Academic Bowl

Atoms

The small building blocks of matter theorized by Niels Bohr and Ernest Rutherford, whose name means "indivisible" in Greek.

Madagascar

A southern African country with capital Antananarivo, known for the Avenue of the Baobabs and the fourth largest island in the world.

Winston Churchill

The Prime Minister of the UK during World War II, known for his speeches including "The Finest Hour" and "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat."

Islam

An Abrahamic religion founded by the prophet Muhammad, characterized by the Five Pillars including the Shahada and Zakat.

Emily Dickinson

An American poet known as the "Belle of Amherst," famous for poems like "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" and "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died."

Mona Lisa

A famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, held in the Louvre, known for its subject's smile and a parody titled L.H.O.O.Q. by Marcel Duchamp.

Friction Force

A non-conservative force that resists motion, symbolized as muk or mus, and is minimized by lubricants.

Gold Mining

The activity of harvesting gold, particularly prominent during the California Gold Rush after James Marshall's discovery in 1848.

The War of the Worlds

A novel by H.G. Wells in which Martians invade England, featuring a protagonist who reflects on humanity's cost of existence.

Galileo Galilei

An Italian physicist who supported the heliocentric model and discovered four moons of Jupiter, known for the phrase "And yet it moves."

Hades

The Greek god of the underworld, known for his realm and his wife Persephone, and associated with the myth of turning his lover Leuce into a poplar tree.

Pearl Harbor

The site of a December 7, 1941, sneak attack by Japan against a U.S. naval base, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.

Piano

A keyboard instrument played by jazz musicians, known for its stride style and often accompanying soloists in a rhythm section.

Fables

Short stories, often attributed to Aesop, that convey moral lessons, including "The Ant and the Grasshopper" and "The Tortoise and the Hare."

Shinzo Abe

The former Prime Minister of Japan who was assassinated in July 2022, linked to the Unification Church.

Infinity

A mathematical concept representing limitlessness, often symbolized by a lemniscate and associated with the cardinality of uncountable sets.

A Christmas Carol

A short novel by Charles Dickens in which Ebenezer Scrooge learns kindness and generosity during the winter holiday.

Mohandas Gandhi

A non-violent activist who led the Indian independence movement and is known for his philosophy of Satyagraha.

Bacteria

Single-celled organisms classified by their shape and reaction to Gram staining, examples include Salmonella and E. coli.

Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.

Hacienda

A large estate or plantation, especially in Spanish-speaking countries, typically associated with agricultural production and a system of debt bondage.

CPU

Central Processing Unit; the primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside the computer.

Sappho

Ancient Greek poet from Lesbos, known for her lyric poetry, particularly her hymns to the goddess Aphrodite.

Jainism

An ancient Indian religion that emphasizes non-violence (ahimsa), truth, and asceticism.

Ants

Insects of the family Formicidae that live in colonies and have a structured organizational system.

Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, traditionally regarded as the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara.

Pythagoras

Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician known for his work in mathematics and music theory.

Boston Tea Party

A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in 1773 in which American colonists rejected British taxation and dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Acadia National Park

A national park located in Maine, known for its scenic coastal landscapes and outdoor activities.

Rubik’s Cubes

3D combination puzzles that challenge users to align colors on a cube's faces, invented by Ernő Rubik.

Magical Realism

Literary genre that incorporates fantastical elements into realistic settings, often used in Latin American literature.

Chinese Zodiac

A 12-year cycle in which each year is represented by an animal, based on a mythological race organized by the Jade Emperor.

Glucose

A simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms and a component of many carbohydrates.

En Pointe

A ballet technique where dancers perform on the extreme tip of the toes; requires specially designed shoes.

Earth

The third planet from the Sun, known to support life and characterized by its diverse ecosystems and water bodies.

Knights

Medieval warriors who served as soldiers, often depicted in tales of chivalry and honor.

Halogens

Group 17 of the periodic table, known for their high reactivity and includes elements like fluorine and chlorine.

Dueling

A prearranged confrontation between two parties, typically involving weapons, to settle a dispute or honor.

Queen Victoria

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901, known for her influential reign during the Victorian Era.

Tools

Objects used by humans and some primates to interact with and manipulate their environment.