Overview
Answers for the Possum badge exam which will help you get extra backpack stuff.
Atomics fan
Atoms are assigned a number, called an “atomic number”. Which of the following gives an atom its atomic number?
Its number of Protons
Be careful! You’ll get sick if you handle radioactive elements for too long. Which of the following elements is NOT radioactive, and safe to handle as much as you want?
Oxygen
Boom! It’s a nuclear explosion! Your friend Mack looks to you for help. What should you do next?
Duck and cover
Critical mass is:
The minimum amount of material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction
Elements have families, like you and me. Which of the following is NOT a family of elements on the periodic table?
The Roberts
Francium was discovered in what country?
France
In the theory of relativity, E=mc^2, what does the ‘c’ represent?
The speed of light
Johnny is a is trying to make his own Fusion Core at home. What will he need to make one?
All of them above
Little atoms are made up of a few essential parts. Which of the following is NOT part of an atom?
Assaultron
Protons, neutrons, and electrons are all examples of what?
Subatomic particles
The T-51b Power Armor uses what device as a power supply?
Fusion core
The subatomic particle with the same mass as an electron but with a positive charge is known as what?
Positron
The year is 2066. An ever-growing energy crisis is threatening to destabilize the United States. What device did our dashing scientists introduce as a potential solution?
The Fusion Cell
Though tiny, atoms do have mass. Where is most of it found?
Its Nucleus
Uranium oxide concentrate is also known as what?
Yellowcake
What are some of the risks involved with atomic energy and nuclear power?
All of the above
What is the proper pronunciation of “Nuclear”?
New-clee-er
Which of the following is an example of a Noble Gas?
Radon
You may not think it, but the sun runs on a nuclear reaction, just like our cars and toys! Which nuclear reaction makes the sun shine?
Nuclear Fusion
Your best friend Timmy leads you to a discovery he made out by the old swimming hole with barrels of nuclear waste! What should you do?
Leave immediately and find an adult
Archaeologist
Alfonso took a trip to Europe and saw the ruins of Pompeii. He learned that a famous volcano erupted, and buried the city in ash. Which volcano?
Mt. Vesuvius
Archaeology does NOT include which of the following?
Gunfights
Brendan went to a museum exhibit in Europe and saw a very famous rock. He says it was used to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics! What rock is he referring to?
The Rosetta Stone
Hannah wants to hunt for lost tombs. Whose undiscovered tomb should she go looking for?
Genghis Khan
Hiram Bingham III was an American explorer. He went to South America looking for ruins, and wound up finding them! Which famous ruin did he reveal to the outside world?
Machu Picchu
Learning about the past is nice and all, but Mary is a practical person. She wants to know what practical materials she can salvage from a shipwreck, for instance. What important material could you get from an old shipwreck?
All of the above
Mary’s family is visiting the island of Sicily for vacation. She’s gotten to see ruins from all kinds of civilizations there! Which of these civilizations left ruins on Sicily?
All of the above
Radiation isn’t all bad! You can use radiation to date organic artifacts. How?
Carbon dating
Samuel and his dog Spot are playing in the backyard. While Spot is digging holes, he unearths an ancient necklace! What’s the first thing Samuel should do?
Notify the county sheriff
Some archaeologists think the ruins of Wilusa are a city from a famous Greek legend. Which city?
Troy
Susie tries to sell you a Native American artifact she dug up. Is Susie committing a crime?
Yes, a misdemeanor
The Greek Dark Ages were a time when Bronze Age civilization collapsed. What is an indicator of this “dark age”?
Lack of Greek writing
The tomb of the evil Chinese emperor Qin Shih Huang is guarded by thousands of warriors made of what material?
Terracotta
Which West Virginia county takes its name from a local indigenous culture?
Kanawha county
You’re excavating a dig site and uncover a trove of ancient coins! What do you call this kind of find?
A hoard
You’re excavating an ancient Egyptian tomb, and come across a scroll with old writing on it! What material is the scroll most likely made of?
Papyrus
You’re surveying a potential dig site, but are having trouble finding any ruins. Erin says you can use lasers to help find ruins! How would you do this?
Scan the area with lasers to make a map
You’ve discovered an artifact during an excavation. Which of the following needs to be recorded?
All of the above
You’ve dug up a beautiful gold necklace at an excavation site. Where does the necklace belong?
In a museum
You’ve taken excavated material back to your lab and sorted it. What should be your next step?
Clean and conserve fragile pieces
Backpacker
After collecting water from a natural water source that you intend to drink, you should let it boil it for…
One minute, at a rolling boil
Benjamin is lost in the woods. However, he has found a reliable water source. How long before Benjamin starves to death?
