-Students from Eleanor Roosevelt... ...Landon.... ...and Alexandria City compete today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard, and welcome to "It's Academic," produced by Altman Productions in association with David M. Rubenstein Productions.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... Mitre -- a not-for-profit research-and-development company working in the public interest.

-The world is full of challenges.

And at Mitre, we're committed to solving them.

From aviation... and health... to cyber... and national security... our people know we are called to do more.

Mitre -- solving problems for a safer world.

-And now it's time to meet the teams.

First, from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, Clinton, Joel, Michael.

Hey, guys, good to have you.

From Bethesda's Landon school, Lawrence, Thomas, Bao.

Really good to see you guys.

And finally, from Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Hey, Parker, Violet, and Abigail.

Really good to see you here on "It's Academic."

Alright, time for the Opening Round, where every correct answer is worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

So let's do this, Team One.

Good luck in this Opening Round.

Here's your first question.

Hidden in this phrase is what simple machine consisting of a bar used for prying something up?

-Lever.

-Yeah.

"Parsimonious," "congenial," "generic" -- of these three adjectives, which one best describes a person who is miserly or stingy?

Answer?

-"Congenial."

-Which one?

-"Congenial."

-No, "parsimonious."

The chemical symbol for neon appears here in the name of what other element -- a lightweight metal whose own symbol is "MG"?

-Magnesium.

-Magnesium.

-Magnesium is correct.

Diphtheria, scurvy, measles -- which one of these illnesses is caused by a dietary deficiency?

-Scurvy.

-Scurvy.

-Scurvy it is.

"There is a great distance between said and done."

This cynical proverb comes from what U.S. territory in the Caribbean, where San Juan is capital.

Answer?

In three, two, one.

Puerto Rico.

You knew that!

Great job, Eleanor Roosevelt.

160 points.

Hey, Landon, it's your turn for the Opening Round.

Let's do this.

"Grab a customer."

You can grab 20 points if you can find the hidden name of what ancient Asian computing device.

-Conferring.

Abacus?

-Abacus.

-Abacus, final.

-Yes, it is.

That's Abacus.

"Phony," "unblemished," "irrelevant" -- if someone had impeccable credentials, you would know that his or her credentials were which of these?

-Conferring.

Unblemished?

-Unblemished.

-Unblemished, final.

-Yep.

You got it.

This "is" is right there in the name of what chemical element whose symbol is "BI"?

-Conferring.

Bismuth?

-Bismuth?

-Yeah.

-Oh, wait, no.

Bismuth, final.

-This is -- -Bismuth.

-Yeah, it's bismuth.

Very good.

Wisdom teeth, canines, molars -- if you wanted something badly enough to give your eye teeth for it, you would be offering to give up which of these, also known as eye teeth?

-Conferring.

Wisdom?

-Conferring.

Wisdom teeth?

-Wisdom teeth, final.

-Canines.

Sorry.

"The missing link between music and noise."

A music professor used this phrase to describe the ukulele, a musical instrument identified with what 50th state?

-Conferring.

Hawaii.

-Conferring.

Hawaii.

Hawaii.

Hawaii, final.

-Yep, it's Hawaii.

Well done, Landon.

You have 180 points.

Team three from Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, Virginia, here we go.

First question -- "Pyramid as tomb."

You'll find in this phrase the name of what mythical king of Phrygia who turned everything he touched to gold.

-Conferring.

Midas.

-Conferring.

Midas.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Yes?

-Midas?

-The Midas touch, yeah.

"Exhorting them," "encrypting them," "juxtaposing them" -- if you place two objects side by side, you are taking which of these actions?

-Conferring.

Juxtaposing?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Juxtaposing them.

Correct.

To avoid becoming an also ran, you can fill in the blanks here to name what element with atomic number 92 that's used in nuclear reactors.

-Conferring, um... -Um... -Answer?

-Uranium?

-Yeah.

Uranium.

-Mule, elephant, alpaca -- ancient Romans were shocked by Hannibal's use of which of these animals when Hannibal's Carthaginian army invaded Italy?

-Conferring.

Elephants?

-Conferring.

Elephants?

-Elephant, yeah.

-Elephants, right?

