Geek Test
July 7, 2006 - Quiz
Happy Friday! Over the past week or so, bit by bit, I've assembled a geek test. Categories of questions include science fiction, web culture, video games, comics, RPGs, computers, and fantasy fiction. I tried to make it a fairly well-rounded geek test. You've got to write down your answers as you go (use notepad) and the answers are in the comments. Enjoy!
GEEK TRIVIA
1- The binary number 00101010 equates to...? (4 points)2- What video game popularized the phrase "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!"? (3 points)
3- Name five web browsers (different version of the same browser do not count) (1 point each)
4- What does the acronym THAC0 stand for? (3 points)
5- What type of creature is the spacecraft Moya, and what is her single defensive maneuver? (2 points for each half of the question)
6- What is The Tick's Battle Cry? (2 points)
7- Name three computer operating systems. (1 point each)
8- What is Bilbo's sword's name? (3 points)
9- What is Arya Stark's sword's name? (4 points)
10- Who was the protagonist in Grim Fandango? (4 points)
11- In what movie does Jack Burton drive the Pork Chop Express? (2 points)
12- Name 5 members of the Justice League. (1 point for each)
13- What does USB stand for? (2 points)
14- Traditionally, in Dungeons and Dragons, what is the chief difference between chromatic and metallic dragons? (3 points)
15- Fill in the blank: Badgers, Badgers, Badgers, Badgers, ________! ________! (2 points)
16- Which former cast member of a popular science fiction television program was hated as a character on that show, but has since become a much-loved internet celebrity? (4 points)
17- Analogy: Python is to Visual Basic as PHP is to ASP as Javascript is to _______. (4 points)
18- What are the names of the male and female halves of The Source through which Aes Sedai can channel The Power? (3 points)
19- Name three survival horror video games. Sequels do not count. (1 point each)
20- What was the name of the stormtrooper who was not at his post in A New Hope? (4 points)
21- Deep Thought was able to give us the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything, but not the question. What is the name of the computer designed by Deep Thought to calculate The Question? (3 points)
22- What is the name of the device, which when installed in a Delorean, makes time travel possible? (3 points)
23- Name the video games that the following characters come from: Kratos, Master Chief, Blanka, Jill Valentine, The King of All Cosmos. (1 point each)
24- BASIC is an acronym that stands for what? (3 points)
25- From what movie does this quote come? "The digital pimp, hard at work" (2 points)
26- Who is this?
(4 points)
27- What is 802.11? (2 points)
28- What is the surname of the family of protagonists in Castlevania? (3 points)
29- What does GURPS stand for? (3 points)
30- Other than the title character, name any character from the movie Akira (2 points)
31- In the movie 2001, what does HAL stand for? (4 points)
Check the comments for answers
Comments on Geek Test
Comment Fri, July 7 - 4:35 PM by Brandon
I did pretty crappy, however I do know that the Martian Manhunter has been in all incarnations of the JLA, unlike those other heroes, and as such deserves top billing in your listing of the most common members. That right there should give me a score in the mid 60's. ;)
Comment Fri, July 7 - 8:03 PM by pmd
FYI, Batman never officially joined the Justice League. Even in the latest version Justice League cartoon when they founded it, he said something like "No thanks... Just call me if you guys need any help." When they do, he usually says "I'm busy."
Since the answers are on this page... I'll just post (if it all fits).
1- 42
2- Zero Wing
3- Firefox, Internet Explorer, Mozaic, Lynx, AOL Version 6
4- To Hit Armor Class Zero
5- ?/run away
6- Spoon
7- VMS, Unix, DR-DOS
8- Sting
9- (Penopoli?)
10-
11-
12- Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Green Lantern, The Flash.... NOT Batman
13- Universal Serial Bus
14- Alignment
15- Snake, a Snake (I thought mushroom, but you put ___!,___!)
16- Wil Wheaton
17- VB Script
18- (I'm the eater of souls?!?!)
19- Doom, Half-Life, Silent Hill (and Atari's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial)
20- TK-421
21- Earth
22- The Flux Capacitor
23- Nope, Nope, Street Fighter II, Nope, Katamari Darmacy
24- Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
25- Matrix
26- Ellen Feiss
27- Request for Comments ID number on a wireless networking protocol
28- Belmont
29- Generic Universal Role Playing System
30-
31- (Don't know, but Increment each letter by one in the alphabet.)
Since the answers are on this page... I'll just post (if it all fits).