3 weeks
Charles has accidentally stepped in a bear trap – what a klutz! How do you help Charles?
Disarm the trap and inject a Stimpak near the affected area
Josh discovers a cluster of mushrooms next to a tree. What should Josh do with them?
Make scientific observations, but otherwise leave them alone
Leave no…
Trace
Lizzie is out on the trail when she notices a baby bear in her path. What should she do?
Slowly back away and use a smooth calming voice while keeping an eye on the bear
Mary has just returned from the store with brand new camping supplies. What should she do with them first?
Familiarize herself with all of the equipment by setting it up before the trip
Molly has become separated from the rest of her group. What should she do?
Stay put and make noise, so that someone will be more likely to find her
Richie and Ted have been scouting campsites all morning. Which of the following would make the best campsite?
Close to a stream on a gentle hill
Ricky notices he’s being stalked by a Mountain Lion. What should he do?
Maintain eye contact, make himself look as large as possible, and make a lot of noise
Ryan has been hiking all day and notices his mouth is dry, his head is beginning to hurt, he’s fatigued, and starting to become dizzy. Ryan is likely…
Suffering from dehydration
Sarah and Jessie are hiking when they notice a giant snake on the path. What should they do?
Give the snake a wide berth while keeping an eye on it
The best reason to avoid drinking water from a stream is…
It might contain dangerous parasites and bacteria
Ticks spread what disease?
Lyme disease
What’s the best way to dress for a hike?
Wear several light, thin layers that can be removed or replaced as the temperature changes
What’s the safest place to store your supplies of food while you sleep at night in your camp?
Strung up above the ground between tree branches
When hiking in the woods, the best reason to wear clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible is…
It will help to protect your from poison ivy, poison oak, and sun exposure
When is the best time to start setting up camp?
Several hours before sunset
Which direction does the sun rise?
East
Which of the following is not a useful camping item?
Jangles the Moon Monkey doll
Chemist
Alison has a test tomorrow but hasn’t had any time to study. She panics, and decides to take a chem to make sure she does well. Which chem did she probably take?
Mentats
Ancient alchemists once tried to turn lead into gold. It sounds silly, but chemicals actually transform all the time! What do you call the process by which one chemical becomes another?
A chemical reaction
Before our vehicles ran on the fission battery, we used a totally different source of power. What chemical did we used to use to power our vehicles?
Petroleum
Careful, kids! Mentats can be tempting to use because they come in many tasty flavors. Which of the following is NOT a flavor of Mentats?
Lime
Careful, kids. Event “smart” people may fall prey to illicit chem addiction. What chem — best avoided — has become popular with some “intellectuals”?
Daddy-O
Chemicals can have all kinds of side effects. Where is the safest place to work with chemicals that give off toxic fumes?
Under a fume hood with the ventilation system turned on
Chemistry has shown us that the whole world is made up of tiny base elements. Chemists have compiled a handy list of these elements. What’s this list called?
The Periodic Table of Elements
Clever chemists can mix their chems together to get something entirely new. What chem is the result of mixing Buffout with Mentats?
Bufftats
Even the most useful chems have side effects, and a good Scout needs to stay informed about what they’re taking. What are the only known side effects of Radaway, for instance?
Increased hunger and thirst
In a pinch, what two components can you use to create gunpowder?
Cloth and acid
It’s important to know the key components of important chems in the event of an emergency. Antiseptic, blood, and steel are all combined to make which chem?
Stimpak
Richard is an amateur metalworker, and works with ore at his chemistry station, in addition to chemicals. Which chemical might Richard have that would be useful for working with ore?
Acid
Safety first! While working in the lab, horseplay is
Never acceptable
Safety is of the utmost importance to a good chemist. When working at a chemistry station, make sure you always wear which of the following?
All of the above
Some materials (especially nuclear ones) can be unstable, and are dangerous to work with. Which of the following is an example of an unstable material?
Raw fluorescent flux
Uh-oh! Franklin just splashed his eyes with an unknown chemical while working at his chemistry station. What should he do right away?
Find the nearest eye wash station and begin flushing his eyes for 15 minutes
Wesley is about to start working with nuclear materials. He can take a chem to reduce the effects of radiation while he works. Which chem should he take before handling the materials?
Rad-X
You can’t always expect to have the right amount chems at the right time. In the event of an emergency, Stimpaks, Radaway, and Rad-X can be diluted with what?
Purified water
Your best friend, Chris, has been going to the gym a lot lately and has become addicted to Buffout. What can you give him to ween him off this horrible drug?
