Season 236

Which piece of furniture, traditionally designed to seat two people closely side by side, originated in the 19th century to accommodate wide skirts but later took on more romantic connotations?
Though often mistaken for a small sofa, it developed a distinct name reflecting the intimacy of its design.

Which ancient writing material, made by treating and stretching animal skins, replaced earlier plant-based surfaces in many parts of the world and became the standard medium for religious texts, charters, and illuminated manuscripts?
Its durability made it the go-to for scribes and scholars from antiquity through the Middle Ages.

Which skyscraper, completed in 2010 and standing over 828 metres tall, holds the title of the tallest structure ever built by humans?
Located in Dubai, this mixed-use tower is a global symbol of modern engineering and the city’s dramatic rise as a centre of futuristic urban development.

Which adjective describes something that happens or is awarded after a person’s death, such as an Oscar given to Heath Ledger, a novel published by Stieg Larsson, or a fame surge like that of Vincent van Gogh?
The word comes from Latin roots meaning “after burial.”

Which American actress delivered the line “I am having all these fantasies about some man I have never even met... who lives in Seattle!”, played the character Sally Albright in a 1989 romantic comedy, and also appeared in the 2003 thriller In the Cut?

Which game takes place in a surreal world haunted by a divine curse, where each year the Paintress awakens and paints a number on a monolith—starting at 100 and decreasing by one annually—and every person who has reached that age instantly vanishes in a cloud of smoke?
With its chiaroscuro-inspired aesthetic and emotionally charged narrative, the game earned near-universal acclaim from critics and players alike for its inventive turn-based combat and stunning visual design.

Which classic psychological test demonstrates cognitive interference by asking participants to name the ink color of words that spell out conflicting color names—like the word “green” printed in red ink?
It’s named after the American psychologist who first described the effect in a 1935 study on attention and automaticity.

Which Antarctic ice formation, roughly the size of France, acts as a floating extension of the ice sheet and buttresses several major glaciers, helping slow their flow into the sea?
Discovered in 1841, it features towering ice cliffs and plays a key role in global sea level stability.

Which TV series explores an alternate history in which the Axis powers won World War II, leading to a divided United States controlled by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan?
Based on a novel by a renowned science fiction author, it was one of the first major original dramas produced by Amazon Prime Video.

Which painting technique, whose name derives from the Italian word for "smoke," involves the delicate blending of tones and colors to create soft transitions without harsh lines?
Closely associated with Leonardo da Vinci, it was famously used to render lifelike expressions and atmospheric depth in Renaissance portraiture.

What nickname was given by Allied troops during World War II to English-speaking female broadcasters of Japanese propaganda, a label later controversially associated with Iva Toguri D’Aquino, who was convicted—and eventually pardoned—for treason?

Which artist has a song featuring the following lyrics:
Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red / You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed.
Your mother's telling stories 'bout you on the tee-ball team / You tell me 'bout your past thinking your future was me.
But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willing you to come / And he said, 'It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one'.
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest
You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath.

Which 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac follows the restless travels of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty across the United States, capturing the spirit of postwar disillusionment and rebellion?
A landmark of Beat literature, it is known for its stream-of-consciousness style and celebration of freedom, jazz, and aimless wandering.

Which Italian company, founded in Alba in the 1940s, became one of the world's largest confectionery producers through a mix of hazelnut-based spreads, chocolate-coated wafer bars, and individually wrapped golden pralines?
Still family-owned, it operates in over 170 countries and owns several legacy European sweet brands.