He had prepared extensively for his role [...] using what he calls "psycho-technique". He imagined the feelings [...] by going back millions of years to the beginnings of evolution, when all life [...] was contained in sightless single-celled organisms swimming in the dark waters. Once there, he would grope and search for sight.This day last year: Q.335
Aug 31, 2012
Q.701
Aug 30, 2012
Q.700
Which performing art?
This day last year: Q.334Aug 29, 2012
Q.699
So some versions of the story place Khusrau as the male protagonist with Irene of Armenia being the female lead. The sculptor that we know better enters the story later.
Which story?
Aug 28, 2012
Q.698
This plane is called the "Solar Impulse", and an experiment being conducted at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, financed by several private entities.
In June 2012, it completed a trip from Madrid to Rabat, thus being the first of its kind to successfully complete an inter-continental flight. What is unusual about this aircraft?
Aug 27, 2012
Q.697
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom celebrated her diamond jubilee in 2012, having ascended to her throne in 1952. Various commemorations were issued as a mark, including emblems such as this one recorded in IZ 515.
Which country issued this emblem for its queen?
Aug 26, 2012
Q.696
The player from Lleida who scored the opening goal in the match now is a bitter rival, and some may say, irritant-in-the-eye, of the "Special One". Who?
Aug 25, 2012
Q.695
Many such bans have come into place in other parts of the world, after years of protests against the obvious cruelty that the principal ingredient of the dish has to endure.
Which dish?
Aug 24, 2012
Q.694
Usually held three years apart, the latest edition will be held in Tehran in August 2012. (Fittingly, the US has complained about the UN Secretary General's visit to the summit and thus Iran.) What?
Aug 23, 2012
Q.693
The latest is Prof. P.J.Kurien. Which post?
Aug 22, 2012
Q.692
When Trott clipped Steyn wide of mid-on, and Amla chased towards long-on, the lack of running urgency suggested that both batsmen had settled for a dawdling three. In fact, were it not for an outfield slowed by repairs after the _____ _____, it would have been four. The final arrow was about to plunge deep into England's ambitions that they might square the series.Why had there been repairs on the field?Steyn, the bowler, was so convinced all meaningful action was complete that he collected his sun hat from the umpire before the call of "over." But Trott turned in invitation of a fourth. Taylor, who was running to the danger end, accepted with alacrity only for Trott to turn his back and leave Taylor stranded as Steyn transferred to the wicketkeeper.
Aug 21, 2012
Q.691
The participants usually meet via Skype; it probably suits the interviewer as much as the interviewees. Who is the interviewer?
Aug 20, 2012
Q.690
This Harley-Davidson motorcycle showed up on the Pacific coast of British Columbia in Canada in May 2012. Media reports about this rather unusual find helped trace the owner of the bike.
Other items, such as footballs, bottles, etc. have also shown up the western coast of North America, and are from the same place. A large wave of stuff is expected to show up in 2013 and 2014.
So what's common to where all this stuff is coming from?
Image: BBC.co.uk/AP
Aug 19, 2012
Q.689
Ernst Happel (of Austria): Austria, Netherlands, Brugge,Germany
Giovanni Trapattoni (of Italy): Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria
Jose Mourinho (of Portugal): Portugal, England, Italy, Spain
exclusive club, with his Real Madrid side winning the league in the 2011-12 season.
Aug 18, 2012
Q.688
1. The Applications of Probability to Crypt
2. A Paper on the Statistics of Repetitions
The British department "GHCQ" (Government's Communications Headquarters) wasn't sure exactly when these were written, but figured it was about seventy years old because one of the paper's makes a reference to Adolf Hitler's age.
Who wrote these papers?
Aug 17, 2012
Q.687
This bluesy number was itself a derivative work from a traditional twenties' song. But it's better known for the two famous entities that took their names from the song.
One of these entities turned fifty in 2012; though the people involved are of the "I'm-seventy-going-on-twenty" variety. Which entity, and which song?
Image: Wikipedia
Aug 16, 2012
Q.686
Their names in the movie (only single name given for each) together pay tribute to something super. What?
This day last year: Q.320Aug 15, 2012
Q.685
From 1962 till the last poll in 2002, "Citizen Kane" has topped this list. This year's result was dizzyingly different. Which Hitchcock classic topped the poll?
Aug 14, 2012
Q.684
In 2005, she had written an article called "___ ___ and Me: Now It Can Be Told, and Not for the First Time Either", in which she wrote of her indiscreet revelations about someone connected to a major US political event. But no one really took her seriously. The article showed ho wshe was one of the few people in the world to know something.
What did she know?
The article is here. Also see this.
Aug 13, 2012
Q.683
Leon Black, an American businessman, bought the other pastel version in May 2012 for a 120 million dollars, making it the most expensive sale at a public auction ever.
If you've recovered from shrieking in pain at this display of Mammon, can you identify the work of art?
Aug 12, 2012
Aug 11, 2012
Q.681
Some authorities have also made the radical suggestion of moving out from the place, but other dignitaries have shot this down.
Which iconic building estate is this?
Aug 10, 2012
Q.680
In this book, among other topics, Lehrer analyses the creative process of some famous artists. Journalist Michael Moynihan then discovered that some of the quotes attributed to one singer were either incorrect or, worse, concocted. Lehrer first lied about the veracity of these quotations, but later admitted to making them up.
Which singer's quotes were these?
Aug 9, 2012
Q.679
Source image: EW.com/Boing Boing/Aintitcool.com This day last year: Q.313
Aug 8, 2012
Q.678
The pattern is Morse Code for the letters "JPL". Why JPL?
Aug 7, 2012
Q.677
At most Olympic medal ceremonies, a medallist can expect to get a medal, a handshake, and congratulatory words from the august personage handing out the trinkets. But in this case, why is this silver medallist getting more than that, with a hug and a kiss?
Image: Hello Magazine
Aug 6, 2012
Q.676
Who?
Aug 5, 2012
Q.675
Image: First Day Cover
2012 marks the eight hundredth 'wedding' of this saint. To mark the occasion, India Post has released two stamps, one of which you see here. This year's event happened in May 2012.
Which saint?
Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer. The occasion was of his death anniversary, which is known as the "urs" which means "wedding". In Sufi tradition, the death of a saint is considered his union with God.
Aug 4, 2012
Q.674
They are: Tokyo, Johannesburg, London, and Singapore. Paris, Helsinki, and Frankfurt used to have this too, but later merged into "Euro".
One of these cities was dragged into disrepute in June 2012. What's common, or what is the suffix?
Aug 3, 2012
Q.673
Aug 2, 2012
Q.672
What are these things dubbed as?
Aug 1, 2012
Q.671
This made headline news everywhere, not just on Twitter.
But not when they found the problem in June 2012: two, in fact, and as mundane as you can get. One was an improperly attached fiber optic cable, the other, a speedy clock oscillator.
What was the discovery that ended in a whimper?