Paper was first invented in which country?
AnswerChina
Paper made from plant fibers was developed in China around 2,000 years ago.
History · Facts & stats
Reinvent facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about inventions and reinvention, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
What does the phrase 'reinventing the wheel' mean?
AnswerWasting effort creating something that already exists
The idiom warns against redoing work that has already been solved well.
Going deeper
The Wright brothers made the first powered airplane flights in 1903 near which town?
AnswerKitty Hawk, North Carolina
The flights took place at Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, on December 17, 1903.
Hook-and-loop fasteners were invented after a Swiss engineer studied what?
AnswerBurrs sticking to his dog's fur
George de Mestral examined burdock burrs under a microscope and copied their tiny hooks.
What does a patent give an inventor?
AnswerThe exclusive right to make and sell an invention for a limited time
In exchange for publicly describing an invention, a patent grants temporary exclusive rights.
Expert level
Louis Braille's reading system was adapted from a military code of raised dots called what?
AnswerNight writing
Charles Barbier's night writing let soldiers read in the dark; Braille simplified it into a six-dot cell.
What was James Watt's key improvement to the Newcomen steam engine?
AnswerA separate condenser
Cooling steam in a separate chamber meant the cylinder stayed hot, greatly cutting fuel use.
Know these cold?Today's round is five questions like these, 20 seconds each. Your streak and level follow you to every arena.Play today's round