Daily Trivia Quiz - Day 48 (2025-11-27)

Question 1

Besides blocking bots, what did early reCAPTCHA puzzles secretly crowdsource by asking you to type two hard-to-read words?

Accepted Answer

Digitizing words from old books and newspapers

Question 2

Why do most QR codes have three big squares in the corners?

Accepted Answer

They act as alignment markers so cameras can read the code quickly

Question 3

At a sushi bar, what is pickled ginger (gari) on the side traditionally meant for?

Accepted Answer

Cleansing your palate between different pieces, not piling on top of the sushi

Question 4

Which country is an independent kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Lesotho

Question 5

Which tiny jellyfish can revert its adult cells back into a juvenile polyp stage, earning it the nickname "immortal jellyfish"?

Accepted Answer

Turritopsis dohrnii

Question 6

Which early 1800s machine used punch cards to control woven patterns, directly inspiring later computer programming and data storage?

Accepted Answer

The Jacquard loom

Question 7

Which island nation is the only country whose territory lies in all four hemispheres - north, south, east, and west?

Accepted Answer

Kiribati

Question 8

Which parasite turns ants into "zombies" by hijacking their nervous system and forcing them to climb and clamp onto vegetation before sprouting a stalk from their heads?

Accepted Answer

Cordyceps fungus

Question 9

What Japanese term describes the habit of buying books and letting them pile up unread?

Accepted Answer

Tsundoku

Question 10

Which pair of intertwined border towns is famous for having houses, cafes, and even front doors that are split between two countries?

Accepted Answer

Baarle-Hertog (Belgium) and Baarle-Nassau (Netherlands)