| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| This author speculated about the existence of a primordial triple goddess, and this author of Hercules, My Shipmate and The White Goddess described his service in World War One in the memoir (*) Good-Bye to All That. This author imagined a "Pelasgian" [[peh-LAS-jee-un]] creation myth with the goddess Eurynome [[yoo-RIN- uh-mee]] in his (*) collection of Greek mythology. For the point, name this British author and mythographer who wrote the novel I, Claudius. | Robert Graves |
| According to legend, this ruler was once scolded by a peasant after he burned some cakes in their home. This ruler's educational reforms involved making English the (+) primary schooling language. This ruler forced Guthrum to sign the Treaty of Wedmore and establish the Danelaw. This king added the Ten Commandments to the law codes of his predecessors to create his (*) Doom Book. For the point, name this Anglo-Saxon king of Wessex, given the epithet "the Great." | Alfred the Great |
| Concepts from this religion were illustrated by Benjamin Hoff using characters from Winnie the Pooh. One text in this religion features a man who does not know if he is dreaming of being a butterfly or is a butterfly dreaming of being him. In addition to the (+) Zhuangzi [[ZHWAHNG-ZEE]], another text from this religion describes the complementary nature of Yin and (*) Yang. For the point, name this philosophical Chinese religion, legendarily founded by Lao Tzu. | Taoism (or Daoism) |
| The slide rule can be used to sum the outputs of several of these operations because a ruler has a scale based on this function. This operation names a type of (+) growth that initially increases rapidly but quickly begins to approach an asymptote. Euler's [[OY-lers]] number is the base of the (*) "natural" form of this operation. For the point, name this mathematical operation, the inverse of exponentiation. | Logarithm |
| This man's Caprichos criticised the foolishness of his country's society and included a work depicting a man resting on a table displaying the words "the sleep of reason produces (*) monsters." Prior to his exile, this man lived in a home known as the "House of the Deaf Man" in which he created his Black Paintings, including (*) Saturn Devouring His Son. For the point, name this Spanish artist of The Third of May 1808. | Francisco Goya |
| This man coined the term noumenon as part of his "transcendental idealism" and equated it to the "thing-in-itself." This man said that mathematical statements were an example of synthetic (*) a priori knowledge. This man's ethics evolved to become known as deontological ethics, originating from his theory of moral obligations which he called (*) "categorical imperatives." For the point, name this German writer of Critique of Pure Reason. | Immanuel Kant |
| Bandi Chhor Divas runs concurrently with this festival, usually celebrated twenty days after the Vijayadashami [[vee-jay-ah-dah-SHAH-mee]]. In Nepal, variants of this festival include Tihar and (*) Swanti. In preparation for this festival, celebrants prepare diyas and rangolis. This festival symbolizes the victory of light (*) over darkness and is associated with the goddess Lakshmi. For the point, name this "festival of light" celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. | Deepavali (accept Diwali or Divali) |
| To describe the "high" and "low" varieties of these languages, William Stewart coined the terms "acrolect" and "basilect." The Language Bioprogram theory argues that the structural similarities between these languages cannot be solely attributed to their (+) superstrate and substrate languages. Some of the most widely spoken of these languages can be found in New Guinea and (*) Haiti. For the point, what are these natural languages which develop through the mixing of multiple languages? | Creole language |
| This body, which has a circular orbit, is believed to be responsible for the extremely eccentric orbit of Nereid [[NEE-ree-id]]. This body, which is covered in annealed frozen nitrogen, was visited by (*) Voyager II. Dirty water ice on this body forms its cantaloupe terrain. This body is believed to be a captured Kuiper [[KAI- per]] belt object due to its physical similarities to Pluto and its (*) retrograde orbit. For the point, name this largest moon of Neptune. | Triton |
| In the novel Small Steps, this author depicts Armpit's attempts to reform himself. That novel is a sequel to another novel by this author about Stanley (+) Yelnats, who is sent to Camp Green Lake for allegedly stealing a pair of shoes. A series by this author centers on a 30-story tall school that was accidentally (*) built sideways. For the point, name this author of Holes and the Wayside School series. | Louis Sachar [[SAK-er]] |
| In 2013, two leaders of this country's Popular Front were assassinated, allegedly by the Ennahda Movement. Following a popular uprising in this country, Leila and (+) Ezzine Ben Ali were ousted and forced to flee to Saudi Arabia. After a fruit vendor self-immolated to protest corruption, this country became the origin of the (*) Arab Spring protests. For the point, name this modern north African country, the home of the ancient city of Carthage. | Republic of Tunisia (accept al-Jumhūrīyah at-Tūnisīyah) |
