Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-12-2025 — The Great Smog

5th December, 2025: the Great Smog.

Right … that’s that Christmassy task done … 

Yes: I’ve officially made a mess … by wrapping presents … !

OK … there’s not many presents.

And a chunk of them are gift cards, so didn’t need much in the way of wrapping.

But … ?

It’s the job done for another year.

~≈🎁≈~

I caught this video a couple of days ago.

It’s one that tells us more and more government departments are adopting Huawei-made PCs, PCs that come equipped with HarmonyNext OS, the Chinese developed operating system.

Including, apparently, in many government departments.

I grant you: being reliant on one operating system isn’t necessarily a good thing.

If there’s an undiscovered bug in Windows 11, word gets around, quick.

But … ?

The Chinese government encouraging Chinese use of the OS — by consumers, companies and government departments — means it’s encouraging those same people to not use Microsoft, Google or Apple products.

All three are American companies: and outside of anyone’s control, but America’s.

The net result?

Is that China is promoting its own digital sovereignty: promoting the idea that — inside its borders — it’s going to prefer to use Chinese produced technology, that Chinese data stays controlled by China.

Personally?

I’ve always felt the UK should be doing something similar.

After all, the British made Ubuntu Linux has been around for years.

But it’s only recently Britain’s introduced laws to protect the vulnerable in the UK: and that BT has announced its digital sovereignty ambitions.

Should the UK take a cue from Beijing?

I think so … 

~≈📀≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with both scoring five out of five.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        5th December saw the start of the Great Smog.   Of where: London, Manchester or Liverpool?

Q2)        The Smog started on 5th December: of which year of the 1950s?

Q3)        The word, ‘smog’, is a portmanteau.   Is a combination, in other words, of the words ‘smoke’ and what: fog, bog or hog?

Q4)        The Smog was blamed, in part, on the heavy use of nutty slack. Nutty slack is a kind of cheap what: coal, uranium or petrol?

Q5)        That fuel’s use led to an increase in what: sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide or hydrogen hydroxide>?

Q6)        The weather contributed to the Smog: when a high pressure area settled over the city.   This sort of area is called what: a cyclone, anticyclone or piteraq?

Q7)        One well known Netflix series featured the Smog: in the fourth episode of series one.   The fourth episode of series one of what: Stranger Things, The Crown or Slow Horses?

Q8)        According to the Wikipedia entry on the Smog, people could buy smog masks.   From whom: pub landlords, chemists or brain surgeons?

Q9)        ‘Forog’ was an episode about the Smog.   An episode of what: Round the Horne, That Was The Week That Was or The Goon Show?

Q10)        Finally … ?   The Smog led to Parliament passing what: the Clean Air Act of 1956, the Clean Air Act of 1968 or the Clean Air Act of 1993?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        4th December is the feast day of Saint Barbara.   She’s a patron saint of whom: firemen, police officers or nurses?

A1)        Fireman.

Q2)        Benjamin Britten died on 4th December, 1976.   He found fame as a what: composer, saxophonist or director?

A2)        A composer.

Q3)        4th December is the International Day of what: schools, banks or town halls?

A3)        Banks.

Q4)        The abandoned Mary Celeste was found on 4th December, 1872.   In which ocean: the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean?

A4)        The Atlantic Ocean.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Edith Cavell was born on 4th December, 1865.   She was a famous what: doctor, surgeon or nurse?

A5)        Nurse.

Here’s an observation …

“Government medical reports in the weeks following the event estimated that up to 4,000 people had died as a direct result of the smog and 100,000 more were made ill by the smog’s effects on the human respiratory tract.”

From the Wikipedia entry on the event.

A song about pollution …

And an earworm …

The next ten question set is on 17th December, 2025: it’s about Ludwig van Beethoven.

Your comments will be published, and today’s questions answered, in tomorrow’s Teaser.

The author avoids AI, when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        Yeah, I had noticed how short your comments were, Debbi: I hope the therapy helps with today’s set.   Hopefully, today’s answers are short!

        (Can you let Rick know about Saint Barbara, please?   OK, he’s probably not too worried, but … … )