Wednesday Trivia: Jan 30, 2013

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 3:21 pm

1. In Hindu mythology, he is one of the saptarshis (seven great sages) of the current manvantara (major era). He was the father of devas (gods) and asuras (demons), and is the progenitor of human beings. A part of the Indian subcontinent derives its name from his name. According to legend, this region was covered by a large lake. The sage killed a demon who lived in that lake, and breached nearby mountains to drain the lake. Once the lake was drained, the region became a rich and fertile province that was named for the sage. Name the sage and the province.

2. More than 98% of all Hindus in the world live in the Indian subcontinent. India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan all have sizable Hindu populations. Outside the Indian subcontinent, what is the country with the largest Hindu population?

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For millennia, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

4. This ancient port city located near the mouth of one of India’s major rivers was known to the Greeks as Maisolos. The English East India Company’s first factory in India was established here. In colonial times, control of the city shifted between the French, the British and the Dutch. The city has two popular names; one of them simply means “port.” What is the other name of the city?

5. If you consult a list of the world’s longest rivers sorted in descending order of length, how many Indian rivers should you expect to see in the top 10? And how many in the top 20? By Indian river, I mean any river that flows through the modern territory of India.

6. The photo below shows an area that was traversed by important historical figures including Darius of Persia, Alexander of Macedon, the Mohammeds of Ghazna and Ghor, Chengiz Khan, Babar and several of his descendants. To the north of this region lies the country of the Mullagori tribe, and to the south lies the Tirah valley. Name this area. Wednesday Trivia: Jan 30, 2013 Questi10

7. Messages on the microblogging platform Twitter are famously limited to 140 characters. This size limitation was set in order to comply with another, pre-existing size limitation on electronic messages of another variety. What was the reason behind Twitter’s 140-character limit?

8. The populations of India and Nepal are both over 80% Hindu. Outside these two countries, which country has the highest percentage of Hindus in its population? To the nearest 10%, what is the percentage of Hindus in that country’s population?

9. Andy Bechtolsteim is one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems. One early morning in August 1998, he met two PhD students and looked at a demo of their new idea. The students did not have an incorporated company or even a bank account yet, but Bechtolsteim still gave them a check for $100,000 on the spot. The two young men then went to Burger King for breakfast to celebrate the first investment in their as-yet-unincorporated venture. What company name did Bechtolsteim put on his check? Bonus: what are the names of the PhD students?

10. Humanity has been exploring space for over 50 years now. Several thousand space vehicles have been launched by more than a dozen nations. As of 2013, what is the number of manmade objects that have left the solar system? Bonus: Name them.

by Hellsangel Wed Jan 30, 2013 3:32 pm

panini press wrote:1. In Hindu mythology, he is one of the saptarshis (seven great sages) of the current manvantara (major era). He was the father of devas (gods) and asuras (demons), and is the progenitor of human beings. A part of the Indian subcontinent derives its name from his name. According to legend, this region was covered by a large lake. The sage killed a demon who lived in that lake, and breached nearby mountains to drain the lake. Once the lake was drained, the region became a rich and fertile province that was named for the sage. Name the sage and the province. AGASTYA?

2. More than 98% of all Hindus in the world live in the Indian subcontinent. India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan all have sizable Hindu populations. Outside the Indian subcontinent, what is the country with the largest Hindu population? Indonesia?

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For millennia, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

4. This ancient port city located near the mouth of one of India’s major rivers was known to the Greeks as Maisolos. The English East India Company’s first factory in India was established here. In colonial times, control of the city shifted between the French, the British and the Dutch. The city has two popular names; one of them simply means “port.” What is the other name of the city? Bandar?

5. If you consult a list of the world’s longest rivers sorted in descending order of length, how many Indian rivers should you expect to see in the top 10? And how many in the top 20? By Indian river, I mean any river that flows through the modern territory of India.

