Ken Jennings trivia challenge

[MacLloyd]

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. What are you calculating if you subtract course rating from five scores, multiply each by 113, and then divide by the appropriate slope rating? This is part of the (surprisingly algebra-intensive) process of computing your golf handicap. (In the American system, anyway. The rest of the world uses a slightly different formula.)

2. The "Denmark Strait" is actually located over a thousand miles away from Copenhagen, and lies between what two islands? Iceland and Greenland--which is, after all, an overseas territory of Denmark.

3. In the U.S., federal inmates in prison or on furlough must agree not to eat baked goods containing what (generally harmless) ingredient? Poppy seeds. The thing about them producing false positives on drug tests is absolutely true.

4. Shale, limestone, and sandstone belong to which of the three basic categories of rock? Sedimentary, since all three are formed from the compaction of accumulated minerals (and organic shells and stuff, in the case of limestone).

5. What TV show's characters often repeat the slogan "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"? This is the locker room mantra of the Dillon Panthers, on Friday Night Lights. Whose house? THEIR HOUSE.

6. On April 18, 1975, President Ford visited what building to light in one of its windows a lantern that still hangs there today? Ford was visiting Boston's Old North Church, to commemorate the bicentennial of Paul Revere's famed ride, which began, as you might recall, with a lantern signal from that very church.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these bands? Alabama, Backstreet Boys, the Beach Boys, the Dandy Warhols, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Kings of Leon, the Miracles, Rascal Flatts. All these bands have or had a pair of cousins in them. (Some have siblings too, but not all.)

[MacLloyd]

Per Ken Jennings' request, the trivia challenge discussed on this message board has the number seven question delayed by one week. This is to avoid easy googling of the question which is designed to foil those who would "cheat". If you know the current number seven question, please do not discuss it here.

The Rules of the Thread
1. If you use the thread to help you get answers, do not submit those answers to the official game.
2. No googling until Sunday. No looking anything up anywhere (and posting it) before Sunday. No checking an article in a magazine you read last week. No checking some old notebook from college. No wikipedia. Not even snopes.com. No checking anything, anywhere - until Sunday. Only information that is stored in your brain, or in the brains of your non-snopester friends and family. But you can't use your family members as a work-around to looking up the information yourself.
3. If you google, don't post that information to the thread until Sunday. Not even as confirmation of the guesses of other posters. Someone else might still know the information on their own.
4. No guess is stupid, throw it out there.
5. No Hinting. If you have a guess or a reasonable belief that you have the right answer, post it. If you are attempting to use hinting as a work-around to the no posting googled answers rule, don't.

And remember, this is an exhibition, not a competition, so please... no wagering.
Hello, Tuesday Trivizens! This is a word I just made up by combining "Trivia" and "Citizens" LOL! I have fun sometimes. Also I think you should start paying taxes to me.

This is the first week of a new ten-week challenge...if you're curious, you can salute last week's winners at http://ken-jennings.com/messageboard...pic.php?t=7067 . Send in your answers this week, and seven days from now you'll see your name on the new scoreboard. There's no better feeling! (Assuming your life is currently completely devoid of meaning and happiness.)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988?

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where?

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it?

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007?

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe?

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ?

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine.

[MacLloyd]

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988?

Quite the earworm - Don't Worry, Be Happy

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where?

On their flags

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it?

The Abyss, but I don't think he was referring to the James Cameron movie.

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007?

Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe?

WAG - Groundlings

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ?

Guessing again - the small intestines???

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine.

I gotta admit, I am not as up on my Shakespeare as I ought to be. Don't know.

MacLloyd

[Floater]

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ?

The small intestine

Having read McLloyd's answer to question #2 I have to admit that I didn't read it properly.

[bluestocking]

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988? Don't Worry, Be Happy

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it? The abyss

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe? Groundlings

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine. They were all exiled? I know this is true of Coriolanus, Henry IV (in Richard II), Prospero, Romeo, and Rosalind.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988?

