The about page doesn't say: is there a specific language used for these?
I can't recommend this enough. I had to miss out on last year's challenges, but planning on participating this year; it's a great way to keep your brain nimble if you feel like you're in a rut.
There isn't. Some previous tasks could be solved by pen-and-paper, or by using your browser's search on the input, etc.
Also, there were some users who solved each day in a different programming language.