These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2023-06-12,
and should be interpreted accordingly.

On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
the correct answers in about 3 days.

All questions were written by members of Bloor St. Irregulars and
are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
please see my 2023-05-24 companion posting on "Questions from the
Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".

** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry

Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.

1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
opioids?

2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
alternative to morphine?

3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
magic mushrooms?

6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
acronym SSRI.

8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
precursor for the production of which drug?

10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura

A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
"Atlas Obscura".

* A. Geography

A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
The Gates of Hell?

A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
country?

* B. Science

B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
What part of a telescope is this?

B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
another New Jersey community?

* C. Miscellaneous

C1. Many subway systems are sprawling labyrinths of tunnels and
stops, both active and abandoned. In New York City, along
the IND Fulton Street subway line, in Queens, is the 76 St.
station. The subject of rumors for many years, what is
distinctive about the station?

C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
of what volcano?

* D. Art

D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?

D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, the first president of what country?

* E. History

E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
at this location.

* F. Entertainment

F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
at the age of 28?

F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "She gave me the look she gives me."
msb@vex.net | --Michael Wares

My text in this article is in the public domain.

On 7/23/23 22:20, Mark Brader wrote:
>
>
> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry
>
> Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.
>
> 1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
> Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
> opioids?

Purdue Pharma

>
> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

heroin

>
> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

willow

>
> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

cannabidiol

>
> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?

psilocybin

(It's been legalized here in Oregon for medical use. But they won't have
dispensaries where people with (or without) a prescription can get it.
You'll have to go to a clinic with trained facilitators. They're taking
a while getting the system up and running, so none are open yet.)

>
> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

ergot

>
> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.

reuptake

>
> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

Xanax

>
> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

methamphetamine

>
> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

soma

>
>
> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura
>
> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".
>
> * A. Geography
>
> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Kazakhstan

>
> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Sweden

>
>
> * B. Science
>
> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

mirror

>
> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

Thomas Edison

>
>
> * C. Miscellaneous
>
> C1. Many subway systems are sprawling labyrinths of tunnels and
> stops, both active and abandoned. In New York City, along
> the IND Fulton Street subway line, in Queens, is the 76 St.
> station. The subject of rumors for many years, what is
> distinctive about the station?
>
> C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
> high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
> district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
> of what volcano?

Mauna Loa

>
>
> * D. Art
>
> D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
> of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
> in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
> figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?
>
> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?
>
>
> * E. History
>
> E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

Arthur Wellesley

>
> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

Presidio

>
>
> * F. Entertainment
>
> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?
>
> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Eleanor Rigby

--
Dan Tilque

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura
>
> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".
>
> * A. Geography
>
> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Estonia
> * B. Science
>
> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

Objective
> * D. Art
>
> D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
> of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
> in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
> figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?

Footballs
> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?

Malaysia
> * F. Entertainment
>
> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Queen Elizabeth II

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 1:21:00 AM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2023-06-12,
> and should be interpreted accordingly.
>
> On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
> both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
> Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
> based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
> the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
> the correct answers in about 3 days.
>
> All questions were written by members of Bloor St. Irregulars and
> are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
> have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
> please see my 2023-05-24 companion posting on "Questions from the
> Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
>
>
> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry
>
> Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.
>
> 1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
> Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
> opioids?

purdue pharma

> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

heroin

> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

willow tree (genus salix)

> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

cbd

> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?

psilocybin

> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

ergot

> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.

serotonin

> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesized that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

xanax

> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

methamphetamine

> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

soma

> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura
>
> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".
>
> * A. Geography
>
> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

turkmenistan

> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

estonia

>
> * B. Science
>
> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

mirror

> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

thomas edison

>
> * C. Miscellaneous
>
> C1. Many subway systems are sprawling labyrinths of tunnels and
> stops, both active and abandoned. In New York City, along
> the IND Fulton Street subway line, in Queens, is the 76 St.
> station. The subject of rumors for many years, what is
> distinctive about the station?

it might have been built but much like atlantis has never been found

> C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
> high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
> district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
> of what volcano?