Does anyone here not know this? Bobby McFerrin, Don't Worry, Be Happy.

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where?

Stonehenge.

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it?

Your navel

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007?

Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe?

Okay, this one I'm actually embarrassed that I can't think of, since I saw a play at the Globe in 2010 and noted these creatures being rained on.

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ?

small intestine

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine.

I guess I don't know enough Shakespeare. I recognize all the names (except Valentine) though. ETA: It also happened to Kent, bluestocking.

Seaboe

[musicgeek]

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988? "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin. (And if this is the only McFerrin you know, for the love of God please check out his other stuff!)

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where? No idea.

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it? The Abyss (with or without transparent water-monsters)

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007? Should probably know this, but don't.

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe? The Groundlings. (Guess "The Penny-stinkers" didn't test-market well with L.A. crowds.)

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ? The stomach seems too obvious - the small intestine?

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine. Wow - not a clue.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

1. Don't Worry, Be Happy

3. The Abyss?

6. Small intestine

[chillas]

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988?

Don't Worry, Be Happy.

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where?

I'm going to guess it's on their flags.

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it?

The abyss.

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007?

Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin play the same character in Men in Black III, and were both in No Country for Old Men.

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe?

Groundling.

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ?

small intestine.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine.

All of these characters were banished or exiled

[GenYus234]

Total WAG on #7: They were exiled?

ETA: DAMNIT!

[Don Enrico]

Was Romeo exiled, though? Wasn't he (spoiler for Shakespearean drama) dead in the end?

[Michael Cole]

Re Romeo, He was, for killing Tybolt. He came back.

[damian]

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007?

This is a trick question. The film that won the Academy Award for Best Movie in 2007 was The Departed.

[GenYus234]

Was it the film from 2007 that won Best Picture or the film that won Best Picture in 2007? Because the two aren't always the same if the movie was released in the later part of a year, after the Acadamy Awards submission deadline.

Also, does "Best Picture" always mean Oscar? Don't the Golden Globes also award "Best Picture"?

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

I think, in most people's minds, THE Best Picture award is the Oscar. Other Best Picture awards are usually qualified by the name of the award, like Golden Globes, People's Choice, Raspberry, etc.

And I think GenYus is correct. "The Best Picture-winning film of 2007" won its award in March of 2008.

Seaboe

[damian]

ok, the Golden Globes has an award for Best Motion Picture, and People's Choice has Favourite Movie, so I think it's definitely the Academy Awards.

[MacLloyd]

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. What reggae-inflected hit was the only a cappella song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, in September 1988? This was "Don't Worry, Be Happy," a surprise pop hit for the one-of-a-kind jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin.

2. Kosovo and Cyprus are the only two nations whose map can be found where? On their flags. I guess it's possible that, like, there's a map of the Vatican on its flag too, but it's just too small to see?

3. According to a famous quote in Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, what will also gaze into you if you gaze too long at it? According to Nietzsche, the abyss gazes back. Well, the "Abgrund," actually, since he was German.

4. What two actors, currently playing the same character in one of the biggest movies of summer 2012, also played reluctant antagonists in the Best Picture-winning film of 2007? Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, who faced off in No Country for Old Men, are now both playing "Agent K" in the new Men in Black sequel.

5. What Elizabethan term for the lowest-paying members of a theater audience was appropriated by a legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe? Because these financially challenged theater fans had to watch the play from the dirt floor in front of the stage, they were called "groundlings."

6. In humans, over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in what organ? The small intestine does the real heavy lifting. Quit hogging all the glory, stomach.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these Shakespearean characters? Coriolanus, Falstaff, Henry IV, Kent, Prospero, Romeo, Rosalind, Valentine. They're outcasts--B.O., probably. In their respective plays, all are banished from one court/city/state or another.

