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1 In August, we learned that bumblebees are better at foraging for nectar when given which substance?

A Methamphetamine

B Caffeine

C Cocaine

D Nicotine

 

2 In October, we visited Finland to see how it plans a bioeconomy that runs on wood. But which of the following wood technologies did we not report on this year?

A Transparent wood for energy-saving windows

B Extra-sharp wooden knives

C Posture-correcting stairs

D Electricity-generating floors

 

3 Which event millions of years ago may be responsible for determining the character of today’s Amazon rainforest, according to a study we covered in April?

A Formation of the Sahara desert

B The Chicxulub asteroid impact

C Formation of Greenland’s ice sheet

D The end of the last glacial period

4 In March, we reported on which unusual trait of the lungs of female American green tree frogs (pictured)?

A They sit outside the body

B They contain highly cancer-resistant cells

C They glow in the dark

D They can vibrate to cancel out other frogs’ calls

 

5 How quickly can an elephant suck up water in its trunk, as we learned in June?

A 130 kilometres per hour

B 280 kilometres per hour

C 400 kilometres per hour

D 540 kilometres per hour

 

6 It was revealed in July that a new type of DNA sequence had been identified. Which alien adversary from Star Trek was it named after?

A The Romulans

B The Borg

C The Klingons

D The Xindi

 

7 On the topic of aliens, according to estimates released in March, how many interstellar objects pass through our solar system each year?

A 1

B 3

C 5

D 7

 

8 In February, researchers proposed that Stonehenge may have been rebuilt in Wiltshire after it was dismantled and moved from elsewhere in the UK. Which county could have been its first home?

A Pembrokeshire

B Monmouthshire

C West Sussex

D Devon

9 In January, we were told that the efficiency of solar cells can be boosted by treating them with which chemical?

A Ethanol

B Capsaicin

C Psilocybin

D Cyanide

 

10 Research reported in November showed that a body-odour chemical that is released by people can make men calmer and women more aggressive. What chemical was involved?

A Methanethiol

B Putrescine

C Hexadecanal

D Hydrogen sulphide

 

11 In February, we learned that wood-eating cockroaches perform an unusual post-mating ritual. What is it?

A They spin on their backs

B They shed their ovipositors

C The female buries herself

D They eat each other’s wings

 

12 Which country became the first to officially adopt bitcoin as a national currency, a story we covered in September?

A El Salvador

B Panama

C The Bahamas

D Wales

 

13 A Tesla valve is a device that lets a fluid flow in one direction without requiring moving parts. The intestines of which creature were revealed in July to resemble this apparatus?

A Capybaras

B Sharks

C Cassowaries

D Wombats

14 In April, one of life’s biggest questions was finally settled. Assuming it is served at 6°C, how many bubbles form in a half-litre glass of lager?

A 2 million to 10 million

B 200,000 to 2 million

C 50,000 to 150,000

D About 25,000

 

15 In May, the results of a cosmic census of the astronomical objects within 33 light years of our sun were released. How many stars did it conclude are in this zone?

A 115

B 237

C 375

D 524

 

16 It has been a great year for research into artificial intelligence, but which of the following tasks has AI not helped us with in 2021?

A Telling us if cows are stressed

B Identifying us from our veins

C Improving robots’ swimming

D Helping cats to show us affection

 

17 In October, researchers said they had identified where horses were first domesticated. In which modern-day country is this site?

A Mongolia

B Spain

C Russia

D Turkey

 

18 In November, we learned that a new mineral had been found in a diamond from Botswana. What is the mineral called?

A Huttonite

B Davemaoite

C Oreskesite

D Lavoisierite

19 In April, we told you about a chemical code used to store a Jane Austen quote in plastic molecules. Which novel was the quote from?

A Mansfield Park

B Pride and Prejudice

C Persuasion

D Sense and Sensibility

 

20 In September, a newly discovered fossil dinosaur species on the Isle of Wight, UK, was given an unusual nickname. What was it?

A Infernal eagle

B Nightmare chicken

C Hell heron

D Pelican of doom

21 All sorts of unusual fossils have been unearthed this year. Which of the following ancient remains did we not report on in 2021?

A A rattlesnake in the jaws of a dead mastodon

B A turtle impaled on a branch

C A shark eating a proto-squid

D Two sea scorpions mating

 

22 How many pieces of debris smaller than 10 centimetres across are in Earth’s orbit, according to our October deep dive on space junk?

A 100,000

B 250,000

C 400,000

D 500,000

23 In February, the mystery of what killed nine Russian hikers in the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959 may have been solved. What did researchers say was responsible?

A A hurricane

B Infrasound-induced panic

C A slab avalanche

D A secret chemical weapons test

 

24 In January, we reported on hyperaccumulator plants such as Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi. What does the sap of this shrub (pictured)contain huge amounts of?

A Nickel

B Gold

C Frankincense

D Myrrh

 

Quiz compiled by Bethan Ackerley