The Ultimate SF quiz: THE ANSWERS

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The discussion revolves around a sci-fi quiz that was posted a week prior, with the answers now revealed. Key topics include various sci-fi works, their authors, and adaptations, such as "The Cold Equations," "Arena," and "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Participants engage in trivia about characters, plot points, and specific details from notable sci-fi literature and media, including Star Trek and works by Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. The conversation also touches on fandom culture, with mentions of conventions, filking, and the significance of lime Jello in sci-fi lore. Participants express surprise at their own knowledge levels and share recommendations for further reading, particularly highlighting Zenna Henderson's works. Overall, the thread showcases a blend of trivia, personal anecdotes, and a shared enthusiasm for science fiction.
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Okay, Its been a week since I posted my SF quiz, and it looks like its run its course. So for all of you who are dying to know, here are the answers.

For those of you who still wish to play, go to :

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=28103

and then come back here to see how well you did.

And now, without further ado... (drum roll please)... THE ANSWERS:
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1. What made for the Sci-fi Channel movie was based on a 1954 short story by Tom Godwin?
The Cold Equations

2. What Star Trek episode was based on a 1944 short story by Fredric Brown?
Arena

3. The character Barlennan is from what book by which author, and what ship does he captain?
Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement, The Bree

4. What is the name of the sequel to Verne's From the Earth to the Moon?
Around the Moon

5. Life-line was the first published story of what Author?
Robert Heinlein

6. In Larry Niven's novel World of Ptavvs, what is a ptavv?
A mature Thrint without the Power. The Thrint were a race that developed the power to control other sentient beings minds

7. In The Mysterious Island, how does Cyrus Harding light a fire after the castaways intial fire was drowned by waves?
With a magnifying glass made from the crystals of two watches

8. According to Douglas Adams, what is the trick to flying?
Throwing yourself at the ground, and missing

9. The movie The Day the Earth Stood Still was based on what short story?
Farewell to the Master, Harry Bates

10 The movie Forbidden Planet was based on what Shakespeare Play?
The Tempest

11. In Lost in Space what is Dr. Smith a doctor of?
Environmental Space Pyschology. Though at different times Smith made the claim that he was a Medical Doctor, this is most likely due to his tendency for prevarication. He may have had some medical training, but he is not an MD.

12. What is Spock's blood type?
T-negative (with some human elements)

13. James White is best known for what series of stories?
Sector General (About a space hospital)

14. In Heinlein's Citizen of the Galaxy, what ship does Captain Krausa master? What language is the name of the ship in? BONUS: what does the ship's name mean?
The Sisu, Finnish, Literally: "guts", The closest broad definition is "tenacity of purpose"

15. Name four captains of the original U.S.S Enterprise. BONUS: Name all five.
Robert April (conjectual, but listed in the Star Trek encyclopedia and mentioned during the Animated Series),
Christopher Pike,
James Kirk,
William Decker (captain at the start of STTMP, but moved to EO when Kirk takes command.)
Spock ( Captains the Enterprise during its stint as a training vessel in the tiem leading up to STII.


16. On the original Enterprise(NCC-1701), there are several conduits marked "GNDN". According to the creators of the show, What does GNDN stand for?
Goes nowhere, Does Nothing

17. What does Brennan do to kill off the Martians in Protector?
By redirecting a ice asteroid to crash into Mars, raising the humidity. Martian body chemistry reacts violently with water

18. What is the name of the ironclad that destroys a fighting machine in The War of the Worlds?
the Thunder Child

19 What type of propulsion system does the spaceship in Deep Impact use?
project Orion (a real space propulsion system considered in the 60's. It involved the detonation of nuclear devices behind the ship, making it capable of moving huge payloads. The project was scrapped when the US signed the treaty banning atmospheric tests of nuclear explosives.)

20. In the original novel, The Planet of the Apes, to what star do they travel?
Betelguese

21. In the novel The Day of the Triffids, what was the origin of the Triffids, and why were they initally allowed to spread?
An experiment in plant breeding. They produced a very valuable oil, and were cultivated worldwide.

22. What was Isaac Asimov's personal favorite of his own short stories?
The Last Question

23. Harry Stubbs is better known as?
Hal Clement

24. Isaac Asimov published his Lucky Starr juveniles under what pseudonymn?
Paul French

25. Name a female SF Author who resorted to using intials in their name to disguise their femininity.
C. L. Moore, or lesser known : A.R. Long

26. In the Blooper reel of the first season of STTNG, Where does Brent Spiner say the U.S.S. Stargazer was built?
In his best Jimmy Stewart: "Oh my God, Mary. They built this thing in Bedford falls!"


27. What doe R.U.R stand for?
Rossum's Universal Robots
This 1926 play first introduced the word 'robot', derived from the Russian word for "worker".


