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2024 is winding to a close and 2025 is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate than with a science quiz!

This quiz contains (almost) all of the science trivia questions featured in Double Helix Extra throughout 2024. There’s over 100 science questions to discover!

To make the quiz more manageable, it only displays 10 questions at a time. If you want more trivia, hit the refresh button to bring up a brand new selection of brain-busting science.

 

Results

Well done! You’re a real science whiz!

Oh dear! better brush up before the next quiz!

#1. What type of animal is an axolotl?

Amphibian. Axolotls are amphibians because they can breathe in water through their gills, as well as out of water through their lungs.

#2. In 1610, Galileo discovered moons orbiting a planet other than Earth. Which planet was he studying?

Jupiter! Using a homemade telescope to magnify the planet, Galileo tracked what looked like stars and found that they moved around Jupiter like moons. The four moons he tracked are the largest moons of Jupiter and are still known as the Galilean moons.

#3. How many rock-wallaby species are there?

Rock-wallaby is the common name for a genus of wallabies, which is unusually rich in species. Rock-wallabies often live in rocky, rugged terrain, which provides protection from predators. There are at least 17 species recognised.

#4. The Global Seismographic Network has 152 sensors located across the globe and is sensitive enough to pinpoint nuclear explosions. What does this network usually measure?

The word “seismographic” comes from the Greek word “seismos” meaning earthquake. The sensors detect vibrations in the Earth’s crust, which is why they can also detect explosions. By listening to echoes throughout the Earth, the network can tell exactly where an earthquake happened, only minutes after it happened!

#5. True or false? Builders started on the Great Pyramid of Giza before the first stones were laid at Stonehenge.

False. The construction dates for these two famous structures are similar but not the same! The first stones of Stonehenge were placed around 3000 BCE. The stones of the first Great Pyramid of Giza were placed about 500 years later, around 2550 BCE.

#6. What is the abbreviation for gold on the Periodic Table?

Gold is known as Au on the Periodic Table. Au comes from aurum, the Latin word for gold. Many historians think “aurum” is related to Aurora, the Goddess of Dawn perhaps because both dawn and gold are shiny and golden. We think YOU are shiny and golden.

#7. Which of the following is the strongest password?

A strong password uses uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols (like !, @, #, $). It’s also important to use passwords that are different from past ones. Strong passwords are harder to remember so it is a good idea to use a password manager.

#8. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites can always pinpoint our location on Earth and in all weather conditions. How many GPS satellites are currently operating?

There are just 31 GPS satellites currently working and they orbit along different paths to cover Earth’s entire surface. These satellites carry extremely precise clocks, and they’re constantly broadcasting the time. A GPS receiver can measure how long it took for that time signal to arrive from the satellite. If the receiver can listen to 4 satellites at the same time, they can find your exact GPS location!

#9. Rock music can be really loud! Which of the following units measures loudness?

The decibel (dB) is named after Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. The lower limit of human hearing is 0dB, while 100 dB is a jack hammer from one metre away. Kelvin is a measure of temperature, the ohm is a measure of resistance in electricity, and the candela is a measure of brightness.

#10. True or false? The Sun was warmer when Earth first formed about 4.5 billion years ago.

False. The early Sun was actually about 25% dimmer and cooler than today. Despite this, there is evidence of liquid water on early Earth. Scientists are still not sure how Earth was warm enough for water, but greenhouse gases likely played a role.

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