Silly Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which bird famously has eyes that are larger than its brain?
Penguin
Ostrich
Crow
Hummingbird
2. Four animals face a low obstacle that can only be cleared by jumping. Which one will need another solution because it cannot jump?
Elephant
Goat
House cat
Kangaroo
3. Which egg-laying mammal has a broad bill and webbed feet?
Capybara
Platypus
Sea otter
Armadillo
4. A veterinarian examines a healthy octopus. How many hearts should the veterinarian find?
One
Three
Five
Eight
5. Why can cutting an onion make nearby eyes water even when the onion never touches the face?
Invisible pollen is shaken from the onion
Salt crystals bounce from the cutting board
Capsaicin travels from the onion through the air
Airborne sulfur-containing irritants reach the eyes
6. A butterfly lands on a leaf and checks whether it is suitable food. Which body part helps it taste the surface?
Feet
Antennae only
Wings
Tail end
7. The backward-bending joint visible partway down a flamingo's leg is often mistaken for a knee. What is it actually comparable to?
An ankle
A knee
A wrist
A hip
8. An alien travel planner wants a planet where one complete rotation on its axis takes longer than one orbit around the Sun. Which planet fits?
Jupiter
Mars
Venus
Neptune
9. Which metal is liquid at typical room temperature?
Gallium
Aluminum
Mercury
Lead
10. Which shape best describes the droppings produced by a wombat?
Spiral
Cube
Pyramid
Flat disc
11. What behavior can help resting sea otters avoid drifting away from one another?
Locking their tails together
Balancing a stone between them
Burying their paws in sand
Holding paws
12. Two astronauts float outside a spacecraft with no radio link and no physical contact. One shouts. What does the other hear directly through space?
Nothing, because the vacuum cannot carry the sound
Only the lowest notes
A distorted but louder voice
A faint, delayed echo
13. A botanist calls a tomato a fruit. Which observation best supports that classification?
It is often red when ripe
It can be eaten without cooking
It grows on a plant rather than underground
It develops from a flower's ovary and contains seeds
14. Which familiar fruit is botanically classified as a berry?
Cherry
Strawberry
Raspberry
Banana
15. A popcorn kernel bursts after heating. What directly builds the pressure that ruptures its outer shell?
Starch turning into sugar
Air entering through the shell
Water inside the kernel becoming steam
Oil inside the kernel catching fire
16. Which food naturally resists spoilage largely because it has little available water and is acidic?
Bread
Cooked rice
Honey
Fresh butter