Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The census before Caesar

Long before Rome counted its citizens, the Babylonians were already recording their populations on clay tablets. These early counts served practical purposes: taxation, military conscription and food distribution. The word "census" itself comes from the Latin censere, meaning "to assess", a reminder that the practice has always been tied to governance rather than curiosity.

A vitamin that builds bones

Rickets, once a common childhood disease in industrial cities, is caused by a lack of vitamin D. The vitamin helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate, the raw materials of bone. Sunlight on the skin triggers vitamin D production, which is why the condition became known as a disease of smoggy, sun-starved streets in the nineteenth century.

Canada's compromise capital

Ottawa was not an obvious choice for a national capital. Both Montreal and Toronto had stronger claims, and the rivalry between English- and French-speaking communities made either option contentious. Queen Victoria settled the matter in 1857, choosing a smaller town on the Ottawa River that sat safely away from the American border and balanced the two linguistic groups.

Why gold is Au

The symbol Au for gold comes from the Latin aurum, meaning "shining dawn". Unlike many element symbols that match their English names, several metals carry these classical abbreviations: iron is Fe from ferrum, lead is Pb from plumbum, and silver is Ag from argentum. It is a small reminder that Latin once served as the shared language of European science.

The fossilised nickname of Bud Spencer

Carlo Pedersoli was an Italian swimmer and water polo player before he became Bud Spencer, the burly half of the famous comedy duo with Terence Hill. The pair made dozens of films together, often playing brawling, bean-eating drifters. The Piedone movies gave Spencer a solo franchise, with his character Inspector Rizzo solving crimes in Naples.