Esoteric Knowledge Quiz #3

Do your friends, family, and coworkers accuse you of being a repository of useless information? (Mine do.) Here's your chance to test your knowledge of obscure tidbits...
I've had some help coming up with the questions for this one, so hopefully they represent a broader spectrum of topics.

1. Which was the first toy to be called an action figure?
   
   
   
   1. Barbie
   
   
   2. Captain Action
   
   
   3. G.I. Joe
   
   
   4. Superman
   Thanks to Mark Harris for sending in this question.



2. Which of the following is not a hardwood tree?
   
   
   
   1. Hickory
   
   
   2. Cedar
   
   
   3. Sycamore
   
   
   4. Balsa



3. The 1985 NFL season will forever be remembered by fans for the historically great Chicago Bears defense, which helped power the team to a convincing 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Superbowl XX. But what team lead the league in offense that year?
   
   
   
   1. Chicago Bears
   
   
   2. Miami Dolphins
   
   
   3. San Diego Chargers
   
   
   4. San Francisco 49ers
   Thanks to Dave Gable for sending in this question.



4. What is the traditional well-known TCP/IP port number commonly associated with NNTP?
   
   
   
   1. 17
   
   
   2. 70
   
   
   3. 119
   
   
   4. 179
   For an extra bonus geek point, which one is (or was) commonly associated with gopher?



5. If you have desmodromic valves on your vehicle's engine, what is their function?
   
   
   
   1. Opening and closing the intake and exhaust valves without the use of return springs
   
   
   2. Removing air from the crankcase to lower internal air resistance
   
   
   3. Routing exhaust gases through the engine to help it warm up faster
   
   
   4. Allowing gaseous fuel vapors to be burned alongside liquid fuel
   
   For bonus points, which of the following brands of vehicle is most likely to have these valves?
   
   
   
   1. Ducati
   
   
   2. Peugeot
   
   
   3. Kawasaki
   
   
   4. Honda
   Thanks to Andy Kerr for sending in this two-part question.

Most of the answers are in the comments now.

Past Quizzes: 1, 2

Quiz four is already in the works. If you have questions to contribute to future quizzes, send them in to jonadab@NO SPAM THANKS ANYWAYbright.net with the phrase Esoteric Knowledge Quiz in the subject line (or. if you are on the Wheeitology list, you can just post them there). Thanks!

Esoteric Knowledge Quiz #2

Do your friends, family, and coworkers accuse you of being a repository of useless information? (Mine do.) Here's your chance to test your knowledge of obscure but interesting tidbits...

1. What is the major factor usually blamed for Dutch Disease?
   
   
   
   1. too much lowland in too small an area
   
   
   2. too much of a natural resource
   
   
   3. too many seventeen-year cicadas
   
   
   4. too little magnesium in the diet
   
   



2. What does the word farctate mean?
   
   
   
   1. stuffed full
   
   
   2. fluoroastatic acid
   
   
   3. play in an irresponsible manner
   
   
   4. pass gas



3. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, when Dr. Soong puts the emotion chip intended for Data into Lore, the android sings a song. The song that he sings features two major characters, only one of whom is named in the part that Lore sings. What is the name of the other character?
   
   
   
   1. Abu Hasan
   
   
   2. Kassim Baba
   
   
   3. Enkidu
   
   
   4. Ivan Skavinsky Skavar



4. Which of the following islands is currently claimed by Japan, but controlled by another country?
   
   
   
   1. Atlasov
   
   
   2. Iturup
   
   
   3. Wake Island
   
   
   4. Okinawa



5. The following quote is an excerpt from (a translation of) a letter sent to a civil authority. Who wrote it? "In the second place, I was not even examined, let alone asked what my faith was, much less found guilty of any misdeed. Such a procedure, firstly, is counter to the Jewish law, John 7:51, where Nicodemus says: 'Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?' Yes, it is also counter to the Gentile justice, Acts 25:16, where Festus says, '... it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had opportunity to make defense concerning the charge laid against him.'"
   
   
   
   1. Johann Reuchlin
   
   
   2. Huldrych Zwingli
   
   
   3. Alexander Mack
   
   
   4. Galileo Galilei

The answers have been posted in the comments.