Title: 100 Years of 100 Things Quiz: Potpourri

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Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. This week during our membership drive, we're having our latest quiz series. It's 100 Years of 100 Things quiz series, questions drawn from our 100 Years of 100 Things history series. Today, we will split it between 100 years of making a living without a college degree and 100 years of the Nobel Peace Prize. It's not going to be as hard as you think.

Today, get two in a row right and you can have your choice between a Brian Lehrer Show pro-democracy sweatshirt and the new limited edition WNYC 100-year centennial tote. Same ones, obviously, we're offering as membership drive thank-you gifts. Who wants to play? 212-433 WNYC. 212-433-9692. Two weeks ago, we did that segment in the 100-year series called 100 Years of Making a Living without a College Degree. It had some very interesting and eye-popping historical data, which we think we're framing the questions around in a way that you don't really have to know all the-- being totally in the weeds of that history to get them right.

We did our recent segment on 100 Years of Nobel Peace Prize when that was handed out. We have questions from each of those two things. Let's see if you can get some of these. Who wants to play? 212-433-9692. Thomas in Summit is up first on line one. Hi, Thomas. Ready to play?

Thomas: Hi, Brian. I hope so. Let's go.

Brian Lehrer: Here we go. In 1900, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38% of the US labor force worked on farms. More than a third of the workers in the country worked on farms in 1900. By the end of the century, was that figure 30%, 20%, or 3% of Americans working on farms?

Thomas: 3%. Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Just 3% of US jobs are on farms now, compared to that 38% in 1900. That is correct. For the sweatshirt or the tote, according to the Pew Research Center, US manufacturing jobs-- we just talked about farm jobs when they peaked. Us manufacturing jobs peaked in 1953 with more than a third of US workers employed in manufacturing then. Today, that number is less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%?

Thomas: Less than 10%.

Brian Lehrer: Less than 10% is right. You got them both right? That one was a little harder. A little less intuitive. Thomas, you've done good. Hang on. Oh, tell me, would you rather have-- The producer picked up. Thomas will tell the producer if he'd rather have Brian Lehrer Show pro-democracy pro-democracy sweatshirt or the centennial tote. Only 9% of US workers are employed in manufacturing today, according to that Pew study, compared to the one-third in 1953.

Overall, the first two questions reflect that we learned on that 100-year segment that farms and manufacturing combined used to make up a clear majority of jobs in this country. Now they're down to around just 12% of jobs combined. Many more of today's jobs require college degrees was part of the point. Let's go to the next caller. Let's try Federico in Manhattan. Hi, Federico. You're at WNYC. Ready to play?

Federico: Thank you, Brian. How are you doing?

Brian Lehrer: Doing good, thank you. Today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 40% of Americans over age 25 have at least a bachelor's degree. What percent had a degree back in 1910? Was it 20%, 10%, or 3%?

Federico: Brian, I'm sorry, you're breaking up a little bit, so I couldn't hear the complete question.

Brian Lehrer: What percentage of Americans had a college degree back in 1910? It's almost 40% today. Back then, was it 20%, 10%, or 3%?

Federico: I couldn't hear what after 10%, but I'll pick 10%.

Brian Lehrer: After 10% was 3%. I just want to make sure you have all the choices.

Federico: I couldn't hear that part.

Brian Lehrer: You're going to stay with 10%, which, unfortunately, was wrong. It was, in fact, 3%. Federico, sorry for whatever technical difficulties, but the answer was-- Again, it's the eye-popping extreme option. Just 3% of US adults were college educated in 1910, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's how much things have exactly reversed from farm labor at around 40% to 3%. College degrees went from around 3% to around 40%. Let's go next to Charlotte in Larchmont. Hi, Charlotte. Ready to play?

Charlotte: I'm going to try. How are you, Brian?

Brian Lehrer: Good, thank you. How about this one from that 100-year segment still from the Bureau of Labor Statistics history page, which was a primary source for us on that? Life expectancy today in the United States is around 77 years old. Back in 1900, us life expectancy was 67 years old compared to today's 77, 57 years old, or 47 years old?

Charlotte: I'm going to go with 67.

Brian Lehrer: That is wrong. Sorry. It was 47%. Again, the extreme option. Another epic change in our conditions over the last 100 years. Let's go next to Spencer and Berkeley Heights. Hi, Spencer. Ready to play?

Spencer: Willing? Yes. Ready? Who knows?

