>> BILLY COSTA: Coming up on High School Quiz Show, it's Phillips Academy... (fanfare) (cheers and applause) ...taking on Acton-Boxborough Regional High School!

(fanfare) (cheers and applause) That's next on High School Quiz Show!

♪ ♪ Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> Safety Insurance is committed to environmental sustainability and supports many local charities.

You can ask an independent agent about auto, home, and business coverage from Safety Insurance.

Safety Insurance: we'll help you manage life's storms.

>> COSTA: Additional funding is provided by the Museum of Science.

>> The Museum of Science.

Trekking around the Arctic has never been easier.

You can get lost in the mystery and find beauty in Arctic Adventure: Exploring with Technology.

On exhibit now.

Only at the Museum of Science.

More at MOS.org.

(cheers and applause) >> COSTA: Hi, everybody, and welcome to High School Quiz Show.

I'm Billy Costa, your host.

In last week's match, Boston Latin defeated Commonwealth School in a nail-biter to move on to the quarterfinals.

Today we welcome Acton-Boxborough Regional High School and Phillips Academy from Andover.

On the Acton-Boxborough team we've got: Jeffrey, Nikhil, Sai, and Theresa with alternates Jonathan and Wilson and coach Dana Homer.

(cheers and applause) And competing for Phillips Academy we have: Roger, Nicholas, Jaeho, and Claire with alternate Linus and coach James Wang.

(cheers and applause) The competition has four rounds: a toss-up, head-to-head, category, and lightning round.

We start with a toss-up round.

All answers are worth ten points.

There are no point deductions for wrong answers and players may confer.

So teams, if you're ready, good luck and here we go.

In 1812, what European leader sent a massive army of at least 450,000 men on a disastrous invasion of Russia?

Yes, Sai.

>> Napoleon.

>> COSTA: Yes.

Some of the fastest wind speeds ever measured on Earth have occurred at what New Hampshire mountain, the highest peak in New England?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> Mt.

Washington.

>> COSTA: Yes.

Gettysburg was an epic battle fought over three days in July 1863 in what U.S. state?

Yes, Roger.

>> Pennsylvania.

>> COSTA: That is correct.

In The Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad is a poor tenant farmer who migrates to California to escape the drought and economic devastation of what U.S. state?

Yes, Sai.

>> Oklahoma.

>> COSTA: Oklahoma is correct.

Take a look at your screens.

This image shows a galaxy group called Stephan's Quintet.

It was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, whose cameras use what part of the light spectrum that humans cannot see?

Yes, Jaeho.

>> Infrared.

>> COSTA: Infrared is right.

Which planet is named for the Roman god who, in an effort to escape his fate, devoured five of his children as soon as they were born?

Yes, Sai.

>> Saturn.

>> COSTA: Saturn is correct.

In December 2022, Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party and registered as an Independent.

She is a U.S. senator from what state?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> Arizona.

>> COSTA: Arizona is correct.

Loosely inspired by Elizabeth Taylor, what bestselling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about a reclusive Hollywood legend who chooses a struggling magazine writer to tell her life story?

Yes, Theresa.

>> The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

>> COSTA: Yes.

Over ten miles long, the Vasco da Gama Bridge spans the Tagus River in what capital city of Portugal?

Yes, Nicholas.

>> Lisbon.

>> COSTA: Lisbon is correct.

Take a look at your screen.

A very special guest with the next question.

>> Hi, I'm Ernie Boch Jr., and here's my question: the average gas-powered car has about 30,000 parts.

What device that mixes the air with the fuel has now largely been replaced by the fuel injectors?

Is it the alternator, the carburetor, or the compressor?

>> COSTA: And Nikhil.

>> The carburetor.

>> COSTA: Carburetor is correct.

What 21-year-old American made history at the 2022 Beijing Olympics as the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the snowboarding halfpipe?

Yes, Roger.

>> Eileen Gu.

>> COSTA: No, Acton-Boxborough, you want to try it?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Chloe Kim.

>> COSTA: Chloe Kim is right.

The four major blood types are A, B, AB, and O.

Which type is the most common?

Yes, Roger.

>> O.

>> COSTA: O is correct.

In 2022, Neil Young demanded the removal of his catalog from Spotify to protest its $100 million deal with what podcast host who has spread false claims about COVID-19?

Yes, Nicholas.

>> Joe Rogan.

