Final Jeopardy: Contemporary Authors (2-11-25)

The Final Jeopardy question (2/11/2025) in the category “Contemporary Authors” was:

Asked by a student about the Loch Ness monster she said a time portal below could allow a prehistoric creature to pass through

Today is the 3rd final match in the 2025 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. The finalists are: Adriana Harmeyer, an archivist from West Lafayette, Indiana; 9x champ Isaac Hirsch, a customer support team lead from Burbank, CA; and Neilesh Vinjamuri, a software engineer from Lionville, PA.

SCORES SO FAR: Adriana 1 Isaac 0 Neilesh 1

Round 1 Categories: 20th Century Notables – Let Me Tell You a Story – Utensils – Hodgepodge – Competition Shows – Fill Out the “NDA”

Adriana found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “20th Century Notables” under the $600 clue on the first pick of the round. No one had a cent. She bet the $1,000 allowance and she was RIGHT.

Gloria Steinem said this 1972 Democratic candidate for Pres. “first took the ‘White-Male-Only’ sign off the White House” show

WHO IS SHIRLEY CHISHOLM?

Adriana finished in the lead with $7,200. Neilesh was second with $4,800 and Isaac was last with $2,800. All clues were shown.

Round 2 Categories: Bridges – Actors & Actresses – Under the Microscope – American Government – Them’s Fighting Words – Meyer Schusser, Irascible Refugee Composer of Golden Age Hollywood

Neilesh found the first Daily Double in “Under the Microscope” under the $1,600 clue on the 19th pick. He was in the lead with 14,800 now, $2,000 more than Adriana in second place. Neilesh bet it all, $200 more than his “all in” DD bet yesterday, and he was RIGHT.

Some mini cnidarians that can regenerate parts of their bodies have this mythic name, like a creature fought by Hercules show

WHAT IS HYDRA?

Isaac got the last Daily Double in “American Government” under the $800 clue, with 5 clues left after it. In last place with $6,400, he had $23,200 less than Neilesh’s lead. Isaac bet it all and thought it was the Commerce Committee. That was WRONG.

The oldest committee in the house, it’s been charting revenue policy since 1789 show

WHAT IS WAYS & MEANS?

Neilesh finished in the lead with a runaway $30,000. Adriana was next with $14,000 and Isaac was in third place with $1,600. All clues were shown.

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Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHO IS DIANA GABALDON?

American author Diana Gabaldon was inspired by a Dr. Who character when she creating her first novel, which evolved into the popular “Outlander” book series and TV series. The heroine Claire time travels to 18th century Scotland and gets involved with a Scottish fellow named Jamie Fraser. Loch Ness is one of the locations in the series.

Gabaldon is a scientist and is often asked if she thinks the Loch Ness monster is real. On her website’s FAQ page, she shares her opinion in a letter she wrote to a 6th grader. As a scientist, she doesn’t think Nessie can exist in the loch. As someone who believes in time travel, she thinks a prehistoric beast could pop in from time to time if there is a time portal under the loch.

Tree fitty: Chef’s father’s encounters with the Loch Ness monster on South Park have got to be the funniest Loch Ness stories ever.

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Isaac knew it was the “Outlander Lady” but not her name. He lost his $300 bet and finished with $1,300.

Adriana got it right. She didn’t bet anything, standing pat on $14,000.

Neilesh confessed that he wasn’t sure. He was sure that he didn’t have to bet anything so he won the game with the $30,000 he already had. Now it is possible for Neilesh to win the whole thing tomorrow and that leaves us in suspense as to whether the Finals will continue on Thursday.

FINISH LINE: Adriana 1 Isaac 0 Neilesh 2

A triple stumper from each round: 20th CENTURY NOTABLES ($1000) In 1993 this South African was president of the African National Congress Women’s League

BRIDGES ($2000) Now a World Heritage Site, the perhaps unimaginatively named Ironbridge spans this river, Britain’s longest

More clues on Page 2

2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “ART & SCIENCE”

A craft that visited it was named for Giotto, based on the story that 680 years earlier, the painter depicted it as the Star of Bethlehem show

WHAT IS HALLEY’S COMET?

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