| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This figure’s father was told by the Oracle of Delphi [[DEL-fye]] that she would be married to a beast that the gods fear. This figure was the mother of Hedone [[HEH-doh-neh]], the Greek goddess of joy. This figure had to endure four trials, including giving some of Persephone’s [[pehr-SEH-fuh-nees]] beauty to Aphrodite after disfiguring a lover. This figure met their cherubic love interest due to a wayward arrow. For the point, name this Greek goddess of the soul who married Cupid. | Psyche[["SIGH"-kee]] |
| This person wrote the book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia and argued that the practice couldeventuallyleadtoduels.ThispersonclerkedwithbothByron White and Anthony Kennedy. This jurist was accused of stealing a seat that belonged to Merrick Garland. For the point, name this Colorado-born Protestant jurist who was Donald Trump’s first nominee before Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. | NeilGorsuch (or Neil McGillGorsuch) |
| One king of this dynasty abolished the Hall of Worthies following the execution of the Six Martyred Ministers. Power and wealth in this dynasty were held by the hereditary Yangban [[YONG-bahn]] class. One ruler of this dynastycommissionedhiscountry'sHangul [[HAHNG-OOL]] alphabet. This dynasty fell from power following annexation by Imperial Japan in 1910. For the point, name this last ruling dynasty of Korea. | Joseon (orChosŏn; prompt on "Korea" beforementioned) |
| These structures have been defined as an exception for which the Hausdorff dimension exceeds topological space. Examples of these structures include the Sierpinski [[seer-PIN-skee]] carpet and Menger [[MEN-jer]] sponge.Thesestructuresdemonstratethe infinitely complicated boundary of a set of numbers named for Benoit Mandelbrot [[BEN-wah MAN-del-braht]]. For the point, identify these intricate structures that self-repeat at each topological level of scale. | Fractals |
| Mutations in the genes that code for these proteins cause epidermolysis [[eh-pih-der-MAH-lih-sis]]bullosasimplex.Excessproductionoftheseproteinscanleadtoa hardening commonly called cornification. The strength of these proteins is due to characteristic disulfide bridges, and the presence of these proteins in the epidermis keeps the skin waterproof. For the point, name this class of proteins, the primary component of nails and hair. | Keratins (accept Cytokeratin) |
| This figure destroyed the "stone things" needed to propel a boat across the river of the dead. Seven loaves of breadprovethisfigurefellasleepandismortal.Thisfiguretravels to meet Utnapishtim [[OOT-na-PEESH-tim]] to learn how to gain immortality before questing for a life-giving herb. This semi-divine hero was opposed by the wild man Enkidu [[EN-kee-doo]]. For the point, name this King of Uruk [[oo-ROOK]], the subject of a Mesopotamian epic. | Gilgamesh (orBilgamesorPabilga-mes; acceptThe Epic ofGilgamesh) |
| This poet wrote a work about a woman named Ella Mason who owns eleven cats. This writer called the figure of one of their poems a "panzer-man," a "bag full of god." This author's only novel starts with Esther Greenwood's internshipatafashionmagazinebefore she's committed to an asylumandundergoeselectroconvulsivetherapy.Forthepoint,name this Confessional writer of "Daddy" andThe Bell Jar. | SylviaPlath |
| The partial version of this operation is used to calculate a Jacobian [[jah-KOH-bee-an]] matrix. L'Hôpital's [[loh-pee-TAHLS]] Rule involves applying this operation to the numerator and denominator when taking the limit of certain functions. This operation is invalid attheoriginfortheabsolutevaluefunctionsincethelimitdoesnot exist as "h" approaches zero. Forthepoint,namethisoperationwhichreturnstheslopeofa function at a given point. | Differentiation (acceptDerivative) |
| This artist depicted an animal shot with nine arrows in the painting The Wounded Deer. This artist also depicted a skyscraper erupting from a volcano in a bathtub-set scene titled What the Water Gave Me. In another work, this artist depicted themselves as two identical sisters connected by their veins. A bus crash inspired, for thepoint,whatMexican artist ofThe Broken Columnknown for her many self-portraits? | FridaKahlo (or Magdalena Carmen FridaKahloy Calderón) |
| This country was the home of the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. One author from this country created a red-headed girl who lives at Villa Villekulla [[vill-uh-KOO-la]]. A playwright from this country wroteMissJulie,andanotherauthorfrom this country created the tattooed hacker Lisbeth Salander [[SAL-an-der]]. For the point, name this home country of the author of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson. | Kingdom ofSweden (or KonungariketSverige) |
| This figure was supposedly late to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and received Mary's girdle as a souvenir. This figure is also known by the name Didymus [[DIH-dih-muss]], or "twin," and he’s credited withfoundingsevenandahalfchurches.This figure may have gone to India to spread thenewreligionofChristianityafteranoffertoput his hands in Jesus’s wounds. For the point, name this "doubting" Apostle, one of the 12 disciples. | Thomasthe Apostle (or The ApostleThomas;acceptDidymusin place of Thomas before mentioned) |
