Q.31

A shower scene, a bathtub discussion, and a lady. The lady is the daughter of the two in the photos above. Who are all these people?
[+ Show Answer]

The mother is Janet Leigh, whose famous "Psycho" shower scene is shown above. Tony Curtis, who died recently, plays opposite Marilyn Monroe in the comedy "Some Like It Hot". One of their two daughters is the actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
(images: Psycho, Some Like It Hot, Jamie Lee Curtis

Q.30

Mario Vargas Llosa is the latest winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Vargas Llosa's doctoral thesis, submitted to the Complutense University in Madrid, was a study of a previous Nobel Literature Prize winner. Subtitled "historia de un deicidio" or "history of a deicide", who was this writer?

[+ Show Answer]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, with whom Vargas Llosa had a chequered friendship, eventually ending when Llosa punched Marquez after a falling out.

Q.29

Which competition, in existence since 1927, has matches in formats such as "foursome" and "fourballs" involving pairs of players?

[+ Show Answer]

The Ryder Cup, a team competition in golf featuring the USA and a combined European team. In "foursomes", teams of 2 play each other and take shots alternately. In "fourballs", team-members play independently. The cup also features singles matches. The latest edition was recently won by Europe.

Q.28

Awarded jointly to the executives and directors of Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Magnetar for "creating and promoting new ways to invest money – ways that maximise financial gain and minimise financial risk for the world economy, or for a portion thereof."

This is the citation from a recently announced award (in the Economics category). What award?

[+ Show Answer]

The Ig Nobel Awards.

Q.27 (bonus)

Ireland recently announced a squad for their cricket tour of India. This includes two players who have played international cricket for other national teams. Incidentally, both have brothers who have also represented their nations at cricket. Who are these players?

[+ Show Answer]

Hamish Marshall (formerly of New Zealand) and Ed Joyce (Ireland and later England). While Hamish's identical twin James has also played Test cricket, Joyce's brothers Augustine and Dominick and sisters Isobel and Cecilia have represented Ireland.

Q.27

This place in UP is famed for its hand-made carpets and recently received geographical indicator status for the same. It even houses the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology. Which place?

[+ Show Answer]

Bhadohi

Q.26

The Tehreek-e-Sangbaaz is a political group that has become active in recent times. How are members of this outfit more commonly known as?

[+ Show Answer]

The stone-pelters in Kashmir.

Q.25

Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director of films like The English Patient, died in 2008. One of his last works was to co-write and direct the pilot of a television adaptation of a best-selling series written by a Scotsman. This recently began airing in India, on HBO. Which series?

[+ Show Answer]

The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, based on stories by Alexander McCall Smith.

Q.24

According to the Princeton Wordnet dictionary, this term could mean:

• a notebook containing descriptions and diagrams of the strategies that a team has practiced (especially an American football team)
• a book containing the scripts of one or more dramas
• a scheme or set of strategies for conducting a business campaign or a political campaign

What term?

[+ Show Answer]

Playbook, which is also what Blackberry is calling its new touchpad device. The name has confused non-Americans because the word "playbook" isn't very well known outside USA.

Q.23

According to reports, the eldest was not chosen because he used a fake passport to try and sneak into Japan in order to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was caught and deported out of Japan. Rumour also has it that the middle one was not chosen because he was "girlish". Who was chosen?

[+ Show Answer]

Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. He was recently elevated to General in the North Korean regime in a move seen as a step marking his 'coronation' as heir-apparent.

Q.22

Turmeric Vision is an Indian television production company that plans to launch a tv channel later this year. Its theme is unique among Indian channels. Who owns this or what is the theme?

[+ Show Answer]

Sanjeev Kapoor; this will be India's first 24-hour food channel.

Q.21

The last time music house Sa Re Ga Ma India Ltd. used this format was for the movie "Dil To Pagal Hai" in 1997. After 13 years, they have done this for the recently released music of "Jhootha Hi Sahi". What format?

[+ Show Answer]

The music has been released as an LP record. See this article.

