Q: John von Neumann (/vn nmn/; Hungarian: Neumann Janos Lajos, pronounced [njmn jano ljo]; December 28, 1903 February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian-American pure and applied mathematician, physicist, inventor, computer scientist, and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics.

He was a pioneer of the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics, in the development of functional analysis, a principal member of the Manhattan Project and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (as one of the few originally appointed), and a key figure in the development of game theory and the concepts of cellular automata, the universal constructor and the digital computer. He published 150 papers in his life; 60 in pure mathematics, 20 in physics, and 60 in applied mathematics. His last work, an unfinished manuscript written while in the hospital, was later published in book form as The Computer and the Brain.

1. Hungarian-American
2. 1903
3. Mathematician
4. yes
5. Yes
6. The Computer and the Brain.
7. 1957
8. In the hospital
9. No, only papers
10. 150
11. 20 in physics
12. von Neumann
13. 60
14. a number of fields

Numbered questions:
1. What is the nationality of John von Neumann
2. When was he born
3. What does he do?
4. Was he member of Manhattan Project?
5. Did he publish any book?
6. Which book?
7. When did he die?
8. Where did he write his last work?
9. Did he write any book on maths
10. How many paper did he write then?
11. How about physics then?
12. Who develop the game theory?
13. How many paper did he publish in applied maths
14. What are the field at which he has a major contribution?

Q: Johnson went to Penquay for the weekend. He arrived there late on Friday evening. The landlady of the guest house, Mrs. Smith, answered the door and showed him to his room. Johnson was very tired and went straight to bed. He slept well and didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning.

Johnson went downstairs for breakfast. Because there were no other guests, Mrs. Smith invited him to have breakfast with her family. Her only daughter, Catherine, about 13, was already sitting in the dining-room. Mrs. Smith went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Johnson noticed there were four places at the table and asked Catherine if there was another guest. Catherine told him that it was an empty place. And it used to be her father's place. Her father had been a fisherman. Three years before he had gone out in his boat, and had never returned. Her mother always kept that place for him and made his breakfast every morning. Catherine showed him his photo on the wall. Johnson said nothing, but looked very puzzled . At that moment Mrs. Smith returned. She served four cups of tea, and put one in the empty place. Looking at the empty chair, Johnson was more puzzled.

Suddenly, Johnson heard footsteps outside the door and a tall man with a black beard walked into the room. Johnson looked scared. It was the man in the photo. He jumped up and ran out of the room. The man asked, "What's the matter?" Catherine said, "I don't know. He's a guest from London. He's here because a tall man with a black beard tried to kill him." "Catherine," the man said, "have you been telling stories again?" "Stories, father? Me?" the girl laughed.

1. black
2. walked
3. Yes.
4. In the photo.
5. London
6. Catherine
7. About 13
8. Smith
9. Yes
10. One
11. Fisherman
12. unknown
13. Three
14. The place at the table
15. tea
16. Friday
17. Mrs. Smith
18. No
19. Went to bed.
20. 9 o'clock

Numbered questions:
1. What color was the tall man's beard?
2. Did he skip into the room?
3. Was Johnson fearful of him?
4. Where had Johnson seen the man before?
5. Where had Johnson traveled from?
6. What was the man's daughter's name?
7. How old is she?
8. What's her last name?
9. Does she enjoy telling stories?
10. How many empty places were at the table?
11. What's Catherine's father do for a living?
12. Has he ever skinned the whole crew of a boat and wore their skins as clothing?
13. How many years ago had he go out in his boat and not returned since?
14. What did Cath's mother keep for him?
15. What drink did they all have for breakfast?
16. When did Johnson arrive in Penquay?
17. Who was the person to open the door?
18. Was Johnson in the mood to party?
19. What did he do instead?
20. When did he wake up the next morning?

Q: (CNN) -- Felix Baumgartner made headlines around the world when he fell 24 miles from near-space to a desert in Roswell, New Mexico, and lived to tell the tale.

The jump put Baumgartner in the record books and spelled publicity for the sponsor, Red Bull, a caffeinated sugar-y drink building a reputation for risk and adventure.

Now that the stunt is over, does it mean something to the rest of us? Baumgartner risked death. Why? Was it worth it?

Something in the human character must yearn to break into the record books. Baumgartner did set a record for supersonic travel by a human, 65 years after Chuck Yeager exceeded the speed of sound in an experimental plane. One used a rocket engine, the other used gravity; both went pretty fast.

But Yeager was testing experimental planes at higher and higher altitudes and speeds, one of the steps toward getting into space. He might have done it for the thrill but there was clearly a higher purpose, namely, the development of flight technologies.

The Red Bull extravaganza, said several involved with the project, would be useful for developing new and better space suits. My guess is that tests in a wind tunnel or a freezer would suffice, and neither would require risking a life.

The tech behind the Stratos jump

Or, astronauts could test suits outside the International Space Station, which is moving roughly 10 times faster than Baumgartner, in a much thinner atmosphere about 300 miles above the Earth, the real conditions that astronauts might face on a space walk.

1. near-space
2. a desert
3. Roswell, New Mexico
4. no
5. no
6. a stunt
7. supersonic travel by a human
8. no
9. exceeded the speed of sound in an experimental plane.
10. 65 years prior
11. 24 miles
12. yes
13. Red Bull
14. one reason
15. a higher purpose
16. the development of flight technologies.
17. developing new and better space suits
18. no
19. tests in a wind tunnel or a freezer
20. the International Space Station

Numbered questions:
1. Where did Felix fall from?
2. to where?
3. where?
4. did he die?
5. Was this an accident?
6. what was it?
7. What record did he set?
8. Did Chuck Yeager hold the old record?
9. what did he do?
10. when?
11. how far did Felix fall?
12. did he have a sponser?
13. who?
14. Did yeager do his record for the thrill?
15. whats the other?
16. what was that?
17. What is the project useful for?
18. is risking a life the only way to do this?
19. what else?
20. what moves faster than Felix?