Addictol
Your dad is working in the garage on his brand new Chryslus Cherry Bomb when you notice a crack in the nuclear material housing. Radiation’s leaking out, and your dad is irradiated! Which chem could potentially save his life?
Radaway
Collector
Anna likes to collect Teddy bears. Her most prized possession is a bear that was recalled in 2072 for being too terrifying! Which bear is this?
Teddy Fear
Astounding Awesome Tales Issue 10 features the first appearance of which character?
The Starlet Sniper
Erin collects spooky holotape series in her free time. Which popular holotape series features the cryptids of West Virginia?
Tales From West Virginia
Guns and Bullets is dedicated to all things weapons. They once even predicted the “weapon of tomorrow”. Which type of weapon did they predict would become popular?
Plasma weapons
In 2062, a famous comic book publisher founded their own holotape game studio. Which publisher?
Hubris Comics
Issue 1 of The Unstoppables features the titular team squaring off against which notable villain?
Commie-kazi
Lots of toys are fun to collect, but beware foreign imports! Which new toy is suspiciously anti-American?
Comrade Chubs
Lucas is trying to collect all of the Nuka-Cola flavors. Which flavor is he not likely to find?
Nuka-Kiwi
Mark’s favorite comic series is the Backwoodsman. What is the tagline for this series?
Thrilling, True Stories for Rugged Men
Mikey is looking to expand his holotape game collection. There’s a magazine that can help with that! Which magazine should he keep his eyes out for?
RobCo Fun
Noah has, after many long years, finally completed his collection of Vault-Tec bobbleheads. But which one would you NOT find in his collection?
Good Vibes
Olivia says she has a complete set of Mr. Fuzzy plush dolls. Which doll would you NOT find in her collection?
I Want to Go Home Mr. Fuzzy
The Unstoppables series features many famous comic book heroes teaming up to fight together. Which of the following is NOT a member of the Unstoppables?
Professor Platypus
Uh, oh! Timmy got caught with an issue of Tumblers Today. That’s a magazine dedicated to which illicit act?
Lockpicking
What was the original cover price of an issue of Astoundingly Awesome Tales?
29
Which creature was NOT featured in an issue of Astonishing Tales?
The Mega Sloth
Which magazine once featured an article on Robots Ruling the World?
Tesla Magazine
Which studio developed the classic holotape games Atomic Command and Automatron?
Planned Diversion Programming
Which villain was featured in issue #2 of Grognak the Barbarian?
The Trickster
Wilson Atomatoys made which famous toy line?
Giddyup Buttercup
Electrician
Alfonso doesn’t believe that you can make a battery out of simple household items. What can you use to prove him wrong?
All of the above
America uses safe and reliable direct current electricity. What do the commies use?
Dangerous alternating current
Brendan is directing a movie and has put you in charge of all the electrical setup. What does that make your job title?
Gaffer
Eels are strange creatures that can produce electricity. If Sally wanted to use an eel as a natural power source, how much power could she get?
At least 500 Volts
Everyone loves delicious Nuka-Cola! Which of these local power plants makes power for the Kanawha Nuka-Cola plant?
Poseidon Energy Plant WV-06
Hannah got a brand new Pip-Boy, but it’s defective! She’s decided to try fixing it herself. What icon represents a resistor on her Pip-Boy’s circuit diagram?
A zig-zagging line
Many of the Founding Fathers had numerous talents. Which Founding Father invented the lightning rod?
Benjamin Franklin
Mary needs to reattach a wire to the circuit board on her terminal. What process could she use to do this?
Soldering
Our troops on the front lines use power armor in service to our country. But what puts the “power” in their armor?
Fusion cores
Silicon is crucial to making electronics, especially microchips. But how is silicon produced?
It’s grown as a crystal
Susie wants to work on the circuitry of her school terminal but is afraid of electrocution. What could she wear to protect herself?
Rubber gloves
Which fine American invented the modern light bulb?
Thomas Edison
You need to construct a circuit for an electrical experiment, and need a good conductive material. Which of the following is the best electrical conductor?
Copper
You need to measure the voltage on a part of Robert’s terminal to perform repairs. Which tool could you use to do so?
A multimeter
You reach out and touch a Mr. Handy and get a quick static shock! What causes this?
The sudden flow of electricity
You want to begin repairing a broken radio for a fellow scout. What’s the first step?
Unplug it
You’re learning about Ohm’s law in school. The law uses the equation I = V/R. What is the “V” in this equation?
Voltage
You’re repairing your Pip-Boy and need to measure the flow of current through a certain wire. What unit of measurement do you use for this?