Brian Lehrer: We will find out. Today basically every home and workplace uses electricity in some way obviously. In 1900, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, what percentage of US factories used electricity? 35%, 25% or 5%?

Spencer: Let's go with the five.

Brian Lehrer: One more time, the extreme option is correct. Hard to believe, right? In factories of all places. These are official US government historical stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Another big theme of our 100-year series, generally, how much technology has changed the nature of life. Amazing to think only 5% of factories a little over 100 years ago used electricity. These remaining questions will come from our segment, 100 Years of the Nobel Peace prize.

Spencer, for the sweatshirt or the tote, this year's winner was the Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo. They are in a category that has won the Nobel Peace Prize eight times since the end of World War II. What kind of work does this year's winning group do?

Spencer: They are involved with nuclear disarmament.

Brian Lehrer: That is exactly right. Cue the trumpets. Would you like the Brian Lair Show pro-democracy sweatshirt or the WNYC centennial tote?

Spencer: In memory of my mom, the tote. She loved her tote bags.

Brian Lehrer: Wonderful. Spencer, hang on. We're going to take your address to send you one. People's memories tend to be very short. That's going to set up the next question, but Nihon Hidankyo is in a category that has won the Peace Prize eight times. Anti nuclear war groups. How about that? We're going to go out to Tom in Erie, Pennsylvania, as our next contestant. Hi, Tom, you're on WNYC. Ready to play?

Tom: Hi. Good morning. Yes, sir.

Brian Lehrer: We just talked about this year's winners. People's memories tend to be very short, so I'm going to ask you if you know why last year's winner won. Her name is Narges Mohammadi. What earned Narges Mohammadi the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize?

Tom: Wow. You got me. I don't think I have an answer. I don't have an answer.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Tom. The answer is that the Nobel committee cited her quote for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. Our memories are very short. She's in prison. Maybe she didn't get enough attention. According to CNN, in June, jailed for most of the past two decades, Mohammadi was sentenced to a further stretch in prison by authorities this year who found her guilty of carrying out propaganda activities against the regime, as they call it. Let's go next to Ellen in Jersey City. Hi, Ellen. Ready to play?

Ellen: Sure. Let's do it.

Brian Lehrer: I think you're going to be the last contestant, probably, or maybe one more. It might surprise a lot of people what Alfred Nobel, who founded the Nobel Peace Prize, did for a living or what his biggest claim to fame was. Do you know either of those things? His main profession or his biggest claim to fame?

Ellen: I think his claim to fame was that he invented dynamite or TNT.

Brian Lehrer: That is exactly right. He was an explosives mogul. His claim to fame was that he invented dynamite. Thanks a lot. He got rich selling explosives. He had been derided as a merchant of death in a newspaper article. Before he died, he decided to establish the peace prize in his name. Historians say it was a combination of to clear his conscience inherently and to give himself a positive rather than negative legacy. I don't know, maybe whitewash successful.

Last question in the quiz and for the sweatshirt or the tote. True or false, the Nobel Prizes can only be awarded to people who are currently-- Actually, this is a two-part question. You can answer either one. True or false, the Nobel Peace Prize can only be awarded to people who are currently alive. If you can answer true or false accurately to that, you'll win.

Ellen: Or? Is there another part ?

Brian Lehrer: Actually, if you get it wrong, I'll give you a bonus question, but I would give this one away.

Ellen: I'm going to say false.

Brian Lehrer: It is true, actually. The Nobel Prize can only be awarded to people who are currently alive. That sets up the real final question, which will give you one more shot. In 1948, they did not award anyone the Nobel Peace Prize to honor a moral giant of the 20th century who had just died, so they couldn't give it to him. In fact, he had been assassinated. Who did they honor in 1948 by not giving a Nobel Peace Prize to anyone?

Ellen: I'm just totally guessing. Maybe Gandhi.

Brian Lehrer: Gandhi is right. According to Britannica, he was killed following a prayer vigil in New Delhi on January 30th, 1948. His killer was a Hindu fanatic who believed Gandhi had been too conciliatory to the indian subcontinent's large muslim minority. No Nobel Peace Prize that year in order to honor Gandhi, who had never won it during his lifetime. Do you want the Brian Lehrer Show pro-democracy sweatshirt or the WNYC centennial tote?

Ellen: Oh, the sweatshirt. I've got so many totes.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, Ellen. Hang on. We're going to take your address off the air. Listeners, thank you. We're going to have another quiz tomorrow at the same time in the drive. Brooke and Micah from On the Media coming up as our next guests. Stay with us.

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