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1. Which
of the following inventions have been issued U.S. patents: a pet
petter, a Santa Claus detector and a motorized ice cream cone?
2. Which well-known inventor
electrocuted animals -- ranging in size from a dog to an elephant --
to try to convince the public that AC electricity was more dangerous
than his own DC electricity? Hint: He was featured in last week's
quiz.
3. This Swedish chemist and inventor
earned the nickname of "The Merchant of Death" when one of his
factories blew up in 1864, but he also established a set of five
well-known awards named after him. Name the inventor and his
invention.
4. Which
of the following inventors, if any, have had their images appear on
a U.S. postage stamp?
A. Thomas
Edison
B. Nikola Tesla
C. Alfred Nobel
D. Ben Franklin
E. All of the above
5. You've heard the story of the pet
rock, but do you know who invented it?
6. Possible trick question 1: Who
invented the Archimedes screw?
7. True or false: The great Missouri
inventor George Washington Carver, who invented hundreds of uses for
plants, was born to slave parents.
8. What do the following products
have in common -- the first washing machine, 1871; the first
dishwasher, 1872; the first car heater, 1893; the first medical
syringe, 1899; the first windshield wipers, 1903; the first
refrigerator, 1914; the first engine muffler, 1917?
9. Originally known as Sam, this
Missouri inventor was better known for his writings than for his
inventions. He showed his high appreciation for inventors when he
said, "Inventors are the creators of the world -- after God." Who
was he?
10. Which Croatian-born inventor was
the main inventor of both radio and alternating current (AC)
electricity, even though many people have never heard of him?
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11.
Possible trick question 2: Who invented the outboard motor?
A. Evinrude
B. Binford
C. Outboard
D. None of the above; it's still being determined by the courts.
12. What
was the job title of the inventor of the vacuum, Otto Von Guericke
of Magdeburg, Germany, from 1646 to 1676?
A.
Burgermeister
B. Court jester
C. Police chief
D. Historian
E. None of the above; Otto was too busy vacuuming to hold a
full-time job.
13. True or false: Nancy Johnson
developed the first hand-crank ice cream maker in 1847. It became
known as the "Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer."
14. Third and final possible trick
question; true or false: The inventor of the Fahrenheit scale was a
man whose last name was Fahrenheit.
15. Which
Marx brother was also a successful inventor?
A. Leonard
"Chico"
B. Adolph "Harpo"
C. Julius "Groucho"
D. Milton "Gummo"
E. Herbert "Zeppo"
…and the correct answers are:
- 1. All of them; 2. Thomas Edison;
3. Alfred Nobel and dynamite; 4. E. All of the above; 5. Gary
Dahl; 6. Archimedes. He was a famous Greek mathematician and
inventor born during the third century B.C. He also coined the
word "eureka." 7. True; 8. They were all invented by women; 9.
Mark Twain; 10. Nikola Tesla; 11. A. Evinrude; 12. A.
Burgermeister, which was another term for "mayor;" 13. True; 14.
True; 15. E. Herbert "Zeppo."
[Paul Niemann]
Paul Niemann is the author of Invention Mysteries. He can be
reached at niemann7@aol.com.
© Copyright Paul Niemann 2004
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