining his surname with his wife’s surname, but putting his wife’s surname in second place. By personal order of Nicholas I, he was obliged to move his wife’s surname to first place. What was his last name?
Question 112
Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to grow this plant on his farm. It was used to make the sails and shrouds of the first American warship, the first US flag and the first jeans. It provides fabric, oil, protein, fuel - you name it. However, since the 30s, it has been prohibited to grow it in the United States. Name this plant.
Answer: Hemp is the source of marijuana.
Sources: In the world of science, 2/91, M., Mir, 1991, p.73.
Tournament "Golden Section". 1992
Question 113
One of the most unusual exhibitions took place ten years ago in Madrid. Here were displayed: flowers, old furniture, ink, a dusty room, worn clothes. But they could not only be seen, but even heard, although their presence was felt. What was exhibited at this exhibition?
Answer: smells.
Question 114
The command tower at the airport in Amsterdam once received an urgent message: “Airplane 537. There is not a drop of gasoline in our tanks. We are waiting for instructions.” The green-faced controller grabbed the microphone with a shaking hand and shouted: “537, don’t lose your cool, don’t panic. Try to use the aerodynamic qualities of the plane.” What, other than rude curses, did flight 537 answer?
Answer:"We can't take off. We're waiting for refueling."
Question 115
This invention is more than one thousand years old. This is a device that comes in big and small. It can be owned by both private individuals and public institutions. It is so popular that it can be found in homes, on the streets, in stores - in general, everywhere. One French company specializing in its production has provided a home version with a tape recorder, which, when a certain indicator measured by this device is exceeded, plays Chopin’s “Funeral March”. What is this device?
Answer: scales.
Question 116
When in 1968 in Mexico City the American Bob Beamon made his unique jump of 8 m 90 cm (which only recently ceased to be a world record), and this result was shown on the scoreboard, the stadium naturally exploded. And only one person was calm at that moment - Bob Beamon. Why?
Answer: he understood nothing about the metric system of measures.
Question 117
In Japan, known for its strict morals, there is an unwritten rule - a girl cannot appear at work in the same outfit for two days in a row. Why?
Answer: so that they would not think that she did not spend the night at home.
Questions from Evgeniy Kopeika
Question 119
Peter I is required to Assembly mi ordered the boyars to use a damp cloth with crushed chalk, and in the time of Ivan the Terrible they used the so-called “broom” or “tick broom”. For what?
Answer: H tooth decay.
Source(s):"Encyclopedia for schoolchildren", Kyiv, "Scanner", 1994, p.162.
Question 120
Above the tomb of the conqueror Tamerlane is written: “Infidel, do not enter here, do not try to disturb its occupant. War sleeps here!” And yet, undaunted, the Soviet anthropologist Gerasimov began excavations in the tomb. What year was this?
Question 121
When Botkin was asked which exercises are the most useful for losing weight, he replied that turning the head from right to left and from left to right. Please answer, under what circumstances is it most effective?
Answer: Whenever food is offered
Question 122
Among the ancient Hindus, the elephant was responsible for this, among the Dayaks of Sumatra, the ox, among the Japanese, the catfish, and Thales of Miletus considered water responsible for this. What is this?
Answer: Earthquake (movements of animals on which the earth rests and the earth sways on the water).
Question 123
The Swiss Jean-Jacques Babel calculated that from 3500 BC. humanity has spent only 292 years without... Without what?
Question 124
One day, one of the leading designers of the famous Japanese company Sony, O. Marita, returned home tired, wanted to rest, and his children listened to music. What did he soon invent?
Question 125
In ancient India, when performing mysterious rituals, lights suddenly flashed, instilling superstitious fear in those praying. In which Indian province did the priests resort to similar tricks more often than others?
Answer: In Bengal (sparklers).)
Question 126
At one time, many so-called lovers of the beauty of Paris protested against the construction of the “monstrous and useless” Eiffel Tower. Among them was Maupassant. But the tower was still built, so Maupassant always dined in the same place. According to him, this was the only place where he did not see the ugly shape of the Eiffel Tower. Where did he have lunch?
Answer: In a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.
Question 127
The actors of the ancient Greek theater wore masks on their faces. These masks, roughly painted and visible from afar, expressed people's feelings - joy, grief, pain. However, they performed another function, which in modern theaters is performed by completely different devices. Which?
Answer: Microphones.
Soviet janitors had their brooms shortened and shortened. For what?
Soviet janitors loved to stand leaning on a broom.
In 2008, in Zimbabwe, government authorities banned this in public toilets.
Wipe yourself with money. In 2008, Zimbabwe experienced hyperinflation. 1 billion Zimbabwean dollars couldn't even buy toilet paper, so it was cheaper to wipe yourself with money. Of course, the state did not like this attitude towards the national currency.
Oddly enough, the number 333 - half of the “animal number of the Apocalypse” 666 - has a very strange property. So far, not a single authentic document has been found that bears the date 333 AD. Why?
The very concept of “from A.D.” Dionysius the Less introduced it only in 525 AD. e. So in 333 they had no idea about such a chronology.
