1. On June 2 in 1857, James Gibbs of Virginia obtained a patent for his invention. The original machine had been invented by Elias Howe but was cumbersome and slow. Gibbs patented his technique called ‘Chain Stitch’, which was based on the craft of using looped stitches. This allowed the machine to make designs more easily. Which machine was this, which changed the livelihoods of millions of women?
2. On June 2 in 1875, this person made the very first sound transmission. With both his mother and wife being deaf, he was motivated to figure out ways of communication. He started experimenting with acoustic telegraphy and eventually developed an instrument. Although Antonio Meucci had already filed for a similar patent, he didn’t have the $10 needed to finish the process. Who was this person, who got his machine patented before Meucci?
3. On June 2 in 1896, this person applied for a patent for his wireless telegraph that led to him winning a Nobel Prize in 1909. He was the first person to make modern, mass communication truly global. It all started when he learnt how to send a signal across his parents’ attic. Who was this person, thanks to whom any two people at any two places on the planet could communicate?
4. On June 2 in 1903, Japanese American chemist Takamine Jōkichi got his patent for a hormone he had managed to isolate from some glands above the kidney. This hormone plays a huge role in regulation of blood pressure and is responsible for increasing both, blood flow to muscles and cardiac output. People who are allergic to certain items (e.g. prawns) need this on hand in case of emergencies. What hormone is this, which is responsible for our survival?
5. Eric Laithwaite had invented full-size linear induction motors, and he recognised that they don’t need physical contact with a metal track to work. In 1967, two researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory applied for a patent for a ‘Maglev ____’, which generated “a suspension force for floating a ____ above the ground”. What was the patent for?
6. One of the most instantly recognisable modern devices has a very simple patent. The 2007 document just says ‘ornamental design of an electronic device, as shown and described’. It was not the first of its kind, nor was it a revolutionary technological change. The basic design and simplicity made it unique. What device is this, which is in its 15th version now?
7. The very first version of this device was invented by Nicholas Yagin in 1890, who called it an ‘apparatus for facilitating walking’. Over the years, it has evolved all the way to the ReWalk patent in 2014, which is used in rehab centres, and allows people with lower paralysis to walk and even climb stairs. What is this device, that powers and strengthens the body from the outside?
8. In 1962, Edward Vanderlip, an engineer for Piasecki Aircraft, patented a mechanism to allow a helicopter’s instruments to continue functioning in the event of a power failure. He then incorporated the same system into a remotely-operated aircraft. This led to the first patent for what device, which can be used both as a fun toy and a dangerous military weapon?
9. Issued in 1986, this patent was for an apparatus that produced objects by stereolithography, or light-solidification of resin. Liquid resin is solidified layer by layer with a UV light to make forms. What technology is this, that is used to make everything from pens to houses?
10. Jaap Haartsen invented this technology, the patent for which is called, “Peer to peer information exchange for mobile communications devices”. It is named after an ancient Scandinavian king who brought Norway and Denmark together, and who had a certain nickname because of a dental issue. What technology is this, that all of us encounter on a daily basis?
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Answers
1. Sewing Machine
2. Alexander Graham Bell
3. Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi
4. Adrenaline (Epinephrine)
5. Train (Magnetic Levitation Train)
6. Apple iPhone
7. Exoskeleton
8. Drone
9. 3-D printing
10. Bluetooth
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