Prelims - Felicity Open Quiz 2017

Felicity 2017
The Open Quiz
Prelims

Content and Presentation
Sameer Dharur

Acknowledgements
Navin Rajaram
Major Chandrakant Nair
Rohan Naidu
Ranganathan Ramkumar

 34 questions.
 Questions 27 to 34 carry two points each, and will resolve ties.
 42 points in all.
 No negatives. Feel free to take guesses for every question.
 Malpractice is too much effort. Don’t bother trying.
 Good luck!
The Deal

Scores
Top Score – 32.
Cutoff – 26.

1.
Riyad Joucka is a New York based architectural researcher whose work
tries to offer improvements to complex constructions in various cities
around the world.
In the following few images, his subject of research is a famous structure
with a modular geometric façade which has been operational since 2003
and has been contributing heavy exports on a regular basis.
What structure, considered the symbol of a changing city, is the subject of
these impressions?

2.
The Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi was constructed in 2010 in the run-up
to the Commonwealth Games and features state-of-the-art facilities for its
athletes as well as broadcasters.
It has fallen into disuse since the Games without hosting any prestigious
sporting matches – until January last year, which saw several people
thronging the stadium and being allowed free entry to witness proceedings.
What contest(s) was the stadium playing host to around this time?

The wrestling matches in Dangal.

3.
In one of the most famous speeches of his career, Benito Mussolini in
November 1936 shed light on the progress of his country’s foreign policy
– declaring that their protocol was not a barrier, but something around
which all European states driven by a desire for peace must unite.
What appropriate four-letter-term was first used here to describe a
certain bilateral relationship, that assumed greater importance in the
years to come?

4.
Julie Zhuo is a reputed product designer on Silicon Valley who had her
career’s biggest project in 2015.
Speaking about her gesture based project, she said the 5 additions to the
existing option were eventually picked from an initial pool of 20-25
following comprehensive analysis from millions of users, and forced a
design alteration to algorithmically include only 3 of the top picks by
default to contain space as well as offer an overview.
What design innovation did she pioneer?

5.
Among the most important rituals during the exit of a US President from
the White House is that of the portraits – whose official versions are hung
in the National Portrait Gallery.
Incoming Presidents too have a few unofficial versions, which remain till
the end of their tenure. The following image from 1998 was picked for
Donald Trump.
Why was the imagery considered appropriate to him?

The Big Apple, as a nod to Trump’s origins
in New York.

6.
David Guetta’s ‘Dangerous’ is a popular single from 2014 whose video
pays tribute to a time he grew up watching and admiring these subjects –
who also, incidentally, made up the plot of a multiple-award-winning film
the previous year.
What was the inspiration for this video?

The rivalry between Niki Lauda and
James Hunt.

7.
William Ewart Gladstone was an illustrious British politician holding
multiple prestigious positions throughout his career.
He was known for his verbose and over-long speeches through the latter
half of the 19th century that lasted several hours. One of his most famous
ones came in 1860, with the help of something that helped him deliver
the lengthy address. The tradition has been followed ever since in the
British Parliament on a certain day of the year – and was subsequently
adopted by India as well.
What famous object is this, that will soon make an appearance in the
Indian context?

8.
As part of its annual Cybersecurity Month in October last year, the
headquarters of Qualcomm organized a series of talks on the theme –
the most popular of which was on Identity Theft delivered by a pioneer in
the field who was making one of his first speeches on the subject with a
view to ‘providing the world his own perspective after several attempts by
others’.
Who was the appropriate guest delivering this talk – someone who rose
to worldwide fame around a decade and a half ago?

9.
For close to 9 decades now, the Russian government has employed the
services of various biomedical agencies to ensure the timely import of
glycerol, potassium acetate, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide acetic acid –
besides a consistent supply of paraffin and carotene. The ever rising costs
– estimated at $198,000 last year alone – have forced even staunch
nationalists to rethink its necessity.
What long standing activity of national interest, in Moscow’s Red Square,
is all this effort for?

10.
Peter Halley, an American artist, recently took over an exhibition in
Frankfurt to create the following installation called ‘The Schirn Ring’.
What complex European setup, also laterally referred to in the installation’s
name, does this take inspiration from?

11.
The Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, London was one of the first
large-scale fairs in the world which attracted over 3 million visitors.
Among the key exhibits was an object that had just arrived after an
international voyage on the HMS Medea, and received glowing tributes in
the press.
However, visitors were unimpressed due its large size – which prompted
authorities to cut it down to the optimum size and put it on display at the
Tower of London where it remains to this day.
What was this exhibit?

12.
One of the distinctive introductions in Gothic Architecture was this
element that formed the cap or the crown of tall towers. It served the
twin purposes of ornamentation and offering structural stability to the
roofs of the buildings.
What one word term is this part of the building known by, which also was
the origin of a word in the English language with a similar meaning?

