Pub Quiz questions

[+3GDs]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of hosting an event at a local pub and I thought that I'd add a little bit of flavour with a Geocaching pub quiz. I'm looking for questions and answers for the quiz.

 

Looking for anything Geocaching related like:

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

Name as many Geocache types as you can, including Grandfathered ones.

what does 'Geo' mean in the word Geocaching?

 

That sort of thing.. anyone with any good questions they can share?

 

Thanks

[+MartyBartfast]

What's the name of the:

 

Russian GNSS? - GLONASS

European GNSS? - Galileo (under development)

 

(GNSS=Global Navigation Satellite System)

[+Bear and Ragged]

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

 

Trick question!

Dave didn't place/hide a 'Geocache'

[+MartyBartfast]

Of course if any of your attendees are reading this thread they'll know all the questions beforehand

[+The A-Team]

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

 

Trick question!

Dave didn't place/hide a 'Geocache'

Good point!

 

Well, I did it, created the first stash hunt stash...

...which then begs the question, who really did hide the first "geocache"? After doing some research on the gpsstash group, I found that it was May 30, 2000 when the new name of "geocaching" was adopted. The already-existing stashes were retroactively renamed, but the first one that was hidden under the new name would have been Arikaree on May 31, 2000. Therefore, the correct answer to the above question is actually "The Kansas Stasher".

 

BTW, it's very interesting reading the earliest discussions on the gpsstash group. I didn't realize that if the renaming went differently, we'd either be "geostashers" or "planeteers"!

[+3GDs]

What's the name of the:

 

Russian GNSS? - GLONASS

European GNSS? - Galileo (under development)

 

(GNSS=Global Navigation Satellite System)

 

Nice one, I like it!

 

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

 

Trick question!

Dave didn't place/hide a 'Geocache'

Good point!

 

Well, I did it, created the first stash hunt stash...

...which then begs the question, who really did hide the first "geocache"? After doing some research on the gpsstash group, I found that it was May 30, 2000 when the new name of "geocaching" was adopted. The already-existing stashes were retroactively renamed, but the first one that was hidden under the new name would have been Arikaree on May 31, 2000. Therefore, the correct answer to the above question is actually "The Kansas Stasher".

 

 

Ah this seems to be not as straight forward, I might not use this one!

[+3GDs]

Of course if any of your attendees are reading this thread they'll know all the questions beforehand

 

That's true.. good for them for checking the forums

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of hosting an event at a local pub and I thought that I'd add a little bit of flavour with a Geocaching pub quiz. I'm looking for questions and answers for the quiz.

 

Looking for anything Geocaching related like:

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

Name as many Geocache types as you can, including Grandfathered ones.

what does 'Geo' mean in the word Geocaching?

 

That sort of thing.. anyone with any good questions they can share?

 

Thanks

 

I saw an interesting puzzle cache once that had a bunch of multiple choice questions related to the use of a GPS device. Each of the questions had one answer that was obviously, and generally humorously incorrect.

[Andronicus]

List some other datums.

NAD27

PRS92

Lazon1911

etc.

[+MartyBartfast]

What do these acronyms mean:

 

TFTC

TNLNSL

MTT

ICT

BYOP

(add some more...)

[+The A-Team]

What do these acronyms mean:

...

MTT

ICT

...

You got me. Are these acronyms maybe regional? I've never seen them before, neither locally nor in the forums.

[+Bear and Ragged]

What do these acronyms mean:

...

MTT

ICT

...

You got me. Are these acronyms maybe regional? I've never seen them before, neither locally nor in the forums.

 

Common, here in the UK.

 

Multi Trunked Tree

Ivy Covered Tree

 

(And the ivy here isn't poisonous!)

Edited October 28, 2014 by Bear and Ragged

[+fizzymagic]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

[+The A-Team]

 

What is the name of the person who placed the first Geocache?

What year was the first Geocache placed?

 

Trick question!

Dave didn't place/hide a 'Geocache'

Good point!

 

Well, I did it, created the first stash hunt stash...