The headquarters of the US Department of War is located at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Why does the building have twice as many toilets as required?
The Pentagon was built in the 1940s, when Virginia had strict segregation laws requiring white and black citizens to use separate restrooms.
The first such mechanism was manufactured by Spanish mechanics on the instructions of the Holy Inquisition, and more than one sinner experienced its effects. It has survived almost unchanged to this day, and all of you have probably experienced its effect on yourself. What kind of mechanism is this?
Drill.
King George IV was born in 1763. He ruled England from 1820 to 1830. He was not very famous, but he was responsible for the innovation in shoes. His boots were different from others. We still use his invention now, but at that time it was very unusual. What did he invent?
He invented the right and left boot. Before this, all shoes could be worn on any foot.
In Ancient Greece it was worn by both men and women, borrowing from Persia. The Egyptians had been accustomed to this for a long time. The Romans came into use of this at the dawn of the Empire, and the imperial fashionistas loved to receive it from Germany. And in France it was first widely used by Louis XIII in 1624. What characteristic of his contributed to this?
Bald, since we are talking about wigs.
Renault employees stated that 3% of windshields leave factories broken. The reason is the careless handling of the loaders, despite the warning notices on the container. After urgent actions by the company, the battle decreased several times. What were these actions?
We made transparent packaging.
Australian John Harlinger set a world record by walking 1,400 km from Vienna to Paris in 55 days. He moved at an average speed of 2.4 km/h and did this in 1900, but his record still stands. What's special about it?
He walked this path on his hands and thus set a world record for walking on his hands.
In 1685, it was decided to paint a portrait of the Duke of Monmouth. However, thread and needle were required earlier before the artist began his work. There was nothing wrong with the Duke's clothes, so why did they need the thread and needle?
James, Duke of Monmouth, was beheaded on July 15, 1685, after defeat at the Battle of Sagemoor, ending his bid for the throne of King James II. After the execution, it was decided to paint a portrait of the unfortunate man. The head was sewn to the body, and then the artist was able to begin work.
Lord Strathallen was a famous Scottish nobleman accustomed to getting what he wanted. One day in 1746, he ordered some food and drink to be brought, although he was not hungry or thirsty. What he asked for could not be found, and he was offered whiskey and oatmeal cookies. He tasted both with pleasure. Why?
Lord Strathallen was mortally wounded at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746, when the Scots, led by Prince Charles, were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby ending the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. Lord Strathallen was a Catholic and asked for communion before he died. The priest could not find wine and bread, so he used whiskey and oatmeal cookies.
In Korea there were seven of them: infertility, adultery, jealousy, slander, disrespect for the husband's parents, illness and talkativeness. What could they lead their owner to?
Seven vices are a necessary and sufficient condition for divorce.
When digital telephone communications were tested in England, telephone exchanges were inundated with complaints. It was not clear to clients whether they were being listened to or the connection was interrupted. Why?
There was no background noise.
In 1987, a commemorative coin was issued in Cuba. What ship was depicted on it?
Cruiser Aurora". It was the anniversary of the October Revolution.
Chinese martial arts masters said that fighting is for fools, but victory is for smart people. And what do they think is for the wise?
World. The wise man will find a way not to get involved in a fight.
Scandinavians are familiar with the formula for happiness. That is why they smash dishes on the doors of other people's houses on New Year's Eve. What do the owners judge in the morning when they count the fragments?
Watson, now put your pocket watch on this table, take a few steps away from it and listen to its ticking. Now the room is quite quiet, the fireplace is not lit, and you will hear the clock ticking as if intermittently: it ticks for a short time, then becomes silent for a few seconds, then starts ticking again, etc. But you have a wonderful Swiss watch!
How can one explain such an uneven course?
Mysterious breaks in the ticking of the clock are explained by hearing fatigue. Our hearing is dulled for a few seconds, and during these intervals we do not hear ticking. After a short time, fatigue passes and the former sensitivity is restored, then we again hear the clock ticking. Then fatigue sets in again, etc.
Torture device
The first such mechanism was manufactured by Spanish mechanics on the instructions of the Holy Inquisition, and more than one heretic experienced its effects. It has survived almost unchanged to this day, and we have all almost certainly experienced its effects on ourselves.
What kind of mechanism is this, Watson?
King and shoes
Let's take another walk through historical facts.
As you know, Watson, our King George IV was born in 1763. He ruled England from 1820 until his death in 1830. He was not very famous, but he was responsible for the innovation in shoes. His boots stood out from others. We use his invention now, but at that time it was very unusual - simply revolutionary.
What did he invent?
He invented the right and left boots. Before this, all shoes could be worn on either foot.
Salary in gold
Watson, now for a moment imagine yourself as the head of a gold mining team. Every week you pay workers with gold bars. One of your employees wanted to be paid daily for his work. You have a ingot already marked into seven equal parts, each corresponding to the worker's daily wage, but you are only allowed to make two cuts.
How to get out of this situation, taking into account the fact that in the place where the mine is located there is nowhere to spend gold?
We divide the ingot into three unequal parts using two cuts.