Trivia

[Stoday]

It used battery power, but so did the first cable, so that's not the answer. Everything had to be based on battery power in those days as there were no mains.

Nevertheless, you're getting warm.  What did the battery comprise? Clue: Every woman of that era posessed the main component.

[galvo]

Are we talking about mirrors, mate? I don't claim to understand this newfangled technology but the good Dr. (Google) reckons that "Between each pair of tubes was placed a galvanometer. These galvanometers were similar to the ordinary reflecting instruments used upon cables, except that the mirrors were polished lenses, instead of being plane glass; and the tubes in which the mirrors were placed had glass ends and were filled with pure water, which diminished the oscillations so that the needle came to rest in a fraction of a second. Each mirror had a diameter of half an inch, weighed with its magnet two grains, and was suspended with a triple filament of silk, one-sixteenth of an inch long." (Galvanometer not Galvonometer heh heh heh!)

[Stoday]

That was how they detected the power from the end of the cable.

Actually, they connected two cables together so that the signal had to cross the Atlantic twice. The electricity for the signal was formed from a silver thimble which had been filled with some dilute sulphuric acid. That proved that Dr Whitehouse was wrong and the cable didn't need his company's massive coils.

Oops! I've told you the answer. Your turn now galvo.

[galvo]

Thank you, Stoday. Now an easy one from your childhood days:

When the battleship HMAS Barham was torpedoed by the Germans in November 1941, with the loss of over 800 lives, the Admiralty delayed announcing the news to maintain morale. But the secrecy was ended within a few days when a medium told a couple during a seance that their son, a sailor on the ship, had appeared from the spirit world to tell them it had sunk.

In one of the most bizarre acts of the Second World War, the medium was accused of leaking military secrets - and became the last woman jailed as a witch in the UK.

Winston Churchill denounced the case against her as "obsolete tomfoolery" and visited her in prison.

What was the name of the medium?

[natnnnat]

I don't know the answer to this question but I'd just liike to award you the prize for the Best Trivia Question (that I've read).
Thanks Galvo. Keep up the good work.  You're an inspiration to the entire organisation.

[galvo]

Nat

I'm blushing! Thank you.

[kitkatz]

Helen Duncan

[galvo]

It certainly was. Over to you, kk.

[Stoday]

I live just seven miles from Manningtree, famous as the village where the Witchfinder General lived. He led the largest witch-hunt in England in 1645 and got the equivalent of $15,000 for every witch he got to confess.

As for the last witch to be convicted, I'm afraid that although it was within my living memory, I had not then learnt to read, so I can't tell you her name. Without looking it up, of course.

[kitkatz]

3) Which of the following animals were the Israelites forbidden to eat by the Old Testament?

Choose Your Answer: A: Sheep, B: Goat, C: Rabbit, D: Antelope

[Stoday]

I'll guess the rabbit, because the Austrailians have lots of 'em but they won't eat them.

[Poppylicious]

Incidentally, the Simpsons divorced in Ipswich, where I live.

Oooh, I'm Ipswich born and bred (well, from a biggish village on the A12 just outside).  Don't live there now (live a little bit higher up) but still visit mum regularly and am very defensive of the area when people grumble about it! 

I think I know the answer to Kitkatz's question, but as I'm absolutely rubbish at coming up with interesting and fun-filled questions I shall have to move along now ...

 

[kitkatz]

Rabbit is correct. Your turn.

[natnnnat]

3) Which of the following animals were the Israelites forbidden to eat by the Old Testament?

Choose Your Answer: A: Sheep, B: Goat, C: Rabbit, D: Antelope

The structure of this trivia question reminds me a question Gregory ponders at times, which he words as follows:
Should you blame it on the A:  sunshine?  B:  moonlight? C: good times?  or D:  Boogie?

Note, this is trivia (self indulgent trivia at that), but it is not the trivia question. 

[galvo]

Stoday - stand up!

[Riki]

3) Which of the following animals were the Israelites forbidden to eat by the Old Testament?

Choose Your Answer: A: Sheep, B: Goat, C: Rabbit, D: Antelope

The structure of this trivia question reminds me a question Gregory ponders at times, which he words as follows:
Should you blame it on the A:  sunshine?  B:  moonlight? C: good times?  or D:  Boogie?

Note, this is trivia (self indulgent trivia at that), but it is not the trivia question.

What came to mind for me to that was, and I know this isn't the lyrics thread but...

