-Teams from Washington Liberty, Herndon, and W.T.

Woodson compete today on "It's Academic."

♪♪ Hello, everyone.

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.

We begin with Washington Liberty High School from Arlington, Virginia.

Hey, Devan, Dean, and Mickey.

And from Herndon, Virginia, Herndon High School, Juliet, Daniel, and Ryan.

Hey.

Welcome to "It's Academic."

And from W.T.

Woodson High in Fairfax, Virginia, Samik, Stephen, and Sean, nice to see you guys.

Hey.

Okay, guys, it's time for the opening round.

In this round, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Whew!

All right, Washington Liberty, here's your first question.

An Olympian opera hidden in this musical phrase is what musical instrument with 88 keys?

-I'll confer.

Is this a piano?

-The answer is piano.

-Yep.

-You can sincerely win 20 points if you place what letter in the blank to spell the word "sincerely" correctly?

-"C." -"C." -It is "C." A wide, deep dish.

To play ten-pins.

What same word would satisfy both these definitions?

-Confer, "bowl."

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

Final answer, "bowl."

-"Bowl" is right.

By filling in the blanks, you can transform this nest into what sort of covered wagon used by pioneers traveling west?

-Conferring.

Do you need an answer?

-Need an answer, guys, in 3, 2, 1.

The answer is -- I know you know it.

Conestoga.

"The only birds that never sleep."

This phrase was used by one writer to refer not to birds, but to what white, billowy objects that can be cirrus or cumulus?

-I'll confer clouds.

-Conferring clouds.

-Yep.

-Final answer, clouds.

-Clouds is right.

Congratulations, Washington Liberty.

Great job.

You have 180 points.

All right, Herndon, you are up for this opening round.

Here we go.

He'd eat herbs.

Herbs are good.

But see if you can find here the hidden name of what California Valley, the lowest geographical point in the United States.

Answer?

-Death Valley.

-Death Valley.

Yeah, you've got it.

Zookeepers will be pleased if you place what letter in the blank to correctly spell the word "rhinoceros."

"H." -"H" is right.

An elite navy unit.

Closes an envelope.

What same word will satisfy both these definitions?

-"Seal."

-"Seal," yeah.

"A Study in Blank."

"The Blank Letter."

What same bright color will complete these two titles by Arthur Conan Doyle and Nathaniel Hawthorne?

-"Scarlet."

-Yes.

"Scarlet" is right.

"It is, of course, altogether valueless."

With these words, the 1861 Army Corps of Engineers dismissed what large gorge carved out by the Colorado River and now a major tourist attraction?

Answer in 3, 2, 1.

You know it.

It is the Grand Canyon.

I've rafted it twice.

It's pretty amazing.

Nice job, Herndon.

You have 180 points.

From Fairfax County, team three and W.T.

Woodson High School.

Here's the opening round, guys.

First question.

Use a hub blender.

Just use your eyes and see if you can find, hidden in this phrase, the name of what space telescope still in operation after being launched in 1990.

-Hubble.

-Hubble, right?

Yeah, Hubble.

-Hubble it is.

Don't despair.

Just place the proper letter in the blank space and you will spell the word "despair" correctly.

-"E." -"I."

-Which one?

-Is it "I" or "E"?

Isn't it "I"?

-I think it's "E," right?

-Answer.

I need a final answer.

-"E." -I think it's "I."

-I need one person to tell me the answer.

-"I."

-Nope, it's "E." -Aw, sorry.

-A stone.

A type of music.

What same word will satisfy both these definitions?

-Rock.

-Rock.

-Conferring rock.

-Rock.

-Yeah, rock.

-It's rock.

Yeah.

Here you have the abbreviation for Louisiana in the middle of the name of what?

mid-Atlantic state whose capital is Dover?

-Delaware.

Final.

-Delaware.

-Yeah, it's Delaware.

"Painting is the music of God."

This comment comes from what great Renaissance artist who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

-That would be Michelangelo, right?

-Michelangelo.

-Yes, it was the amazing Michelangelo.

Very nice.

W.T.

Woodson, 180 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.

♪♪ -Let's move into the Picture Perfect round, where questions are worth 20 points up or down.

10 points if you don't answer.

You're up first, Washington Liberty.

Here's your first question.

Published in 1755, this is the work by Samuel Johnson, similar to the 1828 work by Noah Webster.

-Confer a dictionary.

-Dictionary, yeah.

Final answer, dictionary.

-It is dictionary.

Nice.

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

-Conferring six.

-Confer six.

-Yeah.

-All right.

Final answer, six.

-It's six.

This is a section of what Scandinavian city, the capital of Denmark.

-Conferring Copenhagen.

-Conferring Copenhagen.

