Mind the Gap on the road to Rome | 26.3.4

Intro

Speaker 2 0:00

Why couldn't they fit an elevator in the first elevator shaft ever made? The answer to that at the end of the show. Welcome to Quizzical, the trivia show where the margin between genius and embarrassment is very thin. I'm Scott Strosahl, and today we've brought together two competitors ready to prove that random facts are, in fact, occasionally useful. This is the last of four head-to-head matchups, and the winner of today's episode will join the three previous winners in a final showdown next week. If you would like to be a contestant on Quizzical, go to Quizzical.fm to sign up. And if you know someone you'd like to hear on the show, tell them to sign up as well. And please share the show with your friends and give us a review on iTunes. It really helps us spread the word. You can find links to all the things at quizzical.fm. In today's games, we'll follow Rhodes to Rome and Mind the Gap along the way. And we'll also crown another People's Champion with the answer to last week's listener question. So play along, pause if you need to, keep score if you're brave. We've got questions, we've got answers, and we've got at least one fact today that will feel useful once, briefly, someday maybe. Now let's meet our two contestants

Contestant Introductions

Speaker 2 1:16

and get to the trivia. First up, we have Bremster from Melbourne, which is in Australia for those who are geographically challenged. Welcome, Bremster. Hi, thanks for having me. Bremster is a big fan of musicals and specifically Hamilton. I know he's a huge fan of Hamilton. What's your second favorite musical? We'll go. How about that?

Speaker 1 1:37

It's a toss-up at the moment between Come From Away and Hades Town.

Speaker 2 1:42

Nice, nice. And you also do a lot with uh board games and such. You even have uh a gaming channel?

Speaker 1 1:48

Board games and tabletop role-playing games, yes. Um I do have a gaming channel, but um that's not where the YouTube is. As well as a puzzle-solving channel that people probably know you more from. Yeah, but most people would probably know me from Bremster Puzzles, my uh YouTube channel where I solve Sudoku.

Speaker 2 2:04

Yep, and there you go. And that's it's YouTube slash at BremsterPuzzles. So we'll there'll be a link in the show notes where people can find you. We'll put we'll put a link to both your channels on there in case they're more interested in the games than the puzzles. But and next up is Jack, a senior aerospace engineering student at Iowa State University. Welcome, Jack. Thank you, Scott. Good to be here. So you've got a semester left, I think, right? Assuming all goes well, right? Fingers crossed, knock on wood, all that. Uh so aerospace engineering, do you know what you're wanting to do when you graduate? I mean, obviously get a job, but like Yeah. What's the goal?

Speaker 2:43

I'd love to eventually end up in the space sector, but those jobs are a lot harder to come by than the general avionic sector.

Speaker 2 2:50

So So you wanna you wanna be one of those people where when people say, I mean, I'm not a rocket scientist, where they're they're talking about you, right? That's what you want to be wanna be the rocket scientist. I mean, you basically will be with your degree, whether you're working in that or not, but Yes. So you're hoping to like design rockets, build rockets, fly in rockets? Like which which area are you interested in?

Speaker 3:11

I don't think I'm enough of a drum and junkie to start flying the things. I'll stick to designing them.

Speaker 2 3:16

Designing them? Okay. So you you're not trying to go to Mars or anything?

Speaker 3:21

Not in the next 50 years at least.

Speaker 2 3:23

Okay. Okay. Sounds good. All right, cool. Well, that sounds exciting. Um, I think I I I have an engineering degree actually that I don't use, not aerospace engineering, but um I do find rockets and all that pretty interesting. So exciting stuff. So, Jack, I understand you uh know a lot about ancient Greek history and mythology as well. Yeah. Which is not rocket related. Kind of the opposite of rockets, I feel like. New technology, old history.

Speaker 3:51

I well, part of it was blamed on Percy Jackson, but I did go through a Greek history phase and it did carry over a little bit into college where I did take a Western civilization class.

Speaker 2 4:04

Cool. All right, well, now that we all know each other, are you guys ready for our first game? Yeah. Let's go. Then let's get quizzical.