13.
To revive their financial fortunes in 1898, this automobile company came
out with the following advertisement that described the durable quality of
its rubber tyres.
Translating to ‘now is the time to drink’, the ad conveyed that the tyres
were tough enough to digest everything that the road had to offer. The
success of this ad became the guiding principle for the company’s
experimental ventures in the years to come.
What entry into a completely different field did the company take up, that
lives on to this day?

14.
View From The Top is a premier speaker series conducted at the Stanford
Graduate School of Business that invites top managers from various walks
of life to share their insights with current students.
The guest at a session in 2015 was a two time author with an illustrious
record of 27 years of management, widely regarded as among the
greatest in his field. He complimented this success to his superiors who
spared him the pressure of instant results – as was the norm – and
allowed him to build towards long term successes.
Who was this guest speaker – who co-authored a famous book on the
subject that year with Michael Moritz, the chairman of Sequoia Capital?

15.
The Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur is one of the world’s largest private
residences and houses the former royal family of the city.
It was constructed in the 1930s and sought to incorporate the features of
Buddhist and particularly Hindu facades in its architecture.
Which famous Asian structure does it get its inspiration from?

16.
According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report, hackers using
spear-phishing campaigns to hack into systems through emails rose by
55% in 2015, with 75% websites having a serious gap in security.
To counter this, the United Kingdom’s National College of Cyber Security
will house a boarding school to groom 16-to-19 year old experts in the
field with the hope of coming up with preventive solutions.
At what appropriate location will they be undergoing this training?

17.
The 1824 US Presidential election between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy
Adams was one of the most controversial ones in the country’s history with
the latter becoming President on the support of the House of
Representatives after an inconclusive mandate.
Disappointed but determined to reverse the injustice, Jackson undertook a
tour of the country for several months and established a wide network of
working class supporters who were cynical with the ‘corrupt’ deal Adams had
struck with those in the House.
What was the lasting legacy of this group of supporters who organized to win
Jackson the next election and shot to dominance in the country’s politics?

18.
The Crimean War in 1853 brought to notice several horror stories from
the frontlines in British army hospitals.
With a new and growing press, portraits of battle and recuperation began
to spread thick and fast, of which the following one taken at Scutari in
Turkey was most popular.
What phrase came about from this image, thanks to its description in a
report published in The Times?

‘Lady with the Lamp’ becoming the moniker
for Florence Nightingale.

19.
On one of Margaret Thatcher’s visits to Northern Ireland in 1982, she was
briefed about the complaints of soldiers who were given inadequate
boots for the winter. When the query was put to the bureaucrat in-
charge, his response letter appalled and irritated her to the extent that
she felt it deserved to be satirized and lampooned in front of the entire
country.
Whom did she pass on this response letter to, which contributed to an
iconic moment in British popular culture?

20.
As part of ineffective repairs in the 1960s, aluminium was used but failed
to be sustainable owing to the rains that damaged it. Brass, composed of
90% copper and 10% zinc, is known to have strong water-repelling
tendencies and served as an apt replacement.
However, the quick oxidation of copper and the subsequent brown
colouration also proved to be problematic - which took away the sense of
dominance and glory signified for hundreds for years. The eventual
solution cost over a million dollars, donated by a generous local ruler to
restore the place to its former glory.
What place is this, that remains to this day a meeting point of diverse
cultures in a zone of permanent conflict?

The gold plating on the Dome Of The Rock.

21.
A recent victory for progressives in the art world was the historic
appointment of a first female director assuming charge from Jan 1 this
year at one of the world’s oldest and most historic places in its field.
Among her major challenges include the management of crowds in a
small space initially only open to the powers-that-be, and the
‘democratization’ of some of the showpiece artworks from stalwarts like
Michelangelo and Raphael which are currently closed to the general
public.
Which iconic European center-of-attraction for art fans, among others,
has she been appointed the head of?

22.
While some of the reasons offered for this worldwide convention have
been about the ease of detecting damages and cost of paints among
other things, the widely accepted reason has been of thermal advantage
to ensure the reflection of all wavelengths of sunlight – since any
absorption might result in a catastrophic heating up of the body over time.
What global colour standard is this a scientific justification for?

Civilian aircraft being painted white.

23.
Amanat Khan Sirazi was a Persian designer who migrated to India in the
early 17th century.
Besides his design, he was well-read in the knowledge of the Quran which
helped him land an important job – from the ruling establishment – of
selecting appropriate verses from the book and performing a calligraphy
of them over a period of six years by 1638 at the specified location. For his
services, he was appropriately honoured and served many years in the
royal court.
Where was he commissioned to do his work, that is viewed by over
20,000 people on a daily basis?

24.
Of the 700-odd teenagers who apply every year through Head-Teachers
from South-West London’s schools, only about 250 make the cut
following a grueling selection process and a 4-month training period that
involves written tests, precision rolling tasks, the ability to stand in the Sun
for long hours and sharpening one’s reflexes.
On the flip side, the handsome compensation of around ₤100 per week in
addition to keeping the famous Ralph Lauren costume more than makes
up for the effort.
Who exactly are these people, seen world-over for a fortnight every year?

