| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| These cells are damaged in multiple sclerosis because oligodendrocytes are destroyed. The myelin sheath allows for rapid salutatory conduction of an action potential between the nodes of Ranvier down the axon of this cell. It uses voltage-dependent ion channels and the sodium-potassium pump to maintain an electrical gradient across its cell membrane. Connections called synapses join the cell body of one of these cells to the dendrites of another. For the point, name these cells that conduct nerve impulses. | neurons (or nerve cells before mentioned) |
| This man responded to claims that Alaric’s sack of Rome were Christianity’s fault by writing City of God. This philosopher from Hippo in modern-day Algeria wrote of stealing pears as a child in a work that describeshowchildrenarenaturallyviolentduetooriginalsin,aswellashisconversionfromNeoplatonism and Manichaeism to Christianity. For the point, name this Church Father, a 4th-5th century AD saint who detailed his past misdeeds in Confessions. | Saint Augustine of Hippo |
| A mistranslation found in the Treaty of Wuchale led to an invasion of this country. The kingdom of Axum was founded in this modern day country, whose capital was founded by Emperor Menelik II. This African country won the Battle of Adowa and its first war against Italy, but it was later invaded by Benito Mussolini. For the point, name this African country once led by Haile Selassie from its capital at Addis Ababa. | Ethiopia |
| The narrator of this work is expelled from a prestigious college by Dr. Bledsoe. At the end of this novel, Ras the Exhorter incites a race riot. In this work, the narrator is blindfolded and forced to fight other blindfolded men in a boxing ring, which is found in a chapter originally published as “Battle Royal.” The narrator of this novel lives underground stealing electricity and burning 1,369 lightbulbs simultaneously. For the point, name this novel by Ralph Ellison whose African American narrator has the title condition because others refuse to see him. | Invisible Man (do not accept “The Invisible Man”) |
| This ruler’s minister, Adalbert Falk, helped him pass the May Laws targeting a religious opponent. This man modified the Ems dispatch to start a war against France, then led by Napoleon III. This politician stated that the great questions of the day would be decided with “iron and blood.” The anti-Catholic Kulturkampf was led by, for the point, what “Iron Chancellor” of Prussia and Germany, who is the namesake of the capital of North Dakota. | Otto von Bismarck |
| This body is currently being orbited by the Dawn spacecraft. This object was discovered because Johann Bode believed there could be an undiscovered planet between Jupiter and Mars; that discovery was made in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi. This object is the only in its orbital region whose gravity causes it to be round. For the point, name this only dwarf planet found within Neptune’s orbit, the largest object in the asteroid belt. | 1 Ceres |
| This work opens with call-and-answer bass and piano triplets. That song in Dorian mode is followed on this album by a twelve-bar blues in B-flat whose name was inspired by a fan who refused to pay for concert tickets. This album features Cannonball Adderley on alto sax and John Coltrane on tenor. “So What” and “Freddie Freeloader” are the first two tracks of, For the point, what jazz album recorded in 1959 by trumpeter Miles Davis and released two years after his Birth of the Cool? | Kind of Blue (accept So What before “album” is read) |
| In this novel, Mademoiselle Reisz is an expert pianist who lives on Grand Isle. This novel’s protagonist has an affair with Alc´ee Arobin while her husband, L´eonce, is away in New York City. Because Robert Lebrun rejects a relationship with the protagonist of this novel, she drowns herself in the Gulf of Mexico. For the point, name this novel about Edna Pontellier [pon-tell-ee-AY] by Kate Chopin. | The Awakening |
| In a triangle, three segments that perform this process meet at the incenter. In an isoceles triangle, an altitude drawn from the apex to the base essentially does this task twice: once because the segment is also a median of the triangle, and once because it perpendicularly meets the line, creating two equal right angles out of a straight, 180 degree angle. For the point, give this mathematical term for dividing a geometric figure in two, as is often done to sides and angles in polygons. | bisection (accept word forms, like bisector, and any additional information, such as angle bisector; prompt on descriptions of “cutting something in half”) |
