Countries with moon and stars on their flags

 These countries mainly Islamic nations have moon and stars on their flag.  They are  ----

1.   Turkey 

2.   Pakistan 

3.   Malaysia 

4.   Algeria 

5.   Tunisia 

6.   Mauritania 

7.   Turkmenistan 

8.  Singapore 

9.   Azerbaijan 

10.   Comoros 

Lesser known facts about crocodiles

 Crocodiles are usually known for their powerful jaws, tough akin and ability to move quietly in water.

But there is lot more. !!!

1.  They have outlived most species on Earth.

2.  They can grow large and live longer.

3.  Teeth that never run out  !!!

4.   They can detect movements without seeing.

5.  Their jaws are built for grip not for flexibility.

6.  They are the most vocal reptiles.

7.  Surprisingly agile in water.

8.  They use rotation to handle large preys.

Which country's police force ??

 This  question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program..

Question 

Gurkha contingent is the part of which country's police force ??

1.   Myanmar 

2.  Kuwait 

3.  Singapore 

4.  Bhutan 

Answer 

Gurkha contingent is part of Indian army.  May be now it is called ITBP.

But in the question it is asked in police force, not in army.

Moreover India is not in the options  !!!!

I was thinking of Bhutan.

But correct answer surprised me......

It  is             SINGAPORE  !!!

Gurkha contingent is the part of Singaporean Police Force  (   SPF    ).

This elite unit primarily consists of Gurkhas from  Nepal who are recruited by British army under the purview of Government of Singapore.

About 300 Gurkhas are recruited from Nepal.

They work as special guards to counter terrorism.

Driest countries in the world

 Many of the driest countries lie across Sahara and Arabian peninsula.

Some countries get little winter showers but most of them none.

These are the driest countries   ---------

1.   Egypt 

2.  Saudi Arabia 

3.  Qatar 

4.  Libya 

5.  United Arab Emirates 

6.  Bahrain 

7.  Algeria 

8.  Mauritania 

9.  Jordan 

10.  Kuwait 

Unsolved mysteries of solar system

 These are the unsolved mysteries of solar system.

1.  Formation of asteroid belt

              Asteroid belt is situated between planets Mars and Jupiter.  Scientists are still unclear that whether it is the remains of failed planet or the product of gravitational interactions.

2.  Uranus Extreme Axial tilt

               Uranus exhibit an axial tilt of    98 degrees causing it to rotate on its side. Though it is hypothesized that collision may be the cause ,  this is still speculative.

3.   Sun's corona temperature anamoly 

                  Sun's corona which is the outermost layer of its atmosphere is significantly hotter than its surface.  Scientists yet to know this temperature discrepancy.

4.  Origin of Saturn's hexagonal storm

                    Saturn's north Pole has persistent hexagonal storm.  Exact cause of this storm is still not known.

Islands ruled by animals !!!!

 Some islands have become haven for some animal population. These islands are free from human interference.

1.  Cat  - -  Aoshima,  Japan

2.  Crab  - -  Christmas island,  Indian ocean

3.  Deer  - -  Nara ,  Japan

4.  Penguin   - - Macquari island, it is between Australia and Antarctica

5.  Pig  - -  Bahamas

6.  Rabbits  --  Okunoshima , Japan

7.  Sheep   --  St Kilda, Scotland 

Why some people get sleepy while travelling in a bus or car?

 Even through we are well rested beforehand, we always drift off during a long journey by any vehicle.

Why sleepiness strike while travelling  ???

1.  Rhythmic motion 

                   The gentle, low frequency vibrations of a car or bus, mimic the soothing and rocking motion that many people find comforting. This steady movement gives state of relaxation.

2. White noise and reduced sensory input 

                        The consistant hum of engine produces a form of White noise that can further induce drowsiness. With few distractions to keep the brain engaged,we easily succumb to sleep.

3. Lack of natural light

                        Sunlight signal our body when to be awake and when to take rest. The enclosed environment of car or train, limit exposure to natural light. This results in increased desire to sleep.

