Category: Brain Teasers

The United States has formally declared war on all but which one of the following countries?

United Kingdom
Mexico
Spain
North Vietnam
Bulgaria

The correct answer is North Vietnam

Which one of the following was NOT the name of a World War II-era Essex-class aircraft carrier?

USS Franklin
USS Intrepid
USS Bunker Hill
USS Randolph
USS Washington

The correct answer is USS Washington

Which one of the following well-known military figures was NOT a Medal of Honor recipient?

Audie Murphy
Theodore Roosevelt
George Armstrong Custer
Gregory “Pappy” Boyington
Daniel Inouye

The correct answer is George Armstrong Custer

Trivia: Which of these mammals uses electricity to hunt?

Rhinoceros
Gerbil
Platypus
Lemur

The correct answer is Platypus

So why is this answer correct? : The platypus is one of nature’s strangest creatures — in fact, when they were first discovered, researchers thought they were a hoax. After accepting their existence, scientists were puzzled by the aquatic mammal’s ability to hunt in dark water. Further study revealed that the platypus’ bill contains thousands of cells that are sensitive to electrical impulses. Using a process called electroreception, the platypus can detect prey using electrical currents underwater.

Trivia: What ancient civilization recorded the first observations of electricity?

Egypt
China
Babylonian Empire
Aztec Empire

The correct answer is Egypt

So why is this answer correct? : As early as 2750 BCE, long before humans learned to harness electricity with magnets and other devices, the ancient Egyptians observed electricity as it naturally occurs in electric fish. The Nile River contained electric catfish, now known as the species Malapterurus electricus. Egyptians referred to these creatures as the “thunderers of the Nile,” believing they were protectors of the other fish in the river.

Trivia: Which inventor is known as the “Father of Electricity”?

Thomas Edison
Nikola Tesla
Michael Faraday
Benjamin Franklin

The correct answer is Michael Faraday

So why is this answer correct? : Michael Faraday was a self-taught scientist who discovered the laws of electromagnetic induction, invented the first electric motor, and developed one of the earliest versions of the dynamo. He also coined many scientific terms still used today, including “electrode,” “cathode,” and “ion.” His 1850s lab has been replicated and remains on display at the Royal Institution in England.

Trivia: What country was the first to use nuclear power for electricity?

United States
Great Britain
Russia
France

The correct answer is Russia

So why is this answer correct? : The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union (now Russia) was the world’s first nuclear power plant used for electricity. Prior to the plant’s commission in 1954, nuclear plants had been used exclusively for military purposes, but the Obninsk plant fed into the existing power grid, providing electricity to citizens in the area. The plant was decommissioned in 2002.

Trivia: Which of these was NOT used for lighting before electricity?

Animal fat
Oil
Flashlight
Wax candles

The correct answer is Flashlight

So why is this answer correct? : Before electricity, people used animal fat, oil, and wax candles for lighting. Wealthier people used wax candles and oil lamps, while poorer households used tallow candles or quick-burning rush lights dipped in animal fat. The flashlight wasn’t invented until the 1890s, and electricity supplied directly to homes wasn’t common until the late 19th century.

Trivia: The “War of the Currents” was a feud between Thomas Edison and who?

Nikola Tesla
Alexander Graham Bell
Henry Ford
James Watt

The correct answer is Nikola Tesla

So why is this answer correct? : Starting in the late 1880s, the “War of the Currents” involved inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Edison believed that his invention of the direct current (DC) electrical system was superior to Tesla’s alternating current (AC). Tesla’s AC system ultimately emerged as the victor when he won the bid to provide the electricity for the 1893 World’s Fair. AC is now used by more than 80% of electrical devices in the U.S.

Trivia: What did electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta invent in 1800?

Transistor
Circuit
Arc Lamp
Battery

The correct answer is Battery

So why is this answer correct? : Italian physicist Alessandro Volta invented the battery, the first device to produce a continuous electric current. Originally called the voltaic pile or column, the battery was composed of alternating disks of zinc and silver, separated by a cloth soaked in conductive fluid. The volt — a unit of electromagnetic force — was named after Volta in 1881.