-Students from Magruder... Lake Braddock... Einstein meet today on "It's Academic."

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Hello, everybody.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Welcome to "It's Academic," the world's longest-running TV quiz show, 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.

-What happens when the right people connect?

Diversity challenges convention, mentors inspire greatness, and passions drive innovation.

From health to transportation and national security, cyber and AI, to space and back, MITRE connects the power of government, academia, and industry to meet our nation's challenges together.

MITRE connects.

♪♪ -Hello, everybody.

It's time for the Fast Start round, where questions are worth ten points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

The students do not see what you do on the screens at home.

Let's do this.

This round may feel a little creepy because it's all about spiders.

Please identify the following persons and things real and fictional, all having to do with spiders.

-Einstein.

-Charlotte.

-Yeah.

"Charlotte's Web."

This mythical woman was changed into -- -Arachne.

-Yeah.

Very good, Einstein.

Yes, Magruder.

-Peter Parker.

-You got it.

Yes, Magruder.

-Balrog.

-Shelob.

Sorry.

The venom of a black widow spider is 15 times stronger than that of this kind of snake, such as a Diamondback.

Einstein.

-A rattlesnake.

-A rattlesnake is right.

Einstein.

-Eight.

-Eight is correct.

Magruder.

Answer?

-Whitman.

-Whitman's right.

Good.

This nursery rhyme girl met a spider while eating -- Magruder.

Answer three, two, one.

-Miss Tuffet?

-No, it's Muffet, not Tuffet.

You were close.

Lake Braddock.

-Nearsightedness.

-Nearsightedness is it.

Spider thread is 5 times stronger than this alloy of iron and -- Einstein.

-Steel.

-Yeah, Einstein.

It is steel.

Great job.

That's the end of the round.

Let's recap those scores.

Magruder 100 points, Lake Braddock 110, and Einstein 150 points.

♪♪ Now it's time for the Mix & Match round.

Before we dive in, obviously, we want to get a chance to know these students, and we begin with Magruder High School from Montgomery County.

Hello, Kobe.

How you doing?

-I'm doing well.

How are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

We would love to know a little bit about you.

So fill us in.

-So my name is Kobe Benton.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore at Magruder, and I am a part of our school's Army JROTC program.

-Tell me more about that.

-So in Army JROTC, its mission is to motivate young people to become better citizens.

So as a part of that, and we do lots of community service events like helping out with festivals, we go to retirement homes often.

We help out with our school's football games, things like that.

-That's wonderful.

Well, it's really good to have you.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

Hello, Henry.

What should we know about you?

-Well, right now, I'm a 16-year-old junior at Magruder High School, and currently I'm working on our school's production of "Clue" the play.

-Ooh, that's fun.

One of my favorite games, by the way.

-Me too.

-Uh, how's the play?

-It's going great.

I'm currently the stage manager and head of carpentry, so I get to build and direct other people to make sure the production is as good as it possibly can be.

-Ah, so you must really enjoy being in the studio.

-I do.

It's much different than last year's Zoom edition.

-No fooling.

Good to have you, Henry.

Hello, Agastya.

-Hello.

How are you?

-I am very well, thank you.

Tell us about you.

-I'm a 16-year-old junior at Magruder High School, and I'm currently training for my ground school exam for my private pilot's license.

-Wow.

How long have you been flying?

-Uh, I have not started training yet.

I'm currently working on my FAA Airman Knowledge test, but I hope to start flight training this summer.

-Very cool.

Well, I've got some questions for you.

And in this round, I think you guys know, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

First question for you, Magruder.

You'll be thankful if you can find in this phrase what joint of your body that's just below the tibia and fibula bones.

-Ankle.

-Ankle.

-Ankle it is.

These clues should lead you to what pair of homonyms -- words that sound alike but are spelled differently.

-Add.

-Add.

-Add it is.

The letters in this phrase can be rearranged to get what other name for the North Star?

-Polaris.

-Polaris.

-Polaris is right.

