Thomas Edison's Job Interview Questions

When Thomas Edison hired new employees, he presented them with a 150-question quiz, containing different questions depending on the position. But often, the questions had nothing to do with the job; Edison just wanted to know how educated the applicant was. And sometimes there were other reasons behind the interrogation.
Who discovered the X-ray?
The obvious answer to this question is Wilhelm Röntgen, who, in 1895, famously noted the effects of a mysterious new kind of ray that appeared as a byproduct of his experiments with Crookes tubes. He called his discovery the “X ray,” to indicate its yet unknown properties, then went on to take a widely publicized X-ray print of the bones of his wife’s hand, and eventually won a Nobel prize in 1901 for his achievements. However, several other physicists made similar discoveries while experimenting with Crookes tubes around the same time. Among them: Nikola Tesla, Edison’s well-known rival. Edison had himself experimented with X-rays for a time, and was certainly aware of the variations in the X-ray origin story among his colleagues. This question suggests an eagerness to promote his preferred version.

Think you could pass his test? See a selection of the questions (and the answers) at mental_floss. Link

Comments (2)

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this is just boring and kind of annoying. I'm sorry to be a 'hater' here, but why should I care about him?

"I'm to smart to fit into society so I get social security".

Also, last time I checked, drinking fluids from a trashcan wasn't a typical 'scholar' trait. Neither is a highschool grasp of relativity.
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Hmm, this is probably a lot different if you know the guy but I really didn't find this to be anything special. I suppose he could be very interesting but it sure didn't show in this medium.
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That was absolutely horrible. I'm sorry Adam but I just couldn't get past the terrible singing. I guess I try to celebrate those in society who try to make a better life for those around them rather than those who just exist to live off of other people ie. social security.

Maybe you took too much lsd while at Berkley.
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