Transcript 05/17/10 Cassie Belek (carryover from 05/07/10)

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Cassie Belek
Overland Park, KS
Grad student in journalism
23 years old

Cassie still has her ATE.

Today’s ATE is writer and resident expert on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” John Hodgman.

During John’s talk with Meredith, he says that on “The Daily Show” he is the resident expert of fake facts.

Topic Tree:

Deep Thinkers
1942
Advertising
Geometry
(U.S. Presidents)
(Documentaries)
(Same Name)
(World Geography)
(CELEBRITY Q)
(Foreign Anatomy)
(Who Am I?)
(TV Reboots)
(Espionage)
(Unusual Hobbies)
(Namesakes)

$100K Which of the following geometric shapes features an orthocenter?
A. Circle
B. Pentagon
C. Square
D. Triangle

ATE (33)

John: Mmm. This is a very difficult question. Cassie, what do you think?

Cassie: Um, I’m not very good at geometry. I’m not really sure. Um. Orthocenter, I mean, I’m trying to break down the words. I still don’t know. So…

John: Well, circle, I think, is the round one.

Cassie: Yeah, circle’s the round one. Pentagon is five, right? But I really - - I have no idea.

John: Yeah: I have to confess, Cassie, that, um, this is not a term I’m familiar with. I’m going to be quite honest with you. It would be a total crapshoot for me, at this point. I’m very sorry to let you down this way

Cassie: That’s ok. I think you’re awesome. And, well, you’re great.

John: Oh, It’s really nice to meet you and I think you’re going to get it right.

Cassie decides to leave with $50K.

Spoiler

D. Triangle (23)

Answers:
$100K D. Triangle

[Kazoo65]

If I was sitting in the Hot Seat and I saw this question (even with all LL's remaining) I would probably do exactly what she did-take the money and run. I had zero idea what an orthocenter is, and none of the LLs would have helped me at all.

[Bob78164]

$100K Which of the following geometric shapes features an orthocenter?
A. Circle
B. Pentagon
C. Square
D. Triangle

ATE (33)

John: Mmm. This is a very difficult question. Cassie, what do you think?

Cassie: Um, I’m not very good at geometry. I’m not really sure. Um. Orthocenter, I mean, I’m trying to break down the words. I still don’t know. So…

John: Well, circle, I think, is the round one.

Cassie: Yeah, circle’s the round one. Pentagon is five, right? But I really - - I have no idea.

John: Yeah: I have to confess, Cassie, that, um, this is not a term I’m familiar with. I’m going to be quite honest with you. It would be a total crapshoot for me, at this point. I’m very sorry to let you down this way

Cassie: That’s ok. I think you’re awesome. And, well, you’re great.

John: Oh, It’s really nice to meet you and I think you’re going to get it right.

Cassie decides to leave with $50K.

Spoiler

D. Triangle (23)

This is a case where a little logic could have gone a long way. The answer could not be either a circle or a square, because, being regular, they have only one "center" of any type. This reasoning allows you to choose between triangle and pentagon.

To make that choice, it helps to know that triangles have been studied much more extensively than have pentagons. --Bob

[NellyLunatic1980]

I pre-called triangle.

[earendel]

Cassie Belek
Overland Park, KS
Grad student in journalism
23 years old

Cassie still has her ATE.

Today’s ATE is writer and resident expert on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” John Hodgman.

During John’s talk with Meredith, he says that on “The Daily Show” he is the resident expert of fake facts.

He's also the "PC" in the "PC and Mac" commercials.

$100K Which of the following geometric shapes features an orthocenter?
A. Circle
B. Pentagon
C. Square
D. Triangle

ATE (33)

John: Mmm. This is a very difficult question. Cassie, what do you think?

Cassie: Um, I’m not very good at geometry. I’m not really sure. Um. Orthocenter, I mean, I’m trying to break down the words. I still don’t know. So…

John: Well, circle, I think, is the round one.

Cassie: Yeah, circle’s the round one. Pentagon is five, right? But I really - - I have no idea.

John: Yeah: I have to confess, Cassie, that, um, this is not a term I’m familiar with. I’m going to be quite honest with you. It would be a total crapshoot for me, at this point. I’m very sorry to let you down this way

Cassie: That’s ok. I think you’re awesome. And, well, you’re great.

John: Oh, It’s really nice to meet you and I think you’re going to get it right.

Cassie decides to leave with $50K.

Spoiler

D. Triangle (23)

My prediction to elwing was that she'd be one and done. I must admit that this is a pretty tough question and even if Cassie had had her other lifelines I don't think they would have done her any good. As for me, geometry is one of my better subjects. I could have answered this one without a lifeline, so I'd be going for $250K with all my lifelines.

[jarnon]

Having a Ph.D. in math, I should know this one.

The orthocenter is the point where the three altitude lines of a triangle intersect.

[MarleysGh0st]

Having a Ph.D. in math, I should know this one.

The orthocenter is the point where the three altitude lines of a triangle intersect.

I don't recall ever learning this term in geometry class.

So, aside from "altitude" and "orthocenter" being unique terms that are arbitrarily defined for triangles and no other geometric figure, does the orthocenter have any practical significance? Any reason for anyone to remember that term, after we might have been quizzed on it, way back in high school?

[earendel]

Having a Ph.D. in math, I should know this one.

The orthocenter is the point where the three altitude lines of a triangle intersect.

I don't recall ever learning this term in geometry class.

So, aside from "altitude" and "orthocenter" being unique terms that are arbitrarily defined for triangles and no other geometric figure, does the orthocenter have any practical significance? Any reason for anyone to remember that term, after we might have been quizzed on it, way back in high school?

I don't know if it's "arbitrary" or not. The triangle, as far as I can tell, is the only polygon in which altitudes meet at a single point - squares don't have altitudes, and for a pentagon the altitudes don't meet at the same place (if my crude paper sketch is any indication). The same would probably be true of any other polygon.

[Estonut]

Having a Ph.D. in math, I should know this one.

The orthocenter is the point where the three altitude lines of a triangle intersect.

I don't recall ever learning this term in geometry class.

So, aside from "altitude" and "orthocenter" being unique terms that are arbitrarily defined for triangles and no other geometric figure, does the orthocenter have any practical significance? Any reason for anyone to remember that term, after we might have been quizzed on it, way back in high school?

I don't know if it's "arbitrary" or not. The triangle, as far as I can tell, is the only polygon in which altitudes meet at a single point - squares don't have altitudes, and for a pentagon the altitudes don't meet at the same place (if my crude paper sketch is any indication). The same would probably be true of any other polygon.

Not true. I think any regular polygon with an odd number of sides will have its altitudes meet at the same point. Those with even numbers of sides do not have a single vertex opposite each side. Many references include non-triangular polygons in their discussions of "orthocentric," but they are kind of boring, as they must meet in the center of the polygon. I think the question, as worded, may have had 2 correct answers.

[MarleysGh0st]

Here's a brief article about Cassie's carryover appearance. Nothing in the article that we don't know from the transcript, but some of the comments are entertaining, for their confusion of the ATE with the PAF and for confusion about what taxes she has to pay on the winnings.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/201 ... -at-50000/

[Jeemie]

Many references include non-triangular polygons in their discussions of "orthocentric," but they are kind of boring, as they must meet in the center of the polygon. I think the question, as worded, may have had 2 correct answers.

I'm thinking the same thing.

I just drew a pentagon on a piece of paper- the altitudes all meet in one point.

However, a search of the web shows that this term is only applied to a triangle. I haven't found a single reference that this term can apply to any other polygon.