CHRISTMAS QUIZ

1. Researchers from Denmark hooked volunteers up to heart-rate monitors to see how they reacted to… what? a. Visiting a haunted house b. Scrolling on Twitter c. Doing a jigsaw puzzle

2. Scientists at MIT have developed a new cooling material that could keep things cold without a power supply. What inspired the material? a. Camel fur b. Penguin feathers c. Elephant ears

3. A study of almost 2,000 UK adults found that those who did this activity regularly experienced less cognitive decline. Was it: a. Watching Netflix b. Eating cheese c. Doing bicep curls

4. What did Kenyan conservationists build to rescue eight endangered Rothchild’s giraffes from an island? a. A bridge b. A hang-glider c. A raft

5. What part of Guinea baboon communication did researchers at the German Primate Centre study this year? a. Their accents b. The colour of their bottoms c. The way they bare their teeth

6. This year, scientists observed electric eels in the Amazon teaming up in groups of up to 10 to hunt. They discharged a synchronised electric shock to their prey – but how many volts of electricity could 10 eels produce? a. 86V b. 860V c. 8,600V

7. When NASA’s Perseverance rover arrived on Mars, it deployed a colourful parachute containing a coded message, shown here. What did it say? a. Per aspera ad astra b. Dare mighty things c. To infinity and beyond

8. Three missions arrived at Mars in February this year. Which was the first to arrive? a. NASA’s Perseverance b. China’s Tianwen-1 c. The UAE’s Hope

9. Which 1990s hit did neuroscientist and DJ Rebecca Poulsen play to baby zebrafish to monitor their brain activity? a. Wannabe b. U Can’t Touch This c. Livin’ La Vida Loca

10. What space weather phenomenon, first observed over the North Pole in 2014, was confirmed this year? a. Space hurricane b. Space tornado c. Space monsoon

11. The sauteur d’Alfort rabbit has a gene, discovered this year by researchers in Portugal and Sweden, that explains the breed’s tendency to do what? a. Forwards rolls b. Walk backwards c. Handstands

12. Researchers in Costa Rica discovered that spreading the pulp leftovers from a particular industrial process over land set aside for reforestation led to the trees growing four times faster. But what product was the pulp from? a. Beer b. Coffee c. Sugar

13. Russian scientists etched a mini replica of which beloved painting using a ‘laser paintbrush’? a. Mona Lisa b. The Starry Night c. Girl With A Pearl Earring

14. In March, 15 volunteers ventured into a cave beneath the Pyrenees, and didn’t see natural light or a clock until they came back out. They stayed in the cave for so long that they lost track of how many days had passed. How many was it? a. 20 b. 40 c. 60

15. In a somewhat unusual experiment, Japanese scientists have discovered that some mammals (possibly including humans) can breathe through which body part? a. Ear b. Anus c. Belly button

16. After 17 years underground, ‘Brood X’ cicadas emerged in June across 15 states in the USA. How many of them were there? a. Hundreds of thousands b. Millions c. Billions

17. Homo longi, a hominin identified this year, may be the closest ancestor of our species. What is its other name? a. Unicorn Man b. Dragon Man c. Centaur Man

18. This year, scientists discovered bizarre DNA structures that assimilate genes from host cells. What sci-fi villain were they named after? a. The Borg b. Cybermen c. Body Snatchers

19. The Met Office predicted this year that, by the end of the century, Britain could regularly see summer days at what temperature? a. 35˚C b. 40˚C c. 50˚C

20. In October, the World Health Organization recommended the rollout of a world-first vaccine to African children for which disease? a. Malaria b. Yellow fever c. Dengue