| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This region is the target of the proposed Discovery Program observatory Whipple. This region is composed of an inner disk-like region and an outer, (+) spherical portion. This region lies beyond the heliosphere and at the edge of the Sun’s Hill sphere, making it the (*) edge of the solar system, and this region is sometimes named for Ernst Öpik. For the points, name this distant collection of transneptunian objects, which lies beyond the Kuiper Belt. | Oort Cloud (or Öpik–Oort cloud) |
| An element in this group is added to a color pyrotechnic mix to produce bright green fireworks. An ion of another element in this group is contained in a ring structure at the center of a (+) chlorophyll molecule. Another of these elements is found in the elements dolomite and (*) aragonite, which make up a large portion of limestone. Strontium, barium, and magnesium are among the six elements which form, for the points, what category of elements that form group 2 on the periodic table? | Alkaline Earth Metals (accept Group 2 before mention; do not accept or prompt on "Metals" or "Alkali Metals") |
| The adequality technique was used to find both function extrema and these constructs by Pierre de Fermat. The mean value theorem says that one of these constructs always exists that is (+) parallel to a secant through a curve’s endpoints. The number of intersections of these lines is greater than an (*) exterior but less than a secant. For the points, name these types of lines that touch a curve at only one point, which share their name with a trigonometric function? | Tangent Line |
| The broad-line region of these objects can be used to infer their mass using reverberation mapping. These objects were conclusively shown to exist using data from the Hubble Space Telescope that showed (+) dust and stars exhibiting Keplerian orbits. These objects are believed to be the cause of the energy emitted from (*) AGNs. The Event Horizon telescope has taken images of some of these objects named M87* [[“M87-star”]] and Sagittarius A* [[“A-star”]]. For the points, name these extremely large objects at the center of every galaxy. | Supermassive Black Holes (accept SMBH or SBH) |
| The movement of the leads within one of these devices can lead to a malfunction called Twiddler's syndrome. This device offers an alternative to the (+) transcutaneous and transvenous varieties of one process. The ICD is a specific version of this device that is able to perform (*) defibrillation. The ventricles and atria can receive electrical signals from this device. For the points, name this often implanted medical device in the heart. | Artificial [Cardiac] Pacemaker |
| One enzyme that adds this functional group to molecules has a rotating F1 subunit that juts into the mitochondrial matrix. Enzymes called (+) kinases add this functional group to substrates during signal transduction cascades. The backbone of DNA contains (*) sugars alternating with this functional group, three of which are bound to adenosine in the "energy currency of the cell," ATP. For the points, name this functional group with formula P-O-4 3-minus. | Phosphate (accept P-O-4 3-minus before mention) |
| The total momentum equates to zero in the namesake reference frame of this point. A weighted relative position sums to (+) zero of the distributed variety of one quantity at this point, which is sometimes referred to as the (*) balance point. In a uniform gravitational field, this point is equivalent to the center of gravity. For the points, name this point about which an object will freely balance. | Center of Mass (accept Balance Point before mentioned; prompt on "Center of Gravity" before mentioned) |
| In this biome, earthquakes, hummocks, and palsa development are a few of the causes of a phenomenon called drunken trees. This biome is characterized by the presence of (+) muskegs, which form when water drainage is prevented by bedrock, clay, and (*) permafrost. The lynx and caribou live in, for the points, what biome mainly located at subarctic regions, characterized by coniferous trees and is referred to as snow forests? | Taiga (or Boreal Forest; accept Snow Forest before mentioned) |
| A harmless condition partially called "pilaris" is caused by the buildup of this protein. A mutation in the genes coding for this protein may result in a condition of the (+) oral mucosa called Cannon's disease, or white sponge nevus. The beta- type of this protein is only found in sauropsids, while the (+) alpha- type of this protein is the main component of claws and horns. For the points, name this protein which is the main component of feathers, hair, and nails. | Keratin (accept Alpha-keratin; accept Beta-keratin) |
| These phenomena are formed in temperature gradients as a result of hydrostatic and geostrophic balance. These phenomena are deformed by changes in the (+) Coriolis effect with latitude. The subtropical type of these phenomena are formed at the boundary of the Hadley and (*) Ferrel cells. Polar vortexes are contained by these phenomena, which are deformed into “troughs” and “ridges” through Rossby waves. For the points, name these atmospheric currents of strong wind. | Jet streams |
| This man utilized Robert H. Goddard’s research while developing the Agregat project. This man was the most notable scientist moved to the United States by Operation Paper (+) Clip, after which he produced the rockets for Explorer 1, as well as the Saturn V rockets. This man’s most notable invention was the first artificial object to (*) enter space. For the points, name this German rocket scientist who developed the V-2 rocket, known as the “father of space travel.” | Werner von Braun |