...which then begs the question, who really did hide the first "geocache"? After doing some research on the gpsstash group, I found that it was May 30, 2000 when the new name of "geocaching" was adopted. The already-existing stashes were retroactively renamed, but the first one that was hidden under the new name would have been Arikaree on May 31, 2000. Therefore, the correct answer to the above question is actually "The Kansas Stasher".

 

 

Ah this seems to be not as straight forward, I might not use this one!

Nah, we're just being picky! You could still use this one, but maybe just word it differently so there can be no ambiguity. Something like:

What is the name of the person who placed the first "stash" in the game we now call "geocaching"?

If I do hear someone ask your original question, though, I'll have to throw out my answer and watch for the looks of confusion!

[+The A-Team]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

[+MartyBartfast]

In which country was Europe's first Geocache hidden? - Ireland ( http://coord.info/GC43 )

[+wmpastor]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

And yes, i'm very surprised that the shortest route (the "great circle" route) takes you over Hudson Bay.

Edited October 29, 2014 by wmpastor

[+niraD]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

And yes, i'm very surprised that the shortest route (the "great circle" route) takes you over Hudson Bay.

I suppose "down" might be considered a valid answer (or at least, part of a valid answer), but a lot depends on how you define "direction".

[+MartyBartfast]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

And yes, i'm very surprised that the shortest route (the "great circle" route) takes you over Hudson Bay.

I suppose "down" might be considered a valid answer (or at least, part of a valid answer), but a lot depends on how you define "direction".

 

A similarly unexpected answer: If travelling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal, which direction would you be travelling?

[+redsox_mark]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

And yes, i'm very surprised that the shortest route (the "great circle" route) takes you over Hudson Bay.

 

Yeah.. I have struggled similarly in the context of the "cache centroid". I'm based in England, and due to 600 finds in the US (all which are "less north" in terms of latitude than I am here at 51 degrees), my centroid is at N 53 degrees. And that is with 300 finds combined in Australia and South Africa!

 

People have tried to explain it, but I just don't get it.

 

I get it that the quickest way to travel London to LA may be to start North... but LA at N 34 and London is N 51.... So LA is further South.. but you travel North to get there...

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I've used questions pertaining to local (Rhode Island) caches such as :

 

Northern most, Eastern most, etc. cache

First Cache

Cache with the most favorites

etc.

[+fizzymagic]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

Pointing your finger directly at LA in London, you are pointing down and to the NW. SW is Just Plain Wrong.

[+wmpastor]

I get it that the quickest way to travel London to LA may be to start North... but LA at N 34 and London is N 51.... So LA is further South.. but you travel North to get there..

So on a map it would seem that one flies directly west with a bit of a southerly direction thrown in. And that route *will* get you there. Then look at a globe. If you want to burn the least fuel (ignoring variations in the jet stream, which can involve 150 mph wind), you fly the great circle route, starting off NW. But look at the second part of the journey. From Hudson Bay onward, you head sharply south to LA.

Edited October 30, 2014 by wmpastor

[+wmpastor]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

Pointing your finger directly at LA in London, you are pointing down and to the NW. SW is Just Plain Wrong.

Please elucidate.

[+SwineFlew]

Whats the oldest active cache in your state?

 

Whats the oldest active cache in the world?

[+niraD]

A similarly unexpected answer: If travelling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal, which direction would you be travelling?

True, but that's mostly a quirk of the geography of Panama.

 

The great circle routes make sense if you're looking at a globe, but most of us don't look at globes. Most of us use 2D maps, and we don't realize how much an affect the curvature of the earth has, especially when great distances are involved.

[+niraD]

Pointing your finger directly at LA in London, you are pointing down and to the NW. SW is Just Plain Wrong.

Please elucidate.

London is at roughly N 51° E/W 0°.

 

Imagine standing in London, pointing your finger at the location N 51° E/W 180°. That is, imagine pointing your finger at the location at the same latitude, but with a longitude that puts it on the other side of the earth.

 

What direction is your finger pointing?

 

 

It is NOT pointing straight down, towards the center of the earth.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2014 by niraD

[+fizzymagic]

Here's my favorite pub quiz question that any geocacher should be able to answer correctly.

