-Students from DeMatha... ...Loudoun County... ...and Langley meet today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

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.

From DeMatha Catholic High School, Ian, Stephen and Anthony.

Welcome to "It's Academic."

-Hi, Ms. Howard.

How are you today?

-I'm good.

Glad to have you.

From Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, Virginia, Gracelyn, Pearson, and Robert.

Hello, guys.

-Hello.

-Hey, nice to see you.

-It's really good to see you.

And from Langley High School in McLean, Virginia, Ashmit, Ian, and Maggie.

Welcome to "It's Academic."

-It's awesome to be here.

-Really glad to have you.

Now that we've done the introductions, it's time to jump into this opening round.

And as you probably know, in this opening round, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And we begin with DeMatha Catholic High School.

Ian, Stephen, Anthony, here's your first question.

"A fine one."

You'll do fine if you can find hidden here the name of what element -- a noble gas.

-Neon.

-Neon.

-"Neon" is right.

"Good-natured, ill-tempered, exhausted."

Which of these adjectives would best describe someone who is cantankerous?

-You know?

-Ill-tempered, I would guess.

-Alright.

Go with "ill-tempered."

-I'm glad you went with it.

It is "ill-tempered."

Artfully fill in these blanks and you'll name what ancient North African city-state destroyed by Rome in the Punic Wars?

-Carthage.

-Carthage.

-Carthage it is.

"Johnny Appleseed.

Steve Jobs.

Atalanta."

Though these three figures are all associated with apples, each was first mentioned in a different century.

Please arrange them in chronological order.

-Well, it's going to be, I guess, Atalanta, then Appleseed, then Jobs.

-Yep.

-Yes.

-Yes.

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

This was the comment of what 18th-century French writer, the author of "Candide"?

-You know?

-My guess it's Voltaire.

Is that... Alright, we'll go with Voltaire.

-Yeah, I have no idea.

-I'm glad you went with Voltaire.

Nicely done.

DeMatha, you got them all.

200 points.

Now to Team 2, from Loudoun County High School in Leesburg.

Gracelyn, Pearson, Robert, here's your first question.

"Dallas erupts with joy."

Hidden in this sentence is what term for a beam of coherent light used in surgery and for scanning.

-Conferring.

-I'm thinking laser.

-Laser?

Yeah, final answer, laser.

-Yes.

"Caustic, altruistic, ballistic."

A person who is a philanthropist can best be described by which of these adjectives?

-Conferring.

-Conferring -- altruistic.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Final answer, altruistic.

-Yes.

William the Conqueror was the man of the hour in 1066 when he set sail for England from what French province that the Allies invaded on D-Day, 1944?

-Conferring -- Normandy.

-Conferring -- Normandy.

-Normandy.

Final answer.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, It's Normandy.

"Condor, goose, hummingbird."

Birds come in all sizes.

Please arrange these three according to size, beginning with the smallest.

-Conferring -- hummingbird... -Goose.

-Condor, goose or goose, condor?

-I think condor's bigger.

-Yeah.

-Okay, final answer, hummingbird, goose, condor.

-Nice deduction.

That is it.

"There was.

There was not..." Just as many fairy tales begin "once upon a time."

This phrase is a feature of what Middle Eastern stories narrated by Scheherazade?

-Conferring.

Is it, like, "Arabian Nights"?

Final answer, "Arabian Nights."

-"Arabian Nights" is right.

You got there!

Really nice job, Loudoun County.

200 points.

Now to Team 3 from Langley, Virginia.

Ashmit, Ian, Maggie, here we go.

"Ted or Sally"?

Not just Ted and Sally, but you two can earn 20 points by finding in this phrase a word identifying what fin found on the back of a fish.

-Conferring -- dorsal.

-Conferring -- dorsal.

-Yep.

Direct, dorsal.

-"Dorsal" it is.

"Indolent, fastidious, dynamic."

Someone who is lazy can best be referred to by which of these adjectives?

-Conferring.

-Conferring -- indolent.

-Indolent?

-Yeah.

Okay, direct -- indolent.

-Yes.

Here you see every other letter in the last name of what former slave, the abolitionist who edited The North Star newspaper?

-Conferring -- Douglass.

-Conferring -- Douglass.

-Direct, Douglass.

-Yeah.

"Emoji, Morse code, cuneiform."

Here are three examples of communication.

Please arrange them in chronological order.

-Conferring -- cuneiform, Morse code, emoji.

-Morse code, emoji.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Direct -- cuneiform, Morse code, emoji.

-Well done.

"T'is an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers."

This tasty quote comes from what Shakespeare tragedy whose characters include Tybalt and Mercutio?

-Conferring -- "Romeo and Juliet."

