Science Fact Finder

Mathematics

1. What is the most enduring mathematical work of all time? [answer]
2. Who discovered the formula for the area of a triangle? [answer]
3. What are the common mathematical formulas for area? [answer]
4. What are the common mathematical formulas for volume? [answer]
5. When did the concept of square roof originate? [answer]
6. What is the probability of a successful triple play occurring in a single baseball game? [answer]
7. What is the Pythagorean theorem? [answer]
8. How is Pascal's triangle used? [answer]
9. What is the difference between a median, a mean, and a mode? [answer]
10. How many feet are on each side of an acre that is square? [answer]
11. What are the Platonic solids? [answer]
12. What are "Napier's bones"? [answer]
13. Who invented the slide rule? [answer]
14. How long has the abacus been used? Is it still used? [answer]
15. How is "casting out nines" used to check the results of addition or multiplication? [answer]
16. What is Zeno's paradox? [answer]

Numbers

1. What is the value of pi out to 30 digits past the decimal point? [answer]
2. What is the largest prime number presently known? [answer]
3. What are Roman numerals? [answer]
4. Is it possible to count to infinity? [answer]
5. What is a perfect number? [answer]
6. How large is a googol? [answer]
7. Why is seven considered by some to be a magical number? [answer]
8. What are Fibonacci numbers? [answer]

Computers

1. Who invented the computer? [answer]
2. Who was the first programmer? [answer]
3. What is a computer program? [answer]
4. What does DOS stand for? [answer]
5. What is meant by "fifth generation computers"? What are the other four generations? [answer]
6. What is a fuzzy search? [answer]
7. What is a silicon chip? [answer]
8. Are any devices being developed to replace silicon chips? [answer]
9. How is a byte defined? [answer]
10. How is a hard disk different from a floppy disk? [answer]
11. Why does a computer floppy disk have to be "formatted"? [answer]
12. What is the lifespan of a CD-ROM disc? [answer]
13. What is a pixel? [answer]
14. Who invented the computer mouse? [answer]
15. What is a computer "virus" and how is it spread? [answer]
16. Where did the term "bug" originate? [answer]
17. What is e-mail? [answer]
18. What is a hacker? [answer]
19. How do you position yourself correctly in front of a computer screen? [answer]
20. What was the first successful video-arcade game? [answer]
21. Should a personal computer be turned off when not in use? [answer]