1- 42
2- Zero Wing
3- Firefox, Internet Explorer, Mozaic, Lynx, AOL Version 6
4- To Hit Armor Class Zero
5- ?/run away
6- Spoon
7- VMS, Unix, DR-DOS
8- Sting
9- (Penopoli?)
10-
11-
12- Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Green Lantern, The Flash.... NOT Batman
13- Universal Serial Bus
14- Alignment
15- Snake, a Snake (I thought mushroom, but you put ___!,___!)
16- Wil Wheaton
17- VB Script
18- (I'm the eater of souls?!?!)
19- Doom, Half-Life, Silent Hill (and Atari's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial)
20- TK-421
21- Earth
22- The Flux Capacitor
23- Nope, Nope, Street Fighter II, Nope, Katamari Darmacy
24- Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
25- Matrix
26- Ellen Feiss
27- Request for Comments ID number on a wireless networking protocol
28- Belmont
29- Generic Universal Role Playing System
30-
31- (Don't know, but Increment each letter by one in the alphabet.)
Comment Fri, July 7 - 8:16 PM by pmd
Oh, and if you're talking about this batman...
That's not the real Batman, that's the guy who does all the PR trips to the shopping centers. The *REAL* Batman is a bit too intense for Family-Folk and he'd never join that little club.
That's not the real Batman, that's the guy who does all the PR trips to the shopping centers. The *REAL* Batman is a bit too intense for Family-Folk and he'd never join that little club.
Comment Fri, July 7 - 9:43 PM by Greg
PMD, looks like you got 80. You are without doubt a geek. I just can't believe you listed AOL Version 6 as a browser. That's barely a step above WebTV! :)
According to wikipedia, the original 1962 justice league did include batman. That's probably pre-dark knight. They cut him out in 1989.
Doom and Half-Life aren't really survival horror. Silent Hill definately is.
Panoply!!!
According to wikipedia, the original 1962 justice league did include batman. That's probably pre-dark knight. They cut him out in 1989.
Doom and Half-Life aren't really survival horror. Silent Hill definately is.
Panoply!!!
Comment Sun, July 9 - 8:37 PM by tagger
Batman was never much of a joiner, being psychotic, super rich and just plain nutso and all.
As for the test, please get REAL! We *did* have computers BBG (Before Bill Gates)
If you want a test, do the one at http://www.armory.com/tests/hacker.html
Also, you may want to read through the Jargon file at http://www.dourish.com/goodies/jargon.html
As for the test, please get REAL! We *did* have computers BBG (Before Bill Gates)
If you want a test, do the one at http://www.armory.com/tests/hacker.html
Also, you may want to read through the Jargon file at http://www.dourish.com/goodies/jargon.html
Comment Sat, July 8 - 10:31 AM by Brandon
Well, in the most recent run of the JLA, they did have a seat for Batman at the table (a seat with his symbol on it), which, in my mind, indicates membership. He may not consider himself a "member" but at the same time, he realized that his actions in the Tower of Babel storyline were ripping the league apart, so he disclosed his secret identity to the rest of the league, an odd thing to do if you don't consider yourself a member.
Greg, if you really want to weed out the true JLA geeks, you should change the question to "Which incarnations of Green Lantern were in which incarnations of the JLA?" ;)
Greg, if you really want to weed out the true JLA geeks, you should change the question to "Which incarnations of Green Lantern were in which incarnations of the JLA?" ;)
Comment Tue, July 11 - 1:29 PM by Greg
I guess the geek test is most appropriate for geeks of my own generation. :-)
Comment Tue, July 11 - 7:21 PM by tagger
Maybe, but I didn't waste my time at DEC in the early 1970s. I find I can still hobble over to my PC and figure out how to get it talking to that ARPA--(oops! sorry!) INTER-net thing. :-)
I can't complain too much--that KI-10 we ended up with in the Mill had way less than 1M of memory (that's 1M of 36-bit words though, so figure less than 4.5 MB).
Maybe the Geek Test is modern art and the Hacker Test & JARGON are ancient history?
I can't complain too much--that KI-10 we ended up with in the Mill had way less than 1M of memory (that's 1M of 36-bit words though, so figure less than 4.5 MB).
Maybe the Geek Test is modern art and the Hacker Test & JARGON are ancient history?
Comment Tue, July 11 - 7:26 PM by pmd
To which generation do you claim affiliation?
Wikipedia again...
