The back pages Quiz of the year
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ENTThe past 12 months have been dominated by the threats from
the covid-19 pandemic and climate change. But there was also
lots of weird, wild and wonderful science and tech news. Can
you recall these intriguing nuggets from our coverage in 2021?New Scientist never forgets
1 In August, we learned that
bumblebees (pictured) are better
at foraging for nectar when given
which substance?
A Methamphetamine
B Caffeine
C Cocaine
D Nicotine2 In October, we visited Finland
to see how it plans a bioeconomy
that runs on wood. But which of
the following wood technologies
did we not report on this year?
A Transparent wood for
energy-saving windows
B Extra-sharp wooden knives
C Posture-correcting stairs
D Electricity-generating floors3 Which event millions of years ago
may be responsible for determining
the character of today’s Amazon
rainforest, according to a study
we covered in April?
A Formation of the Sahara desert
B The Chicxulub asteroid impact
C Formation of Greenland’s
ice sheet
D The end of the last glacial period4 In March, we reported on
which unusual trait of the lungs
of female American green tree
frogs (pictured)?
A They sit outside the body
B They contain highly cancer-
resistant cells
C They glow in the dark
D They can vibrate to cancel
out other frogs’ calls5 How quickly can an elephant
(pictured) suck up water in its
trunk, as we learned in June?
A 130 kilometres per hourB 280 kilometres per hour
C 400 kilometres per hour
D 540 kilometres per hour6 It was revealed in July that a new
type of DNA sequence had been
identified. Which alien adversary
from Star Trek was it named after?
A The Romulans
B The Borg
C The Klingons
D The Xindi7 On the topic of aliens, according
to estimates released in March,
how many interstellar objects pass
through our solar system each year?
A 1
B 3
C 5
D 78 In February, researchers proposed
that Stonehenge (pictured) may
have been rebuilt in Wiltshire after
it was dismantled and moved from
elsewhere in the UK. Which county
could have been its first home?
A Pembrokeshire
B Monmouthshire
C West Sussex
D Devon9 In January, we were told that
the efficiency of solar cells can
be boosted by treating them
with which chemical?
A Ethanol
B Capsaicin
C Psilocybin
D Cyanide10 Research reported in
November showed that a body-
odour chemical that is released by
people can make men calmer and
women more aggressive. What
chemical was involved?
A Methanethiol
B Putrescine
C Hexadecanal
D Hydrogen sulphide11 In February, we learned
that wood-eating cockroaches
perform an unusual post-mating
ritual. What is it?
A They spin on their backs
B They shed their ovipositors
C The female buries herself
D They eat each other’s wings12 Which country became the first
to officially adopt bitcoin (pictured)
as a national currency, a story we
covered in September?
A El Salvador
B Panama
C The Bahamas
D Wales13 A Tesla valve is a device that
lets a fluid flow in one direction
without requiring moving parts.
The intestines of which creature
were revealed in July to resemble
this apparatus?
A Capybaras
B SharksC Cassowaries
D Wombats14 In April, one of life’s biggest
questions was finally settled.
Assuming it is served at 6 ̊C, how
many bubbles form in a half-litre
glass of lager?
A 2 million to 10 million
B 200,000 to 2 million
C 50,000 to 150,000
D About 25,00015 In May, the results of a cosmic
census of the astronomical objects
within 33 light years of our sun
NO were released. How many starsRMAN
LEE84 | New Scientist | 18/25 December 2021