A Terrifying Trivia Game!

Which brain structure is primarily responsible for the body's fear response?

• amygdala

• hippocampus

• prefrontal cortex

• cerebellum

What can be said about the probability of dying in a commercial airplane crash compared to other common causes of death?

• leading cause of death worldwide

• higher probability of death than car accidents

• lower probability of death than dying from a lightning strike

• equivalent to dying from a shark attack

All spiders shown are relatively harmless, except one. Which is it?

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Currently, what is the highest skydiving altitude ever recorded?

• 100,000 km

• 40,000 km

• 10,000 km

• 4,000 km

Answer explanation

Alan Eustace is a computer scientist who held the role of Senior Vice President of Knowledge at Google. Over the course of his career, Eustace’s name appeared on ten patents.

His hunger for exploration led Eustace to engage Taber MacCallum, one of the founders of Biosphere 2, to help him plan the highest skydive ever.

On October 24, 2014, Alan Eustace launched from Roswell, New Mexico. Like Baumgartner, he used a helium balloon to reach his altitude but, unlike Baumgartner, he was suspended under his balloon rather than riding on a platform.

Alan Eustace’s jump was recorded from the height of 135,889 feet (41.41 kilometers), making his the highest jump ever, topping even the Red Bull highest skydive. 

Which famous author is known to have suffered from agoraphobia, the fear of open or crowded spaces?

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Winston Churchill was an inspirational statesman, writer, orator and leader who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. However, what particular fear did he have?

• fear of spiders

• fear of heights

• fear of blood

• fear of public speaking

Which famous product is successfully made by its creator who has a documented fear of failure?

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The irrational fear of death is called thanatophobia. What is the origin of the name of this phobia?

• Greek god of death

• Latin for "emptiness" or "void"

• most common form of Roman death sentence

• an ancient Japanese god

Pennywise the Clown is a seemingly immortal entity and the main antagonist for the movie "It", which was based on a book written by horror master Stephen King. How was Pennywise defeated by the protagonists?

• By using an ancient artifact that banishes Pennywise to another dimension

• By uttering a magic spell that binds Pennywise to a rock

• By exposing Pennywise to sunlight, turning him to ashes

• By denouncing their fears, which severely weakens Pennywise to a point that he can be physically damaged

The Titanoboa is said to be the largest snake that ever lived. How large was the snake thought to be?

• 50 feet long, 3 feet wide

• 70 feet long, 3 feet wide

• 100 feet long, 4 feet wide

• 120 feet long, 5 feet wide