 

What direction is Los Angeles from London (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)?

Good one! If anyone's interested, this site shows the answer. I think most people would get that wrong if they don't think about it carefully.

I'm sticking with my answer of SW, even though a plane flying a "great circle" route starts off NW.

 

Pointing your finger directly at LA in London, you are pointing down and to the NW. SW is Just Plain Wrong.

Please elucidate.

 

Well, without getting a globe and seeing for yourself, you will have to take my word for it. But it turns out that the great circle route between any two points on Earth lies directly above the straight line that connects the two that goes through the Earth. And it's not even pointing down as far as you would expect. From England to LA, you would only have to point down at about a 40 degree angle.

 

I drew some pictures to make this clearer. Here is a good one showing the direction from London Heathrow to LAX:

 

 

As you can see, the great circle route is clearly straighter than the rhumb line (which is what looks straight on a map). The direction of that line is 311 degrees, which is basically exactly NW.

 

Here's another pic from a different angle, which might help you visualize the situation:

 

[+MartyBartfast]

A similarly unexpected answer: If travelling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal, which direction would you be travelling?

True, but that's mostly a quirk of the geography of Panama.

 

 

Yes I know that thanks, I was offering it as another question for the quiz!

[+3GDs]

A similarly unexpected answer: If travelling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal, which direction would you be travelling?

True, but that's mostly a quirk of the geography of Panama.

 

 

Yes I know that thanks, I was offering it as another question for the quiz!

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[+wmpastor]

Well, without getting a globe and seeing for yourself, you will have to take my word for it. But it turns out that the great circle route between any two points on Earth lies directly above the straight line that connects the two that goes through the Earth. And it's not even pointing down as far as you would expect. From England to LA, you would only have to point down at about a 40 degree angle.

That's helpful. I fully understood and accepted that the great circle route from London to LA starts off by heading NW. However, my point is that the second half of the flight (from roughly Hudson Bay, Canada to LA) is in a southwesterly direction. AND that second part of the journey takes you 20 degrees further south than you went north to start with. As a rough approximation, the flight goes about 20 degrees of latitude north to start with, but the second half of the trip takes you roughly 40 degrees south. So isn't it fair to say you are heading "net" southward? I do agree that it is surprising that the flight starts off heading in a significant northerly direction, however.

 

It would be interesting to know how much longer the rhumb line flight is than the great circle flight is. The diagram suggests that it is very much longer.

Edited October 30, 2014 by wmpastor

[+fizzymagic]

I fully understood and accepted that the great circle route from London to LA starts off by heading NW. However, my point is that the second half of the flight (from roughly Hudson Bay, Canada to LA) is in a southwesterly direction. AND that second part of the journey takes you 20 degrees further south than you went north to start with.

 

Yes, straight lines in spherical coordinates have constantly changing direction in those coordinates; they just don't actually change direction.

 

It would be interesting to know how much longer the rhumb line flight is than the great circle flight is. The diagram suggests that it is very much longer.

 

The great-circle distance is about 5457 miles; the rhumb-line distance would be 6044 miles, which is quite a bit longer!

[+wmpastor]

I fully understood and accepted that the great circle route from London to LA starts off by heading NW. However, my point is that the second half of the flight (from roughly Hudson Bay, Canada to LA) is in a southwesterly direction. AND that second part of the journey takes you 20 degrees further south than you went north to start with.

 

Yes, straight lines in spherical coordinates have constantly changing direction in those coordinates; they just don't actually change direction.

 

It would be interesting to know how much longer the rhumb line flight is than the great circle flight is. The diagram suggests that it is very much longer.

 

The great-circle distance is about 5457 miles; the rhumb-line distance would be 6044 miles, which is quite a bit longer!

So it's one hour less flying time and 3,000 gallons of fuel saved!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I have flown a couple of times from New York to Beijing (and back). From New York the flight goes almost directly north and over the northernmost parts of Canada (amazing view from the air) over Siberia and Mongolia (seeing the great wall from 30K feet is cool as well) and into Beijing. Coming back the route start in much more of a west to east direction.