Q. 20 (bonus)

In 2008, a clock-based version was used in the US (though it has now been replaced by the "shuffle" format). Subsequently, the clock was adopted in Japan (2009) and the UK (from August 2010), where it still continues. Another country has recently adopted it. What is this about?

[+ Show Answer]

The format in "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". Kaun Banega Crorepati 4, which began in India this month, uses a timed Q&A format for part of the quiz, like the UK, while the Japanese version uses the clock for all questions.

Q.20

Apart from the conventional hardback, this book was also launched as an e-book (containing extras such as author videos), and uniquely, as an iPhone & iPad app (also it's cheapest form). Whose memoirs?

[+ Show Answer]

Stephen Fry ("The Fry Chronicles"); the app is called myFry. Stephen Fry is a well-known Apple fan.

Q.19

What is common to the following sports: Dancesport, Dragon Boat, Roller Sports (artistic and speed), Twenty20 cricket, and two Chinese board games, Weiqi and Xiangqi?

[+ Show Answer]

Sports newly introduced to the Asian Games (to be held in Guangzhou in December).

Q.18

Luka and the Fire of Life is a new book, a sequel to a book that came out in 1990. In this book, Luka has to travel to the Magic World to steal the Fire of Life to save his father. Who is Luka's elder brother?

[+ Show Answer]

Haroun. This Salman Rushdie book follows "Haroun and the Sea of Stories".

Q.17

Piers Morgan is best known in America for being a judge on "America's Got Talent". He also hosts a British interview programme called "Life Stories". He was the first winner of "Celebrity Apprentice". From January 2011, he will begin a new American interview show. What's significant about this?

[+ Show Answer]

He will be taking over "Larry King Live"'s CNN time slot, after Larry King's retirement in Dec this year.

Q.16

Connect this poster of a film to be released later this year, this man, and something that premiered in Moscow on 5th March, 1877 at the Bolshoy Theatre, as part of a benefit performance for Pelageya Karpakova, a ballerina.
[+ Show Answer]

The film is Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan", which is about a ballet company preparing to produce Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake". "Swan Lake" premiered (to mixed reactions) in Moscow in 1877. The man is Nicholas Nassem Taleb, author of "The Black Swan".

(images: Wikipedia for the movie, and Taleb's website)

Q.15

In 2003, adventurer Aron Ralston had a harrowing accident in a canyon in Utah. He spent about five days extricating himself from it, which also led to the self-amputation of his injured arm. This forms the basis for which upcoming film by an Oscar winning director, also featuring music by an Oscar winning composer?

[+ Show Answer]

"127 Hours" by Danny Boyle. The music is by A.R.Rahman. Its trailer has gained a lot of attention for its typically high-octane Boyle style. (see this for example).

Q.14

0 will be for special trains, 3 for Kolkata locals, 4 for Secunderabad, 9 for Mumbai suburban locals, and 1 is for all mail and express trains. What is all this about?

[+ Show Answer]

Indian Railways is introducing five-digit train codes from December. This refers to the new prefix digit for different types of trains.

(Source)

Participants at this year's Chakravyuuh will recall that a related question was asked in the finals.

Q.13

Designed by Atul Pande, whose logo consists of the Sun and a fingerprint? This also has a theme song, whose lyrics begin as: "Bhor hui jeevan mein. Shuru nai udaan. Mili hume pehchaan. Khule naye ab dwaar."

[+ Show Answer]

The "Aadhar" a.k.a UID project.

Q.12

A video shot for Bob Dylan's song "Subterranean Homesick Blues" featured the singer using cue cards to spell out keywords from the lyrics as the song played. How did this song come back into the news recently?

[+ Show Answer]

It was used during the launch of "Google Instant" to illustrate the new 'instant' search feature. See the videos here: the original and the ad.

Q.11

"Zero History" is the latest in the "Bigend" series (the earlier books are "Pattern Recognition" and "Spook Country") by which cult science fiction author, whose stories are now usually set in contemporary times.

[+ Show Answer]

William Gibson.

