Highest Scoring Entry for 2007 Physics World Quiz Contest?

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
39 replies · 5K views
ZapperZ
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Insights Author
Messages
32,819
Reaction score
4,724
Hey, Physics World has http://images.iop.org/dl/physicsweb/PWDec07quiz.pdf" from 2007. There's a £50 prize for someone who gets most of the answer.

Wouldn't it be nice if a PF member wins this? :)

Zz.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
I've got the answer for "B" at the top of the page concerning this sign:

http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/images/newradiationsymbol_300x200.gif


The image in the top portion of the triangle is a fan blade----these signs are in public bathrooms. So the sign indicates, if the fan isn't working---it's best to leave at a fast pace!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A. Karlsruhe tritium neutrino experiment.[/color]
Source:
http://www2.lns.mit.edu/neutrino/KATRIN.html"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
B.
The symbol is intended for IAEA Category 1, 2 and 3 sources defined as dangerous sources capable of death or serious injury, including food irradiators, teletherapy machines for cancer treatment and industrial radiography units. The symbol is to be placed on the device housing the source, as a warning not to dismantle the device or to get any closer. It will not be visible under normal use, only if someone attempts to disassemble the device. The symbol will not be located on building access doors, transportation packages or containers.
[/color]
Source:
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/radiationsymbol.html"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
D:

Cassini

Source:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071010.html"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1.

Hawking

Source:
http://www.news.com/2300-11397_3-6179718-1.html"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
3.

University of Florida

Source:
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/05/30/huge-wind-machine/"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
6.

Sunshine

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448134/"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rewebster said:
The image in the top portion of the triangle is a fan blade----these signs are in public bathrooms. So the sign indicates, if the fan isn't working---it's best to leave at a fast pace!
One thing's for sure, it ain't the entrance to the Trilateral Commision.
 
7.

During a a high-pressure test of critical components:
"At 20 bar, there was a sudden release of helium gas (used to cool the magnets), something went bang, and sirens sounded, alerting the fire brigade."

Source:
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/may07/5083"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
8.

carbon nanotubes.

Source:
http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0953-8984/19/39/395001/"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
9.

Borexino.

Source:
http://www.w2agz.com/Library/SuperGrid/Popular%20Articles/PWJul07news_paul_grant.pdf"
(article near the bottom entitled: Neutrino detector finally starts up.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
20.

184 pounds

Source:
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/museum/sputnik1.htm"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
24.

30 days

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1"
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_2"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ZapperZ said:
So Jimmy, are you going to enter this contest or what? :)
Zz.
I might if I get all of them. I assume there are many people who can google as well as or better than I.
 
23.

Korolev?

I'm not sure about this one. My guy spent only 6 years in prison and only a part of that in a labor camp. It was before, not after sputnik.
Source:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14949640"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
22.

Inside were two one-watt radio transmitters and three silver-zinc batteries - two for powering the radio beacons and one for a ventilation fan. The sphere was filled with nitrogen gas pressurised to 130 kilopascals (1.3 atmospheres).

Source:
This article mentions some of the equipment, but I don't know if it is an exhaustive list.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6937964.stm"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
20. I can't find this one. Here's an article that suggests that there was no such person.
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/gorodomlya.html"
Perhaps he was the janitor and kept the keys. Anybody got a better answer?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
5.

Nordic skiing

Source:
http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Astronauts_Urged_To_Take_Up_Skiing_Ahead_Of_Lunar_Missions_999.html"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
C.

Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_von_Weizs%C3%A4cker"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
11.

John Polkinghorne

Source:
http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/faraday/Issues.php"

13.

Steven Weinberg

Source:
http://www.templeton-cambridge.org/fellows/brooks/publications/2006.11.20/beyond_belief/"

14.

Sir Patrick Moore

Source:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article1308585.ece"

15.

Freeman Dyson

Source:
http://edge.org/3rd_culture/dysonf07/dysonf07_index.html"

16.

Ken Caldeira

Source:
http://www.nasw.org/users/schirber/bibliography/pdfs/PWFeb07news-geoengineering.pdf"

17.

Frank Close

Source:
http://trust.mindswap.org/downloads/PWJan07web-two.pdf"

18.

John Conway

Source:
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/27731"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It seems I have found all except for 12 and 20. George Jones has the answer to 12. If someone gets 20, then we should follow Kurdt's suggestion and send the lot in as physicsforums.
 
Oswald Putze might be the answer to 20. I tried googling his name and he was certainly involved but there's not much info on him. I thought he'd at least have a wiki article if he was the one.