kilauea

>
> * D. Art
>
> D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
> of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
> in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
> figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?

lights shaped like globes

> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?

united arab emerites

>
> * E. History
>
> E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

arthur wellesley

> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

fort point

>
> * F. Entertainment
>
> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?

heath ledger

> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

eleanor rigby

> --
> Mark Brader, Toronto | "She gave me the look she gives me."
> m...@vex.net | --Michael Wares
>
> My text in this article is in the public domain.

swp

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:21:00 AM UTC-5, Mark Brader wrote:
>
> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry
>
> Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.
>
> 1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
> Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
> opioids?

Sackler (?)

> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

heroin

> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

willow

> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

CBD

> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?

psilocybin

> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

ergot

> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.

inhibitor

> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

Adderall

> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

methamphetamine

> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

soma

> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura
>
> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".
>
> * A. Geography
>
> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan

> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Estonia

> * B. Science
>
> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

Edison

> * E. History
>
> E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

Arthur Wellesley
> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

Presidio

> * F. Entertainment
>
> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?

Ledger

> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Eleanor Rigby

--
Joshua Kreitzer
gromit82@hotmail.com

Mark Brader wrote:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2023-06-12,
> and should be interpreted accordingly.
>
> On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
> both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
> Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
> based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
> the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
> the correct answers in about 3 days.
>
> All questions were written by members of Bloor St. Irregulars and
> are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
> have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
> please see my 2023-05-24 companion posting on "Questions from the
> Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
>
>
> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry
>
> Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.
>
> 1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
> Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
> opioids?
>
> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

Cocaine

>
> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?
>
> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

CBD

>
> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?
>
> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?
>
> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.
>
> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.
>
> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

Heroine

>
> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

Soma

>
>
> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura
>
> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".
>
> * A. Geography
>
> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Turkmenistan; Kazakhstan

>
> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Sweden

>
>
> * B. Science
>
> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

Mirror

>
> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

Edison

>
>
> * C. Miscellaneous
>
> C1. Many subway systems are sprawling labyrinths of tunnels and
> stops, both active and abandoned. In New York City, along
> the IND Fulton Street subway line, in Queens, is the 76 St.
> station. The subject of rumors for many years, what is
> distinctive about the station?
>
> C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
> high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
> district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
> of what volcano?

Kilaeua

>
>
> * D. Art
>
> D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
> of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
> in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
> figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?
>
> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?

Brunei

>
>
> * E. History
>
> E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?
>
> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

Presidio

>
>
> * F. Entertainment
>
> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?
>
> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Eleanor Rigby

>

Pete Gayde

Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry

> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

heroin

> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

willow

> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

CBD

> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?

psilocybin

> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

ergot

> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.

inhibitor

> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

Ritalin

> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

methamphetamine

> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

soma

> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura

> * A. Geography

> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Kazzakhstan; Uzbekistan

> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Estonia

> * B. Science

> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

mirror

> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

Thomas Edison

> * C. Miscellaneous

> C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
> high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
> district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
> of what volcano?

Mauna Kea; Mauna Loa

> * D. Art

> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?

UAE

> * E. History

> E1. Aldershot, England is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

Arthur Wellesley

> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

Presidio

> * F. Entertainment

> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?

Heath Ledger

> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Eleanor Rigby

--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum tool@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

Pete Gayde (pete.gayde@gmail.com) writes:
>> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
>> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
>> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
>> country?
>
> Sweden
>

The second entrant to give this answer!

Well, had the question pertained to conditions in 1699, it would have
been the only possible answer.

But today... I have not heard of any Swedish river that dives underground
to run below the Baltic Sea in a tunnel that has an openning in the
Gulf of Finland. So somehow, I don't think this is the correct answer.

Mark Brader:
> >> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> >> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> >> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> >> country?

Pete Gayde:
> > Sweden

Erland Sommarskog:
> The second entrant to give this answer!

Well, it is a country somewhere near Finland, so what did you expect?
--
Mark Brader And now write us
Toronto A devious quasipoem!
msb@vex.net --Richard Heathfield

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2023-06-12,
> and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
> please see my 2023-05-24 companion posting on "Questions from the
> Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".