| The earliest form of this lab technique utilized evaporation in large open tanks. The central mechanism of this technique involves the "crashing out" of ionic salts at (+) nucleation sites. Cooling versions of this technique involve dropping a solution below its saturation point to cause precipitation while supersaturated solutions can be (*) seeded to undergo this process. For the point, name this purification technique, which produces solids with repeated unit cells. | Crystalization (prompt on "precipitation" before mentioned) |
| In one story by this author, the title officer is killed with a cheese knife by the prostitute Rachel. In another story by this author, Maitre Hauchecome [[MAY-truh oash-KOHM]] is accused of stealing after stopping to pick up the title (+) "Piece of String." In another work by this author, Madame Loisel [[lwah-SEL]] works for ten years to pay off a loan she took out to replace the (*) title object, which turned out to be a fake. For the point, name this French short story writer of "The Necklace." | Guy de Maupassant |
| This government was attacked by the Ishin Shishi and protected by the elite Shinsengumi. The Christian Shimabara Rebellion was suppressed by this government. The (*) sakoku policy was ended by this government after the landing of (*) Matthew Perry. For the point, name this government founded by Ieyasu [[ee-eh-YAH-soo]] which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 and was ended by the ascension of Emperor Meiji [[meh-EE- jee]] to the throne. | Tokugawa Shogunate (or Tokugawa bakufu; accept Edo shogunate; accept Edo bakufu; prompt on "Japan"; prompt on partial answers) |
| This order, whose young are known as "puggles," unusually possesses five pairs of sex chromosomes. The theria hypothesis posits that this order possesses so- called primitive traits, because it diverged from (*) Metatheria before Metatheria diverged from the Eutherians. With placentals and marsupials, this order is one of the three main divisions of (*) mammals. For the point, name this order of egg-laying mammals, which includes the echidna and the platypus. | Monotremes (or Monotremata) |
| This man defended his Jansenist friend, Antoine Arnauld [[ar-NOHD]], by writing letters under the pseudonym "Louis de Montalte [[mon-TAHLT]]." This author of the (*) Provincial Letters also posited a probabilistic problem in which he argued that a rational person should live as though (*) God exists. For the point, name this French mathematician and philosopher who discussed his namesake "wager" in his Pensees [[pahn-SEH]]. | Blaise Pascal |
| In the second act of this work, the smugglers Le Dancaire [[luh-dahn-ka-EER]] and Le Remendado [[luh-reh-men-DAH-doh]] intend to dispose of ill-gotten contraband, and this work's title (+) character joins them in doing so. Later in this work, Don José gets jealous of Escamillo [[es-kah-MEE-yoh]] and murders its title character. The best known arias of this work are the "Habanera" [[ha-bah-NEH-rah]] and the (*) "Toreador Song." For the point, name this opera about the title gypsy woman in four acts by Georges Bizet [[bee-ZEH]]. | Carmen |
| Cells reactive to this molecule typically originate in the ventral tegmental area. Hallucinations and delusions can be reduced in schizophrenia patients by blocking this molecule. Deficiencies of this (*) neurotransmitter caused by cell death in the substantia nigra are the primary cause of the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The main mechanism of cocaine blocks the reuptake of this (*) organic chemical. For the point, name this neurotransmitter which is central to the reward system. | Dopamine (accept DA; or 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) |
| Three months before this battle, a frigate called the Chesapeake was captured, leading to "Don't give up the ship," the dying words of that vessel's captain James Lawrence, being emblazoned on the battle flag of (*) Oliver Hazard Perry. Fought on September 10, 1813 at a namesake location, the USS Lawrence was heavily damaged in this battle but still hosted the (*) British surrender. For the point, name this battle that was fought off the coast of Ohio in one of the Great Lakes. | Battle of Lake Erie (or Battle of Put-In-Bay) |
| In August Derleth's mythos, Hastur is this creature's half-brother. Inspector Legrasse finds idols depicting this figure when investigating various cults to it in Greenland and (+) Louisiana. This being is often encountered in bas-reliefs depicting it as part man, part dragon, and part octopus. Said to lie (*) dreaming in the underwater city of R'lyeh [[rah-LEH]], for the point, what is this "Great Old One," an eldritch creature created by H. P. Lovecraft? | Cthulhu [[kuh-THOO-loo]] (accept Cthulhu Mythos; accept "The Call of Cthulhu) |
| The mouth of this river includes Cape Disappointment, and the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland form the tri-cities along this river. This river, whose largest tributary is the (+) Snake River, is crossed by the Grand Coulee Dam. Major cities along this river include The Dalles [[DALZ]], Astoria, and (*) Portland. For the point, name this Pacific Northwest river that forms most of the border between Oregon and Washington state. | Columbia River |