You can demonstrate sound judgment by identifying which of these bodies of water as being on the coast of Antarctica.

-McMurdo.

-Uh, McMurdo Sound.

-McMurdo it is.

This is the biblical description of a leviathan, a sea monster sometimes thought to be what kind of alligator-like reptile that menaced the fictional Captain Hook.

-Crocodile.

-Crocodile.

-Crocodile it is.

Nicely done, Magruder.

200 points.

[ Applause ] Off we go to Lake Braddock High School from Fairfax County.

Hello, Varun.

How you doing?

-I am fine.

How about you?

-I'm good.

What should we know about you?

-Um, I am a 15-year-old junior at Lake Braddock Secondary.

Um, I'm on the Science Olympiad team, and I play the flute.

-Oh, wow.

So many questions to ask you, but let's start with the science.

Tell me about the Olympiad team.

-So we pick around three or four subjects, and we study those and compete against other schools.

-What's your favorite?

-Um, right now I'm doing geologic mapping.

That's the study of tectonic plates and such.

-Right.

Very, very cool.

I like that.

Hello, Sonia.

How are you?

-Hi.

I'm good.

How are you?

-Good.

So tell us what you're up to.

-Uh, my name is Sonia Singh, and I'm a senior at Lake Braddock High School.

And in my free time, I enjoy playing softball and the guitar.

-And what do you play on your guitar?

-Uh, right now, for my school, we play a lot of classical pieces, and we're preparing for our concert in December.

-Lovely.

Love Classical guitar.

Hello, William.

-Hello.

Are you good?

-I am, thank you very much.

I love being here.

I love talking to you guys.

So fill me in.

What's William all about?

-Uh, so I'm William Routhier, I'm a junior at Lake Braddock, and I'm part of our Latin club, as well as play the viola in our orchestra.

-Lovely.

How long have you been playing viola?

-Uh, since I was in fourth grade.

-Wow.

-So a long time.

-It's got a beautiful sound.

-Yeah.

-Love that.

All right, guys, here's your first question.

Instead of a joke, please tell me if you can find in this sentence what hidden word that's another name for the kneecap.

-Patella?

-Yes.

Here you have clues to what pair of homonyms -- two words that sound alike but are spelled differently.

-Bear.

-Bear is right.

The Avon is an English river, but you can rearrange the letters to get what term for a star that suddenly becomes brighter and then fades.

-Nova.

-Nova it is.

All three of these national parks are popular.

Which one is in Texas?

-Uh, I believe this is Big Bend.

-Big Bend.

-Big Bend is right.

These were the words of what man whose preparation led to the successful invention of the telephone.

-Alexander Graham Bell.

-Alexander Graham Bell.

-You got it.

Nice, Lake Braddock.

210 points.

And finally from Kensington, Maryland, Einstein High school.

Hello, Einstein.

Hey, Hillary.

How are you?

[ Laughs ] I'm joking.

Eddie, what's going on?

-My name is Eddie Jones.

I am a senior at Einstein High School, and I have recently become the treasurer of the gardening club.

-Really?

And tell me about the gardening club.

What are you doing besides gardening?

I mean, a little more specificity, please.

-So we work with composting bins, and we're currently hoping to make that into soil and then obviously plants as well.

And then we're hoping to start doing raised beds in the future and grow plants in that.

-That's really nice.

Hello, Ben.

Good to see.

-Yeah.

It's good to see you again.

My name is Ben Spirtas.

I'm a senior at Albert Einstein High School, and I play violin for the Einstein Orchestra.

-How long have you been playing violin?

-Since I was four years old.

-Wow.

And do you have a piece that speaks most to you?

-No.

-No.

All of them are good.

-Some of them are not good.

-Some of them are not.

Okay.

Hello, Brendon.

-Hi.

How are you?

-I am well.

Tell me about what you're up to.

-I'm a 16 year old junior at Albert Einstein High School, and I don't do many extracurriculars.

I mostly just do "It's Academic."

-And in your spare time, that's mostly what you do, study for "It's Academic," or do you have some hobbies?

