October 9, 2026 Trivia

The 5 dubtrivia questions from October 9, 2026, with answers and explanations.

1. Around the World

   1. The state of Hawaii gets its name from its own indigenous language — but what does the word 'Hawaii' most likely mean in Hawaiian?

   ✓The homeland

   Did you know?

   The name 'Hawaii' is most commonly linked to a Proto-Polynesian word meaning 'homeland' — the same root appears as 'Hawaiki' in Māori tradition, referring to the ancestral homeland from which Polynesian peoples are said to have originally sailed. Some scholars also connect it to the legendary navigator Hawai'iloa.

2. Arts & Sports

   2. Superman's famous 'S' shield is one of the most recognized symbols in pop culture — but in DC Comics lore, what does the 'S' symbol actually represent on Krypton?

   ✓The House of El family crest

   Did you know?

   In DC Comics canon — and in the 2013 film 'Man of Steel' — the 'S' is the crest of the House of El (Superman's birth family) and as well, represents the Kryptonian symbol for 'hope,' not the letter S at all.

3. K12

   3. The asteroid that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs struck Earth about 66 million years ago — but roughly how wide was that asteroid?

   ✓About 6 miles wide

   Did you know?

   The Chicxulub impactor is estimated to have been about 6 miles (10 km) wide — roughly the height of Mount Everest. The impact released energy billions of times more powerful than any nuclear weapon, triggering wildfires, tsunamis, and a years-long 'impact winter.'

4. News & Pop Culture

   4. James Bond is one of cinema's most iconic characters — but why does shaking a martini (rather than stirring it) actually matter scientifically?

   ✓Shaking chills it faster but slightly dilutes it with water from the ice

   Did you know?

   Shaking cools the drink more rapidly than stirring but also chips the ice, adding slightly more water dilution and tiny air bubbles — which some purists argue bruises the gin's flavor. Bond's preference is scientifically defensible for temperature, but debatable for taste.

5. Tech

   5. The 'like' button on Facebook is now iconic — but what was it almost called before engineers settled on 'Like'?

   ✓'Awesome'

   Did you know?

   Facebook's team debated calling the button 'Awesome' before Mark Zuckerberg pushed for 'Like' as simpler and more universal. The button launched in 2009 and fundamentally changed how people interact online.