Ampere
You’re walking down the sidewalk after a big storm and come across a downed power line laying in your path. What do you do?
Call the power company to report it
You’re working on a circuit and need an electrical insulator, but only have a limited set of materials. Which of the following is the best electrical insulator?
Teflon
Your class took a field trip to the Poseidon Energy Plant to learn about nuclear power. How do most nuclear plants turn energy into electricity?
Using steam from heated water to turn turbines
Gardener
A cantaloupe is a round and tasty plant that’s orange on the inside. What kind of plant is a cantaloupe?
A melon
Autumn is Samuel’s favorite time of year! He loves Halloween and the autumn harvest. Which of his favorite autumn plants will light up a popular Halloween attraction in Appalachia this year?
Pumpkins
Brendan is lying in the grass beneath a big oak tree. He’s amazed that a tree can get so big with just a few ingredients, like light and water. What process do plants use to make energy from these ingredients?
Photosynthesis
Erin says ladybugs aren’t “true bugs” at all! Well, what kind of insect are they, then?
Beetles
For plants to be fertilized and make seeds, they need to be pollinated. Some animals help with pollination by carrying the pollen from plant to plant. Which of the following animals help pollinate plants?
All of the above
Hannah is very dedicated to her garden. Some day, she wants to grow it into a big public place, where she can share all different kinds of plants with the world. What would you call this kind of garden?
A botanical garden
Mark knew locust swarms are notorious for destroying crops. But he was surprised to learn that locusts are just a kind of common garden insect! Which insect?
Grasshoppers
Mary wants to grow a spectacular garden, with all the best plants she can find. She wants to model her garden off of a legendary Wonder of the World. Which garden should she use as her model?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Mice have been sneaking into your garden and nibbling on all your plants! It’s time to take action. What kind of weapon was made for just such an occasion?
A garden gun
Samuel grows potatoes in his garden so he can cook and eat them whenever he wants. Potatoes are grown all over the place, but they originally started in a small range. Where in the world did people first grow potatoes?
South America
Soil makes a big difference in how plants grow. Hannah wants to learn more about soil science at Vault-Tec University so the plants in her garden will grow big and healthy. What field should she study to learn about soil and living things?
Edaphology
Susie wants to work at the Vault-Tec Agricultural Research Center in Flatwoods when she grows up, but that means going to college. What subject should she study in college to reach her goal?
Botany
When Barry plays baseball, he’s always chewing on the seeds of a pretty garden plant. Which plant has seeds that are popular with baseball players?
Sunflower
When plants make food for themselves they use light, carbon dioxide, and water to make sugar. They also make one other element that they don’t use, though. What element is that?
Oxygen
You can use genetics to cross-breed certain plants and give them the traits that you want, even in your own garden! What friar famously showed how this is done by cross-breeding peas?
Gregor Mendel
You’re hiking in the woods, gathering new seeds for your garden. You notice some fruit growing on a bush, but when you reach out to pick it, you nick your finger on a prickly bramble! What kind of fruit usually grows on bramble bushes like these?
Blackberries
You’re preparing to do some gardening and go to grab your tools, but something in your toolbox looks out of place. Which of these tools should you NOT bring when gardening?
Duct tape
You’re starting a garden just to grow some food for cooking at home. What’s this kind of simple garden called?
A kitchen garden
Your family recently moved to a cool and boggy part of Appalachia, limiting what you can grow in your new garden. Which of these plants would grow well in this new environment?
Cranberries
Your garden is overrun with pesky insects! Grant says that there are chemicals that will kill them all and rescue your garden. What class of chemical is he talking about?
Pesticides
Leatherworker
“Cuir bouilli”, or “boiled leather” is a way of treating wet leather so that it has what properties when dry?
It holds its shape
Brendan lost his thong while working leather in his workshop. Now he has to look all over for it! What exactly did Brendan lose?
A strip of leather
Brendan wants to press a cool dragon pattern into his new leather belt. What’s the term for pressing a pattern or design into leather?
Tooling
Different kinds of animal hides make leather with different kinds of properties. Jacob wants to use a soft leather to craft a luxury item. What animal’s hide is often used for making luxury leather items?
Deer
Erin is making a leather jacket and needs to decide how she wants to lace some material. What is lacing?
A decorative way of sewing leather
Hannah is apprenticed to a “currier”, a professional who processes leather. Which of the following leather processing steps is NOT the job of a currier?
Making leather fruit snacks
Leatherworkers use something called “dubbin”, which comes in a little tin, to condition and waterproof leather. What is dubbin, exactly?
