If good things come to those that wait…then these bold oldies are gold! Do you have the patience and wisdom to top this quiz or will you need to wait for the next one?
#1. True or false? About 50,000 years ago Tasmanian shrub, Lomatia tasmanica stopped flowering, and now it makes clones of itself to survive.
True. This plant, also known as King’s Lomatia, clones itself by forming new stems from its roots. It used to be a flowering plant, but some time between 43,600 and 135,000 years ago, something happened to its DNA.
#2. Which rock type is most likely to have a fossil?
Fossils are the remains (such as skeletons) or imprints (such as footprints) of ancient living things. Almost all fossils are found in sedimentary rocks because the high heat and/or high pressure of igneous and metamorphic rocks usually destroys evidence of life. The process of sediment covering living things is much gentler and better for fossil formation.
#3. In 2014, geologists found the world’s oldest piece of Earth in Western Australia. How old is it?
At 4.4 billion years old, the world’s oldest piece of Earth is almost as old as Earth itself. Earth is currently estimated to be 4.54 billion years old. The oldest piece of Earth is actually a mineral called zircon. Its existence told scientists that Earth had a rocky crust earlier in its history than they expected.
#4. True or false? Albert Einstein’s theories predict that your head ages faster than your feet.
True! Einstein’s theory of relativity predicts that gravity’s pull slows time down. So the further away you (or your body parts) are from the Earth, the faster time goes. The effect is incredibly small but satellites orbiting far above the Earth have to take this time difference into account.
#5. Which of the following animal species has the longest lifespan?
Bowhead whales are one of the longest-living animals on Earth. They regularly live to over 200 years! African elephants can live to be in their 70’s while naked mole-rats are long-lived for rodents (they get to their late 30’s). Giant tortoises regularly live beyond 100 years.
Results
Congratulations! You are a real science whiz!
Oh dear! Better brush up before the next quiz!
Leave a Reply