| One song in this work describes “a dream that will need/all the love you can give” and inspires the listener to “ford every stream” and “follow every rainbow.” The songs “Edelweiss” [ay-del-vice] and “My Favorite Things” were written for this musical, in which the 16-year-old Liesl is loved by Rolf, a Nazi. “Do-Re-Mi” was sung by Julie Andrews in the film adapation of, for the point, what musical about the von Trapp family singers, in which “the hills are alive with” the title sound? | The Sound of Music |
| Thornton Burgess wrote about one of these creatures who fools Farmer Brown’s boy and is named Grandfather [this creature]. Jim Smiley nicknames one of these creatures “Dan’l Webster” in a Mark Twain short story about a “Celebrated Jumping” one from Calaveras County. Arnold Lobel wrote a series of books about one of these creatures, whose best friend is Toad. For the point, name these amphibians, one of which is transformed in a fairy tale after being kissed by the Princess. | frog (accept Grandfather Frog; accept The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County) |
| This force is proportional to velocity squared in turbulent flow, but just to velocity in laminar flow. When the Reynolds’ number is small, this quantity can be calculated with Stoke’s law, and this force’s coefficient is dependent upon the moving object’s shape. When this force equals applied force, terminal velocity occurs. Parachutes are used because increasing surface area increases this quantity. For the point, name this force that opposes motion in a fluid, but which is absent in free fall. | air resistance (or drag) |
| Hickam Field was targeted during this event, which occurred before the delivery of the “14-Part Message.” In the prelude to this event, a midget sub failed to sink the USS Monaghan. Isoroku Yamamoto supposedly said “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant” in the aftermath of this event, which targeted Battleship Row and was described as a “day of infamy” by Franklin Roosevelt. For the point, name this December 7, 1941 attack on the American Pacific Fleet at a Hawaiian port. | Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor |
| This man’s son was taken to Tir na nO´g for what appeared to be three years to him, but was actually three hundred years. This father of Ois´ın [oh-SHEEN] met his wife while she was transformed into a deer; her name was Sadhbh [Sive]. This man allegedly built the Giant’s Causeway so he could walk to Scotland, and gained his most notable ability from a creature that ate nine hazelnuts after he burned his hand while cooking it. For the point, name this Irish hero who could solve problems by biting his thumb, which he burned while eating the Salmon of Knowledge. | Fionn mac Cumhaill [”Finn MacCool”] (accept either underlined portion) |
| This scientist created a quantum analog of Newton’s second law explaining how quantum state changes with time; that equation is named for this man. In disagreement with the Copenhagen interpretation of the EPR paradox, this Austrian physicist created a thought experiment dealing with quantum superposition collapsing into reality; in that experiment, a vial of poison may or may not have opened. For the point, name this physicist whose namesake cat is both dead and alive. | Erwin Schr¨odinger (accept Schr¨odinger’s cat) |
| In a story by this author, the corpse of Homer Barron is found in the title character’s bed after her funeral. This author of “A Rose for Emily” set many of his works in Yoknapatawpha [YOK-na-puh-TAH- fuh] County. A novel by this author is told from the points of view of people associated with the Compson family. For the point, name this Southern author of As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury. | William (Cuthbert) Faulkner |
| This mathematical term describes any set that contains all of its boundary points. This term also describes an input set of numbers under an operation if that operation always outputs a number from that set; as a result, multiplying integers has this property, but dividing them does not. Sets with this property are written in interval notation using square brackets, rather than parentheses, to indicate that the listed numbers are part of the set. For the point, name this mathematical term for sets that are more inclusive than their “open” counterparts. | closed (accept word forms, like closure; accept algebraic or topological closure) |
| Marilyn Mosby is the State’s Attorney in this state’s largest city, led by mayor Stephanie Rawlings- Blake. A former governor of this state has received the third-most votes in this year’s Democratic primaries; that man is Martin O’Malley. In 2015, Mosby gained headlines for her swift condemnation of police brutality in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death. For the point, name this state, where Black Lives Matter protesters marched in Baltimore. | Maryland |
