C. Topic Areas 1. Introductory college courses, perusal of periodicals such as Science News, Scientific American, Discover, or the Science section of The New York Times should provide adequate background for science toss-ups and most boni. Science includes, but is not limited to, biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, mathematics, and earth science. Questions may come from the history of science, but should also reflect important recent developments or fundamental principles of relevance to contemporary science and society. Literature questions can span the gamut within the history of literature, and span the continents, though American and British literature is usually emphasized.
Questions can cover authors, works, and content.
Bonus questions should more often cover the contents of works rather than the mere identification of authors and works since the former requires more detailed knowledge. American and European history tend to be more strongly represented than the history of the other continents. To some it seems that this category is the most represented category. However, it is important to separate a question which is in its essence a science or history question, and has a current events lead-in to make it interesting and topical, from a question which is truly about the recent news. For example, a question about Alger Hiss is essentially a history question, even if the announcement by a Russian general that Hiss was not a Soviet spy is a current event.