[MacLloyd]

Per Ken Jennings' request, the trivia challenge discussed on this message board has the number seven question delayed by one week. This is to avoid easy googling of the question which is designed to foil those who would "cheat". If you know the current number seven question, please do not discuss it here.

The Rules of the Thread
1. If you use the thread to help you get answers, do not submit those answers to the official game.
2. No googling until Sunday. No looking anything up anywhere (and posting it) before Sunday. No checking an article in a magazine you read last week. No checking some old notebook from college. No wikipedia. Not even snopes.com. No checking anything, anywhere - until Sunday. Only information that is stored in your brain, or in the brains of your non-snopester friends and family. But you can't use your family members as a work-around to looking up the information yourself.
3. If you google, don't post that information to the thread until Sunday. Not even as confirmation of the guesses of other posters. Someone else might still know the information on their own.
4. No guess is stupid, throw it out there.
5. No Hinting. If you have a guess or a reasonable belief that you have the right answer, post it. If you are attempting to use hinting as a work-around to the no posting googled answers rule, don't.

And remember, this is an exhibition, not a competition, so please... no wagering.

Tuesday Trivia is back! I'm actually out of the country for a couple weeks, which shouldn't affect the quiz at all, but if there are any unforeseen delays regarding scoring or unsubscribe requests or that kind of stuff, now you know why. We apologize for any inconvenience--all that should be taken care of shortly, assuming I survive a family vacation with two small children.

Regardless, there should be a new scoreboard posted shortly at http://ken-jennings.com/messageboards/viewforum.php?f=3 . Here's the quiz!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. The title family on TV's Party of Five shared what literary surname?

2. In what state is the Preakness Stakes, one third of horse racing's Triple Crown, run?

3. Who composed the 1905 Suite Bergamasque for piano, with a famous third movement inspired by a Paul Verlaine poem about moonlight?

4. Which Kardashian is the oldest child of Robert and Kris Kardashian?

5. CQ, which organizes annual RTTY and DX contests, is the most popular magazine for American devotees of what hobby?

6. How many oxygen atoms are there in a molecule of sulfuric acid?

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents, and no others? Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Taylor, Grant, Truman, and Carter?

[MacLloyd]

1. The title family on TV's Party of Five shared what literary surname?

Salinger

2. In what state is the Preakness Stakes, one third of horse racing's Triple Crown, run?

Pimlico in Maryland, of course

3. Who composed the 1905 Suite Bergamasque for piano, with a famous third movement inspired by a Paul Verlaine poem about moonlight?

Absolutely no idea

4. Which Kardashian is the oldest child of Robert and Kris Kardashian?

Absolutely even less of an idea

5. CQ, which organizes annual RTTY and DX contests, is the most popular magazine for American devotees of what hobby?

Amateur radio (I have friends who obsess over this)

6. How many oxygen atoms are there in a molecule of sulfuric acid?

H2SO4 - so I would say 4

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents, and no others? Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Taylor, Grant, Truman, and Carter?

A bunch of early presidents (first century) then Truman and Carter. There should be something there, but I can't put my finger on it.

MacLloyd

[chillas]

1. The title family on TV's Party of Five shared what literary surname?

Never watched it, but I have it my head that the last name was Salinger.

2. In what state is the Preakness Stakes, one third of horse racing's Triple Crown, run?

Maryland.

3. Who composed the 1905 Suite Bergamasque for piano, with a famous third movement inspired by a Paul Verlaine poem about moonlight?

Debussy.

4. Which Kardashian is the oldest child of Robert and Kris Kardashian?

How, and more importantly, why the NFBSK should I know?

5. CQ, which organizes annual RTTY and DX contests, is the most popular magazine for American devotees of what hobby?

Going to take an educated guess and say amateur radio.

6. How many oxygen atoms are there in a molecule of sulfuric acid?

Four.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these U.S. presidents, and no others? Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Taylor, Grant, Truman, and Carter?

Going to have to think about this one