A list of puzzling questions
Editor’s note: Every week, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer, and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.
How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Monday. We email the winner at the end of the month with details of the grand prize.
Rule to note: We will pick winners each month using a lucky draw.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom—as are the winners for the month of June.
One: Who’s sneaking in a quick camera break while teaming up with a lab partner for some terrestrial experiments?
Two: Connect the elements below to work out a brief celebration of the written word.
a) The man behind the machine
b) Designers of the aluminium sculpture
c) First of the seven
Three: Who sported this cool vest on his unforgettable outing?
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the previous edition of the splainer quiz:
One: Where did you spot this recently? What is the design inspired by? (5+5)
Answer: Headingley Cricket Ground and Yorkshire White Rose
India lost the first Test against England at Headingley despite scoring five centuries, a historic first. England chased down 371 to win by five wickets, marking the second-highest successful chase in England and the highest ever at Headingley (a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire). But did you notice the four pretty 56-metre floodlights designed by Abacus Limited? Each light features a head frame shaped like the Yorkshire White Rose, a symbol long seen across the streets of York. The White Rose of York, a symbol adopted in the 14th century by the royal House of York, was originally a heraldic badge. The white rose became deeply associated with the city of York over time, a connection later reinforced by Victorian-era romanticism. It is also seen as a symbol of purity and innocence in Christian tradition.
Two: Connect the elements below to work out a natural kingdom.
a) Entrance to a UNESCO World Heritage site
b) Focus on the tip
c) Eco-warrior extraordinaire
Answer: Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort, which is situated within the park's boundaries. According to the park’s website, “Ranthambore" is derived from the names of two hills in the area: "Ran" and "Thambore" (or "Thambor"). The fort itself lies on the Thambore hill. It is one of the six hill forts of Rajasthan, inscribed with the World Heritage status by UNESCO. Noted wildlife conservationist and author of nearly 50 books on tigers, Valmik Thapar, passed away in Delhi on May 31, 2025. A lifelong champion of Ranthambore’s tigers, he co-founded the Ranthambhore Foundation, working with villages around the reserve for decades.
Last month, Ranthambore also lost one of its most beloved tigresses, Arrowhead (T-84), who died from illness. Granddaughter of the legendary Machli (the most photographed tiger in the world), Arrowhead’s passing was deeply mourned by wildlife lovers across the country.
Three: Name the sports team represented by the images below. The left image represents its previous brand identity, while the right offers a hint to its current one. (5+5)
Answer: Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder franchise began as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1968 and won its only title there in 1979. After relocating in 2008, the team clinched Oklahoma City’s first major pro sports championship last month. Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they became the NBA champions after defeating the Pacers 103–91 in Game 7. The Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 after years of financial struggles, failed arena negotiations, and public funding disputes. You can read more about the move here. The left image shows a shock wave created as a result of a sonic boom, while thunder is the sound that follows a flash of lightning.
And the super quizzer for June is…
Anita Rao Kashi! Congratulations for acing the splainer quiz! We will be emailing you soon with details of your prize.
Note: We didn’t use a lucky draw for the monthly winners this time as the scores had a straightforward winner.
Here is the leaderboard at the end of June. Congratulations to the lucky three for acing the splainer quiz!
