Sunday Quiz | As easy as a Sunday morning: On the go

1, On 29 May 1953, this beekeeper and his friend Namgyal Wangdi reached a place no one had visited before. He later led the first mechanized expedition to the South Pole and then reached the North Pole with Neil Armstrong in 1985. Namgyal adopted this date as his birthday to celebrate the achievement. Who was this New Zealand beekeeper and how well do we know Namgyal, whose mentor we met in last week’s quiz?

2, If you were at Point Nemo, you would be farthest from the nearest land. The closest one would be 2,688 km away. If you go to Google Earth and zoom in at 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W, you’ll find it thoughtfully marked. If you pass Point Nemo at the right time of day, you’ll be closer to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, 400km higher in space than any other human on Earth. Where in the world is Point Nemo?

3, The Dragon’s Triangle is an area south of Tokyo, which is considered to have extraordinary properties. Several ships were lost without a trace in the region due to sudden loss of electronics and major disruptions in the compass, according to the researchers. It is often called the Asiatic twin of a more well-known region found in the Atlantic Ocean. What is this supposedly extraordinary place?

4, The desert is currently going through a dry phase and is expected to turn green again in about 15,000 years. The name of the place means ‘desert’ in a dialect of Arabic, so if you want to translate the name, it literally means ‘desert desert’. It is technically the third largest desert in the world, although people generally consider it number one. Which desert is this?

5, Ischigualasto National Park in Argentina means ‘land without life’ because it is arid and arid. The valley has rounded boulders and rocks as a result of erosion, and at night, under starlight, the soil can appear almost white. Its lifeless environment and uninhabited landscape with peculiar structures gave rise to its second name, which compares it to an untouched object. What is the other name of this park?

6, One of Europe’s tallest peaks also gives its name to the tallest volcano in the Solar System (22 km tall, 2.5 times taller than Everest). A protected biosphere, it has a sacred place in Greek mythology. Derivatives of its name have been used by many companies and can even be used as a verb to denote ‘huge’. What is this wonderful haven of biodiversity?

7, The place hosts different communities of scientists who follow different time-zones. Some communities follow the timezone of the latitude at which they are located. Others, however, use the time-zones of their home countries to communicate with them. This means that two communities at the same latitude may officially be several hours apart. Technically, this space is located at a point on Earth where all timezones converge. Where is this incredible place, which is actually number one on the list already mentioned in this quiz?

8, The term terra nullius is a Latin expression used in international law to describe an area that has never been under the sovereignty of any state. Apart from Antarctica, the only such area is Bir Tawil, which is 2060 km. A piece of land along the border of Egypt and Sudan, which is uninhabited and not claimed by any country. Obviously, no country is interested in Bir Tawil because there is nothing there; The land between the borders is mostly sand and dry mountains. What is the meaning of the word?

9, China has 16 unique land neighbors (two of which are special administrative regions of the country) and a total land border length of 22,147 km. It also has one of the highest ranges in the world, and interestingly, a major landmark cuts right in the middle. What is this landmark and which country does it separate from China?

10, Armalcolite is a titanium rich mineral ((Mg,Fe2+)Ti2O5). It was picked up and brought back by three men who were on a historic mission in 1969 and consequently named after him. Synthesis of armalcolite requires low pressure, high temperature and rapid quenching from about 1,000 °C to ambient temperature. Who are the three people after whom it is named?