Curious Gadgets
The design of the modern windshield wiper was inspired by which natural phenomenon?
A) Bird wings
B) Rain sliding off leaves
C) Snake movement
D) Spider webs
$100: What is the only letter not appearing on the periodic table?
A) J
B) Q
C) X
D) Z
A) J ✅
$100: Which ancient civilization built the first known libraries?
A) Ancient Mesopotamia
B) Ancient Egypt
C) Ancient Greece
D) Ancient Rome
A) Ancient Mesopotamia ✅
$100: In which country is it illegal to chew gum in public?
A) Singapore
B) Japan
C) South Korea
D) Thailand
A) Singapore ✅
$100: Which “lost city” was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham?
A) Machu Picchu
B) Atlantis
C) Petra
D) Troy
A) Machu Picchu ✅
The first practical paper clip was invented in which country?
A) Norway
B) Germany
C) USA
D) France
A) Norway ✅
$200: Which phenomenon causes the sky to appear blue?
A) Rayleigh scattering
B) Reflection
C) Refraction
D) Diffraction
A) Rayleigh scattering ✅
$500: The “Wow! signal” detected in 1977 came from:
A) Outer space, possibly alien origin
B) A radio tower malfunction
C) Solar flares
D) Earth's magnetic field
A) Outer space, possibly alien origin ✅
$200: The world’s longest wedding veil was longer than:
A) 6 football fields
B) 2 football fields
C) 3 football fields
D) 1 football field
A) 6 football fields ✅
200: The Antikythera Mechanism, discovered in a shipwreck, was an ancient:
A) Analog computer
B) Compass
C) Telescope
D) Clock
A) Analog computer ✅
Who invented the first practical sewing machine?
A) Elias Howe
B) Isaac Singer
C) Thomas Edison
D) Nikola Tesla
A) Elias Howe ✅
$300: The placebo effect shows that:
A) Belief can trigger real physical responses
B) Sugar has medicinal properties
C) Exercise is unnecessary
D) Medication always works
A) Belief can trigger real physical responses ✅
$300: The Dancing Plague of 1518 took place in:
A) Strasbourg, France
B) London
C) Rome
D) Vienna
A) Strasbourg, France ✅
300: In Japan, what is the purpose of the Naki Sumo contest?
A) Babies compete to see who cries first
B) Sumo wrestlers race
C) Rice-throwing festival
D) Cherry blossom contest
A) Babies compete to see who cries first ✅
$300: The “Bog Bodies” found in Europe are:
A) Preserved human remains in peat bogs
B) Animal fossils
C) Ancient mummies from Egypt
D) Dinosaur skeletons
A) Preserved human remains in peat bogs ✅
$400: The first electric toaster was invented in which decade?
A) 1920s
B) 1910s
C) 1930s
D) 1940s
A) 1920s ✅
$400: Tardigrades are famous for being able to survive:
A) Extreme heat, cold, and vacuum of space
B) Only freezing temperatures
C) Deep ocean pressure
D) Only radiation
A) Extreme heat, cold, and vacuum of space ✅
$400: The first known vending machine dispensed:
A) Holy water
B) Candy
C) Tobacco
D) Coins
A) Holy water ✅
$400: In which country is there a museum dedicated entirely to broken relationships?
A) Croatia
B) Italy
C) Germany
D) Mexico
A) Croatia ✅
400: The pacemaker was inspired by experiments with:
A) Frog hearts
B) Dog hearts
C) Electric eels
D) Bird hearts
A) Frog hearts ✅
$500: The invention of sonar technology was inspired by observing which animal?
A) Bats
B) Dolphins
C) Owls
D) Whales
A) Bats ✅
$500: The “Wow! signal” detected in 1977 came from:
A) Outer space, possibly alien origin
B) A radio tower malfunction
C) Solar flares
D) Earth's magnetic field
A) Outer space, possibly alien origin ✅
$500: Who survived 18 months trapped in a collapsed coal mine in 1963?
A) Chilean miners
B) German miners
C) American miners
D) Russian miners
A) Chilean miners ✅
500: Bhutan measures success with which national indicator?
A) Gross National Happiness
B) GDP
C) Literacy rate
D) Life expectancy
A) Gross National Happiness ✅
$500: The “Voynich Manuscript” is famous because it is:
A) Written in an unknown language
B) The oldest known diary
C) A map of undiscovered lands
D) A religious text
A) Written in an unknown language ✅