FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about What Will They Think of Next
Quiz about What Will They Think of Next

What Will They Think of Next! Trivia Quiz


The phrase, 'one man's trash is another's treasure' certainly relates to the world of inventing. Indeed the ten inventions mentioned in this quiz would have the likes of Edison and Whitney shaking their heads and asking 'What will they think of next'?

A multiple-choice quiz by poshprice. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. World Trivia
  6. »
  7. Business World

Author
poshprice
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
356,006
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
945
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. During the first half of the twentieth century, the US was confronted with a new invention, which was marketed as making "swimming easier". What exactly was this new product, which was modelled by women referred to as "Spruce Girls"? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The transparent toaster, Banana Guard and animal corn holders were all, at one time, real inventions. True or false?


Question 3 of 10
3. Believe it or not, doggy sunglasses turned out to be quite a money-maker, though their value extended far beyond their original function as fashion accessories. One particular brand even had the honour of helping to protect the sight of military canines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, by ensuring that the wind and sand, (among other things) stayed firmly out of their eyes. Which aptly-named brand of sunglasses was this? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. A man named Mark Pincus really hit the jackpot when his social network game developing company, Zynga, created a game which involved becoming a virtual farmer. Of course it certainly helped that his invention was showcased on Facebook, which in 2012 was the second most visited site on the web, second only to search engine giant Google. What was the name of this remarkably popular game, in which players got to tend to a virtual farm? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. From the latter stages of the twentieth century onwards, products which were invented for babies had to comply with rigorous health and safety rules. However the first half of the twentieth century saw plenty of shoddy baby products make their way into production, one of the most dangerous of which was the baby cage. Intended to be suspended outside a window, the creator of this dangerous, wire contraption targeted families lacking which of the following? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Undoubtedly, some inventions have met with more success than others, and this next innovation proved to be particularly profitable for its inventor, Jack Clements. Indeed his creation changed the hot drink market forever, and ensured that drinking coffee on the go was more practical and less messy than ever before. What design of his was it that changed the way people drank their hot drinks? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The idea behind the humble, flat-bottomed paper bag led to a legal battle between the woman who thought of it, and the male ironworker who stole it from her. As the year was 1868, the woman was discriminated against because she was female, and thus the man was awarded the patent.


Question 8 of 10
8. By the time this next invention arrived on the scene, the cuddly toy market was truly saturated. Yet this invention, which could be described as both a cuddly toy and a collectible, managed to succeed where a great many others had failed. This was even more remarkable given the fact that these 'toys' were never really advertised, and could not be found on the shelves of one's local Toys-R-Us store. What invention was this then, which counted 'Brownie the Brown Bear' and 'Peking the Panda' as part of its collection? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. One of the most bizarre inventions to ever come out of America involved making mass plastic productions of one particular part of a bird's anatomy, What bird 'part' was it that Ken Ahroni based his invention on, which is known, scientifically, as the furcula? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In 2004 the obesity epidemic was dealt a healthy blow, when ex-Navy SEAL, turned fitness instructor, Phil Black, launched a card game with a twist. For unlike the more conventional card games, such as poker or blackjack, Black's cards were labelled with specific exercises. Under what name was this new card game marketed? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. During the first half of the twentieth century, the US was confronted with a new invention, which was marketed as making "swimming easier". What exactly was this new product, which was modelled by women referred to as "Spruce Girls"?

Answer: The wooden bathing suit

"Wear Wood" would certainly have been an interesting campaign, had the wooden bathing suit caught on. Made from spruce, the 1930 May edition of "Popular Science" described the suits as "the latest novelty", claiming that they were a "practical" alternative to the regular bathing suit, especially for those the magazine called "timid" swimmers.

However the magazine's final word on the matter was far than comforting, as the article ended with the less than reassuring words, "So far, none of them has warped or cracked"! The suits were created in the state of Washington, in order to promote its lumber industry.

However the name of the person who originally came up with the idea is unknown.
2. The transparent toaster, Banana Guard and animal corn holders were all, at one time, real inventions. True or false?

