Q 01/05

Before joining NASA in 1964, Valerie Thomas had seen which machine only in science fiction movies?

A) A computer

B) A telescope

C) A rocket engine

D) A radar dish

Answer · why

A) A computer

A computer was just a movie prop to Thomas until NASA hired her to write programs. She then set out to learn everything she could about the machines.

Q 02/05

Which object appeared to keep glowing with its power removed at a 1976 exhibit that inspired Valerie Thomas?

A) A neon sign

B) A radio dial

C) A light bulb

D) A heating coil

Answer · why

C) A light bulb

A light bulb seemed to shine even though it had been unscrewed from its socket. The trick relied on a second, hidden one and a curved mirror, and it s...

Q 03/05

Which crop did LACIE, the satellite experiment Valerie Thomas led at NASA in 1974, aim to forecast worldwide?

A) Corn

B) Rice

C) Wheat

D) Soybeans

Answer · why

C) Wheat

Wheat harvests were the target: LACIE showed that Landsat images could predict yields around the globe. Thomas headed a team of about 50 people on the...

Q 04/05

SPAN, the NASA science network Valerie Thomas managed from 1986 to 1990, grew into part of which global system?

A) Satellite navigation

B) The Internet

C) The power grid

D) Air traffic control

Answer · why

B) The Internet

The Internet counts SPAN among its ancestors. Under Thomas the network grew from about 100 linked machines to roughly 2,700 around the world.

Q 05/05

Which hip-hop artist tweeted about Valerie Thomas to millions of followers during Black History Month in 2021?

A) Megan Thee Stallion

B) Chance the Rapper

C) Kendrick Lamar

D) Tyler, the Creator

Answer · why

B) Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper shared her name, photo and achievements with his millions of followers, introducing the NASA inventor to a younger generation.