Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-2-2026 — Brave New World (Ten Questions)

4th February, 2026: Brave New World.

Right then … it’s Wednesday … !

Which means — as my nephew, Jude, was over, last night … ? — that it’s time for another of his videos!

You’re officially making ‘YAY’ noises, aren’t you … ?

~≈⚽️≈~

The former BBC2 series, Mock the Week, has been revived: on its new channel, TLC.

In a new, extended, form.

I caught the repeated, first episode, last night.

It was an hour long: in part, due to the various ad breaks.

It’s still funny … but I don’t think the ad-breaks, or the extended run-time, appealed … !

~≈📢≈~

Which reminds me … 

There’s a few TV shows I want to watch, then review: including the last series of Stranger Things, and Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy.

That’s going to have to wait, though, I think: until after my piece on the Ralph Bakshi version of The Lord of the Rings.

Which should be today.

Here’s hoping!

~≈🧙‍♂️≈~

As a last thought … ?

I’ve now, officially, deactivated my X/Twitter account.

And, surprisingly?

It’s not because of Elon Musk, or his politics.

Granted, I didn’t — and don’t — like what I know of his beliefs: but they didn’t stop my enjoyment of X, as a site.

I’ve met someone nice people as a result of being on the thing.

No, what’s got me leaving?

I have, for some sixteen odd years, advertised both this blog, and my YouTube videos, on X.

Quite repetitively so, in fact.

And, in the past few weeks?

Had my account limited.

Because those posts have been seen as spam, and — ha! — inauthentic!

So, after a lot of thinking?

I’ve deactivated my X account.

After thirty days, after 4th March, 2026, anyone using my account, @Cuddy2977, isn’t going to be me.

Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Mastodon, Instagram and Bluesky.

~≈X≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Olga† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with everyone 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)        Brave New World was first published on 4th February.   Of which year of the 1930s?

Q2)        It was published by which company: Atlantic Books, Bloomsbury or Chatto and Windus?

Q3)        Who wrote Brave New World: Aldous Huxley, Thomas Huxley or George Orwell?

Q4)        The book’s setting — the World State — was a what: a dystopia or a utopia?

Q5)        What’s the opposite of that type of setting: a utopia or a dystopia?

Q6)        The people of the World State all revere whom: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford or Samuel Morse?

Q7)        One of the main characters is Bernard who: Marx, Stalin or Goebbels?

Q8)        Bernard is a member of one of the World State’s five broad whats: guilds, unions or castes?

Q9)        The characters in Brave New World all take a drug called what: soma, spice or slo-mo?

Q10)        Finally … ?   Brave New World takes its name from a play by William Shakespeare.   Which play: Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest or Twelfth Night?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        Tulip Mania collapsed on 3rd February.   Of which year of the 1630s?

A1)        1637.

Q2)        Tulip Mania was an economic what: bubble, begonia or blast?

A2)        An economic bubble.

Q3)        The even took place in what’s now, where: Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany?

A3)        The Netherlands.

Q4)        What is a tulip: a flower, a grass or a moss?

A4)        A flower.

Q5)        Finally … ?   Tulips are grown from what: a bulb, seed or tuber?

A5)        A bulb.

Here’s a thought …

“Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.”

From the Foreword to the 1946 edition of Brave New World.

A David Essex song …

And an earworm …

The next ten question set is on 6th February: it’s about New Zealand.

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

AI is avoided 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!

†        I’ll be honest, Olga§: the thing got me thinking of an Iain M. Banks novel called Excession.   A lot of the dialogue is from a gossipy group of AI’s who call themselves the ‘Interesting Times Gang’.

        They’re benevolent, ethical … and incredibly powerful … 

‡        Just a touch, Debbi!   :D  It’s built on the photo from your blog.   You should see me as a Borg.

§        I don’t know if you’ve read any of Banks’ Culture novels, Olga: but the ship/Mind names were interesting.   The GSV Anticipation Of A New Lover’s Arrival, The was mild …