[294]

X is a network technology indirectly funded by the US military. It works on the principle of Onion routing, used to hide the one’s identify on the internet. X even has an onion for its logo.
Due to its anonymous nature, X is commonly used for accessing the ‘dark web‘ and sites dealing with illicit activities.
Identify X.

Show Answer
TOR or The Onion Router
Underground illegal-drugs marketplace Silk Road, which was shut down, was a hidden site only accessible through Tor, as was another store called Black Market Reloaded which has been accused of facilitating illegal arms dealing as well as drug purchases.
Read the Introduction to TOR by Guardian.

[293]

While there are a lot of theories on the origin of the word X, one common theory states that it is taken from a Chinese word for ‘brine of pickled fish‘.
Closer to the current day, X actually started with mushroom being its main ingredient in 1770.
It’s around 100 years after this, in 1870 that Henry John Y started bottling X and can now be found the world over.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
X is (Tomato) Ketchup. Y is Heinz
The Chinese word from which the condiment is thought to be derived from is kôe-chiap - meaning brine of pickled fish.
Read More about the interesting history of ketchup.

[292]

This handsome man, Ambrose X was an army officer and politician who fought in the American Civil War.
A fashion style has been named after him. Can you guess it?
ambrose

Show Answer
Sideburns
The moustache was earlier called burnside after Ambrose Burnside, the army general. Later on the syllables were reversed to the form that we know today.
Read about Burnside & his sideburns.

[291]

The fans of character X got a shock when its parent company released a statement saying that X is not what she seems. “She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs of London. She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Mimmy — who is also her best friend.”
Despite the criticism the company is sticking to its statement and want the fans to focus on the character’s core message of friendship, kindness and inclusivity.
Who am I talking about?

Show Answer
Hello Kitty
According to the parent company Sanrio, the character is a girl who's been dressing like a cat all along. *sigh*
Read More.

[290]

The X index is a measure of expected stock market volatility that is calculated with S&P 500 options prices. It often spikes when U.S. stocks tumble. Hence, it is commonly referred to as the ‘fear index‘.
X was in the news after it surged to its highest level since March 2020 amid Monday’s turmoil.
Identify X.

Show Answer
VIX or Volatility Index
Read More.

[289]

The term X was coin as a way of measurement of the English Cricket Team against others. The first version of X occurred between England & Australia in 1877. Over the years, other countries were was included in X – South Africa (1889), West Indies (1928), New Zealand (1980), India (1932) and so on and so forth.
There are 12 teams currently which qualify for X. Identify X.

Show Answer
Test, as in Test Cricket.
Currently considered as a status, the Test status is conferred upon a country or group of countries by the ICC.
Watch how India is changing the sport of Cricket.

[288]

Can you identify what is being counted here?

Movie Count
The Wolf of Wall Street 569
Casino 442
Straight Outta Compton 392
Goodfellas 300
The Big Lebowski 281
Pulp Fiction 265
Deadpool & Wolverine 116

Show Answer
Number of times 'fuck' has been said in a movie.
Apparently the only time the word was said before this in the entire MCU was once in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Here are movies with more Swear Words.

[287]

These type of drugs were originally created to fight Type 2 diabetes, however a happy side effect found was that they helped in reducing obesity. They work by introducing compounds like semaglutide, tirzepatide, etc. which reduce hunger & slow food movement hence making the person feel faster for longer.
Already a $10 billion market, these drugs are expected to become cash cows for their companies in the future.
Can you name the category of these drugs?

Show Answer
GLP 1 Drugs, named after the hormone Glucagon-like peptide-1
Currently sold by companies like Eli Lily, Novo Nordisk under brand names like Mounjaro & Wegovy.
Watch a Vox Video which explains the science behind them.

[286]

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal painkiller for cattle which was commonly used in India. However, as a second-order effect, the drug led to 90-98% loss of another species of animal.
While the drug was banned in 2006, it is estimated that it has caused more than $69bn per year in mortality damages or the economic costs.
Which animal suffered because of the drug?

Show Answer
Vultures
The birds were feeding on cattle carcass, ingesting the medicine, leading to their kidney failures.
Considered nature’s sanitation service because of the important role they play in removing dead animals that contain bacteria and pathogens from our environment.
Read BBC's Coverage of the issue.

[285]

‘The ________  _________: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice’ is a book about Mother Teresa’s life and work, written by Christopher Hitchens. The book became controversial both for the double entendre in the title as well as for criticizing Teresa as a political opportunist who adopted the guise of a saint in order to raise money to spread Catholicism. Fill in the blanks.

Show Answer
Missionary Position
It is a critique of the work and philosophy of Mother Teresa, the founder of an international Roman Catholic religious congregation, and it challenges the mainstream media's assessment of her charitable efforts. The book's thesis, as summarized by one critic, was that "Mother Teresa is less interested in helping the poor than in using them as an indefatigable source of wretchedness on which to fuel the expansion of her fundamentalist Roman Catholic beliefs."