Game 5 is over and the winner is STEPHEN PERRY. Hearty
congratulations!

> ** Game 5, Round 9 - Science - Better Living through Chemistry

> Answer these questions about drugs and drug chemistry.

> 1. Now rebranded as "Knoa Pharma", which company introduced
> Oxycontin in 1995 as a non-addictive alternative to existing
> opioids?

Purdue Pharma. 4 for Dan Tilque and Stephen.

> 2. History repeats itself. <answer 1> should have learnt from
> Bayer, which in 1898 marketed which drug as a less-addictive
> alternative to morphine?

Heroin. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

> 3. A more successful Bayer product from the 1890s is Aspirin.
> Aspirin's chemical name, acetylsalicylic acid, derives from
> which plant, used as a pain-killer since ancient times?

Willow. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

In some countries Aspirin would be aspirin, as it's no longer
a trademark there. The belief that this happened because of
the Treaty of Versailles is a myth.

> 4. As anybody who purchases recreational marijuana products
> knows, there are two main active chemicals in marijuana:
> tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) and which other one, promoted
> for its therapeutic value? Initials are acceptable.

Cannabidiol (CBD). 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, Pete,
and Dan Blum.

> 5. As of this writing, "magic mushrooms" are still not legal in
> Canada, but that hasn't stopped Funguyz from opening a dispensary
> next to one of our pubs. What is the active ingredient in
> magic mushrooms?

Psilocybin. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

> 6. During the Middle Ages, a fungal infection on rye crops caused
> mass hallucinations known as St. Anthony's Fire. What is this
> fungal infection which produces a chemical similar to LSD?

Ergot. (Accepting ergotism.) 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua,
and Dan Blum.

> 7. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is an antidepressant of
> the SSRI class. Give *any one* of the words which make up the
> acronym SSRI.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen,
Joshua, and Dan Blum.

> 8. Pay attention. Economists hypothesised that a drop in US
> productivity numbers at the end of 2022 may have been due to a
> shortage of these two widely-prescribed drugs. Name either drug.

Adderall, Ritalin (methyphenidate). 4 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

> 9. In some jurisdictions, cold medicines containing ephedrine
> or pseudoephedrine are restricted because the chemicals are a
> precursor for the production of which drug?

Meth(amphetamine). 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

> 10. Ephedrine is theorized to be one of the active ingredients
> in a ritual drug described in the Rigveda. Aldous Huxley
> revived this name for a drug in "Brave New World". What name?

Soma. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.

> ** Game 5, Round 10 - Challenge Round - Atlas Obscura

> A dozen questions inspired by the podcast, web site, and book
> "Atlas Obscura".

This was the hardest round in the original game, and in the whole
season it was tied with Game 2, Round 9 (Arts - Modern Architects)
for 4th/5th-hardest, or 2nd/3rd-hardest when two audio rounds not
posted here are excluded.

> * A. Geography

> A1. The Darvaza gas crater, better known as "The Gates of Hell",
> has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. It was
> created when a Soviet drilling rig broke into a massive
> natural gas cavern, which was then set alight, assuming
> it would burn out in a few weeks. What country is home to
> The Gates of Hell?

Turkmenistan. 4 for Stephen. 3 for Pete.

See: http://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p09kb54k.jpg

> A2. The Jagala waterfall is located in Harju County, and
> the river below it eventually leads to the Gulf of Finland.
> At over 50 m wide, it is the widest waterfall in what
> country?

Estonia. 4 for Erland, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

See: http://www.novo-monde.com/app/uploads/2018/01/DSC01881.jpg

> * B. Science

> B1. On the grounds of the Teide Observatory in the Canary
> Islands, you can find a discarded telescope part 1.5 m wide.
> It is a blank, meaning that its silicon carbide ceramic shape
> had been made, but it had not yet had its coating applied.
> What part of a telescope is this?

Objective or primary mirror. 4 for Dan Tilque, Erland, Stephen,
Pete, and Dan Blum.

