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Quiz about  Now Why Didnt I Think of That
Quiz about  Now Why Didnt I Think of That

Now Why Didn't I Think of That? Quiz


I must admit, I have no idea who the genius was who invented the wheel. Many inventions can be attributed to one specific person, but some are pretty arcane. Let's see what you know about these ten innovative ideas.

A multiple-choice quiz by paulmallon. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
paulmallon
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
365,932
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
554
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. Leo Gersteinzang was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1892. In 1912, he emigrated to the U.S.A. and settled in Chicago, IL, and in 1919 he became a naturalized American citizen. Inventors don't always know what will inspire them to come up with a new idea, but in Leo's case, his wife's working around the house gave him the idea for his new item. Leo's invention is useful in baby care. What product do you think it is? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Mary Anderson invented something for which motorists around the world are forever thankful. In 1903, she was granted a 17 year patent (number 743801) for her inventive item. She was unable, however, to find a manufacturer to produce it in large numbers before her patent expired in 1920. Nowadays it is such an essential device that it can be found on millions of cars (if not billions) in every corner of the earth. OK, in Antarctica, not so much. What was this indispensable innovation? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "Dy-no-mite" was a famous catch phrase uttered by J.J. Walker on the hit TV sitcom, "Good Times" (1974-1979). The actual product, dynamite, is no laughing matter, however. Who was the person who came up with this explosive invention?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. German born John Roebling sure made travelling by car a lot easier when he came up with an inspiration that can still be as much of a necessity as it is a convenience.
Herr Roebling left Prussian soil in 1831, bound for America. He settled in the state of Pennsylvania, and spent the next five years living the life of a farmer. He then turned from the fields to the field in which he had been trained.
Millions of motorists have used Roebling's invention. What do you think it was?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Planes, trains and automobiles are three ways to get from here to there. If you like to ride animals, horses, camels and even elephants can do the trick. Of course you could walk, jog or run if you wanted to get some exercise. There are copious other options, one of which was invented by Dean Kamen. What easy going vehicle did this native New Yorker develop? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Canadian born James Naismith was an eclectic visionary who invented a sport in 1891, while teaching a college physical education course. He himself was a multi-sport athlete while attending McGill University in Montreal. Naismith also practiced medicine and was a Presbyterian minister as well. In 1925, he became a naturalized American citizen. Which sport was invented by James Naismith? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Ruth Handler and her hubby Elliot, had a nice little toy business going, an operation they started out of their garage. Their big break came when they won the rights to create products for Walt Disney's, "Mickey Mouse Club". Then in 1959, Ruth came up with the idea for a children's product that would become one of the most popular inventions of its kind. What did Ruth Handler create? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. English-born Andrew Smith Hallidie emigrated to America, arriving in New York after a voyage aboard a steamship named "The Pacific". He later took Horace Greeley's advice and headed west, to California. He began mining for gold in Calaveras County with little success, and headed for San Francisco. Hallidie's engineering background helped to develop a means of transportation. What was the name of his people mover? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Hungarian born Laszlo Biro came up with a pretty good idea in the first half of the 20th century. Unveiled in 1931 at The Budapest International Fair, his invention has been used by countless millions of people. Writers, students, businessmen and women, are among the folks who have derived the most benefit from his product. Can you deduce which of the following was the creation of Laszlo Biro? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. There's an old expression - "Necessity is the mother of invention". An event occurred in 1938 which gave some credence to that old adage. It seems that Ruth Wakefield, proprietor of an inn located outside of Boston, MA, was having a spot of bother in coming up with the evening's dessert, and so, she improvised. What popular treat was the result of her ingenuity? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Leo Gersteinzang was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1892. In 1912, he emigrated to the U.S.A. and settled in Chicago, IL, and in 1919 he became a naturalized American citizen. Inventors don't always know what will inspire them to come up with a new idea, but in Leo's case, his wife's working around the house gave him the idea for his new item. Leo's invention is useful in baby care. What product do you think it is?

Answer: The Q-tip

So, one day Leo was sitting around watching Mrs. Gersteinzang doing household chores, and noticed that she was having some trouble getting into small or recessed areas as she tried to clean them. What she was doing (which was kind of inventive itself), was attaching little cotton swabs to toothpicks to help get at those areas.
BINGO! The birth of the Q-Tip followed shortly thereafter. Leo originally dubbed his creation "Baby Gays". (In those days 'gay' didn't have its modern meaning). After a move East to New York, he started a company called Leo Gersteinzang's Infant Novelty Company. He began marketing his new product as Q-Tips Baby Care, until eventually it became known by the name that has been around for over 100 years, just plain old, Q-Tips.
(The "Q" stood for "quality".)
2. Mary Anderson invented something for which motorists around the world are forever thankful. In 1903, she was granted a 17 year patent (number 743801) for her inventive item. She was unable, however, to find a manufacturer to produce it in large numbers before her patent expired in 1920. Nowadays it is such an essential device that it can be found on millions of cars (if not billions) in every corner of the earth. OK, in Antarctica, not so much. What was this indispensable innovation?