| This god’s obsession with Shatarupa led to him losing a head, leaving him with four heads to face the cardinal directions. This god’s mount is the swan Hamsa, and his consorts are Savitri and Saraswati. When this god lied to win a contest, Shiva cursed him to never be worshipped. He is often depicted coming out of a lotus flower, which in turn comes out of the navel of Vishnu. The four Vedas are said to have come from this god’s four mouths. For the point, name this creator god of the Hindu trimurti. | Brahma |
| This artist sings from the perspective of his late mother in “Only One.” He raps about missing the old version of himself in an interlude on his most recent album, which begins with a track featuring fellow Chicagoan Chance the Rapper, “Ultralight Beam.” In 2005, he stated that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” and stormed a stage to protest Beyonce’s loss at an award show to Taylor Swift. For the point, name this rapper behind “Gold Digger,” “Stronger,” and the album “Yeezus,” the husband of Kim Kardashian. | Kanye Omari West (accept either portion; prompt on “Yeezus” before it is said) |
| The six official routes to climb this mountain include ones nicknamed “Whiskey” and “Coca-Cola.” Despite its height, it is known as a “walk-up” mountain, and this peak was first conquered in 1889. Kibo, Shira, and Mawenzi are the three volcanic cones of this one of the Seven Summits, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. For the point, name this Tanzanian mountain, the tallest in Africa. | Mount Kilimanjaro |
| In one of his few landscapes, this man painted a stormburst in the dark blue sky above rolling Castilian hills. Saint Augustine and Saint Stephen carry out the title action of another painting by this man with an upper “heavenly” half and a lower half filled with noblemen watching Don Gonzalo Ruiz be laid to rest. For the point, name this man who painted The Burial of Count Orgaz and his adoptive hometown in View of Toledo, and whose Spanish nickname reflects his birthplace on Crete. | El Greco (or Domenikos Theotokopoulos) |
| This politician’s “Public Conduct and Character” were called into question during his campaign with running mate Charles Cotesworth Pinckney by Alexander Hamilton. This man finished third in that election behind the Democratic-Republican ticket of Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson. This man’s defeat in the Election of 1800 was in part caused by the unpopularity of the Alien and Sedition Acts he had signed as President. For the point, name this second President of the United States. | John Adams (prompt on Adams; do not accept mention of John Quincy Adams) |
| Sialogogues are drugs that increase the production of this substance, thus preventing xerostomia. The parotid glands are responsible for producing a minor portion of this substance, while the major portion is produced by the submandibular gland. The breakdown of carbohydrates in this substance is caused by amylase. For the point, name this bodily fluid that aids in digestion by mixing with food within the mouth while chewing. | saliva |
| The leader of this group was often referred to as the “Old Man of the Mountain.” They were based in a mountain fortress known as the “Eagle’s Nest,” or Alamut. This group of Ismailists was founded by Hassan-i Sabbah and were responsible for the killing of the vizier Nizam al-Mulk. This group’s name comes from a derogatory term meaning users of hashish. For the point, name this group whose name now refers to anyone who targets and kills a politician or celebrity. | Assassins (or hashashin) |
| This novel’s title character bites his stepfather, Edward Murdstone, and is sent to Salem House Academy, where he befriends James Steerforth. This novel questions whether its namesake “shall turn out to be the hero of [his] own life,” and follows Mr. Micawber’s discovery of the fraudulent activities of Uriah Heep. For the point, name this novel in which the title character marries Agnes Wickfield, a semi-autobiographical work by Charles Dickens. | David Copperfield |
| The largest naval battle during World War II was fought in this country’s Leyte Gulf. Douglas MacArthur declared “I came through and I shall return” after fleeing this country. POWs in this country were forced to walk to Balanga while being abused by Japanese soldiers in the Bataan Death March. Emilio Aguinaldo [ah-gwee-nal-do] was the first president of this country, which with Puerto Rico, Guam, and Cuba, came under American control after the Spanish-American War. For the point, name this island nation with capital Manila. | Philippines |