Silent Generation 1925-1945
Baby Boomers 1946-1964
Beat Generation 1948-1962
Generation Jones 1954-1965
Consciousness Revolution 1964-1984
Baby Busters 1958-1968
Generation X 1961-1981
MTV Generation 1975-1985
Culture Wars 1984-2005
Boomerang Generation 1981-1986
Generation Y 1977-2003
Internet generation 1986-1999
New Silent Generation 2001-????
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X)
Wikipedia again...
Silent Generation 1925-1945
Baby Boomers 1946-1964
Beat Generation 1948-1962
Generation Jones 1954-1965
Consciousness Revolution 1964-1984
Baby Busters 1958-1968
Generation X 1961-1981
MTV Generation 1975-1985
Culture Wars 1984-2005
Boomerang Generation 1981-1986
Generation Y 1977-2003
Internet generation 1986-1999
New Silent Generation 2001-????
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X)
Comment Tue, July 18 - 4:49 PM by Carl Reyes
I only scored 60 pts. I got all the computer and D&D stuff, but not the star wars, akira, and some other more esoteric stuff. :)
1. The binary number 00101010 equates to...?
The answer is 42. In binary, the rightmost column represents one, the next represents two, the next four, and so on. So 00101010 = 32+8+2 = 42. If you got it right, give yourself 4 points.
2. What video game popularized the phrase "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!"?
Zero Wing. This video game became popular because of its horrible translation. It also included such phrases as "SOMEBODY SET UP US THE BOMB!" and "YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME!" If you said Zero Wing, give yourself 3 points.
3.Name five web browsers.
Any of the following are acceptible.
Although these are the most popular browsers, there are many more valid answers. Give yourself one point for each one you guessed, up to a maximum of three.
4. What does the acronym THAC0 stand for?
THAC0 is an acronym used in 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It stands for To Hit Armor Class 0. Give yourself 3 points if you knew.
5. What type of creature is the spacecraft Moya, and what is her single defensive maneuver?
In the science fiction television show Farscape, Moya is a leviathan; a living spacecraft. And her single defensive maneuver is the starburst, which allows her to travel at near-light speeds. Give yourself 2 points if you knew Moya was a leviathan, and 2 points if you knew about the starburst.
6- What is The Tick's Battle Cry?
Spooon! The Tick is a comic superhero created by Ben Edlund. The Tick appeared in comics in 1986, and in a cartoon on the FOX television network in 1994. Give yourself 3 points if you got it.
7- Name three computer operating systems.
The most obvious three (at least to me) are Windows, Mac's OSX, and some flavor of Linux/Unix. Others may include DOS or Palm OS, but there are many. Give yourself one point each, up to a maximum of three.
8- What is Bilbo's sword's name?
Sting. Bilbo found it in a troll hoard. Although just a dagger to a man, Sting made an excellent weapon for a hobbit. Give yourself 3 points if you got this right.
9- What is Arya Stark's sword's name?
Needle is the name of the sword that was made for Arya Stark in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. This one is worth 4 points.
10- Who was the protagonist in Grim Fandango?
Manny Calavera was the protagonist in the 1998 LucasArts adventure game Grim Fandango. Give yourself 4 points if you knew.
11- In what movie does Jack Burton drive the Pork Chop Express?
Jack Burton was one of Kurt Russell's most memorable characters ever. He appeared in the movie Big Trouble in Little China. Only 2 points for this one.
12- Who are the 5 members of the Justice League?
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern are the most common members of The Justice League, although in different incarnations there have been others. Other valid choices include Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Plastic Man, and Martian Manhunter. Give yourself one point for each correct guess, up to a total of five.
13- What does USB stand for?
Universal Serial Bus. USB cables are a common method for connecting devices and peripherals to computers. 2 points if you knew.
14- Traditionally, in Dungeons and Dragons, what is the chief difference between chromatic and metallic dragons?
If you're a big enough geek to know that chromatic dragons (the red, blue, and black ones) are evil and that metallic dragons (gold, silver, and bronze) are good, give yourself 3 points.
15- Fill in the blank: Badgers, Badgers, Badgers, Badgers, ________! ________!
Mushroom, Mushroom! If you didn't know this one, you miss the 2 points, but you might consider yourself lucky. That damn badgers video has been all over the web for a long time, and once it starts running through your head it may never stop. Did someone tell you to make sure and not miss the ending?
16- Which former cast member of a popular science fiction television program was hated as a character on that show, but has since become a much-loved internet celebrity?
Wil Wheaton was a child actor with major roles in such greats as Stand By Me and Toy Soliders, but gained popularity only when he played Ensign Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. People hated the whiny, annoying character who always came out on top (damn him) but after the series' cancellation, people found that Wil himself was actually pretty damn cool. If you knew about Wil, give yourself 4 points.