Q.10

This is the tag line & teaser for which upcoming film? [+ Show Answer]

"The Social Network" - a new movie by David Fincher, on the early days of Facebook

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Q.9

Connect these two locations.
[+ Show Answer]

The connection is "Cordoba", and refers to the recent "Ground Zero Mosque" controversy. The Spanish map highlights the Cordoba province, while the New York map shows the location of the proposed Islamic centre in relation to the Twin Towers. The centre was initially called Cordoba House (now renamed to Park 51), supposedly referring to a time of religious peace in that region. Read this wikipedia article for more on the naming.

Q.8

According to his memoirs, when Tony Blair was having a lot of trouble with Gordon Brown, his then Chancellor of the Exchequer, he consulted someone thus: "What would you do if your best player won't do what you want him to and just does his own thing?"

Whom did he consult?

[+ Show Answer]

Sir Alex Ferguson.

Q.7 (bonus)

Bonus extra question for the day

A few months before the recent Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Council for England polled a sample of the English public, giving them three choices. As a result of the vote, they chose something in place of what they used earlier. This now matches the choice of the English men's Test cricket team and the English women's Lacrosse team.

What change?

[+ Show Answer]

England does not have an official national anthem, especially for use during sporting occasions ("God Save the Queen" is the anthem of the United Kingdom). The Commonwealth Games have traditionally used "Land of Hope and Glory", while the Test cricket team uses "Jerusalem" (a song also featured on the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning sports film "Chariots of Fire").

After this poll, the English Commonwealth Games squad has switched to "Jerusalem", which will be played during medal ceremonies. The football and rugby teams continue to use "God Save the Queen".

Q.7

Who is leading this "revolution"?
[+ Show Answer]

Jamie Oliver, whose American TV series enters its second season.

(image from Wikipedia)

Q.6

Once, it was just a term in sonar, for a pulse of sound. Later became well-known in computer networks as a command to check for reachability of a host machine. This became responsible for an informal social term to contact a person. What term, which is the latest addition to the world of social networks?

[+ Show Answer]

Ping, Apple's new music-based social network

Infinite Zounds in a minute

Started in Oct 2010. A question a day. Wide variety of topics. Only one constraint: pertains to current affairs. Authored by J. Ramanand who once won 'Mastermind India'. Over a thousand questions. Unique design: the answer is always available along with the question (so no waiting). Intended also for occasional quizzer and the non-quizzer.

Q.5

In the Royal Air Force, this term refers to a formation of 'wings' (wings in turn are comprised of squadrons). Such a formation can be likened to a regiment in the Army. So who is typically in charge of such a formation?

[+ Show Answer]

A Group Captain - the formation is called a group; in the news for Sachin Tendulkar being awarded this as a honorary rank

Q.4

This is a newly introduced category at the recently announced 57th National Film Awards.This category already exists in the Filmfare Awards (first awarded in 1998, and won by Viju Shah). Which category and who is the first ever winner?

[+ Show Answer]

Best Background Score; won, fittingly, by Ilaiyaraja for "Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja"

Q.3

The new district created around Amethi has been renamed after Chattrapati Shahuji. Similarly, the Kanpur Dehat district has been renamed, this time after the wife of a social reformer. What is the new name?

[+ Show Answer]

Ramabai Nagar after Ramabai Ambedkar

Q.2

Excerpts from whose career:

• Wrote the open source port scanning program 'Strobe'
• Co-invented the 'rubberhose deniable encryption' concept used in cryptography
• wrote "Surfraw", a command line interface to search engines
• Contributor to the book: Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier

[+ Show Answer]

Julian Assange, who later co-founded WikiLeaks

Q.1

After this happened, one of the on-air commentators said (paraphrased):

"it is remarkable how hard that was hit. I suppose if you have twins, you don't have to worry about these things anymore".

What was he talking about?

[+ Show Answer]

Roger Federer's astonishing between-the-legs winner versus Brian Dabul in his 1st round US Open 2010 match. This was the 2nd consecutive year he managed that moment. See this for the video