Planet Science Randomise

jump to main menu

competitions & quizzes...pit your wits & win with Planet Science

october scrabblicious

As the chilly autumn nights draw in, what’s better than to settle down with a good old game of Scrabble. But how much do you know about this legendary game? Could your science know-how lead you to sweep the board?

Get all ten questions right and you could win a fantastic Scrabble Deluxe complete with rotating base and velvet tilebag. Oooooh!

Ready, steady ….scrabble!

Click here for the answers...
01
 Of the 100 tiles in a game of Scrabble, how many are blanks?
2
8
80

02
 Qi is a brilliant two-letter word worth 9 points. It refers to the what Chinese practitioners call the vital life force. Apparently blocked qi can be remedied by inserting needles at certain points on the body. What is this therapy called?
Reflexology
Acupuncture
Tattooing

03
 Here's a chance to canter ahead of the game by using a high scoring letter on a triple word score! This clever cephalopod's skin is covered in chromatophores which enable it to change colour to suit its underwater surroundings. What is it?
Starfish
Squid
Chamelon

04
 The unfortunately named Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game of Scrabble in 1938. In order that the game was not too easy he only included four of which tiles?
J
A
S

05
 Jane Goodall is famous for her lifelong study of the social and family life of the chimpanzee. She is best known for discovering that chimpanzees made tools which they then used to get their food. Aha! But how good are they at Scrabble, eh? What is the name of a scientist who studies animal life and behaviour?
Zoologist
Biologist
Gorillas-in-the-mist

06
 This industrial solvent makes good use of another tricky letter. Make sure you get a triple letter score too!
Ethanol
Xylene
Water

07
 The current best known AI Scrabble player is MAVEN, created by Brian Sheppard. What does AI stand for?
Artificial intelligence
Answers inside
An item

08
 Bingo is a slang term used in Scrabble when a player uses all 7 letters in one play. One of the highest-scoring bingos sounds a bit mineral-like. Is it...?
Mineral
Diamond
Quartzy

09
 Oxyphenbutazone is the highest-scoring word in Scrabble. What an awesome opportunity when the first player only put 'hen'! It's an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat what?
Arthritis
Toothache
Scrabbler's Finger

10
 This flowering plant native to tropical East Africa could be just what you need to nail the game! What is it?
Yam
Qat
Nut

Answers

1= 2 • 2= Acupuncture • 3= Squid • 4= S • 5= Zoologist • 6= Xylene • 7= Artificial intelligence • 8= Quartzy • 9= Arthritis • 10= Qat

Go to Quiz Menu

<< Go Back