A wax rubbed into the leather
Mark is digging through his attic and discovers an old vellum parchment. A treasure map, maybe? But Mark is more interested in the vellum! “Vellum” is a Latin word that means what?
Made of calf
Mark is making himself comfy new shoes out of a soft leather product called “suede”. Where on an animal’s hide can Mark get the leather for his suede?
The underside
Red Chinese officers carry swords prized as trophies by our brave fighting men and women. Historically, intricate sword grips were wrapped in leather made from which creature?
The stingray
Robert is putting the final touches on his piece of tanned leather by oiling, polishing, and buffing it. What is this last step in the leatherworking process called?
Finishing
Sally has an animal hide that hasn’t yet been tanned. But it’s still useful! Leatherworkers use these for everything from drumheads to lampshades. What do you call this kind of hide?
Rawhide
Sally just skinned a fresh carcass and now has a raw hide to turn into leather. What process will she use to transform the raw hide into leather?
Tanning
Sometimes leatherworkers will add a rough pattern to their work to make it seem more natural or appealing. What do you call this process?
Graining
Susie’s favorite part of working leather is when she gets to die it just the right color. Is there any color that you can’t dye leather?
No
Tanning is an integral part of leatherworking. It even gets its own building! What do you call a building used for tanning leather?
A tannery
Untreated animal hides have uses, but tanning is done for a reason! What’s a major benefit of tanning a hide?
It decomposes less
When it comes to making leather twist and bend, there’s no better technique than “skiving”. What does skiving do?
Makes the leather thinner without weakening it
When stitching a seam in leather, you can stitch in such a way that both sides are exposed. What is this kind of stitching called?
Saddle stitching
You can make leather from the hide of any animal, but some animals are more popular with leatherworkers. Which animal is the most popular source of hides for leatherworking?
Cows
Metalworker
Blast furnaces smelt metal on an industrial scale. They work by feeding fuel, ore, and limestone in the top while a “blast” of what is blown into the bottom?
Hot air
Brendan is learning to rivet. He learns that a fastened rivet has two “heads”. It starts with and one, and the other is made during fastening. What do you call a rivet’s second head?
A shop head
Erin is learning blacksmithing from her uncle. When working the forge, she uses a device called a “bellows” on the fire. What is the main purpose of a bellows?
Feeding the fire with air
Hannah prefers using machine tools when tinkering with metal objects in her workshop. They’re so much more convenient than hand tools! What metalworking occupation would be a perfect fit for Hannah?
Machinist
Mary is assigned to a welding line in her factory, where she fuses metal things together with a special tool. What is her welding tool called?
A torch
Metalworking takes a lot of different tools to do properly, and your workshop is filled with them! Which of these tools is useful in metalworking?
All of the above
Metalworking uses certain general processes that modify worked metal. Which of the following is NOT one of these processes?
Gelding
Samuel is in charge of operating a smelter at the factory where he works after school. Smelters use a special fuel with lots of carbon, and Samuel needs more to keep his smelter running. What is the name of the fuel he’s looking for?
Coke
Some metals are easier to find than others, so people have been mining them for a long time. Which of these did ancient metalworkers NOT know about?
Platinum
Sometimes metalworkers combine different metals to make something entirely new. What do you call this new thing?
An alloy
Sometimes, metalworkers form metal into flat pieces to be worked later. What is this kind of metal called?
Sheet metal
Susie is experimenting with working bronze into a sculpture. In order to make her sculpture, she needs to shape molten metal with a mold. What do you call this process?
Casting
Susie is fascinated by metal casting: making things by molding molten metal. Where could she work that specializes in metal casting?
A foundry
You’re doing your patriotic duty by volunteering at a steelworks during wartime. What might your service make that gives our fighting men an edge?
All of the above
You’re lacking for metalworking materials to use in your workshop. Luckily, there are all kinds of things lying around the house that make good scrap! Which of the following everyday objects can be scrapped for metal?
All of the above
You’re looking to get into the metalworking trade as a steel worker. Where in Appalachia could you go to find a large steelyard looking for workers?
Grafton
You’re working in a factory, making weapons to help the war effort. A lot can affect your productivity, but what is the biggest threat to your output?
Union-organized strikes
You’re working on shaping a metal component by “milling” it. How does “milling” shape metal?
Removing material
You’ve received a shipment of iron ore to your steelyard, and need to get the metal out of the rock. What can you use to do this?
A smelter
Your ironworks has smelted its shipment of raw iron into something called “pig iron”. The next step is to turn the “pig iron” into an important end product. What end product?
Steel
Miner
Brendan got a part-time job mining coal for Garrahan Mining. He remembers from geology class that coal is mostly made up of a single element. Which element?
