Trivia: The Patent King

The People's United Bank branch inside Stop & Shop on Commack Road often posts solid trivia questions at the supermarket.

This week's: Who everaged one patent for every three weeks of his life?

We posted the question on Facebook, and our Deer Park-North Babylon Patch readers weighed in.

The correct answer? It's Thomas Edison, according to howstuffworks.com, which said Edison averaged a patent every two weeks of his working life.

But Edison's dominance isn't without controversy. He was accused of often taking credit for the work of his employees. He was sued by many other inventors. Ah, the perfidious world of science.

Anyway, congrats to Denise Waldron Valerioti, Daniel McCarthy, Laura Selkirk, and Jennifer Groh for correctly answering the question on Facebook.

Oh, and if you're inclined to read about today's world of patents, here is a USA Today column that will only confuse you further.