Q 01/05

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which computer calculates the Ultimate Answer as 42?

A) HAL 9000

B) Marvin

C) Deep Thought

D) Multivac

Answer · why

C) Deep Thought

It then points out that the answer is meaningless because nobody ever knew what the question was, and offers to design a bigger computer to find it: t...

Q 02/05

Which children's author gave the world its first recorded use of the word 'nerd', in 1950?

A) Dr. Seuss

B) Roald Dahl

C) Maurice Sendak

D) Shel Silverstein

Answer · why

A) Dr. Seuss

In If I Ran the Zoo, Gerald McGrew wants to collect 'a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too'; Newsweek reported the slang sense a year later.

Q 03/05

Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik's Cube, was a professor of what?

A) Mathematics

B) Physics

C) Chemistry

D) Architecture

Answer · why

D) Architecture

He originally called it the Magic Cube in 1974 and licensed it for sale in the UK in 1978.

Q 04/05

The first literal computer 'bug', a moth found in 1947, is linked to which pioneer?

A) Ada Lovelace

B) Grace Hopper

C) Jean Bartik

D) Margaret Hamilton

Answer · why

B) Grace Hopper

She rose to rear admiral, built the first compiler and later helped create COBOL.

Q 05/05

Linus Torvalds first released the Linux kernel in which year?

A) 1991

B) 1993

C) 1996

D) 1998

Answer · why

A) 1991

It was written for x86 PCs and is now considered the largest free and open-source project in existence.