Answer: True

Although all three of these items were really invented, the people who originally came up with them attracted considerably less attention than the likes of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. That being said, each item did address a particular issue or complaint, and thus there was a genuine market for them. Take Banana Guard, for example, which was marketed as a device that allowed "for the safe transport and storage of individual bananas", and was, in effect, a banana lunchbox of sorts. Invented by two ER doctors named Sunil Mangal and David Agulnik during the 1990s, Banana Guard came in a variety of colours, and eventually led to the creation of the Froot Guard, which was a case designed to store and protect rounder items, such as apples, plums and peaches.

Like the Banana Guard, the premise behind the transparent toaster was pretty simple, in that it focused on the fact that most people dislike burned toast. Though it was French inventor, Sylvain Thiriat, who first submitted the patent for this particular device, around 2002, it was the engineers of a company called Magimix that eventually made the concept a reality. Indeed Magimix was the company that first sold what "The Telegraph" newspaper called "the world's first transparent toaster". Labelled the Magimix Vision Toaster, it retailed for around £160 in 2010, and was first introduced to the UK market via retail giant, John Lewis.

Finally, animal corn holders solved the problem of how to eat hot corn on the cob without burning your fingers. They came in a variety of different styles, from cute cows to sweet, brown daschunds, and were in effect just miniature book ends. As for their original inventor, no information on the person or persons involved could be found.
3. Believe it or not, doggy sunglasses turned out to be quite a money-maker, though their value extended far beyond their original function as fashion accessories. One particular brand even had the honour of helping to protect the sight of military canines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, by ensuring that the wind and sand, (among other things) stayed firmly out of their eyes. Which aptly-named brand of sunglasses was this?

Answer: Doggles

When I first began my research for this particular quiz, the idea of buying "doggy sunglasses" seemed rather silly. However as I dug a little deeper, it became clear that Doggles in particular were especially instrumental in helping military dogs carry out their duties, especially in places with a great deal of sand, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover the brand also made managing certain canine eye problems easier, which meant that it began to appeal to an even wider market, such as veterinarians and dog trainers.

Doggles are, essentially, protective eyewear for dogs. Modelled on traditional human sports goggles, Doggles were invented by Californian couple, Ken and Roni di Lullo, who were inspired to create something that would stop their own dog from squinting in the sun. Their idea then snowballed, and eventually became a worldwide sensation, so much so that by 2004, Doggles were being sold in 16 different countries. The Doggle brand even developed prescription lenses for dogs with sight problems, thus enriching the lives of numerous canine companions.
4. A man named Mark Pincus really hit the jackpot when his social network game developing company, Zynga, created a game which involved becoming a virtual farmer. Of course it certainly helped that his invention was showcased on Facebook, which in 2012 was the second most visited site on the web, second only to search engine giant Google. What was the name of this remarkably popular game, in which players got to tend to a virtual farm?

Answer: FarmVille

Much like Marmite, from the get-go, Zynga's FarmVille provoked one of two reactions: revulsion or attraction. Having made its debut on Facebook in 2009, it instantly captured the imagination of the world, and soon enough, most Facebook users were being flooded with various FarmVille requests. Though the concept was refreshingly simple, the variety of things one could buy with virtually earned (or real world) cash was endless, and there was always something new to work towards.
5. From the latter stages of the twentieth century onwards, products which were invented for babies had to comply with rigorous health and safety rules. However the first half of the twentieth century saw plenty of shoddy baby products make their way into production, one of the most dangerous of which was the baby cage. Intended to be suspended outside a window, the creator of this dangerous, wire contraption targeted families lacking which of the following?

Answer: Gardens

Incredibly, the wire baby cage was designed to be hung outside the windows of buildings, so that families without gardens could ensure their little ones reaped the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Its original design was created by an American woman named Emma Read, and a patent for the device was accepted in 1923. Worryingly, in 1937, these cages were distributed to members of London's Chelsea Baby Club, and one London council even proposed the idea of attaching them to the outside of every one of their buildings' windows.
6. Undoubtedly, some inventions have met with more success than others, and this next innovation proved to be particularly profitable for its inventor, Jack Clements. Indeed his creation changed the hot drink market forever, and ensured that drinking coffee on the go was more practical and less messy than ever before. What design of his was it that changed the way people drank their hot drinks?