6. The photo below shows an area that was traversed by important historical figures including Darius of Persia, Alexander of Macedon, the Mohammeds of Ghazna and Ghor, Chengiz Khan, Babar and several of his descendants. To the north of this region lies the country of the Mullagori tribe, and to the south lies the Tirah valley. Name this area. Khyber Pass. This is easy

7. Messages on the microblogging platform Twitter are famously limited to 140 characters. This size limitation was set in order to comply with another, pre-existing size limitation on electronic messages of another variety. What was the reason behind Twitter’s 140-character limit? SMS limitation

8. The populations of India and Nepal are both over 80% Hindu. Outside these two countries, which country has the highest percentage of Hindus in its population? To the nearest 10%, what is the percentage of Hindus in that country’s population? Mauritius

9. Andy Bechtolsteim is one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems. One early morning in August 1998, he met two PhD students and looked at a demo of their new idea. The students did not have an incorporated company or even a bank account yet, but Bechtolsteim still gave them a check for $100,000 on the spot. The two young men then went to Burger King for breakfast to celebrate the first investment in their as-yet-unincorporated venture. What company name did Bechtolsteim put on his check? Bonus: what are the names of the PhD students? Google?

10. Humanity has been exploring space for over 50 years now. Several thousand space vehicles have been launched by more than a dozen nations. As of 2013, what is the number of manmade objects that have left the solar system? Bonus: Name them.

by doofus_maximus Wed Jan 30, 2013 3:49 pm

3. people of Leh/Ladakha..Balti or some such is the language.
4. Surat
5. None I think.
9. google ..Brim and Page.
10. two (voyager probes).

by indophile Wed Jan 30, 2013 4:26 pm

1. Kashyapa, Kashmir

2. U.S.A.

3. Rift Valley in Africa

4. Bandar, Machilipatnam.

6. Afghanistan

8. U.S.A. (1.5%)

10. 1 (Voyager)

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:22 pm

Hellsangel wrote:1. AGASTYA?

No.

Hellsangel wrote:2. Indonesia?

Correct.

Hellsangel wrote:4. Bandar?

That is the correct city. Indo gave the other name as well.

Hellsangel wrote:5. Khyber Pass. This is easy

Correct... I gave away too much in the clue.

Hellsangel wrote:7. SMS limitation

Correct... what is that limitation?

Hellsangel wrote:8. Mauritius

Correct. What percentage of Mauritius's population is Hindu?

Hellsangel wrote:9. Google?

Correct.

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:25 pm

doofus_maximus wrote:3. people of Leh/Ladakha..Balti or some such is the language.

Nope. Looks like I will have to give more clues on this one.

doofus_maximus wrote:4. Surat

No.

doofus_maximus wrote:5. None I think.

Correct. None of India's rivers count among the world's 20 longest rivers.

doofus_maximus wrote:9. google ..Brim and Page.

Correct; Sergei Brin and Larry Page are the founders of Google.

doofus_maximus wrote:10. two (voyager probes).

Correct. Depending on how you interpret the boundaries of the solar system, you could also argue that they are still within the system.

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:30 pm

indophile wrote:1. Kashyapa, Kashmir

Correct.

indophile wrote:2. U.S.A.

No; the answer is Indonesia, thanks to Bali which is mostly Hindu.

indophile wrote:3. Rift Valley in Africa

No. Will provide hints soon.

indophile wrote:4. Bandar, Machilipatnam.

Correct.

indophile wrote:6. Afghanistan

No, the specific answer I was looking for was Khyber Pass. It is located primarily on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line. The picture shows the Indian subcontinent as viewed from the other side.

indophile wrote:8. U.S.A. (1.5%)

No, the answer is Mauritius.

indophile wrote:10. 1 (Voyager)

Correct. Voyager I is basically outside the solar system (although it does depend on your technical definition of the solar system). Voyager 2 is almost there as well.

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:50 pm

Here is an update with hints.

