-Students from Woodson... Rockville... ...and 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.

♪♪ -Great to have you with us as we jump into the Fast Start where questions are worth 10 points up or down.

The first team to buzz in gets to answer.

The contestants don't see what you do on the screens at home.

Let's go.

"B" in the Middle -- all your answers must be five-letter words with "B" in the middle.

That is "B" -- as in "boy" -- in the Middle.

Here we go.

Woodson.

-Robot.

-Yeah.

Rockville.

-Kabul.

-Yes.

Rockville.

-Labor.

-Yes.

"This bone, and the fibula are in --" Einstein.

-Tibia.

-Yeah.

Einstein.

-Amber.

-Yes.

"This biblical tower was supposed to reach --" Woodson.

-Babel.

-Babel is right.

Rockville.

-Haber.

-Haber.

-That is right.

-Rockville.

-[ Speaks indistinctly ] Answer -- three, two, one.

Libra.

"This Arab Emirate has the world's tallest --" -Dubai.

-Einstein.

Dubai is right.

"This red-breasted bird is said to be the first --" -Woodson.

-Robin.

-[ Chuckling ] Robin.

is right.

Whew!

That's the way to go.

The end of our Fast Start.

It was fast.

[ Applause ] Let's check your scores.

Woodson -- 130, Rockville -- 120, and Einstein -- 130 points.

So now that we see how fast these teams are, let's get to know a little bit more about them.

We begin with Woodson from Fairfax, Virginia.

How you doing, Seth?

-Good.

How are you?

-I am very well.

Thank you.

So what's happened between the last time we saw you -- Oh, this is a playoff match.

Didn't mention that -- between the last time we saw you and now?

-I run.

-[ Chuckles ] You run.

You keep running?

-I keep running.

-What else is happening?

Anything we should know about you?

-Uh.

Not really.

Just working on college apps.

-Oh.

-Not exciting.

-Do you have a preference of schools?

-Uh, UVA.

-Alright, well, good luck.

I'm sure you'll get into UVA.

Good seeing you, Seth.

Hi, Stephen.

Good to see you again.

-Hi.

Good to see you.

-What's going on?

-Not much.

[ Laughter ] -Well, tell us the highlights.

-Um, well, since last round, we've been continuing with Scholastic Bowl and whatnot, so it's pretty fun.

-Yeah.

How many places have you been in competition?

-Oh, um, well, we just did the last round, and now we're just kind of practicing for the show, so... -Oh.

Alright.

Well, very good.

Good to have you again.

Hello, Miranda.

-Hi.

-So tell us about yourself.

-Um, I don't know.

I've just been doing a lot of work.

Like, I'm trying to get my band together from Richmond, so that's pretty exciting.

We're going to try and do a -- like, a rock show at some point.

-Oh.

That's great.

And what's your band's name?

-Um, we don't know yet.

So we whenever we talk about it, it's just untitled, so... -Uh-huh.

And what -- how many instruments?

Tell me about the group.

-Uh, it's kind of a problem right now.

We have, like, four guitarists and no, uh, drums, so... -[ Laughs ] Well, there's a big shout-out for anybody who wants to play drums.

Nice to have you, Miranda.

Uh, we're going to do this Mix & Match round.

Questions in this round are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

Here we go.

You won't need an app to gain 20 points if you find hidden within this phrase the name of what capital of Cuba?

-Havana.

-Havana.

And you don't even have to buzz in.

This is just for you.

Minimizing it.

Forgetting it.

Aggravating it.

If you are exacerbating a problem, you are taking which of these actions?

[ Indistinct whispering ] -Aggravating it.

-Yeah.

Cayuga.

Keuka.

These are 2 of the 11 New York lakes that share what group name referring to their resemblance to a digit on the hand?

-The Finger Lakes?

-Sure.

-Finger Lakes?

-Yeah.

That's right.

In case you're applying to Cornell, right?

It's on Lake Cayuga.

Adirondacks.

Ozarks.

Carpathians.

If you wanted to go mountain climbing in Romania, you would head for which of these mountain ranges?

-Carpathians?

-Sure.

-Carpathians?

-Correct.

To understand this comment, place in the blank space what national sport whose Hall of Fame is in Cooperstown, New York.

-Baseball?

-Sure.

-Baseball?

-Yes, it is.

And it's a beautiful place.

Nicely done, Woodson.

230 points.