Game 1 - 'All Words Lead to Rome'

Speaker 2 4:17

Alright, for round one, we're starting with a game called All Words Lead to Rome. So, of course, all roads lead to Rome is a famous idiom that you've probably heard. But in this game, all of the answers will be words that have a connection to Rome in some way. So the clue I give will not necessarily be about the Rome connection, but it'll be a the answer will be a word that's connected to Rome. So I have an example. For example, if I said a form of government where sovereignty rests with the people, the answer would be republic, which Rome is, of course, one of the most famous early examples of. They weren't actually the first, but pretty close. Make sense? You understand how it's gonna work? Alright, we're gonna buzz into answer, but if you get it wrong, your opponent will have a chance to steal. Jack, your buzzer sounds like. And Bremster, your buzzer sounds like. Alright, any questions before we start this one? Okay. Here we go. This salad was invented by an Italian immigrant who started a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Oh, Bremster, first to buzz in. You guys were both quick. Caesar? Caesar salad, very good, yep. Alright. Next question. A place on the internet where people can discuss a subject with others that share their interests. Ooh, Jack was the first one that time. A forum. A forum, very good. You guys are quick on the buzzer so far. Alright. Uh the upper house of a bicameral legislature in many countries, including Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Jack got in first. A Senate. Senate, very good. Alright. Next question. According to Mark chapter 5 in the Bible, when Jesus asked a possessed man for his name, he responded, My name is Blank, for we are many. Ooh, Bremser. Legion. Legion, very good. Alright, next question. A large enclosed venue, such as the O2 in London or the Bell Center in Montreal.

Speaker 6:35

Jack.

Speaker 2 6:38

Not a Coliseum, nope. Good guess. Bremster, can you steal? I'll say forum, but I don't think that's it. No, not forum. It's an arena. Arena is the. Yep. And if you guys said stadium, I was ready to tell you that stadium comes from the Greek. So that was not gonna be an acceptable answer.

Speaker 1 7:03

I think Jack would have got that one.

Speaker 2 7:05

That's true. If it was if it was the Greek one, he probably would have, yeah. Alright. Next question. This planet is the closest to all the other planets in our solar system on average. Oh, Jack. You better get this right as the aerospace engineer. Mercury. Mercury is correct. Yeah, Mercury's actually the closest to each of the other planets, which is kind of surprising.

Speaker 7:32

But it's the most is closest if anyone gets that reference.

Speaker 2 7:39

Okay, next question. A film from 2000 by Ridley Scott starring Russell Crowe. Bremster. Gladiator. Gladiator, very good. One of my favorite movies, actually.

Speaker 1 7:53

Are you not entertained?

Speaker 2 7:57

Alright. This is the final question. In the film Dead Poet Society, Robin Williams' character whispered this phrase to his students, imploring them to seize the day. What did he whisper to them to tell them to seize the day? Oh, okay, okay. Nobody knows. Anybody got a guess? No penalties for wrong guesses. That's fine. If not, we can go to the tiebreaker question. Nobody's got it.

Speaker 8:28

I don't think it's right, and I think I'm making this up. The only thing I can think of is like I think I'm just making this up. It's font or something.

Speaker 2 8:36

No, nope. Good try. Good try. It's got a guess.

Speaker 1 8:40

The problem is, I used I used to be able to speak Latin. It's right on the tip of my tongue, and it's just gone.

Speaker 2 8:47

There's people listening like in their cars and at home right now, and they're just yelling like the phrase at the Carpe Diem. Carpe diem. There you go. Very good. It took a long time. Very good. Carpe diem, yes. Okay. Well, good job both of you, but especially good job to Bremster, who is one step closer to making the final. And Jack, you'll have to win the next game to force a tiebreaker and keep your hopes alive.

Listener Question

Speaker 2 9:23

Alright, and now it's time for the answer to last week's listener question as a refresher. The question was: you are in a place called Wally's World, and there is only one law. There is a mirror, but no reflection. There's a pizza with cheese, but no sausage. There is pepper, but no salt. There's a door, yet no entrance or exit. What is the law in Wally's World? And if you look closely at all those words, you'll notice that the things that are allowed in Wally's World all have a double letter. So the one law in Wally's world is that every word has to contain double letters. So if you figured that out, a good job, but especially good job to this week's people's champion, randomly selected from those that submitted correct answers, Jason from Las Vegas. Now I believe this is probably the same Jason who's actually been our people's champion before, back on episode two. So well done, Jason. And now for this week's listener question, there's a sequence. I just want you to give me the next letter in this sequence. The sequence is D R M F S L. Once again, that's D R M F S L. What letter comes next in that sequence? If you think you know, send us a message to people at quizzical.fm or you can go to quizzical.fm and click on the leave a voicemail button to submit your answer in audio form. And you could be next week's People's Champion.

