Q 01/05

Which feature of a golf ball's cover lets it fly much farther than a perfectly smooth ball would?

A) Seams

B) Ridges

C) Dimples

D) Stitches

Answer · why

C) Dimples

Dimples stir the air hugging the ball into turbulence, so it clings longer and leaves a narrower wake behind. Golfers first noticed that nicked, worn ...

Q 02/05

Which bird's beak was the model for the streamlined front of Japan's 500 Series Shinkansen bullet train?

A) Kingfisher

B) Pelican

C) Woodpecker

D) Hummingbird

Answer · why

A) Kingfisher

The kingfisher's beak shape, copied on the train's front, cut energy use by about 15 percent and made the train quieter.

Q 03/05

Which bird of prey folds back its wings and tail to dive on other birds at over 200 miles per hour?

A) Golden eagle

B) Peregrine falcon

C) Red-tailed hawk

D) Northern goshawk

Answer · why

B) Peregrine falcon

The peregrine falcon is often called the fastest animal on the planet, and one bird was recorded diving at 242 miles per hour.

Q 04/05

Which racket sport uses a feathered projectile so stable that it always flips to fly cork-first?

A) Squash

B) Pickleball

C) Racquetball

D) Badminton

Answer · why

D) Badminton

Badminton's shuttlecock is a high-drag cone of about 16 feathers, designed to slow down very quickly. However it is struck, it turns to travel base-fi...

Q 05/05

Which Aboriginal Australian throwing tool has wing-shaped arms that make it curve back to the thrower?

A) Boomerang

B) Woomera

C) Nulla-nulla

D) Bullroarer

Answer · why

A) Boomerang

A boomerang's arms work like spinning wings, each generating lift as it turns. The oldest surviving Aboriginal one, found in a South Australian peat b...