| This disease is caused by a mutation to the HEXA gene that causes GM2 gangliosides to build up to toxic levels within cells. The prevalence of this disease among (+) Cajuns and French Canadians has led to the theory that recessive carriers may have a resistance to (*) tuberculosis. This disease is diagnosed by a characteristic “cherry red” spot on the retina. For the points, name this recessive genetic disorder that typically causes death by age 5, most commonly observed in Ashkenazi Jews. | Tay-Sachs disease |
| The inner part of this region in space contains “albedo” neutrons which release high-energy electrons. In 1958, a Geiger counter attached to (+) Explorer 1 allowed for the first detection of this region, which is named after a University of Iowa (*) professor. Encircling the Earth like a donut, this is, for the points, what radiation belt composed of particles trapped by the Earth's magnetic field? | Van Allen Radiation Belt (prompt on "Belt") |
| Ran proteins mediate transport in and out of this organelle through pore complexes. DAPI staining allows one to visualize a substructure within this organelle that is the site of (+) ribosome production. A network of intermediate filaments called the lamina supports this organelle's (*) "envelope," which is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum. Splicing and transcription both occur within, for the points, what organelle that contains most of the cell's DNA? | Cell Nucleus (accept Nucleolus) |
| In 1989, MIT applied for patents involving this phenomenon on behalf of Peter L. Hagelstein. An experiment involving platinum and palladium rods submerged in “heavy water” led to the first (+) claim of achieving this phenomenon. The scientists who performed that experiment, Martin Fleischmann and Stanley (*) Pons, tried to achieve this phenomenon by colliding two isotopes of hydrogen to create a helium-4 isotope. For the points, what discredited phenomenon involves the collision of atomic nuclei at room temperature? | Cold Fusion (prompt on “Fusion” or “Nuclear Fusion”) |
| This scientist lends his name to the temperature at which the second virial coefficient equals zero. A law named for this author of The Skeptical Chemist was derived from experiments in which he poured (+) mercury into closed J-shaped tubes. This man names the only component of the combined gas law under which (*) temperature is held constant. For the points, name this man which states that a gas’s volume is held to be inversely proportional to its pressure. | Robert Boyle (or Boyle’s Law; accept Boyle temperature) |
| The trough of these phenomena exists near the convergence of the northern and southern hemisphere wind systems over the Pacific Ocean. One example of these phenomena forms over the (+) Mexican Plateau, while the most famous example arises from the Tibetan Plateau. These phenomena form during the (*) oscillations of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and are characterized by wind reversal. For the points, name these periodic changes in the weather that brings heavy rain. | Monsoons |
| The master theorem is often used to determine the runtime of algorithms implemented using this concept, which is relied on by (+) divide-and-conquer algorithms. Beginners are often asked to solve the Tower of Hanoi problem using this concept, and implementations of this concept typically feature a (*) “base case” at which the function ceases and begins to return up the call stack. For the points, name this programming concept in which a function is defined in terms of itself. | Recursion (accept word forms such as Recursive) |
| A crystallized form of this compound gives sturgeon their reflective coloration in iridophore cells. This compound is converted to xanthine by a namesake deaminase, which is also called (+) cypin. Sequences rich in this compound form quadruplexes in extremely stable strands of DNA. Because it is abundantly found as a (*) white amorphous solid in them, this compound takes its name from the Spanish word bird and bat droppings. For the points, name this nucleobase that pairs with cytosine. | Guanine (or G; or Gua; accept Guanosine) |
| A detector on the International Space Station, known as EMIT, detected nearly 50 super- emitters of this gas on Earth, including a three-mile plume of it in the atmosphere of (+) Tehran, Iran and a two-mile plume near Carlsbad, New Mexico. In the biogenic carbon cycle, this greenhouse gas is converted back into (*) carbon dioxide after being emitted by animals such as goats, cattle, and sheep. For the points, name this simplest alkane, the main component of natural gas. | Methane (or CH4) |
| The distal ends of these organs contain a set of four microsporangia that form sac-like locules. Collectively, these organs are known as the (+) androecium and they individually consist of the filament and anther. These organs produce a substance that is transported to the (*) stigma. Flowers that only contain these organs and not their counterpart are known by the misnomer “male flowers.” For the points, name this flower part that produces pollen. | Stamen |
| During this period, the Iapetus Ocean began to close as Avalonia and Baltica drew together. This period’s epochs include the Furongian, Miaolingian, and (+) Terreneuvian. Canada’s fossil-rich Burgess Shale was formed during this period. This period began with the (*) breakup of the supercontinent Pannotia, also known as Greater Gondwana. For the points, name this Paleozoic Era period that experienced an “explosion” of animal life diversity. | Cambrian Period |