-Yep.

-Final answer, Copenhagen.

-Yeah, it's Copenhagen.

Well done, Washington Liberty, You have 240 points.

Herndon, you're up for the Picture Perfect round, but first, I want to talk about a picture we've got on this screen.

Your hornet looks very angry.

[ Laughs ] But I'm sure he's gonna, like, jazz you for this round.

So let's dive in.

First question.

In 1794, President George Washington reviewed the troops sent to put down what Pennsylvania rebellion with an alcoholic name?

-The Whiskey Rebellion.

-Whiskey Rebellion is right.

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

Answer... is one.

This sunny painting is one of many watercolors Winslow Homer did on what Caribbean island group where Nassau is capital?

-The Bahamas.

-Bahamas is right.

Nice job, Herndon High School.

You've got 210 points.

Okay, Woodson, it's the Picture Perfect round.

Here's your first picture.

This 14th-century African sculpture is made of what metal, and alloy of copper and tin?

-Bronze.

-Bronze, right?

-It would be bronze.

-Yeah, bronze.

-Bronze it is.

Given this arithmetic sequence, what should be the next number?

-14, right?

-14.

-14.

-14 it is.

This is a 19th-century view of what capital city in Ecuador?

-Quito, right?

Yeah, Quito.

-Yeah.

Quito.

Nicely done.

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

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

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that during the Vietnam War, Army medics used super glue to seal bleeding wounds until they could transport injured soldiers to a hospital?

And by the way, if your fingers get stuck together while working with super glue, nail-polish remover will help get them unstuck.

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

-Time for the Packet Round.

As you know, questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

And if you get all of the questions correct, there is a 25-point bonus.

Okay.

Washington Liberty, it's time for the Packet Round.

But before we dive into the questions, let's learn a little more about you.

Hey, Devan, you're the captain.

What's going on?

Hey.

My name is Devan Opper.

I am a senior here at Washington Liberty High School, and my favorite subjects are economics and geography.

-Awesome.

Dean, tell us about yourself.

-Hi, my name is Dean.

I'm a senior, also, and I absolutely love chemistry.

-Nice.

And finally, last but not least, Mickey.

-Hey.

My name is Mickey Robertson.

I'm also a senior here at W now, and I really like math and linguistics.

-Wonderful.

It's really good to see you guys.

And now, Devan, back to you so you can introduce us to your coaches and alternate.

-Yeah, here supporting us today our coaches, Ms. Sotomayor and Ms. Scher, our alternate, Solomon, and our principal, Mr. Hall.

-So good to see you guys.

Great to have you back for "It's Academic" this year.

And now, of course, we are going to get into the questions because that's what you're waiting for, right?

Here we go.

First question, Washington Liberty.

The invention that changed the world is the subtitle of a book about what directional device that features a needle pointing north?

-Conferring, a compass.

All right.

Final answer, a compass.

-Compass it is.

Reading and writing were discouraged among citizens of what ancient, militaristic Greek city state, often at war with Athens?

-I'll confer Sparta.

-Conferring Sparta.

-All right.

Final answer, Sparta.

-Sparta is right.

Commensalism, fermentation, metabolism.

Which of these terms refers to the sum total of chemical -- of processes that maintain living protoplasm?

-Conferring metabolism.

-Right.

-Final answer, metabolism.

-It is metabolism.

Whether they live in a house or tent, thousands of Mongolians still hang the picture of what feared Mongol conqueror who died in 1227?

-Conferring Genghis Khan.

-Conferring Genghis Khan.

-All right.

Final answer, Genghis Khan.

-Genghis Khan is right.

Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that the only book a person needs is what Dostoyevsky novel about four siblings?

-Conferring "Crime and Punishment."

-I would say that.

-All right.

Final answer, "Crime and Punishment."

-It's "The Brothers Karamazov."

Sorry about that one.

Here's your math question.

Solve for "X."

-Conferring 12.

-Yeah, I agree.

-All right.

Final answer, 12.

-Yep, it's 12.

Nicely done.

A diplomat like his father, John Quincy Adams was chairman of the commission that negotiated what treaty, ending the War of 1812?

-Conferring the Treaty of -- either the Treaty of Ghent or Paris.

-I wanted to say Paris, but I could be getting it confused.

So, what was the other one?

Ghent?

-Ghent.

-Answer, please.

-I don't know.

-Treaty of Paris?

-No, you all ha-- it was the Treaty of Ghent.

It was the other one.

You were almost there.

Well, Washington Liberty, well done, guys.

You have a score of 340 points.

Okay, Herndon, you are up next in this Packet Round.

But first, we'd like to meet you.

And we begin with the captain.

Hello, Juliet.

What's going on?

