Transcript 10/04/12 - Fran Samper

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Fran Samper
Swedesboro, NJ

Meredith tells Fran that she loves a lady who loves her bling. Fran actually sells jewelry at private parties in peoples' homes.

Meredith asks the computer to randomize the money and the questions. The unrandomized Topic Tree is not shown.

Topic Tree (Randomized)
?: Big Numbers
?: TV Chef
?: Chain Reaction
?: The Zodiac
?: Words of Advice
?: Oh, Grow Up
?: Hand ABCs
?: Science Experiments
?: Two-State Solution
?: Slip of the Tongue


Question #1 - Level ?: Slip of the Tongue
Sounding like a reason to go to the emergency room, an ice tongue is a type of formation common in which of these bodies of water?

A: Arctic Ocean B: Indian Ocean
C: Mediterranean Sea D: Caribbean Sea

Answer/Value/Bank

A: Arctic Ocean
Question Value: $10,000
Bank: $10,000

Question #2 - Level ?: Two-State Solution
Which of these words can be formed by combining the U.S. postal abbreviations for Colorado and a state that borders Colorado?

A: Cola B: Cone
C: Coal D: Coma

Fran identifies the four abbreviations and eliminates the states that do not border Colorado.

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Cone
Question Value: $15,000
Bank: $25,000

Question #3 - Level ?: Science Experiments
In a famous impromptu test, Enrico Fermi dropped pieces of paper to the ground to measure the force of what?

A: Collapsing buildings B: Tsunami winds
C: Falling meteors D: Atomic bomb blast

Fran: It's saying "famous". If it's that famous, I believe I'll ask the audience.

ATA

A: 22% B: 24% C: 18% D: 36%

Fran utters an "ohhhh" of disappointment at those numbers. She jumps the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Atomic bomb blast
Question Value: $2,000
Bank: $25,000

Question #4 - Level ?: Hand ABCs
In the American Sign Language, what letter is expressed by extending one's thumb and forefinger and folding in the others?

A: A B: W
C: L D: X

Fran makes the sign with her fingers, then extends her pinkie, too. "And that would be 'I love you.'"

Answer/Value/Bank

C: L
Question Value: $5,000
Bank: $30,000

-- Commercial Break --


Fran's sister, Christine, is in the audience. Christine is also wearing Fran's jewelry.


Question #5 - Level ?: Oh, Grow Up
A "Neo-Hippie" sporting "$350 salon-styled dreads" and "Mom and Dad's credit card" is on the cover of a 2010 book about being a what?

A: Mennonite B: Unitarian
C: Trustafarian D: Wiccan

Answer/Value/Bank

C: Trustafarian
Question Value: $500
Bank: $30,500

Question #6 - Level ?: Words of Advice
The proverb "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is a warning against what?

A: Animal cruelty B: Idleness
C: Overeating D: Risk-taking

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Risk-taking
Question Value: $1,000
Bank: $31,500

Question #7 - Level ?: The Zodiac
The ninth sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius derives its name from "sagitta," a Latin word meaning what?

A: Twins B: Arrow
C: Water D: Maiden

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Arrow
Question Value: $100
Bank: $31,600

-- Commercial Break --


Question #8 - Level ?: Chain Reaction
A California native's tears prompted the 2011 headline "Woman Weeps With Joy As Texas Opens First" of what beloved chain?

A: Cracker Barrel B: In-N-Out Burger
C: Chipotle Mexican Grill D: Panera Bread

Fran is thinking

Spoiler

In-N-Out Burger

, but she's not positive. She's going to jump the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

B: In-N-Out Burger
Question Value: $3,000
Bank: $31,600

Question #9 - Level ?: TV Chef
Before getting scientific with food, what TV chef shot R.E.M.'s music video for "The One I Love"?

A: Bobby Flay B: Jamie Oliver
C: Guy Fieri D: Alton Brown

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Alton Brown
Question Value: $7,000
Bank: $38,600

-- The End of Game "Noise" --


Fran will return on tomorrow's show.

[MarleysGh0st]

Question #3 - Level ?: Science Experiments
In a famous impromptu test, Enrico Fermi dropped pieces of paper to the ground to measure the force of what?

