Misc: What is the name of the desert in California?

Questions

joseph and etienne montigolfier, inventers of the hot air balloon, first believed that their balloon didn't rise due to hot air but an invisible gas given off by fire. what did they name this gas?

knife, clown and pencil are types of ______?

laetrile is associated with the pit of which fruit?

laurie london was just 13 when she recorded which classic religious-type ballad in 1957?

what is a supplement to a will?