The quiz master is away, but never fear, secret blueprints were delivered via a submarine in Regent’s Canal to the Guardian’s London office, and here we all are. There are 15 questions on general knowledge and vaguely topical trivia to tackle, as well as some hidden Doctor Who references to spot, and Ron from Sparks’ baleful stare to face down. It is just for fun. There are never any prizes. Let us know how you get on in the comments. The Thursday quiz, No 47 1.ON THIS DAY SCIENCE CORNER: Element number 98 in the periodic table was first synthesised on 17 March 1950 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which was then known as the University of California Radiation Laboratory. What is element 98 called? Berkleyium Lawrencium Americium Californium Reveal 2.HAPPY BIRTHDAY: It is Clare Grogan"s birthday today. You can see where this is going. Happy birthday, Clare! What was the name of the band with which she had a UK hit single called Happy Birthday? Aztec Camera Alphaville Altered Images Animotion Reveal 3.ENSEMBLE CASTS: Which 1990s TV show featured these actors as recurring characters – Mitch Pileggi, William B Davis and Nicholas Lea The X-Files Millennium Buffy the Vampire Slayer Charmed Reveal 4.GEOGRAPHY: In modern times the River Nile is regarded as having three main tributaries – well, according to the National Geographic website, anyway. One of them is Atbara. What are the other two called? The Blue Nile and the White Nile The Blue Nile and the Gold Nile The Blue Nile and the Red Nile The Blue Nile and the Yellow Nile Reveal 5.MOON OVER KENTUCKY: That is a 1972 Sparks song where they urge you to "cut your ties with this possessive mother". But that"s not important right now. How far, on average, is Earth"s moon from Earth? 184,400km 284,400km 384,400km 484,400km Reveal 6.MYSTERY SHOPPER: In 1800, Mary Jones was reputed to have walked 26 miles barefoot from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala in Wales to buy what? Medicine for her father, inspiring Betsi Cadwaladr to found the first Welsh mobile nursing practice A Welsh Bible, inspiring the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society A bando, the curved stick used in the 18th-century Welsh sport bando, inspiring the formation of the first Welsh women"s bando team A flock of seagulls, sparking a joyless row in the comments about whether it is a joke about an 80s band or an inaccuracy because there is no such thing as a seagull Reveal 7.FIBONACCI NUMBERS: First described in Indian mathematics, and forming a sequence where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, F₄ is three. But what are the names of the Three Wise Men who visited the baby Jesus in the western church tradition? Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar Melkur, Calufrax and Bandril Malchiel, Caiphas and Bashemath Tom, Joe and Allanah Reveal 8.SWEET BABY CHEESES: Which of these options is NOT a delicious cheese produced in Scotland? Dunsyre Blue Morangie Brie Red Anster Dandie Dinmont Reveal 9.THIS IS A FAKE: The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world and hangs in the Louvre in France. But where was Leonardo da Vinci born? Vinci in Tuscany Padua in Veneto Perugia in Umbria Vigevano in Lombardy Reveal 10.WHO AM I? I am an Irish comic born in Kildare and my credits include guest spots on Taskmaster and Doctor Who and my own show This Way Up? Sharon Horgan Aisling Bea Ardal O"Hanlon Pauline McLynn Reveal 11.WHY THE LONG FACE?: According to the timeline on the British Dressage website, the first known dressage competition was held in the mainland European city of Pressburg. When? 1813 1873 1913 1973 Reveal 12.ON THIS DAY: The unification of Italy is celebrated on 17 March because the Kingdom of Italy was declared on that day in 1861. How many monarchs did the Kingdom of Italy have between 1861 and becoming a republic via a constitutional referendum in 1946? Two Four Six Eight Reveal 13.ALLONS-Y: Wikivoyage lists 23 locations visited by fictional Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne"s Around the World in Eighty Days. No 7 is Mumbai, India. But which coast of India is it on, east or west? East West Reveal 14.THE PLAY"S THE THING: The Staple of News, Every Man in His Humour and The Devil is an Ass are plays generally ascribed to which of these Elizabethan playwrights? Thomas Middleton Christopher Marlow John Fletcher Ben Jonson Reveal 15.MUSIC: In 1990 a remix by DNA of an acapella song called Tom"s Diner by which of these artist was a global smash hit? Alanis Morissette Suzanne Vega Sheryl Crow Kate Bush