[284]

The scoring for this game has always confused new comers. The starting score is thought to be related to the French word l’oeuf, meaning egg.
The scores are thought to be represented by hands of the clock, but this is also not followed completely.
However, to its credit, the scoring system has remained stable since the Victorian period.
Which sport am I talking about?

Show Answer
Tennis.
The starting score refers to the possible origin of 'Love all'.
Read More the history of scoring in Tennis.

[283]

The product X  was a collaboration between Nike & X Foundation & became one of the largest social cause campaigns in history.
The idea was based on a similar product that Nike used to market for basketball called ‘baller’. The colour was chosen due to its connection with a certain sport. It ended up being a good selection, as the colour popped when worn by celebrities across the world.
Identify X.

Show Answer
Livestrong band, associated with Lance Armstrong & his foundation for fighting cancer.
The product was manufactured by Nike & became more successful than anyone imagined.
The colour yellow was chosen because of its tie to Lance. The rider with the fastest cumulative time during the Tour de France earns the right to wear the yellow jersey.
Read More

[282]

It has been speculated that sailors who often went above and below deck might have needed to keep themselves adjusted to the darkness below decks. In the critical moments of modifying the rigging, navigating, and especially during battle, those minutes were too precious.
This is the reason behind a popular culture happening.
What am I talking about?

Show Answer
Pirates wearing Eye Patches
Though there are no first-person sources from history that state this as fact, there’s no question that keeping one eye dark-adapted works. MythBusters tested this hypothesis in their pirate special in 2007 and determined that it was plausible (only the lack of historical sources kept it from being confirmed).
Read More.

[281]

The fountain is located at the Warner Ranch at 401 N Hollywood Way in California. In the center of the fountain, four large fish surround the base of the platform, their tails soaring upward as to hold the large circular dish from which the water squirts out skyward.
The fountain was also used prominently in the finale of the Charlton Heston classic, The Omega Man.
Most popularly though, it is known for something that was shot at about 4:00 a.m.
So what’s the famous sequence?

Show Answer
Friends Opening Title Sequence

fountain

[280]

X is the largest land dwelling species of the weasel family. It is a stocky and muscular carnivore. It has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size.
Identify X.

wolf

Show Answer
Wolverine.
Yes the same as the superhero.
Read More about this majestic creature.

[279]

The following are countries ranked in descending order according to a geographical measure. Identify the measure & give the top ranking country in the world. 
X
Norway
Indonesia
Russia
Philippines
Japan
Australia

Show Answer
Length of coastline. X is Canada.
Canada has more than 50,000 islands giving it a major lead in coastline. Canada has 2,00,000 km of coastline, whereas Norway the second in the list has just 80,000 km.
See the Complete List.

[278]

It has been stated that the decision to sell X was a political one, rather than financial one. Both Y & Z, who were involved in the transaction were cordial to neutral towards each other.
Y wanted to get rid of X as it was difficult for them to protect it, due to its proximity to Britain’s empire. While Z thought of it as a bargain, getting it at an equivalent of $129 million in 2023.
Give me X, Y & Z.

Show Answer
X - Alaska, Y - Russian Empire, Z - United States
Remember, Canada was under the Britain control at the time, which Russia did not appreciate.
Read More.

[277]

Hosting the Olympic Games is considered a great honour in sports, with 7-10 countries competing in general.
However, when the bid for 2024 Olympics was being decided, the IOC took a decision which was a first in the history of the games.
What was different about the selection process for the 2024 Olympics?

Show Answer
For the selection of 2024 Olympics (done in 2017) there were only 2 bidders. Fearing no bidders for the next iteration, the Committee handed out 2 consecutive hosting rights at the same session, Paris - 2024 & Los Angeles - 2028.
It is an open secret that the Olympic Games drain more from the economy that they put into.
Watch This Video for a deep dive on the topic.

[276]

The word X comes from Old French word meaning leather bag. Over the years, the word X started to mean the contents rather than the bag itself.
In India, X left its etymological roots in 2019 & again in 2021 when it went paperless.
Identify X.

Show Answer
The Budget
In the mid 18th century, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in presenting his annual statement, was said ‘to open the budget’. In the late 19th century the use of the term was extended from governmental to other finances.
In India the budget was usually carried in a briefcase, but in 2019 it came in a 'bahi khata' & in 2021 in a 'Made in India' tab.
Read More.

[275]

X was ‘born’ in 1959. Over the years they have held many positions, always keeping up with the trends.
1989 – Pilot
1991 – Navy Admiral
1993 – Medical Sergeant
1995 – Fire Fighter
2004 – President
Can you identify who am I talking about?

Show Answer
Barbie
Mattel estimates that the doll has had over 200 jobs, with more focus on STEM areas recently.
Read More.