> B2. Glenmont, an estate in West Orange NJ, was the home and
> final resting place of what inventor, most associated with
> another New Jersey community?

Thomas Edison. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.

> * C. Miscellaneous

> C1. Many subway systems are sprawling labyrinths of tunnels and
> stops, both active and abandoned. In New York City, along
> the IND Fulton Street subway line, in Queens, is the 76 St.
> station. The subject of rumors for many years, what is
> distinctive about the station?

It may not exist. 4 for Stephen.

> C2. The "Road to Nowhere" or "End of the Road", is a 10 m
> high lava flow that severed Pohoiki Rd., in the Puna
> district. It is one of many reminders of the 2018 eruption
> of what volcano?

Kilauea. 4 for Stephen and Pete.

See: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/web1_pohoiki-1280x720.jpg

> * D. Art

> D1. Lyhdynkantajat ["Lew-huh-dune-kan-ta-jat"] is a group
> of sculptures at the front door of the Central Station
> in Helsinki, Finland. They consist of four male granite
> figures, bearing what spherical objects in their hands?

Lanterns. 4 for Stephen.

See: http://www.seat61.com/images/helsinki-station-facade.jpg

Someone described the front of the station as looking like a radio
(of that era).

> D2. "The Constellation" is a massive work of art, weighing more
> than 250 tons. Located in The Founder's Memorial Park,
> it was designed as a tribute to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
> Nahyan, the first president of what country?

United Arab Emirates. 4 for Stephen and Dan Blum.

See: http://darcawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DSC_1622.jpg

> * E. History

> E1. Aldershot, England[,] is home to a 30-foot tall statue of the
> First Duke of Wellington, mounted on his famed steed
> Copenhagen. Who was the First Duke?

Arthur Wellesley. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

See: http://lightwater.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/duke-of-wellington-statue-in-aldershot.jpg

> E2. At the entrance to San Francisco Bay, on the southern side
> of the Golden Gate, lies a location of strategic importance.
> Spanish settlers first built a fort there in 1794, and later
> so did the US Army, finishing it in 1861. It is now a US
> National Historic site. Name either the Spanish or US fort
> at this location.

Castillo de San Joaquin (Spanish). Fort Point (US). But the
Presidio, which Fort Point is the northernmost bit of, comes
close enough to meeting the description that I'm scoring it as
almost correct. 4 for Stephen. 3 for Dan Tilque, Joshua, Pete,
and Dan Blum.

> * F. Entertainment

> F1. There is a memorial in Applecross, a suburb of Perth,
> that pays tribute to what actor, who died in January 2008
> at the age of 28?

Heath Ledger. 4 for Stephen, Joshua, and Dan Blum.

> F2. In Liverpool, a statue was unveiled in December 1982 by
> Tommy Steele. It is on Stanley St., not far from the
> Cavern Club. It depicts a seated woman with a handbag on
> her lap, and is based on a 1966 song. Who is she?

Eleanor Rigby. 4 for Dan Tilque, Stephen, Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.

See: http://subtouring.com/img/IMG_liverpool/eleanor_rigby_statue.jpg

Scores, if there are no errors:

GAME 5 ROUNDS-> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 BEST
TOPICS-> Spo Ent Geo Aud Can Mis Lit Sci Cha SEVEN
Stephen Perry -- -- 36 40 17 39 39 36 48 255
Joshua Kreitzer 32 36 36 32 12 28 36 36 23 236
Dan Blum 7 16 27 8 4 39 36 36 31 193
Dan Tilque 4 0 24 0 4 16 20 36 19 123
Pete Gayde 28 8 -- -- -- 23 32 8 22 121
Erland Sommarskog 12 4 12 4 0 8 12 0 8 60

--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "If gravity stops working, a power cut is
msb@vex.net | the least of your problems." -- David Bell

Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
> Erland Sommarskog:
>> The second entrant to give this answer!
>
> Well, it is a country somewhere near Finland, so what did you expect?

Next these people will answer Sweden for something related to the
Denmark Strait!