[ Applause ] And now over to Rockville High School.

And we begin with Alan.

Hello, Alan.

-Hi, Hillary.

-What's going on?

-Um, I just been practicing tennis lately.

-[ Chuckling ] Yeah?

Well, tell me about that.

-Um, well, uh, you know, I'm just -- after school, just go to the local tennis court.

-A lot of hitting balls?

-You know, yeah, just practicing against the wall, hitting some serves, you know, prepping for the tennis season.

-So what's it like?

Because you're the captain of the team, right?

-Yes.

-What's it like when you're tracking an opponent?

Like, can you get in their head at all?

Can you anticipate them?

Or what's your strategy?

-Um... well, I mean, you really just have to kind of play and then see what they like to do.

Sometimes they like to hit forehands, sometimes they like to hit backhands.

You just gotta, you know, analyze them, see their weaknesses, and hopefully exploit them.

-[ Chuckles ] Exploit them?

Very good.

Good to see you again, Alan.

Hi, Henry.

What you been up to?

-Um, I've been prepping for the debate I have this week.

Um, it's on -- It's on whether the US federal government should forgive all federal student loans.

-And you've got to prepare for both sides of that.

-Yeah, I'm on con, and my partner is preparing pro.

I think con is a little favored in this one.

-Uh-huh.

-I've got a lot of good points, you know?

Good statistics, really.

-[ Chuckles ] Well, it's good to see you, Henry.

Alex.

What's happening?

-Hello.

Um, I've been doing a lot of running and a lot of chess, really.

-Yeah, so chess is a game I play.

I think I've told you guys this before.

I usually lose, especially when I'm playing my kid.

How far ahead do you see the game?

-Um, you have to see quite a few moves ahead, like, to at least predict five moves if you want to see how it's going to turn out, really.

-Do you have a favorite open?

-Yes.

Um, I play the Italian Game a lot.

-Alright, well, let's see what kind of game you play here.

I've got some questions.

Here we go guys.

Motor on to Ottawa.

Hidden in this line about Ottawa is the name of what other Canadian city, the largest in the country?

-Toronto?

-Toronto.

-Toronto, it is.

Insubstantial.

Inept.

Intransigent.

Someone who takes an uncompromising position in a dispute can best be described by which of these adjectives?

-Intransigent.

-Yeah, intransigent?

-That is right.

Sir Isaac Newton.

G.W.

Leibnitz.

Both of these men are credited with developing what "C"-initialed branch of mathematics that comes in integral and differential forms?

-Calculus.

-Yeah.

Wheat.

Sugar.

Tobacco.

In 1834, Cyrus McCormick reaped praise for his reaper, a machine created to harvest which of these crops?

-Wheat.

-Wheat, right?

Yeah, wheat.

-Wheat, it is.

To complete this rather perverse view of the Dickens story "A Christmas Carol," add the name of what miserly character who often said, "Bah humbug!"

-Alright, Ebenezer Scrooge?

-Ebenezer Scrooge.

Yeah, Rockville.

Nicely done.

220 points.

[ Applause ] -And now to Einstein High School from Kensington, Maryland.

Eddie, it's good to see you.

-It's good to see you.

-Thanks.

What you been up to?

-I'm currently working on applications -- or, I've been accepted into Montgomery College, and I'll be taking dual-enrollment classes, um, while I'm still in high school.

-Wow, that's wonderful.

And what subject?

-Uh, so right now I'm looking to take a Russian class.

-Really?

Do you know any Russian at all?

-[ Speaks Russian ] -[ Laughs ] A little bit.

-A little bit.

-A little bit.

That's great.

Very cool.

Nice to have you again, Eddie.

Hello, Ben.

-It's good to see you again, Hillary.

-It's good to see you, too.

Tell us what's going on.

-Well, I'm still playing the violin, and I've been promoted to first violin section.

-Congratulations.

I don't know if I asked you this last time, but is there one particular piece you love to play?

Like, every time you play it, you're like, "This is my spot"?

-Oh, you did ask me last time and I'll give you the same answer -- not really.

-[ Laughs ] Not really.

I should have remembered that.

How could I forget that one?

It's really good to see you, Ben.

-You, too.

-Hello, Brendon.

-Hi.

-What's going on?

-Uh, nothing much.

I've just been studying lately.

-Uh-huh.

And what are you studying most?

-Um, mostly just chemistry and just stuff in my classes.