A: Collapsing buildings B: Tsunami winds
C: Falling meteors D: Atomic bomb blast

Fran: It's saying "famous". If it's that famous, I believe I'll ask the audience.

ATA

A: 22% B: 24% C: 18% D: 36%

Fran utters an "ohhhh" of disappointment at those numbers. She jumps the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Atomic bomb blast
Question Value: $2,000
Bank: $25,000

Not so famous, apparently!

But it would have helped for Fran to know what kind of scientist Fermi was and what famous project he was involved in. She also needed to realize that dropping paper wouldn't have demonstrated any of these by itself, it had to be measuring something else that was going on.

And here's the story:

Edward Creutz described how Fermi calculated the explosive power of the first atomic bomb test:

At Alamogordo, (Fermi's) determination of the test bomb yield is a classic example of his deep understanding of physics and his simple approach to meaningful experiments. He was about nine miles from the bomb. After the detonation, he began dropping small bits of paper to the ground. When the pressure wave arrived several seconds later, the bits of paper no longer fell directly to the ground, but were displaced. He measured the distance of displacement with a simple ruler and within seconds had calculated the energy released by the bomb. There were, of course, very sophisticated devices to do this with lots of wires and recording instruments that were interpreted later. But Fermi's measurement was well within the range of those … as he read from a table he had prepared relating displacement to energy released.

http://www.ne.anl.gov/About/hn/logos-winter02.shtml

[Bob Juch]

Spoiler

[earendel]

Fran Samper
Swedesboro, NJ

Meredith tells Fran that she loves a lady who loves her bling. Fran actually sells jewelry at private parties in peoples' homes.

Question #3 - Level ?: Science Experiments
In a famous impromptu test, Enrico Fermi dropped pieces of paper to the ground to measure the force of what?

A: Collapsing buildings B: Tsunami winds
C: Falling meteors D: Atomic bomb blast

Fran: It's saying "famous". If it's that famous, I believe I'll ask the audience.

ATA

A: 22% B: 24% C: 18% D: 36%

Fran utters an "ohhhh" of disappointment at those numbers. She jumps the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Atomic bomb blast
Question Value: $2,000
Bank: $25,000

It helps to know that Fermi was associated with the first sustained nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago in 1940.

Nihil obstat®.

[hanzz]

Continuing my "what if this had been my stack" series.

Fran Samper
Swedesboro, NJ

Meredith tells Fran that she loves a lady who loves her bling. Fran actually sells jewelry at private parties in peoples' homes.

Fran was lovely and hilarious backstage.

Meredith asks the computer to randomize the money and the questions. The unrandomized Topic Tree is not shown.

Topic Tree (Randomized)
?: Big Numbers
?: TV Chef
?: Chain Reaction
?: The Zodiac
?: Words of Advice
?: Oh, Grow Up
?: Hand ABCs
?: Science Experiments
?: Two-State Solution
?: Slip of the Tongue


Question #1 - Level ?: Slip of the Tongue
Sounding like a reason to go to the emergency room, an ice tongue is a type of formation common in which of these bodies of water?

A: Arctic Ocean B: Indian Ocean
C: Mediterranean Sea D: Caribbean Sea

Answer/Value/Bank

A: Arctic Ocean
Question Value: $10,000
Bank: $10,000

Next.

Question #2 - Level ?: Two-State Solution
Which of these words can be formed by combining the U.S. postal abbreviations for Colorado and a state that borders Colorado?

A: Cola B: Cone
C: Coal D: Coma

Fran identifies the four abbreviations and eliminates the states that do not border Colorado.

I hesitated for a moment if NE bordered CO, but the complete wrongness of the other choices locks it in.

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Cone
Question Value: $15,000
Bank: $25,000

Question #3 - Level ?: Science Experiments
In a famous impromptu test, Enrico Fermi dropped pieces of paper to the ground to measure the force of what?

A: Collapsing buildings B: Tsunami winds
C: Falling meteors D: Atomic bomb blast

Fran: It's saying "famous". If it's that famous, I believe I'll ask the audience.