Answer: Windshield wipers

Having your idea rejected by potential suitors is bad enough, but one company was downright dismissive of the new product. They had the effrontery to say:
"we do not consider it to be of such commercial value as would warrant our undertaking its sale." Well! Automobile manufacturing and driving were now booming activities, and it didn't take long for another version to come along. This time it was an automatic wiper system, based to great extent on the principles that Ms. Anderson had created. They came on the market one year after her patent had expired, and were known as "Folberths", after the man who took Mary Anderson's idea to the next level. The first U.S. carmaker to incorporate windshield wipers as standard equipment was Cadillac, in 1923.
Mary Anderson was inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2011.

By the way, intermittent wiper blades first appeared in 1967, compliments of Robert Kearnes.
3. "Dy-no-mite" was a famous catch phrase uttered by J.J. Walker on the hit TV sitcom, "Good Times" (1974-1979). The actual product, dynamite, is no laughing matter, however. Who was the person who came up with this explosive invention?

Answer: Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), who was born in Sweden, became famous for his work as an engineer, scientist, and inventor. His invention of dynamite happened in Germany (1867), and he patented it that year in both Britain and Sweden. It played a key role in expanding industries, such as construction, mining and demolition. It also became a much feared weapon of war. Originally, it was sold under the name of "Nobel's Blasting Powder".
At one time Alfred Nobel held 350 patents, with dynamite being his most famous.
4. German born John Roebling sure made travelling by car a lot easier when he came up with an inspiration that can still be as much of a necessity as it is a convenience. Herr Roebling left Prussian soil in 1831, bound for America. He settled in the state of Pennsylvania, and spent the next five years living the life of a farmer. He then turned from the fields to the field in which he had been trained. Millions of motorists have used Roebling's invention. What do you think it was?

Answer: Steel wire suspension bridge

John Roebling had studied engineering and architecture at the Bauakademie in Berlin. Construction on the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge, his grandest and final achievement was started in 1870, and completed in 1883. When it opened it was the world's longest suspension bridge. Following his father's plans, Roebling's son, Washington, supervised the onsite work, while John Roebling could only watch from his apartment window, housebound as the result of an accident.
The Brooklyn Bridge stands majestically above the East River in New York, and its span of more than a mile (5,989 feet), connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Interesting fact: In June, 1869, Roebling was planning out schematics at the site where his bridge was to be built, when a ferry severely injured his foot. He would soon undergo amputation of his damaged toes and developed tetanus, which killed him before his masterpiece was finished. He died July 22, 1869, and would have been pleased to know that, fittingly, the first person to cross the iconic span was his wife, Emily.
5. Planes, trains and automobiles are three ways to get from here to there. If you like to ride animals, horses, camels and even elephants can do the trick. Of course you could walk, jog or run if you wanted to get some exercise. There are copious other options, one of which was invented by Dean Kamen. What easy going vehicle did this native New Yorker develop?

Answer: The Segway

Dean Kamen's invention was unveiled amidst much mystery and anticipation on the TV show, "Good Morning America", on December 3, 2001. Officially its moniker was The Segway HT (Human Transporter). It ran on batteries, and the original, "i2" model reached 12.5 miles per hour. When fully charged the Segway H.T. had a range of 24 miles. Travelling on a Segway is known as "gliding", and you'll often see security workers and policemen gliding around airports, shopping malls, and even some outdoor urban areas. After much safety checking, the first Segway was offered for sale in 2003, at about $3,000 a pop. Three years earlier, President Bill Clinton had presented Kamen with the National Medal of Technology.
Kamen has also invented a water purification system and an insulin infusion pump for diabetics. The United Nations named Kamen the winner of the Global Humanitarian Action Award in 2006.
On October 22 Mr. Kamen premiered his TV show, cleverly titled "Dean of Invention", on the Green Channel.
6. Canadian born James Naismith was an eclectic visionary who invented a sport in 1891, while teaching a college physical education course. He himself was a multi-sport athlete while attending McGill University in Montreal. Naismith also practiced medicine and was a Presbyterian minister as well. In 1925, he became a naturalized American citizen. Which sport was invented by James Naismith?

Answer: Basketball

James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. At the time he was teaching at what is now Springfield College in Massachusetts, and he christened his game, "Basket Ball". Not only did he invent the game, but he wrote the initial rules under which the game was to be played.