Game 2 - 'Mind the Gap'

Speaker 2 11:04

Okay, our second game today is called Mind the Gap. In this game, I'm going to give you two items from a sequence of some sort, and you have to tell me what would fill the gap between them. So, for example, if I said seven and nine, you would answer eight, of course, right? But they're not going to be that easy, obviously. We're going to take turns on this game so you can put your buzzers down and so you can feel free to think out loud. But if you're wrong, your opponent will get a chance to steal. Any questions before we start this one? Okay. So, Bremster, you are up first. The gap you need to fill is Saturn and Neptune. Jupiter. Jupiter is incorrect, unfortunately. Jack, as your aerospace engineer, I'm hoping you can steal this one.

Speaker 11:58

Uranus.

Speaker 2 11:59

Uranus or Uranus, however you like to pronounce it.

Speaker 12:02

People get mad at you when you say it like that.

Speaker 1 12:04

I I realized as soon as I said it, and you said it was like, ah, it's Uranus, of course. Or as Futurama calls it Urectum.

Speaker 2 12:14

That's funny. Alright, Jack, next question's for you. Your gap to fill is carbon and oxygen.

Speaker 12:27

I want to say nitrogen. I'm gonna go with nitrogen.

Speaker 2 12:33

Well, that's good that you want to say that, because that is correct. Very good, yes. Yes, on the periodic table. Okay. Next question is for Bremster. Your gap to fill is the Fellowship of the Ring and the Return of the King. The Two Towers. The Two Towers. Very good. Alright, Jack. Your gap is The Force Awakens and the Rise of Skywalker.

Speaker 12:57

That would be The Last Jedi.

Speaker 2 12:59

Very good. Are you a fan of Star Wars? I am. Okay, that's good.

Speaker 1 13:05

Bremster, are you a Star Wars guy? Uh I could reach Star Wars pop caps without getting out of my chair. Yes. So I think that's a yes. I'm a bigger Lord of the Rings fan.

Speaker 2 13:15

Bigger Lord of the Rings fan. Okay, cool. Next question is for you, Bremster. Your gap is Troposphere and Mesosphere.

Speaker 1 13:25

I'll say stratosphere because I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 13:29

That is correct. Educated guess, that works. Um alright, Jack. Next gap to fill is Nicaragua and Panama. I want to say Costa Rica. You want to say the correct answer then. That is right. Costa Rica. Very good. Did you know that one, Bremster? Nope. Yeah, that's the wrong part of the world for you. I know, yeah. I mean, it's not really the right part of the world for us. It's the Western Hemisphere, but like it's I mean, it's pretty far away still, but. Alright. Bremster, next question's for you. Your gap is the femur and the tibia. I'll say patella? That's correct. Very good. The patella or the kneecap, yeah. You even got the the correct term for it. Good job. Alright. And Jack, final question. Your gap to fill is Grover Cleveland and Grover Cleveland.

Speaker 14:32

Oh, um. Oh, you are screaming. Trying to remember which one this is. I want to say Taft.

Speaker 2 14:46

Sorry, Taft is incorrect. Nope. Bramster. Can you steal? And force a tiebreaker. Unlikely. If nothing else, you can just guess a president name and you know, hope for the best.

Speaker 1 15:00

Even that's a bit unlikely of that era.

Speaker 2 15:02

Um I'll say Hughes. Hughes? I mean, not a bad guess. Not a bad guess. It's incorrect. Did you figure out what it was, Jack? You seem you you seem like maybe you got it. What?

Speaker 15:13

I think it might have been McKinley.

Speaker 2 15:15

No, it's Benjamin Harrison. Oh. So Cleveland was president twice, but with another president in between, which is why he's on both sides of the gap.

Speaker 1 15:24

I mean, I had to go for one that was like, what's one that I don't know very well? Because it's got to be because they don't get taught here at all. Like we only pick them up by osmosis.

Speaker 2 15:37

Right, right, right. I wouldn't expect you to have learned that in school or anything. I mean, yeah.

Speaker 15:42

So I mean, we only go over them once in school.