-Hi, I'm Juliet.

-And tell us about yourself.

-I'm a senior at Herndon, and I like to dance.

-Oh, lovely.

Well, it's very good to have you.

And now we get to say hello to Daniel.

Hey, Daniel.

-Hi.

My name is Daniel.

I'm a junior at Herndon High School, and I enjoy cooking.

-Very nice.

I wish my husband would cook.

I'll tell you that.

Ryan, tell us about yourself.

-Hi, I'm Ryan.

I am a junior, and I throw for the Herndon Throwers.

-Awesome.

Well, let's go back to Juliet and meet the coaches and whoever else you brought along with you today.

-Yeah, our coaches are Mr. Lubinsky and Ms.

Spies.

-Very good to see you guys.

Thanks for being back on "It's Academic."

All right.

Well, now that we have met everybody, let's dive into these questions, shall we?

Here's the first one.

In 2004, a librarian discovered a manuscript written by Johanna Fantova about her boyfriend -- what scientific genius who formulated the theory of relativity?

-Albert Einstein.

-Albert Einstein is correct.

47 centuries ago, Chinese Emperor Shennong supposedly invented what medical technique that involves inserting needles into a patient's body?

-Acupuncture?

-Yes.

Rutherford, Lamarck, Lavoisier.

The alpha particle scattering experiments, which established that the nucleus occupies only a small fraction of the atom were first done by which of these men?

-Rutherford.

-Yeah.

Rutherford.

Nice.

"The Last Great Revolution" is the title of a book about the 1979 revolution in what mid-east country where Tehran is capital?

Answer in 3, 2, 1.

It is Iran.

Since it was strong enough to lift a baby elephant, a magical bird called a rock had no problems carrying what sailor from the "Arabian Night" stories?

Answer in 3, 2, 1.

Sinbad.

Sinbad the Sailor.

Here is your math question.

What is the next number in this geometric sequence?

Answer.

-162.

-Yes, that's it.

The writings of Karl Marx were read with fascination by what Russian Bolshevik, who later became the first premier of the Soviet Union?

-Vladimir Putin.

-No, Vladimir Lenin.

But we certainly know how you got to Vladimir Putin because he's in the news a lot.

Great job, Herndon High School.

290 points.

All right, let's meet the team from W.T.

Woodson High School.

The captain is Samik.

Samik, it's so great to see you here again.

Tell us what you're up to.

Hi.

I'm a 17-year-old senior at Woodson High School.

And along with "It's Academic," I do cross-country and track.

And I'd like to thank our principal, Dr. Floyd, our coach, Mr. Wright, and our alternate, Joey.

-Awesome.

How about you, Stephen?

Tell us about yourself.

-I'm a 15-year-old sophomore at Woodson, and I'm starting a satellite club this year.

-Satellite club, meaning...?

-We're going to try and build a small satellite about that big.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-That's very cool.

I could not do that.

And finally, last but not least, hello, Sean.

-Hi, I'm Sean.

I'm a 15-year-old sophomore at Woodson High School, and I play bass in the Woodson Chamber Orchestra.

-Let's turn it back over to Samik so he can introduce us to the folks who are with him.

Hey.

-Hi, I'm here today with our coach, Mr. Wright, who also teaches AP government and AP world history, and he's been our coach for four or five years now.

And I'm also joined by Joey, who's also a senior, and he plays bass for orchestra.

-Awesome.

Well, it's great to see you, Joey and Mr. Wright.

Awesome to have you with us again.

So, of course, now we get to dive into these questions in the Packet Round.

And here is your first question.

The largest urban park in the U.S. is the South Mountain Preserve, which protects thousands of acres in what capital of Arizona?

-Phoenix, right?

-Phoenix.

Phoenix, yeah.

-Yeah, Phoenix.

-Phoenix it is.

According to one survey, over 20% of Americans believe in what pseudo science involving the Zodiac and the influence of the planets on humans?

-Astrology.

-Astrology?

-Yeah.

Astrology.

-Astrology.

Yes.

I'd ask you your signs, but it'll take too long.

Tundra, scree, pampas.

Which of these terms refers to a region almost devoid of trees because of permafrost?

-That's tundra, right?

-That would be tundra, right?

-Tundra.

-Yeah, tundra.

-Tundra is right.

The telegram ordering troops to open fire on Fort Sumter was sent to Charleston from what Alabama city, the first capital of the Confederacy?

-Montgomery, maybe, do you guys think?

-That sounds right.

-Yeah, let's go for that.

-All right.

Montgomery.

-Nice.

It is Montgomery.

The school Pencey Prep is attended, rather reluctantly, by Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of what 1951 J.D.

Salinger novel?

-Is that "Catcher in the Rye"?

