Daily Trivia Quiz - Day 176 (2026-04-13)

Question 1

At some old auctions, bidding ended not when a clock struck but when a small flame went out. What object served as the timer?

Accepted Answer

A candle

Question 2

If fluent speakers hear their own voice played back a fraction of a second late, they can suddenly start stumbling over words. What is this disruption called?

Accepted Answer

Delayed auditory feedback

Question 3

The St. Francis Dam in California failed just hours after inspectors said it looked safe. What unstable part of the site gave way beneath one side of the dam?

Accepted Answer

The rock beneath the east abutment

Question 4

Why can the Moon look unusually bright just before full phase, even though it isn't making any light of its own?

Accepted Answer

Its tiny shadows vanish

Question 5

In scripts such as Arabic, several letters can share the same basic shape. What small feature often tells those letters apart?

Accepted Answer

Dots

Question 6

Vervet monkeys use different alarm calls for different dangers. What does each distinct alarm call usually communicate to the group?

Accepted Answer

Which predator is near

Question 7

A 'Mexican jumping bean' can twitch on a table with no spring or motor inside. What's making it move?

Accepted Answer

A moth larva

Question 8

Wingless turtle ants cannot truly fly, but when they fall, what can they do to avoid landing on the ground?

Accepted Answer

Glide and steer back to the trunk

Question 9

Why are some old silver trade coins covered with many tiny stamps from different merchants?

Accepted Answer

They were stamped to show the silver had been tested

Question 10

Why does a sound that grows louder quickly feel more urgent than one fading away, even at similar volume?

Accepted Answer

It seems to be approaching