That could -- what a sight that must have been.

"Contrary to the character of an orderly and civilized life."

This description of tobacco was part of a 19th-century proclamation banning public smoking in what city, now the capital of Germany?

-Conferring.

Berlin?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Berlin is right.

Well done, Alexandria City.

You got them all.

200 points.

And that's the Opening Round.

The Picture Perfect Round is next.

-I'm David Rubenstein.

From the Kennedy Center and the National Archives to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, I've been pleased to support many important organizations and historic sites linked to American history, art, culture, education, and more.

I believe giving back to our country isn't just an idea.

It's an action -- a patriotic action that involves all of us.

And it begins with education and learning about our nation's past so that we, the people, can make a more perfect union for the future.

We can do it together.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

♪♪ -Now to the Picture Perfect Round.

In this round, questions are worth 20 points up or down, 10 points if you don't answer.

Eleanor Roosevelt.

Here's your first picture.

Though he's usually associated with the tropics, Gauguin also painted this winter view of what river that runs through Paris.

Answer?

In three, two -- -Conferring.

-I need an answer.

The answer is this Seine.

Taking positive roots, simplify this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

And?

What do you think?

-12.

-12 is right.

Tamerlan's expedition against the sultan of Egypt led to the invasion of what modern capital of Syria?

-Damascus.

-Damascus is right.

Nice job, Eleanor Roosevelt.

190 points.

Picture perfect time, Landon.

Here's your first picture.

These jasmine flowers are named for what East African island?

The fourth largest island in the world.

It has many plants and animals found nowhere else.

-Conferring.

Madagascar.

-Yep.

Madagascar, final.

-Yes, it is.

It's Madagascar.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-Conferring.

-Conferring.

One, one.

-One?

-One, final.

-Yeah, it's one.

The red disk on this flag stands for the blood spilled when what Southeast Asian country fought for independence from Pakistan.

Its capital is Dhaka.

-Conferring.

Bangladesh?

-Yeah.

-Bangladesh, final.

-Nice job.

It is Bangladesh.

Landon, you've got a score of 240 points.

How about we look at some pictures, Alexandria City?

Here you see a 1759 painting of Halley's Comet seen over what River that runs through London?

-Conferring.

The Thames?

-Yeah.

Thames.

-It is the Thames, yeah.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

Answer?

In three, two -- -Negative nine?

No.

Pass.

-Is that your answer?

The answer is negative ten.

You were almost there.

This wooden sculpture was the work of a Yoruba tribesman who lived in what is now what most populous African country, whose capital is Abuja?

-Conferring.

Nigeria?

-Uh, no -- -Yeah, that's it.

-Okay.

Go with that, yeah.

-I'm glad you did it.

It is Nigeria.

Nicely done, Alexandria City.

You've got 230 points.

Picture Perfect Round is finished, and the Packet Round is next.

-Hello.

I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that a biography of physicist Robert Goddard was carried aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the first moon landing?

Goddard is known as the father of modern rocketry, and Buzz Aldrin's father and Goddard had been close friends, so it was a fitting tribute.

I'm David Rubenstein, reminding you to read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

-Alright, teams, as you know, in the Packet Round, correct answers are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for an incorrect answer, which is awesome, and awesomer is the fact that you can get a 25-point bonus by getting all of the questions correct.

How about we meet the team from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland?

Clinton is the captain.

Clinton, What are you up to these days?

-I'm not really up to much.

-[ Laughs ] -Just got done with work.

-Alright.

Well, let me ask you, what subject do you like best and why?

-I like statistics 'cause that's my career field.

-Ah, very nice.

You're a numbers person.

Good to have you, Clinton.

Joel, tell us about yourself.

-I enjoy playing lacrosse, and my favorite subject is math.

It's always been something that I enjoy.

-Math.

Awesome, two math people.

Well, we might have a third.

I'm not sure.

Michael.

Fill us in.

-My name is Michael.

I'm a junior, I like running track, and my favorite subject is math, as well.

-Alright, I expect you guys to get all those math questions correct.

The pressure is now on.

[ Laughs ] And now let's meet the team behind the team.

Clinton, who's with you?

