What would be your Million Dollar Question?

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

Now that's a good one! With the pi question, you either know it or you don't. With stuff like this, you think you have a chance to reason it out (even if you don't).

Okay, I'm clueless. Explain the reasoning, please.

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

[littlebeast13]

And, in looking it up, (I haz a Google!!!1) I also learned her pen name. I didn't even know she had one.

So I have learned two things today and can spend the rest of it in ignorance......

Make sure you sprinkle that knowledge on me sometime, since I'm too lazy to look it up..........

lb13

I'm the most laziest, refuse to look up anything person here. If I can expend the energy necessary for a dozen key strokes and two clicks, so can you......

I'm too busy right now looking up former Expos. Jamey Carroll inspired me....

BTW, on the way to work last night, it hit me that Carroll was the player profile on the scoreboard at one of the Cleveland games I went to last year (He was an Indian last year), and they asked him what his greatest moment was in his career, and of course, he answered hitting that sac fly in 2007...... D'oh!

lb13

[FannytheBull]

Okay, I'm clueless. Explain the reasoning, please.

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

Well, aren't you special?

And is that a slide rule in your pocket or are you just happy to be here?

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

Well, aren't you special?

And is that a slide rule in your pocket or are you just happy to be here?

Why yes that's a slide rule AND I am always happy to be here!

[MarleysGh0st]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

[Pastor Fireball]

Okay, I'm clueless. Explain the reasoning, please.

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

Some Hints

One is a pen name.
One is a husband's surname.
One is a supporting character's name.
One is her maiden name.

[FannytheBull]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

Oh, okay, since you replied to my post I thought that's what you were disagreeing with.

The choices are maiden name, pen name, spouse name, character name (not necessarily in that order).

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

Looks more like a cello to me.

[minimetoo26]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

Why I put those choices

Okay, she left Archibald Christie and married Max Mallowan. She pulled some kind of disappearing stunt and there was even some movie or show about that part of her life. She was pretty weird, actually. She wrote romance novels using the name Mary Westmacott. And Hercule Poirot's secretary was the efficient Miss Lemon. Leaving Miller, which is the corrrect answer.

So next time you're doing the book thing, pick up some classic detective fiction! I recommend The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for starters.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I've posted this before, this one just got stuck in my mind.

Who was the last person known to have died from a smallpox infection.

a. Ali Maow Maalin
b. Ramses Quintera
c. Henry Bedson
d. Janet Parker

[Pastor Fireball]

I disagree. I just took the circumference of a circle and divided it by its diameter and worked it to ten places and viola!

Looks more like a cello to me.

You can always tell the size of a man's cello by ther size of his

Spoiler

endpin

.

[Bob Juch]

Well, they can't all be science and math questions! So now that you can't have a PaF Googling, mine would be:

What is Agatha Christie's maiden name?

A: Mallowan
B: Miller
C: Westmacott
D: Lemon

Since she's famous enough everyone should know who she is and all the choices are associated with her in one way or another.

Now that's a good one! With the pi question, you either know it or you don't. With stuff like this, you think you have a chance to reason it out (even if you don't).

Okay, I'm clueless. Explain the reasoning, please.

Max Mallowan was her second husband.

Mary Westmacott was a pen name she used.

Hercule Poirot's secretary was Felicity Lemon.

[ten96lt]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

The furthest I've memorized pi is 6 digits and the most numbers I've needed to use is 3 past the decimal, but I've seen competitions where people try to memorize that far and I've seen people that can go 50+ digits. In some math classrooms in school, I've see posters that show pi down to about 20 digits. The point is, it's an obscure piece of trivia that some people know, and a lot that don't which makes it a MDQ.

Wow, I really unleashed the mayhem with this post lol

And Bob, where's your MDQ for this thread?

[Bob Juch]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piphilology

[minimetoo26]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

The furthest I've memorized pi is 6 digits and the most numbers I've needed to use is 3 past the decimal, but I've seen competitions where people try to memorize that far and I've seen people that can go 50+ digits. In some math classrooms in school, I've see posters that show pi down to about 20 digits. The point is, it's an obscure piece of trivia that some people know, and a lot that don't which makes it a MDQ.

Wow, I really unleashed the mayhem with this post lol

And Bob, where's your MDQ for this thread?

The kids have pi contests on March 13th these days. Stephen coached one of his classmates to the school title. But for basic everyday use 3.14 is good enough.

[MarleysGh0st]

The furthest I've memorized pi is 6 digits and the most numbers I've needed to use is 3 past the decimal, but I've seen competitions where people try to memorize that far and I've seen people that can go 50+ digits. In some math classrooms in school, I've see posters that show pi down to about 20 digits. The point is, it's an obscure piece of trivia that some people know, and a lot that don't which makes it a MDQ.

That was my point: some people memorize it for the sake of memorizing it, to show off their geeky prowess. But none of their efforts come close to the million or so digits that supercomputers have calculated it out to, so why bother?

