Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A capital question with three answers

South Africa is unusual in having three capital cities, each hosting a different branch of government. Pretoria serves as the administrative capital, where the executive sits, while Cape Town is the legislative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial one. The arrangement dates back to the union of the former Boer republics and British colonies in 1910, when a single capital proved too contentious to agree on.

A scream heard around the world

Edvard Munch's "The Scream" exists in more than one version. The Norwegian artist produced several paintings and pastels between 1893 and 1910, along with lithographs that helped spread the image worldwide. Munch described the inspiration as a walk at sunset when the sky turned blood red and he sensed "an infinite scream passing through nature", a feeling of anxiety rather than a literal cry.

Plucking the strings

Pizzicato is a playing technique in which string players pluck the strings with their fingers instead of using the bow. It is common in orchestral music and can range from a gentle harp-like sound to a sharp, percussive snap. Composers sometimes ask for left-hand pizzicato too, where the fingers of the fretting hand do the plucking.

The most abundant element

Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe, making up roughly three-quarters of all ordinary matter. It fuels the stars through nuclear fusion, turning hydrogen into helium and releasing the energy that lights the cosmos. On Earth, however, hydrogen is rarely found on its own and is usually locked up in water and other compounds.

Frangipane, the baker's almond cream

Frangipane is a sweet filling made from ground almonds, butter, sugar and eggs, often used in tarts, galettes and pastries. Despite its name, it has no connection to the frangipani flower, a tropical plant with a similar scent. The confusion is understandable, and the two are sometimes linked in perfume and dessert lore.