Carbon
Brendan joined the local labor union. But Brendan was tricked! Because unions are the first step on the road to what?
Communism
Fire-setting is an old mining technique used up until the Middle Ages. Miners would set fires near a rock face and then douse it with water. What did this do to help the miners?
Fractured rock with thermal shock
Girls love diamonds! Mark wants to get Dana a diamond ring so she’ll like him. What part of the world mines the most diamonds?
Africa
Hannah wants to help out the local miners, but doesn’t want to be a miner herself. Instead, she wants to learn to operate a vehicle and transport the mined coal to where it’s needed. What vehicle should she learn to operate?
A train
Hannah’s father is a uranium miner. He explains to her that you can mine uranium with a process called “leaching”. What does leaching do?
Dissolves minerals for safe extraction
Mary wants to use landfill mining to excavate an old landfill. Removing hazardous waste is her main goal, but what’s an added benefit of landfill mining?
All of the above
Mining can be dangerous work. Luckily, the Garrahan Mining company developed a suit to keep miners safe, and even increase productivity! What is this suit called?
The Excavator Power Armor
Our many nuclear energy plants run on uranium fuel. What part of the world mines the most uranium?
Red China, unfortunately
Samuel is working at a strip mine. Strip mines use huge machines that can move tons of dirt every hour! Samuel wants to learn to operate these machines. What are they called?
Bucket-wheel excavators
Susie was working at a Hornwright Industrial mine when she lost her job to an auto-mining robot! What should she do now?
Get a job at Garrahan Mining today!
The California Gold Rush brought lots of would-be miners to the west coast of the United States. What year did that famous Gold Rush kick off?
1848
Today, Alfonso can get a safe and profitable job working at a local coal mine. But in the old days, mining was very different! One important mineral was really dangerous to mine, because it could cause dehydration. Which mineral?
Salt
When mining coal, it’s important to watch out for dangerous gas build-ups, called “damps”. But which of the following is NOT a “damp” in coal mining?
Towel damp
Which of these local mining companies employs the most miners in Appalachia?
Garrahan Mining
You know there’s a vein of coal deep under a certain mountain and want to get in to extract it. What kind of mining could get you to it quickly?
Quarrying
You want to open a new mine, but aren’t sure if your enterprise will make a profit. What should you do to find out if there’s a chance at some cash?
A feasibility study
You’re going down in a coal mine and decide to take a canary with you to help detect toxic gasses. What do you call an animal used in this way?
A sentinel species
You’re looking to take a job with a local mining company. Where in Appalachia could you find mines looking for workers?
Mount Blair
You’re starting work on a new underground mine. You’d like to dig horizontally into the side of a mountain and extract its minerals. What do you call this kind of mining?
Drift mining
Musician
Alfonso is learning the old-fashioned accordion, a goofy-looking instrument with keys and buttons. It’s so complicated, he’s not even sure what kind of instrument it is! What class of instrument is the accordion?
An aerophone
Ancient philosophers thought that the universe moved to a musical harmony, and even gave it a special name. What did they call the harmony of the universe?
The Music of the Spheres
Brendan plays saxophone in a jazz band. He loves jazz because it’s unique and all-American. What’s something special that really makes jazz different from most music?
Improvisation
Erin and her friends are starting a band, and Erin wants to be the singer. There’s a special name for someone who sings in a band. What’s is it?
A vocalist
Hannah is conducting an orchestra. That’s a big job! What does she use to direct the orchestra’s performance?
Hand gestures
James loves marching music, especially military marches. His favorite composer is John Philip Sousa, because of the famous military marches he wrote. What’s a popular nickname for John Philip Sousa?
The March King
Like any good patriot, Susie’s favorite song is the US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Who wrote the lyrics?
Francis Scott Key
Marching bands play in all kinds of places! Susie wants to join the school marching band and go see the world. Where might Susie expect to play her music?
All of the above
Mary loves classical music, especially music by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven was an important classical composer of which era?
The Romantic era
Samuel is learning to read sheet music, but he can’t remember all the notation and asks you for help. Some notes are marked with a “#”. How do you play those, again?
Sharp
Samuel likes music, but his clumsy hands make it hard for him to play an instrument well. He’s decided to study music in school, instead. The study of music has its own special name. What is it called?
Musicology
Susie loves to sing and can reach really high notes because she was born with a voice that can reach a higher range. What voice type does she have?
Soprano
The British made up a song to make fun of our brave forefathers, but now it’s as a patriotic hymn! How ironic! Which song?