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For ~~millennia~~ centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

Hint: More on the language... all the close relations of this language are now spoken over 1,000 miles away in the center and south of the Indian subcontinent. All other languages spoken near this strategically significant geographical feature belong to a different language family. The language in question has been mentioned in some CH discussions.

8. The populations of India and Nepal are both over 80% Hindu. Outside these two countries, Mauritius has the highest percentage of Hindus in its population. To the nearest 10%, what is the percentage of Hindus in Mauritius?

by Obnoxious Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:14 pm

panini press wrote:Here is an update with hints.

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For ~~millennia~~ centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

Hint: More on the language... all the close relations of this language are now spoken over 1,000 miles away in the center and south of the Indian subcontinent. All other languages spoken near this strategically significant geographical feature belong to a different language family. The language in question has been mentioned in some CH discussions.

Vindhyas? Sinhalese?

8. The populations of India and Nepal are both over 80% Hindu. Outside these two countries, Mauritius has the highest percentage of Hindus in its population. To the nearest 10%, what is the percentage of Hindus in Mauritius?

50%?

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:19 pm

Silk Smitha wrote:3. Vindhyas? Sinhalese?

No. Makes me wonder if I worded my question correctly. Let me revisit it.

Silk Smitha wrote:8. 50%?

Correct!

by bw Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:31 pm

panini press wrote:Here is an update with hints.

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For ~~millennia~~ centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

Hint: More on the language... all the close relations of this language are now spoken over 1,000 miles away in the center and south of the Indian subcontinent. All other languages spoken near this strategically significant geographical feature belong to a different language family. The language in question has been mentioned in some CH discussions.

the deccan plateau?

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:34 pm

bw wrote:
panini press wrote:Here is an update with hints.

3. This geographical formation had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For ~~millennia~~ centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. The remaining members of that language family are found over a thousand miles away. Name the language, and the geographical feature controlled by people who speak it.

Hint: More on the language... all the close relations of this language are now spoken over 1,000 miles away in the center and south of the Indian subcontinent. All other languages spoken near this strategically significant geographical feature belong to a different language family. The language in question has been mentioned in some CH discussions.

the deccan plateau?

No, I am asking about another, much smaller, geographical feature where the language spoken is a rare outlier that belongs to the same family as many languages spoken around the Deccan plateau.

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:17 pm

Just one question remains. Severely reworded...

3. This geographical feature had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. Today, the other members of that language family are spoken in central and southern India, more than one thousand miles away. The geographical feature comprises a series of long, narrow valleys or gorges and extends for 55 miles from Rindli in the south to Kolpur in the north. When Humayun, son of Babar and father of Akbar, left India for Iran, he traveled through these parts. Name the geographical feature, and the language spoken by the people who traditionally control it.

by b_A Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:34 pm

panini press wrote:Just one question remains. Severely reworded...

3. This geographical feature had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. Today, the other members of that language family are spoken in central and southern India, more than one thousand miles away. The geographical feature comprises a series of long, narrow valleys or gorges and extends for 55 miles from Rindli in the south to Kolpur in the north. When Humayun, son of Babar and father of Akbar, left India for Iran, he traveled through these parts. Name the geographical feature, and the language spoken by the people who traditionally control it.

The language is dakhini - batakini and hindu kush region of Afghan?

by Idéfix Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:37 pm

b_A wrote:
panini press wrote:Just one question remains. Severely reworded...

3. This geographical feature had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. Today, the other members of that language family are spoken in central and southern India, more than one thousand miles away. The geographical feature comprises a series of long, narrow valleys or gorges and extends for 55 miles from Rindli in the south to Kolpur in the north. When Humayun, son of Babar and father of Akbar, left India for Iran, he traveled through these parts. Name the geographical feature, and the language spoken by the people who traditionally control it.

The language is dakhini - batakini and hindu kush region of Afghan?

