Czechs in the Mail Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sugar Cube

They say that "necessity is the mother of invention," and sugar cubes are a good example of the phrase. Jakub Krystof Rad developed sugar cubes after his wife complained to him that she was continually injuring herself dealing with the loaves that sugar came in after processing. To eliminate the injuries his wife and staff sustained, Rad had to come up with a way to simplify the way sugar could be maintained for use.

The sugar cube was patented in 1843.

Answer: Ship Propeller

Ressel grew up with an affinity for mechanics, which helped lead him to developing the first screw propeller, despite the Czech Republic being completely landlocked. Ressel worked as a lumberer, much of which went to ship building, and as such, he had a desire to improve travel through water.

He was the first to propose putting the ship's main propulsion device under the water to move the ship forward.

Answer: Blood Types

One of the most well known Czech scientists, Jan Janský is best known for his study of blood types. Even though he was not the only one to pioneer the work on identifying an individuals blood type, his contributions are some of the most important. Janský was the first to identify four different human blood types, whereas other scientists, who identified blood types sooner than Janský, were only able to identify three different blood types.

Despite his lack of recognition for his work, Janský's four types were eventually accepted in medicine, and are still used to this day.

Answer: Fingerprints

Jan Evangelista Purkyně is considered one of the fathers of cellular biology for his study and work in its field. He was one of the first people to come up with the idea (and ultimately, proof) of cells being the main structure of the human body. More well known, however, is his contributions to criminology, as he was the first person to show that human fingerprints are unique, and can be used to identify a single person.

Answer: Polarography

Polarography is not a common term in today's language, but it is very useful. Polarography, in basic terms, helps identify trace elements in certain materials. Its most common usage is in identifying vitamins in food substances, but it can also be used in pharmaceutical uses, and toxicology reports. Jaroslav Heyrovský won a Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on polarography in 1959.

Answer: Semtex (Plastic Explosive)

Stanislav Brebera invented the plastic explosive, known as Semtex, in 1950, with the help of a coworker. Semtex has numerous uses, mainly in demolition and commercial blasting. It is occasionally used in military operations as well, especially given the fact that it is not only malleable, but also waterproof.

Answer: Contact Lenses

Arguably the most famous, and most commonly used Czech invention, are contact lenses. Otto Wichterle patented the first prototype lenses in 1953, and in 1961, came up with the first gel lenses. The rights to produce contact lenses were purchased in 1965. Bausch and Lomb was, and still is, the most successful manufacturer of Wichterle's invention.

Answer: Lightning Conductor

Divis began his efforts to develop a protective lightning rod after a fellow scientist was killed by a lightning strike. His "weather machine" was alleged to prevent lightning strikes in the area that it was placed. Local farmers accused Divis of affecting weather patterns and causing a drought, and destroyed his first lightning conductor.

Answer: Arc Lamp

Frantisek Křizík is also known for his contributions to railway technology with his development of railway signals. His most famous invention, however, is the automatic electric arc lamp. Though not the original inventor, Křizík is the one that received patented rights to it.

Answer: Color Photography

Karel Schinzel had an interest in photography from the time he graduated from business school. He was also interested in the chemical process involved in the development of photographs, which ultimately led to his discovery of how to develop photos in color.