Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A country with two names

Thailand was known internationally as Siam until 1939, when it was officially renamed. The word "Thai" is often translated as "free", and the country takes pride in never having been colonised by a European power. The old name still lingers in everyday language: Siam Square in Bangkok, Siam Paragon mall and the Siam commercial bank all keep the historic label alive.

David Lean and the desert epic

Lawrence of Arabia, released in 1962, was directed by David Lean, who had already won acclaim for Brief Encounter and Bridge on the River Kwai. The film follows T. E. Lawrence, the British officer who fought alongside Arab forces during the First World War. Its sweeping desert photography, shot on location in Jordan and Morocco, helped make it one of the most celebrated historical epics ever made.

The chemistry of symbols

Boron's chemical symbol is simply B, which is easy to confuse with Be (beryllium) and Br (bromine). Boron is a metalloid used in everything from fibreglass and detergents to specialised glassware. Its name comes from borax, a mineral that has been traded for centuries and was once used in soldering and preserving food.

Two capitals, two very different cities

Tanzania's capital is Dodoma, a decision made in 1973 to move government functions inland from the coastal metropolis of Dar es Salaam. Dodoma officially became the capital in 1996, though Dar es Salaam remains the country's largest city and commercial hub. It is a reminder that a capital city is not always the biggest or most famous one.

Huxley's brave prediction

Aldous Huxley published Brave New World in 1932, imagining a society engineered for stability and pleasure rather than freedom. The novel's ideas about conditioning, mood-altering drugs and manufactured happiness still fuel debates about technology and control. Huxley came from a distinguished scientific family, which gave his futuristic vision an unusual degree of credibility.