The hardest questions
The quiz questions our players miss most often. Can you do better? The answer is hidden until you ask for it.
Each one has at least 3 answers. Updated every hour.
According to Hesiod, Aphrodite was born from Zeus's thigh.
- True
- False
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False — She was born from the sea foam; it was Dionysus who emerged from Zeus's thigh.
How many arms does a snowflake have?
- 8
- 5
- 6
- 4
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6 — This symmetry comes from the hexagonal structure of ice.
In what year was Napoleon crowned emperor at Notre-Dame in Paris?
- 1804
- 1799
- 1815
- 1810
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1804 — On December 2, with Pope Pius VII present; he placed the crown on his own head.
What was China's last imperial dynasty?
- The Yuan
- The Qing
- The Song
- The Ming
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The Qing — Of Manchu origin, it took power in Beijing in 1644.
How old is Harry when Voldemort tries to kill him?
- Two years
- Fifteen months
- Six months
- Three years
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Fifteen months — Born in July 1980, attacked on October 31, 1981.
Hair and nails keep growing after death.
- True
- False
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False — The skin dries and pulls back, which makes them look longer.
Which disease did the WHO declare eradicated in 1980?
- Measles
- Smallpox
- Plague
- Polio
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Smallpox — It is the only human disease wiped out by vaccination so far.
Which king founded the Persian Achaemenid Empire?
- Cambyses II
- Darius I
- Cyrus the Great
- Xerxes I
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Cyrus the Great — Among other conquests, he took Babylon in 539 BC.
When was Hermione born?
- March 1, 1980
- September 19, 1980
- September 19, 1979
- July 30, 1979
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September 19, 1979 — Born in September, she's one of the oldest in her year (date given by Rowling).
Which Germanic leader deposed the last Western Roman emperor?
- Odoacer
- Attila
- Genseric
- Alaric
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Odoacer — He sent the imperial regalia to Constantinople rather than proclaim himself emperor.
Which acid does the stomach produce for digestion?
- Hydrochloric acid
- Sulfuric acid
- Lactic acid
- Citric acid
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Hydrochloric acid — A layer of mucus protects the stomach wall from its own acid.
In what year did the Spanish Armada fail against England?
- 1603
- 1558
- 1571
- 1588
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1588 — Philip II meant to invade Elizabeth I's England; storms and English fireships scattered it.
Which countries share the island of Hispaniola?
- Haiti and the Dominican Rep.
- Jamaica and Cuba
- Haiti and Puerto Rico
- Cuba and Haiti
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Haiti and the Dominican Rep. — Christopher Columbus landed there in 1492.
Which metal is the best conductor of electricity?
- Silver
- Gold
- Aluminum
- Copper
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Silver — Copper, only slightly worse and far cheaper, is used in our wiring.
Who wrote Rameau's Nephew?
- Montesquieu
- Condillac
- Voltaire
- Denis Diderot
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Denis Diderot — It first appeared in German, in Goethe's 1805 translation.
Which city, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain, fell in 1492?
- Seville
- Granada
- Toledo
- Córdoba
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Granada — The Catholic Monarchs entered it on January 2, 1492, completing the Reconquista.
How many compartments does a cow's stomach have?
- 6
- 3
- 4
- 2
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4 — The rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum let it digest grass.
What is 25 × 25?
- 625
- 650
- 525
- 575
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625 — Trick for 25²: work out 2 × 3 = 6, then write 25 after it → 625.
After the first task, Harry is tied for the lead with Viktor Krum.
- True
- False
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True — Karkaroff gave him only 4 out of 10, which infuriated Gryffindor.
Into what tree was the nymph Daphne turned to escape Apollo?
- A cypress
- A laurel
- An olive tree
- An oak
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A laurel — Apollo made the laurel his tree: poets and victors would be crowned with it.