What do the Elements: Technetium (Tc), atomic # 43 and Promethium (Pm); atomic # 61 have in common?
They are hard to find and do not have any known density.
They are elements lighter than Uranium (92), but do not have stable isotopes.
They are useful in making strong steel alloys.
They are members of the Rare Earth Group

How is this not specialized knowledge?

Literature and Chemistry are all common knowledge - didn't you know that?

Actually, the question isn't that hard if you extrapolate that Technetium is a man-made element (hence, the Tech), therefore isn't found in nature, therefore is an unstable element. Answer 1 is the only one to cause grief, but you have to get into the 100's before densities become unknown (because the half-lives of these elements are in the mili or nano second ranges). It's not an EASY question, and it's not a 1+1=2 answer - you have to use a little circular logic... But ultimately, I think this is a fantastic question. Problem is, how many people will take the time to logic it out...

Quote: Nemesis 666 - 2010.05.23. 23:46:06

Now theres a good point, that is exactly the type of question i would reject as too special. Not because is asking about Pi, but due to the answers 2 and 3
i do not thing an evaluator passed that one, players also sometimes get ot evaluate....

What has a direct effect on the tides?
Mars
The Sun
Nothing
The Moon <- marked as correct

The Sun also have a direct effect on the tides. It is less than the moons effect, but by no means indirect or insignificant. Try google "Spring Tide"


Which ability score affects the speed of your life point regeneration in Doomlord?
defense
soul-energy
constitution <- marked as correct
strength

This is both right and wrong, your life point regenerate at set fraction of your total each second this fraction is not affected by either of the options. But the number of life points actually regenerated being a fraction of your total is affected by the total and thus by your constitution.


What is the capital of Peru?
Montevideo
Quito
La Paz
Lima

The correct answer to this is "a city" the name of that city is Lima. (there are other similar questions)

For me Brasil is fully acceptable, but you're right about "2nd". I'm from Poland and in Polish there is a rule about ordinal numbers. It says that if we write about anything that is second or third or anything else, we do it with a dot after a number - so in Polish there is "2. place". That's why I didn't notice the spelling mistake.

which is the only sport to inclide a ball

javalin
Hockey
alji something marked as correct.

however Hockey does use a ball.. ICE Hockey does not. so question is WRONG!!

Quote: Valkyrie - 2010.05.25. 08:53:14

My opinion is that educational specialized knowledge ought to have a lower bar to pass. I think, in practice, this does tend to be the case, which might help explain why it's so hard for Viridel to get any hockey questions in, but there's so many literature questions.

Stekkos, I would like to suggest that this educational effect be included in your guidelines document. It should be stated explicitly one way or the other, and if being educational does help, "educational" should be defined. Maybe something like "taught in high school or earlier". But then, high school cirricula will vary from area to area, not to mention from student to student. I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks.

Quote: MartinBV - 2010.05.25. 17:08:38


Now, I love basking the Quiz as much as anyone... But holy crap is this getting picky over absolutely nothing. You're probably the type of person who pours all the letters out of their alphabet soup and complains to Campbell's because there are 7 E's but only 3 Q's.

Quote: ImLittleJon - 2010.05.25. 19:23:33

That's a good observation. I don't necessarily agree with the philosophy, but it does explain a lot. If the question is well written and accurate, it should be passed, regardless of topic.

After all, which has a bigger subscription base - Sports Illustrated or World Literature Today

I just posted a draft of the evaluation guidelines in the rules and updates area. Check it out and say what you believe. As for the specific question, i agree also it should not have passed. It is special for the same reason as the ones rejected about detailed rules of baseball: Only those well into the subject can have an idea what the correct answer is.

And Viridel, no topic is excluded. When i mentioned a few posts back that a lot of players have 100 questions passed, they post about everything, including baseball, hockey and NFL. They just do it within the accepted limits of the quiz. There is nothing wrong with those topics, as there is nothing wrong with chemistry. But, like the example above, limits have to exist.

How is it called the journal in the trilogy of Stieg Larsson?
Millennium - marked as correct
The weather
Times
The future

ok my problem here is the question, it's just bad english. i wasn;t even sure what they were asking.

How many neutrons have deuterium in nuclei?
7
1
138
42

The answer to this question is 0, neutrons do not have a nuclei, they are part of most atoms nuclei.