Okay, direct -- "Romeo and Juliet."

-Oh, you did a really nice job there, Langley.

Got them all right.

And 200 points.

And that's the end of the opening round.

-Picture Perfect 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.

♪♪ -Okay, let's do the Picture Perfect round.

In this round, answers are worth 20 points up or down, 10 points off for not answering at all.

DeMatha, you're up first.

Here we go, guys.

You can enjoy this view if you visit what Canadian province whose name begins and ends with the letter A?

-Alberta.

-Yeah, final answer, Alberta.

-Yes, it is Alberta.

I want to go there and see Banff.

What is the average of these three expressions?

-Negative-11, negative-9, B minus 3.

-Yeah.

Wait, wait.

Hold on.

Yeah.

B minus -- Wait, 6, 5 -- Yeah, B minus 3.

-Yeah, it is B minus 3.

What American author was able to draw on his own experience as a war correspondent when he wrote about the Spanish Civil War in "For Whom the Bell Tolls"?

-Is this Ernest Hemingway?

-No, Ernest Heming-- Is it not Orwell?

Is it Ernest Hemingway?

-That's not Orwell.

-Okay.

This is English, right?

Yeah.

-I need an answer, please.

-Alright, Ernest Hemingway.

Final answer.

-I'm so glad.

It was Ernest Hemingway.

You got them all again, DeMatha.

260 points.

Team 2 is up, Loudoun County.

Gracelyn, Pearson, Robert.

Here's your first picture.

This beautiful gorge is one of the spectacular attractions of what Chinese river, the third longest in the world?

-Conferring... -Conferring -- Yellow?

-It's Yangtze or Yellow.

-Answer?

>> Final answer, Yellow.

-No, it's the Yangtze.

Assuming this sequence is a geometric progression, what would be the next number after 81?

-Conferring -- 700 -- Wait, no.

Conferring -- 243?

-Yeah, final answer, 243.

-Yeah, that's it.

This large rock was a meeting site for Native Americans.

of what tribe, the last of whom were described in a novel by James Fenimore Cooper?

Conferring -- do you guys know this one?

-No.

-No.

Maybe Iroquois.

I don't know.

-Answer?

-Final answer, Iroquois.

-No, it's the Mohicans.

"The Last of the Mohicans."

Loudoun County High School, you have got 180 points.

Time for Team 3, from Langley High School.

Here's your first picture, guys.

This is the flag of the Maldives, which consist of 1,200 islands in what same ocean as Sri Lanka?

-Indian Ocean.

-The Indian Ocean.

-Conferring -- the Indian Ocean?

-Yeah.

-Okay.

-Indian Ocean, direct.

-Yep.

It's in the Indian Ocean.

And I've been there.

It is beautiful.

Here's your next picture.

Perform the indicated operation.

-Conferring -- 10.

-Yeah, I think so.

Yep.

-Yeah.

-Okay.

10, direct.

-Good job.

The blood of buried Caesars supposedly gives red roses their color according to what long poetic work by Omar Khayyam?

-Mm, conferring.

-Ohh.

And what is it?

-Oh, I just -- I'm not sure.

-Answer?

In three, two...

It is the "Rubaiyat."

You did a really nice job, Langley.

230 points.

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

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know Niagara Falls went dry for about 30 hours in 1848?

Freezing temperature caused ice to block water from Lake Erie from entering the Niagara River.

Pressure from the pent-up water finally broke through the ice, and Niagara Falls was flowing once again.

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

♪♪ -As you know, in this round, questions are worth 20 points, nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you get every answer right, there is a 25-point bonus.

And we begin with DeMatha Catholic High School.

Ian, Stephen, Anthony, here's your first question.

The bigger the animal, the less it seems to need sleep.

What largest pachyderm in the wild needs only two hours of sleep a night?

-Conferring -- is it elephant?

-I have no idea.

Just frankly.

I would guess that, but... -Final answer, elephants.

-Yeah, it's elephants.

Nice.

Malcolm X educated himself in prison by reading what work by Noah Webster, where the X's are in the third-to-last section.

-Is it the dictionary?

-It's going to be the Merriam Webster's Dictionary.

-Yeah.

-Final answer, dictionary.

-Yes, it's dictionary.

Here's your science question.

"Pitchblende, galena, manganese."

Pierre and Marie Curie had to purify tons of what specific ore in order to obtain a barely visible speck of radium?

-I'm -- Galena?

-Manganese?

-Okay.

-I think manganese is an element, not an ore.

So I'm going to go for galena.

-Yeah, so go galena.

-You know what?

-Final answer, galena.

-It was the one you didn't mention.

It was pitchblende.

