Take the Innovation & Technology Quiz!
Without innovation, Gig cars would have foot pedals.
At some point, someone created a product to help solve our major problems and challenges. From lightbulbs to safer transportation, the ability to innovate has transformed how we live.
It’s important to look back to see how far we’ve come. How much do you know about inventions and innovation?
Take our quiz to find out. Answers are below, but no cheating!
1. How many different light bulbs were developed before Edison filed for his first light bulb patent on January 27, 1880?
A. 200
B. 23
C. 3
D. 74
2. When the inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes were trying to make 3D plastic wallpaper and failed, what was the product they accidentally ended up inventing instead?
A. 3D Glasses
B. Plexiglass
C. Bubble Wrap
D. Sticky Notes
3. What year was the first stop sign installed in America?
A. 1915
B. 1922
C. 1898
D. 1900
4. What automobile company invented the three-point seat belt and then gave free license to all other auto manufacturers to use it?
A. Ford
B. Toyota
C. Volvo
D. VW
5. In what date range was Ford’s Model T sold?
A. 1899 – 1930
B. 1908 – 1927
C. 1925 – 1935
D. 1915 – 1948
6. What year was Velcro invented?
A. 1905
B. 1941
C. 1951
D. 1961
7. The first text message was sent from a 22-year-old engineer from his personal computer. What did the message say?
A. New phone, who dis?
B. Hi
C. Merry Christmas
D. Testing 1,2,3
8. What year did the first green and red electric traffic lights appear?
A. 1912
B. 1898
C. 1920
D. 1945
9. What year was Penicillin discovered?
A. 1912
B. 1897
C. 1929
D. 1944
10. What year did the first iPhone launch?
A. 2001
B. 2005
C. 1999
D. 2007
Answers
- 1. B. 23
In 1809, Sir Humphrey Davy invented the first electric arc lamp. The experimentation over the next half a century was mostly focused on finding an affordable filament that could provide light for any length of time. Read more about the history of the light bulb here:
https://sciencing.com/important-thomas-edison-invention-light-bulb-6305.html - 2. C. Bubble Wrap
The duo founded Sealed Air Corp. in 1960, using “Bubble Wrap” to transport computers. Read more:: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/accidental-invention-bubble-wrap-180971325/ - 3. A. 1915
The first stop sign in America was created in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It was a 2’ x 2’ white square sign. There was little regulation at the time, meaning stop signs were then made in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Read more: https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/cars-trucks/auto-history/stop-sign-history/ - 4. C. Volvo
The ‘click-clack front-and-back’ has saved more than a million lives, and saved that many from serious injury. It is recognized as “one of the eight patents to have the greatest significance for humanity during the hundred years from 1885 to 1985.”
Learn more here: https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/08/11/473711.html - 5. B: 1908-1927
This was the first car that most people could afford to purchase. Earlier cars, such as those built in 1885 in Germany by Karl Benz, were too expensive for the average person. Learn more here: https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/model-t - 6. B: 1941
A Swiss engineer took his pup out on a hunting trip and noticed how burrs stuck to his socks and his dog’s fur. He took note of the hooks. When newly invented nylon came along, Velcro was born. “However, it wasn’t until roughly two decades later that Velcro's popularity boomed after NASA took a particular liking to it.”
Source: https://www.thefactsite.com/accidental-inventions-and-discoveries/
https://www.velcro.co.uk/about-us/history/ - 7. C: Merry Christmas
Neil Papworth sent the text message to his colleague in 1992 via the Vodafone network.
Learn more about it: https://www.businessinsider.com/inventors-of-mobile-devices-texting-phones-email-voicemail-2011-3#a-22-year-old-engineer-sent-the-first-text-message-from-his-personal-computer-4 - 8. A: 1912
A police officer in Salt Lake City, Utah invented the first street light, and it looked like a bird house on a tall pole. The lights had to be manually switched.
Read more: https://www.livescience.com/57231-who-invented-the-traffic-light.html - 9. C: 1929
When a Scottish bacteriologist went on holiday, he forgot to cover a petri dish of Staphylococcus he was cultivating in his lab. Upon returning, he noticed that the mold had killed off many of the other bacteria. The rest is history. Read more about it here:
https://www.thefactsite.com/accidental-inventions-and-discoveries/ - 10. D: 2007
Seems like just yesterday, or maybe 50 years ago. Is it just us, or have you lost all track of time, too? Read more about the iphone and other great innovations here: https://startupguide.com/the-40-greatest-innovations-of-all-time