Polymaths Trivia Quiz

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

In addition to being the one of the greatest painters of all time, he did detailed work as a sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer,and botanist. He painted the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper".

He visualized military weapons that did not come into existence until centuries later. Much of his architectural work has been lost to time. His papers, which he wrote in such a way as to only be read by a reflecting mirror, document his ideas and concepts.

Answer: Galileo Galilei

In 1615 the Inquisition disputed Galileo's findings. The Jesuits, who previously had supported Galileo, turned their backs on him. The Inquisition convicted him of heresy, forced him to recant his views, and was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life.

Galileo is today considered the "Father of Science". Although best known for his astronomical findings, he was a physicist, mathematician, and philosopher. He used his 'house arrest' to continue his scientific studies and published several of his most influential papers. He also made improvements to the telescope and military compasses.

Answer: Rene Descartes

"Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) is certainly the most quoted line regarding his philosophy, even by those who have never studied his work. Descartes was French by birth but spent much of his life in the Netherlands. He is regarded as the 'Father of Modern Philosophy' and much that followed was in response to him.

He was also a skilled mathematician and when you see the word 'Cartesian' in mathematics, it refers to his theories.

Answer: Paul Robeson

Robeson was a great athlete and a scholar at Rutgers. His deep resonance voice lead in eventually to the stage as a singer and actor. When he first played Othello the Moor he was one of the first black men to play the role. His rendition of "Old Man River" in "Showboat" is classic.

His popularity spread overseas. He began to believe after visiting Russia that Communism held the best chance for minorities to advance in society. As a result his passport was cancelled by the government and he was blacklisted.

Answer: Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen, also known as Sibyl of the Rhine, showed promise at an early age. Given her time in history the only profession open to women was the Church. From the age of three, she began to experience visions that she described as affecting all senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. When the magistra of her nunnery died, she was immediately elected as her sucessor. She fought to have her own monastery where the nuns would have more opportunity for personal growth.

She herself broadened her horizons and delved in many creative arts and sciences. She wrote three books on her mystic experiences as intepreted through biblical references. Herbal medicine was codified in her "Physica". One of the early versions of "Ave Marie" is among her many musical compositions. As da Vinci wrote in mirror style, Hildegard wrote with an alternative alphabet.

In recent years a film "Visions" (2010) portrayed her life.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Franklin's accomplishments were many and varied. People sought warmth by their Franklin stove; they see the world better with bifocals. Look around your room and count the things that depend on electricity. He also participated in the forming of two key documents of democracy.

Answer: The 1985 Guinness Book of World Records listed her as the woman with the highest tested IQ

Marilyn vos Savant's early years were spent in working in her parent's store. As a teenager she began to write articles for the local paper under an assumed name. She married at sixteen, which did not work out. At Washington University at Saint Louis she studied philosophy but dropped out to help in the family business.

The fame from Guinness propelled her into the limelight. She became a permanent columnist for the weekly "Parade Magazine" in 1986 where she answers complex questions and puzzles. She also maintains a web site where there is a daily blog and puzzles.

Guinness dropped the high IQ concept as IQ tests as well as other pen and pencil tests are unreliable, a concept that vos Savant acknowledges.

Her first book was "Omni I.Q. Quiz" (1985). It was in a contest format and had such items as the estimated IQs of famous and historical people and she again points out the flaws in IQ measurement. In "The Proof of Fermat's Last Theorem and Other Mathematical Mysteries" (1993) she took exception to the alleged solution. In 2000 she published "The Art of Spelling: The Madness and the Method" - an in-depth look at spelling.

She serves on many advisory committees. Although she is often challenged by individuals who disagree with her answers in her coluum, she holds her own with them.

Answer: Gene Autry

Gene Autry's five stars are for:

Films--Autry made 93 films over a twenty year period.

Television: Starred in 93 episodes of the "Gene Autry Show".

Recording: Gene Autry had 26 single recordings which reached the top ten on music charts.

Radio: From 1940 to 1956 Gene Autry conducted a radio adventure program that was considered a morale builder during World War Two.

Personal Appearances: Autry made many personal appearances over his career and was active in the rodeo circuit.

But that was not all. Autry was a cargo pilot in the army during World War Two while still carrying on his radio obligations. He fought for actors against the big studios. He purchased the California Angels baseball team and served as vice-president of the American League. His investments in real estate and media make him one of the richest men in the world according to "Forbes Magazine".

Answer: Credited with establishing nursing as a profession

Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799) was a child prodigy. At age nine she delivered a lecture to intellectuals of the era on the rights of women to access education. By thirteen she had mastered seven languages and served as teacher to her siblings. Her gift was mathematics and much of her career centered on math theory although she wrote much about theology. In 1750 she was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Bologna. A crater on Venus and an asteroid are named for her.

A mathematical term, 'Witch of Agnesi', which is related to the study of curves was named for her as it was a pun from another language.

Answer: Noam Chomsky

In North America Chomsky is sometimes called the "father of modern linguistics" and a major figure of analytic philosophy. He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the Chomsky hierarchy, the universal grammar theory, and the Chomsky-Schützenberger theorem. He holds nearly forty honorary degrees from Universities all over the world.

During the Vietnam War, Chomsky became more than a linguistic theorist and became an advocate and activist for peace in the world.