| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| In Parallel Lives, Plutarch recounts an incident in which the compound variety of this object was used by Archimedes to move a ship. That episode recounts the effectiveness of the (+) block and tackle system which often uses these devices. A rope has historically been used as the drive element of these objects. (*) For the points, name these simple machines that can be made up of a cable tied around a wheel. | Pulleys |
| Suhaemi wrote a song based on the claim that this man heard a call to prayer at one location and converted to Islam. Born in Wakaponeta, Ohio this man served as a naval aviator during the Korean War before taking part in (+) Gemini 8. This man was commander of a mission that made use of the Eagle while Michael Collins remained in orbit. Over 500 million people were thought to have watched this man make (*) "one giant leap for mankind." For the points, name this first man to walk on the Moon. | Neil Armstrong (or Neil Alden Armstrong) |
| In the Near East, mohreh was a device used to shine this good via starch. In 1879, Carl F. Dahl introduced the most widely used process for creating this good, sometimes called the (+) sulfate process or kraft process. Cai Lun was among those who studied the process of creating this good via pulp. The first process of making this good was developed in China, and often makes use of (*) cellulose fibres of wood. For the points, name this material which has historically been a medium for writing. | Paper |
| This man claimed he was "at once saddened and ashamed" to decline an offer to become one country's president. This man objected to one explanation by claiming "God does not play dice." (+) Leo Szilard wrote a letter that was signed by this man which urged the United States to develop its own nuclear program. This graduate of a polytechnic school in Zurich won a Nobel prize for work on the (*) photoelectric effect. For the points, name this German scientist who developed the theory of relativity. | Albert Einstein |
| Two years after the publication of this man's magnum opus, Giovanni Maria Tolosani wrote the earliest major critique of his work. A three-volume "Epitome" partly named for this man was among the members of the (+) List of Prohibited Books for 214 years. This man's On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres was written by this man during the Polish Renaissance and was a critique of Ptolemy's system of (*) geocentrism. For the points, name this astronomer who promoted the idea that the Sun was at the universe's center. | Nicolaus Copernicus (or Mikołaj Kopernik; or Nikolaus Kopernikus; or Niklas Koppernigk) |
| Sir Richard Owen's purchase of bones of this animal intended for Alfred Newton created a rivalry between the two. Baie du Cap was found to have the bones of at least two of these animals. A "white" type of this animal was conjectured to have lived on (+) Réunion. This animal's lack of fear of humans may have been due to its relative isolation from predation and made it a target of sailors passing (*) Mauritius. For the points, name this flightless bird that in the seventeenth century was hunted to extinction. | Dodo [[DOH-DOH]] (accept Raphus cucullatus; accept White Dodo) |
| The initiative that led to the creation of this device was originally known as "Project Purple" and involved such hires as Scott Forstall. A Mexican trademark in 2003 led to intellectual property disputes over the name of this product, which was the subject of a dispute involving the FBI regarding (+) data access after the 2015 San Bernardino shooting. 2008 saw the introduction of the 3G variety of this mobile device, while its (*) fourth iteration introduced retina display. For the points, name this phone developed by Apple. | iPhone (accept iPhone 3G; accept iPhone 4) |
| A June 2006 piece by the American Physical Society claims that Christopher Columbus may never have undertaken his voyage had he known a value of this quantity calculated by a man from Cyrene. The lack of a (+) noontime shadow in what is now Aswan on the summer solstice assisted in calculations of this measure undertaken by Eratosthenes, who calculated the angles of incoming sun rays. Measuring 24,901 miles, this is, (*) for the points, what perimetric distance around the third planet from the Sun? | Circumference of the Earth (prompt on partial answers) |