[Thomas Edison's] Employment Intelligence Test.

[Iroh]

I just took it and got 59 right. I'm sure others can do better, but I call bullshit on anyone that does so well they call this test easy.

There is a difference between calling a test easy and calling the questions for the most part easy. These questions are direct simple questions that don't require you to extrapolate, just a quick answer. So if I know the answer, it's an easy question. If I know 51% or more of the questions the questions are for the most part easy to answer.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Doesnt look like a single one of those questions requires thinking, just memorization.

Yeah and even then it's hard because a lot of the answers were different in 1921. I'm sure the largest washing machine producer is not the same as it was back then.

 

[Iroh]

I refuse to do the test because of its piss poor grammar.

It's outdated Edison grammar.

 

[ralphc1]

So how does rote knowledge make one a better employee?

Edison was looking for educated employees with a wide range of knowledge, well read with a good memory. Today we can easily find these answers with a computer. Back then it could take days of research. I suspect he used information out of local newspapers which provided information and entertainment prior to radio and television.

 

[Halge]

Okay, what the heck, I'm logged on following the UFC 185 thread anyway, so I might waste some time on this between interesting fights.
I've answered every question without cheating in any way, Sherdog honor. I have all sorts of excuses (I'm tired, I'm too impatient to think answers through, I'm not american et cetera) but overall I guess that no, I'm just not smarter than this. Note that about half the answers are complete hail mary guesses.
I'll update as soon as I've matched my answers against the solution sheet.

EDIT: Okay, so there were 14 questions I'd like to have had some sort of partial credit for, but I've counted them as 0-pointers. And there were a couple of questions that I've given myself points for even though the answers are kinda iffy. And I'd like to state for the record that all the "where do we get X from"-questions were misleading. Final score thus is:

57.

Spoiler

1.

Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Holland/Belgium/Luxembourg.

2.

Shanghai, China.


3.

In Russia, ending in the Black Sea.

4.

42.

5.

England.

6.

New York.

7.

Chicago.

8.

India.

9.

No.

10.

Denmark.

11.

South Africa.

12.

Tasmania.

13.

42.

14.

Inventor.

15.

50.

16.

Prune trees.

17.

American revolutionary minuteman.

18.

American Founding Father.

19.

Roman historian.

20.

Carthaginian general, second punic war.

21.

French revolutionary leader, assassinated in his bath.

22.

Greek... philosopher?

23.

42.

24.

Spartan king.

25.

Bought it from France (Napoleon).

26.

Spanish conquistador, assraped the Incas.

27.

South American revolutionary and politician, Peruvian I think.

28.

Iron or some other mineral.

29.

Brazil.

30.

Asia, just northeast of China.

31.

North of China, next to Korea.

32.

Corsica.

33.

42.
34.

Pythagoras?

35.

Moctezuma.

36.

China? Silk?

37.

Ocean, in the Atlantic, has eels.

38.

Ten thousand fathoms...

39.

In Swedish we call it "insj

 

[Harukaze]

It really seems like a quaint and outdated test these 94 years later. Wonder how stupid our tests/exams will look 100 years from now haha!

 

[Tearjerker]

Surprised that Edison had time to assemble a test of 146 questions, I thought he would have been too busy indulging in true scientific endeavors like electrocuting elephants.

 

[zackryder]

146 questions?!?

aint no1 gotz time 4 dat

 

[no fat chicks]

more evidence that edison was a total dick

 

[catchwrestle1]

He probably came up with this test out of sheer frustration with how much smarter Tesla was than him.

 

[the ambush]

Doesnt look like a single one of those questions requires thinking, just memorization.

Memorization, the true sign of a professional test taker.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/38a.asp

Edison was the innovator of electric lighting and the phonograph. He also helped perfect the light bulb. His innovations helped revolutionize U.S. cities forever.

 

[Prefect]

Memorization, the true sign of a professional test taker.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/38a.asp

Edison was the innovator of electric lighting and the phonograph. He also helped perfect the light bulb. His innovations helped revolutionize U.S. cities forever.

Revolutionize U.S. cities? Compare that to what Tesla did. Designed AC motors and 3 phase power transmission. Edison was a hack to did everything possible to ruin and get in the way of Edison and couldn't even bother to pay Tesla the royalties he promised for the invention of the AC motor.

The test is something that someone who is incredibly insecure would come up with to try to make it look like he was smarter than all the top gun engineers joining his company. I am willing to bet there were more than a few engineers that rolled their eyes at Edison's process in developing a product.

 

[viruswitshoes]

I would kill that test if it was multiple choice

 

[Michaelangelo]

Did Edison steal this test from someone else and take credit?

 

[hbdope]

I'm pretty sure exams like Edison's were made obsolete because we are becoming more intelligent. Average scores in the MCAT and USMLEs increase every year. In fact, there was an increase in passing score of the USMLE Step 1 from 188 to 192 in 2014. Average scores have been up:

215 (2009)
218 (2010)
221 (2011)
220 (2012)
227 (2013)

Now for a proper Employment Intelligence Test Q.

This question (albeit rather easy) is a sample of the questions asked in 1 of the 3 board exams needed to pass in order to get an MD.

 

[oleDirtyBast4rd]

more evidence that edison was a total dick

Lawl

 

[Jayzer193]

It really seems like a quaint and outdated test these 94 years later. Wonder how stupid our tests/exams will look 100 years from now haha!

1. What kind of steak did lady gaga wear on her head?

2. Who came up with "YOLO"

3. How many tattoos does Lil Wayne have on his right arm?

4. What is a brony?

5. Why did Brittany Spears shave her head?

6. When taking a selfie, one must make what kind of lips?

7. What form of VD did all cast members from jersey shore share?

8. Who has the second most friends on Facebook?

9. Where did derp come from?

10. What kind of cat is keyboard cat?

11. In what year did "Idiocracy" actually come true?

12. What is the significance of the time this was posted?

 

[Jayzer193]

Yes, I believe the time of humans may have to pass.

 

[Azam]

A lot of those questions are relevant to the time of Edison......

Like who produces the finest China - well in his time it may have been different to now. What city in the United States leads in making laundry machines? Also relevant only to his time.

Most of those questions/answers are relevant to the time of Edison. All the questionnaire proves is that people aren't knowledgeable late 19th century/early 20th century trivia - like which city leads in making laundry machines....

I think people nowadays are much smarter - but I don't think we are as courageous or as adventurous as our predecessors were.



It doesn't prove people nowadays are dumber....what a stupid insinuation. It does actually validate the point that the Chicago Tribune is probably much dumber than it use to be.


It sounds like the daily mail here in the UK.

 

[Frylock]

I would have said hold on we have to wait for google to be invented then i'll tell you