We quizzed the stars of HBO’s 'Silicon Valley' about the actual Silicon Valley Spoiler alert: They didn't do very well...

Click through to see the quiz questions and the "Silicon Valley" cast's answers. Click through to see the quiz questions and the "Silicon Valley" cast's answers. Photo: Andy Andersen / SFGate Photo: Andy Andersen / SFGate Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close We quizzed the stars of HBO’s 'Silicon Valley' about the actual Silicon Valley 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Silicon Valley is one of the most influential regions in the world and has an oversized place in Bay Area culture, but how well do you really know the start-up hub?

We created a standardized test to gauge tech industry literacy (click through the slideshow for questions!), then quizzed the cast of the HBO show "Silicon Valley" in advance of the premiere of the final season, which airs on Sunday, October 27.

Read on to hear answers from actors Thomas Middleditch (Richard Hendricks), Zach Woods (Jared Dunn), Martin Starr (Bertram Gilfoyle) and Amanda Crew (Monica Hall).

Spoiler alert: They didn't do very well...

RELATED: 'Silicon Valley' stars riff on satirizing tech world for the last time at SF's final season premiere

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1) What’s the shape of Apple’s new headquarters? Doughnut, hot dog, DNA helix, or turtleneck?



Martin Starr (Gilfoyle): That’s easy. It’s obviously a turtleneck. They’re big fans of turtlenecks. You’re talking about the anatomical part of the turtle. Not the head or torso or shell, the neck. It’s like two lines that stream out at the end…



Amanda Crew (Monica): Not too dissimilar to the hot dog.



Thomas Middleditch (Richard): Well, it’s hashtag not hot dog, remember? From the show? But we’re going to say doughnut, no doy.



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2) Which company didn’t start in a garage: Amazon, Apple, Google or Uber?



Zach Woods (Jared): I’m gonna say Amazon. I think it started in…



Middleditch: The forges of hell? Forged in the cacophony of capitalism.



Starr: Uber started in a car, we all know that. Duh.



Crew: They couldn’t afford their own garage. They were street parking.



SFGATE: The correct answer is Uber.



Woods: It sounds like you have a very narrow view of what a garage is.

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3) What is Ballmer Peak?



Middleditch: That’s a 90s stand-up comedian.



Woods: Bonker Peak was at a now-shuttered amusement park, because too many people got syphilis from the water. They didn’t treat the water.



Middleditch: If you own a water park, please, treat the water.



SFGATE: Is it a) the optimal amount of blood alcohol level for programming performance, b) an early PC role-playing game, c) a scenic outlook in Mountain View, or d) networking spot in Silicon Valley?



Middleditch: Is there an ‘E’, for who cares?



Woods: We’ll go with C.



Crew: I’m gonna go with one of those four.



Starr: Steve Ballmer owns the Los Angeles Clippers. Nice guy, kind of lost a little on the top. I’m a big Clippers fan ... it’s gotta be one of those four.

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4) Which is not a space start-up: Blue Origin, Space X, Outer Travel, or Made in Space?



Starr: Made in Space.



Crew: Space X.



Middleditch: Made in Space.



Woods: Made in Space.



SFGATE: It’s actually Outer Travel.



Middleditch: I think you’re trolling us. And it’s obvious.



Woods: Honestly if you have an issue with us, just talk to us. We’re nice guys and we’ll hash it out with you. Don’t frame your hostility as multiple choice questions. I feel hated and hurt. You’re a bully, and now I hate you, because you made me hate you. So you created this mess.



Middleditch: Note that we laughed at the end of that.

Woods: Tell them we’re being extremely whimsical and charming. You should write, it might not seem charming, but trust me, it was super charming. Even if it’s alienating and overly verbose, write that in brackets.

[Woods and Middleditch were being extremely whimsical, and also a little scary]



Middleditch: Write that it was so charming that I Venmo’d them 50 bucks and said thanks for the laugh.

[SFGATE did not Venmo them 50 bucks, but is thankful for the laugh]

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5) Which city is not in Silicon Valley? Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, or Union City?



Crew: Los Angeles.



Starr: Union City. It’s not part of the Union anymore, but ironically still called Union City.



Middleditch: San Jose is down there, but is that considered part of the Valley? I’ve never really heard of Union City.



Woods: Other than in the Civil War.



Middleditch: Let’s say Union City.



SFGATE: It is Union City.



Middleditch: Say they pumped their fists.



Woods: Say they won gracefully. They won with confidence, but humility. They congratulated all the haters, and all the freaks.



Middleditch: This one’s for the haters and the freaks.

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6) Which is not a tech publication? The Verge, Lean Zine, The Next Web, or the Hustle?



Crew: Hustler.



Starr: Of course it’s Hustler. Because it’s not actually about tech, they take tech apart and show you the naked insides. Show me that raw hard drive.



Crew: How many gigabytes you got?



Starr: Why don’t you break me off some of that CD-ROM?



Woods: The Verge



Middleditch: The Verge.

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7) What was Facebook’s original motto?



Starr: Keep the money, all of it. Destroy the government at all cost.



Crew: Friend me?



Middleditch: ‘Don’t worry, we got it. We got all of it. Don’t try to run, we know where you are, and we’ve sold your location to people who want to undermine the integrity of the nation.’



Woods: They loved that, but it was too long … It was “Facebook: we have the meats!”

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8) Which start-up was founded in Silicon Valley? Wework, Homeaway, Bird, or Doordash?



Starr: Microsoft.



Crew: I was thinking that, I sent it to you telepathically.



Middleditch: I know what Home Alone was, but I’ve never heard of Homeaway.



Woods: Doordash, that’s a trick one, because that’s a jeans company. Doordash jeans. What is the other one? Union City was one of them?



Middleditch: The appropriate blood alcohol level for programming, that’s our answer.

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9) When did the Internet become available to the public?



Middleditch: 1991 was a great year for the internet.



Woods: 1991.



Middleditch: I remember you’ve got your 486 cruisin’ along, welcome to the Internet, friends! You ever downloaded this? No? Startup!



Woods: Lisa Loeb is cranking in your home office. You’re logging onto the internet.

[Woods laughs so hard he spits on SFGATE]

Woods: I just spit on you, I’m sorry. But say I did it in a really charming way.



Martin: I think it was '92?



Amanda: Great year.



Martin: It was a great vintage.



Amanda: That’s when the Internet got strong.



Martin: It’s when you could download files that took four hours. For a photo.

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10) What does SAAS stand for?

[When SFGATE asked this question, the cast responded with confusion and anger, but in an extremely whimsical and charming way.]

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This interview was compiled from two conversations and condensed and edited for clarity.

Dan Gentile is a digital editor at SFGate. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere