This is a description from HowStuffWorks.com:
A piston fires. The next piston fires at 315°. There is a 405° gap. A piston fires. The next piston fires at 315°. There is a 405° gap. And the cycle continues.
What is being described?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
The production of the Harley-Davidson “potato-potato-potato” sound.
Question by Sumant Srivathsan
The following words appeared in a March 2005 article in Arab News by Barbara Ferguson:
Even by the discreet standards of Washington’s powerful inner circle, their relationship is a remarkably closely guarded secret. The Washington Post says the couple rarely goes out together or demonstrates affection publicly, according to friends who are aware of the relationship. They attend low-key Washington social events and visit friends’ homes together and _____ also sometimes goes to official functions and dinners with him, but is not identified as his partner, an acquaintance said.
Who are the two people being spoken of?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Paul Wolfowitz and Shaha Riza. (Source.)
Question by Amit Varma
How do you refer to an event that has a frequency of 1.16699016 × 10-8 Hertz?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Once in a blue moon.
Question by Sumant Srivathsan
Connect Andy Roddick, James Blake, Michael Russell, Justin Gimelstob, Amer Delic, Robert Kendrick, Sam Querrey, Vince Spadea and Robby Ginepri.
Answer: (select the text below to show)
These are the nine Americans who crashed out of the ongoing French Open in the first round, making it the first time since 1968 that no American player reached the second round of a major.
Question by Amit Varma
Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are three of the seven Archangels of Judeo-Christian mythology. What do their computing counterparts do?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
They are the servers that run http://www.vatican.va.
Question by Sumant Srivathsan
In the JG Ballard short story, “The Sound-Sweep”, a deaf-and-dumb character goes around vacuuming up stray music in a world that has none. While doing so, he comes across an opera singer hiding in a sewer. Which New Wave song did this inspire?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
Question by Amit Varma
In which city would you find the following landmarks:
Archie Goodwin International Airport
Robinson Park
Robert Kane Memorial Bridge
Miller Harbour
The Westward Bridge
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Gotham City
The landmarks are named after key contributors to Batman:
Archie Goodwin – Writer and editor
Jerry Robinson – Writer
Robert Kane – Creator of Batman
Frank Miller – Writer
Adam West, Burt Ward – TV’s original Batman and Robin
Question by Sumant Srivathsan
What did the Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima, describe as “the ultimate act of masturbation?”
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Hara kiri, or seppuku. Mishima died this way.
Question by Amit Varma
Aristotle Onassis was so thrilled by the confirmation of this marriage that he donated a million francs to the Red Cross in 1956, especially since it was his idea in the first place. However, two things almost derailed it. One was a $2,000,000 dowry, and the other was a more, um, delicate matter. The latter was settled when a doctor declared that the culprit was the bride’s hockey-playing days in high school.
What was the “delicate” matter?
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Grace Kelly’s virginity.
Question by Sumant Srivathsan
X is a unit of hype. One kiloX is equal to 10.42 days. One MegaX is equal to 28.5 years. What is X, and why is it so called?
(Feel free to use your calculator.)
Answer: (select the text below to show)
Warhol. One Warhol = 15 minutes. (More here.)
Question by Amit Varma