4.  Fatigue and sleep deprivation 

                        Even a short journey can turn into an unintended nap for those who lack sufficient sleep.

5.  Monotony 

                         Long journeys often lack stimulating activities that could keep the brain engaged.  This makes the brain to enter monotonous state resulting in drowsiness.

Poorest countries of Europe

 Some of the richest countries are located in Europe.

Yet there is a great disparity economically within the continent.

This list is based on GNI per capita.

These are the poorest countries of Europe   -----

1.   Ukraine 

2.  Moldova 

3.  Albania 

4. North Macedonia 

5.  Bosnia and Herzegovina 

6.   Belarus 

7.  Serbia 

8.  Montenegro 

9.   Bulgaria 

10.   Romania 

Swell waves

 Swell waves are a type of ocean waves that forms when wind blows over the surface of the water.

At that time, wind transfers its energy to the wave.

1.  Swell waves can travel long distances without losing its energy.

2. Swell wave can range from small to massive, over 10 m high.

3.  The time between successive waves is known as period and it ranges from few seconds to 20 seconds.

Swell waves are responsible for erosion and deposition of sand onto beaches.

Swell waves are essential for surfing.

Which is this chemical ??

 This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.

Question 

Which is the chemical also known as burning stone or brimstone as it burns easily ???

1.   Sulphur 

2.  Sodium 

3.  Phosphorus 

4.  Potassium 

Answer

According to me, all the given chemicals are highly flammable.

Addition to this ,  Sodium in chemical labs are preserved with caution as it is highly reactive.

Now the question is out of these chemicals which one is known as " brimstone   " ??

So I checked with meta AI.

SULPHUR  is referred as "  brimstone "  due to its ability to burn with a blue flame  producing sulphur dioxide gas.

When Sulphur burns ,  it releases a distinctive odour often associated with volcanic activity.

Answer is          SULPHUR      !!!!

Incredible facts about tigers

 Tigers are full of surprises.  Here are some of them  ----

1.  Out of 9 subspecies ,  3  went extinct in 20th century.

2.  Tigers don't eat their prey on the spot.  Instead they drag it into corner and sometimes even cover them up  !!!!

3.  Tigers are silent stalkers.

4.  Tiger urine smells like buttered popcorn !!!

5.  Male tigers often let tigresses and cubs to eat first.

6.  Tigers have antiseptic saliva.

7.  Tigers love water.

8 .  Tigers are born blind.

Why do children answer back ???

 There are many reasons when a child talks back. They are   ---

1.  Children talk back when their freedom is blocked.

2.  Children talk back when they feel unheard.

3.  Children talk back when they see someone talking back.

4.  Children talk back when they are overwhelmed or stressed.

5.  Children talk back when they lost connection with parents.

6.  Children talk back when they have low esteem.

7. Children talk back when they want to control something.

8.  Children talk back in development phase.

9.  Children talk back when they feel judjed.

Countries not got colonised

 Here is the list f countries who were not formally colonised by European powers.

1. Ethiopia 

                      Successfully resisted colonial efforts from Italy in 19 th century.

2.  Liberia 

                       America itself founded this country  !!!!!

3.  Thailand 

                        Thailand maintained its independence despite being surrounded by colonised countries.

4.  Bhutan and Nepal 

                           These countries resisted British colonization attempts.

5.  Qatar and Oman 

                          These countries never got colonized but had Portuguese and British influence.

6.  Saudi Arabia 

                            Unified by Saud empire, this country never got formally colonised.

7.  Yemen

                            Though it was divided into north Yemen and south Yemen,  both the regions maintained independence.

8.  Japan

                          Japan was never formally colonized.

9.  China 

                     China was not formally colonised but Japan invaded China during world war II.

List of countries with most IMF loans

 IMF  =  International Monetary Fund

Several countries owe IMF a significant amount of money.

This debt can be seen as an indication of their continued economic difficulties and dependence of foreign aid.

