The Atlantic’s Week 8 Trivia Challenge: Pennies, Matcha, and Lady Liberty
This week’s trivia from The Atlantic covered a surprising range of topics, from the fate of the humble penny to the evolving symbolism of a national monument. Here are the questions and answers:
- What metal is largely responsible for the impending removal of pennies from circulation, due to its low recycling value?
– From Caity Weaver’s “Pennies Are Trash Now”
Answer: Zinc. Penny minting has stopped, and the coins’ zinc composition makes them unappealing to recycle, leaving 300 billion pennies as a national issue.
- What beverage is traditionally made of ground tencha leaves, prepared with a whisk, and drunk from a ceramic bowl called a cha-wan?
– From Ellen Cushing’s “The [REDACTED] Problem”
Answer: Matcha. The article explores the tension between traditional matcha readiness and its surging demand in modern, often sugary, beverages.
- Broken chains and shackles were originally intended to be held in the left hand of what American landmark before a new design replaced those items with a tablet?
– From Clint Smith’s “Tell Students the Truth About American history”
Answer: The Statue of Liberty. The statue was initially designed to celebrate the abolition of slavery, and the design change raises questions about making the monument “more palatable” to a wider audience.
Additionally, The Atlantic noted the historical precedent of discontinuing low-value coinage, recalling that the United States produced half-cent pieces-100 percent copper and featuring various depictions of Lady Liberty-for over six decades. These coins, roughly the size of a modern quarter, had a purchasing power equivalent to about 17 cents today but were deemed insufficiently valuable in 1857. This historical context suggests the nickel and dime might also face scrutiny as the goverment reconsiders coin production.
