Ken Jennings Trivia Challenge

[Chloe]

#5 is bats. No, wait: worldwide and US are probably different. I would guess that worldwide the answer is dogs.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject?

Mythology.

2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album?

Space Oddity

3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states?

Idaho

4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s?

Cincinnati Reds

5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal?

opossums

6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire?

Mauritania

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman.

They all had bad teeth/ wore dentures.

Seaboe

[MacLloyd]

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

1. The American writers Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton are best known for their definitive works on what subject? Both wrote still-widely-read collections of Greek myths.

2. "The Jean Genie" was, appropriately enough given its title, the first single off of what 1973 David Bowie album? Possibly a coincidence, but "The Jean Genie" is found on Aladdin Sane.

3. What western U.S. state can claim to border seven other U.S. states? I guess they can all CLAIM to, but the only one who wouldn't be lying is Colorado--and only then if you count the point where it touches Arizona. I am totally counting that single point.

4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? The Cincinnati Reds were briefly the Cincinnati Redlegs, so only their legs were filthy Communists.

5. About 97% of human rabies deaths worldwide were cases transmitted from what animal? Dogs--and mostly in Asia and Africa, where there aren't widespread vaccination programs for house pets.

6. What modern country was, about 2200 years ago, the center of one of the world's largest powers, the Maurya Empire? The Mauryans covered almost all of what is today India.

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these famous folks? Prince Albert, Tsar Alexander III, King Fahd, Flaubert, Vasco da Gama, Gandhi, Ed Koch, Huey Long, George Washington, Walt Whitman. All have bridges named after them. (Well, everyone still calls one of them the Queensboro Bridge, but officially it's the Ed Koch Bridge. How'm I doing?)

[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.

It's a new dawn of Tuesday Trivia! We're kicking off a new ten-week challenge, so submit your answers to the address below and follow your progress on the new scoreboard, coming soon to http://ken-jennings.com/messageboards/viewforum.php?f=3 .

As of last week, Barry Ford and Jenny Miller were in the lead for the signed copy of BECAUSE I SAID SO! Final results should be up very soon at http://ken-jennings.com/messageboard...php?f=3&t=9373 . If you are NOT Barry Ford or Jenny Miller, copies are available at fine booksellers everywhere. More information here: http://books.simonandschuster.com/bu...ther-retailers . On with the show!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it?

2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport?

3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925?

4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit?

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?

6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today?

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters.

[MacLloyd]

1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it?

No idea

2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport?

Snow Skiing/Boarding

3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925?

Burma Shave

4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit?

Peach

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?

Pluto

6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today?

Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters.

I have never seen The Pioneers or The Trouble Shooters. Can't think of what the others have in common.

MacLloyd

[Floater]

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?

Pluto

[kitap]

#7 - is it that they all had a cast member who went on to be in Congress? Fred Grandy did. So did Sonny Bono and Fred Thompson. Also the guy who played Uncle Jesse.

[ganzfeld]

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?

I don't see how any answer can possibly be correct. The most famous is probably slightly smaller than the largest but even if it isn't, it definitely isn't "by far" the largest at all.

[Don Enrico]

1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it?

The State of Vatican City has rather restrictive rules about elections of it's Head of State. Additionally, it has (AFAIK) no female citicens.

6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today?

Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

I don't see how any answer can possibly be correct. The most famous is probably slightly smaller than the largest but even if it isn't, it definitely isn't "by far" the largest at all.

If you are referencing Eris, it is usually classed as a "scattered disk object," not a Kuiper Belt Object. Pluto still still remains the largest KBO (although"by far" is probably not the best term).

Nick

[GenYus234]

Don Enrico, isn't the last one ti, a drink with jam and bread?

[Don Enrico]

I've reproduced what I remember about those syllables. I might well be mistaken, or the original Italian syllables are reproduced differently in English and German.

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Nick Theodorakis

it is usually classed as a "scattered disk object," not a Kuiper Belt Object

But the question doesn't ask about a KBO. It specifies "in the Kuiper Belt".

[musicgeek]

3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925?
Burma-Shave

4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit?
Peach

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?
Halley's Comet?ETA: Should'a gone with my first guess!

6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today?
Do (originally "Ut"), Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters.
Cast members who went on to be members of congress?

[musicgeek]

Originally Posted by Don Enrico

I've reproduced what I remember about those syllables. I might well be mistaken, or the original Italian syllables are reproduced differently in English and German.

It was originally si, but is now commonly ti (with si being used for the chromatic alteration of a raised sol).

[Hero_Mike]

For #7, it wasn't the actor who played Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) who went to congress, but the actor who played Cooter (Ben Jones).

[Nick Theodorakis]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

But the question doesn't ask about a KBO. It specifies "in the Kuiper Belt".

It passes through the Kuiper belt sometimes, due to the eccentricity of it orbit. Whether that means "in the Kuiper belt" might be a semantic question, although it is currently (at 90+ AU) beyond what astronomers consider the edge of the Kuiper belt to be (about 50 AU).

Nick

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by MacLloyd

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
4. Which American sports team added the word "leg" to its official name during the McCarthy-era 1950s? The Cincinnati Reds were briefly the Cincinnati Redlegs, so only their legs were filthy Communists.

As I understood it, they actually started out in the 19th century as the Red Legs and so the name was restored rather than created in the 50s. But I'm not a baseball expert, so I could be wrong.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS

1. Besides Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and the United Arab Emirates, there is still a fourth country where women can't vote in elections--and it's not in Asia. What is it?

Switzerland

2. Filmmaker Warren Miller has made over 100 documentaries about athletes in what sport?

Skiing. My BIL's brother is in a brief scene in one of the movies.

3. What liniment company was best known for its advertising jingles serialized on roadside signs, which it debuted in Minnesota in 1925?

Burma Shave was a liniment company?

4. The princess in Mario video games is named for what fruit?

Kiwi

5. What is by far the largest and most famous object in the Kuiper belt?

Well, nowadays, it's Pluto.

6. What are the seven syllables used in the "solfege" system, which dates back to the 11th century but is still common today?

do re mi fa so la ti (do'h)

7. What unusual distinction is shared by these TV series--and no others that I can find? The Dukes of Hazzard, Law & Order, The Love Boat, The Pioneers, Saturday Night Live, The Sonny and Cher Show, The Troubleshooters.

One of the stars later became a congressman. ETA: shows how easy this question is--I knew the answer and I haven't even seen 5 of the 7 shows.

Seaboe

[Psihala]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

Kiwi

Princess Kiwi?

~Psihala
(*Was she from one of the lesser known titles?)

[Stan The Man]

Originally Posted by Seaboe Muffinchucker

As I understood it, they actually started out in the 19th century as the Red Legs and so the name was restored rather than created in the 50s. But I'm not a baseball expert, so I could be wrong.

Red Stockings, I believe.