Inventions
Which everyday invention was created by accident when Percy Spencer noticed a chocolate bar melting near radar equipment?
A. Electric toaster
B. Microwave oven
C. Induction stove
D. Food dehydrator
Microwave oven
Which famous ancient library was located in Egypt and became a symbol of lost knowledge?
A. Library of Nineveh
B. Library of Alexandria
C. House of Wisdom
D. Library of Pergamum
Library of Alexandria
What was Sri Lanka formerly known as?
A. Burma
B. Ceylon
C. Siam
D. Malaya
Ceylon
Which ingredient helps mayonnaise stay creamy instead of separating?
A. Egg yolk
B. Sugar
C. Baking powder
D. Ground pepper
Egg yolk
Why did the baker stop making donuts?
He was tired of the hole business!
Which invention was inspired by burrs sticking to George de Mestral's clothing and his dog's fur?
A. Velcro
B. Nylon
C. Zipper
D. Waterproof fabric
Velcro
Which ancient civilization used a purple dye made from sea snails, so expensive that it became associated with royalty?
A. Ancient Egypt
B. Phoenicia
C. Ancient China
D. The Maya
Phoenicia
What was New York City originally called by the Dutch when they founded the settlement?
A. New Amsterdam
B. Fort Orange
C. New Rotterdam
D. Dutch Haven
New Amsterdam
What is the white coating sometimes seen on chocolate called?
A. Chocolate bloom
B. Sugar mould
C. Cocoa frost
D. Butter dust
Chocolate bloom
Who invented the World Wide Web while working at CERN in the late 1980s?
A. Bill Gates
B. Steve Jobs
C. Tim Berners-Lee
D. Alan Turing
Tim Berners-Lee
What did John Dunlop develop in the 1880s to make his son's tricycle ride more comfortable?
A. The steel bicycle frame
B. The pneumatic tyre
C. The bicycle chain
D. The rear-view mirro
The pneumatic tyre
Which ruler reportedly tried to ban coffee in the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century?
A. Suleiman the Magnificent
B. Murad IV
C. Mehmed II
D. Selim I
Murad IV
What was Google’s search engine originally called during its early development at Stanford University?
A. BackRub
B. WebCrawler
C. Ask Jeeves
D. AltaVista
BackRub
Which of these foods is traditionally made by fermenting cabbage?
A. Sauerkraut
B. Hummus
C. Polenta
D. Gnocchi
Sauerkraut
Which empire built an extensive network of roads across much of South America before Europeans arrived?
A. Aztec Empire
B. Inca Empire
C. Maya civilization
D. Olmec civilization
Inca Empire
Which discovery began when Wilhelm Röntgen noticed that a screen glowed near a covered electrical discharge tube?
A. Radio waves
B. X-rays
C. Ultrasound
D. Infrared light
X-rays
Which empire used a postal relay system in which messengers travelled between stations to carry messages quickly?
A. Persian Empire
B. Aztec Empire
C. Byzantine Empire
D. Mongol Empire only
Persian Empire
What was the board game Scrabble initially called when its creator first developed it?
A. Word Master
B. Lexiko
C. Letter Race
D. Crossword Challenge
Lexiko
Which ingredient gives traditional pesto its distinctive green colour?
A. Basil
B. Parsley
C. Mint
D. Spinach
Basil
What was the chocolate bar Snickers called in the United Kingdom for several decades before 1990?
A. Marathon
B. Sprint
C. Cadbury Gold
D. Royal Nut
Marathon
Which discovery by Marie and Pierre Curie involved two previously unknown radioactive elements?
A. Helium and neon
B. Radium and polonium
C. Uranium and plutonium
D. Cobalt and nickel
Radium and polonium
Which ancient people developed a famous alphabet that influenced Greek and later Latin writing?
A. Phoenicians
B. Hittites
C. Spartans
D. Etruscans only
Phoenicians
What was the name of the product that became known as Teflon after its accidental discovery in 1938?
A. Polytetrafluoroethylene
B. Polyvinyl chloride
C. Polyethylene
D. Polystyrene
Polytetrafluoroethylene
What is the main ingredient in traditional Japanese miso?
A. Soybeans
B. Rice flour
C. Seaweed
D. Sesame seeds
Soybeans
What is the main ingredient in the Middle Eastern dip baba ganoush?
A. Eggplant
B. Chickpeas
C. Cucumber
D. Red lentils
Eggplant