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These questions are exactly as they appeared in the <a href="http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html" target="_blank">original test</a> for Kentucky schools (minus the multiple choice). What we know now might be different than what was believed in 1912.

These questions are exactly as they appeared in the original test for Kentucky schools (minus the multiple choice). What we know now might be different than what was believed in 1912.

Can You Pass An Eighth-Grade Science Test From 1912?

Scientists in 1912 were correct in their thinking. [The liver](http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/erg/liver.htm) was and still is considered the largest gland in the human body. The average human liver is around 3 pounds and it plays a major role in metabolism.

What is the largest gland in the human body?

This question is confusing, but [museum archivists](http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912ans.html) say that the likely intent of the question was to determine the elements of the human cardiovascular system. The major organ of the [circulatory system](http://www.texasheart.org/HIC/Anatomy/) is the heart.

What are the organs of circulation?

The only word that is still common today is fist. The other words were actually [popular slang](https://quotidianiceman.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/popular-words-and-phrases-from-1912/) from the early 20th century. A flivver was a small car. "Bean" was not a legume, but it meant the human head, and, later, it was used to refer to a person.

How big is the heart?

The liver [secretes bile](http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/erg/liver.htm) that flows to the intestines. The bile helps to break down food.

What does the liver secrete?

The liver and kidneys both filter blood, but this test left out other organs, like our [lungs](http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/lungs/lungs.shtml) and [spleen](http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/spleen/spleen.shtml), which aid the process.

Where is blood carried to be purified?

Educators were correct in 1912. The brain and spinal cord are part of the [central nervous system.](https://mcb.berkeley.edu/courses/mcb135e/central.html)

Where is the chief nervous center of the body?

The cerebellum plays a vital role in motor control, but it's also involved in cognitive functions like learning and memory. Before the 1990s, [scientists thought](http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/2/290) that that the cerebellum was only dedicated to motor control.

What does the cerebellum control?

The [cerebrum](http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/kinser/Structure1.html#cerebrum) is the largest section of the brain and is located in the forebrain.

Where is the cerebrum located?

[The spine](http://umm.edu/programs/spine/health/guides/anatomy-and-function) also provides us with posture.

What does the spinal column do?

There are other possible answers, but it seems like attitudes toward basic health were not that different than the present day.

How do we maintain proper health?

You'd be too smart to go down with the Titanic in 1912. In fact, you'd get on a lifeboat if you happened to be on that ride. You're an expert in human biology and the sciences, but you also have a good grasp of history and sociology.

Amazing!

Even though you may not be a doctor by profession, you remember facts from your high school biology classes. Your memory will take you far. If this were 1912, you'd be ahead of your time.

Awesome!

You didn't get most of these right, but it doesn't really matter. You'd rather learn about science and technology from the present day rather than think about outdated principles from the past.

Not bad!

These questions are exactly as they appeared in the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://bullittcountyhistory.org/bullitthistory/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html" target="_blank">original test</a> for Kentucky schools (minus the multiple choice). What we know now might be different than what was believed in 1912.

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Can You Pass An Eighth-Grade Science Test From 1912?

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