A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz: Easy like Sunday morning – I spy with my little eye!
British author Ian Fleming flanked by artwork from his famous novels.
START THE QUIZ
1 / 10 |
On October 5, 1962, this film was released in the U.K. It was the first of a series, which, as of now, comprises 27 films. All of them are based on the novels by real-life intelligence officer Ian Fleming. Titled Dr. No, it was responsible for introducing what iconic phrase while introducing the main character of the series?
Answer : The name is Bond, James Bond
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2 / 10 |
The CIA is constantly developing tools for its agents to use in the field. During the Cold War, a top-secret manual was written by John Mulholland. It was a guide on trickery and deception. What profession was Mulholland involved in to give this information?
3 / 10 |
Renaissance-era scientist, Giambattista della Porta used to send secret messages to his imprisoned friends using a commonly found object. He would write on its outer shell with invisible ink. Since the shell was porous, the ink was absorbed into the item inside. The receiver just needed to break the shell and read it. What item is this?
4 / 10 |
The CIA is based in Langley, Virginia, which has more than 20,000 employees. There is one store run by a company famous for writing down the names of the customers (famously misspelling them many times). This outlet is the only one where they don’t ask for a name or even a number, as it could lead to their identity being uncovered. Which store is this?
5 / 10 |
This powerful person has a very distinctive way of walking, where he doesn’t move his right hand at all. Known as the Gunslinger’s gait, this is due to his experience as a KGB agent carrying weapons for many years. Who is this person?
6 / 10 |
During the Cold War, Russia was able to identify a huge number of American spies, thanks to a very subtle but important device. Those used by Russians would leave a light brown rust stain, whereas the ones used by Americans were high-quality and rust-proof. What tiny item important for documentation was this that gave away the Americans?
7 / 10 |
North Korea had/has a programme where they kidnap and hold regular people from Japan, France and Romania. Although not spies who can provide information, they are made to provide another service to train the North Korean officers. What service is this which helps them understand the world better?
8 / 10 |
John Scobell was a former slave who had educated himself and earned his freedom. When the Civil War broke out, he worked undercover in the South with Confederate officers. What racial prejudice of the officers allowed him to gather information and pass it to the North?
Answer : They assumed he was illiterate and left plans around
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9 / 10 |
In 2024, Mumbai police captured a ‘spy’ and kept the spy under arrest for eight months because of ‘flight risk’. What tipped off the police were strange markings on a ring around the leg. Later, it was discovered that it was an ID tag for a racing team in Taiwan. What ‘spy’ was this that had a bird’s eye view of Mumbai?
10 / 10 |
There are certain words known as ‘Shibboleth’ which, when pronounced, can be used to identify a certain community. American soldiers used this word to identify Japanese spies, as they would mispronounce it as ‘Rorrarooza’. What word is this that excites music fans in India every year?