And as for making good WWTBAM question material, it's a matter of personal taste, but I don't like questions that exist solely because they're found on other trivia tests. It's like all those fake "phobia" words that somebody makes up just to prove how clever they are. Ask an obscure question, but then explain where someone would have come across the answer, without having deliberately memorized it from a book of trivia.

Wow, I really unleashed the mayhem with this post lol.

That's the serendipity of the Bored: you never know what threads will take off and which ones won't, nor which ones will stay on or off topic!

[etaoin22]

I kinda liked the real LBJ question a year ago, given that much similar content had been discussed here....

Back on the old bored, in much a similar thread, and to the displeasure of some whose mind tape loops started going on, and on, and on with this lovely tune:

1,000,000: In the old old song MacNamara's Band, what did the band play at funerals?

a - When the Saints Go Marching In b - Chopin's Second Sonata
c - Nearer My God to Thee d- The March from "Saul"

and theb....

da-da-da-da-dada-da-da (and so on).

Here is a question I've just written::

1,000,000: Dating back to the days of using teletype-like keyboards, computer programmers have frequently expressed the multiplication of numbers with this symbol:

a - The query b - The octothorpe
c - The asterisk d - The lemniscate.

Spoiler

d;c

[MarleysGh0st]

BTW, this discussion about memorizing the digits of pi reminds me of an article about the last time the APs went to Boston for a road trip audition. IIRC, there were some MIT students there, including one who rattled off a hundred or so digits of pi, to the great delight of his fellow students, but to the complete eye-glazing of the APs.

[wintergreen48]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

Is there mnemonic device to help you remember the memnonic for remembering the digits of pi?

[MarleysGh0st]

Is there mnemonic device to help you remember the memnonic for remembering the digits of pi?

You've just got to find one that speaks to your inner muse!

This one (a variant of one of those from the Wikipedia page) seems like your style:

To 20 decimal places:

" Sir, I send a rhyme excelling
In sacred truth and rigid spelling;
Numerical sprites elucidate
For me the Lexicon's dull weight "
( 3 . 1 4 1 5 9 2 6 5 3 5 8 9 7 9 3 2 3 8 4 6 )

http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/pi.htm

[Phil Ken Sebbin]

Here is a question I've just written::
1,000,000: Dating back to the days of using teletype-like keyboards, computer programmers have frequently expressed the multiplication of numbers with this symbol:

a - The query b - The octothorpe
c - The asterisk d - The lemniscate.

Spoiler

d;c

I would have to say that this is not a million dollar question. I would think that anyone who has looked at the numeric keypad on their computer would know this one. But I don't think that the MDQ about the distance from the earth to the sun was that tough either.

[jarnon]

When Dr. Belloq opens the Lost Ark, he recites an incantation in what language?
A) Greek
B) Hebrew
C) Aramaic
D) Latin

Spoiler

C) Aramaic
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/trivia?tr0739090
In a variant of this fantasy, Aramaic isn't one of the choices. (TPTB think it's Hebrew.) I still answer Aramaic, and after checking, they find out I'm right, and I win the $1M.

[FannytheBull]

With the above example, you can think, 'hmmmm, Westmacott sounds familiar....' or 'surely if it was Mallowan I would remember that.....'

If you're asked pi to the tenth place, you either know it or you don't. Numbers are numbers, they don't 'sound right' or 'seem logical'.

I'm not disagreeing about the pi question. There's a mnemonic for remembering the digits of pi--which I once memorized but have forgotten--but memorizing those digits is basically for the sake of saying you've memorized them. I doubt that ten96lt can name one actual instance where he needed to know that many digits of accuracy for a real life problem.

I was hoping for more specifics about the actual Agatha Christie question. Mini said all the choices are associated with her in one way or another, but none of them ring a bell with me.

The furthest I've memorized pi is 6 digits and the most numbers I've needed to use is 3 past the decimal, but I've seen competitions where people try to memorize that far and I've seen people that can go 50+ digits. In some math classrooms in school, I've see posters that show pi down to about 20 digits. The point is, it's an obscure piece of trivia that some people know, and a lot that don't which makes it a MDQ.

Wow, I really unleashed the mayhem with this post lol

And Bob, where's your MDQ for this thread?

You think this is mayhem? Exactly how long have you been around here?

Ha!

[FannytheBull]

Here is a question I've just written::
1,000,000: Dating back to the days of using teletype-like keyboards, computer programmers have frequently expressed the multiplication of numbers with this symbol:

a - The query b - The octothorpe
c - The asterisk d - The lemniscate.

Spoiler

d;c

I would have to say that this is not a million dollar question. I would think that anyone who has looked at the numeric keypad on their computer would know this one. But I don't think that the MDQ about the distance from the earth to the sun was that tough either.

I was about to say the same thing (except the earth to the sun thing, I still don't know why everybody thinks that was so easy....). I was using the asterisk all morning doing spreadsheet stuff.....