Such countries are   ----

1.   Argentina 

2.  Ukraine 

3.  Egypt 

4.   Pakistan 

5.   Ecuador 

6.  Côte  d'Ivorie

7.  Kenya

8.  Bangladesh 

9.   Angola 

10.   Ghana

Kids are always kids !!!!

 My nephew Aniruddha is very fond of astronomy.

 He is aware of new  updates on astronomy.

I am always ready to cross question him  !!!!

I asked him one question,

Why Pluto is considered as a dwarf planet instead of a planet ???

Aniruddha  :   There are some standards to be fulfilled by a celestial body to be a planet.

Pluto dont  satisfy them. Thats why Pluto is not a planet  !!!!

Me :  Which was the condition that Pluto didn't satisfy ???

Aniruddha  :  Pluto don't have its own orbit to circulate around Sun.

                            It uses Neptune's orbit   !!!!

This was new thing to me. 

Me :  If Pluto is using Neptune's orbit , there is a possibility that they may collide with each other.......

Aniruddha  :  Since billions of years,  it is happening.  Both of them didn't collide   !!!!

So, in future  also , both of them may not collide with each other.

You don't worry.......!!!!!

Listening to that, I changed the topic of discussion..........

Why crocodiles shed tears ??

 Crocodile's crying is a physiological response than an emotional one   !!!

Crocodiles' tear glands are closely linked to the movement of their jaws and skulls.

During feeding, pressure on these glands triggers fluid secretion.

 Additionally, when crocodiles move from water to dry land, these tears help lubricate and protect them.

Which is the historic capital ??

 This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.

Question 

Which is the historic capital city of Tripura which shares its name with city in Rajasthan  ??

1.  Bikaner 

2.  Jaipur 

3.  Udaipur 

4.   Ajmer

Answer 

 

I know the all given cities of Rajasthan !!!

But which of these cities is also a city in Tripura which was once the capital  of  Tripura  ???

I searched web.

This city in Tripura was established as the capital city in  590 AD 

This city has served as capital city of India for 1,170 years  !!!

The city is known for its stunning lakes, ancient temples and vibrant cultural heritage 

It is                    UDAIPUR    !!!!

Countries producing more engineers

 These are the countries -----

1.   India  ,  millions of engineers  each year  !!!

2.  China ,   600,000 engineers 

3.   United States of America,  2,80,000 engineers 

4.  Russia 

5.  Iran 

6. Indonesia 

7.  Vietnam 

8.  Japan 

9.   South Korea 

Animals who became extinct because of human interference

 1.  Passenger pigeons

               These birds driven to extinction in the early 20th century due to massive hunting and habitat destruction.

2.  Great auk

                       These flight less birds were hunted to extinction because of their feathers, meat and eggs.

3.  Stellar seacow

                        These large marine mammals were over hunted for their meat and blubber.

4. Caribbean monk seal

                           These  animals got extinct in 1950s as they are heavily hunted for their oil and meat.

5.  Dodo 

                    These got extinct because of lack of fear of human and were easily got hunted.

6.  Tasmanian tiger 

                         These were hunted intensively by humans as they are the threat to livestock. 

Why is planet Venus so bright in night sky ??

 Planet Venus is incredibly bright due to  ------

1.  Proximity to Earth 

2.  Thick  atmosphere 

                          Venus atmosphere is mainly comprised of  carbon dioxide which reflects 70%  of sunlight  !!!!

3.  Cloud cover 

                           Thick clouds of sulphuric acid in Venus atmosphere is highly reflective.

Country without a capital

 When we talk about a country, we usually think of its capital.

There is one unique island nation in the world that stands out because it don't have officially declared capital  !!!!

NAURU is the only country in the world without official capital.

Nauru is the third smallest country by area and also second smallest country by population.

Nauru is so small that dividing it into towns or cities is unnecessary.

Most of the government buildings are situated in Yaren district.  Since everything is nearby,  capital city is not needed 

Why do dogs love to play with trash ???