| Cusps of these locations are marked by horns and embayments. When these landforms are covered in stones, theyareknownasthe"shingle"variety,andpinkexamples of these landforms are created by breaking downcorals.Watercalled"swash"weathersthe rocks at these locations,whosesedimentismodifiedbystandingwaves.Forthepoint,name these sandy landforms where tourists may swim in the ocean. | Beaches (acceptSeashores orLakeshores; prompton "Coasts" or "Seasides;" prompt on "Shore" alone) |
| This man's capital was burned by Devlet I [[FIRST]] Giray in 1571. This man was repelled by a coalition of ScandinaviannationsandLithuaniawhiletryingtoinvadethetitle region in the Livonian War. This ruler established the Oprichnik [[oh-PREACH-nik]] secret police to keep the boyars in line, and this Rurikid [[ROOR-uh-kid]] committedtheMassacre at Novgorod. For the point, name this "Fearsome" 16th-century ruler, the first Czar of Russia. | Ivan IVVasilyevich (orIvan the Terrible;acceptIvan Grozny; acceptIoannes Severus) |
| In one of this author's novels, the character Mr. Harper is actually George Washington in disguise. In another novel, this author of The Spy wrote about a character known as "Hawk-Eye." In that novel by this author, Magua [[MAH-gwah]] is suspected of being a Huron scout by Natty Bumppo. For the point, name this author of The Last of the Mohicans, part of a collection called theLeatherstockingTales. | James FenimoreCooper |
| Soft repeaters of this radiation are believed to originate in starquakes within magnetars and neutron stars with orbiting fossil disks. Large amounts of this radiation are releasedfromjetscausedbyhypernovas.Aflashofthisradiationfollowedbyalowerenergy afterglow is characteristic ofitsnamesake"bursts."Forthepoint,namethisradiationwitha higher frequency than X-rays, named for the third letter of the Greek alphabet. | GammaRadiation (orGammaRays; acceptGammaRay Burst; prompt on "GRB") |
| A territory located in this body of water has its most populous city at Dededo [[deh-DEH-doh]] and is also the home of the Chamorro [[cha-"MORE"-oh]] people. That island territory in this body of water is governed from Hagåtña [[huh-GOT-nyuh]]. Another territory in thisbodyofwatercontainsmilitarybasesatPagoPago.MajorU.S.islandsinthis body of water include Oahu and Maui. For the point, name this ocean that surrounds American Samoa, Guam, and Hawaii. | PacificOcean |
| One mosaic from this city depicted a Greek king looking at King Darius during the Battle of Issus. This city's House of the Faun was home to the Alexander Mosaic. Frescoes depicting secret initiation rites were uncovered at thiscity'sVillaofMysteries.Oftenpaired with Herculaneum [[her-kyoo-LAY-nee-um]], for the point, what is this ruined Italian city that was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius? | Pompeii (prompt on "Naples") |
| One author from this country wrote the crime novel The Dry. Another author from this country wrote about a member of the Nazi Party who saved Jewish prisoners through his enamel factory in Schindler's Ark. Another writer from this country told the story of a famous bushranger in The True History of the Kelly Gang. For the point, what country is home to Patrick White whose novelVossdepicts theOutback? | Commonwealth ofAustralia |
| One work created during this artistic period is a sculpturetitledMadonnaofBruges [[BROOZH]]. This period saw the creation of Melencolia I and the Ghent Altarpiece in its Northern phase. An architect from this period used stone and iron chains to support the weight of a large concrete dome originally designed during the Gothic Era. Filippo Brunelleschi [[broo-neh-LES-kee]] worked during, for the point, what period of artistic rebirth in which Michelangelo sculptedDavid? | Renaissance (accept NorthernRenaissance;prompt on specific centuries between 1300-1600) |
| The Western Lowlands of this region contain a large mass of peat in its Vasyugan Swamp. This geographical region gets its name from a Turkish Khanate once ruled by the White Horde. In 1908, this region of Eurasia experienced multiple nights of eerie, glowing skies after the Tunguska [[tung-OO-skah]] event. For the point, name this cold, remote region of Russia known as the location of many Soviet-era Gulags. | Siberia (acceptSibirKhanate; prompt on "Russia") |
| This author portrayed himselfasthewriterPhilipQuarlesinthenovelPointCounter Point. Another work by this author inspired Jim Morrison to name hisbandTheDoors.The works of Shakespeare are banned in a work by this author which begins in the year 632 After Ford. That dystopian novel by this author contains the characters Bernard Marx and John the Savage. For the point, name this author ofBrave New World. | AldousHuxley (or Aldous LeonardHuxley) |
| Near the poles of certain bodies, this layer hasnamesake"holes"thatreleasestellar wind. The question of why this layer is hotter than the surface is thesubjectofanamesake heating problem. Mass ejectionsfromthislayerareassociatedwithsolarflaresononebody, and this layer is only visibletothenakedeyeduringtotalsolareclipses.Forthepoint,name this outermost layer of stars such as the sun, named from the Latin for crown. | SolarCorona (accept StellarCorona; acceptCoronal heating problem; accept Coronal mass ejections; prompt on "CME") |