Yankee Doodle
The Founding Fathers didn’t want America to have a king, but we got one anyway, so to speak. Who do we call “the King” of Rock n’ Roll?
Elvis Presley
You and Mark are singing along to a great song, but something sounds off. Mark can barely follow along, and doesn’t remember any of the verses, even though he’s heard them before. What condition might Mark be suffering from?
Tone deafness
You receive a brand new drum set as a gift for your birthday, and it came with more than just drums, too! Your drum set has another percussion instrument attached. Which instrument?
Cymbals
You’re jamming out on your electric guitar, but you can’t seem to jam loud enough! You need something to make your music louder. What can you use for this?
An amplifier
You’re learning to play the recorder in class, and the teacher instructs you to play a scale. How are the notes sorted in a musical scale?
By pitch
You’re reading some sheet music to get a feel for the song you’ll be playing next. There’s always some notation at the start of a piece. What does it tell you about the song?
Its tempo
You’re singing your favorite song aloud in the shower, but without any music you don’t sound too great. Some people can sing really well, even without instruments. What do you call singing without instruments?
A cappella
Your music teacher wants to take her class and form an orchestra. What on earth is an orchestra?
A big group of people playing different instruments
Photographer
A photograph is taken by projecting light onto a photographic surface. What is the most common photographic surface used?
Film
After a long day of taking photographs, Mark takes his film back to his lab to process it. He uses a special room to do so. What do you call this special room?
A darkroom
Alfonso likes to sleep in, so he always keeps his room as dark as possible. One day, he wakes up to find an upside down image of his neighbor’s house projected onto his wall! What do you call this crazy phenomenon?
Camera obscura
Brendan took a photo of his cat Snippers that looked “washed out”, or too bright. It turns out his picture was “overexposed”. What is “exposure” in photography?
How much light reaches the film
Cameras work by focusing light onto a surface that records the image. What does the camera use to focus light?
A lens
Erin is a little superstitious, so she’s very curious about the supernatural side of photography. When photography was brand new, she says, spiritualists were interested because they thought photographs of people let you see what?
Their soul
Frenchman Louis Daguerre developed an early form of photography using chemicals and silver-plated copper. What was the name of his process?
Daguerreotypy
Hannah is trying to make her own photographic film. She needs to coat the film in a gelatin that has light-sensitive crystals in it. What kind of crystals should she use?
Silver halide
Nicephore Niepce pioneered photoengraving, a predecessor of photography. When did he make his first major breakthrough?
1822
On your family vacation to Summersville, you find a lost camera on a park bench. After developing the photographs, you discover that they’re sensitive pictures of Camp McClintock! What do you do?
Turn them in to the authorities
Photography projects light onto a surface to create a visible image, but the surface must be sensitive to light for this to happen. What’s another word for light-sensitivity?
Photosensitivity
Richard is taking long-exposure photos of the night sky to make cool trails of light in his pictures. What does Richard adjust on his camera to take long-exposure photographs?
Its shutter speed
Samuel is helping out at Vault-Tec University by sorting through their old nitrate film collection. He stops to take a smoke break and lights up a cigarette. But wait! That’s really dangerous! Why?
Nitrate film is very flammable
Susie likes to take pictures, and her favorite subjects are people. She has you sit in a boring pose and takes your picture. What is this kind of picture called?
A portrait
When Mary takes a picture with her camera, it creates a photographic “negative” that she then processes. What is the main benefit of producing this negative?
Making positive photos from it
When light travels through a camera lens and hits the film behind, it goes through a hole on the front of the camera that sets how much light gets through. What is this hole called?
An aperture
When you take a picture, an invisible image forms on the photographic film that only shows up after processing. What is this invisible image called?
Latent
You’re taking pictures of Mark, but he seems blurry when looking through the viewfinder. You can make an adjustment to the lens’ range to make him look clearer. What are you adjusting when you do this?
The focus
You’ve finished the photographic process by producing a photographic image on paper! What is this paper image called?
A print
You’ve taken a photograph and want to make an image from the film. What is the name for process?
Development
Rail Enthusiast
A “derailer” is a device attached to train tracks with a very specific purpose. What does a derailer do that’s useful for railway workers?
Derails trains when they enter unauthorized areas
Amazingly, we in America aren’t the only ones that have a transcontinental railroad! Which famous railway connects the Russian capital to the Far East?
The Trans-Siberian Railway
America has a lot of track and trains, but our railway system isn’t the oldest in the world. Which country was the first to build a major railway system?
The United Kingdom
As America’s transcontinental railroad grew westward across the American landscape, lawless towns full of grit and debauchery sprung up in its wake. What did people call these towns?
