gyanartha 2015 finals

Finals

Rounds

Clockwise (17)

Written (6)

Reverse (17)

Clockwise (Swaraj) Round!

Rules

17 questions

Infinite pounce

+10 on pass, +10/-5 on pounce

Write answer, be careful, specific, will be

strict!

Raise hand

Wait for God (refer to prelims instructions)

Madras rules for bounce…

Ready, Steady, Go!

Question

X was born because of a boon that his parents got

by praying at Y. Later, the story goes that none of

the Namboodiri families in the region helped X in

a certain ritual, whereas another says that two

families actually helped. For the role that they

played, they were named the Kapilli and

Talayuttupilli manas. X, Y and how did these two

manas help?

01

01

Adi Shankara

Vadakkumnathan Temple

helped cremate his mother, one

supported her head and the

other her feet

Question The males of the common side-blotched lizard from the

Pacific Northwest come in 3 colours and follow a peculiar

mating strategy. Orange-throated males (strongest) fight

the blue-throated for mates. The blues can’t compete

against the oranges but form strong pair bonds and defend

against the yellows. The yellows are smallest, but

coloured like the orange females and can approach them

for mating. What is this strategy informally called by the

biologists who study this creature?

02

02

Rock Paper Scissors

Question

The people you see in the pictures/posters [next

slide] have actually donned a costume to avoid

something. Who/why?

03

03

03

Black entertainers/priests who

would dress up as Indian

rajahs/magicians because they

wouldn’t be discriminated

against if they were seen to be

foreigners

Question In the words of Mala Mukerjee: “I was so excited by

what was happening on the field that I didn’t realise I

was clicking and clicking and it was only when I got

home and developed the rolls that I realised what I

had got. And it was only after I saw the match

pictures in the various papers the next day that I

realised that I had got that once-in-a-lifetime shot.”

What shot, which turned out to be the only one of

the historic moment?

04

01

Question

Some of X’s works such as String Quartet in B-flat

Major, Op. 130 and Piano Sonata in A-flat major,

Op. 110 are unusual and contain unexpected

changes of pace and keys and other arrhythmic

patterns. In a way, this is similar to how these

paintings are unusual and unexpected. What

similar reasons explain all these works?

05

01

05

Works influenced by creators’

illnesses:

Beethoven – cardiac arrhythmia

Monet – cataract

Question

The visa in the picture

(and others like it) has

been cancelled. Why?

06

06

Greece refuses to recognize that

the former Yugoslav republic of

Macedonia and cancels visas they

issue.

Question

Connect the 5(!!!) clips!

[This clip is 4 minutes long. If you ask us to play it

again, you will be disqualified.]

07

The band in all the songs is the

same, a 60s-70s popular Anglo-

Indian Bombay club band called

‘Ted Lyons and the Cubs’. They’d

be pulled in for many Bollywood

club scenes.

07

Question

For Monopoly’s 80th anniversary, maker Hasbro is

producing versions of the board game with a

twist. They came up with the idea after a survey

in which they asked customers what they would

like to see most in their Monopoly sets. How are

these versions different?

08

08 real money!

Question

Hercules was originally supposed to only do 10

labours for Eurystheus, but ended up doing 12

because two of them were not counted. They

were the slaying of the Hydra, and the cleaning of

the Augean stables. Why were these not counted?

09

09

Hydra – he received help (from

his nephew)

stables – he received payment

Audience Q

Score Check!

Audience Question

Over the last few weeks, the new Greek

government has been trying to get its European

creditors to cut it some slack. Their last offer was

rejected by the German government, and a

leaked letter compared the offer to a “____

____”, a much used phrase which represents

Greek cunning and treachery. FITB.

A1

Trojan Horse A1

Audience Question

The precursor to the modern version is mentioned

in several ancient works. Before 1250, there are

references to various pulses, but no reference to

fermentation or steaming. It is speculated that

the modern form was invented in Indonesia,

which has a long tradition of fermented food, and

brought back by Indian cooks. What dish?

A2

idli A2

Score Check!

Question

This unprecedented recognition was given in

1998. Who was the recipient? What was his/her

achievement? And why was this exception made?