Answer: The Solo Traveller Lid

Though snap on plastic lids first made their appearance in the early 1980s, it wasn't until Jack Clements submitted his patent in 1986 that their design became more ergonomic. Indeed it was Clements who created the Solo Traveller Lid, after being challenged by Solo to come up with a better way of drinking hot drinks on the go.

He responded with the Solo Traveller Lid, which soon became widely available, and went on to be used by global companies such as Starbucks.
7. The idea behind the humble, flat-bottomed paper bag led to a legal battle between the woman who thought of it, and the male ironworker who stole it from her. As the year was 1868, the woman was discriminated against because she was female, and thus the man was awarded the patent.

Answer: False

Given the year in which it occurred, the story behind the creation of the flat-bottomed paper bag is quite remarkable. American, Margaret Knight, came up with the idea of creating a machine capable of making these bags, after growing frustrated with the shapeless bags around at the time, as they made packing groceries particularly difficult.

She came up with her own design, and while in the process of getting an iron prototype made of her machine, (which was required for the patent), a man who worked at the company responsible for making her prototype, stole it.

The man's name was Charles Annan, and even when Knight sued him for copyright infringement, he had the audacity to claim that she couldn't possibly be the inventor, because she was after all only a woman.

However he hadn't bargained on Knight's extensive planning, which meant that she had detailed drawings of her device to show as proof that it was her own idea. As a result, she won her case, created the product, and made herself a great deal of money.
8. By the time this next invention arrived on the scene, the cuddly toy market was truly saturated. Yet this invention, which could be described as both a cuddly toy and a collectible, managed to succeed where a great many others had failed. This was even more remarkable given the fact that these 'toys' were never really advertised, and could not be found on the shelves of one's local Toys-R-Us store. What invention was this then, which counted 'Brownie the Brown Bear' and 'Peking the Panda' as part of its collection?

Answer: Beanie Babies

In 1993, Ty Inc. released their first selection of nine Beanie Babies, which were created under the guidance of company creator, H. Ty Warner. As suggested by their name, each toy was loosely filled with plastic beans, and all were sold at a reasonable price.

However what was notable about Beanie Babies was the limited release of many of the toys, which not only made them harder to find, but all the more desirable to their collectors. As a result, Beanie Babies quickly became one of the popular fads of the 90s.
9. One of the most bizarre inventions to ever come out of America involved making mass plastic productions of one particular part of a bird's anatomy, What bird 'part' was it that Ken Ahroni based his invention on, which is known, scientifically, as the furcula?

Answer: The wishbone

Astonishingly, Ken Ahoroni's idea of mass producing plastic wishbones paid off for him, and after coming up with the idea during the Thanksgiving of 1999, he went on to create the Lucky Break Wishbone Company. During the height of their popularity, the company was reported to have made 30,000 wishbones a day, making Ahoroni a hefty profit.

Moreover according to the company's website, Ahoroni not only kept the wishbone that inspired him during his 1999 Thanksgiving meal, but also used it as a model for all of his company's plastic wishbones.
10. In 2004 the obesity epidemic was dealt a healthy blow, when ex-Navy SEAL, turned fitness instructor, Phil Black, launched a card game with a twist. For unlike the more conventional card games, such as poker or blackjack, Black's cards were labelled with specific exercises. Under what name was this new card game marketed?

Answer: FitDeck

FitDeck was first launched in 2004, after being created by a fitness instructor named Phil Black, who based the product around a push-up game he and a group of friends once played during their time at university. Incredibly convenient, as it required nothing more than a small square of space, FitDeck allowed anyone without time to attend, or indeed access to a gym, to get a good work-out.

Moreover it proved to be quite a money-spinner, and in 2006, was reported to have made $4.7 million.
Source: Author poshprice

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us