1. Which planet wins the spin race, completing a rotation in about 10 hours? Jupiter
2. This sci-fi author created the desert world of Arrakis in Dune. Who is he?
Answer: Frank Herbert
3. Lightning brings the flash. What makes the thunder? Rapid expansion of heated air
4. In which fish does the dad carry the eggs in a pouch and give birth? Seahorse
5. This pioneer helped power the modern world by developing alternating-current electrical systems. Who is he?
Answer: Nikola Tesla
6. This sci-fi pioneer imagined time travel and a Martian invasion in The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. Who is he?
Answer: H. G. Wells
7. This literary pioneer wrote Frankenstein, imagining a scientist who brings a creature to life. Who is she?
Answer: Mary Shelley
8. Which tiny structures in leaf cells use sunlight to make sugar? Chloroplasts
9. Which planet has an average density lower than water? Saturn
10. A polar bear's coat looks white. What are its outer hairs actually like? Clear and hollow
11. This pioneer wrote On the Origin of Species, explaining evolution through natural selection. Who is he?
Answer: Charles Darwin
12. This sci-fi pioneer took readers Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Who is he?
Answer: Jules Verne
13. Which planet spins almost on its side, tilted about 98 degrees? Uranus
14. Which element gives auroras their signature green glow? Oxygen
15. This pioneer developed the theory of relativity, changing how we understand space and time. Who is he?
Answer: Albert Einstein
16. Which Mexican salamander with feathery external gills can regrow a whole lost leg, bones and all? Axolotl
17. This pioneer's X-ray research helped reveal DNA's double-helix structure. Who is she?
Answer: Rosalind Franklin
18. Ice cubes get the best seat in your drink: the top. Why do they float? Ice is less dense than liquid water
19. This astrophysicist took viewers on a tour of the universe as the host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Who is he?
Answer: Neil deGrasse Tyson
20. This pioneer formulated three laws of motion and a theory of universal gravitation. Who is he?
Answer: Isaac Newton
21. Which dwarf planet lies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter? Ceres
22. This filmmaker sent audiences on a journey beyond our solar system in Interstellar. Who is he?
Answer: Christopher Nolan
23. A diamond and a pencil's graphite core are made of which element? Carbon
24. This composer gave Star Wars its iconic music, making a galaxy far, far away sound unforgettable. Who is he?
Answer: John Williams
25. Which metal melts at just 30°C (86°F)? Gallium
26. Which gas makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere? Nitrogen
27. Plot twist: which Australian mammal has a duck-like bill and lays eggs? Platypus
28. This filmmaker directed both Alien and the original Blade Runner. Who is he?
Answer: Ridley Scott
29. This sci-fi pioneer wrote Kindred, sending a woman from 1970s California into the past. Who is she?
Answer: Octavia E. Butler
30. Which metal can take the heat, with the highest melting point of all metals? Tungsten
31. Why does the Moon keep showing Earth nearly the same face? Its rotation period matches its orbital period
32. Flamingos aren't born pink. Where does their pink color come from? Their food
33. This pioneer predicted that black holes could emit radiation instead of staying completely black. Who is he?
Answer: Stephen Hawking
34. Earth's ozone layer is a sun shield. Which type of radiation does it absorb? Ultraviolet
35. Eight arms, but how many hearts does an octopus have? 3
36. The Sun and Moon team up to create spring tides during which lunar phases? New moon and full moon
37. Which element was spotted in the Sun's light before it was found on Earth? Helium
38. Which planet wins the solar system's heat contest, even though it isn't closest to the Sun? Venus
39. What mainly controls how fast a tsunami crosses the ocean? Water depth
40. This filmmaker brought dinosaurs roaring back to life in the original Jurassic Park. Who is he?
Answer: Steven Spielberg
41. Your straw looks bent in a glass of water. Which light trick is responsible? Refraction
42. This NASA pioneer's calculations helped astronauts reach the Moon, and her story featured in Hidden Figures. Who is she?
Answer: Katherine Johnson
43. What powers the Sun's core? Nuclear fusion
44. This filmmaking pioneer created Star Wars, taking audiences to a galaxy far, far away. Who is he?
Answer: George Lucas
45. What keeps a compass needle pointing roughly north-south, away from nearby magnets? Earth's magnetic field
46. Going down! Challenger Deep sits in which ocean trench? Mariana Trench
47. A bell rings in a perfect vacuum. Why can't its sound travel? There is no matter to carry vibrations
48. This sci-fi pioneer created the Foundation series, imagining the future of a vast Galactic Empire. Who is he?
Answer: Isaac Asimov
49. Olympus Mons, the solar system's largest volcano, is on which planet? Mars
50. This pioneer helped discover radium and polonium, bringing two new elements to the periodic table. Who is she?
Answer: Marie Curie
