1. Technology

He dropped out of both the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, but he learned enough about computer programming to get several jobs. Eventually, along with Robert Miner in 1977, who founded Software Development Labs? He is still with the company though it now has a different name. Name this man whose personal wealth has been compared to that of his rival Bill Gates; he is the cofounder of Oracle.

ANSWER: (Larry) Ellison

2. British Literature

Which of Shakespeare’s title characters says, “Then you must speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well”? The woman he loves is Desdemona. Name the Moor of Venice.

ANSWER: Othello

3. Physics (30 Seconds)

Find the acceleration due to gravity on a distant planet if an object dropped from rest near the surface of the planet attains a speed of ten meters per second as it falls ten meters. Assume that the planet has no atmosphere.

ANSWER: 5 meters per square second (or meters per second squared or newtons per meter, do not accept meters per second) (accept -5 or downward)

4. Pop Culture

This four-letter word refers to thirteen illegal actions, including dropping the ball, not stepping in the direction of the throw, and unnecessarily delaying the game. What baseball term penalizes the pitcher by allowing runners to advance one base? It often is associated with pickoff attempts.

ANSWER: Balk

5. Religion/Mythology

Starting with the word ‘The’, give the four-word English phrase for the following: Suffering exists, suffering arises from attachment to desires, suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases, and freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path. These are the bases of Buddhism.

ANSWER: The Four Noble Truths

6. United States History

Which grandson of the preacher Jonathan Edwards had one of the most inconsistent careers in American political history? He left the US Senate in 1797 to join the New York State Assembly but could not win reelection to the Assembly in 1799. He then was almost elected President, but a few years later the President in his own party tried him for treason. Name the Vice President who shot Alexander Hamilton.

ANSWER: (Aaron) Burr

7. Algebra (30 Seconds)

Expand and simplify the product of the following three factors. Give your answer in order of descending exponents, which is the standard form. Multiply the quantity (x+1) times the quantity (x+2) times the quantity (x+3).

ANSWER: x³+6x²+11x+6

8. Current Events

Which country are Mohammed Atef, Mohammad Atta, and Ayman al-Zawahiri from? At the beginning of the Iraq War, this country’s President said, “If there is one bin Laden now, there will be one hundred bin Ladens afterwards.” Considered the Arab world’s most populous nation, it is headed by Hosni Mubarak.

ANSWER: Egypt

9. World Literature

Which 1908 children’s story is set on the North Shore of Prince Edward Island? It was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

ANSWER: Anne of (the) Green Gables

10. Biology

Which genetic disorder can cause spleen damage and the clogging of small blood vessels? On the positive side, it prevents malaria. Identify this disease that affects about one-fifth of one percent of African Americans.

ANSWER: Sickle-Cell (Disease or Anemia)

11. Language Arts

This is a spelling question. Spell the word for the period of time mentioned in Chapter Twenty of Revelations. Spell the word that represents one thousand years.

ANSWER: M-I-L-L-E-N-N-I-U-M

12. Music

(Note to moderator: ‘Rodeo’ is pronounced Ro-day-o.) When he first decided to become a composer, who started out by taking a correspondence course on harmony? His varied works include the score for Of Mice and Men, a work for speaker and chorus based on the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, and the opera The Tender Land. His best-known works, based on American folklore, are Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring.

ANSWER: (Aaron) Copland

13. Geometry/Trigonometry (10 Seconds)

What eleven-letter word is used for a three-dimensional simplex? Also called a triangular-based pyramid, it consists of four triangles and is one of the Platonic solids.

ANSWER: Tetrahedron

14. World History

His father hated him so much that he beat him with a cane in front of troops and executed his best friend. Eventually taking over his father’s position as king, his reign can be viewed as 23 years of war followed by 23 years of peace. The wars, including the Seven Years’ War, allowed him to double his nation’s size. Name this eighteenth century ruler of Prussia.

ANSWER: (King) Frederick The Great (accept Frederick The Second, prompt on Frederick)

15. Astronomy/Earth Science/Geography

Which nation has sovereignty over the Juan Fernandez Archipelago and Easter Island? Bordered by Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, this country’s climate varies from desert to subantarctic.

ANSWER: Chile

16. United States Literature

Which poem advises, “Approach thy grave like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.” This last part of the poem was added in 1821. Written by William Cullen Bryant, its name means ‘Meditation on death.’

ANSWER: Thanatopsis

17. Chemistry (30 Seconds)

Unstable Technetium-99 has a half-life of six hours. If you begin with 64 grams of Technetium-99, how much will be left after twenty-four hours?

ANSWER: 4(.0) Grams

18. Calculus/Math History (10 Seconds)

Which mathematician wrote Metrica and Geometrica around 100 AD? Because many of the formulas he devised were approximations, many historians believe that he was Mesopotamian rather than Greek. He is most famous for a formula which bears his name even though it was probably devised before he wrote about it. The formula uses the lengths of the sides and the semiperimeter to find the area of a triangle.

ANSWER: Hero(n)

19. Art/Architecture

Which major artist painted several Biblical scenes during the 1620s and ‘30s? He also drew portraits throughout his career, including a large number of self-portraits. Name this Dutch painter and etcher.

ANSWER: Rembrandt (Harmenszoon van Rijn) (prompt on Rijn)

20. Nonfiction

Which eighteenth century German philosopher was very critical of Gottfried Leibniz? His works include The Critique of Judgment, The Critique of Practical Reason, and The Critique of Pure Reason.

ANSWER: (Immanuel) Kant

NOTE: These questions are for breaking ties. If you need to replace a question, use the corresponding question from the Replacement packet. In a tiebreaker, the first correct answer wins the match.

Tiebreaker #1

In addition to being the title of a Beatles song or two, this word is used in astronomy. The meaning referred to by The Beatles is a change in some manner, particularly in political organization. The astronomical meaning refers to the path of a body in orbit.

ANSWER: Revolution

Tiebreaker #2 (30 Seconds)

Find the sum of the following seven numbers: 1+2+4+8+16+32+64.

ANSWER: 127

Tiebreaker #3

Which state uses the postal abbreviation TN?

ANSWER: Tennessee