This program brought to you in part by the Erika Lewis Endowment Fund.

Coming up, it's Clark... [cheers and applause] ...taking on A-Tech.

[cheers and applause] This is Varsity Quiz!

[crashing sound] ♪♪♪ [cheers and applause] Hello and welcome.

This is the 55th season of Varsity Quiz.

It's an honor to be your host, Nathan Tannenbaum.

We are wrapping up the road to the Silver League Championship with this second of two semifinal matches.

You know, there were 20 schools in three divisions in this year's Silver League.

Tonight, it's the Clark Chargers, who defeated Shadow Ridge in their quarterfinal, and Advanced Technologies Academy, the Mavericks from A-Tech who defeated Green Valley, to see which team moves on to the 2024 VQ Championship Match.

Let's start today by meeting our players, starting with Clark.

There's Vivian.

Hi, Vivian.

-Hi.

-There's Shajee.

-Hi.

-There's Parth.

-Hey.

-And there's Theo.

-Hi.

-And the coaches for Clark, Lonnie Robbins and Amber Thacker.

That's the team from Clark High School!

[applause] Now, let's meet the starters for A-Tech.

There's Shivaansh.

Hi, Shivaansh.

Welcome back.

There's Carlo.

Hey, Carlo.

-Hi.

Anushka.

And there's Callum.

Hey, Callum.

And the coach for A-Tech, Johnny Nguyen.

That is the A-Tech team!

[applause] Ready?

Let's play Varsity Quiz.

The book enumerating the lands owned by the king was published in 1086 called The Great Survey.

What is it called today due to the fact that the king's ownership was considered unchangeable?

Clark, Vivian: the Book of Doom -No.

A-Tech, Carlo: Magna Carta -No.

We were looking for The Domesday Book.

Something a little more specific.

So no points.

We move on.

What's the traditional major protein source of Norway?

Clark, Parth: seal -Pardon me?

-Seal.

-I'm still not hearing what you're-- seal?

That's incorrect.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] -I think that's too late.

We were looking for just fish.

Next question.

Name the artist who painted Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Clark, Vivian: Vermeer -Yes.

Points on the board.

We keep going with a calculation question, students.

Solve for x.

3(2x+5)=6x-1 Repeating.

Solve for x.

3(2x+5)=6x-1 We'll go with Clark, Parth: no solution -Incorrect.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] All right.

So Callum, A-Tech: four -Incorrect.

We were looking for the number 3, x=3.

No points.

We move on.

Hey, what's the chemical responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells?

Clark, Parth: dopamine -No.

A-Tech, Carlo: neurotransmitters -Yes.

Points on the board for A-Tech, and we move on.

Which early 21st century President is the only one to have twins, daughters Barbara and Jenna.

Clark, Parth: Obama -Incorrect.

A-Tech, Callum: George Bush Well, there's two of those.

We need one.

-George W. Bush.

-Correct.

Next question.

The discovery that this genetic material could kill viruses has made it possible to make vaccines in which the person is not exposed to the disease at all.

Clark, Vivian: mRNA -Yes.

Which ancient city state is considered the birthplace of democracy?

Clark, Vivian: Athens -Yes.

American author Tim O'Brien's work, The Things They Carried, well, that was his way to help people understand the experience of soldiers in which war that he participated in?

Clark, Shajee: World War I -Incorrect.

A-Tech, Carlo: Crimean War -Incorrect.

It was the Vietnam War.

Next question.

Although Andy Warhol died in 1987, the Supreme Court ruled in the spring of 2023 that Warhol had infringed on a photo copyright when he created art prints of which musical celebrity who had died in 2016?

Clark, Shajee: Mac Miller -No.

[buzzer sound] [bell chimes] -Okay.

Callum, A-Tech: Marilyn Monroe -No.

It's a twisted question.

We were looking for Prince, The Artist Formerly Known As.

Next question.

Older rockets used for space travel, such as the Apollo missions, they were replaced with what newer vehicle from 1981 until 2011 that could land and be reused?

That's A-Tech, Callum: a Space Shuttle -Yes.

Who was the military commander responsible for the Allied victory in Europe in World War II who later became U.S. President?

A-Tech, Callum: Eisenhower -Yes.

What ancient civilization associated with the city of Troy was the last phase of the Bronze Age in the Greek Empire?

Clark, Parth: Minoans -Incorrect.

A-Tech, Carlo: Mycenaeans -Yes.

Debate continues over the safety of private spaceflight by which aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company?

Clark, Parth: SpaceX -Yes.

Founded in 1565, name the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the 50 U.S. states.

Clark, Shajee: St. Augustine -Yes.

Next question is a calculation question.

Find the sine of a 30-degree angle.

