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Failed Inventions Quiz
Failed Inventions Quiz: dive into technological failures and accidental discoveries with free questions, no sign-up required. Instant results, share your score with friends!
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From the Iridium project to the Slinky, this quiz explores spectacular commercial failures and accidental discoveries that sometimes changed the world. A fun way to see the flip side of innovation.
Did you know?
- Motorola's Iridium project (1998) promised phone calls from anywhere on Earth via 66 satellites, at a cost of $5 billion and a hugely expensive subscription.
- In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was testing springs to stabilise ship instruments when one fell off a shelf and "walked" down on its own, giving birth to the Slinky.
- In 1895, Henri Becquerel set out to prove a link between X-rays and solar fluorescence; the lack of sunlight during his experiment led to the accidental discovery of radioactivity.
- Charles Goodyear, deep in debt and repeatedly imprisoned, discovered the vulcanisation process in 1839 after years of failed experiments with natural rubber.
This quiz currently has 48 questions, ranging from easy to hard, available in French and English.
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