💌February Week 3💌

💭Imaginative Inventors💭

100

George Washington Carver was famous for finding 518 uses for which legume?

Peanuts!

So many of us know George Washington Carver as the man famous for giving us peanut butter (bless him), but he’s responsible for much more. As an agricultural chemist, in an effort to increase the profitability of sweet potatoes and peanuts (which thrived in the South as opposed to dwindling cotton supply), Carver began conducting experiments in 1896 and created 518 new products from the crops. They include ink, dye, soap, cosmetics, flour, vinegar, and synthetic rubber. He publicly revealed his experiments in 1914.

200

True or False: Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière created the first in home television.

False, they actually invented the cinema!

The Lumière brothers—yet another pair of pioneering Frenchmen—invented the cinema. Seriously! They patented the cinematograph, and their first movie, released in 1894, is considered the first real motion picture in history. They patented several significant processes leading up to their film camera, most notably film perforations (originally implemented by Émile Reynaud) as a means of advancing the film through the camera and projector. The cinématographe — a three-in-one device that could record, develop, and project motion pictures — was further developed by the Lumières. The brothers patented their own version on 13 February 1895.

300

Shirley Jackson was known for her research which lead to the invention of what?

a. Portable panini press

b. Portable fax machine

c. Portable television

d. Portable cellular phone

b. Portable fax machine

Jackson, the first African American woman to earn a doctorate at MIT, is responsible for monumental telecommunications research that led to the invention of products such as the touch-tone phone, the portable fax machine, fiber optic cables, solar cells, call waiting and caller ID. In 2014, President Barack Obama named her the co-chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory.

400

What was Archimedes famous for inventing?

The Catapult (as well as the pulley, lever and cog)!

Archimedes was undoubtedly one of the big names of engineering in the 3rd century BC. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists of classical antiquity. We owe it to Archimedes for inventing the pulley, the lever, the catapult and the cog… not to mention the Archimedes screw. And where would fluid mechanics be today without that original Eureka moment?

500

Besides being known for her work as an actress in the Golden Age of Hollywood, what else was Hedy Lamarr famous for?

Lamarr invented Frequency Hopping, a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching the carrier between different frequency channels. 

Lamarr wanted to aid the Allied forces during World War II. She explored potential military applications for radio technology. She theorized that varying radio frequencies at irregular intervals would prevent interception or jamming of transmissions, thereby creating an innovative communication system. Lamarr shared her concept for using “frequency hopping” with the U.S. Navy and codeveloped a patent with Antheil 1941. Today, her innovation helped make possible a wide range of wireless communications technologies, including Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

☂️Ultimate Umbrellas☂️

100

Where is it bad luck to open an umbrella?

Inside! 

200

True or False: The word umbrella comes from the Latin word “umbra” which means shield.

False, it means shade or shadow. 

Widespread use of the umbrella in Europe was promoted by Princess Palatine in 1712. Her use encouraged the aristocracy to accessorize with an umbrella. A Paris magazine in 1768 is reported to have advised that without an umbrella, one is considered vulgar! “The common usage for quite some time now is not to go out without an umbrella, and to have the inconvenience of carrying it under your arm for six months in order to use it perhaps six times. Those who do not want to be mistaken for vulgar people much prefer to take the risk of being soaked, rather than to be regarded as someone who goes on foot; an umbrella is a sure sign of someone who doesn’t have his own carriage.” 

300

Modern-day umbrellas are coated with Teflon, which makes their canopy ________.

a. bulletproof

b. fire resistant

c. waterproof

d. magnetic

c. waterproof

Did you know it was women who championed the umbrella before men took up the habit of carrying them? Identified as early as 1708, women were using the umbrella to protect them from the outdoor elements, women were also able to accessorize their outfits with accompanying umbrellas. Kersey’s dictionary references an umbrella as ‘a screen commonly used by women to keep off rain.’ Another umbrella fact for you – it was John Hanway, a philanthropist and traveller from London who took up using the umbrella and was vilified and laughed at for carrying it by Hackney coachmen.

 

400

What type of Mexican hat also doubles as an umbrella?

The Sombrero! 

One of the most famous hats that serves as a big parasol is the Mexican sombrero (which can be translated as “shade maker”). Gentlemen often wore tan, white, or gray felt sombreros, while peasants wore straw. In Mexico the brim of the sombrero could be as much as 2 feet wide. Adopted by ranchers and frontiersmen in the United States, the sombrero was modified into the cowboy hat.

500

What are some other names for "umbrella"? What are some uses besides shielding ourselves from the rain?