>> COSTA: Joe Rogan is correct.

When U.S. occupation authorities drafted Japan's new constitution in 1946, they severely limited the powers of what emperor?

Yes, Sai.

>> Hirohito.

>> COSTA: That is correct.

In 2022, the former bandleader for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for We Are.

Is it Questlove, Jon Batiste, or Reggie Watts?

Yes, Sai.

>> Batiste.

>> COSTA: Yes, Jon Batiste.

"Screw your courage to the sticking-place."

Lady Macbeth says this when Macbeth gets cold feet about murdering what Scottish king?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Duncan.

>> COSTA: Duncan is right.

In 1952, Richard Nixon gave a televised speech that helped the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket win by a landslide.

Nixon denied accusations of maintaining a secret "slush fund," but he admitted accepting a cocker spaniel named what?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Checkers.

>> COSTA: Checkers is correct.

In biology, translation is the process of translating the sequence of a messenger RNA molecule to a sequence of amino acids during protein synthesis.

This occurs on what tiny macromolecular complexes?

Yes, Jaeho.

>> Ribosome.

>> COSTA: Yes.

One of the largest storms ever to strike the United States, what powerful hurricane caused catastrophic damage in Florida in September 2022?

Yes, Sai.

>> Ian.

>> COSTA: Ian is correct.

In 2022, former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was the sole player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

A player needs at least what percentage of votes?

Is it 51%, 67%, or 75%?

Yes, Sai.

>> 67%.

>> COSTA: No, you want to try, Phillips Academy?

Yes, Claire.

>> 51%.

>> COSTA: No, 75% is the answer.

In 1940, what American music and entertainment magazine began publishing a list of bestselling retail records, the first ever music chart?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Billboard.

>> COSTA: Billboard is right.

In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is today known as what Cabinet department?

Yes, Roger.

>> State.

>> COSTA: Yes, Department of State.

Jacques-Louis David painted one of the most famous images of the French Revolution: the assassination of what revolutionary leader stabbed in the bath by Charlotte Corday?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Marat.

>> COSTA: Yes, Marat.

Self-published in 2001 by Christopher Paolini at age 19, what book is about a farm boy who discovers a mysterious stone that turns out to be a dragon egg?

Yes, Theresa.

>> Eragon.

>> COSTA: Eragon is right.

How long does it take the International Space Station to circle the Earth?

Is it 90 minutes, three hours, or one day?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> 90 minutes.

>> COSTA: 90 minutes.

In 1995, after 20 years, British soldiers ended routine patrols of what capital city of Northern Ireland?

Yes, Roger.

>> Belfast.

>> COSTA: Belfast is right.

What South Carolina Democrat-turned-Republican holds the Senate record for longest individual speech, talking for 24 hours and 18 minutes during his filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> Strom Thurmond.

>> COSTA: That is correct.

What cold desert is the largest desert in South America?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> Atacama.

>> COSTA: No, you want to try, Acton-Boxborough?

(indistinct whispering) Yes, Jaeho.

>> Patagonia.

>> COSTA: Yes.

"My Tennessee Mountain Home" and "Jolene" are two of the biggest hits of what queen of country music?

Yes, Nicholas.

>> Dolly Parton.

>> COSTA: Dolly Parton.

Which continent has the greatest number of freshwater lakes?

Yes, Nikhil.

>> North America.

>> COSTA: North America is correct.

(bell ringing) And that's the end of the toss-up round.

The score right now-- Acton-Boxborough, 190 points; Phillips Academy, 100 points.

Let's hear it for both teams, everybody.

(cheers and applause) Okay, the head-to-head round is next, but first we like to take a few minutes to get to know the players, the contestants.

I have a question in my hand.

Each of you will have a chance to answer.

We're gonna start over here with Acton-Boxborough, and you, Jeffrey, and here it is: if you had a QR code tattooed to your arm, where would it lead?

>> I would put it to my favorite Spotify playlist that I use to get throughout my day.

>> COSTA: All right, and how about you, Nikhil?

>> I would definitely do like a world map because I love geography and learning about all the world.

>> COSTA: Okay, would it lead anywhere in particular, or...?

>> Just the whole world, all continents.

>> COSTA: The whole world.

Okay, Sai, how about you?

>> For me it would be ESPN 'cause I love knowing all the sports updates immediately.

>> COSTA: Nice.

I like that one.