Bushido was a strict code of conduct observed by what Japanese warriors who served until the late 19th century?

-Samurai.

Got to be samurai.

-Conferring -- samurai.

-Yes, it is.

Originally published in Latin, what 16th-century Thomas More book about an ideal society has been translated into many modern languages?

-"Utopia."

-"Utopia"?

-Yes, it is.

Here's your math question.

What is the length of side X in feet if the area of the square is 100 square yards?

-That's going to be 3 feet.

-10.

-Sorry, 30 feet, 30 feet.

30 feet, final answer.

-Yes.

A Latin phrase meaning "make haste slowly" was the motto of what first Roman Emperor?

-The first Emperor was Julius Caesar.

-Yeah, Julius Caesar.

-So Julius Caesar, final answer.

-No, it's Caesar Augustus.

Guys, you did a really nice job.

360 points.

Now to Team 2, from Loudoun County High School in Leesburg.

Gracelyn, Pearson, Robert, here's your first question.

It's thought that an ancient palace complex on Crete was the inspiration for what legendary maze that was home to the Minotaur?

-Conferring -- labyrinth.

-Conferring -- labyrinth.

-Yeah, final answer, labyrinth.

-Yes.

"If you would know the value of money, try to borrow some," advised what American statesman who often gave advice in "Poor Richard's Almanac"?

-Conferring -- Benjamin Franklin?

-I think so, yeah.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-Final answer, Benjamin Franklin.

-Yeah.

That's it.

Here's your science question.

"Force, acceleration, mass."

In physics, the slug is a unit of which of these?

-Conferring.

-You guys know?

-What?

-Do you guys know?

I'm not sure.

-Answer?

-I'd guess force.

-Final answer, force.

-It's mass.

Sorry about that.

In 1689, Westminster Abbey was the site of the coronation of what two English monarchs who now name a college in Virginia?

-William and Mary -- conferring.

-Yeah, final answer, William and Mary.

-Definitely William and Mary.

The well-known admonition, "Beware the Greeks bearing gifts," has become a cliché since what ancient Roman author first wrote it in "Aeneid"?

-That's Virgil, I think -- conferring.

-Yeah.

Final answer, Virgil.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-It is.

Here's your math question.

State this expression as a trinomial.

-Conferring -- X squared plus 18X plus 81?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Final answer.

-Yes, it is.

While many kings have been assassinated, what Russian czar was murdered in 1918 after he had given up the throne?

-Conferring -- Nicholas II?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Nicholas II.

-Final answer.

-Yep, it is Nicholas II.

Loudoun County, you've got 300 points.

Now to Team 3, from Langley, Virginia.

Ashmit, Ian, Maggie.

Here we go.

Lots of airports now have therapy dogs, but you can buy or pet baby alligators at the airport in what largest Louisiana city?

-Conferring -- New Orleans?

-Is it New Orleans?

-Yeah.

Okay.

Direct, New Orleans.

-Yeah.

Petting a baby alligator?

Eek!

Santa's reindeer named Comet appears once a year.

But what real comet comes into view only once every 76 years?

-Hailey's Comet?

-Hailey's Comet?

-Yeah.

Okay.

Halley's Comet, direct.

-Yep, Hailey's Comet.

Here's your science question.

"Phobos.

Ganymede.

Arcturus."

Which of these is one of the two moons of Mars and was discovered in 1877?

-Conferring -- Phobos?

-Conferring -- I think it's Phobos.

-Conferring -- Phobos.

Yeah.

-That's it.

Knowing where to draw a line was of crucial importance in 1767 when what two surveyors established a boundary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania?

-Aw!

-Conferring -- is it to Lewis and Clark?

-Wait, no.

Conferring -- Mason, Dixon?

-Oh, I think so.

Yeah.

-Mason, Dixon, direct.

-Yeah, that's it.

You got there.

Shakespeare dealt with merry wives in one play, but with a very unhappy husband in what tragedy about a jealous Moor married to Desdemona?

-That's... -Answer?

-Is it "Hamlet"?

Conferring.

-"Othello"?

"Othello," direct.

-Yeah, it's "Othello."

Here's your math question.

Which of these numbers is evenly divisible by four?

-Aw.

-Conferring -- 170?

-172 -- conferring.

-172.

-I think it's 170.

-It's 172 because 160 and then 12.

-Oh, wait.

Yeah, okay.

172, direct.

-Yes.

In 1844, Anson Jones became the second president of Texas, succeeding what statesman who had been the first to hold that position?

-Conferring -- it's probably Houston or Austin.

-Yeah, that would be my guess.

-Sam Houston?

-Okay.

Houston, direct.

-Yeah, it was Sam Houston!

Well done, Langley.

