General Science Quiz: Astronomy, Biology, and Medicine

Both Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) are antiviral medications approved for the treatment and prevention of swine flu. Therefore, option C (Both the above) is the correct answer.

As of the knowledge context when this question was framed, the WHO had not established a specific timeline for swine flu vaccine availability. Option C (Not known) reflects this uncertainty at the time.

Newborns have approximately 300 bones which fuse together to form 206 adult bones. The dialogue hints at 206 (adult count), making this a tricky question - many select the distractor they recognize from the setup.

Magicicada cicadas emerge in prime-numbered years (13 or 17) to minimize predator synchronization and reduce competition. This evolutionary strategy makes their emergence patterns less predictable. Fibonacci, perfect squares, and binomial coefficients don't explain this phenomenon.

The average distance between the Sun and Earth is called an Astronomical Unit (AU). It equals approximately 149.6 million kilometers or 93 million miles. This unit is commonly used to measure distances within our solar system. Solar Distance, Terrestrial Unit, and Celestial Unit are not standard astronomical terms.

Uranus and Venus are the only two planets in our solar system that rotate in the opposite direction (retrograde rotation) compared to most other planets. Uranus rotates on its side, and Venus has a very slow retrograde rotation. All other planets rotate in the same general direction (prograde).

A light year is a unit of distance, not time. It measures the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum, which is approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers. Despite having year in its name, it measures distance, not time, weight, or light intensity.

The dark spots on the Sun, called sunspots, are caused by intense local magnetic fields. These magnetic fields inhibit convection, making those regions cooler and appear darker than the surrounding areas. They are not caused by craters, volcanoes, or lack of hydrogen.

Halley's Comet is the most famous short-period comet, visible from Earth every 75-76 years. Its regular appearance has been documented since ancient times, with the most recent perihelion occurring in 1986. The other comets listed have different orbital periods or are one-time events.

A cell phone is fundamentally a sophisticated radio that transmits and receives voice signals through radio waves. Unlike traditional radios which primarily receive broadcast signals, cell phones use two-way radio communication to both transmit and receive calls. Voice processing and data recording are functions of cell phones but not their fundamental technology.