| This god stole jade bone from Mictlantecuhtli [[meekt-lahn-teh-KOOT-lee]] to create the first humans. This god's return from the east was anticipated by worshippers, who believed he had (+) sailed away on a raft made of snakes. This god was the twin brother of the dog-headed Xolotl [[zo-LOH-tul]]. According to legend, (*) Hernán Cortés's light-colored beard caused him to be mistaken for, for the point, what Aztec god who is depicted as a feathered serpent? | Quetzalcoatl [[KET-sul-KWAH-tul]] (be lenient on pronunciation) |
| At extremely low temperatures, these particles can form a condensate which allows for superfluidity. Varieties of these particles include the Z and W types, which mediate the (+) weak and strong forces. The gauge variety of these particles mediate fundamental forces and include photons. This class of particles, contrasted with fermions, is named after a noted (*) Indian physicist. For the point, name these particles, the most notable of which is named for Peter Higgs. | Boson (accept Z boson, W boson, Higgs boson, or Gauge boson; prompt on "Bose-Einstein Condensate" or "Satyendra Nath Bose") |
| This man was tended to by his cousin and future wife, Zerelda Mimms, after suffering a chest wound while trying to surrender to Union soldiers. During a robbery in Gallatin, this man (+) murdered a bank cashier, mistakenly believing he was Samuel P. Cox. This member of the pro-Confederacy "bushwhackers" was (*) murdered by Robert Ford to collect a bounty in Missouri. For the point, name this American outlaw who led a namesake gang with the Younger family. | Jesse James |
| The third stanza of this poem describes its central location as "the jaws of Death" and "the mouth of Hell." This poem asks, "Was there a man dismayed?" among the title (+) group before noting that "Someone had blundered." This poem refers to its title group with the line "Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs but to do and die." This poem opens with the line (*) "Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward." For the point, name this Tennyson poem about 600 soldiers fighting in the Crimean War. | "The Charge of the Light Brigade" |
| The name of this movement in philosophy and the arts was coined in 1870 by John Watkins Chapman and extended by J.M. Thompson to include a reaction to religion. John Cage's (*) 4'33" [["four minutes, thirty-three seconds"]] is a form of conceptual art that is considered part of this artistic movement. Exemplified by Philip Johnson's AT&T Building on (*) Madison Avenue, for the point, what is this movement that seeks to break down barriers between high and low art and contradict modernism? | Postmodernism (accept Postmodernist) |
| This company created the HipHop Transpiler and maintains the React Javascript library. In 2014, this company bought the brand that manufactured the (+) Rift VR headset, Oculus. This company owns the Instagram and Whatsapp platforms, and in 2020 this company made their (*) Messenger independent of their main platform. For the point, name this social media company founded by Mark Zuckerberg. | Facebook, Inc. |
| With a name coming from a Russian word meaning "uplands," plant life of these biomes is dominated by cushion plants such as mosses and (+) lichens [["LIE"- kens]] despite having nutrient-rich soils. These biomes can experience surface flooding in the summer due to the partial melting of permafrost. These biomes are separated from the (*) taiga by the timberline. Caribou primarily inhabit, for the point, what cold, treeless biome found in the Arctic and Antarctic circles? | Tundra |
| The winner during this presidential election year consolidated support by denouncing Sister Souljah’s remarks. Pat Buchanan alienated some moderates in this year with his “culture war” speech. Opposition to (+) NAFTA in this election year gave billionaire Ross Perot the best third party performance since 1912. The winner in this election year ran with (*) Al Gore and defeated the incumbent Republican. For the point, name this election year in which George H.W. Bush was defeated by Bill Clinton. | Election of 1992 (prompt on "92") |
| This author's namesake "trilema" states that Jesus must have been either a lunatic, a liar, or the Lord. This author helped inspire the modern Christian (*) apologetics movement with his book Mere Christianity. One of this author's allegorical novels takes the form of letters written by the (*) demon Wormwood to his nephew. For the point, name this Christian writer, the author of the Screwtape Letters and the Chronicles of Narnia. | Clive Staples "C.S." Lewis |
| This philosopher compared good fortune to a woman who must be overcome. This man argued that leaders should strive to be both like the lion and the fox. This philosopher's best known (+) work praised the leadership of Cesare Borgia [[CHEH- sah-reh BOR-zhuh]] and was dedicated to the Medici family. That book by this philosopher states that is it better to be (*) feared than loved. For the point, name this Italian philosopher, the author of The Prince. | Nicolo de Machiavelli |
| One version of this painting was likely created by Salai or Melzi, one of its original painter's students, and is on display at The Prado. Vincenzo Peruggia [[vin- CHEN-zo peh-ROO-zhah]], who helped construct this painting's glass case, was (+) charged with its theft from the Louvre. The subject of this painting has no visible (*) eyebrows or eyelashes and sits with one hand over the other. For the point, name this portrait of a smiling woman by Leonardo Da Vinci. | Mona Lisa (accept La Gioconda) |