10

01

10

To Andrew Wiles for

proving Fermat’s

Last Theorem. The

exception was

because he had just

turned 40, and was

ineligible for the

Fields Medal, but the

IMU could not ignore

his achievement.

Question

What is Yubitsume?

Why is the person doing the Yubitsume ritual

typically made to do it to the smallest X?

11

Yubitsume is the Yakuza act of

atonement by cutting one’s little

finger. In Japanese swordsmanship,

the little finger’s grip is tightest on

the hilt. By cutting it off, you’re

reducing your ability and becoming

more dependent on your master.

11

Question

Nizam’s of Calcutta originally used iron skewers

to make their kababs as the skewers were easy to

maintain and lasted a lifetime. As they grew in

popularity, the long heavy skewers started

becoming a problem; far more were required than

could be handled. In 1964 they replaced them

with something, which lends its name to certain

dishes. What name/dishes?

12

Kati rolls 12

Question When asked about why he did not get credit for

something, this person said that he had opined that,

with respect to The Exorcist, Mercedes McCambridge

didn’t deserve credit because “…she was just special

effects…”, it would be hypocritical of him to take

credit for a similar contribution. Eventually, he says,

“…for the third one, I said OK, I’ll let them put my

name on it.”

Who about what?

13

James Earl Jones for Darth

Vader’s voice

13

Question

What is the inspiration for this music video?

14

14 The Usual Suspects

Question

German intelligence ran an espionage campaign

in Britain during WW2, but many agents were

captured and some were offered the chance to

turn against Germany and spread disinformation

back to their agencies. These operations were

overseen by the Twenty Committee. What is the

reason for this name?

15

Twenty in Roman numerals is

“XX”, or “double cross” which

is what the agents were doing

15

Question

The most popular legend associated with its origin

involves a slippage as the Countess of Salisbury was

dancing with King Edward III, what must be one of the

earliest recorded “wardrobe malfunctions”. Or it may

be from the practice of using something as a fastener

for armour. At any rate, it has been around since the

mid 14th century, and its motto is “Shamed be the

person who thinks evil of it.” What?

16

16 Order of the Garter

Question

In Rushdie’s “Moor’s Last Sigh”, there are two

acknowledgements for borrowing verbatim from

other works. One is an excerpt from a 1955 novel,

which is used to describe the scene and town to

which Moraes Zogoiby goes and listens to Gandhi

speak. The second is not text, but an illustration.

Identify the novel and the illustration.

17

17 Waiting for the Mahatma

Common Man (aka aam aadmi?)

Score Check!

Write, Brothers and Sisters

Rules

6 questions

4/6 points per (depends on question)

That’s all

Question – 6 points

Below are the old (1921 – 1937) and new flags of

Liechtenstein. The change was done in 1937

because in 1936 it was discovered that the flag

was identical to that of another country. Which

country? How did the discovery happen?

W1

Question – 4 points

The term “B & T” crowd refers to people who

make trips to Manhattan from other boroughs of

New York City and elsewhere. It is a disparaging

neologism about the manner in which they get to

Manhattan. Also applicable to weekend party-

goers who visit San Francisco from out of town.

What does “B & T” stand for?

W2

Question – 4 points

Only two states/UTs in India have a Muslim

majority in terms of population. One is Jammu &

Kashmir. Which is the other?

W3

Question – 6 points

What are these people trying to do? What is the

background music?

W4

Question – 4 points When the front man was asked about the meaning of the

band's name, he said: “We were sitting down and came up

with a phrase that we felt particularly connected to, but

we didn't want to call the band that. It just didn't flow

right. We ended up rearranging the letters and did an

anagram...a lot of people think it's a drug reference.”

Reynolds said everything from “Aged Mens' Radio” to

“Gemini is So Grand” have been suggested by fans, but

they'll keep everyone guessing as to what the meaning of

the band's name really is. Which band?

W5

Question – 4 points

It has been “performed” since 1959 with varying

levels of intensity, reflecting the larger

environment. Regarding the 2010 “toning down”,

spokesman Nadim Raza said “…we will only

change the ‘fist gesture’. No thumb would be

shown and aggressive looks will be replaced with

a handshake and a smile.”

