Final Jeopardy: Groundbreaking Nonfiction (1-24-14)

The Final Jeopardy question (1/24/2014), in the category “Groundbreaking Nonfiction” was:

Chapters in this 1962 classic include “Earth’s Green Mantle”, “Needless Havoc”, “Rivers of Death” & “And No Birds Sing”.

New champ Chip Bell was the only one to get FJ right yesterday and he is now $17,300 richer, with another chance to win even more. In his second match, he takes on these two players: Dana Murray, from Tampa, FL; and Joe Thomas, from Martin, TN.

Dana found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Century 19” under the $800 clue before the first break. She was in second place with with $1,000, $1,400 behind Joe’s lead. She made it a true Daily Double and she was RIGHT.

In January 1898 this U.S. battleship went to Havana Harbor in part to protect U.S. citizens, but it would never leave. show

WHAT IS THE U.S.S. MAINE?

Joe finished in the lead with $6,800. Chip was second with $3,600 and Dana was last with $3,000.

Joe found the first Daily Double in “Anatomy” under the $1,200 clue. He was in the lead with $8,400, $1,000 ahead of Dana in second place. He bet $1,600 and thought it was the small intestine. That was WRONG.

The sigmoid section of this part of the digestive tract is named for its “S” shape. show

WHAT IS THE COLON?

Chip found the last Daily Double in “U.S. Islands” under the $1,600 clue. In second place with $8,000, he was $1,600 behind Joe’s lead. He bet $2,000 and did not know so he was WRONG.

3 islands lie within this lake in New York’s Adirondacks: Buck Island, Moose Island & Hawk Island. show

WHAT IS LAKE PLACID?

3 clues were left on the board in this round in “The “I”s Have It.”

Joe finished in the lead with $11,600. Chip was next with $6,000 and Dana was in third place with $4,600.

TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS “SILENT SPRING”?

“Silent Spring took (Rachel) Carson four years to complete. It meticulously described how DDT entered the food chain… and caused cancer and genetic damage…. and remained toxic in the environment even after it was diluted by rainwater. Carson concluded that DDT and other pesticides had irrevocably harmed birds and animals and had contaminated the entire world food supply. The book’s most haunting and famous chapter, “A Fable for Tomorrow,” depicted a nameless American town where all life — from fish to birds to apple blossoms to human children — had been “silenced” by the insidious effects of DDT.” (Natural Resources Defense Council: The Story of Silent Spring)

Dana got it right and bet $4,500. She finished with $9,100.

Chip also got it and doubled his score to $12,000.

Joe wrote down “50 Shades.” He lost his $401 bet and ended up in second place with $11,199.

So Chip won his second match and his 2-day total is $29,300.

We can’t really rag on Alex for referring to Joe as “Young Joe Thomas” before revealing his FJ answer. We were hoping everyone would get this one and willing to bet Dana and Chip would, but we had reservations about Joe for that very same reason, his youth. Joe still played an excellent game as you could see by Chip’s reaction to winning.