You got a 25-point bonus and a score of 395 points.

The Packet Round is now behind us, and the electrifying Lightning Round is upon us.

Let's jump into this electrifying Lightning Round, where you have 45 seconds to answer up to 10 questions.

They're worth 20 points up or down.

No penalty if you pass.

Team 1, DeMatha.

Are you ready, Ian, Stephen, and Anthony?

-Yes, ma'am.

-Alright.

Here we go.

All these questions have to do with dogs.

In three, two, one...

This Disney dog shares its name with a former planet.

-Pluto.

-Yes.

This dog is Charlie Brown's pet in "Peanuts."

-Snoopy.

-Snoopy.

-Yes.

Luath was the first pet dog of this Scottish poet who wrote "Auld Lang Syne."

-Pass.

-Skip.

-Robert Burns.

in the "Harry Potter" books, Rubeus Hagrid owns this three-headed dog.

-Cerberus.

-Pass.

-Fluffy.

Charles Darwin's ship was named for this breed of dog.

-Beagle.

-Yes.

In "The Call of the Wild," this dog joins a wolf pack.

-Husky.

-Buck.

These Spanish islands are named for the Latin word for dogs.

-Canary Islands.

-Yes.

A type of husky is named for this cold region of Russia.

[ Buzzer ] -Siberia.

-Yeah, the answer is Siberia, but sadly, it came after the buzzer.

I'll tell you what, DeMatha.

You did a really nice job.

Ian, Stephen, and Anthony, 440 points.

Loudoun County, you're up for the lightning round.

So let's dive in.

All questions in this round have to do with dogs and things related to dogs.

In three, two, one... Corgis were the favorite dogs of this recently deceased British queen.

-Queen Elizabeth II.

-Queen Elizabeth II.

-Yes.

In the book "Old Yeller," the dog contracts this deadly disease.

-Pa... -Rabies.

He wrote "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

-Arthur Conan Doyle.

-Yeah.

The phrase "dogs of war" is from this Shakespeare play about ancient Rome.

-"Julius Caesar."

-Yes.

The Isle of Dogs is located in this London river.

-Thames.

-Yes.

-"The Dog in the Manger" was one of his fables.

-Pass.

-Aesop.

His dog Argos recognized this legendary Greek master.

-Oh.

[ Buzzer ] -That was the "Odyssey."

-Oh, the answer is Odysseus or Ulysses.

Loudoun County, you did a great job.

380 points.

Alright.

Langley High School.

You are up for this lightning round.

Ashmit, Ian, Maggie, here we go.

All answers relate in some way to dogs.

In three, two, one... Sir Isaac Newton had a dog named for his hardest gemstone.

-Diamonds.

-Yes.

This three-headed dog guarded Hades.

-Cerberus.

-Cerberus.

-Yes.

A rabid Saint Bernard is a threat in this Stephen King story.

-"It"?

-Pass.

-"Cujo."

Dingoes are wild dogs native to this smallest continent.

-Australia.

-Yes.

This Russian studied conditioned reflexes in dogs.

-Pavlov.

-Yes.

This dog accompanied Dorothy to Oz.

-Pass.

-Toto.

This dog is a nursemaid in "Peter Pan.

-Pass.

-Nana.

These "Macbeth" characters use tongue of dog in their cauldron.

[ Buzzer ] -Witches.

And the answer is witches in their cauldron.

Really nice job, Langley High School -- Ashmit, Ian, and Maggie.

475 points.

And don't go away, because we have the official scores coming up in just a minute.

-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.

-Hi, I'm Sydney Silva.

I go to Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.

And I volunteer at a memory care where we talk and play games with people in the memory unit.

So this is a really meaningful experience to me because we get to hear from people and what they've learned throughout their life that's really stuck with them.

One piece of advice that's meant a lot to me is, when you wake up in the morning, if you can't find something to laugh about, then go back to bed.

And I think hearing all these experiences from people who had a really different lifestyle than you is really beneficial.

And I think that you really make their day by going and hanging out with them.

So it's definitely an experience that I would recommend.

-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.

-The scores are now official.

First, congratulations to our team from Loudoun County High School in Leesburg.

Gracelyn, Pearson, Robert, 380 points.

And congratulations to DeMatha Catholic High School from Hyattsville.

Ian, Stephen, Anthony, 440 points.

And coming back for the playoffs, Langley High School in McLean, Virginia.

Ashmit, Ian, Maggie, 475 points.

All of you are awesome.

You've been incredible teams.

And you are incredible viewers, of course, matching wits with these really impressive students.

-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.

-Please join us next time, when Gaithersburg, Osbourn Park, and Saint John's high schools compete on "It's Academic."

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye, guys.

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