Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The misunderstood anthem of Born in the USA

Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A. in 1984, and the title track quickly became one of his most famous songs. Its rousing chorus is often mistaken for simple patriotism, but the lyrics describe a Vietnam War veteran returning home to few opportunities and little support. The contrast between the upbeat sound and the sombre story has made it a lasting topic of discussion in American popular culture.

Why 2 is the oddest prime number

The number 2 is the only even prime number, which makes it unusual in mathematics. Every other even number can be divided by 2, so it automatically fails the definition of a prime. This small fact often surprises people, because primes are usually imagined as odd numbers, yet the very first prime breaks that pattern.

Fitzgerald and a story about time

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Curious Case of Benjamin Button long before the 2008 film adaptation. The short story first appeared in 1922 and follows a man who ages in reverse, beginning life as an old man and growing younger over time. It is one of Fitzgerald's more playful works, quite different from the Jazz Age glamour and tragedy of The Great Gatsby.

New Delhi and India's capital history

New Delhi serves as the capital of India, but it is not simply another name for Delhi. It is a distinct district within the larger National Capital Territory of Delhi. When the British moved the capital from Kolkata to Delhi in the early 20th century, New Delhi was purpose-built as the seat of government, with wide avenues and grand administrative buildings.

Orwell's 1984 and its shifting meaning

George Orwell published Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1949, imagining a future of constant surveillance, propaganda, and the erasure of independent thought. The novel introduced terms such as Big Brother, thoughtcrime, and Newspeak, which have since entered everyday political language. Orwell intended it as a warning about totalitarianism, and its relevance has been debated in very different contexts ever since.