Today, we have Mr. Mills filling in for Mr. Levy as our coach, and we have our alternate, Ella.

-Hey, Ella, Mr. Mills, thank you so much for being here, supporting the team, which is now about to embark on the Packet Round.

Here's your first question.

In 1856, U.S. officials traveled to the Middle East to buy what humped desert animals to carry mail in the southwest?

-Camels.

-Camels.

Who knew?

The Sherlock Holmes case "A Study in Scarlet" seemed exotic to British readers because it referred to the Mormon settlement of what Western U.S. State?

-Utah?

-Utah is right.

-Science question.

"Stratosphere," "ionosphere," "troposphere" -- Which of these terms refers to the layer of atmosphere nearest to the earth and extending to approximately ten miles above the surface?

-What is troposphere?

-Correct.

The Galileo orbiter, which crash landed on Jupiter in 2003, had been launched from what space shuttle named for a legendary lost continent?

Answer?

-Atlantis?

-Yeah, Atlantis, right.

"Black Boy" is the autobiography of what African-American author of the acclaimed novel "Native Son"?

-Answer?

In three, two -- -Does his name start -- is his name, like, Richard?

-I need something else.

Well, you got Richard right.

It's Richard Wright, In fact.

-Oh.

-Here's your math question.

What is the value of this expression, giving your answer as an integer?

-Conferring.

16?

-16.

-16.

-And there are in my math guys.

Nice.

"My ministers are pro-German, my people are pro-Russian, and I'm the only neutral in the country," wailed King Boris in 1941, when he ruled what European country whose capital is Sofia?

-What is Bulgaria?

-Yeah, way to nail it.

It is Bulgaria.

Eleanor Roosevelt, nicely done.

310 points.

Time to meet Team Two from Bethesda's Landon School.

Lawrence, Thomas, Bao, really good to see you guys.

Hi.

-Great to see you, too.

-Hey.

-Hello.

So, Lawrence, what are you up to these days?

-Usually, if I have free time, I'm playing tennis with some friends or fishing with my brother.

-What do you catch?

-Usually just some bluegill.

Nothing extremely large.

-Alright, that's good.

Thomas, how about you?

Just a lot of playing guitar and singing We're -- my band is working on its next set for the next concert.

-And remind me, what kind of music do you guys play?

-We play a lot of rock 'n' roll, hard rock, and we're kind of trying to go into more Metallica-esque metal.

-So your parents' music, kind of.

-Yes.

The wonderful rock of the old days.

-And, Bao, hi.

How are you doing?

-I'm doing well, Hillary, and I like to play soccer, and on my free times, I play the oboe as well.

-Alright.

Nice, Bao.

I love that you guys are a musical group there at Landon.

So let's meet the coaches who prepare you for competition here on "It's Academic."

Lawrence, introduce us.

-First off, I would like to welcome our faculty guest, Dr.

Woo.

He is our distinguished choral and vocal instructor at Landon.

And also, I would like to thank our coach, Señora Chambers, who has really pushed us to the brink of our academic knowledge and keeps us committed to it.

-That's wonderful, and the introductions don't stop there.

Thomas, who do you want to tell us about?

We have our alternate, David Lupray, joining us.

He's just been such an awesome person to have on our team because he pushes us to truly be better.

-I love how you guys all support one another.

It's really nice.

So let's do this packet round, huh?

Here's our first question.

Our basic rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press are guaranteed by which number constitutional amendment?

-Conferring.

The first?

-Conferring.

First?

Final, first.

-Yeah.

-It's the First Amendment, yeah.

Though it killed an estimated 80 million trees, not a single person is known to have been injured when a meteorite exploded in 1908 above, what a huge, cold region of Russia.

-Conferring.

-Conferring.

Siberia?

-Sibera, final.

-Sibera, final.

-It is Siberia.

Here's your science question.

Which one of these compounds, one, two, or three, would you most expect to find in a fire extinguisher?

-Conferring, guys.

-Conferring.

Number two, I believe?

-Number two, sodium bicarbonate.

In 1731, our nation's first circulating library was founded by what Philadelphia statesman and inventor?

-Conferring, guys.

Franklin?

-Benjamin Franklin?

-Benjamin Franklin.

