Christmas is finally here and we can now “unwrap” the clues to reveal the answers to our YuleTubeCalendar!
To celebrate our love of science and music, we created an online advent calendar where behind each window you can find a music video and written clue hinting at a key science news story from 2011.
If you haven’t already indulged in our science inspired quiz, why not ditch the traditional after- dinner game of Trivial Pursuits and use our calendar to quiz your family? It also means your party playlist is sorted 🙂
Merry Christmas everyone!
The answers
Clue one: This year scientists put a lot of energy into the hunt for something that may not even exist… What was it and have we found it yet?
Answer: The Higgs boson (Nature’s news coverage)
Clue two: You may be *curious* about this event that took place on November 26.
Answer: Curiosity, Mars Science Laboratory, by NASA was launched
Clue three: These speedy subatomic particles would feature well in Dr Who. What are they and what are they allegedly able to do?
Answer: Faster than light neutrinos (Nature’s news coverage)
Clue four: America’s endeavors in a faraway place end with these last few steps. What was it that came to a conclusion this year?
Answer: The Shuttle Program comes to an end (Nature video)
Clue five: The Roman goddess of women sets out on a long journey. Who or what is she and where is she going?
Answer: Juno, a NASA New Frontiers mission to the planet Jupiter was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Clue six: This person blazed a trail for women in science and is especially remembered this year. Can you name her and what was being celebrated?
Answer: Marie Curie’s 100th Anniversary of Her Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Clue seven: This explosive research brought stardom to all those involved.
Answer: 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae.
Clue eight: Discoveries about Man’s past, revealed some unexpected relationships. Who was involved with whom?
Answer: Genetic data suggests that Neanderthals may have interbred with humans.
Clue nine: Celebration of the fertility of mankind. What was the significant number?
Answer: Birth of the 7 billionth person on the planet.
Clue ten: They’ve had a “particle-ly” smashing time for the last 28 years.
Answer: Tevatron accelerator at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory just outside Chicago closes.
Clue eleven: One of Europe’s most devastating pandemics in human history was brought into the genome spotlight this year.
Answer: Black Plague genome sequenced by scientists.
Clue twelve: A successful cutting edge quest for sparkling perfection was awarded in October this year.
Answer: Chemistry Nobel prize was awarded for discovering quasicrystals.
Clue thirteen: What psychoactive flowering plant finally had it’s genome sequenced this year?
Answer: Genome of Marijuana qequenced.
Clue fourteen: The 1st December reminded us that after three decades there is still a battle to be fought.
Answer: HIV/AIDS – 30th anniversary.
Clue fifteen: A “goldilocks” discovery was made this year.
Answer: NASA Announces Kepler Mission Breakthrough: The first “habitable zone” planet discovered.
Clue sixteen: What popular science ex-rock star d-reamed up this wonder-full new TV series?
Answer: The wonders of the universe began this year presented by physicist Brian Cox.
Clue seventeen: Exclusive ownership of this product by a major drug company patently came to an end this year. Name the company and drug.
Answer: Lipitor goes out of patent.
Clue eighteen: A lot of fuss over nothing was made by 32 viewers over a section of this cool TV series.
Answer: Polar bear birth scene in the BBC series Frozen Planet.
Clue nineteen: What man made first, stemming from modern research, brought a breathe of fresh air to medicine this year?
Answer: The world’s first artificial organ transplant is achieved, using an artificial windpipe coated with stem cells.
Clue twenty: Which military development provided food for thought by holding back the effects of time?
Answer: US army developed the world’s most cutting edge sandwich – still fresh after 2 years on the shelf
Clue twenty-one: In October this year, this high-flying giant belatedly went into business?
Answer: First commercial flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Clue twenty-two: :
Answer:
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This is great! Wish I played it as it was going on. End of semester and holiday business just got the best of me. Fabulous idea, will keep an eye out for it next year if you do this again.
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Thanks Joanne, how did you get on? My family had a great time at Christmas playing this!
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Glad you enjoyed it Joanne, and shame that you missed it when we were tweeting and posting it on G+. Thanks for the shout out on Twitter too!