 Dogs often find trash intriguing.  Here are the reasons  ----

1.  Instinctual behaviour 

                         In wild, dogs would often rummage through  carcasses and other smelly things to find food. 

                         This natural instinct is still present in domesticated dogs.

2.  Curiosity and exploration 

                         Dogs are naturally curious creatures. Trash offers a variety of sights, smells and sounds.

3. Attention seeking behaviour 

                      Dogs may simply play with trash because it draws the attention of human family members !!!!

4.  Sensory stimulation 

                       Trash provides a range of sensory experiences.  Dogs might feel  these sensations appealing.

Bheja Fry question

 This Bheja Fry question is having an unique answer.

Question 

Take me, add me to myself 

Then again for health 

Now divide by 3, you see

You are staring right back at me  !!!!

Answer 

Let's solve step by step ....

It is given that,    Take me ,  add me to myself

                                  Then again for health 

Let 'me' be  'x'

From the above 2 lines,  it is understood that 

We must add 'x' to itself 2 times 

==>>    x  +   x    +   x    =  3x

Now it is given that divide by  3

==>>    3x  /  3   

Now it is given  You are  staring right back at me !!!

==>>   3x   /   3  =    x   again    !!!

We have got back our variable   !!!

Now  to verify this,

We can put various values of  'x'   from   1  to   infinity  !!!

We will get back the same number  as final answer.....

Highest electricity producing states in India

 Electricity is the backbone of India's economic growth and industrial development.

Several Indian states have emerged electronic powerhouses.

Such states are   -----

1.   Gujarat 

2.  Maharashtra 

3.  Rajasthan 

4.   Tamilnadu 

5.   Karnataka 

6.  Uttar Pradesh 

7.  Madhya  Pradesh 

8.  Andhra Pradesh 

9.  Telangana 

10.  Haryana

Which is lighter ??

 This question was asked on  Koun Banega Karodpati program. 

Question

In mirrors of James Webb Telescope which light weight element is used   ?? 

1.   Berilium

2.  Silicon

3.  Lithium

4.  Titanium

Answer

As a science student,  I know Lithium is comparatively lighter than all the others given in options. 

But answer was    BERILIUM     !!! 

I wondered how   ?? 

I searched the web. 

James web telescope is a space based infrared telescope. 

Though Lithium is light weight metal,  it is highly reactive and have structural deformities while working on low temperature of space. 

That's why Berilium is chosen over Lithium to make the mirrors of James web telescope as it fulfills the required conditions.

Largest riverine islands in the world

 I have listed down the largest riverine islands by their country and their respective river.

1.  Marazo     ,       Brazil      ,   Amazon 

2.  Bananal    ,   Brazil      ,     Araguaia 

3. Ilha do  tupinambarana ,  Brazil ,  Amazon 

4.  Chongqing  ,   China ,  Yangtze 

5.   Velky Zitny ostrov ,  Slovakia , Danube 

6.  Majuli ,  India , Brahmaputra 

7.   Shri Rangam,     India ,    Kaveri

8.  Zavikon island ,   Canada ,  St  Lawrence 

Which is the most colourful flag in the world ??

 Flags are more than just a piece of cloth !!!

They represent country's value, history and identity.

I am listing out the colourful flags of different countries and the number of colours they have.

1.   Belize        ,       12

2.   South Africa  ,    6

3.   Portugal   ,      6

4.    Dominica   ,    6

5.     Central African  Republic ,   5

6.   Seychelles ,   5

7.    India  ,   4

8.   Andorra  ,   4

9.   Vanautu  ,    4

10.   Mauritius ,   4

Countries accepting UPI payments outside India

 UPI (  Unified Payments Interface    )  is a digital payment system.

It lets you send or receive money instantly using apps like  BHIM ,  PhonePay , GooglePay  or  Paytm.

UPI is not just for India.   It is spreading worldwide.

