The Fabulous Faraday Cage Quiz

It was in 1836, nearly 100 years after the first experiments demonstrating the properties that make Faraday cages work.

This was well after his first kite-flying adventures. Ben Franklin delved deeper and deeper into the mysteries of electricity, including the phenomena involved in Faraday cages.

Earth is good for a lot of things, and absorbing electrical charges is one of them. Grounded cages are generally more effective than non-grounded versions.

Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths really do come in many different sizes, from as big as buildings to extremely tiny. Holes must be smaller than the wavelength you want to block.

Are you down with EMPs? Electronics aren't; they just go down when electromagnetic pulses strike, which is why militaries use Faraday cages to protect against them.

We're sorry to say that the results of your test mean you're rocking with the classics on 104.1 FM. Without the cages, stray signals can create strange artifacts in MRI scan results.

Why is my favorite game show all fuzzy? Maybe the cat chewed your TV's coax cable, which is shielded to prevent interference that causes poor picture quality.

Bombs away! A huge, high-altitude nuclear blast could cause an EMP that would devastate a country's communications systems if they didn't have Faraday cage protection.

Get out your maps; you're going to need them. Higher blasts affect a larger area and thus, knock out a lot more systems.

It's a nightmare scenario. A huge EMP could kill the electrical grid, and thus, totally cripple food and water supplies.

Please don't try this one at home. Lining shopping bags with foil can fool scanners that detect unpurchased items with RFID tags.

It's one of the principles that makes the cages work. Electromagnetic induction is a powerful tool for physicists.

It could be radio waves, microwaves or other common waves. The cages block many types of electromagnetic radiation.

He made great margaritas after the experiment was over. A metal ice pail served as a rudimentary Faraday cage.

It basically turns the cage concept inside out. Microwaves trap electromagnetic waves within their cooking chambers to cook food -- and to keep bystanders safe.

Raise the shields! In some ways, the term Faraday shield is a better descriptor for what the cages do.

Keep your hands in your lap. Don't touch anything metal inside the car. And maybe pray a little.

Hopefully, you were smart enough to close the top before the storm started, but it may not save you. A non-metal top reduces the cage's effectiveness.

The canopy is key. If it has a sturdy metal canopy, you'll likely be protected. Just don't touch anything metal.

Lightning is a major threat on the water. But a professionally installed lightning protection system can keep those on board alive.