Hell on Wheels
Early locomotives often carried their fuel in special cars, pulled behind the engine for easy access. What was the name for these cars?
Tenders
Hannah is driving a train from Whitespring to Sunnytop at 50 mph, and Samuel from Sutton to Morgantown at 60 mph. If they both leave at noon, when will they collide in a fiery crash?
Never
In 1934, a steam locomotive called the “Flying Scotsman” set a world speed record for steam trains. How fast did it go when setting its record?
100 mph
Locomotives travel on a set of two rails called “track”. It’s easy to forget, but the spacing of this track is very important! What’s the name for the spacing of a track’s rails?
Track gauge
Managing a train is a difficult operation. Keeping everything on schedule, taking tickets, even paperwork! What do you call the person on the train who has to handle all these things?
The conductor
Nowadays, most of our vehicles are powered by nuclear reactors. But when locomotives were invented, they used a different kind of fuel entirely! What fuel source powered early trains?
Coal
Roberto needs a little extra power to get his train up the steep mountains in Appalachia, so he “double heads” his train. What is “double heading”?
Using two locomotives for extra power
Sally is conducting a train on its way through Appalachia. She needs to stop and pick up a cargo load of coal. Where’s the best place to do this?
The Mount Blair Trainyard
Some train engines are equipped with a pointed metal device on the front. What’s this thing called?
A cow catcher
Susie’s favorite holotape stories are always about mysterious strangers in the shadows, and great detectives solving impossible cases. What famous railroad became synonymous with mystery and luxury in the late 19th century?
The Orient Express
The first working railway locomotive was unveiled in Europe in the 19th century. What revolutionary new engine powered this locomotive?
A steam engine
What was the most track laid in one day during the construction of America’s transcontinental railroad?
10 miles
When Hao visits San Francisco, she loves to ride the trolley cars up and down the hills to see the sights. Trolleys are a kind of rail vehicle once common in cities, and are usually powered by what source?
Electricity
When Samuel grows up, he wants nothing more than to be a Ferroequinologist. What on Earth is a Ferroequinologist?
Someone who studies trains
When no-good outlaws robbed trains in the Old West, a common target was the money held in express car safes. Whose job was it to make sure the cargo in the express cars got delivered?
An expressman’s
When rail travel first took off, the United States made building a transcontinental railroad a priority. What was a major reason that such a railroad became important?
Gold was discovered in California
Roboticist
A robot that is capable to performing tasks without specific instructions is known as what kind of robot?
a. Autonomous
Frank is trying to siphon mechocentric phalanges from an axium tripolar capacitor in order to repair the upper quadrant of a cylindractor arm link. What should he do?
d. Literally none of these words mean anything
How many arms does the standard Mr. Handy, Ms. Nanny and Mr. Gutsy have?
a. 3
In 2060, the US Military developed which robot for reconnaissance and delivering supplies to hostile conditions?
a. Cargobot
In the unlikely event of a total Communist robotic invasion, what type of weapons should be used to best defend yourself?
c. Pulse Weaponry
It’s Robot Day at the race track. Who would definitely LOSE in a race?
c. Petey the Protectron
Kimmy wants to learn more about robots and asks you if there are any magazines she could read. Which would be the best suggestion?
a. Tesla Science Magazine
Miss Nanny and Mr. Gutsy are variations of what popular robot?
d. Mr. Handy
Mr. Handy, Miss Nanny, and Mr. Gutsy were all developed by which company?
d. General Atomics International
The Assaultron proudly serves alongside our troops on the front line. It’s signature commie-crushing ability is its…
c. High-power Head Laser
The Vertibot is an unmanned, autonomous version of which aircraft?
c. The Vertibird
The standard Protectrons primary behavior is to…
b. Protect and Serve
Which West Virginian City is run and maintained entirely by robots?
b. Watoga
Which company partnered with Atomic Mining Services to develop a robot that could outmatch Garrahan Mining’s Excavator Power Armor?
a. Hornwright Industries
Which of the following is a company dedicated to innovation in robotics?
RobCo
Which of the following is not a Standard Personality Mode for a Protectron?
c. Actor and Thespian
Which of the following robots was not developed by RobCo Industries?
a. Mr. Handy
You find a robot acting strangely and you think it’s malfunctioning. What should you do?
c. Leave immediately and tell an adult
Your assembling a standard-issue Protectron unit. Which parts will you NOT need?
a. Jetpack
Your old friend Clunky the Sentry bot has found itself in an unwinnable combat scenario. Based on its standard programming, what will it do next?
b. Self-Destruct