And Theresa?

>> I would link mine to a database that has every book, movie, and song ever so I could just have that all at my fingertips.

>> COSTA: Ooh, you know, that's not a bad idea.

You should pursue that.

I'm just sayin', Theresa.

Roger, how about you, Phillips Academy?

>> Well, Billy, five words: "Never Gonna Give You Up."

(laughter) >> COSTA: Which, by the way, was a great song too.

Nicholas, how about you?

>> I'm a pretty big map nerd and geographic enthusiast as well, so I would say Google Earth.

>> COSTA: Google Earth.

I like Google Earth.

I just go there all the time just to kill time.

Jaeho, how about you?

>> There's this 50-page document with all the useless poetry I've ever written.

I'd link it to that.

>> COSTA: All right.

And Claire, how about it?

>> Kind of the same, I'd have a link to my Spotify playlist 'cause I have a lot, because I use it as stress relief.

>> COSTA: Just how many lists do you have?

>> Currently I'm on like 247.

>> COSTA: Oh boy, we're gonna have to share a list or something, I think I have two.

Anyway, here's the deal, it's time to go head to head, which means all of you are coming forward and all of you are going head to head.

Let's do that right now.

(cheers and applause) Okay, in this round, correct answers add ten points to the team total.

And there is a ten-point deduction for incorrect answers.

If a player does not answer, there is no impact on the score.

So teams, the clock is set at 90 seconds, good luck and here we go.

During a famous debate against Stephen Douglas in 1858, who said, "A house"-- yes.

>> Abraham Lincoln.

>> COSTA: Yes.

In 2022, the Supreme Court limited the E.P.A.

's ability to regulate air pollutants.

The majority opinion was written by what chief justice?

Yes.

>> John Roberts.

>> COSTA: Yes.

The crane is one of the best known shapes of what traditional Japanese art-- yes.

>> Origami.

>> COSTA: Origami is correct.

What simple measuring device is a semicircular disk graduated in degrees from zero...

Yes.

>> Compass.

>> COSTA: No, protractor is the answer.

Based on the 1992 film of the same name, what new Amazon Prime series is about a women's professional baseball league in the 1940s?

(buzzer) A League of Their Own.

What author's own impoverished childhood inspired him to write novels such as David Copperfield?

Yes.

>> Charles Dickens.

>> COSTA: Yes.

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of what metal?

Yes.

>> Iron.

>> COSTA: Iron is correct.

What European country was the main combatant in the First Indochina War from 1946 to 1954?

(buzzer) France.

How many lines of poetry are in a haiku?

Yes.

>> Five.

>> COSTA: No, three.

The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 under which U.S. president?

Yes.

>> Truman.

>> COSTA: Yes, Harry S. Truman.

What U.S. state name is derived from the Spanish word for "snowy"?

(buzzer, bell ringing) Nevada.

And that's the end of the head-to-head round.

Let's take a look at the score-- Acton-Boxborough right now, 220 points; Phillips Academy, 110 points.

How about it, let's make some noise for both teams, everybody.

(cheers and applause) Okay, next up is the category round with the following categories: Strength in Numbers, I Found This Humerus, Oh My Goth, Justice League, Land of Enchantment, and Game Theory.

All categories have five questions with increasing point value.

Teams will each choose two categories and will have the option to toss one question per category to the other team.

And players are able to confer.

Acton-Boxborough, who will be your team spokesperson?

It's gonna be Nikhil.

And how about Phillips Academy?

It'll be Nicholas.

Okay, Phillips Academy, you have a little ground to make up.

No big deal, but you get to choose the first category, so what's it gonna be?

>> Strength in Numbers.

>> COSTA: Strength in Numbers.

These are questions about math.

And for ten points: what is X to the fourth power if X is 3?

(pencils scribbling) >> (quietly): 81.

>> 81.

>> 81.

>> COSTA: 81 is correct.

Now for 15 points: the wholesale price of a down jacket is $140.

What is the retail price if the markup is 60%?

(pencils scribbling) >> (quietly): $224.

>> $224?

>> Yeah.

>> COSTA: We'll need an answer, Nicholas.

>> $224.

>> COSTA: $224 is correct.

Now for 20 points: in lowest terms, what is the probability of rolling a prime number on a standard six-sided die?

Please give your answer as a fraction, not a percentage.

>> One over two?

>> Yeah, one over two.