-Study for "It's Academic" and drawing, mostly.

-Oh, and drawing.

What kind of things do you draw?

-Mostly anime and manga.

-Nice.

All right, guys, I've got some questions.

Here's the first.

You won't have to yell if you can find the hidden name of what type of major blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

-Artery.

-Artery it is.

These definitions fit what two words that sound alike but are spelled differently.

-Heard/herd.

-Yeah.

Before you go for a ride on the mythical rock, rearrange these letters to name the luminous halo of hot gas that surrounds the sun and is caused by diffraction of light.

-Corona.

-Yes.

Which of these is the name of a legendary Greek island said to have been destroyed by an earthquake?

-Atlantis.

-Yes.

The belief that the universe went from submicroscopic to its present size in less than a second underlies what theory with a two-word alliterative name?

-Big Bang.

-Big Bang it is.

And a big bang with your score, Einstein.

250 points.

That's it for Mix & Match.

We've got Picture Perfect 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.

-And now a question for you.

The answer -- koala bears.

We don't know if a defendant has ever gotten off by claiming a koala was to blame, but I guess the possibility exists, at least in Australia.

Back to the game.

♪♪ [ Applause ] Hi.

It is time for the Picture Perfect round.

Before we begin, let's recap those scores.

Magruder 200, Lake Braddock 210, Einstein 250.

Now, in this round, as you probably know, questions are worth 20 points up or down.

The first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

This is what English woman nicknamed The Lady with the Lamp.

Magruder.

-Nightingale.

-Nightingale is right.

These were the words of what American environmentalist, the author of -- Magruder.

-John Muir.

-No.

Rachel Carson.

According to Greek myth, these women -- Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos -- comprise what group who spin, measure, and finally cut -- Einstein.

-The Fates.

-Fates is right.

What is the area of this trapezoid if it's -- Einstein.

[ Chuckles ] Answer.

Do you want to guess?

It is 36.

If its altitude is six was what we were going for.

This is Henry of Navarre, the first French king of what dynasty with an alcoholic name?

-Bourbon.

-Yep.

Bourbon is right, Magruder.

The red square on this chart covers what metallic element used in building high-speed aircraft.

Einstein.

-Titanium.

-Titanium is right.

This nebula is found in the Vulpecula, a constellation named for what animal who, in an Aesop fable, whined about sour grapes?

Einstein.

-Fox.

-Fox is right.

The range of the American snake bird stretches from the US as far south as what country where Buenos Aires is -- Magruder.

-Argentina.

-Argentina is correct.

And that does it for the Picture Perfect round.

[ Applause ] Let's do those scores once again.

240 for Magruder.

Lake Braddock 210, and Einstein 290.

Now, we get to meet the people who also deserve some applause, since you've been applauding -- the coaches and administrators who help prepare these students for "It's Academic."

Of course, we're going to begin with Magruder.

Henry, tell us who's with you.

-Well, I'd like to thank our coach, Mr. Sanders, who's been with us for the last three years and helped us to get to the place we are.

And I'd also like to thank our brand-new principal, Mr. Ascienzo, who has been with us this year, and he decided to come today.

-Beautiful.

Thanks.

That's really good.

We're glad you guys are here.

And Lake Braddock.

Sonia, who's with you?

-Um, I'd like to thank our wonderful co-coaches, Mr. Holtzman and Mr. Carlson, along with our wonderful principal, Mrs. Kearns.

-And I believe that your principal has her kid Declan with her, too, who's, like, totally adorable.

So that's really nice.

Thank you, Sonia.

And, oh, there's a mascot here, too, right?

-Oh, yes.

Our Bruin mascot.

-Your Bruin mascot.

Do you know who's in the Bruin costume?

-I don't know if I can reveal that.

-[ Laughs ] Secret.

All right.

Einstein, Ben, tell us about your coaches.

-Uh, we have here with us our amazing coach, Miss Colson.

She's helped us all along the way, and we couldn't have done it without her.

