Riddles With Answers

What scientist’s influential work focused on chimpanzees?

Ivan Pavlov
Jane Goodall
Dian Fossey
Charles Darwin

Fact: In 1960, Jane Goodall began her pioneering study of chimpanzees at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. For more than 60 years, her groundbreaking observations on the social behavior, intelligence, and emotional lives of chimpanzees transformed how the world understands these remarkable animals. She was the first to document chimpanzees using tools—an ability once believed to be exclusive to humans—shattering long-held scientific assumptions. Today, Goodall is not only one of the most respected figures in primatology but also one of the world’s leading conservationists.

Correct Answer: Jane Goodall

In addition to the telephone, what else did Alexander Graham Bell invent?

Typewriter
Sewing machine
Electric battery
Metal detector

Fact: In 1881, after President James Garfield was shot in the back, doctors struggled to locate the bullet. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell stepped in and designed an early version of the metal detector in an effort to find it. His experimental device operated on the principle of electromagnetic induction—technology still used in modern metal detectors. Although the attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, likely due to interference from the metal bed frame, Bell’s invention was a remarkable scientific innovation and a testament to his ingenuity and curiosity.

Correct Answer: Metal detector

We’re in the Dolomites. In which country is this mountain range?

A Italy
B France
C Spain

Fact: The Dolomites cover more than 6,000 square miles in northeastern Italy. They are part of the Italian Alps. The Apennines run along the peninsula’s length, while the Alps form the northern edge. Notable peaks include the Matterhorn in the west and the pale-hued Dolomites rising in the country’s eastern reaches.

Correct Answer: Italy

What optical effect gives the Dolomite peaks their pinkish glow?

A Alpenglow
B Oxidation
C Volcanic reflection

Fact: In Italy’s Dolomites, a rare phenomenon called alpenglow—’enrosadira’ in Italian—bathes the ancient coral peaks in a soft pink light at sunrise and sunset. This optical effect occurs when the sun sits just below the horizon. Fittingly, enrosadira means ‘turning pink’ in Ladin, the region’s ancient Latin-based language that is still spoken today.

Correct Answer: Alpenglow

Denali, the highest peak in North America, is part of which mountain range?

A Cascade Range
B Alaska Range
C Sierra Nevada

Fact: The Alaska Range stretches 600 miles across southcentral Alaska, from Lake Clark to Canada’s Yukon Territory. Home to Denali, North America’s tallest peak, this narrow mountain chain is part of the vast American Cordillera and forms a rugged spine across the Alaskan landscape.

Correct Answer: Alaska Range

The word “checkmate” comes from the Persian “shah mat,” meaning what?

“The game is won”
“The king is dead”
“The time has come”
“The battle is lost”

Fact: The word “checkmate” in chess originates from the Persian phrase “shah mat,” which translates to “the king is dead” or “the king is helpless.” In the game, it signifies that the king is under direct threat and has no legal move to escape, thereby ending the match. Although the king is never actually captured, the phrase reflects the ultimate goal of chess: to corner and effectively neutralize the opposing king. Over time, “checkmate” has also entered everyday language as a powerful metaphor for situations in which a person is left with no viable options.

Correct Answer: “The king is dead”

Who was featured on the first cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in 1967?

John Lennon
Bob Dylan
Jimi Hendrix
Elvis Presley

Fact: The cover of the very first issue of Rolling Stone magazine featured an image of John Lennon from his film How I Won the War. Lennon would appear on the cover two more times within the first ten issues, beginning his rapid rise as one of the most frequently featured figures in the magazine’s storied history. In that debut issue, the editors explained that the magazine’s title was inspired by three sources: Muddy Waters’ 1950 blues song “Rollin’ Stone,” the rock band the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan’s iconic single “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Correct Answer: John Lennon

Which tennis star married actress Brooke Shields in 1997?

John McEnroe
Pete Sampras
Andre Agassi
Roger Federer

Fact: On April 19, 1997, tennis star Andre Agassi married actress Brooke Shields in a lavish ceremony. However, Shields says she realized she had made a “mistake” as soon as the day after the wedding. The couple seemed doomed from the very beginning and there were endless tabloid stories suggesting that the marriage was less than blissful. They officially divorced two years later, and it didn’t take long for both celebrities to move on. In 2001, Agassi married fellow tennis star Steffi Graf while Brooke Shields married television writer Chris Henchy.

Correct Answer: Andre Agassi

Which U.S. state is closest in size to France?

Texas
Alaska
Montana
Pennsylvania

Fact: France has a land area of about 248,000 square miles, making it one of the largest countries in Europe. Among all U.S. states, Texas comes the closest in size, spanning approximately 268,000 square miles—just 8% larger than France. Alaska, the largest U.S. state by far, is significantly bigger than France, covering more than 663,000 square miles, nearly three times the size of France. Meanwhile, Montana and Pennsylvania are far smaller, with Montana at around 147,000 square miles and Pennsylvania at 46,000 square miles.

Correct Answer: Texas

Where is the highest sand dune in the world?

A Kenya
B New Zealand
C Argentina

Fact: Duna Federico Kirbus—named after the journalist who discovered its true height—is the highest sand dune in the world, located in northwestern Argentina. It stands at an impressive height of 4,035 feet. This dune is part of a semicircular sand valley called the Bolsón de Fiambalá.

Correct Answer: Argentina