21/28 December 2019 | New Scientist | 9312 How much of success is down
to luck, according to an analysis
of career achievements in science,
film and music published in
September by a team of researchers
at the top of their game?
A About 25 per cent
B About 50 per cent
C About 75 per cent
D All of it
13 According to a news story in
March, when researcher Sidney
Tamm was examining a warty comb
jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) in his lab,
what was he surprised not to find?
A A brain
B A stomach
C A gut
D An anus
14 That same month, we reported
on an problematic new version of
the Schrödinger’s cat quantum
thought experiment that allows two
observers to see two contradictory
realities simultaneously. How often
on average would this occur?
A 1 time in 20
B 1 time in 12
C 1 time in 4
D 1 time in 215 Also in March, we told the true
story of how Britain divorced itself
from continental Europe. What was
(probably) the decisive moment?
A A catastrophic flood at the end
of an ice age 450,000 years ago
B The breaching of a boggy
backstop over 125,000 years ago
C A tsunami unleashed in Norwayabout 8000 years ago
D An excellent Brexit deal
negotiated some time in the
early 2000s16 “Spontaneity and diversity
of movement to music are not
uniquely human” was the title
of a paper published in July that
identified 14 separate dance moves
performed by what animal?
A Beate the blue-ringed octopus
B Claudia the cotton-top tamarin
C Eric the erect-crested penguin
D Snowball the sulphur-crested
cockatoo17 July also marked the 50th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon
landing. With what cargo did NASA
engineers often have to share their
flights back home from the launch
base in Cape Canaveral, Florida,
did we learn?
A Sugar cane
B Oranges
C Shellfish
D Pineapples18 In November, we reported on
a new technology using patterns
in shadows to help us see around
corners. What everyday object cast
the shadows used in the first
demonstration?
A A houseplant
B A washing machine
C A desktop lamp
D A smartphone“ 2019 saw the first
picture of a black hole.
But what would happen
if you fell into one?”
Answers on page 94SEBASTIENM
ICKE/PARIS^
MATCH/
CONTOUR^ BY^ GETTYIMAGESHARPAZO^ HOPE/GETTYIMAGESROB^ WILKINSON/ALAMY^ STOCKPHOTOSUNFLOWERSTUDIO/A
LAMYSTOCK^ PHOTO