Some common names for umbrella are parasol, brolly, canopy, sunshade, bumbershoot and shade. Umbrellas are also used for protecting yourself from the sun, as a means of privacy and even protecting oneself. 

Parasol is mainly an umbrella for protection from the sun. Brolly is a British slang that refers to a compact or folding umbrella. Canopy is a large umbrella-like structure often used over doors, entranceways or to provide shade for outdoor events. Sunshade and shade are often used synonymously with parasol as they provide shade during hot, sunny weather. Bumbershoot is simply an informal term for an umbrella. 

⭐Patriotic Presidents⭐

100

Presidents Harry Truman and Ulysses Grant both have which same middle initial?

S

The S in both names technically does not stand for anything, although Ulysses S. Grant was given a middle name due to an error at one point. In 1839 Grant was appointed to West Point, where he registered as Ulysses Hiram Grant, transposing his given names because he did not want to be known by the initials H.U.G. Due to a mistake by a benefactor on his application form to West Point, Grant was listed as "Ulysses Simpson Grant" (Simpson being his mother's maiden name). His nickname at West Point was "Uncle Sam." 

200

True or False: Hilary Clinton was the first woman in history to run for U.S. President?

False, it was Victoria Woodhull!

Victoria Woodhull Martin, was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement who ran for president of the United States in the 1872 election. While many historians and authors agree that Woodhull was the first woman to run for the presidency, some disagree with classifying it as a true candidacy because she was younger than the constitutionally mandated age of 35. (Woodhull's 35th birthday was in September 1873, six months after the March inauguration.) An activist for women's rights and labor reforms, Woodhull was also an advocate of "free love", by which she meant the freedom to marry, divorce and bear children without social restriction or government interference. "They cannot roll back the rising tide of reform," she often said. "The world moves." 

 

300

According to George H.W. Bush, the ghost of which U.S. President was rumored to haunt the White House?

a. Abraham Lincoln

b. George Washington

c. John Adams

d. Rutherford Hayes

a. Abraham Lincoln

The White House's most famous alleged apparition is that of Abraham Lincoln. The first person reported to have actually seen Lincoln's spirit was First Lady Grace Coolidge, who said she saw the ghost of Lincoln standing at a window in the Yellow Oval Room staring out at the Potomac in 1927. Perhaps the most famous incident was in 1942 when Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands allegedly heard footsteps outside her White House bedroom and answered a knock on the door, only to see Lincoln in frock coat and top hat standing in front of her (she promptly fainted).

400

What President's faces are carved into the Mount Rushmore National Memorial? 

Bonus: Where is the Memorial located?

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt 

George Washington was chosen because he was our nation’s founding father. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to represent expansion, because he was the president who signed the Louisiana Purchase and authored the Declaration of Independence. Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because he represented conservation and the industrial blossoming of the nation. Abraham Lincoln  was chosen because he led the country through the Civil War and believed in preserving the nation at any cost.

Bonus: South Dakota

500

Which sitting Presidents passed away while in office? 

Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

When he arrived in Washington in February 1841, William Henry Harrison let Daniel Webster edit his Inaugural Address, ornate with classical allusions. Webster obtained some deletions, boasting in a jolly fashion that he had killed “seventeen Roman proconsuls as dead as smelts, every one of them.” Webster had reason to be pleased, for while Harrison was nationalistic in his outlook, he emphasized in his Inaugural that he would be obedient to the will of the people as expressed through Congress. But before he had been in office a month, he caught a cold that developed into pneumonia. On April 4, 1841, he passed away — the first President to die in office.

🍕Phenomenal Pizza🍕

100

What state is famous for making pizza with pineapple and ham served on top?

Hawaii

Did you know that Hawaiian pizza was actually invented in Canada? Despite its tropical name, Hawaiian pizza is actually a Canadian creation. The pineapple-laden pie is the brainchild of retired cook, Sam Panopoulos, who first served pineapple on pizza at Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ont. In the early 60s, says Panopoulos, pizza was considered ethnic food, an Italian-American curiosity that adventurous Canadians would try when they crossed the border. Back then, Panopoulos would drive to Detroit for a taste of the cheese-topped pie.“[Then] we bought a little oven and learned how to make pizza,” he says. 

200

True or False: A pizza was delivered to astronaut while they were in orbit.

True! 

Adding another chapter to the decades-old “space race” chronicles, Pizza Hut has become the first company in history to deliver pizza straight to the pioneers living in outer space on the International Space Station (ISS). The creation and delivery of the world’s first space-consumable pizza was the culmination of nearly a year of collaboration between Pizza Hut and Russian food scientists. After months of rigorous testing, the Pizza Hut pizza made the landmark, trans-atmospheric journey to become the only pizza ever delivered to and eaten by people living in space. 

