Wednesday, September 2, 2026

These are the 10 questions BrainRank served to the whole world on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 — now over, with every answer revealed and explained. Reading time only; the score no longer counts.

1. nature

   Which are the only mammals capable of true, sustained flight?

   • Squirrels
   • Sugar gliders
   • Bats
   • Flying fish

   Answer: Bats

   Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight; others only glide.

2. mythology

   In Norse mythology, what is the name of the great tree that connects the nine worlds?

   • Gleipnir
   • Sleipnir
   • Yggdrasil
   • Gungnir

   Answer: Yggdrasil

   Yggdrasil is the world tree linking the nine worlds of Norse cosmology.

3. everyday-science

   A rainbow forms mainly because sunlight is bent and split as it passes through what?

   • Clouds of dust
   • Droplets of water in the air
   • Layers of warm air
   • Panes of glass

   Answer: Droplets of water in the air

   Raindrops refract and disperse sunlight into its colors, forming a rainbow.

4. language

   Which word is the best antonym of 'transparent'?

   • Clear
   • Opaque
   • Glassy
   • Sheer

   Answer: Opaque

   'Opaque' (not letting light through) is the opposite of 'transparent'; the others are near-synonyms.

5. everyday-science

   What is the hardest substance in the human body?

   • Bone
   • Fingernail
   • Cartilage
   • Tooth enamel

   Answer: Tooth enamel

   Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body.

6. everyday-science

   What is lightning during a thunderstorm?

   • Burning gas in the clouds
   • A large electrical discharge
   • Reflected sunlight
   • Falling static dust

   Answer: A large electrical discharge

   Lightning is a sudden electrical discharge between or within clouds and the ground.

7. arts

   In pottery, what is the spinning device used to shape clay called?

   • Kiln
   • Potter's wheel
   • Loom
   • Lathe

   Answer: Potter's wheel

   A potter's wheel is the rotating device used to shape clay vessels.

8. mythology

   In Greek mythology, which musician charmed the rulers of the underworld with his lyre but lost his wife by looking back?

   • Midas
   • Narcissus
   • Adonis
   • Orpheus

   Answer: Orpheus

   Orpheus won Eurydice's release with his music but glanced back too soon and lost her.

9. science

   What is the term for a substance changing directly from a solid to a gas?

   • Condensation
   • Melting
   • Sublimation
   • Freezing

   Answer: Sublimation

   Sublimation is the direct transition from solid to gas without passing through the liquid phase.

10. science

    Which unit is used to measure energy?

    • Newton
    • Kelvin
    • Joule
    • Hertz

    Answer: Joule

    The joule (J) is the SI unit of energy.