Here is the list of countries accepting UPI payments  -----

1.    Bhutan 

2.   France 

3.  Mauritius 

4.  Nepal

5.   Singapore 

6.   Sri Lanka 

7.   UAE 

8.   Cyprus 

9.  Qatar 

10.  Malaysia 

Why is it difficult to balance a stationary two Wheeler?

 Stationary objects experience only gravitational force.

Such objects can be balanced only when -----

 The line connecting the center of gravity of the object towards the earth

Touches the ground at a point within the base of the object.

If the base are is large, like in the case of a 4 wheeler, 

Slight deviations due to external forces such as wind, will not push this point out of the base.

So, it is easy to balance such vehicles.

In the case of two wheelers, the base is very narrow.

Hence any slight disturbances, will push the line of action outside the base area. 

Leading to vehicle becoming imbalanced.

Asia's most dangerous nations

 These are Asia's most dangerous nations    ----

1.  Yemen

2.  Afghanistan 

3.  Russia 

4.  Syria

5.   Israel 

6.  North Korea 

Pakistan ranked 10th  .

How many dwarf planets are in solar system ??

 Till now there are 5 officially recognized dwarf planets in our solar system.

They are  -----

1.  Ceres ,  located in asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

2.  Pluto ,  located in Kuiper belt 

3.  Haumea ,  located in Kuiper belt

4.  Makemake,  located in Kuiper belt

5.  Eris, dwarf planet slightly larger than Pluto in Kuiper belt.

However, there are many more dwarf planets waiting to be discovered in and beyond Kuiper belt  !!!

Othet potential dwarf planets include  ----

Sedna        Orcus         Quaoar       Varuna       Gonggong

Countries where Google is banned, blocked or restricted ???

 Across the globe, there are numerous countries that have banned, blocked or restricted Google, as they have their own search engines or due to US sanctions.

Such countries are  ------

1.  China 

2.  North Korea 

3.  Iran 

4.  Russia 

5.  Turkmenistan 

6.   South Korea 

                      They have their own search engine popularly known as  "  Korean Google  "  !!!!

7.  Cuba

8.  Syria

Which is responsible for OUT ???

This question was asked on Koun Banega karodpati program. 

Question

Which action in cricket is responsible for a out when a wide ball is played ??

1.   Caught 

2.  Leg Before Wicket ,  LBW

3.  Stumped 

4.   Bowled 

 Answer 

First we will fimd out what is a wide ball ???

As I saw from watching TV,  if the ball played goes beyond the bat of the  batsman, means it is impossible for batsman to play a shot, then it is a wide ball.

If the ball is going beyond the bat of the batsman.

Then it should not be a

BOWLED  OR . LBW  OR  CATCH  !!!

As batsman didn't touch the ball. 

So then it has to be the remaining one,

                      STUMPED OUT   !!!

Animals with big heads

Bigger head in animal kingdom is  linked to animal's overall strength and survival strategy.

Such animals are   -----

1.   African elephant 

2.  American bison

3. Basking shark

4.  Baboons 

5.  Beluga whale 

Why cricketers chew gum while playing?

 I have observed many cricketers chew gum when playing.  Why do they do so ??

Just  day before yesterday,  Indian women's cricket team has won the ICC world cup !!!

But I am not sure whether women chew gum or not !!!

But men do.......     Because,

1.  Chewing gum stimulates the brain. It activates the receptors in mouth which in turn sends signal to brain that enhances brain activity and focus.

2.  Chewing gum produces saliva which helps to prevent dry mouth and keep it moist.

3.  Chewing gum can help players to keep calm under pressure.

Deserts that receive snowfall

 Some deserts, despite their typical image of extreme heat, experience snowfall !!!

These events are environmentally significant.

Such deserts are   ----

1.  Gobi desert ,  China and Mongolia 

2.  Great basin desert ,  United States of America 

3.  Patagonian desert,  Argentina and Chile 

4. Atacama desert  ,  Chile 

5.  Takiamakan desert,  China 

6.  Arabian desert ,  Saudi Arabia and Jordan 

7.  Katpana cold desert ,  Pakistan 

Why is gold yellow ??

