Bachelor of Liberal Arts: A Nose for the Liberal Arts Flashcards

Which of these locations is home to a well-known example of 20th-century architecture that closely resembles a group of overlapping noses?

Answer: Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Opera House, located in Sydney, Australia, is a world-renowned example of 20th-century architecture. Its distinctive shell-like roofs, designed by Jørn Utzon, are often described as resembling a series of overlapping sails or, as the question playfully suggests, 'overlapping noses,' making it a globally recognized landmark.

History: Whose life would have been different if her nose had been shorter, according to a popular belief?

Answer: Cleopatra VII of Egypt

The famous quote, often attributed to the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, states, 'Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed.' This refers to the idea that Cleopatra's beauty, particularly her distinctive nose, was so captivating that it influenced powerful Roman leaders like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, thereby altering the course of history.

Which of these Greek terms depicts a nose-related action that is often seen as socially unacceptable?

Answer: Rhinotillexis

'Rhinotillexis' is the medical term for nose-picking. While it's a common human habit, it is often considered socially unacceptable or impolite in many cultures. The other options refer to medical examinations of the nose (rhinoscopy), a large-nosed animal (rhinoceros), or surgical nose alteration (rhinoplasty), none of which depict a socially unacceptable action.

Literature: Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, a Russian novelist of Ukrainian descent, penned "The Nose" in 1836. Which of these additional pieces did it NOT influence?

Answer: A book by Daniel J. Boorstin

Nikolai Gogol's satirical short story 'The Nose' has indeed inspired various adaptations and interpretations, including an opera by Dmitri Shostakovich and an animated film by Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker. However, Daniel J. Boorstin was an American historian and writer, and there is no known connection between his works and Gogol's 'The Nose,' making his book the one that was not influenced by it.

I thought I heard my kids debating a mathematical theory when they said, "This bear on the hippo's nose has sequins from Mum Bear for another two trips," but it turns out that my hearing isn't what it used to be.

Answer: Pythagoras of Samos

The phrase 'This bear on the hippo's nose has sequins from Mum Bear for another two trips' is a mnemonic device used to remember the Pythagorean theorem: 'A squared plus B squared equals C squared.' The sounds in the phrase are designed to help recall the mathematical formula attributed to Pythagoras, which relates the sides of a right-angled triangle.

Painting: I recently came upon a painting by the man with the mustache, which was that one with the big-nosed face on sticks. Which artist's name have I forgotten?

Answer: Salvador Dali

The description 'the man with the mustache, which was that one with the big-nosed face on sticks' strongly points to Salvador Dalí. He was a prominent Spanish Surrealist artist known for his distinctive upturned mustache and often depicted distorted, dreamlike figures in his paintings, including those with exaggerated features or elongated forms, which could be interpreted as 'big-nosed faces on sticks.'

Which of these nasal-sounding Rationalist philosophers was a well-known fictional valet's go-to pick for reading material?

Answer: Baruch de Spinoza

Baruch de Spinoza was a prominent Rationalist philosopher whose works, particularly his 'Ethics,' are known for their rigorous, geometric style. He is famously cited as the favorite philosopher of Jeeves, the highly intelligent and cultured fictional valet in P.G. Wodehouse's stories. Jeeves often recommends Spinoza's writings to his employer, Bertie Wooster, for intellectual stimulation.