| An opera set in this country includes the “Embroidery Aria,” in which Ellen Orford recognizes a sweater she knitted for a deceased fisherman’s apprentice. A composer from this country included the aria “When I am laid in earth” in an opera inspired by the Aeneid [[ay-NEE-id]]. The Four Sea Interludes were taken from an opera set in this country titled Peter Grimes. For the point, name this birthplace ofHenryPurcell[[PUR-sul]]andBenjamin Britten. | England (acceptBritainorGreat Britain;acceptUK; do not accept or prompt on “Scotland,” “Wales,” or “Ireland”) |
| Conspirators planned to counterfeit this currency and flood the markets as part of Operation Bernhard. An early form of this currency depicting the King of Merciawasfound in an Abbasid excavation site dating back to the8thcentury.Thiscurrency'sabbreviationis derived from the word libra, and slang terms for it include quid. For the point, name this oldest currency still in use, the official monetary unit of the UK. | BritishPoundSterling (accept Anglo-SaxonPound) |
| One figure in this culture hashisheadreplacedwithagourdafterbeingdecapitated by abatgod.Agodfromthiscultureisluredwithafakecrabandhashisteethreplacedwith maize. A myth from this culture depicts a group of lords losing a ball game to the Hero Twins, a story collected in the Popol Vuh [[POH-pul VOO]]. For the point, name this Mesoamerican culture whose calendar predicted the world would end in 2012. | Mayans (acceptK’iche’Maya) |
| This politician prevented a famine in the USSR as director of the American Relief Association. This politician served as Secretary of Commerce under both Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. This president promised a “chicken in every pot" and was defeatedby Franklin Roosevelt in the 1932 U.S. presidential election. For the point, name this U.S. president who served at the start of the Great Depression. | HerbertHoover (or Herbert ClarkHoover) |
| Thistaxonomicorderhoststheonlyknowneusocialandectothermicmammals.This order is a natural reservoir for Puumala and Dobrava, varieties of zoonotic [[zoo-oh-NAH-tik]] hantavirus, and this order forms the Glires [[GLY-rees]] clade with Lagomorpha [[lag-oh-MOR-fah]]. The largest member of this order is the capybara [[kap-ee-"BARE"-ah]]whilesmallermembersincludethechinchilla.Forthepoint,namethis order of mammals which includes beavers, squirrels, and mice. | Rodentia (acceptRodents) |
| During a voyage, one of this vessel's passengers read the Principles of Geology and collected fossils. While under Captain Robert FitzRoy, a passenger on this vessel conceived of common descent and natural selection. The Voyage of [this ship] titles a travel memoir written by the author of The Origin of Species. For the point, name this ship that Charles Darwin rode to visit the Galapagos. | HMSBeagle |
| This country's easternmost point is located in the Ertholmene [[ehr-TOHL-meen]] archipelago.ThiscountrycollectedsoundduesfromshipspassingthroughitsLittleBeltand Great Belt straits. This country controls the island of Bornholm, which lies on a strategic point in the Baltic Sea, and its capitalismostlyontheislandofZealand.Forthepoint,name this European country on the Jutland [[JUT-lund]] peninsula, whose capital is Copenhagen. | Kingdom ofDenmark (accept KongerigetDanmark) |
| Along with zinc and copper, this element can be extracted in the Albion process. Common ores of this element include krennerite, from which this elementcanbeextracted through cyanide leaching. Fritz Haber [[HAH-buh]] attempted to mine the ocean for this element to support a cash-strapped Germany. Iron pyrite superficially resembles this element, lending it the nickname "fool's [this element]." For the point, name this highly conductive precious metal with symbol Au [[A-U]]. | Gold (acceptAubefore mentioned; accept Fool'sGold) |
| The laborer Silas diesattheendofthisauthor'spoem"TheDeathoftheHiredMan." In another poem by this author, a horse expresses confusion at stopping "without a farmhouse near." Another of this poet's works about repairing a title structure popularized the phrase "good fences make good neighbors." For the point, name this American poet of "Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening" and "Mending Wall." | RobertFrost (or Robert LeeFrost) |
| Some members of this kingdom can produce deadly amatoxins. With cyanobacteria [[sy-AN-oh-"bacteria"]] or algae, some members of this kingdom can form composite organisms called lichens. Many members of this kingdom create extended filaments called hypha which maycombinetoformamycelium[[my-SEE-lee-um]].Single-celledmembersof this kingdomarecalledyeasts.Forthepoint,namethiseukaryotic[[yoo-"CARE"-ee-AH-tik]] kingdom that includes molds and mushrooms. | Fungi (orFunguses) |
| The proposal of the shell model of these structures won a Nobel Prize for Maria Goeppert Mayer. These structures are more stable at "magic numbers," and in one experiment, Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden beamed alpha particles off of this structure. Ernest Rutherford’s gold foil experiment proved the existence of, for the point, what dense structures at the center of an atom? | AtomicNucleus (accept AtomicNuclei) |