ATA

A: 22% B: 24% C: 18% D: 36%

Fran utters an "ohhhh" of disappointment at those numbers. She jumps the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Atomic bomb blast
Question Value: $2,000
Bank: $25,000

Ooh. Hmm. I don't think I would have made the connection of Fermi to the bomb. JTQ.

Question #4 - Level ?: Hand ABCs
In the American Sign Language, what letter is expressed by extending one's thumb and forefinger and folding in the others?

A: A B: W
C: L D: X

Fran makes the sign with her fingers, then extends her pinkie, too. "And that would be 'I love you.'"

Answer/Value/Bank

C: L
Question Value: $5,000
Bank: $30,000

Next.

-- Commercial Break --


Fran's sister, Christine, is in the audience. Christine is also wearing Fran's jewelry.


Question #5 - Level ?: Oh, Grow Up
A "Neo-Hippie" sporting "$350 salon-styled dreads" and "Mom and Dad's credit card" is on the cover of a 2010 book about being a what?

A: Mennonite B: Unitarian
C: Trustafarian D: Wiccan

Answer/Value/Bank

C: Trustafarian
Question Value: $500
Bank: $30,500

Next.

Question #6 - Level ?: Words of Advice
The proverb "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is a warning against what?

A: Animal cruelty B: Idleness
C: Overeating D: Risk-taking

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Risk-taking
Question Value: $1,000
Bank: $31,500

Next.

Question #7 - Level ?: The Zodiac
The ninth sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius derives its name from "sagitta," a Latin word meaning what?

A: Twins B: Arrow
C: Water D: Maiden

Answer/Value/Bank

B: Arrow
Question Value: $100
Bank: $31,600

Arrow is the only one that makes sense.

-- Commercial Break --


Question #8 - Level ?: Chain Reaction
A California native's tears prompted the 2011 headline "Woman Weeps With Joy As Texas Opens First" of what beloved chain?

A: Cracker Barrel B: In-N-Out Burger
C: Chipotle Mexican Grill D: Panera Bread

Fran is thinking

Spoiler

In-N-Out Burger

, but she's not positive. She's going to jump the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

B: In-N-Out Burger
Question Value: $3,000
Bank: $31,600

Ahh, I know this! Remember hearing my Tennessee friends geek out over In n Out slowly creeping eastward.

Question #9 - Level ?: TV Chef
Before getting scientific with food, what TV chef shot R.E.M.'s music video for "The One I Love"?

A: Bobby Flay B: Jamie Oliver
C: Guy Fieri D: Alton Brown

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Alton Brown
Question Value: $7,000
Bank: $38,600

Oof, I'd be very tempted to JTQ. As a rule, I told myself to not ask the audience any "before they were famous" q's. I think JTQ it is.

-- The End of Game "Noise" --


Fran will return on tomorrow's show.

[SportsFan68]

Question #3 - Level ?: Science Experiments
In a famous impromptu test, Enrico Fermi dropped pieces of paper to the ground to measure the force of what?

A: Collapsing buildings B: Tsunami winds
C: Falling meteors D: Atomic bomb blast

Fran: It's saying "famous". If it's that famous, I believe I'll ask the audience.

ATA

A: 22% B: 24% C: 18% D: 36%

Fran utters an "ohhhh" of disappointment at those numbers. She jumps the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Atomic bomb blast
Question Value: $2,000
Bank: $25,000

I've read about this several times, but I think that's a function of time spent in the English speaking world.

Question #8 - Level ?: Chain Reaction
A California native's tears prompted the 2011 headline "Woman Weeps With Joy As Texas Opens First" of what beloved chain?

A: Cracker Barrel B: In-N-Out Burger
C: Chipotle Mexican Grill D: Panera Bread

Fran is thinking

Spoiler

In-N-Out Burger

, but she's not positive. She's going to jump the question.

Answer/Value/Bank

B: In-N-Out Burger
Question Value: $3,000
Bank: $31,600

JTQ

Question #9 - Level ?: TV Chef
Before getting scientific with food, what TV chef shot R.E.M.'s music video for "The One I Love"?

A: Bobby Flay B: Jamie Oliver
C: Guy Fieri D: Alton Brown

Answer/Value/Bank

D: Alton Brown
Question Value: $7,000
Bank: $38,600

ATA and hope.