Tonight on 5th Grader

[Kazoo65]

After all the hype Fox was doing for 5th Grader, I watched it tonight.

Spoiler

The contestant was a grad student studying for a PhD in neuroscience (Ogi's area of expertise). She did pretty well, using only one cheat-her peek. She got to the $1M question.

The subject of the $1M question-US History.

The question-Who was the first American pilot to break the sound barrier in an airplane?

She thought and thought about it. She finally guessed Howard Hughes (she mentioned the Spruce Goose-which I've seen-that thing couldn't get off the GROUND, let alone break the sound barrier!!!) and went crashing back to $25K.

Correct answer-which I was screaming at the TV- Chuck Yeager.

[TheConfessor]

I'd have watched that if I had known. It took me about three seconds to miss that question on Grand Slam, except when they asked me, they wanted to know...

Spoiler

the pilot's rank at the time when he broke the sound barrier. I just said Colonel, since that's how we know him today. In retrospect, it's not surprising that he got promoted to that rank after he broke the record.

[Estonut]

Kazoo65 said:

Spoiler

She finally guessed Howard Hughes (she mentioned the Spruce Goose-which I've seen-that thing couldn't get off the GROUND, let alone break the sound barrier!!!) and went crashing back to $25K.

From the home of the Spruce Goose:
http://www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_art ... ibits.html

On November 2, 1947, a crowd of expectant observers and newsmen gathered. With Hughes at the controls, the giant Flying Boat glided smoothly across a three-mile stretch of harbor. From 35 miles per hour, it cruised to 90 during the second taxi test when eager newsmen began filing their stories. During the third taxi test Hughes surprised everyone as he ordered the wing flaps lowered to 15 degrees and the seaplane lifted off the water. He flew her for a little over a mile at an altitude of 70 feet for approximately one minute. The short hop proved to skeptics that the gigantic craft could fly!

[NellyLunatic1980]

The way that FOX had been playing it up the past week, I thought for sure that AYSTA5G would be getting their first $1M winner.

But sadly, for the second time, a contestant loses $475,000. But unlike the first time, this was a relatively easy question.

[slam]

It's funny the way sixth sense can sometimes work. I hadn't seen this show in months and then just happened to turn it on as the contestant was going for the $500,000. A friend of mine faced a similar question for $250,000 on WWTBAM. He had to pick out the element that was a liquid at room temperature. Needless to say, the easy one wasn't one of the choices. He ended up walking.

For a million dollars, I thought that this question was remarkably easy even given which show it's on. I probably would have been a bit obnoxious at that point and first mentioned the name of his plane.

[MarleysGh0st]

Fox spoiled the show by letting everyone know she'd see the $1 million question, but the last five minutes were exciting.

For all that they dragged out the end of the show--they breezed through the first questions, then took nearly half an hour for the last three--I wish I knew if they edited out any of her reasoning on the last question. Surely, she must have taken as much time as they'd allow her, but TPTB seem to love blathering and emotional dithering, but hate careful, rational consideration. But, since she's a neuroscientist, I can't help thinking that some of Ogi's tricks--"priming" and whatever else he called them--could have helped her retrieve the answer she surely must have had buried somewhere in her memory.

That $500K question was a head-slapper for me. What element, besides bromine, is a liquid at 70 degrees fahrenheit? I was so astounded that they'd call that a 5th grade question that the obvious answer didn't come to me. Instead, I started going through the periodic table and it might have taken me a long, long time to get to mercury. Luckily, the contestant got there a lot faster. Duh!

[trevor_macfee]

That $500K question was a head-slapper for me. What element, besides bromine, is a liquid at 70 degrees fahrenheit? I was so astounded that they'd call that a 5th grade question that the obvious answer didn't come to me. Instead, I started going through the periodic table and it might have taken me a long, long time to get to mercury. Luckily, the contestant got there a lot faster. Duh!

They really asked that for 500K??? Some may remember I had the reverse for 250 on Millionaire - what element besides mercury . . .

I walked.

Glad I didn't watch last night - I don't want to ever hear the word "bromine" again!

My son is on the swim team at his high school and they use bromine instead of chlorine in the pool. He knows to call it "the B word" when he's talking to me.

[MarleysGh0st]

They really asked that for 500K??? Some may remember I had the reverse for 250 on Millionaire - what element besides mercury . . .

