Final Jeopardy: Science Words (2-26-20)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (2/26/2020) in the category “Science Words” was:

In 1611 Kepler used this word from the Latin for “attendant” to describe the discoveries of Galileo

7x champ MacKenzie Jones, a program development director from Tulsa, OK, has won $184,208. A win in Game 8 could put her over the $200K mark. On the other hand, one of these players could send her home: Signe Peterson Fourmy, a Ph.D candidate from Austin, TX; and Greg Kihm, a systems engineer from Washington, D.C.

Round 1 Categories: The Earth – Hair Do – Islands of Africa – Words in Plain Sight – The Digital Age – Whistle Blowers

MacKenzie found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “The Earth” under the $600 clue on the 10th pick of the round. She was in the lead with $3,200, $2,800 more than Signe and Greg, who were in a second place tie. She made it a true Daily Double and she was RIGHT.

This is a narrow strip of land connecting 2 larger land areas like the one connecting North & South America. show

WHAT IS AN ISTHMUS?

MacKenzie finished in the lead with $8,800. Greg and Signe were tied in second place with $3,400 each.

Round 2 Categories: Triumph of Arches – International Airlines – Hit & “Run” – Let’s Speak Hindi! – Names of the 1920s – Literary Lee

MacKenzie found the first Daily Double in “Names of the 1920s” under the $2,000 clue on the 16th pick. She was in the lead with $12,000 now, $5,400 more than Greg in second place. She bet $5,000 and she was RIGHT.

These 2 Italian-born men were executed on August 23, 1927, still maintaining their innocence. show

WHO ARE SACCO & VANZETTI?

Signe found the last Daily Double in “International Airlines” under the $1,600 clue, with 2 clues left after it. In third place with $5,000, she had $15,600 less than MacKenzie’s lead. She bet $2,000 and guessed Sweden. That was WRONG.

Air Atlas merged with another carrier to become the royal airline of this country. show

WHAT IS MOROCCO?

MacKenzie finished in the lead with a runaway $20,600. Greg was next with $6,200 and Signe was in third place with $3,000.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS SATELLITE?

From The Galileo Project: “In 1610 Kepler heard and read about Galileo’s discoveries with the spyglass… later that year, he obtained the use of a suitable telescope, he published his observations of Jupiter’s satellites under the title Narratio de Observatis Quatuor Jovis Satellitibus (“Narration about Four Satellites of Jupiter observed”). These tracts were an enormous support to Galileo, whose discoveries were doubted or denied by many.”

In “Semantics Antics”, author Sol Steinmetz has some interesting entries on “satellite” definitions and the evolution of the term’s meaning. Check it out.

---

---

Signe thought it was “planetary.” She lost her $2,500 bet, leaving her with $500.

Greg went with “astronomy.” He only lost $100 and finished with $6,100.

MacKenzie got it right with “satalite.” Alex loves to tease her about misspellings but that’s okay. She really didn’t have to give an answer at all. She didn’t have to bet anything either and she won the game with the $20,600 she already had. Her 8-day total is $204,808.

4 triple stumpers from LITERARY LEE:

($800) His Jack Reacher books include “Make Me” & “The Affair”

($1200) Children’s author Virginia Lee Burton created “Mike Mulligan and His” this digging machine

($1600) Hermione Lee, later this woman’s biographer, picked up her novel “The Waves” at age 8 & thought, “This is my language”

($2000) His “Spoon River Anthology” poetry collection was turned into a Broadway musical in 1963

More clues on Page 2

2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “Women in Mythology”

Poet & translator Anne Carson addresses her: “Your name in Greek means something like ‘against birth’” show

WHO IS ANTIGONE?

Click here to leave well wishes and prayers for Alex Trebek for continuing success in his battle against cancer. There’s also a link to where you can make a donation to pancreatic cancer research in his honor.