Inventions
Inventions
Insects and Bugs
Insects and Bugs
Television Characters
100
This invention flies in the sky and made long-distance travel much faster and more accessible.
What is an airplane?
The first successful powered flight was made in 1903 by the Wright brothers, Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright, and lasted only about 12 seconds, but it changed transportation forever.
100
This handheld brush is used daily to clean teeth and help maintain good oral hygiene.
What is a toothbrush?
The modern toothbrush design dates to 1938, when nylon bristles replaced animal hair.
100
This insect is known for marching in organized lines and carrying food back to its nest.
What is an ant?
Ants are incredibly strong for their size and can carry objects up to 10–50 times their own body weight. They live in highly organized colonies.
100
This insect begins life as a larva and emerges from a cocoon with colourful, delicate wings.
What is a butterfly?
Butterflies taste with their feet, which help them identify suitable plants for laying eggs. Some species also migrate thousands of kilometres, such as the monarch butterfly travelling between Canada and Mexico.
100
This cartoon sailor gains super strength after eating spinach.
Who is Popeye?
He was created in 1929 and became especially popular during the 1930s, when spinach was promoted in North America as a source of strength.
200
This household invention helps people clean floors more easily by sucking up dirt and dust.
What is a vacuum cleaner?
Vacuum cleaners in the early 1900s were so large they had to be transported by horse-drawn carts.
200
Before personal computers became common, this machine was widely used to write and produce typed letters.
What is a typewriter?
The first practical typewriter was invented in the 1860s and changed how businesses and writers worked.
200
This arachnid is known for spinning intricate webs, many of which use sticky silk to trap prey.
What is a spider?
Spider silk is incredibly strong and is studied by scientists for use in materials and medicine.
200
This nocturnal insect is commonly attracted to artificial lights and is often seen fluttering around porch lamps at night.
What is a moth?
Many moths navigate using natural light sources like the moon, which is why artificial lights can confuse them into circling lamps.
200
This young crime-fighting partner teams up with Batman and is known as the “Boy Wonder.”
Who is Robin?
Robin first appeared in 1940 to give Batman a younger partner and make the stories appeal to younger readers.
300
This medical imaging invention allows doctors to see inside the human body without surgery, using radiation to create images of bones and tissues.
What is an X-ray?
X-rays were discovered accidentally in 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen, who noticed that the invisible rays could pass through soft tissue but not bone, revolutionizing medical diagnosis.
300
This kitchen appliance is used to keep food cold.
What is a refrigerator (or fridge)?
Early refrigerators used blocks of ice to keep food cold. Electric models became common in homes in the 1920s.
300
This fuzzy flying insect is known for its yellow-and-black colouring and for helping pollinate flowers.
What is a bee?
Bees are responsible for pollinating about one-third of the food crops humans eat.
300
This large insect is known for its loud, buzzing mating calls heard coming from trees in the summer.
What is a cicada?
Some cicadas can remain underground for up to 17 years before emerging.
300
This half-human, half-Vulcan science officer with distinctive pointed ears served aboard the USS Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Who is Spock?
He became one of science fiction’s most iconic characters, popularizing the idea of logical thinking over emotion.
400
This invention uses powerful rockets to carry people and equipment beyond Earth’s atmosphere into space.
What is a spacecraft (or rocket)?
The first human to travel into space was Yuri Gagarin in 1961 aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, marking a major milestone.
400
This device was the first widely used machine to play records.
What is a phonograph?
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, making it the first device to record and play back sound.
400
This tiny, wingless insect bites animals and humans, causing itchy skin, and is often associated with rodents like mice and rats.
What is a flea?
Fleas were responsible for spreading the bubonic plague during the Middle Ages.
400
This creature has "bug" in its name but is actually a crustacean.
What is a pill bug?
Pill bugs (also called “roly-polies”) are crustaceans, related to shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. They curl into a ball when touched as a form of protection.
400
This is the name of Mickey Mouse’s loyal pet dog in Disney cartoons.
Who is Pluto?
Pluto was introduced in 1930 and is one of the few major Disney characters who does not speak, relying instead on expressive animation and sound effects to communicate.
500
This appliance, heated and pressed over fabric, helps remove wrinkles from clothing.
What is an iron?
Early irons were heated on stoves and made of heavy metal. Electric irons became more common in the 20th century.
500
This small adhesive invention is placed in the top-right corner of an envelope to show it has been paid for mailing.
What is a postage stamp?
The first adhesive postage stamp, the “Penny Black,” was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1840.
500
This insect is known for its chirping sound, produced by rubbing its wings together.
What is a cricket?
Male crickets create the chirping sound by rubbing their forewings together.
500
This insect spins a cocoon of silk and has been used for thousands of years in fabric production.
What is a silkworm?
Silkworms have been used for thousands of years to produce silk fabric, especially in China.
500
This long-limbed character is Popeye’s sweetheart and is often heard calling, “Save me, Popeye!”
What is Olive Oyl?
Olive Oyl first appeared in the comic strip “Thimble Theatre” in 1919, years before Popeye himself was introduced in 1929.