-Yep.

-Ben Franklin, final.

-Ben Franklin.

Yes.

Some Americans stopped eating meat in 1906 after reading what Upton Sinclair novel that exposed conditions in the Chicago stockyards?

-Conferring.

"The Jungle?"

-Conferring.

"The Jungle?"

-"The Jungle," final.

-It is "The Jungle."

And now your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer as a positive integer.

-Conferring.

Two.

-Conferring, guys.

Two.

-Two.

And two, final.

-Yeah.

-Two is it.

After being elected president in 1925, Ahmet Zogu decided that wasn't good enough and had himself proclaimed King Zog in what European country whose capital is Tirana?

-Uh...conferring.

Albania.

-Conferring, guys.

Albania?

Albania, final.

-Yeah, it is Albania.

Way to do it, Landon.

[ Siren wailing ] You've got a 25-point bonus and a score of 405 points.

Before we kick off the Packet Round with Alexandria City, let's meet these students and learn something more about them.

Parker, why don't you tell us what you like to do when you're not in school?

-Last summer I was able to participate in Virginia Girls State, which is really cool, and I'm starting my senior year, which is exciting.

-Wow.

Congratulations.

Yeah.

How about you, Violet?

-I'm Violet, and I really enjoy playing the tenor saxophone with my friends outside of school.

But also in school, I play with the jazz band and the wind ensemble.

-Oh, that's beautiful.

We're a big jazz family, In case you didn't know that.

I say that every year.

We love jazz.

And finally, Abigail, what do you like to do when school is not in session?

-Hi, I'm Abigail, I'm a junior, and I'm looking forward to directing the spring musical this year.

-Oh, that's wonderful.

Do you know what play it's going to be yet?

-It's a secret.

-It's a secret, okay.

Well, we look forward to learning about it.

Before we do the Packet Round, we still have more people to meet.

So why don't you tell us who's along with you, Parker?

-We have our wonderful coach, Mr. Zahn, who's also an AP lit teacher at ACHS, and a wonderful Eli, who's our alternate, and great people.

-"Great people."

Eli, good to see you.

Mr. Zahn, always wonderful to have you here on "It's Academic."

You ready for some questions, Alexandria City?

Here's your first question.

The Rhinemaidens in Wagner's Ring Operas We're supposed to guard what same valuable metal that the U.S. Army guards at Fort Knox?

-Conferring.

Gold?

-That's best guess.

-Sure.

-Gold.

-It's gold.

Archeologists continue to debate the age of what ancient Egyptian statue, a monumental figure with the head of a man and the body of a lion?

-Conferring.

The Sphinx?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Sphinx, it is.

Here's your science question.

Ozone, water vapor, oxygen-17 -- when ultraviolet light is absorbed by ordinary oxygen, it may produce which of these?

-Conferring.

Oxygen-17?

-Yeah.

-I think that works.

-Yeah.

-The answer is ozone.

The General Assembly and the Secretariat are two of the three main organs of the U.N. What is the third organ, whose five permanent members have veto power?

-Conferring.

Security Council?

-It's the Security Council, yeah.

-Yes.

-"The Portrait of Mr.

W.H."

is a minor work by what Anglo-Irish author who also wrote "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

-Conferring.

Oscar Wilde?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You've got it.

Math question.

This expression equals "A" to what power?

-Conferring.

"A" of the 4th?

-Need an answer.

-Yeah.

-It's "A" to the 5th.

Off by just a little.

Coffee is a major export of what Central American country, where Tegucigalpa is capital?

-Uh... um... -In three -- -Conferring.

Honduras?

-Yeah, go with that.

-Yeah, it's Honduras.

Nicely done, Alexandria City.

330 points.

Let's see if lightning strikes next.

We've got the Lightning Round.

Get ready for something fast and furious.

It's the Lightning Round.

You've got 45 seconds to answer up to 10 questions.

Correct answers are worth 20 points.

20 points off for a wrong answer.

No penalty if you pass.

Here we go, Eleanor Roosevelt.

In this round, we are looking for superlatives such as biggest or smallest.

Ready?

In three, two, one.

This is the world's highest mountain.

-Everest.

-Yes.

