Question 1: In what year was the iconic "little black dress" designed by Coco Chanel?
Question 2: If a person has a phobia of small spaces, what condition would they be diagnosed with?
Claustrophobia is the irrational fear of confined spaces. It comes from the Latin word "claustrum" meaning "a shut in place" and the Greek word "phobos" meaning "fear". It's estimated that 5-7% of the world population suffers from severe claustrophobia.
Question 3: What Italian Renaissance artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo spent four years painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling depicts nine stories from the Book of Genesis, including the iconic "Creation of Adam".
Question 4: If someone is described as "loquacious", what characteristic do they exhibit?
Loquacious comes from the Latin word "loqui", meaning "to speak". It is often used to describe someone who is very talkative and seems to enjoy conversing at length.
Question 5: If you sailed due west from Portugal, what would be the first continent you would reach?
Although Africa is the closest continent to Portugal's southern coast, if you sailed directly west from anywhere in Portugal, you would first reach North America. Specifically, you would likely make landfall somewhere in Newfoundland, Canada or the northeastern United States, depending on your starting point in Portugal and ability to maintain a straight westward heading.
Question 6: What is the pH of pure water at 25 °C?
A pH of 7 is considered neutral. Substances with a pH less than 7 are acidic, while those with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
Question 7: If an orchestra is playing at 440Hz, what note are they tuned to?
The A above middle C, known as A4 or A440, has a frequency of 440 Hz and serves as a standard for musical pitch. Most modern orchestras use this as their tuning reference.
Question 8: When was the first U.S. paper currency issued?
The U.S. Department of the Treasury first issued paper U.S. currency in 1862 to make up for the shortage of coins and to finance the Civil War.
Question 9: What is the most widely spoken language in the world by total number of speakers?
While English is often considered the global lingua franca, Mandarin Chinese actually has the highest number of total speakers worldwide, with over 1.1 billion speakers. This is largely due to China's huge population. However, English remains the most widely spoken language across different countries.
Question 10: Why is the cow considered sacred in Hinduism?
In Hinduism, the cow is revered as a selfless nourisher, providing milk, dung (used as fertilizer and fuel), and labor (for plowing fields). Hindus do not eat beef and many avoid leather products out of respect for the cow. Killing or injuring a cow is considered a sin.
Coco Chanel's simple yet elegant black dress was published in Vogue magazine in 1926 and was dubbed "Chanel's Ford" after the affordable Model T car. It revolutionized women's fashion with its accessibility and versatility.