-All right.

Beautiful.

♪♪ All right, and now we can dive into the Packet round.

You guys know how this works in the Packet round, right?

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

If you get every single question right, there's a 25-point bonus, which is really fun.

So we hope some of you get there.

But doesn't matter.

We have these three beautiful envelopes for you.

Magruder, you will answer questions from one of them.

Lake Braddock, which packet will they answer questions from?

-Packet 1.

-Packet 1.

Here we go, Magruder.

An original 1906 steam locomotive is now back in service, transporting visitors to what huge natural gorge in Arizona.

-Grand Canyon?

-Yeah.

NASA has used satellite images to map the possible campsites of what two men who set out in 1804 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory?

-Lewis and Clark.

-Correct.

While our taste buds are located in our mouths, the taste buds of what lepidopterous insects, such as the monarch, are located at their feet?

-Butterfly.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Which of these refers to the stiffness of plants and the crispness of vegetables due to osmotic pressure in their cells?

-Turgor pressure?

Turgor pressure.

-You're right.

In 1970, the Soviet Union announced the completion of what nuclear power plant where a reactor exploded in 1986, causing massive contamination?

-Chernobyl.

-Chernobyl it is.

Although he was a prolific writer, the only book for which Jonathan Swift was paid was what novel in which he created the land of Lilliput?

-"Gulliver's Travels."

-"Gulliver's Travels" is correct.

Here's your math question.

What is the 3% sales tax on a purchase of $200?

-Six.

-Six is right.

A Flemish engraver produced our most accurate portrait of what English naval captain, a so-called sea dog, who circumnavigated the Earth in the 1580s?

-Say it.

-Drake.

-With that answer, Drake, you get a 25-point bonus.

425 points, Magruder.

Nicely done.

[ Applause ] All right, Lake Braddock is up.

Einstein, packet... -2.

-Let's see.

2.

Packet 2.

Thank you.

Lake Braddock, researchers are blaming overfishing for rapidly declining numbers of what large fish whose varieties include the hammerhead, mako, and great white shark?

-Shark.

-Yes.

A personal birthday greeting from the White House can be yours if you reach or exceed what age equaling four score?

-80?

-80?

-80 is right.

In 2013, President Obama awarded a posthumous Medal of Freedom to what woman, the first American female astronaut to go into space?

-Sally.

-Sally?

-Need more.

Can you get there?

It is...

Sorry, Sally Ride.

Here's your science question.

Which of these three acids is one of the 20 common amino acids?

-I think it's glutamic.

-Glutamic?

-Yep, glutamic is right.

The citizens of Mendoza, Argentina, have named their festival of the vineyards for what Roman god, who, like Dionysus, is usually pictured with grapes?

Answer...is...Bacchus.

A poem titled "Joan of Arc at the stake" was written by what French novelist whose famous books include "The Count of Monte Cristo"?

-Dumas.

-Dumas.

-Dumas is right.

Here's your math question.

Simplify this expression, giving your answer as an integer.

-1.

-1 is right.

What English general was named Governor-General of India in 1786, even though five years earlier, he had surrendered his troops to the Americans at Yorktown?

-Cornwallis.

-Cornwallis.

-Cornwallis is right.

Nicely done, Lake Braddock.

330 points.

[ Applause ] And that leaves packet 3 for Einstein.

Guys, solving an itchy problem concerning the Anopheles mosquito made the building of what Central American canal possible?

-The Panama Canal.

-Yeah.

Our individual states no longer print their own currency, but this did occur under what Articles that preceded the Constitution?

-The Articles of Confederation.

-Yes.

A NASA spacecraft found evidence of a vast sea below the surface of Ganymede, a huge moon orbiting what largest planet?

-Jupiter.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

A measuring cup half full of water has an ice cube floating freely in the middle.

As the ice melts, the water level will do which of these?

-Stay the same.

-Stay the same is right.

Among his honorary titles, Christopher Columbus was called the pilot of what peninsula on which Spain and Portugal are located?