Speaker 2 15:46

Right. It's not like it's the kind of thing that you retain generally, yeah. So unless you memorize them. Alright, well, after that, you've each won one game, so we're gonna

Game 3 - 'Olympic Host Cities'

Speaker 2 15:55

have to go to a tiebreaker game, which is exciting. Our tiebreaker game today is Olympic hosts. So since the year 2000, 13 cities have hosted the Olympics. So in this millennium, we've had 13 host cities. We're gonna go back and forth, naming them, and the first person to get a wrong answer or repeat an answer will be out. Make sense?

Speaker 16:20

Yeah.

Speaker 2 16:20

Alright, Bremster, as the winner of the first game, you get to go first. Or have to go first, depending on how you look at it. Tokyo? Tokyo is correct. Very good, Jack. Let's go with Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is correct. Back to Bremster. London? London. Very good. Jack.

Speaker 16:47

Beijing.

Speaker 2 16:49

Beijing. Beijing actually was twice, which is interesting. Alright, back to Bremster.

Speaker 1 16:59

Really don't know. Um it is not something I follow at all.

Speaker 2 17:09

And if you don't know, you can guess somewhere that you think might have had the Olympics.

Speaker 1 17:12

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Like I'll say so I'll say Los Angeles, because I just don't know.

Speaker 2 17:19

Los Angeles. Los Angeles has had an Olympics, but not since the year 2000, unfortunately. So very good guess. Very good guess. They have had the Olympics, and I think they might. Are they one of them that's coming up soon? They're the next one. The next one. That might be why I was thinking it. You're you're just you're just ahead of your time. That's never been said before.

Speaker 1 17:42

I'm shocked you didn't say Sydney.

Speaker 2 17:44

Yeah, Sydney was in 2000. Yeah. It was been the oldest one on the list.

Speaker 1 17:49

I thought that was last uh millennium.

Speaker 2 17:51

Yeah, but there was Sydney, Salt Lake City, you in the United States, in Utah, Athens, Greece, Turin, Italy, Vancouver, Canada, Soshi, Russia, Pyongchen, South Korea, Paris, France, and then the most recent one in the winter was Milan Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. Or just Milan.

Speaker 1 18:12

I mean, as someone who doesn't watch sports at all. I would I would have been guessing on a lot of them myself. I'm again, I'm not making an excuse here, but the reason I probably got confused about Sydney is because in Australia, all of the news about Sydney was happening while they were building the thing.

Speaker 2 18:29

Right, because it would have been in the 90s.

Speaker 1 18:31

By the time it came here, none of us cared.

Speaker 2 18:34

Right by the time it happened, we were over it. Because yeah, it wouldn't have been all the like you said, all the lead up would have been in the nine late 90s. And and also you had all the other, you know, millennium stuff going on.

Speaker 1 18:45

So yeah, so the millennium celebration in Sydney for us was huge, and it had nothing to do with the Olympics. So we don't even think about it. I was working very long hours for Y2K.

Speaker 2 18:59

Does Jack even know what Y2K is? Yes, I do.

Speaker 19:02

I do know what Y2K is. I thought maybe you would have potentially picked up that somewhere along the way with your engineering stuff, but the only reason I knew about Sydney was my dad used to work for a travel company and was organizing a bunch of travel stuff for the Sydney Olympics.

Speaker 2 19:20

Oh, nice. Alright,

Outro

Speaker 2 19:22

well, with that, after two games, Jack is moving on to the final round at the end of the month. Congratulations to Jack, and thank you to Bremster for playing as well. Join us next week as two more competitors match wits for a chance at being crowned quizzical champion. But before we go, the answer to the question I asked at the beginning: why couldn't they fit an elevator in the first elevator shaft ever made? So the first elevator shaft was built inside the Cooper Union Building in New York City four years before Elisha Otis patented the first passenger elevator. Basically, the owner of the building, they were building the building, and he predicted that elevators were going to become a thing because the city was building vertically. And so he put in a shaft in expectation of them inventing elevators. Here's the problem: he made the shaft circular, and the first elevators were square. So they couldn't, they were literally putting a square peg in a round hole to try and do it. And they did eventually put an elevator in there later, and they they built a custom one that was round when they renovated the building and whatnot. But yeah, initially he was he was trying to think ahead. I'm gonna put an elevator shaft so when they invent elevators, we'll be ready, and then yeah, so kind of a funny story. Cool. So now you know the creator of the first elevator shaft saw what was to come, but not the shape of what was to come. It's a small but mighty fact you can deploy at your next awkward silence. That's it for this week, and remember, trivia is just curiosity keeping score. I'm Scott, and this has been Quizzical.