That's Clark, Parth: 1/2 -Yes.

Which Shakespeare play is about a Moorish general?

Clark, Theo: Othello -Yes.

Which large moon of Jupiter is the most volcanically active-- Clark, Parth: Io -Yes.

If it's Monday, then John goes to the gym.

John goes to the gym.

What two-word-- A-Tech, Carlo: modus ponens -Incorrect.

That's an interrupt.

I'll finish reading the question.

What two-word term is used for the fallacy in logic here?

Clark, Shajee: post hoc -No.

We were looking for non sequitur.

Next question.

Chile has the world's largest reserves, produces the second largest amount of a mineral that's critical-- A-Tech, Carlo: lithium -Yes.

"Apoapsis" is the term for the point in an orbit where a satellite is farthest from the celestial body that it orbits.

For anything around the sun, it's called an aphelion.

What's it called for any object going around the earth?

Clark, Parth: apogee -Yes.

What was the name of the main character in 1984?

A-Tech, Carlo: [inaudible] I think we have to take that as a no answer.

We'll go with Clark, Theo: Winston Smith -That's correct.

AI is being used in medicine to figure out the cause of symptoms.

So what adjective is used to describe this type of AI, based on the verb form of the word for determining medical causation?

Clark, Shajee: diagnostic -Yes.

Calculation question next, students.

A salesperson earns a 10% commission on all sales.

She sold two $1,250 phones last week.

How much commission will she receive?

That's Clark, Parth: 250 -Yes.

In March 2023, a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose became available without prescription.

Name this medication.

Clark, Parth: Narcan -Yes.

We've come to the end of the round, but don't go anywhere.

Let's give these students a round of applause.

It's a good first round.

[applause] We're gonna take a minute now to have a conversation with our students and get to know them a little better.

Are you guys able to breathe after that?

Let's start with Vivian, a senior from Clark.

Hi Vivian.

-Hi.

-Good to see you again.

You wrote that you lived in an overseas city for a year.

What city was that?

-Yeah.

I lived in Guangzhou for a year when I was very young.

-And where is that?

-It's in China.

-Yeah.

That's north or east?

-I think it's Northern.

-And you were too young to remember?

-Yeah.

-You've been here most your life?

-Yeah.

-Well, I hope you can go visit sometime.

We're glad you're here.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Vivian.

Here's senior Shajee.

Hi, Shajee.

-Hi.

-Good to see you again.

You wrote that you were born in a different city and like to go back there every year.

What city, and why do you like to go back?

-That's New York City, specifically Manhattan.

I like to go back because I have family there.

It's fun to go and check out.

-I thought there were Broadway plays or something like that.

Family is even better.

Have fun with that.

And good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thank you, Shajee.

Here's 12th grader Parth.

-Hi, hello.

-Welcome back.

You wrote that you like a certain kind of music.

What kind of music do you like?

Do you remember what you wrote?

-I like vocaloid music.

-Yeah, and I'm not sure what that is.

-It's effectively like-- it's computer-- it's music generated by-- people use a voice bank to generate music on a computer.

Huh?

-A computer sounding like someone singing?

-Yeah.

-Whoa, dude.

-It's cool.

-Okay.

Well, I'm glad you like that, and good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks Parth.

Here's 10th grader Theo.

Hi, Theo.

-Hi.

-Welcome back.

You wrote that you've been playing a musical instrument for a while.

What do you play?

-I play piano.

I've been doing it for nine years.

-And are you in the orchestra, or is this just for fun?

-It's for fun mostly.

-Sounds like you and Parth need to get together, and you need to make some vocaloid music.

Those are our students from Clark.

Give them a round of applause.

Thanks, you guys.

[applause] Now let's get to know our students from A-Tech a little better.

There's Shivaansh.

Welcome back.

-What's up?

-I wanted to know about debate.

How's the A-Tech debate team going?

Has it started yet?

-Yeah.

It's been going all year.

It's been really fun, and we've won a decent amount throughout the year so far.

Yeah.

-Excellent.

Did you want to continue doing that?

-Yeah.

I plan to go into more debate in college and my career path.

-Right on.

Good luck with that.

Good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks Shivaansh.

Here's Carlo.

Welcome back, Carlo.

-Hi.

-So you wrote that you went to some kind of a convention.

-Yeah.

I went to a hacker convention.

-A hacker convention?

Because they have those here.

It's not like-- I mean, if it was illegal, they wouldn't have it.

So what happens at a hacker convention?

-The one I had, had a bunch of different places.

The coolest was where they taught you how to like, pick a door.

-Okay.

Well, I hope everything is above board there, Carlo.

Good luck with that.

And good luck here on Varsity Quiz.

We welcome back Anushka.

Hi, Anushka.

-Hi.

