UNPLANNED BREAKTHROUGHS
Monday Quiz - A love Letter. Week 6
To my darling: I love you!
Here are 10 questions for the girl of my dreams on inventors and intentions you may not know the stories of. And boy are these stories some of the more curious ones!
Please note - for all of these - while the title is ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERIES... there are some here that were less accidental, and more happenstance. And ALL involved many years of experience or exceptional insight to notice that this "accident' could be used to revolutionise the world. So don't let the word "accidental" undercut the genius, ethic, or noteworthiness of these discoverers.
If you want to vote on the funniest answer, and a myriad of other things - join the discord below:
You can play it here on WikiQuiz - and compare some scores! Or you can try and get nominated for the “Funniest Answer of the Week” award!
Or, scroll down and play it here!
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Sorry! The funniest answer is yet to come - as I am pre-writing this! I’m in Malaysia at the moment with my wonderful partner (she doesn't like the word fiancée because it sounds too western!) for a Kpop concert! I’ll update you all on my return.
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MONDAY QUIZ - ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERIES
In 1841, what Mexican crop was successfully unlocked for global mass-production on Réunion Island (near Madagascar) when 12-year-old Edmond Albius accidentally stumbled upon a rapid hand-pollination method using a simple blade of grass and his thumb, after observing how local watermelon and pumpkin plants were manually fertilized?
After Guatamalan Luis von Ahn (perhaps more famous for owning DuoLingo) learned about Yahoo’s massive bot problem during a 2000 academic talk, he invented a ubiquitous web security tool when he accidentally noticed computers were terrible at reading warped text while humans excelled at it. What is the name of this invention, a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart?
While working on an eco-friendly heat pump in his bathroom in 1982, NASA engineer Dr. Lonnie Johnson accidentally shot a powerful stream of water across the room, inspiring him to invent what iconic high-pressure toy?
The 9th-century polymath Al-Kwarizmi didn't set out to create today's digital foundation, but by systematically solving inheritance problems, his work on balancing equations gave us algebra! Later, European translations of his name mangled the moniker into Latin, accidentally giving us what everyday word?
In 1940, young Mexican inventor Guillermo González Camarena developed a chromoscopic adapter a system so advanced it was later used by NASA on the Voyager missions. While experimenting in his laboratory, he made an accidental discovery - he found that even a regular, standard black-and-white broadcast could create an illusion if he adjusted the lighting and equipment in a specific way. What groundbreaking household technology did he make possible through his tinkering?
While testing surgical energy applications late at night, which condition's treatment was revolutionized by Dr. Patricia Bath? Her late-night breakthrough of an unexpected reflection led to the invention of the Laserphaco probe, a precise device that uses optical fibre and laser energy to safely dissolve and remove damaged, cloudy eye lenses without harming surrounding tissue.
Here's a cute one - the work itself was deliberate and involved decades of precise mathematical modelling... but the story of her was accidentally found and uncovered! What pioneering mathematician and "hidden figure" had her ground-breaking contributions to the development of GPS finally brought to public light in 2017 after a fellow member of her Alpha Kappa Alpha (a.k.a. AKA) sorority happened to read a short biographical sketch she submitted for an alumni function? Punnily, her surname is a very fitting direction for a GPS.
During World War II, a severe tomato shortage in the Philippines prompted Filipina food scientist Maria Y. Orosa to experiment with a local alternative, successfully mashing a surplus of the saba variety of a particular fruit with sugar, vinegar, and spices. What famous sweet and tangy condiment did she accidentally discover as a result? (Two word name required, both of which are foods).
When water accidentally leaked into a massive industrial tank of purified soybean oil, which pioneering chemist noticed white stigmasterol crystals forming in the ruined mixture? Recognizing a breakthrough, he turned the accident into a method to mass-produce progesterone, paving the way for modern hormone treatments and the birth control pill.
Which 18th-century Surinamese healer and botanist accidentally discovered that the intensely bitter bark and wood of the Quassia amara plant could effectively treat fevers, malaria, and intestinal parasites - and his his extensive documentation of the find lead to still current cures of these afflictions?
Time for the answers! I hope you enjoyed!
ANSWERS:
In 1841, what Mexican crop was successfully unlocked for global mass-production on Réunion Island when 12-year-old Edmond Albius accidentally stumbled upon a rapid hand-pollination method using a simple blade of grass and his thumb, after observing how local watermelon and pumpkin plants were manually fertilized?
VANILLAAfter Guatamalan Luis von Ahn (perhaps more famous for owning DuoLingo) learned about Yahoo’s massive bot problem during a 2000 academic talk, he invented a ubiquitous web security tool when he accidentally noticed computers were terrible at reading warped text while humans excelled at it. What is the name of this invention, a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart?
CAPTCHAWhile working on an eco-friendly heat pump in his bathroom in 1982, NASA engineer Dr. Lonnie Johnson accidentally shot a powerful stream of water across the room, inspiring him to invent what iconic high-pressure toy?
SUPER SOAKERThe 9th-century polymath Al-Kwarizmi didn’t set out to create today’s digital foundation, but by systematically solving inheritance problems, his work on balancing equations gave us algebra! Later, European translations of his name mangled the moniker into Latin, accidentally giving us what everyday word?
ALGORITHMIn 1940, young Mexican inventor Guillermo González Camarena developed a chromoscopic adapter a system so advanced it was later used by NASA on the Voyager missions. While experimenting in his laboratory, he made an accidental discovery - he found that even a regular, standard black-and-white broadcast could create am illusion if he adjusted the lighting and equipment in a specific way. What groundbreaking household technology did he make possible through his tinkering?
COLOUR TELEVISIONWhile testing surgical energy applications late at night, which condition’s treatment was revolutionized by Dr. Patricia Bath? Her late-night breakthrough of an unexpected reflection led to the invention of the Laserphaco probe, a precise device that uses optical fibre and laser energy to safely dissolve and remove damaged, cloudy eye lenses without harming surrounding tissue.
CATARACTS (Or similar)Here’s a cute one - the work itself was deliberate and involved decades of precise mathematical modelling... but the story of her was accidentally found and uncovered! What pioneering mathematician and “hidden figure” had her ground-breaking contributions to the development of GPS finally brought to public light in 2017 after a fellow member of her Alpha Kappa Alpha (a.k.a. AKA) sorority happened to read a short biographical sketch she submitted for an alumni function? Punnily, her surname is a very fitting direction for a GPS.
Dr. Gladys WESTDuring World War II, a severe tomato shortage in the Philippines prompted Filipina food scientist Maria Y. Orosa to experiment with a local alternative, successfully mashing a surplus of the saba variety of a particular fruit with sugar, vinegar, and spices. What famous sweet and tangy condiment did she accidentally discover as a result? (Two word name required, both of which are foods).
BANANA KETCHUPWhen water accidentally leaked into a massive industrial tank of purified soybean oil, which pioneering chemist noticed white stigmasterol crystals forming in the ruined mixture? Recognizing a breakthrough, he turned the accident into a method to mass-produce progesterone, paving the way for modern hormone treatments and the birth control pill.
Dr. Julian PERCYWhich 18th-century Surinamese healer and botanist accidentally discovered that the intensely bitter bark and wood of the Quassia amara plant could effectively treat fevers, malaria, and intestinal parasites - and his his extensive documentation of the find lead to still current cures of these afflictions?
Graman KWASI
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