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Quiz about Polymaths
Quiz about Polymaths

Polymaths Trivia Quiz


A polymath is a person who displays skills and talents in many areas of achievement--sometimes also called 'Renaissance Men'. But this quiz includes a few women also.

A multiple-choice quiz by Rehaberpro. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Rehaberpro
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
357,180
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
729
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Mrsblt84 (5/10), Guest 199 (6/10), Guest 68 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. I was born in Italy in 1452. My interests were broad and extensive. Most people know me by my classic paintings of a woman with an enigmatic smile and the other a rendering of a sacred repast. In many people's minds I epitomized the polymath or 'Renaissance Man'. What is my name? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. It's sound advice to pick your battles. The wrath of Pope Urban VIII came on what man when he proposed that the earth moved around the sun, which was considered a heresy by the Church? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Who is credited with first saying "Cogito ergo sum"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What American man's resume might list: Rutgers graduate and valedictorian, All-American football player, lawyer, professional athlete, singer, film star, intellectual, civil rights activist and Communist? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What saint, who lived from AD 1098 to 1179, was not made a Doctor of the Church until 2012? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Who was the American who began as a printer, became a publisher, tinkered with electricity, improved heating stoves and glasses, signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and represented his country in overseas assignments?

Answer: ("Poor Richard's Almanac")
Question 7 of 10
7. What first brought Marilyn vos Savant into the public eye? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Entertainment personalities work to achieve a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Who was the first entertainer to achieve five stars? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Maria Gaetana Agnesi is considered a polymath. Which of these was NOT one of her accomplishments? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Who is the professor of linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose theories have had influences on many fields such as computer science, mathematics, and psychology? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 03 2024 : Mrsblt84: 5/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 199: 6/10
Oct 14 2024 : Guest 68: 6/10
Oct 12 2024 : Guest 136: 8/10
Oct 09 2024 : Guest 86: 5/10
Oct 08 2024 : cindi657: 7/10
Oct 07 2024 : Guest 90: 2/10
Oct 02 2024 : Guest 192: 8/10
Sep 29 2024 : Guest 184: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. I was born in Italy in 1452. My interests were broad and extensive. Most people know me by my classic paintings of a woman with an enigmatic smile and the other a rendering of a sacred repast. In many people's minds I epitomized the polymath or 'Renaissance Man'. What is my name?

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.
2. It's sound advice to pick your battles. The wrath of Pope Urban VIII came on what man when he proposed that the earth moved around the sun, which was considered a heresy by the Church?

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.
3. Who is credited with first saying "Cogito ergo sum"?

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.
4. What American man's resume might list: Rutgers graduate and valedictorian, All-American football player, lawyer, professional athlete, singer, film star, intellectual, civil rights activist and Communist?

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.
5. What saint, who lived from AD 1098 to 1179, was not made a Doctor of the Church until 2012?

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.
6. Who was the American who began as a printer, became a publisher, tinkered with electricity, improved heating stoves and glasses, signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and represented his country in overseas assignments?

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.
7. What first brought Marilyn vos Savant into the public eye?

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.
8. Entertainment personalities work to achieve a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Who was the first entertainer to achieve five stars?

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".
9. Maria Gaetana Agnesi is considered a polymath. Which of these was NOT one of her accomplishments?

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.
10. Who is the professor of linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose theories have had influences on many fields such as computer science, mathematics, and psychology?

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.
Source: Author Rehaberpro

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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