There were only 13 regulations then, and the game of today bears little similarity to the game (and rules) he created. Back then there were nine men per team on the court, there was no dribbling, only passing the ball, and a player would try to heave the ball into a peach basket. Naismith later became a member of the faculty at the University of Kansas (K.U.), and was the school's first basketball coach.

While at K.U., he served in numerous positions, including Phys-Ed teacher, chapel director, professor, physician and athletic director. The basketball hall of fame in Springfield, MA is officially named "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame", in his honor.

He was among the inaugural group of inductees, entering the hall posthumously, in 1959.
7. Ruth Handler and her hubby Elliot, had a nice little toy business going, an operation they started out of their garage. Their big break came when they won the rights to create products for Walt Disney's, "Mickey Mouse Club". Then in 1959, Ruth came up with the idea for a children's product that would become one of the most popular inventions of its kind. What did Ruth Handler create?

Answer: Barbie Dolls

Ruth and Elliot founded the Mattel Toy Company in 1945, with Ruth as its president, and she named the iconic doll after her daughter, Barbara. Barbie got herself a boyfriend named Ken in 1961, and she has evolved over the years from teen model to nurse, medic, Olympic athlete, astronaut, and even a presidential candidate...all with matching accessories, of course. Barbie has been created with more than 40 different nationalities, and is sold in over 150 countries around the world. Xavier Roberts came up with the Cabbage Patch Kids in 1978, Tyco Toys brought Tickle Me Elmo to life in 1996, and siblings Raggedy Ann(1915) and Raggedy Andy (1920), were the brainchildren of kids' book writer Johnny Gruelle.
8. English-born Andrew Smith Hallidie emigrated to America, arriving in New York after a voyage aboard a steamship named "The Pacific". He later took Horace Greeley's advice and headed west, to California. He began mining for gold in Calaveras County with little success, and headed for San Francisco. Hallidie's engineering background helped to develop a means of transportation. What was the name of his people mover?

Answer: Cable car

Andrew Smith Hallidie devised a method for miners to transport dirt and the occasional nugget up from hundreds of feet below the earth, using a wire rope/cable. He wondered, since it worked for rocks and soil, why not for people as well? On August 1, 1873, he successfully launched his first cable car 307 feet down the Clay street hill and right back up again, forever changing the landscape of the city by the bay.

He became a wealthy man as the new idea spread to other major American cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis, along with international venues such as London, England and Sydney, Australia. Hallidie's invention is still a huge San Francisco tourist attraction, generating millions of dollars for the city coffers, as folks flock (as Frank Sinatra would croon) "to be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars".
9. Hungarian born Laszlo Biro came up with a pretty good idea in the first half of the 20th century. Unveiled in 1931 at The Budapest International Fair, his invention has been used by countless millions of people. Writers, students, businessmen and women, are among the folks who have derived the most benefit from his product. Can you deduce which of the following was the creation of Laszlo Biro?

Answer: Ballpoint pen

In 1938, Laszlo Biro patented the ballpoint pen in Paris. Five years later, Laszlo and his brother Gyorgy, received United States Patent Number 2,390,636 and founded Biro Pens of Argentina. The patent was sold to Marcel Bich in 1945 and it became a bestselling product for his company, "BIC".
Biro continued to live in Argentina until his death in Buenos Aires at the age of 86.
Argentina celebrates "Inventor's Day" on September 29, the date of Laszlo Biro's birth.
In 2007, Laszlo Biro was inducted into The Inventor's Hall of Fame.
10. There's an old expression - "Necessity is the mother of invention". An event occurred in 1938 which gave some credence to that old adage. It seems that Ruth Wakefield, proprietor of an inn located outside of Boston, MA, was having a spot of bother in coming up with the evening's dessert, and so, she improvised. What popular treat was the result of her ingenuity?

Answer: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruth Wakefield was a native of The Bay State, and learned her culinary skills at Framingham State Normal School of Household Arts. Upon graduation she began her career working as a dietician, but then in 1930, she and her spouse purchased The Toll House Inn. On the evening in question, she was readying to prepare chocolate cookies for guests of the inn, when she discovered, much to her dismay that she had run out of baker's chocolate. What to do? Well, she noticed she had some Nestles chocolate on hand and began hacking away pieces of it to add to the cookie batter, fully expecting to get the chocolate cookie dessert she had planned on serving. But, no! Much to her surprise the chocolate chunks did not melt, and whaddya' know, Ruth Wakefield had just invented the first batch of chocolate chip cookies.

They quickly became the most popular cookie in in the country, and still are devoured by millions of grateful gourmands to this day. She passed in 1977...Rest in peace, Ruth Wakefield, and THANK YOU!
Source: Author paulmallon

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