Quiz of the Day
Embrace Your Geekiness Day
Monday, 13 July 2026
Sci-fi, comic books, gaming, and all the things nerds made cool — a celebration of geek culture
1. What year was the first Star Wars film (Episode IV: A New Hope) released in cinemas?
- 1979
- 1975
- 1977
- 1981
Star Wars: Episode IV debuted on May 25, 1977, and became the highest-grossing film of all time — a record it held until E.T. in 1982. Director George Lucas was so sure it would flop that he went on holiday on opening day to avoid reading the reviews.
2. In the original Dungeons & Dragons, which dice shape has 20 sides (the famous d20)?
- Octahedron
- Dodecahedron
- Icosahedron
- Tetrahedron
The d20 is perhaps the most iconic object in tabletop gaming. D&D was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, and the d20's association with 'natural 20' critical successes made it a cultural symbol far beyond gaming. Rolling a natural 20 is statistically equivalent to a 5% probability — but it feels miraculous every time.
3. What does the acronym 'TARDIS' stand for in Doctor Who?
- Temporal Autonomous Roaming Device In Space
- Time And Relative Dimension In Space
- Time And Reality Dimensional Interstellar Ship
- Transatlantic Remote Device In Space
The TARDIS was meant to change its appearance to blend into each time period it visited, but its chameleon circuit became stuck after landing in 1960s London — leaving it permanently as a blue police box. This in-universe explanation allowed the BBC to save money by keeping the same simple prop for 60+ years.
4. Which fictional programming language is referenced in the TV show 'Mr. Robot' as the one used by the hacker protagonist?
- C++
- Bash and Python
- Python
- Java
Mr. Robot was praised by real cybersecurity professionals for its authentic portrayal of hacking, using actual tools like Kali Linux, Metasploit, and genuine Python and Bash scripting. The show's creator Sam Esmail worked with security consultants to ensure the hacks shown were technically feasible.
5. In Marvel Comics, what is the name of Thor's hammer?
- Hofund
- Stormbreaker
- Mjolnir
- Gungnir
Mjolnir is forged from fictional metal called Uru in the heart of a dying star, according to the comics. The inscription reads 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.' In Norse mythology, Mjölnir was indeed Thor's weapon — the myth predates the comics by over a thousand years.
6. The first Apple Macintosh computer was famously introduced during which sporting event's television broadcast in 1984?
- The FIFA World Cup
- The Olympic Games
- The Super Bowl
- The Academy Awards
The '1984' advertisement, directed by Ridley Scott, aired during Super Bowl XVIII and cost $1.5 million. It ran only once nationally and was named the greatest commercial of all time by Advertising Age. Apple's board actually hated it before airing and tried to pull it — Steve Jobs overruled them.
7. What was the first video game to feature a female protagonist as the main character, widely credited as a milestone in gaming?
- Ms. Pac-Man
- Metroid
- Lara Croft in Tomb Raider
- Princess in Pitfall
Metroid (1986) featured Samus Aran, whose gender was only revealed in the ending if you completed the game fast enough — she appeared in a bikini, shocking players who had assumed the armoured warrior was male. This 'twist' became one of gaming's most celebrated reveals.
8. 'To boldly go where no man has gone before' is the mission statement of which fictional spacecraft?
- Battlestar Galactica
- The USS Enterprise
- The Millennium Falcon
- Serenity
The original Star Trek series debuted in 1966 with William Shatner as Captain Kirk. The split infinitive in 'to boldly go' became one of the most discussed grammatical choices in pop culture. The Next Generation version changed it to 'no one has gone before' — a small but symbolically significant update.
9. Which annual convention, held in San Diego, is considered the world's largest comic book and pop culture event?
- WonderCon
- San Diego Comic-Con
- New York Comic Con
- Dragon Con
San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) began in 1970 with just 300 attendees. Today it draws around 135,000 people over four days and is so influential that major studios time blockbuster film trailers and announcements to coincide with it. Hall H, where big studio panels happen, has people queuing overnight for seats.
10. In the Lord of the Rings, how many rings were given to the race of Men?
- Nine
- One
- Seven
- Three
'Nine for mortal men doomed to die' — the nine human kings who received rings were corrupted by them and became the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths), bound to serve Sauron forever. Tolkien's verse about the rings is one of literature's most memorable pieces of world-building exposition.
11. The video game character Pac-Man was originally called what before the name was changed?
- Puck-Man
- Chomp Master
- Dot Muncher
- Circle Man
The name Puck-Man was changed to Pac-Man for the American market because Namco feared vandals would change the 'P' to an 'F' on the arcade cabinets. The name comes from the Japanese 'paku paku,' meaning the sound of chomping — onomatopoeic and perfectly descriptive.
12. What is the name of the fictional metal that is virtually indestructible and forms Wolverine's skeleton?
- Vibranium
- Prometheum
- Carbonadium
- Adamantium
Adamantium is a fictional steel alloy, not to be confused with Vibranium — the metal from which Captain America's shield is made. Only a handful of Marvel characters can damage adamantium, and the process of bonding it to Wolverine's bones was agonising, performed against his will as part of the Weapon X program.
13. Which sci-fi novel, published in 1984 by William Gibson, coined the term 'cyberspace'?
- The Matrix
- Count Zero
- Snow Crash
- Neuromancer
Neuromancer invented not just the word 'cyberspace' but most of the visual and conceptual vocabulary of the internet age — matrix, ICE (intrusion countermeasures electronics), and the idea of 'jacking in' to a virtual world. Gibson wrote it on a manual typewriter and had never used a computer.
14. In the Harry Potter universe, what type of creature is Dobby?
- A house-elf
- A goblin
- A brownie
- A pixie
House-elves in the wizarding world are bound to serve their masters and can only be freed when given clothing. Dobby's freedom — gifted by Harry slipping a sock into Lucius Malfoy's diary — became one of the most beloved moments in the series and sparked real discussions about the ethics of slavery embedded in the story's world.
15. What does 'LARP' stand for?
- Live Action Reality Play
- Legendary Active Role-Play
- Local Amateur Recreation Play
- Live Action Role-Play
LARPing involves players physically acting out their characters in costume in real environments rather than at a table. It has roots in the 1970s and ranges from small backyard battles with foam swords to massive events involving thousands of participants and elaborate props across multiple days in European forests.