Answers to the Strategist quiz (#461)

1. What's the connection between the acoustics design for the UN General Assembly Hall and the modern usage of the @ symbol in the internet era.
   
   The @ symbol was brought into usage in the Internet world in 1971 when Ray Tomlinson, who worked for BBN Technologies, was helping the US government develop the Arpanet, forerunner of the internet. This company founded by professors at MIT started life as an acoustical consulting company in 1948. Their first contract was consultation for the design of the acoustics of the United Nations Assembly Hall in New York
    
2. Whose lines are these and what does this represent - "Let us suppose now that one day a ____ flies over this community and drops an additional $1,000 in bills from the sky, which is, of course, hastily collected by members of the community. Let us suppose further that everyone is convinced that this is a unique event which will never be repeated."
   
   Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman is known to have coined "helicopter money" in the famous paper "The Optimum Quantity of Money". It has been proposed as an alternative to quantitative easing when interest rates are close to zero and the economy remains weak or enters recession
    
3. In this country homeware is made out of clay and cow excrement. When translated into to English it means "baked shit". Tiles, tableware, flowerpots and fittingly, toilet bowls are being made out of it. They are also being displayed in the World's first Shit Museum. Name the material and the country where it is being made.
   
   Merdacotta from Italy
    
4. This tech billionaire was highly influenced by the mimetic theory propounded by a French philosopher. It states that most of human behaviour is based upon imitation. He has also authored a book titled "Zero to One". Name him.
   
   Peter Thiel
    
5. What is the term used for selling products that are custom created, typically with images from the customer. 3D printers are coming in handy for such purposes.
   
   Me-tailing - retailing in a social networking era
    
6. Which company is using the code name Titan for its next project and what is it about?
   
   Apple's electric/self-driving car project
    
7. Whose ad campaign is titled "A salute to the stars behind the stars"?It recognises unsung heroes.
   
   TVS Star City and TVS Sport
    
8. Connect the characters X-Men, Hellboy, Thor, Fantastic 4, Tron, GI Joe, Spider Man, Catwoman, Daredevil, The Green Hornet to Space-X and what do you arrive at?
   
   SpaceX is hiring Hollywood designer Jose Fernandez to create the uniforms and "spacesuits" for use in its off-earth voyages. He was the designer for all the Hollywood characters listed in the question
    
9. Which brand is now sporting these lines on its packaging and why: "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, Indivisible since 1776"? It also is using a punch line "America is in your hands"?
   
   Budweiser. It has temporarily rebranded its beer as America with these lines on the packaging
    
10. Name the brand from its logo.
    
    
    Logo after Fisker Automotive has rebranded itself as Fisker Karma

There were 10 correct entries to quiz No 461. Vidhi Bhandari from Jaipur wins Rs 2,000. The winner is based on the first correct entry received.