Tech Connection: Tech Trivia (January 17, 2025)

The Answer Is: 3

1. Beavers have built-in swim goggles. True
Of course, beavers are exceptional swimmers. Ever since the 1940s, MIT undergraduates have had to pass a swim test to graduate. As for the giant rodents, those beavers are naturally equipped for the task with an extra set of transparent eyelids called nictitating membranes that let them see well under water.

2. Beavers live in the muddy Charles. True
The Charles River is a great place to find the North American beaver (although it isn’t as muddy as it used to be). The Muddy Charles Pub on campus has been welcoming beavers since 1968; however, patrons must be at least 21 years old and, sadly, wild beavers don’t typically live that long.

3. Beavers have yellow teeth. False
Beavers are known for their front incisors, but not their pearly whites. While humans who get long in the tooth might find their choppers turning yellow, beavers sport rusty orange teeth. The coloring is caused by an iron-rich enamel coating that helps the animals’ teeth resist acid and withstand mechanical stress.

4. Beavers can’t burp under water. True
While beavers do pass gas, they are incapable of burping in any location. So, if you thought you heard a burp at the Muddy Charles last night, you are surely mistaken.

Learn more about MIT’s ingenious mascot in this Technology Review article by William Miller ’51, SM ’52. And rest assured—no matter how you did on our quiz—we are beavers all!