Mothers of Invention
These pioneering women in technology have saved the world from war, climate change, and boredom online with their contributions to modern inventions.
Julia King
publication date: Friday, December 16, 2011
category: 
Education
clue: This British scholar has taught students about engineering and politicians about climate change. (Who's the king?)
explanation: King was an educator who received several government appointments. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, and Steve Dunn
Grace Hopper
publication date: Thursday, December 15, 2011
category: 
Military
clue: Somebody had to help the Navy work out the bugs in COBOL, and this officer was up to the task.
explanation: Hopper was an influential computer scientist for the U.S. Navy, who developed machine-independent programming languages like COBOL, and coined the term "debugging." more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Ryan Dunn
Caterina Fake
publication date: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
category: 
Internet
clue: Your only flicker of hope with this goo may be to guess on a hunch.
explanation: Fake co-founded the web services Flickr and Hunch. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Ryan Dunn
Hedy Lamarr
publication date: Tuesday, December 13, 2011
category: 
Movies
clue: Although her film career sank after White Cargo and Samson & Delilah, she helped the U.S. Navy program superior torpedoes.
explanation: Lamarr was a film star who developed a method for changing wireless frequencies that was eventually adopted by the Navy. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Ryan Dunn
Ada Lovelace
publication date: Monday, December 12, 2011
category: 
Inventions
clue: The world's first computer programmer might only have been remembered for her poet father if she hadn't been inspired by Charles Babbage.
explanation: Lovelace was the daughter of Lord Byron and a colleague of Charles Babbage who created the first computer algorithm. more…
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Ryan Dunn
Other Themes in Winter 2012
Humble Folks Without Temptation
These celebrities went on down to South Park and had themselves a time, being mercilessly spoofed by the foul-mouthed cartoon series. Can you recognize them in animated form? Go »
Crossover Celebrities
For some artists, it's about following their creative muse. For others, it's all about the money. These entertainers were strongly associated with one genre, but now only seem interested in another. Go »
Repúbluca Federativa do Brasil
By far the largest nation in South America, the cultural and economic powerhouse of Brazil has produced celebrities in every field. Can you name these five? Go »
A Pirate's Life for Me
Yo ho ho ho, and a bottle of rum... This week features some of the deadliest and most notorious dread pirates ever to sail the high seas, to celebrate the launch of Pirate Paradise on Funeratic. Go »
Do Overs
Ask George Lucas: No matter how final it was the first time, anything can be made better if you get to take a second (or third, or fourth) crack at it. These five celebrities were incorrect guesses made for previous goos. Here's your chance to get them right this time. Go »
Mighty Heroes!
Superhero stories are the epic myths of our age, especially after their recent wave of renewed popularity in movies and television. These five actors played colorful heroes on-screen. Go »
Dastardly Villains!
The bad guys get to have all the fun! These five actors have played the villains to costumed superheroes on television and in movies. Their biggest crime is stealing the show. Go »
Super Bowl Shuffle
This weekend, the New York Giants and New England Patriots will face off at the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. This theme features some of the biggest names at the biggest game in sports. Go »
My Trophy has a First Name, It's O-S-C-A-R
These five goos are some of the intriguing real people behind this year's crop of Oscar-nominated films, coinciding with Funeratic's annual Predict the Oscars contest. Go »
