Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Baku, the city that sits below sea level

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, lies on the Absheron Peninsula along the Caspian Sea and is one of the lowest-lying capital cities in the world, sitting roughly 28 metres below sea level. The city's old walled core, known as Icherisheher, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its skyline mixes medieval stone architecture with modern towers. Azerbaijan's oil wealth has long shaped the city's identity, with the region among the earliest places in the world where industrial oil extraction took place.

Dysprosium and the elements with hard-to-guess symbols

Dysprosium takes its name from the Greek word for "hard to get", a nod to how difficult it was for chemists to isolate. Its symbol, Dy, follows the same two-letter logic as most elements, though a handful of symbols come from older Latin names, such as Au for gold and Fe for iron. Rare earth elements like dysprosium are used in high-strength magnets found in wind turbines, electric motors and headphones.

Ethology: the science of animal behaviour

Ethology is the study of animal behaviour, often in natural settings rather than laboratories. It became a recognised field through the work of researchers such as Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1973. Their work helped explain instincts, mating rituals and social structures across species, from geese to honeybees.

Goulash and Hungary's pastoral past

Goulash, or gulyas, is a soup or stew that takes its name from the Hungarian word for "herdsman". Traditionally cooked in a kettle over an open fire, it was a practical meal for cattle herders on the plains. Its defining spice is paprika, which became central to Hungarian cooking only after peppers arrived from the Americas.

The Alhambra and Moorish Spain

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex in Granada, Spain, built largely during the Nasrid dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries. Its name comes from the Arabic for "the red one", likely referring to the colour of its walls. The site is famous for its intricate stucco work, courtyards and water features, and it remains one of the clearest surviving examples of Moorish architecture in Europe.