It’s almost the end of 2012, and much has happened in the world of science. How memorable was it for you? Take our review of the year quiz and find out…
Round 1 – Events
- It had only been seen six times previously – in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882 and 2004 – but was observable this year from 5-6 June, and will not now be seen again until 2117. What?
- Earlier this year, Nature published a paper detailing the discovery in northeastern China of fossils of gigantic tyrannosauroid dinosaurs which boasted what unusual feature – the largest ever dinosaurs to be discovered with this feature?
- The centenary of the birth of which mathematician was celebrated this year, including on the cover of Nature?
- Described in some quarters as the “Russian Nobel”, and with prizes of a whopping $3 million per recipient, billionaire investor Yuri Milner this year inaugurated a prize that celebrates work in which specific field of science?
- The mammoth project to describe all the functional elements inscribed in the human genome culminated this year with the simultaneous publication of 30 different papers (6 of them in Nature) – what was the name of this project?
Round 2 – Controversies
- The government of which European country has been involved in a plagiarism scandal this year, after multiple members of its government were alleged to have committed plagiarism in various academic papers (including, in the case of the Prime Minister himself, his PhD thesis)?
- Russian analytical chemist Olga Zelenina was controversially jailed earlier this year in a case that angered human rights campaigners. During her incarceration she shared a cell with a member of which – now world famous – band?
- Which US state controversially passed the so-called “monkey bill” in April, allowing teachers in public-funded schools to teach creationism alongside evolution?
Round 3 – The Picture Round
This week featuring some of the cover art from 2012 editions of Nature:
1. This cover from July related to the release of papers about what critical world event, which saw its 50th anniversary this year?
2. This cover from June featured cave paintings discovered in the Tadrart Acacus mountains. In which country would you find this range?
3. What kind of creatures are these, featured on the cover in early December? (NB a general answer will do, rather than the exact species.)
Round 4 – Books of the Year
- Who won the 2012 Royal Society Winton book prize – awarded to the best popular science book of the year – for his book The Information?
- Which best-selling author and neurologist published his latest book, Hallucinations, in November?
- Which physician and science writer published Bad Pharma in September, an expose of some of the nefarious, and frequently shocking, practices indulged in by the pharmaceutical industry?
Round 5 – Sadly departed
- Physicist Bernard Lovell, who died in August at the grand old age of 99, was best known for his key role in establishing what UK observatory?
- Biologist Keith Campbell, who died in October, was best known for his role in what pioneering scientific creation that made worldwide headlines, and which was named (by Campbell himself) after a famous Country and Western singer?
- What was the name of the first US woman in space, who died on 23 July this year?
- Martin Fleischmann, who died in August, had many genuine scientific achievements to his name. However – and perhaps sadly – he will be best remembered for his infamous experiments in what now discredited field of investigation?
- He was born on August 5 1930 and died on August 25 2012. In his lifetime, he did something that only eleven other people in history have ever done. Who is he?
Look out for all the answers on Monday – and next week we’ll be welcoming in the holiday season with a special Christmas quiz – so look out for that too! Until then have a great weekend.
Round 1 – Events
1. This was the transit of Venus across the sun. If you missed it, you’ll need set a reminder in your calendar for 105 years time to catch the next one.
2. These were the largest ever dinosaurs known to have feathers, providing a crucial evolutionary link in the evolution of birds.
3. This was the great – and tragic – genius that was Alan Turing.
4. This mega-money prize is called the Fundamental Physics Prize, with a whopping $27 million given out to recipients in its inaugural year.
5. This is known as the ENCODE project (with the name standing for “Encyclopedia of DNA Elements”).
Round 2 – Controversies
1. There have been similar scandals in Hungary and Germany in the recent past, but Romania is the country that has grabbed most of the headlines this year.
2. Zelenina was cell mates with Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot, whose incarceration was at least as controversial.
3. Tennessee introduced this notorious legislation. Tennessee was also the state that hosted the so-called Scopes “monkey trial” of the 1920s.
Round 3 – The Picture Round
1. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the stimulus for this cover.
2. There was a clue in the picture for the eagle-eyed, as the headline refers to the Sahara, which narrows it down to just a few countries. The country in question is Libya.
3. These are sea squirts or, if you prefer, tunicates. Those with expertise in the field may even have known that they are specifically solitary bluebell tunicates.
Round 4 – Books of the Year
1. James Gleick wrote this year’s Winton prize winner.
2. Hallucinations is the latest from Oliver Sacks.
3. Revealing the darker secrets of the pharmaceutical industry was Ben Goldacre.
Round 5 – Sadly departed
1. Lovell was instrumental in the founding of Jodrell Bank.
2. Campbell created Dolly the Sheep (named after Dolly Parton).
3. If you’re anything like me, her name invariably gives you a Wilson Pickett earworm – Sally Ride was the first American woman in space.
4. Fleischmann infamously worked on cold fusion.
5. And this, of course, was Neil Armstrong.
Have a great week – and look out for a special Christmas quiz on Friday!