| A portrait of this man includes his motto, "Let no man belong to another who can belong to himself". The line "The dose makes the poison" is credited to this man who is sometimes known as the "father of (+) toxicology." Born Theophrastus von Hohenheim, this man was compared to his contemporary, Martin Luther due to his work during the (*) German Renaissance. For the points, name this Swiss physician and alchemist who first created the opium tincture known as laudanum. | Paracelsus (accept [Philippus Aureolus] Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim before "Theophrastus" is mentioned and prompt after) |
| Mistakes when performing this technique include the endpoint error and color misinterpretation. The first reagent (+) observed in this technique is housed in a conical flask while the second reagent drips from a long glass tube called a (*) burette. A solution is reacted with an analyte in, for the points, what technique where a solution of known concentration is used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution? | Titration (or Titremetry; or Volumetric Analysis; accept Acid-Base Titrations) |
| This set of seven things was given their original designation in the year 2000 by the Denver- based Clay Institute. This set was inspired by a similar grouping developed by David (+) Hilbert. Grigori Perelman declined an award relating to one of these named for Henri Poincaré. (*) Navier- Stokes existence versus smoothness and P versus NP are among the six unsolved instances of these problems, to which $1 million is pledged for the first solution. For the points, name these extremely difficult mathematical prize problems. | Millennium Prize Problems (prompt on partial answers; accept Millennium after "problems" is read) |
| The three sequences that end this process are nicknamed amber, ochre, and opal, and it initiates using the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. (+) Tetracycline antibiotics block this process by binding to the 30S subunit of a structure with A, P, and E sites. This process begins at the (*) AUG start codon and continues as the ribosome forms peptide bonds between amino acids. For the points, name this process in which mRNA is read to produce proteins, which follows transcription. | Translation (prompt on "Protein Synthesis") |
| Along this feature is an area where ships may get stuck due to low pressure and weak winds called a doldrum. Between this feature and 30 degrees (+) latitude is an atmospheric circulation pattern called the Hadley cell. Centrifugal force exerted by the Earth's rotation causes this feature's namesake (*) "bulge." For the points, name this imaginary line at zero degrees latitude that divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres. | Equator (accept Equatorial Bulge) |
| A highly radioactive isotope of this element was used to assassinate the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko after he ingested its 210 isotope. This element, which was discovered in (+) 1898 after being extracted from the uranium ore pitchblende, is obtained as the result of bismuth- 210 decay after the neutron bombardment of (*) bismuth-209. For the points, identify this rare radioactive semi-metal named after the home country of Marie Curie. | Polonium (or Po; accept Polonium-210) |
| Individuals can move between these concepts if the adaptive zones are sufficiently close, which occurs more often for generalist organisms. Highly derived adaptations cause the realized (+) width of these concepts to be narrower than the theoretical “fundamental” width. Interspecies (*) competition occurs when these concepts overlap. For the points, name this foundational concept in ecology that refers to the specific role filled by a species in the ecosystem. | Ecological Niche |
| With a length four times greater than its predecessor, Anio Vetus was the second oldest of these structures built by one civilization. That example of this structure descended toward (+) Tivoli from a valley. A limestone example of one of these structures traversed over 30 miles to reach Nîmes. (*) The Pont du Gard is the tallest of the Roman varieties of these structures and takes the form of an arch bridge. For the points, name these structures that carry water. | Roman Aqueducts |
| Stanley Janus and Theresa Janus were among those who were killed due to tampering with this compound. In 1982, seven people died in and around Chicago from (+) cyanide-laced examples of the Extra-Strength variety of this medicine, resulting in a mass recall carried out by (*) Johnson and Johnson. Acetaminophen is another name for this over-the-counter medicine. For the points, name this medicine often used for pain relief and fever reduction. | Tylenol (accept Acetaminophen before mentioned; accept N-acetyl-para-aminophenol; accept Paracetamol; accept Para-hydroxyacetanilide) |
| Seven processes as well as a pair of laminae are found in the namesake arch of these structures. The (+) centrum can be found in the middle of the body of these structures, examples of which include L1 in the (*) lumbar region. The tissue between these structures can be affected in a disc herniation. A series of these structures make up the spinal column. For the points, name these body parts that lend their name to species containing a backbone. | Vertebrae (accept Vertebral Column; prompt on "Backbone" before mentioned; prompt on "Spine" or "Spinal column" before the latter is mentioned) |