Keith Douglas
I am going to save last month’s “answers” for the February issue. I have a reason for this that will (possibly) become apparent here.
Today we have a trivia challenge. But there’s a twist to the questions! Or rather, to each one. Then, collectively, you might be able to see something unusual. That is the real conundrum — spot the unusual. But you may well find the trivia itself puzzling.
1) What was Deng Xiaoping’s mother’s given name?
2) What is the value of 1 divided by 0?
3) When did William Shatner last order haggis and an emerald tiara by mail order from Zimbabwe?
4) Who was the first hockey goaltender to score a goal?
5) When did Vancouver last win the Stanley Cup? (Apologies for two hockey questions!)
6) How old was Alan Turing when his eldest daughter was born?
7) After it was hospitalized, how long did the longest lived komodo dragon live with COVID-19?
8) Which U.S. state has the most western part of that country and which has the most eastern?
9) If there are only five Platonic solids, how can one make a fair 10-sided die?
10) Where (what latitude and longitude) is the Sea of Tranquillity?
I can’t wait for the next issue to find out what all those questions have (don’t have?) in common . . .
#8 was unusual: not based on a category error.
1. Danshi (the twist – the Chinese often change their given names)
2. Infinity (the twist – infinity doesn’t have a value)
3. Unknown (the twist – haggis probably wouldn’t be shipped from Zimbabwe)
4. Not recorded (the twist – the name is lost to history)
5. Never (the twist – they should be referred to as the Vancouver Canucks)
6. He died childless (the twist – he certainly didn’t have three or more daughters because he wasn’t
a womanizer)
7. Fake news (the twist – Komodo dragons are not hospitalized and reptiles aren’t known to catch
COVID-19)
8. Alaska and Maine (the twist – it’s not clear if the question is referring to geography or culture)
9. Impossible (the twist – if a dodecahedron had 2 blank faces or an icosahedron had 10 that
would not count, that might be considered fair)
10. 8.5°N 31.4°E (the twist – using Selenographic coordinates)
“Then, collectively, you might be able to see something unusual.” NOPE! That was quite the time-waster. Thank you Keith. ;-/