28. HAL 9000 was given two other different names in early verisons of the story. What were they.
Socrates and Athena. (back when they were considering pressing the parallel with Homer's work more)

29. The novel Make Room! Make Room! was the basis for what movie?
Soylent Green. The author, Harry Harrison, also co-wrote the screenplay

30. In the pilot episode of The Time Tunnel where did Tony and Doug find themselves?
Onboard the H.M.S. Titanic, hours before it hits the iceberg. (of course, they are unable to convince the Captain of the danger.)

31. In The Andromeda Strain what was the entrance to project Wildfire disguised as?
As a tool closet of a building at an U.S. Agricultural Station



Fandom questions:
32.What is filking?
Singing "filksongs" (Songs written with SF themes, a coruption of "folk song".

33.What is the significance of Lime Jello?
Legend has it that a SF Author at a convention stated that "The sexiest thing in the World is a bath tub full of Lime Jello". He returned later to his room to find his bathtub full of... You quessed it.

34.To what tune is the Ballad of Apollo XIII sung to?
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

35. What is a 'dane?
Short for 'mundane'; The term used for the regular patrons of the Hotel where the con is being held. These are the people who huddle in the corner of the elevator giving the conventioneers strange looks.

36. What is a FGoH?
Fan Guest of Honor, A special guest of a SF convention who, while not a writer, artist etc, is honored for his contributions to fandom.
 
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You recently attended a scifi convention or what? :-p I didn't know any so I guess I'm not too far gone :biggrin: unless.. you aren't planning on posting an X-file quiz are you? :rolleyes:
 
Monique said:
You recently attended a scifi convention or what? :-p I didn't know any so I guess I'm not too far gone :biggrin: unless.. you aren't planning on posting an X-file quiz are you? :rolleyes:


I haven't been to a convention in years. No X-file quiz, I never watched the show.
 
Boy I thought I knew a little about Sci Fi, now I know it is very, very little!

You are the first person to ever make me feel less like a geek. Thanks Janus! :biggrin:

PS. I live in a barn not a basement; and its my barn, not my parent's. Does that count?

Njorl lives in a chicken coop. We need to talk with him as well.
 
Janus said:
30. In the pilot episode of The Time Tunnel where did Tony and Doug find themselves?
Onboard the H.M.S. Titanic, hours before it hits the iceberg. (of course, they are unable to convince the Captain of the danger.)

How do you know this? I haven't seen The Time Tunnel for many, many years. Have you caught some recent Nick broadcasts or the like?
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Boy I thought I knew a little about Sci Fi, now I know it is very, very little!
No frikkin kidding! I thought I was a sci-fi geek. Maybe I could put together a quiz that would stump Janus. :wink:

Janus, my favorite sci-fi is by Zena Henderson, out of print, I can't find it anywhere, but among the best I've read. Know anything about it?
 
Here is a little trek trivia.

In TNG, the Borg have flashing lights located about their various bits of body technology.

These lights are flashing in a specific manner. Anyone know what that may be?
 
T-ve Spock??

I've read in a couple of novels that Vulcans have green blood 'cuz they're blood is copper based as opposed to human blood based on iron.
My question is how can Sarek(vulcan) and Amanda (human ) have a child - spock?
how is it possible?
 
Ivan Seeking said:
How do you know this? I haven't seen The Time Tunnel for many, many years. Have you caught some recent Nick broadcasts or the like?

The Sci-Fi channel reran it weekday mornings a few years ago (8-9?) At the time I worked a swing shift, so I started watching them. This is just one of those things that my quirky memory holds on to.
 
  • #10
Hypercase said:
they're blood is copper based as opposed to human blood based on iron...how is it possible?

Does that make Spock an alloy of the Federation?

This may have only been in a movie but I think this applies to all Borg in any spacetime continuum. The lights flash the names of at least a few producers, directors, and I think also the actors, in Morse Code.
 
  • #11
Janus said:
8. According to Douglas Adams, what is the trick to flying?
Throwing yourself at the ground, and missing

18. What is the name of the ironclad that destroys a fighting machine in The War of the Worlds?
the Thunder Child


I knew the answers to these two :approve:
 
  • #12
Ivan Seeking said:
Does that make Spock an alloy of the Federation?

And that was TERRIBLE! :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
  • #13
Evo said:
No frikkin kidding! I thought I was a sci-fi geek. Maybe I could put together a quiz that would stump Janus. :wink:
Could be, SF is such a large field and I haven't really kept up with a lot of the recent stuff.
Janus, my favorite sci-fi is by Zena Henderson, out of print, I can't find it anywhere, but among the best I've read. Know anything about it?

Do you mean Zenna Henderson? The person wrote the books about 'The People' ? I haven't read them, but I have heard of them.

If you like her, I understand that her writing is somewhat like that of Clifford Simak or Anne McCaffery, so you might give them a go.
 
  • #14
Janus said:
Do you mean Zenna Henderson? The person wrote the books about 'The People' ? I haven't read them, but I have heard of them.
Yes, (I must've had Zena, Warrior Princess on my mind). :redface:

Janus said:
If you like her, I understand that her writing is somewhat like that of Clifford Simak or Anne McCaffery, so you might give them a go.
Thanks, I will check them out! I am always looking for something new to read.
 

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