Gnomes are highly intelligent. One of the smartest races in WoW - Along with the Goblins - make quite useful stuff. Including flying mountts, X-ray goggles, and alot of others. The one thing about Gnomish inventions is that there's always a backside to the best invention, execpt the flying mounts. (Of course). For example, one of the gnomish inventions is a net. You throw it at them, with a 'slight' chance of getting throw and trapped right in front of them.