| Prior to gaining statehood, this then-territory grew in size after a conflict over the Harris Line that included the Battle of Phillips Corners. This modern state’s copper-rich Keewanaw Peninsula includes its city of Hancock, the site of Finlandia University. This state is home to Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and the country’s largest football stadium in the university town of Ann Arbor, but this state is best known as the home of the “Big Three” automakers. For the point, name this state home to Detroit. | Michigan |
| The opening paragraph of this work includes a description of those who “grow up” and “leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in Spain.” The fulfillment of this essay’s title action would “greatly lessen the number of papists” in the author’s country, since it would be more profitable for Catholic families to be sold to well-off Protestants. For the point, name this satirical essay by Jonathan Swift, in which he suggests that impoverished Irish families should sell their babies as food. | A Modest Proposal |
| Protectors of these objects included the baboon-headed Hapi and the jackal-headed Duamutef. The lids of these objects depict the sons of Horus. These four objects would collectively be placed in a chest to be buried with a sarcophagus. These objects weren’t used for the heart, since it was believed to contain the soul. These objects each contained one of the stomach, lungs, liver, and intestines. For the point, name these jars which held the organs removed during mummification. | canopic jars |
| The body reduces this compound to acetaldehyde. While the muscles produce lactic acid, yeasts produce this compound as a product of fermentation. This compound’s common name refers to a class of compounds that contain a hydroxyl group. This compound is a common biofuel additive obtained from corn and sugarcane. Excessive intake of this substance can cause cirrhosis of the liver. For the point, name this substance found in liquor and many gasolines, a two-carbon alcohol. | ethanol (accept grain alcohol; accept ethyl alcohol; prompt on “alcohol;” do not accept “methanol”) |
| This author wrote about the Ramsay family’s visit to Scotland in one novel, and about William Shakespeare’s fictional sister in the essay “A Room of One’s Own.” In 1941, this author filled her pockets with stones and committed suicide in the River Ouze. Her nonlinear style of prose is exemplified in novels such as Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. For the point, name this feminist author who titles an Edward Albee play named Who’s Afraid of [this author]?. | Virginia Woolf (or Adeline Virginia Stephen) |
| In 1914, an axe-wielding employee of this man killed his mistress and set his studio in Spring Green on fire. One of his buildings survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake; that Imperial Hotel in Tokyo revived this man’s career. In 1935 he designed a home for Edgar Kaufmann that is cantilevered over, as well as built directly on top of, a running stream. For the point, name this Prairie School architect who designed Fallingwater. | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Two people convicted in this event had their sentences commuted by Governor Richard J. Oglesby, and three survivors were later pardoned by John Peter Altgeld. This event took place on May Day, a day after an event at the McCormick Harvesting Company, where strikers campaigning for an eight-hour workday were attacked. The Knights of Labor were blamed for, for the point, what 1886 event in which a bomb was thrown at police during a Chicago labor rally? | HaymarketSquareRiot (orHaymarketAffair;orHaymarketMassacre;accept equivalents using the word Haymarket) |
| A type of sinkhole called a cenote [se-no-tay] is common within a ring shaped area in this region. Atypically high amounts of iridium found at a site in this region lent credence to the Alvarez hypothesis. A large impact crater is present near the town of Chicxulub [chick-shuh-loob] in this region, and appears to have been created around the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs. For the point, name this peninsula of southeastern Mexico that juts into the Gulf of Mexico. | Yucatan peninsula (accept Chicxulub crater before “Chicxulub” is said; prompt on Mexico before mentioned) |
| The Lakota trickster figure Iktomi takes the form of one of these animals. An Ashanti figure who takes the form of one of these animals performed tasks for the sky god Nyame in order to obtain the stories of the world. A woman who was turned into one of these creatures created a tapestry depicting the infidelity of the gods. Anansi takes the form of this animal, as does a woman who won a weaving contest against Athena. For the point, name this animal whose form Arachne takes, an eight legged arachnid. | spiders |