What was he referring to?

W6

Exchange Sheets

Question – 6 points

Below are the old (1921 – 1937) and new flags of

Liechtenstein. The change was done in 1937

because in 1936 it was discovered that the flag

was identical to that of another country. Which

country? How did the discovery happen?

W1

Haiti. The “clash” was discovered

during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, in

pre-internet and colour printing

days, this was one of the few ways

in which places like Haiti and

Liechtenstein could appear

together in one place.

W1

Question – 4 points

The term “B & T” crowd refers to people who

make trips to Manhattan from other boroughs of

New York City and elsewhere. It is a disparaging

neologism about the manner in which they get to

Manhattan. Also applicable to weekend party-

goers who visit San Francisco from out of town.

What does “B & T” stand for?

W2

Bridge & Tunnel

W2

Question – 4 points

Only two states/UTs in India have a Muslim

majority in terms of population. One is Jammu &

Kashmir. Which is the other?

W3

Lakshadweep

W3

Question – 6 points

What are these people trying to do? What is the

background music?

W4

Nightwatch, Ode to Joy W4

Question – 4 points When the front man was asked about the meaning of the

band's name, he said: “We were sitting down and came up

with a phrase that we felt particularly connected to, but

we didn't want to call the band that. It just didn't flow

right. We ended up rearranging the letters and did an

anagram...a lot of people think it's a drug reference.”

Reynolds said everything from “Aged Mens' Radio” to

“Gemini is So Grand” have been suggested by fans, but

they'll keep everyone guessing as to what the meaning of

the band's name really is. Which band?

W5

Imagine Dragons

W5

Question

It has been “performed” since 1959 with varying

levels of intensity, reflecting the larger

environment. Regarding the 2010 “toning down”,

spokesman Nadim Raza said “…we will only

change the ‘fist gesture’. No thumb would be

shown and aggressive looks will be replaced with

a handshake and a smile.”

What was he referring to?

W6

W6

Score Check!

Reverse (Swaraj) Round!

Rules

17 questions

Infinite bounce

+10 on pass, +10/-5 on pounce

Write answer, be careful, specific, will be

strict!

Raise hand

Wait for God (refer to prelims instructions)

Madras rules for bounce…

Question

A picture [next slide] from the medals ceremony

for the marathon event at the 1936 Berlin

Olympics. Why are the gold and bronze medalists

(Sohn Kee-chung and Nam Sung-yong) looking

unhappy/disappointed?

18

Question 18

18

They were Koreans who were

forced to participate under the

Japanese flag as Japan had

occupied the Korean peninsula.

Sohn managed to cover his

Japanese flag with the oak bush

that was part of the prize, but

Nam had nothing to hide behind.

Question

Screenplays are usually written in the “fixed

pitch” Courier New in 12 pt font size on

A4/Letter size paper with a standard line spacing.

What is the main reason behind this

standardization?

19

19 If these rules are followed,

each page of screenplay

corresponds to roughly 1

minute of screen time. It helps

producers and directors

estimate the length and

therefore budget etc. of the

proposed film.

Question Some of the supposed reasons for this are:

Historical remnant from the era of handcrafting

Improves stability and decreases the likelihood of shattering

Consolidates all the impurities at the bottom

Increases strength needed if contents are pressurised

Reduces volume and gives the impression that you are

getting more than what you actually get

Acts as a lens, refracting the light to make the colour of the

contents more appealing

20

20 Why bottles have punts

Question Britain ceded control of a certain government department

of the UAE in 1963. An American named Finbar Kenny saw

an opportunity and in 1964 signed deals with cash-

strapped Ajman and Fujairah to take a franchise for

producing something. The products themselves were on

topics such as ‘space research’ and ‘Tokyo Olympic

Games’, irrelevant to the emirates. For a time they

earned revenue, but eventually the proliferation led to

devaluation. What was the product?

21

21 postage stamps

Question

Connect and explain.

22

22 Dogs of War

Question

Either Akbar or his minister Raja Todar Mal is

supposed to have come up with this naming

scheme as part of their administrative reforms.