Coulda been the whiskey, mighta been the gin
Coulda been the 3 or 4 six packs, I don't know
But look at the mess I"m in.

*LOL*

[galvo]

Stoday, front and centre please!!!

[kitkatz]

Wasn't That A Party
--By Tom Paxton

Could have been the whiskey, might have been the gin.
Could have been three or four six-packs,
I don't know, but look at the mess I'm in,
My head is like a football, I think I'm gonna die,
Tell me, me oh me oh my,
Wasn't that a party?

Someone took a grapefruit and wore it like a hat,
I saw someone under my kitchen table, talking to my old tom cat,
They were talking about hockey and the cat was talkin' back,
Along about then everything went black,
But wasn't that a party?

I'm sure it's just my memory playin' tricks on me,
But I think I saw my buddy cuttin' down my neighbour's tree,

Could have been the whiskey, might have been the gin.
Could have been three or four six-packs,
I don't know, but look at the mess I'm in,
My head is like a football, I think I'm gonna die,
Tell me, me oh me oh my,
Wasn't that a party?

Old Billy Joe and Tommy, well they went a little far,
They were sitting in my backyard blowing on the siren in somebody's police car.
So you see, your honour,
It was all in fun,
That little bitty track meet down on main street,
Was just to see if the cops could run,
Well, they run us in to see you,
In an alcoholic haze,
I can sure use those thirty days to recover from the party.

Could have been the whiskey, might have been the gin.
Could have been three or four six-packs,
I don't know, but look at the mess I'm in,
My head is like a football, I think I'm gonna die,
Tell me, me oh me oh my,
Wasn't that a party?

[Stoday]

Wow! I'm sorry everyone. I messed up my router and had trouble reconfiguring it.

OK, my question:

The world rowing speed record is 6m 14s for 2km. I make that a speed of 11.96 mph.

Around 400BC the Greeks developed a warship, called a trireme, which they could row at a sustained speed well in excess of the current speed record. How do we know for certain how fast their ship could be rowed?

[cariad]

Oh, the stupid guesses I could make on this one.

I have no idea, but I will think it over and ask my more mechanically inclined half if he has any clue as soon as he returns.

[Riki]

I'm going to guess time x distance.  I'm sure the Greeks kept records of where they'd gone and how long it took to get there.

[cariad]

I'll guess that they rebuilt an exact replica for a Hollywood film using pretentiously authentic materials and then rowed it through Mediterranean waters and clocked it. Gwyn says he seems to remember Ben-Hur had some rowing scenes, though come to think of it, I've no real idea what that film was about or if it had anything to do with Greece. 

[Stoday]

Well, Riki was so near she has to have it. I chose this bit of trivia because it has an interesting story behind it.

In 427 BC the citizens of Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos revolted from the rule of Athens with the aim of gaining independence.  The Athenians sent a force to put down the revolt and Mytilene surrendered. The Athenian general asked the Athenian Assembly what he should do next.

The Assembly condemned the whole male population to death and the women & children to slavery. A trireme was sent from the nearby shipyard at Piraeus to Mytilene with the command to carry out the sentence. On the next day, the previous day’s declaration was rescinded. A second trireme was sent to hopefully overtake the first to countermand the first instruction.

The rowers were promised a great bonus if they got there in time; they were also given extra victuals so that they didn’t stop off en route to eat. These were barley bread mixed with wine and olive oil.

In the event, the first ship, which set off 24 hours before the second, arrived about midday on the third day after rowing for 340km. The Athenian general read the decree, but before he carried it out, the second ship arrived and the Lesbian (ha! ha!) population was saved.

Thus the average speed over 340km was 13.6 kph, a rowing speed record (for the distance) which has not been beaten in nearly 2,500 years.

Read more here The Mytilenean Revolt

It's now up to you Riki.

[Stoday]

Yes, cariad, a replica was built. The problem was that today's men are significantly bigger than they were 2500 years ago. It is a tight squeeze to get them into the ship. This is especially unfortunate for the rowers in the bottom of the three layers of rowers. When he leans forward at the start of his stroke, the third rowers' nose almost contacts the ass of the rowers in the first row. 

[cariad]

Yes, cariad, a replica was built. The problem was that today's men are significantly bigger than they were 2500 years ago. It is a tight squeeze to get them into the ship. This is especially unfortunate for the rowers in the bottom of the three layers of rowers. When he leans forward at the start of his stroke, the third rowers' nose almost contacts the ass of the rowers in the first row. 

Typical. Any excuse to mention contact with rowers' asses!