Tom Gauld
1. The most common form of aluminium ore, a wild goat, a rectangular array of numbers and radiation with a wavelength of between 0.01 and 10 nanometres. What do each of these have in common, and why was it in the news this year?
2. Four guests are seated for Christmas dinner. One arrived from a German valley, one is good with tools, one is said to be wise and the other has asked for a chair with a sturdy back. One by one, three of them will leave the table. Which will be the last one seated?
3. In 2028, a crystallographer will join an abolitionist and a fire god. Where are they?
4. Time to gather round the table and do some bonding. Initially, what can be forged from these intriguing combinations of foods?
SWEET NOUGAT + CHESTNUT UDON
CHIPOLATAS + FLAMING EGGNOG
CHOCOLATE UNICORNS + ZESTY NACHOS
ANGEL GINGERBREAD + ASIAN UME
5. How about a brisk walk to work off your Christmas meal? On your journey, you see a large dog, but not on a lead, a big bear, but not in a cave, and a bull, but not in a ring. Where are you looking?
6. Hark! A rapid equalisation of pressure between a vessel and its surroundings has just occurred, creating a fabulously festive oscillation. What just happened?
7. After receiving a clutch of Turdus merula, a trio of Gallus gallus domesticus and a couple of Streptopelia turtur, where might you expect to find a Perdix perdix?
8. China’s giant Sky Eye has just one, laboratories tend to have a few and Christmas dinner has many. What is it?…