I paraphrased, but they really did ask that! As I said, there are often questions that I don't think a 5th grader could answer, but that one--Absolutely, no way!

Or so I thought...

[earendel]

They really asked that for 500K??? Some may remember I had the reverse for 250 on Millionaire - what element besides mercury . . .

I paraphrased, but they really did ask that! As I said, there are often questions that I don't think a 5th grader could answer, but that one--Absolutely, no way!

Or so I thought...

Well, of course we know that the "class" is primed with study materials. But truthfully, I knew this in the 5th grade. Time-Life produced a series of books that I devoured, one on the space program and another called "Matter" (I think). It had pages that detailed every element, had a picture (if possible), a description, even listed its electron shells.

There might be another answer to this question - gallium, which will liquefy in the hand and will melt at "room temperature", so depending upon how you define that term, gallium would also be a liquid.

[MarleysGh0st]

Well, of course we know that the "class" is primed with study materials. But truthfully, I knew this in the 5th grade. Time-Life produced a series of books that I devoured, one on the space program and another called "Matter" (I think). It had pages that detailed every element, had a picture (if possible), a description, even listed its electron shells.

It's how the question is presented/approached. General knowledge of all the melting and boiling points of all the elements? That's not 5th grade knowledge. Having real world experience with mercury as a particular exception? That's different.

As the contestant said last night, "Mercury! Mercury is used in thermometers...and that wouldn't work if it wasn't liquid..."

Ultimately, last night's 5th grader stack was a Nihil obstat® for me. But getting through this $500K question would have been mighty embarrassing.

[NellyLunatic1980]

There might be another answer to this question - gallium, which will liquefy in the hand and will melt at "room temperature", so depending upon how you define that term, gallium would also be a liquid.

Nice, ear! You truly are smarter than a 5th grader. Gallium does indeed have the capability of becoming liquid at room temperature.

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

[MarleysGh0st]

There might be another answer to this question - gallium, which will liquefy in the hand and will melt at "room temperature", so depending upon how you define that term, gallium would also be a liquid.

Nice, ear! You truly are smarter than a 5th grader. Gallium does indeed have the capability of becoming liquid at room temperature.

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

Fascinating, but that's really a cheat. It's only melting because your body heat is raising its temperature to its true melting point, 85.5763 °F

[earendel]

There might be another answer to this question - gallium, which will liquefy in the hand and will melt at "room temperature", so depending upon how you define that term, gallium would also be a liquid.

Nice, ear! You truly are smarter than a 5th grader. Gallium does indeed have the capability of becoming liquid at room temperature.

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

Fascinating, but that's really a cheat. It's only melting because your body heat is raising its temperature to its true melting point, 85.5763 °F

That depends upon what "room temperature" is. For me it would be about 68 degrees, but for elwing it would be 85 degrees.

[MarleysGh0st]

That depends upon what "room temperature" is. For me it would be about 68 degrees, but for elwing it would be 85 degrees.

Luckily, AYSTA5G avoided that issue by specifying 70° F in their question!

[fantine33]

I know little to nothing about chemistry (although I did get a R2 question about putting the elements in order by their number on their periodic table and got it right, totally by chance), but I do know that mercury is in a thermometer and it wiggles and jiggles around.

I'd think that a 5th grader would do the same process, just cut through what they don't know and apply knowledge from their everyday lives. Although I've never seen the show and don't know the extent of the rigging and prepping, or if the chosen 5th graders are all little KIAs or not.

[MarleysGh0st]

Although I've never seen the show and don't know the extent of the rigging and prepping, or if the chosen 5th graders are all little KIAs or not.

KIAs? Surely, you're not using the military abbreviation here?

[trevor_macfee]

That depends upon what "room temperature" is. For me it would be about 68 degrees, but for elwing it would be 85 degrees.

Luckily, AYSTA5G avoided that issue by specifying 70° F in their question!

Millionaire did the same thing - the question specified "a room temperature of 70 degrees." Or 72. I don't remember. Where's that transcript site again?

But thanks for the info about Gallium - I can look smarter now when people tell me they can't believe I didn't know Bromine (which I heard a lot after the show aired) - if anyone brings it up, I can say, "Well, I was waiting for Gallium and when it didn't come up as a choice I was confused."