Hahaha... no. I have to give the answer now! The language is Brahui, the only Dravidian language spoken in Pakistan. Now, what is the geographical feature with strategic significance that the Brahui people control?

by goodcitizn Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:43 am

panini press wrote:
b_A wrote:
panini press wrote:Just one question remains. Severely reworded...

3. This geographical feature had enormous strategic significance for the Indian subcontinent throughout history. For centuries, it has traditionally been administered by a unique group of people: their language is quite distinct from other languages spoken in the region. Today, the other members of that language family are spoken in central and southern India, more than one thousand miles away. The geographical feature comprises a series of long, narrow valleys or gorges and extends for 55 miles from Rindli in the south to Kolpur in the north. When Humayun, son of Babar and father of Akbar, left India for Iran, he traveled through these parts. Name the geographical feature, and the language spoken by the people who traditionally control it.

The language is dakhini - batakini and hindu kush region of Afghan?
Hahaha... no. I have to give the answer now! The language is Brahui, the only Dravidian language spoken in Pakistan. Now, what is the geographical feature with strategic significance that the Brahui people control?

The Balochistan region controls the shortest route from the sea ports to Central Asia -- near the Bolan Pass.

by Idéfix Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:49 am

Bolan Pass is the correct answer. All questions are answered now.

by Kris Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:03 am

2. More than 98% of all Hindus in the world live in the Indian subcontinent. India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan all have sizable Hindu populations. Outside the Indian subcontinent, what is the country with the largest Hindu population?

>>>Guyana

4. This ancient port city located near the mouth of one of India’s major rivers was known to the Greeks as Maisolos. The English East India Company’s first factory in India was established here. In colonial times, control of the city shifted between the French, the British and the Dutch. The city has two popular names; one of them simply means “port.” What is the other name of the city?

>>>Musiris

5. If you consult a list of the world’s longest rivers sorted in descending order of length, how many Indian rivers should you expect to see in the top 10? And how many in the top 20? By Indian river, I mean any river that flows through the modern territory of India.

>>>Top 10- One (Ganges); Top 20 -Two (Ganges, Cauvery)

8. The populations of India and Nepal are both over 80% Hindu. Outside these two countries, which country has the highest percentage of Hindus in its population? To the nearest 10%, what is the percentage of Hindus in that country’s population?

>>>50%- Fiji

9. Andy Bechtolsteim is one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems. One early morning in August 1998, he met two PhD students and looked at a demo of their new idea. The students did not have an incorporated company or even a bank account yet, but Bechtolsteim still gave them a check for $100,000 on the spot. The two young men then went to Burger King for breakfast to celebrate the first investment in their as-yet-unincorporated venture. What company name did Bechtolsteim put on his check? Bonus: what are the names of the PhD students?

>>>Google, Larry and Sergei

10. Humanity has been exploring space for over 50 years now. Several thousand space vehicles have been launched by more than a dozen nations. As of 2013, what is the number of manmade objects that have left the solar system? Bonus: Name them.

>>>Two- One of them is Voyager(?)

by Idéfix Thu Jan 31, 2013 3:42 am

Kris wrote:2. Guyana

No, this is Indonesia, thanks to Bali.

Kris wrote:4. Musiris

No, Machilipatnam (aka Bandar). Incidentally this was Satya Prabhakar's (of Sulekha fame) hometown.

Kris wrote:5. Top 10- One (Ganges); Top 20 -Two (Ganges, Cauvery)

No, none of India's rivers make it to the top 20. Indus is the longest of them, coming in at 22.

Kris wrote:8. 50%- Fiji

Mauritius is what I had in mind. Fiji has a lower percentage of Hindus -- my understanding is that that is because many Fijians of Indian extraction are Christians.

Kris wrote:9. Google, Larry and Sergei

Correct.

Kris wrote:10. Two- One of them is Voyager(?)

Both are Voyagers. Voyager I is at the edge of the solar system, Voyager 2 will get there soon.

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