And this is the second highest mountain.

-Kilimanjaro?

-No, K2.

This is the largest moon in our solar system.

-Pass.

-Ganymede.

Shakespeare's longest play is about this Danish prince.

-Pass.

-Hamlet.

This is the most populous U.S. state.

-New York?

-California?

-No -- well, California.

This is our least populous state.

-Wyoming.

-Yes.

This is the largest mammal.

-Elephant?

-Blue whale.

-Yeah.

Located in Paris, This is the world's largest art museum.

[ Buzzer buzzes ] There's the buzzer.

That last question was, "This is the point in a planet's orbit most distant from the sun.

The answer is aphelion.

Eleanor Roosevelt, Really nice job.

You've got a 390-point total.

Awesome.

Alright, guys, it is time for the Lightning Round.

Here we go.

We're looking for superlatives here, such as the biggest or the smallest.

In three, two, one.

This is the tallest mammal.

-Giraffe.

-Yes.

This is the world's largest island.

-Greenland?

-Yes.

This is the world's second largest island.

-Australia.

-New Guinea.

This is the latest gas.

-Hydrogen.

-Yes.

This element is the lightest metal.

-Sodium.

-Lithium.

-Lithium.

This planet is farthest from the sun.

-Neptune.

-Yes.

This mineral is the hardest on the Mohs scale.

-Diamond.

-Yes.

Europe's longest river flows over 2,000 miles.

-Rhine?

-The Volga.

The shortest U.S. president was this fourth chief executive.

-Adams.

-Madison.

-Madison, Madison.

-Yeah, it's James Madison.

Nicely done, Landon.

You've got a fabulous score of 505 points.

Time for some lightning, Alexandria City.

Let's begin our round.

We're looking for superlatives here, such as the biggest or the smallest.

In three, two, one.

This country has the largest land area.

-Brazil?

-Russia.

The U.S. president -- this one served the shortest time, 31 days.

-William Henry Harrison.

-Yes.

This is South America's highest mountain.

-Pass.

-Aconcagua.

And this is South America's longest river.

-The Amazon.

-Yeah, the Amazon.

This is the most reactive halogen.

-Fluorine?

-Fluorine.

This term describes when the moon is farthest from the earth.

-Pass.

-Apogee.

This is the largest of the Great Lakes.

[ Buzzer buzzes ] And there's the buzzer.

The question was, "This is the largest of our Great Lakes."

The answer being Lake Superior, which is fitting since it's the largest lake.

Anyway, Alexandria City, you did a great job -- 370 points.

And that is the game.

The official scores are next.

-I'm David Rubenstein, and I believe giving back is something we all can do.

Students are getting involved in their communities in many important ways.

I've asked them to share with us how they're making a difference.

-I'm Camille Anderson.

I go to Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C.

I work with the program ENGin to teach Ukrainian teens and adults better conversational English via Zoom.

I've had an amazing experience with my two people I speak with, Olga and Sofia.

I've been sending packages to them in the Ukraine and now in Germany, because they have both been -- they're both living in Germany currently with the war.

It's been a great experience to share culture, and I've grown a strong friendship with both of them.

-Like these students, you too can help improve the lives of so many people by volunteering in your town and community.

Please read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.

-And the scores are now official.

We begin with Alexandria City High School, from Alexandria, Virginia.

Parker, Violet, and Abigail, 370 points.

From Greenbelt, Maryland, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Clinton, Joel, and Michael, 390 points.

And coming back for the playoffs, Landon School from Bethesda, Lawrence, Thomas and Bao.

Amazing game -- 505 points.

Congratulations to all of our incredible teams and to you, our incredible viewers.

-Support for "It's Academic" has been provided by the following... Mitre -- a not-for-profit research-and-development company working in the public interest.

-At Mitre, we're committed to solving some of our biggest challenges in national security... cyber, aviation, and health, and our dedication to service starts at home working to fight hunger, serving people in need, protecting public health, and supporting our civic institutions.

This is serving the public.

This is Mitre -- solving problems for a safer world.

-Can't wait to see you next time.

Bye, everybody.

♪♪ -I'm David Rubenstein, reminding you to read, learn, get involved, and make a difference.