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[slam]

That $500K question was a head-slapper for me. What element, besides bromine, is a liquid at 70 degrees fahrenheit? I was so astounded that they'd call that a 5th grade question that the obvious answer didn't come to me. Instead, I started going through the periodic table and it might have taken me a long, long time to get to mercury. Luckily, the contestant got there a lot faster. Duh!

They really asked that for 500K??? Some may remember I had the reverse for 250 on Millionaire - what element besides mercury . . .

I walked.

Glad I didn't watch last night - I don't want to ever hear the word "bromine" again!

My son is on the swim team at his high school and they use bromine instead of chlorine in the pool. He knows to call it "the B word" when he's talking to me.

Light bulb goes off!

I didn't realize that you are who you are and hung around here.

[Bob Juch]

I'd have watched that if I had known. It took me about three seconds to miss that question on Grand Slam, except when they asked me, they wanted to know...

Spoiler

the pilot's rank at the time when he broke the sound barrier. I just said Colonel, since that's how we know him today. In retrospect, it's not surprising that he got promoted to that rank after he broke the record.

She said the National Air and Space Museum was her favorite. The rocket is hanging in there! I guess she's never seen The Right Stuff or The Aviator either.

[MarleysGh0st]

She said the National Air and Space Museum was her favorite. The rocket is hanging in there! I guess she's never seen The Right Stuff or The Aviator either.

I think Jeff was trying to give her a hint about The Right Stuff when he said someone probably made a big deal about this, but I'm guessing that movie was before her time.

Did The Aviator significantly mention Yeager's flight? I know it did play up Hughes' passion for fast planes, so that movie might have reinforced her mistaken hunch (far more than knowing about the Spruce Goose).

[Bob Juch]

She said the National Air and Space Museum was her favorite. The rocket is hanging in there! I guess she's never seen The Right Stuff or The Aviator either.

I think Jeff was trying to give her a hint about The Right Stuff when he said someone probably made a big deal about this, but I'm guessing that movie was before her time.

Did The Aviator significantly mention Yeager's flight? I know it did play up Hughes' passion for fast planes, so that movie might have reinforced her mistaken hunch (far more than knowing about the Spruce Goose).

No, The Aviator didn't mention it which is why she would have known that the answer wasn't Hughes.

[MarleysGh0st]

No, The Aviator didn't mention it which is why she would have known that the answer wasn't Hughes.

Oh. That's true.

I don't think she had any confidence in that answer, anyway. She just couldn't come up with any more likely answer. As I said earlier, it'd be interesting to know how much time she had before they demanded an answer from her.

[fantine33]

Although I've never seen the show and don't know the extent of the rigging and prepping, or if the chosen 5th graders are all little KIAs or not.

KIAs? Surely, you're not using the military abbreviation here?

I don't know, is KIA the military abbreviatioin for Know It All?

And why surely not? I have been known to use the terms snafu and Tango Uniform on occasion.

[fantine33]

Although I've never seen the show and don't know the extent of the rigging and prepping, or if the chosen 5th graders are all little KIAs or not.

KIAs? Surely, you're not using the military abbreviation here?

I don't know, is KIA the military abbreviatioin for Know It All?

And why surely not? I have been known to use the terms snafu and Tango Uniform on occasion.

Okay, curiousity was getting me, so I actually looked it up. Once I figured out how to get past the automobile searches. Your "surely not" makes sense now.

[tanstaafl2]

I'd have watched that if I had known. It took me about three seconds to miss that question on Grand Slam, except when they asked me, they wanted to know...

Spoiler

the pilot's rank at the time when he broke the sound barrier. I just said Colonel, since that's how we know him today. In retrospect, it's not surprising that he got promoted to that rank after he broke the record.

Been avoiding this thread as I finally got around to the show on the Tivo tonight.

Spoiler

Actually Yeager finished his Air Force career as a Brigadier General. He broke the sound barrier when he was still a Captain and was promoted to Major shortly after that. He did not make Colonel until about 1960. My father met him once. My father was also born and raised in West Virginia and when he mentioned that to him Yeager said, after having shaken hands with him, well I guess I better count all my fingers to make sure I still have them all. Or words to that affect.

Apparently you had to be there...

They really were on a millionaire hunt or else the questions all fell right in my wheel house, including the million dollar Q. From the safety and comfort of the Lazy Boy I got every question without hesitation.

They only way it could have been easier is if they had signed the check and given it to me when I walked in!

Alas, they don't pay you anything to answer them from my Lazy Boy.