American.edu Home Page

are you a Smithsonian Wonk?

Question 1 of 5 What is the oldest object in the Smithsonian’s collections—and the world?

The Allende meteorite at the National Museum of Natural History
The Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History
Stone Statue of Shiva from South India at the Freer-Sackler Galleries
Multi-faced mask from the Idoma peoples of Nigeria at the National Museum of African Art

Question 2 of 5 What weighs roughly 9000 pounds and never forgets its scales?

The North Atlantic Gray Seal
Shanthi, the Asian elephant.
Phoenix, the 45-foot-long North Atlantic Right Whale
The 50-foot-long Giant Squid

Question 3 of 5 How many musical instruments does the Smithsonian have?

None
4,000
More than 8,000
500

Question 4 of 5 If presidential campaign supporters over 200 years ago could have tweeted, what might they have said?

We need more money.
T. Jefferson President of the United States of America, John Adams is no more.
We threw out the tea and we want no tariffs.
Adams is a wimp.

Question 5 of 5 What did Amelia Earhart carry with her on the historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932?

Two passengers
50 pieces of mail
Owney, the U.S. Postal Service mascot
GPS

LIGHTS, CAMERA, WONKS!
If you missed the video—showcasing the smart, engaged, passionate people of AU—that debuted during AU Night at Nationals Park, check it out now.

close window

What's Your WQ?

Your WONK Quotient (WQ) isn't a number.

It's more like a claim you stake when you size up your intellect against our scholars. Pit yourself against our experts and explore new frontiers of knowledge at AU.

Take a WONK Challenge and see how your WQ measures up to AU's:

Want to see more WONK Challenges? CLICK HERE