-I think so.

-Yeah.

"Catcher in the Rye."

-Yeah.

You got there.

Nicely done.

Math question.

Please perform the indicated multiplication.

-So that's 9 times 4, so 36, right?

-That'd be 36.

36.

-Yeah.

Okay, 36?

-Yes, it's 36.

In Manhattan's Central Park, there's a statue of what 19th-century South American political and military leader known as the Liberator?

-Bolívar, maybe?

-Conferring on Bolívar.

-Yeah.

Bolívar?

-Simón Bolívar is correct, you guys got every question and a 25-point bonus with a score of 405 points.

Awesome job, Woodson.

All right, everybody.

It's time for the most exciting part of the competition -- the Lightning Round.

In this round, you've got 45 seconds to answer as many as 10 questions.

They're worth 20 points up or down.

Nothing off if you fail to answer.

All right, Washington Liberty, you are up.

Ready?

George Washington isn't the only famous person named George.

Please identify these other persons who shared the first name George in 3, 2, 1.

He led his troops into disaster at Little Bighorn.

-George Custer.

-Yes.

He devised the European Economic Recovery Plan after World War II.

-Pass.

-Marshall.

He was our 41st president.

-George H.W.

Bush.

-Correct.

The Civil War Union general was nicknamed Little Mac.

-I'll pass.

-This playwright wrote "Major Barbara."

-Pass.

-Shaw.

This film director created the "Star Wars" movies.

-Pass.

-Lucas.

The US admiral won the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay.

[ Buzzer ] Oh, the answer was Dewey, Washington Liberty.

But nice job, guys.

380 points.

Herndon, let's play the Lightning Round.

All answers will be people whose first name is Robert or Bob in 3, 2, 1.

This German chemist developed the laboratory burner named for him.

-Bunsen?

-Yes.

This American poet wrote "Fire and Ice."

-Frost.

-Yes.

He was the director of the Manhattan Project in World War II.

-Oppenheimer.

-Yeah.

He wrote "Treasure Island."

-Pass.

-Robert Louis Stevenson.

He developed the first successful steamboat.

-Pass.

-Fulton.

This Jamaican singer's reggae band was the Wailers.

-Pass.

-Bob Marley.

He and Matthew Henson reached the North Pole in 1909.

-Pass.

-Peary.

This Scottish poet wrote "Auld Lang Syne."

[ Buzzer ] And the answer to that, of course, is Robert Burns.

You did a really nice job, Herndon.

350 points.

W.T.

Woodson, it is time for the Lightning Round.

Here we go.

All answers should be people whose first name is John, Johnny, or Jonathan in 3, 2, 1.

This American pioneer planted fruit trees.

-Appleseed.

-Yes.

He is the biggest signature on the Declaration of Independence.

-Hancock.

-Yes.

The 1800 book "The Birds of America" is by this artist and ornithologist.

-Skip.

-Audubon.

He was the first American to orbit Earth.

-John Glenn.

-Yes.

He assassinated Abraham Lincoln.

-John Wilkes Booth.

-Yes.

His ship was the Bonhomme Richard.

-Pass.

-Skip.

-John Paul Jones.

He wrote "Gulliver's Travels."

-Jonathan Swift.

-Yeah.

He was our 35th president.

-Skip.

-Kennedy.

Pocahontas... [ Buzzer ] There's the buzzer.

That last question -- Pocahontas allegedly saved his life.

The answer was Captain John Smith.

Tell you what, You did a really nice job there, Woodson.

505 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.

-My name is Max B. I go to a school in D.C. called St. Albans.

And the project that I was doing is called Dive Against Debris.

It is a worldwide program where PADI, a scuba-diving site, is trying to help divers clean up the oceans and any body of water, really.

It's an environmental activism against trash and things that are destroying our sea life.

I did this by going to the Chesapeake Bay and scuba diving for about an hour to an hour and a half and cleaning up trash.

In total, we cleaned up about a bag -- three bags to three and a half bags of trash.

This we then sorted on the beach into various piles -- one that we could use in, say, the dive shop or in everyday life, the other which could be recycled, and then the final one, which was pure trash and we couldn't do anything with.

-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.

We begin with Herndon High School from Herndon, Virginia.

Juliet, Daniel, and Ryan, 350 points.

From Arlington, Virginia, Washington Liberty High School, Devan, Dean, and Mickey, 380 points.

And coming back for the playoff, W.T.

Woodson from Fairfax County, Samik, Stephen Sean, 505 points.

Awesome.

Congratulations to our incredible teams, all of them.

And to you, our incredible viewers, so happy you could join us today and match wits with our 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 on "It's Academic."

I'm Hillary Howard.

See you then.

Bye, everybody.

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