-Iberia.

-You got it again.

"The Waste Land" was a major work by what poet who believed writing more than three hours a day was a waste of time?

-T.S.

Eliot.

-Yes.

Here's your math question.

Perform the indicated operation.

-10.

-10 is it.

Though Frederick Cook claimed he was the first one there, Congress recognized what other explorer who, with Matthew Henson, reached the North Pole in 1909?

-Peary.

-You are right, and you just got yourself a 25-point bonus, Einstein.

Nicely done, with a score of 475 points.

Keep it here because we're gonna have another fast-paced round coming up in the Grab Bag, so stay with us.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln, in his youth, was a champion wrestler who lost only one match in 12 years?

He's listed in the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

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

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -All right, everybody, time for the Grab Bag round.

Questions are worth 20 points up or down.

First team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

If you're tired of art museums, there's a National Bobblehead Hall of Fame Museum in what largest Wisconsin city?

Magruder.

-Milwaukee.

-Milwaukee is right.

Before Thornton Wilder won a Pulitzer Prize for "Our Town," he had won for a novel about the collapse of what structure at San Luis Rey?

Yes, Einstein.

Answer?

-The church.

-No.

The bridge.

The bridge over San Luis Rey.

If a straight angle is trisected equally, how many degrees are there in -- Einstein?

-60.

-60 is correct.

On your monitors.

This is Valletta, the capital of what small Mediterranean -- -Malta.

-Yes, Einstein.

75 feet higher than the Washington Monument, what St. Louis landmark is the country's -- Magruder?

-The Gateway Arch.

-Yeah.

George Clemenceau, France's World War I Premier, was nicknamed for what animal that is burning bright in a poem by -- Magruder.

-A tiger.

-You've got it.

It's tiger.

Choice.

In physics, work is the product of force and distance, acceleration, or energy?

Yes, Magruder.

-Energy?

-Energy?

-Nope.

It's distance.

On your screens.

These are the last words of what American admiral who in 1898 won the battle -- [ Buzzer ] Magruder?

-Dewey?

-It is Dewey.

But you came in after the buzzer, so sorry.

Can't give you credit for it.

That is the end of the Grab Bag round.

The judges are gonna take a look at these scores, and we will have the official results in just a minute.

So stay where you are.

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

Many students are getting involved in their communities in important ways.

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

-Hi, my name is Henry Pan.

I'm a junior at BASIS Independent McLean, and I give back to my community by being part of the French Honor Society at my school.

This summer, we managed to fund and construct a schoolhouse in Senegal, as well as provide that school with two brand-new laptops and Internet access so the children can experience learning on a higher level.

One of the things that community service does for me is it provides me with a sense of fulfillment and responsibility.

I love to help others, and especially I love to help people experience higher levels of education, just like we do in the United States.

-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 now a question for you.

The answer is Virgil.

Back then, burial sites were exempt from taxes.

By holding a lavish funeral and burying the fly on his estate, Virgil saved thousands in property taxes.

Don't try this with the IRS.

Back to "It's Academic."

All right, those scores are now official.

We begin with Lake Braddock High School from Burke, Virginia.

Varun, Sonia, William, 330 points.

Nice game.

And from Rockville, Maryland, Magruder High School.

Kobe, Henry, Agastya, 465 points.

Well done, guys.

Coming back for the playoffs, semifinals, the men from Einstein High School -- Eddie, Ben, and Brendon, 495 points.

Really well done.

Stay where you are.

We will be right back.

♪♪ -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.

-What happens when the right people connect?

Diversity challenges convention, mentors inspire greatness, and passions drive innovation.

From health to transportation and national security, cyber and AI, to space and back, MITRE connects the power of government, academia, and industry to meet our nation's challenges together.

MITRE connects.

-Hey, everybody.

Thanks for being with us.

And a special thanks to the Lake Braddock Bruin.

Whoo!

[ Laughs ] I'm Hillary Howard.

So glad you were with us.

See you next time.

Bye, guys.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