By combining the first letters of each pair of Xs in

question, they came up with Jech ____, Rechna

____, Bari ____ and Bist ____. Fill in the blank.

23

doab 23

Question

Connect

Lauda Air’s Vienna – Sydney – Melbourne flight

GH Hardy’s description of David Hilbert as “the

_____ _____ of mathematics”

The code words used by the Allies to signal

their attack on Monte Cassino in WW2 “____

____ will be ____ tomorrow”

24

24 Don Bradman

Question

What was

this 1927

map used for,

by a

particular

company?

25

25

Paramount Pictures issued the map

as a rough guide for showing which

parts of California could best

replicate foreign locales for

Hollywood

Question

Bengali is the national and official language of

Bangladesh and one of the official languages

recognized by India. However, since 2002, it is

also an official language of Sierra Leone.

Why?

26

In honour of the UN

peacekeeping forces from

Bangladesh who served there

26

Audience Q

Score Check!

Audience Question

In Instagram parlance, who is a “K”?

A1

Users with > 10,000 followers

where the 000s portion gets

replaced by a “K”

A1

Audience Question

Twice a year (once around April), the Trivandrum

airport issues a notice to airmen (NOTAM) and

shuts down operations for about 5 hours for a

particular reason, and it is probably the only

airport in the world which does so. This has been

happening for decades. What is the reason?

A2

The arat procession of Sree

Padmanabhaswamy Temple A2

Score Check!

Question

Clip from a documentary about an app named

“Mobilizing the _____ _____”. FITB. What is the

app for? Which country?

27

27 12th Man, for cheering in stadium

while watching on TV, Tunisia

Question

The alliteratively named “____’s ____ Chile” was

set up in 2013 as a “fully self-sustaining

community” that would enable individualistic

immigrants with money to renounce “the

oppression of the over-regulated, over-taxed,

war-riddled and welfare-riddled society”. Fill in

the first blank, with a name we would associate

with a repeatedly posed question from fiction.

28

28

Galt

of

“Who is John Galt?” fame

Question

ID the two men. How

did this meeting break a

tradition/precedent?

29

29

Mountbatten and Wavell

Previously, and outgoing and incoming

viceroy would never be in India at the

same time or meet in India, these

guys had to because of partition etc.

Question

If GPS is turned off or unavailable on your Android

phone and you fire up Google Maps, it sometimes

puts the location marker in this unexpected

place. Why?

30

30

30 It’s the place where the Equator

and Prime Meridian meet, the

“origin” of the Terrestrial

Coordinate System

4 more to go…

Score Check?

Question

Many Japanese corporations’ offices have a room

called the “boredom room”, which is used by HR

departments especially during certain phases of

business cycles as a tactic to get around the

social taboos against a corporate practice is

prevalent in other parts of the world. What is a

“boredom room” used for?

31

31 For layoffs/firings. Because

labour laws and social taboos

don’t allow firing, employees

are sent to vegetate doing

mindless work in “boredom

rooms” in the hope that they

will get bored/ashamed and

quit on their own.

Question

The position of the Apostolic Preacher is part of

the Roman Curia, the administrative apparatus of

the Holy See. It was established in 1555 and since

1753, the office is reserved exclusively for

individuals of the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor.

What duties does the Apostolic Preacher have to

perform?

32

Someone has to preach to the

Pope, perform confession

etc., since the Pope is

Catholic!

32

Question

ID the raagam.

This song was written by Aman Ali Khan of the

Bhendi Bazaar gharaana who borrowed the tune

from another famous composition, and pays a

specific tribute to the original. How?

33

33

Hamsadhwani

Based on Vaataapi Ganapatim

There is a “…lagan pati…” in

the same position as

“Ganapati” in the original

One More Question…

Thanks, thanks, thanks

Content help

Anil Kumar K.

Priyambad Pattanayak

Nitish Khadiya

Diwakar Pingle

@choultry / mundoli@gmail.com

Question

The _____ Manuscript Project is an effort to

digitize some 90,000 pages of work from the

1800s. Of the 26,000 completed so far, 57 are his

children’s drawings, of which 9 are on the back of

the manuscript of X. The drawings exhibit

enthusiasm and an eye for detail. Fill in the

blank.

34

01

01

34 Darwin

Nanni Namaskaaram!