World Scholars Cup 2025 Topics

Which country is used as an initial example of a government project that promised "super-fast fiber-based Internet" but faced revisions and delays?

• Canada

• Japan

• Australia

• United States

• China

Answer explanation

Australia is the country referenced as an example of a government project that aimed to provide "super-fast fiber-based Internet" but encountered significant revisions and delays in its implementation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared loneliness a pressing global health threat in what year?

• 2009

• 2013

• 2021

• 2023

• This information is not provided in the text.

Answer explanation

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared loneliness a pressing global health threat in 2023, highlighting its significance as a public health issue.

Which of the following is NOT listed as a potential negative consequence of the oversaturation of news, particularly negative stories?

• Constant stress

• A skewed worldview

• Exposure to violent images and videos

• Increased government regulation

• People checking their phones during meals with friends or family

Answer explanation

Increased government regulation is not a direct consequence of news oversaturation. The other options relate to personal stress and behavior changes due to constant exposure to negative news.

According to the UN Development Programme, living conditions in what percentage of the world's countries declined for the second consecutive year in 2021?

• 50%

• 75%

• 90%

• 100%

• The percentage is not mentioned.

Answer explanation

In 2021, the UN Development Programme reported that living conditions declined in 90% of the world's countries for the second consecutive year, highlighting a significant global trend of worsening conditions.

Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated American President James Garfield, believed he had a "close personal connection" with Garfield. What term does the text use to describe these one-sided relationships, which have surged due to the Internet?

• Social distancing

• Hyper-connectivity

• Parasocial relationships

• Algorithmic engagement

• False hopes

Answer explanation

The term 'parasocial relationships' describes one-sided connections where individuals feel a personal bond with someone they don't know, often intensified by the Internet, as seen in Guiteau's delusion about Garfield.

Which ancient divination technique involves interpreting the entrails of sacrificed animals?

• Bibliomancy

• Haruspicy

• Ornithomancy

• Oneiromancy

• Hydromancy

Answer explanation

Haruspicy is the ancient divination technique that involves interpreting the entrails of sacrificed animals. This practice was common in ancient Rome and Etruria, distinguishing it from other forms of divination like bibliomancy or ornithomancy.

Besides Nostradamus, which theoretical physicist is mentioned for his side business of predicting the future in books like Physics of the Future?

• Robert Frost

• William Butler Yeats

• Michio Kaku

• Ted Chiang

• Sam Hughes

Answer explanation

Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist known for his work in popular science and futurism, including his book 'Physics of the Future', where he discusses predictions about technology and society.

Which of the following artworks about "The Fortune Teller" was created by Georges de la Tour?

• The Fortune Teller (c. 1595)

• The Fortune Teller (c. 1630)

• The Fortune Teller (1895)

• The Fortune Teller (1922)

• The Fortune Teller (Woman in a Yellow Dress) (1926)

Answer explanation

Georges de la Tour created "The Fortune Teller" around 1630, known for its dramatic use of light and shadow. The other options are either from different artists or time periods.

Which of these is a term related to chaos theory, focusing on how small changes can have large, seemingly unpredictable impacts?

• Confirmation bias

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Barnum effect

• Butterfly effect

• Pygmalion effect

Answer explanation

The term 'Butterfly effect' in chaos theory describes how small changes in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes, illustrating the unpredictability of complex systems.

The Chinese agricultural calendar is highlighted as a reliable "not-quite scientific method" of predicting the future, based on centuries of observing what?

• Planetary alignment and lunar eclipses

• Weather patterns and celestial body movements

• Ocean tides and volcanic activity

• Animal migration and geological shifts

• Solar flares and cosmic radiation

Answer explanation

The Chinese agricultural calendar relies on centuries of observations of weather patterns and celestial body movements, making it a practical method for predicting agricultural outcomes.