The way this question is worded it asks makes it ambiguous at best, for the answer marked as correct to be correct it should be:
How many neutrons does deuterium have in its nucleus?

Not so much as an error, but more a question about a question...

Q:
Which letter drive is no longer used by computers?

A:
/B drive

but there is also "/A drive" listed as a possible answer.

my question is - do computers still use /A drives(floppy disks)?

I thought they were also obselete I have bought 3 PCs in the last 4 years (not all for myself) but none of them had floppy disk drives.
-----------------------------------------------------
found this on another site:

You May Need To Buy A New Computer If...
•...your processor speed is less than 1.0 gigahertz (GHz). Most operating systems and application software these days demand a lot from your system. A speedy processor will help you browse the Internet, run your word processor and play games with ease. On a Windows PC, click the Start button, then Control Panel, then System to see your processor information. If the speed is listed in megahertz instead of gigahertz, see if any friends need a new anchor for their fishing boat.
•...your computer has less than 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM memory. Again, the System Properties window will show how much RAM is installed. I recommend at least 1GB (1000MB) of RAM for smooth and speedy performance. Go for 2GB of RAM if you're running Vista.
•...you are running a version of Windows that begins with a "3" or a "9" (Windows 3.1, Win95, or Win98). These versions lack the security features and technological advances required for safe computing and protection from identity theft. If you have a Mac that's NOT running OS X, the same applies.
•...you have a monitor that's 14-inch or smaller. Most websites will not display properly on an old 14-inch monitor, and the larger 17-inch models are now standard.
•...you try to install a program and you get the error "Operating System not supported."
•...you try to upgrade the Operating System and get an error message that the hardware is not supported.
•...your computer has no USB ports. Most peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard, printer, scanner and external hard drives now use USB connections.
•...your computer has a 5.25 inch disk drive! Actually if you have even a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, you may qualify. Software has outgrown the floppy disk, and the mere presence of a floppy drive on your machine may indicate that it's time to take it out back and shoot it.

[edit - typo]

I've just had this question:

Which of the following is NOT a novel by Jane Austin?

- Reason and Rationality
- Sense and Sensibility
- Pride and Prejudice
- Emma

Who the hell is Jane AustIn? I thought that there was Jane AustEn.

Oh my, oh my, oh my.
Another one:

In which band did Ozzie Osbourne play between (there are years when it happened - I can't remember)

Well, not "Ozzie" but "Ozzy" and only "Ozzy".

Quote: Dedhed - 2010.05.27. 13:47:23

I have several issues with that question:
1st. The question is badly worded, should be "Witch drive letter is no longer used on computers?"
2nd. The answer is: no drive letter is used by computers, some operating systems use drive letters, it's not native to computers.
3rd. You can still find computers using two floppy disk drives.

How many zeros are in a trillion?
If you live in the US it's 12, if you live elsewhere it's 18. Oh and it's bad English, should be: "How many zeros are there in a trillion?"


Which Pokemon is widely known as the mascot of Pokemon?
Charmander
Squirtle
Pikachu
Bulbasaur

Er how is this not specialized knowledge

How long did the Dust Bowl last?
1934 to 1940
1933 to 1941
1934 to 1938
1933 to 1939

These numbers are far to closely spaced, if I had known about it I would have known that it was in late 1930's and all of these are.

What is the name of music festival in Novi Sad, Serbia?
NEXT
OPEN
EXIT
IN

First it's bad English, second it's close to being specialist information.

What USA federal agency's name abbreviation is NCIS?
Navy Criminal Investigative Service
Navy Crime Investigations Service
Naval Crime Investigations Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Just like dates, the wrong answers should be spaced farther apart. Navy vs. Naval and Crime vs. Criminal are way too close to each other.

Quote: MartinBV - 2010.05.27. 17:06:52


It's not Specialized Knowledge, it's pop culture. I guarantee that more people can answer that question correctly than who the lead singer of Metallica or the Cure are (and both of those are in the Quiz) and probably evenly with the few questions about Harry Potter. Pop Culture is current events - and the same as any other category, you either follow them or you don't... But that doesn't mean they are bad questions.

Just finished, Question on the Statue of Liberty, It is not located on Ellis Island ( Liberty Island, New York ).