 Gold looks yellow because its fast electrons absorb blue light and reflecting yellow to our eyes.

Gold absorbs the blue light and reflects rest of the visible spectrum specially red and green waves.

Our eyes perceive this reflected light as   YELLOW   !!!!

Silver's electrons reflect all visible light evenly, thus their colour appears silvery or grey.

Smallest seas in the world

 Here is the list of smallest seas in the world.

1.  Sea of Marmara

                     It lies entirely within Turkey.  It is the natural link between black sea and the Aegean sea.

2.  Baltic sea

                   It is bordered by Sweden,  Finland and Germany,

3.  Adriatic sea

                  It is between Italy and Balkans..

4.  Red sea

               It is between northwest Africa and Arabian peninsula.

5.  Aegean sea

               It is between Greece and Turkey.

Which country has most French speaking people ??

This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.

Question 

Which country has most French language speaking people ??

1.  Senegal 

2.  Algeria 

3.  Canada 

4.  Democratic Republic of Congo

Answer 

France is often associated with French language.

But majority of French speaking people lie outside  France !!!

The countries listed above, have French speaking people in large numbers.

But DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO has more French language speaking people than France     !!!!

This is because French people have colonised many countries and still having control over many of them.

In all these French colonies, people have adopted French as official language.

Democratic Republic of Congo has the most number of French speakers in the world  !!!

World's oldest army

 World's oldest army is established in 1500s and still stand tall  !!!

The oldest established military unit in the world is

            PONTIFICAL    SWISS   GUARD   in   VATICAN CITY     !!!

This army was originally insttuted by  Pope  Julius II.

It is also the smallest army in the world.

Its purpose is to protect the Pope and the Vatican City.

The height of candidates stand at 5 feet and 8  inches  !!!!

Why growing beards is not allowed for pilots?

 Pilots do not grow beards.

Facial hair can pose a risk to them in flights.

Pilots may need to use oxygen masks during emergencies. 

A tight seal around the face is crucial for the effective functioning of oxygen masks.

Beards can interfere with the mask's ability to seal properly.

Improper sealing due to facial hair can cause oxygen to leak.

This leakage could pose serious safety concerns for both pilots and passengers.

Some airlines allow minimal grooming and others strictly prohibiting beards. 

Animals that lay really large eggs

 Some animals lay really large eggs.  They are   -----

1.   Ostrich 

2.  Emu

3.  King penguin 

4.  Kiwi

5.  Cassowary 

6.  Leatherback sea turtle 

7.  Green sea turtle 

8.   Platypus 

What is the longest name of place in the world ??

 The longest place name is  ---

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateturipukakapikimaugahoronukupokaiwhenuqkitanatahu

It is not just combination of random letters  !!!

It is the name of a hill in New Zealand !!!

It holds the record of longest place name in the world ...... It has 85 letters  !!!!

---------------------------------

Some countries have official name that is surprisingly long.....

These names are rarely used in everyday conversation  but they are  official titles.

Such countries are  -----

1.  The united kingdom of Great Britain and northern Ireland 

2.  Independent and sovereign republic of Kiribati.

3. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 

4.  Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

5.  Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 

6.  Democratic Republic of  Sao Tome and Principe

7.  People's Democratic Republic of Algeria 

8.  Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal 

9. Democratic People's Republic of Korea 

10.  Independent state of Papua New Guinea 

Indian UNESCO heritage sites which are photo perfect

 These UNESCO heritage sites of India are a delight to camera lens. They are  - - - -

1.  Tajmahal ,   Agra

2.  Hampi ,  Karnataka

3.  Jaipur ,  Rajasthan

4.  Kaziranga  National Park , Assam 

5.  Sundarbans National Park , West Bengal

6.  Khajuraho group of monuments ,  Madhya Pradesh

7.  Ellora caves ,  Maharashtra

8.  Humayun Tomb , New Delhi 

9.  Western ghats

10.  Qutub minar,  Delhi