17- Analogy: Python is to Visual Basic as PHP is to ASP as Javascript is to _______.
These analogies are all comparing Microsoft languages to their open market equivalents. First for compiled code (Python/VB), then for server-side code (PHP/ASP), and lastly for web scripting. There are two valid answers: VBScript, and JScript. If you knew one of these, you've earned 4 points.
18- What are the names of the male and female halves of The Source through which Aes Sedai can channel The Power?
I'm speaking of course of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and of Saidar and Saidin. 3 points for a correct answer.
19- Name three survival horror video games. Sequels do not count.
Valid answers include, but are not limited to the following.
See A Brief History of Survival Horror or www.survivalhorror.info. Get one point for each title named, up to 3 points.
20- What was the name of the stormtrooper who was not at his post in A New Hope?
TK421. True Star Wars junkies only - others need not apply. If you knew it, congratulations. Here's 4 points.
21- Deep Thought was able to give us the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything, but not the question. What is the name of the computer designed by Deep Thought to calculate The Question?
Earth. Yes, the planet Earth itself. If you knew, here's 3 points. Sorry about your homeworld.
22- What is the name of the device, which when installed in a Delorean, makes time travel possible?
The Flux Capacitor. It requires 1.21 gW of electricity and a speed of 88mph, but it is the Flux Capacitor which actually makes time travel possible in Back to the Future. 3 points if you knew (unless your initials are PMD in which case you only get 2 points, because it was too obvious)
23- Name the video games that the following characters come from: Kratos, Master Chief, Blanka, Jill Redfield, The King of All Cosmos.
Kratos was the (anti)hero from the Playstation 2 title God of War.
Master Chief is the faceless character you play in the XBox Halo series. I still think that under that mask, it's Chuck Norris.
Blanka is the monstrous green electrified fighter from Capcom's Street Fighter series.
Jill Valentine is one of the protagonists in the Resident Evil series, appearing in most of the Resident Evil games.
The King of All Cosmos is a massive, god-like monarch who rules over the cosmos in Katamari Damacy, including all the stars and planets in the sky. Although he grew up on or near Earth, he is constantly perplexed and surprised by the boundless limits of human creativity as expressed by the sheer number of "things" on Earth.
Give yourself 1 point for each game you knew.
24- BASIC is an acronym that stands for what?
Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. 3 points if you knew.
25- From what movie does this quote come? "The digital pimp, hard at work"
This is a quote from The Matrix, from Trinity to Mouse, regarding his offer to Neo to arrange a meeting with The Woman in the Red Dress. 2 points if you got it.
26- Who is this? (pic)
Ellen Feiss. After appearing in an Apple commercial in 2002, she became an internet phenomenon. In the commercial, she complained that her father's Windows PC "was like, bleep bleepbeepbeep" and then "devoured" her school paper, which she then had to rewrite quickly, which was "like... a bummer". Here's the video. For recognising Ellen Feiss, you get 4 points.
27- What is 802.11?
IEEE 802.11 is a very common wi-fi standard for wireless networking. It's so common that you only get 2 points if you knew.
28- What is the surname of the family of protagonists in Castlevania?
Belmont. Although the Castlevania series has had many protagonists, The Belmonts have always been at the heart of things. 3 points.
29- What does GURPS stand for?
You may never have played it, but if you're into tabletop RPGs, you've likely heard of GURPS, the Generic Universal Role Playing System. 3 points for being geek enough.
30- Other than the title character, name any character from the movie Akira
Valid answers include Kaneda and Tetsuo, but there are others.
31- In the movie 2001, what does HAL stand for?
This is the only question in the test that I didn't know the answer to without looking it up. The HAL 9000 is the Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer. A pity I only have 4 points left to give you if you got it, 'cause that was a hard one.
SCORING
Please comment to let me know how you did!
49 points or less
Sorry, you are not a geek.
50-59 points
F. Borderline. If you plan on calling yourself a geek, first spend some serious time at a computer fair or with the unwashed masses at GenCon. Maybe a good bit of geek will rub off on you.
60-69 points
D. Well, you may be a geek, but you need to bone up on your sci-fi, read a couple Robert Jordan books, and spend more time in front of your PC.
70-79 points
C. Good job. You're solidly within geek territory.
80-89 points
B. You're definately a geek. Congrats.
90-99 points
A. Grade A supergeek. Go brag to your friends.
100 points
You're obviously cheating. Subtract 51 points from your score, loser.