True or False or....? Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Earth's orbit isn't a circle, but an ellipse. Its closest point is about 5 million km closer to the sun that its furthest point. That distance is not enough to cause our seasonal changes, though. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis.

Answer: True

Nancy Hanks Lincoln died at the family's cabin in Spencer County, IN on October 5, 1818. She is generally thought to have been the victim of "milk poisoning", a condition which was epidemic in the area at the time of her death. Other causes for her death have been proposed, such as TB, but fear of a return of "milk sickness" played a part in the family's decision to move from the area.

Answer: True

In 1925, the Eiffel Tower was rusting and in need of very expensive maintenance and repairs. As the tower had been built for the Paris Exposition of 1889 and was only meant to last for 20 years, the French government and people were divided as to whether the tower should be preserved or torn down.
Vincent Lustig, a professional con man claiming to be a government minister, contacted several Paris scrap metal dealers soliciting bids for the job of dismantling the "eyesore". One of the dealers proved to be Lustig's "mark" and paid him $70,000 for the rights to dismantle and sell the tower.
Later in his career, Lustig actually attempted the Eiffel Tower scam a second time without success. Moving to the US, he swindled a Texas sheriff out of over $100,000 in tax receipts, escaped from the same Crown Point, IN jail from which John Dillinger later escaped and attempted to scam Al Capone. Later sentenced to prison for counterfeiting, he died in Alcatraz in 1949.

Answer: False

Astronomers estimate that the Milky Way Galaxy contains something more than 200 billion stars. Neuroscientists estimate, though, that a three year-old child's brain contains close to 1 quadrillion synapses. That number falls by half, to about 500 trillion in an adult.

Answer: True

Amazingly true! US Patent # 121992, Dec. 19, 1871 was granted to Samuel L. Clemens of Hartford, CT for "Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments". Twain describes, "The nature of my invention consists in an adjustable and detachable elastic strap for vests, pantaloons, or other garments requiring straps."
The drawings included with the application clearly show the hook and eye device that has befuddled amorous young men during the ensuing years.

Answer: False

A blue whale's sound has been measured at 188 decibels. Elephants don't even place second in the animal noise competition. That honor belongs to the South American Howler Monkey.

Answer: False

Like other cetaceans, narwhals communicate via clicks and whistles. Recent research indicates that the tusk may be used as a sensor to tell the narwhal about its surroundings. The tusk is porous and filled with nerves which could transmit data such as water temperature, pressure and salinity to the animal's brain.

Answer: True

Harvard, America's oldest college, was founded in 1636. Calculus was developed about 50 years later by Gottfried Leibniz's 1684 "Nova Methodus" and Isaac Newton's 1687 "Principia" as well as refinements by by other mathematicians over the years.

Answer: True

The position is so named due to the player's extreme proximity to the batsman, making the position as dangerous as it is silly. This is the extent of my knowledge of the game of cricket.

Answer: False

There are actually four such words. The fourth is "hazardous".

Answer: True

Peter Durand, a British merchant, was granted a patent for the tin can in 1810. Opening his invention remained a problem, though, until 1858 when American Ezra J. Warner patented the first practical can opener.

Answer: False

Actually we humans only share about 50% of our DNA with bananas and plantains. To reach the 90% level you'd have to compare humans to chimpanzees or other primates.

Answer: True

From 1939 to 1941 the Sea Floor post office operated in the Bahamas. The "biosphere" post office was the idea of US underwater photographer John Ernest Williamson. Covers postmarked at the Sea Floor office are quite collectible and valued as high as $300.
Beginning in 2003 the Pacific nation of Vanuatu has operated an underwater post office at Hideaway Island.

Answer: False

"Reagan as Rick" is a widely heard rumor but the truth is quite different. The part of Rick Blaine was actually written for Humphrey Bogart. Prior to "Casablanca" Bogart had been cast almost exclusively as a gangster, usually as a villain. Hal Wallis, the film's producer wanted Bogie for the role of Rick so he told Warner Brothers the part was written for him. Claims by Warner's publicity department that Reagan was considered probably were made to boost his stature for other roles.

Answer: True

The Aleutian Islands straddle the 180 degree line of longitude, placing them at the very edge of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.