-Uh-huh.

Is chemistry your favorite subject?

-It is.

-Yeah, yeah.

Uh, do you think you'll do something with it?

-Probably not.

-[ Laughs ] Probably not.

I used to love organ-- Don't ask me to do it now, but I loved organic chemistry.

It was something about the shapes and the molecules, and, I don't know, I just loved it.

Probably the same reason I love geometry.

Too much information about me, of course.

Let's get into this.

I have questions.

Slicker than oil.

See if you can find in this phrase the name of what Southeast Asian city, the capital of Vietnam.

-Hanoi?

-Yep.

That's it.

Inveterate.

Insipid.

Intrepid.

Someone who is very brave could best be described by which of these adjectives?

-Intrepid.

-Correct.

The Lost Pharaoh.

This is the way some scholars have referred to what Egyptian boy king whose tomb was found in 1922?

-Tutankhamun?

-Yes.

Clay.

Glass.

Papyrus.

The ancient Babylonians used which of these materials on which to imprint their cuneiform letters?

-Clay.

-Yeah.

"The pearl is the blank's autobiography."

To complete this quote, add what mollusk that produces pearls.

-Oyster.

-Oyster.

-Oyster's is right.

Nicely done, Einstein.

230 points.

And that does it for the Mix & Match round.

Don't go anywhere.

We've got Picture Perfect next.

[ Applause ] -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.

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Hi.

It's time for the Picture Perfect round, and in this round, of course, questions are worth 10 points up or down.

Once again, the first team to buzz in gets to answer.

Here we go.

Sometimes called the fountain of autumn, this is also known as the fountain of what Greek God, the counterpart of Bacchus?

Einstein.

-Dionysus.

-Yeah.

What man got this response when he and Steve Wozniak were struggling?

Woodson.

-Steve Jobs.

-Steve Jobs, it is.

This Paris crowd is enjoying music at the Tuileries Garden, which adjoins what world-famous French art museum?

Woodson.

-The Louvre.

Correct.

What is the minimum value of "Y" in this parabola?

Einstein.

Answer -- three, two, one.

-Three.

-Nope.

It's zero.

Called a Mbom-boosh, this 200-year-old figure was found near what capital city of the Democratic Republic -- Rockville.

-Kinshasa.

-Uh, refer to Alex.

-Kinshasa?

-Yes, it is.

There is nothing strange about this picture.

of what sci-fi author of "Stranger in a Strange --" Rockville.

-Uh... -Answer -- three, two, one.

-Uh, Huxley?

-Heinlein.

Robert Heinlein.

This mineral known as pyrrhotite as a source of iron.

And what other metallic element with atomic number 28 that gives its name to a US coin?

Einstein.

-Nickel.

-Nickel.

-Nickel is correct.

This is what Congressman, whose name is attached to the 1846 proviso that would have banned -- Rockville.

-Wilmot.

-David Wilmot is right.

Nicely done.

And that's the end of the Picture Perfect round.

Let's recap those scores, huh?

Woodson -- 270.

Rockville -- 240.

Einstein -- 250.

And now we get to meet the coaches that helped these teams prepare for competition.

We begin with Woodson.

Stephen, tell us about your coach.

-Hi.

So Mr. Wright is our AP gov and AP world teacher, and we're really glad that he's here today to support us.

-And, of course, we're glad to see him, too.

Over to Rockville.

Hi, Henry.

-Uh, with us today is Dave Goodrich and Mike Smith, our two wonderful coaches.

Uh, thanks for being here.

-[ Laughs ] Double thumbs up.

-Whoo!

-Yeah.

-Alright.

Great.

Always good to have them.

And now over to Einstein.

-Uh, we've got our coach, Ms. Colson, here.

She's an English teacher.

She lets us use her room during lunch, even when she isn't there.

-And what's so nice is, I mean, I know these coaches because they always come to back you guys up, which is beautiful.

So we're very happy all of them are here.

And now we get to jump into the Packet round.

Alright, I love this Packet round.

As everybody knows, we have three packets.

One, two, three.

Woodson will answer questions first.

Rockville gets to choose which packet they will answer questions from.

-Uh, three.

-Three.

Everybody knows this, too, because it is a playoff match.

If you get all the questions correct, there is a 25-point bonus.

Yay.

Here we go, Woodson.

Questions are worth 20 points.

