Daily Trivia Quiz - Day 201 (2026-05-20)

Question 1

In the often-cited 'horse manure crisis' story, cities seemed headed for an impossible street-waste problem as horse traffic grew. What made that feared crisis fade away?

Accepted Answer

Motor vehicles and electric transit replaced urban horses far faster than expected

Answer

A city-wide composting network recycled manure into industrial fuel

Answer

A new breed of horse was engineered to produce significantly less waste

Answer

An underground pneumatic system was installed to remove street waste automatically

Question 2

Why did telephone dials and later keypads include letters alongside the numbers?

Accepted Answer

They let callers use named exchanges and memorable letter-number combinations

Answer

The letters were added later to support text messaging on mobile handsets

Answer

They helped telephone operators route long-distance calls by region code

Answer

Phone companies used letters to label different subscription service tiers

Question 3

Where does the word "coupon"' originally come from?

Accepted Answer

It comes from a word meaning a piece cut off

Answer

It comes from a word for a merchant's ledger

Answer

It comes from a word for a small coin

Answer

It comes from a word for a shopkeeper's stamp

Question 4

Passenger oxygen masks on airliners usually provide only a short supply of oxygen. Why can that still be enough in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

It gives the pilots time to descend to an altitude where passengers can breathe safely

Answer

The body can survive much longer without oxygen at cruising altitude than people think

Answer

The cabin automatically repressurizes within a few minutes

Answer

Passengers are expected to share masks in rotation

Question 5

Why do many large power-plant cooling towers have that distinctive hourglass shape?

Accepted Answer

The shape helps create a natural upward draft of air without large fans

Answer

It lets the tower store more cooling water than a straight cylinder

Answer

It was chosen mainly so aircraft can spot the plant from far away

Answer

It keeps radioactive material sealed inside the tower

Question 6

Why are train wheels slightly tapered instead of being perfectly cylindrical?

Accepted Answer

The taper helps the wheelset guide itself along the rails without active steering

Answer

It lets the wheels grip the rails like rubber tires

Answer

Tapered wheels are much cheaper to manufacture than flat ones

Answer

It prevents the wheels from locking during emergency braking

Question 7

Why do road bridges have deliberate gaps — called expansion joints — built into the surface?

Accepted Answer

To allow the bridge structure to expand and contract with temperature changes without cracking

Answer

To channel rainwater off the deck and prevent pooling on the surface

Answer

To reduce the total weight of the bridge deck

Answer

To absorb vibrations from heavy vehicles and reduce structural fatigue

Question 8

Why do ATM keypads often have a raised dot on the '5' key?

Accepted Answer

So visually impaired users can orient their fingers without looking

Answer

It's a manufacturing artifact from early numeric keypads

Answer

It marks the key most commonly pressed to reduce wear on other keys

Answer

It's a security feature to slow down shoulder surfers

Question 9

Why do manufacturers often care intensely about getting products placed at eye level in stores?

Accepted Answer

Shoppers notice those shelves faster

Answer

Products at eye level are less likely to be damaged by shopping carts

Answer

Eye-level shelves keep packaging colors from fading under store lights

Answer

Those shelves are easier for employees to count during inventory checks

Question 10

Why do many fire hydrants use pentagon-shaped operating nuts instead of ordinary hex-shaped ones?

Accepted Answer

They require a special wrench, which helps prevent unauthorized use

Answer

Pentagon nuts are more resistant to corrosion in outdoor environments than hex nuts

Answer

The shape makes them easier to grip with thick firefighting gloves

Answer

They let hydrants release water at five different pressure levels