>> One over two.

>> COSTA: One in two or one over two, yes.

Now 25 points at stake: a 220-degree angle whose vertex is at the origin and whose initial side lies along the positive x-axis has its terminal side in which quadrant?

>> (whispering): Third.

Third.

Think it's third.

>> Oh.

Our answer's third quadrant.

>> COSTA: Quadrant three is right.

Now for 30 points: the golden ratio is found in nature, art, architecture, music, and, of course, math.

Approximately equal to 1.618, it's also known as Phi, after what ancient Greek sculptor?

(indistinct whispering) >> (whispering): We should pass... wait, toss it, toss it.

>> Archimedes?

>> No, toss.

Toss.

>> We'd like to toss the question.

>> COSTA: You're gonna toss.

Acton-Boxborough, do you have an answer?

>> (whispering): Famous Greek sculptor?

(indistinct whispering) >> No guess.

No guess.

>> Just guess.

No, we have to.

>> We have to try a guess.

>> You have to.

>> Oh, Eratosthenes...?

(mild laughter) >> COSTA: No, Phidias is the answer.

Now we go to Acton-Boxborough, but you will need a category.

What's it gonna be?

>> We'll go with Game Theory.

>> COSTA: Game Theory: questions about games.

And for ten points: created by a Welsh software developer to amuse his girlfriend during the pandemic, what viral word game was sold to the New York Times in 2022 for more than a million dollars?

>> Wordle.

>> COSTA: Wordle is correct.

Now 15 points: created in 2009 by self-taught programmer Markus Persson, what virtual sandbox game is the most popular video game of all time?

>> Minecraft.

>> COSTA: Minecraft is correct.

For 20 points: first published in Germany in 1995, what popular game is played on a hexagonal board representing an island, with players competing to build settlements, cities, and roads?

>> Catan.

>> COSTA: Catan is correct.

For 25 points: derived from a Swahili word meaning "to build," what classic game played with 54 wooden blocks was first developed in Africa in the 1970s?

>> Jenga.

>> COSTA: Jenga is correct.

Now for 30 points: in 2016, in a milestone for artificial intelligence, a computer beat a human at what ancient Chinese board game where the object is to control more territory than your opponent?

>> Go.

>> COSTA: Go is the correct answer.

And now we go back to Phillips Academy, you will need a category, what's it gonna be, team?

>> We'd like to go with I Found This Humerus.

>> COSTA: I Found This Humerus.

These are questions about human anatomy.

And for ten points: also known as the shoulder blade, what bone in the human body connects the humerus to the clavicle?

>> (whispering): Scapula?

>> (whispering): Uh... yeah, go for it.

>> Scapula.

>> COSTA: Scapula is correct.

For 15 points: what organ secretes insulin and glucagon, hormones that regulate blood sugar?

>> Pancreas.

>> COSTA: Pancreas is correct.

For 20 points: cholesterol helps your body make cell membranes, many hormones, and vitamin D. What organ produces cholesterol and releases it into the bloodstream?

>> (whispering): Is it the thyroid?

No?

>> (whispering): The heart?

>> (whispering): What?

>> (whispering): Is it the heart?

>> (whispering): No, it's not the heart.

>> (whispering): Should we pass?

>> COSTA: We'll need an answer.

>> (whispering): Thyroid gland.

>> Thyroid gland.

>> COSTA: No, the liver is the answer there.

And now for 25 points: what region of the brain that's shaped like a seahorse is associated primarily with memory?

>> (whispering): Hippocampus.

>> Hippocampus.

>> COSTA: That is correct.

Now for 30 points: your eyes can perceive about ten million different colors.

What photoreceptors in the retina distinguish color and fine detail?

>> Cones.

>> COSTA: Cones is correct.

And now we go back to Acton-Boxborough and you will need a category, team, what's it gonna be?

>> We'll take Justice League.

>> COSTA: Justice League: questions about the U.S. Supreme Court.

For ten points: now acknowledged as one of the greatest Supreme Court rulings of the 20th century, what 1954 decision unanimously held that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional?

>> Brown v. Board.

>> COSTA: That is correct.

Now for 15 points: what Supreme Court justice wrote the majority opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022?

>> (whispering): John Roberts.

>> Yeah.

>> John Roberts.

>> COSTA: No, Samuel Alito is the answer.

Now for 20 points: what was established as a constitutional right in the 2015 Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges?