300

What is the most popular day of the year to order pizza in the United States?

a. Silly Saucer Saturday

b. Tricky Teacup Tuesday

c. Wacky Plate Wednesday

d. Super Bowl Sunday

d. Super Bowl Sunday

On the field of food battles, only one meal can reign supreme. Sure, chicken wings are great for snackers and burgers beat all on the barbecue. But if you need a food that can take a pile-on of toppings and handle the ups-and-downs of the Big Game, pizza certainly earns its crust. The American Pizza Community (yes, it's a thing) said that over the last few years, about 12.5 million pizzas are ordered, baked, and delivered to football fanatics on Super Bowl Sunday. Domino's told the APC they sell more than 11 million slices on that single day.

400

What country was pizza first invented in? 

Italy 

While topped flatbreads were consumed in ancient Egypt and Rome, Italians are credited as the people who invented pizza first. During the 1700s and 1800s, Naples was a bustling waterfront city especially near the shore, where overcrowding and primarily outdoor living forced locals to find quick, easy ways to feed their families. Pizza became a common dish because of its limited ingredients and handy portability, but it was considered a street food for the poor, unsuitable for the upper class. 

500

What are the most popular choices for pizza toppings? 

Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions,

There aren’t any surprises in the top five favorite pizza toppings: pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, and bacon. There probably weren’t many surprises among the least-favorite pizza toppings, either: anchovies, eggplant, pineapple, and artichokes. Some more uncommon choices for pizza toppings are beets, goat cheese, apples, quail eggs, rhubarb, calamari, raisins, carrots, red herring, coconut, bananas, crocodile and even cicadas!

⚜️Brave Boy Scouts⚜️

100

The main motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be _______."

 

"Be Prepared."

Upon hearing the Scout motto, someone asked Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell the inevitable follow-up question: “Prepared for what?” Baden Powel responded, “Why, for any old thing." In 1907, Baden-Powell, an English soldier, devised the Scout motto: Be Prepared. He published it in Scouting for Boys in 1908. (Two years later, in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was founded.) In Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell wrote that to Be Prepared means “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

200

True or False: The Boy Scouts of America were founded in 1910. 

True! 

In the late 1900s, Baden-Powell wanted young people equipped to react quickly to an emergency. The Great War loomed, and soon the Boy Scouts — not a military organization but a service-minded one — would be called upon to play their part. “Their keen eyes were added to the watchers along the coasts,” Winston Churchill wrote in a piece published in Scouting magazine in 1955. “In the air raids we saw the spectacle of children of 12 and 14 performing with perfect coolness and composure the useful function assigned to them in the streets and public offices.” But Baden-Powell wasn’t just thinking about first aid and wartime emergencies when he coined the motto. This is from the 13th/latest edition of the Boy Scout Handbook: "His idea was that Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and strong leaders and to bring joy to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges await him."

300

What is the highest rank of Boy Scouts? 

a. Webelo Scout

b. Tenderfoot Scout

c. Bobcat Scout

d. Eagle Scout

d. Eagle Scout

With age, achievement, and experience, Scouts advance through a series of ranks. Scouts plan their own advancement and progress through the ranks at their own pace. With the exception of Cub Scouts, Scouts achieve new ranks by developing new skills and knowledge; having those skills and knowledge tested; going before a board or review; and then being recognized for their achievement. The Cub Scout ranks correspond with the Scout's age or grade in school. Once Scouts are 10 years old and in 5th grade, they can start working towards their other levels of scouting in their own time to eventually reach Eagle Scout. 

400

What do Boy Scouts receive for completing requirements or tasks related to particular skills or areas of interest? 

Merit Badges

There are many different merit badges that Boy Scouts can earn, ranging from First Aid, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Communication (giving speeches and presentations), Camping, Citizenship in the Nation and World, Family Life, Cooking, Citizenship in the Community, Personal Fitness, Swimming, Hiking, or Cycling, Environmental Science or Sustainability and Personal Management. Some badges are easy to get while others can prove difficult to achieve. 

500

What are some things that boy scouts can do to earn badges? 

Some simple merit badges are for taking photos and explaining the basic operation of cameras, making artwork using different tools as well as visiting a museum, or learning how to take fingerprints by simply using a piece of tape, pencil and paper (or asking the local police station for a fingerprinting card). 

Other merit badges can be achieved through camping, learning first aid practices, performing community service acts, cooking for your fellow scouts, working on one's personal fitness, helping with sustainability efforts at school or in town as well as working on swimming, hiking and cycling.