Nothing off for a wrong answer.

38 men named James Smith are listed on the wall of the Washington, D.C., memorial dedicated to those killed in what Asian war that ended in 1975?

-The Vietnam War?

-Correct.

As a reminder of the Boston Tea Party, there is a replica in Boston Harbor of what Tea Party ship whose name suggests a large dam-building rodent?

-Beaver?

-Sure.

-Beaver.

-Beaver is right.

To honor England's King George III, astronomer William Herschel gave the name Gordie -- To honor England's King George III, Astronomer William Herschel gave the name Georgium Sidium to the planet just beyond Saturn that is now known by what name?

-Uranus.

-Yes.

Here's your science question.

Nuclear fission.

Nuclear fusion.

Nuclear disintegration.

A stellarator is a device intended to reproduce the reaction that provides the primary energy source and stars.

Which of these terms describes this kind of reaction?

-Nuclear fusion.

-Yeah.

The capital of Hungary was once two cities, Buda and Pest, separated by what European river that also flows through Vienna?

-The Danube?

-Yes.

One of the pioneers of the space age was the way one U.S. astronaut described what French author of "From the Earth to the Moon"?

-Jules Verne?

-Yeah, here's your math question.

Solve for "X."

-"X" equals one.

-Correct.

Nicknamed pop for population, what economist argued that population would outpace food supply in his work "The Principle of Population"?

-Malthus.

-Malthus is right.

Well done, Woodson.

25-point bonus and 455 points.

[ Applause ] Now to Rockville, and Rockville will answer questions from packet one or packet two.

Einstein gets to choose.

-Packet two.

-Packet two.

Several Elizabethan writers, including William Shakespeare, patronized a London tavern named for what kind of creature, half-woman, half-fish?

-Mermaid.

-Yeah.

Mermaid.

-Mermaid, yes.

A Latin term meaning "old men" is the root of the name of what part of Congress that has 100 men and women of varying ages?

-Senate?

-Yeah.

-Senate?

-Yes.

In addition to slaves, colonial Americans had what kind of servants who bound themselves to masters to pay for their passage to this country?

-Yeah, indentured servants?

-Indentured is right.

Here's your science question.

Acceleration.

Work.

Distance.

In physics, the joule is a measure of which of these?

-Work?

-Work.

-Work.

-Yeah.

The Yankee cheese-box was just one of the nicknames given to what Union ironclad that, in 1862, fought the Confederacy's Merrimack?

-Monitor.

-Yeah.

Though he didn't learn English till he was 21, what Polish-born author wrote such classic English novels as "Heart of Darkness" and "Lord Jim"?

-Uh, yeah, Conrad.

-Conrad is right.

Here's your math question.

Solve for "X."

-So that's "X" equals nine, right?

Yeah.

Nine?

-"X" does equal nine.

Yeah.

In 1861 martial law was declared throughout Missouri by what Union Army officer who had been the first Republican presidential nominee in 1856?

-Frémont.

-Frémont.

-Frémont is right.

Another 25-point bonus, this time for Rockville.

You've got a score of 425 points.

Great, guys.

And packet number one for Einstein.

Almost 2,000 miles long, what river provides a natural boundary between the United States and Mexico?

-The Rio Grande?

-Yeah.

It was in 2002, in response to the 9/11 attacks, that what most recent cabinet department was created?

-The Department of Homeland Security.

-You've got it.

Drinking 50 gallons of water in 3 minutes is no problem for what desert animal that may be dromedary or Bactrian?

-Camel.

-Yeah.

Here's your science question.

Leyden jar.

Bell jar.

Dewar jar.

If you wish to store a small quantity of electrical charge, you might use which of these used in early electrical experiments?

-A Leyden jar?

-You're right.

A few years ago, a man was arrested for insulting the king's dog in what country where Bangkok is capital?

-Thailand.

-Yes.

As yet, no one has perfected what machine mentioned in the title of an H.G.

Wells novel about the Eloi and the Morlocks?

-"Time Machine."

-You're right.

Here's your math question.

Evaluate this expression, giving your answer in terms of "i."

-[ Whispers indistinctly ] -Answer?

-16i.

-No, it's 14i.

-Ah.

-"I found Rome a city of brick.

I leave it a city of marble."

That was the boast of what first Roman emperor who ruled until 14 A.D.?

-Nero.

-Uh, it was Augustus.

Einstein, nice job.