>> (whispering): Gay marriage.

>> Gay marriage.

>> COSTA: Yes, same-sex marriage.

Now for 25 points: in Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court resolved a dispute that had arisen during the 2000 presidential election by halting the recount of ballots in what U.S. state?

>> Florida.

>> COSTA: Florida is correct.

Now for 30 points: in 2017, a statue was removed from the Maryland State House.

The statue depicted what Supreme Court justice who authored the infamous 1857 Dred Scot decision?

>> (whispering): Roger Taney.

>> Roger Taney.

>> COSTA: Roger Taney is the correct answer on that.

(bell ringing) And that is the end of the category round.

The score right now-- Acton-Boxborough, 360 points; Phillips Academy, 240 points.

How about it, everybody?

Let's make some noise.

This is a great round.

(cheers and applause) Okay, we are heading into the final round of play.

It is the lightning round.

Correct answers add 20 points to the team total.

And there is a 20-point deduction for incorrect answers.

If a player does not answer, there is no impact on the score.

So, teams, the clock is set, and good luck-- here we go.

What Dr. Seuss book features characters named Thing One and Thing Two?

Yes, Theresa.

>> The Cat in the Hat.

>> COSTA: Yes.

The Minoans were a Bronze Age civilization that flourished on what island near Greece?

Yes.

Roger.

>> Crete.

>> COSTA: Crete is right.

In a closely watched U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania in 2022, John Fetterman defeated what Trump-endorsed celebrity... yes, Nicholas.

>> Dr. Oz.

>> COSTA: Dr. Oz.

What is the southernmost of the original 13 American colonies?

Yes, Sai.

>> Georgia.

>> COSTA: Georgia.

The Isthmus of Panama extends from the border of Costa Rica to the border of what South American...

Yes, Roger.

>> Colombia.

>> COSTA: Yes, Colombia.

In 2022, far-right politician Giorgia Meloni became the first female prime minister...

Yes, Nicholas.

>> Italy.

>> COSTA: Italy is correct.

What native of Newton, Massachusetts, rose to fame as the prank-pulling Jim Halpert on NBC's The... yes, Roger.

>> John Krasinski.

>> COSTA: John Krasinski.

Russian, Polish, and Czech are all examples of what major Indo-European language... yes, Roger?

>> Slavic.

>> COSTA: Slavic is right.

Identified as a new element in 1781, what is the world's strongest natural metal as measured in...

Yes, Jeffrey.

>> Tungsten.

>> COSTA: Tungsten is right.

In Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels, how old was Edward when he was turned into a vampire?

Yes, Theresa.

>> 17.

>> COSTA: Yes.

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of a city built by what pre-Columbian civilization?

Yes, Nicholas.

>> Inca.

>> COSTA: Inca, right.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are the Duke and Duchess of what historic county in England?

Yes, Roger.

>> Sussex.

>> COSTA: Sussex.

(bell ringing, Billy sighs) And that's the end of the game.

The winner is Acton-Boxborough Regional High School with a score of 440 points.

Phillips Academy finishes with 400 points.

Acton-Boxborough will now move on to the next round, the quarterfinals.

And you can join us next week for the match between Buckingham Browne & Nichols in Cambridge and Shrewsbury High School.

But until then, don't forget, you can play a bonus round of High School Quiz Show on your Alexa or Google Home devices.

Just ask your smart speaker to play High School Quiz Show.

We'll see you all next week on High School Quiz Show.

(cheers and applause) You can watch High School Quiz Show any time on our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram for a look behind the scenes and quizzes that'll keep you thinking.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more photos and video, and add some competition to your conversations by sending your friends High School Quiz Show GIFs.

Major funding for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance.

>> People who can work from home seem to love it.

You know who else loves it?

Cybercriminals.

Cyber coverage from Safety Insurance covers data restoration, data recreation, system restoration, and more.

You can ask an independent agent about Safety Insurance.

We'll help you manage life's storms.

Even the cyber kind.

>> COSTA: Additional funding is provided by UMass Amherst.

>> At the University of Massachusetts Amherst... >> ...a revolutionary spirit runs through our veins.

>> As pioneers... >> Builders... >> Unconventional doers... >> We dream bigger... >> ...reach higher... >> ...and commit ourselves to the relentless pursuit of progress.

♪ ♪ (cheers and applause) ♪ ♪