The ball boys/girls at Wimbledon.

25.
Create Advertising is a London based marketing company that gets nearly
all of its clients from the USA – for being the best in the world in its field.
Serving hundreds of projects over the year, they are commissioned to
come up with 3 variants (on an average) which are created from the
product submitted to them, in close consultation with the owners. A recent
phenomenon of creating specific parts of the product for their purpose
alone has been taking shape – intended for different mediums,
geographies and audiences around the world.
What service does this company specialize in – which remains, to this day,
a little known outsourcing job?

26.
When Queen Victoria inherited the British throne a few weeks after her
18th birthday, Albert – the second son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and
Gotha – proposed marriage to her, a departure from royal weddings until
then which were largely seen as business deals.
The wedding witnessed several trendsetting firsts in local culture, one of
the most lasting ones resulting from the shared qualities of the both of
them in being accomplished collectors of artefacts.
What act was this, that boosted an entire industry locally and defined
tradition world-over ever since?

27.
Finca Vigia is an old and popular mansion located about 10 miles east of
Havana that has remained unoccupied since 1962 and turned into a
heritage museum.
Having fallen into neglect since then, the recent normalizing of US-Cuba
relations helped fuel a movement for the preservation of this building and
its locality – also listed among America’s 10 most endangered historic
places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Who was the famous occupant of this house? What much acclaimed
creative output did the surroundings inspire in the mid-20th century?

28.
The following is one of Dubai’s largest malls – featuring a unique design
that commemorates 6 different countries. It denotes a 24 year journey
across these nations that took place in the 14th century and served as the
inspiration for the owners of this mall.
In the images that follow, which two countries are being depicted? Whom
is this mall an intended tribute to?

29.
Ted Sarandos is an American businessman of Greek heritage best known for
being the disruptor in his field through the company he joined in 2000.
Known for his rebellious streak, his modus operandi involves algorithms – a
first in the industry – that focus on 30% judgement and 70% on his base of
user data. Over the last few years, aggregated user data has helped create
regression models he put in place to help take key decisions very early in the
life of his ‘products’.
What company does he work for? What word, derived from another vice(!),
did the Collins dictionary declare the Word Of The Year in 2015 as a result of
his successful strategy?

30.
The advancement of weaponry used in World War I brought in medical
complications – especially with the treatment of wounds involving
shrapnel that could cause infection and death.
The following mobile units were brought into use when Germany
attacked France in 1914 that helped solve this problem and saved several
lives.
What purpose did these vehicles serve? Who pioneered them, having
successfully worked in the relevant field around the region until that time?

31.
In 1996, moved by the exploits of a brash 18-year-old in his own state of
California who was outcast by his peers for his aggression, Michael Jackson
famously reached out to this teenager and offered him advice that has been
cited as potentially life changing.
Jackson urged him to keep doing things his way without becoming ‘normal’
and blending in to the crowd. As a symbolic gesture, he also presented to
him a copy of a popular novella that went on to become a timeless spiritual
classic from the 1970s, reinforcing the nonconformist message.
Who was this teenager, who went on to become one of the greatest ever in
his field? What appropriate book was he presented?

32.
Prevalent since the origins of the conflict in 1936-1939, the keffiyeh is a
Middle Eastern garment popularized by the icon of a movement as a
revolutionary symbol since the 1960s.
Often worn in a chequered fish-net pattern, he draped it over the right
shoulder – roughly forming a triangle – to bolster the symbolic imagery
of using it. Variants in red and green have also surfaced in recent years,
making it a widely used mark of protest.
Who pioneered this attire around that time? What was the intended
depiction with the approximate triangle on the shoulder?

The draping on the shoulder was meant to
resemble the original map of Palestine.

33.
Remote sensing is the process of using satellite or aircraft-based
technology to detect and classify objects on Earth – one of whose uses is
to track the number of people in a crowd.
Among the largest peaceful gatherings detected in human history
according to this method was a recent entry in November last year – 7th
on the all time list – that saw over 5 million Americans turning up to
celebrate a historic triumph after a long impending drought.
What were they celebrating? Which Indian event, that drew 30 million
people 3 years ago, is Number One on this list?

Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.

34.
Jeffrey Gillette is an American artist best known for his dystopian works
recreating Disneyland in a post-nuclear world. In the following series, he
contrasts the promised land of eternal cheer with the hard reality of poverty,
and bases his paintings in an appropriate place that became well known to
the West nearly a decade ago.
His paintings over the years also inspired another rebellious artist a couple of
years ago to come up with a similar art installation in Somerset, England that
drew a lot of praise and flak in equal measure.
Which place are the following works based in? Which other popular artist did
he inspire?

Banksy, whose ‘Dismaland’ dealt with a
similar theme.

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