390 points.

That does it for the Packet round.

You know what's coming up next?

It's the Grab Bag, so don't go away.

-Hello, I'm David Rubenstein.

Did you know that a painting of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, watches over the rotunda of the US Capitol Building?

Hopefully, her wisdom is shared by our representatives.

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

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -We've reached the final round, the Grab Bag round, and, seriously, anything can happen in this round, so let's take a look at the scores before we jump into these questions.

Woodson -- 455 points.

Rockville -- 425 points.

Einstein -- 370 points.

[ Applause ] And now to the Grab Bag we go, where questions are worth 20 points up or down.

Some of the questions will be on your monitors.

First question -- in addition to Spanish, Indian dialect called Tarahumara is spoken in what Mexican state whose name suggests a breed of small dog.

Rockville.

-Chihuahua.

-Correct.

On a map of the world, Capricorn and Cancer named what parallels?

Einstein.

-Tropics.

Yeah.

Though French officials also attended the 1938 Munich conference, the appeasement of Hitler is usually blamed on what -- Woodson.

-Neville Chamberlain.

-You are right.

On your monitors.

This statue of a ballerina was sculpted by what French impressionist, better known for his paintings of ballet dancers?

Rockville.

-Degas.

-Degas is right.

The name Peter is favored by Russian czars.

It was chosen by Russian composer Prokofiev for his symphonic tale about a little boy and what wild -- Einstein.

-Wolf.

Wolf is right.

Choice.

Hydrogen is liberated when an active metal reacts with water.

Is a salt, acid, or base formed?

Woodson.

-Acid?

-Base.

Sorry.

In 1679, the British Parliament passed an act requiring the use of what legal writ, whose two-word Latin name means you -- -Habeas corpus.

-Yes.

"You have the body."

On your monitors.

These were the words of what man who joined the Dodgers in 1947 and became the first African-American -- Einstein.

-Jackie Robinson.

-Yeah.

To date, 12 men have walked on the moon, but only one hit a golf ball there.

He was what man who had been the first American -- Rockville.

-Shepard.

-Answer.

Alan Shepard is right.

What is the measure of an angle inscribed in a circle that intercepts a 160-degree arc?

The answer is 80 degrees.

Among the first movie idols was Maurice Costello, who starred in a 1911 film version of what Dickens novel set during the French Revolution?

Rockville.

-"Tale of Two Cities"?

"Tale of Two Cities."

-Yes, it is.

On your monitors.

Such evils as lotteries and the stock exchange lurk in the background of this ladder of morality, the work of what two 19th-century lithographers?

The answer is Currier and Ives.

Native to Madagascar are what...primates?

Woodson.

-Lemurs.

-Lemurs is right.

[ Buzzer ] And that does it for the game, the end of the Grand Bag round.

We're going to talk about these scores in just a minute, so please stay where you are.

[ Cheers and applause ] -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 everyone.

My name is Peter Allen.

I am a junior at Gonzaga College High School in D.C., and I'm here to talk about the science fair that Gonzaga puts on with eighth graders from a local school also in D.C. And what we do here is we take these eighth graders from the school, and we're able to help them design, execute, and then present in front of a panel of judges an elaborate and super-cool science-fair project.

It's incredibly rewarding because we get to show them some really awesome science things, and it's a great learning experience, as well.

Everyone learns from it, even the Gonzaga students who help along with it.

And I've been doing this for three years, and each year it gets better.

And I just love it so, so, so much.

And I would encourage everyone to try and do something similar.

-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.

[ Cheers and applause ] -The scores are now official, and I want to tell you, all of these teams are fabulous with really smart, fast, extraordinary students.

And we begin with Einstein from Kensington, Maryland.

Eddie, Ben, Brendon -- 430 points.

[ Cheers and applause ] From Fairfax, Virginia, it was Woodson High School.

Seth, Stephen, Miranda -- 495 points And got that bonus.

[ Cheers and applause ] Coming back for the semifinal, the gentlemen from Rockville High School in Rockville, Maryland.

Alan, Henry, Alex -- 505 points.

Way to go, guys.

[ Cheers and applause ] It was a great game and all of you are wonderful.

Very evenly matched.

Love that.

So stick around because 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.

-So glad that you were with us today on "It's Academic."

See you next time.

I'm Hillary Howard.

Bye, everybody.

Hey, you can all wave.

Bye.

[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