What is this?

I bet some of us got this wrong.

Not many might know what the Stevenson screen is used for. It is a special enclosure which shields meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources. The Stevenson screen doesn't influence the results, as it still allows air to circulate freely around the instruments. The Stevenson screen holds instruments that may include thermometers (ordinary, maximum/minimum), a hygrometer, a psychrometer, a dewcell, a barometer and a thermograph. Its purpose is to provide a standardised environment in which to measure temperature, humidity, dew point and atmospheric pressure.

The device is also known as instrument shelter. It was named after Thomas Stevenson, a British civil engineer, who designed the screen in the late 19th century.

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88 Comments

TJ Wahoo

I would have got it right if one of the answers was "instrument shelter." Actually knew the function.

Jacob Amelian

Was thinking it was a different style bee box but the front access door and the radio transmit poles nearby made me think it was used for some type of weather or location environmental data but it's named choices really threw me off had to guess good question

Unique1

Actually, 185/801 is less than 1/4, the probability of arriving at the correct answer merely by guessing. The roughly equal division of votes bespeaks a random event, not the subterfuge you imply. Paranoid much?! LOL

Helga U. Williams

Well, I got it wrong, but certainly learned something new. 👍

elizawheeler

I hadn't ever heard of this. Good information.

earlepg

Beehive box was obviously out, so I was left with a choice of three. Figured that the majority might be unreliable. My favorite hint, double chance, was out since there were three to choose from; so I went with three methods to choose with, first, the longest answer, second, the third out of the four options, and third being the middle option of three. It worked.