-Good to see you again.

You wrote that you have a specific hobby, or maybe it's a club sport.

Do you remember what you-- you put on skates?

-Yeah.

I do figure skating.

-That's cool.

Do you do it competitively or for fun?

-No.

I've done a couple of performances, but it's mostly just for fun.

-Okay.

Where do you skate around here?

-I've done like, some-- yeah, at Las Vegas Ice Center.

-Okay.

-And I did one at City National.

-Well, good luck with that.

And good luck on Varsity Quiz.

Thanks, Anushka.

And here is, let's see, there's Callum.

Hey, Callum.

Good to see you.

-How you doing, Nate?

-I'm mostly sunny.

How are you?

-Good.

-Well, speaking of strapping on skates, you wrote that you play hockey.

-Yes, I do.

-That's different than figure skating, right?

-A little bit more contact.

-Yeah.

Are you playing on a competitive team?

-Yes.

I'm currently playing on the 18U team for the Las Vegas Ice Warriors out of Hylo Park.

-Do you have a position that you normally play?

-Yes.

I normally play defense.

-Excellent.

So you like to bump into the guys?

-Yes.

-All right.

That's Callum.

That's the team from A-Tech.

Thanks, you guys.

And our Bonus Round coming right up.

[crashing sound] Here we go.

Going into Round 2: Clark 65 points to A-Tech's 25.

A couple new players here for Clark.

We say hello to Aaron.

Hey, Aaron.

-Hey.

-Welcome.

There's Michu.

-Hello.

-There's Parth.

And there's Varun.

Hey, Varun.

-Hi.

-Welcome.

And now for the Advanced Technologies Academy, your eyes are not deceiving you.

These are the same students from Round 1.

Ready?

Cold and warm weather fronts cause weather changes when they meet due to differences in temperature and what other measurable quality-- And we'll go with A-Tech, Carlo: pressure -Incorrect.

--and what other measurable quality of the air?

Clark, Michu: humidity -No.

We were looking for density.

No points.

We move to this next question.

What book was written by Ernest Cline and has the number 1 in the title?

Clark, Parth: Ready Player One -Yes.

Now we have bonus questions about literature for Clark only.

So we'll give you an author and a number.

We want you to give the title of the book that has that number.

First, Jules Verne, and the number is 80; second, J.R.R.

Tolkien, and the number is 2.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

- Around the World in 80 Days and The Two Towers.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

This question now for both teams.

What law of physics relates the angle of incidence to the angle of-- Clark, Parth: Snell's Law -Incorrect.

And that is an interrupt.

Let me finish the question.

--law of physics relates to the angle of incidence to the angle of bounce back for light waves?

A-Tech, Carlo: Law of Refraction -Incorrect.

We were looking for the Law of Reflection.

No points.

We move to this question for both teams.

Name the Governor of Arkansas whose previous job was being the 31st White House Press Secretary.

And that's Clark, Varun: Sarah Huckabee Sanders -Correct.

Bonus questions now for Clark only about governors.

First, Rod Blagojevich served as the governor of which state?

Second, Lurleen Wallace served as the governor of which state?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -Louisiana and Missouri -Both are incorrect.

Blagojevich was the governor of Illinois.

Lurleen Wallace was the widow of Alabama Governor George Wallace.

No points.

We move to the next question.

As of the year 2023, the oldest living child of a U.S. President is Lynda Bird Robb.

Her mother was Lady Bird.

Who was her father?

A-Tech, Callum: Johnson -There was a couple of Presidents with that name.

-Lyndon Baines Johnson -Correct.

Bonus questions for A-Tech only about Presidents.

First, who was the U.S. President when the first man walked on the moon?

Second, shortly after Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933, he declared what kind of holiday?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-LBJ and fireside -Both are incorrect.

The President when the first man walked on the moon was Richard Nixon, 1969.

And Roosevelt declared a bank holiday because of the Depression.

Next question for both teams.

So no bonus points.

The largest known of these numbers is 2 to the 82 million, 500-- And that is A-Tech, Carlo: prime -Yes.

Bonus questions now for A-Tech about math.

First, which D-word, D as in David, D-word is a way to calculate the difference between two differentials?

Second, what shape is the graph of a quadratic function?

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -Derivative and parabola.

-Both are correct.

You got bonus points.

Now this question for both teams.

Is the following committee associated with either the House of Representatives, the US Senate, or both, or neither?

Transportation and infrastructure.

Clark, Parth: both -Incorrect.

A-Tech, Shivaansh: House of Representatives -That is correct.

Bonus questions about government now for A-Tech only.

First, are these committees associated with the House, the Senate, or both, or neither?

First, judiciary; and second, Appropriations.

You have 10 seconds.

[students deliberate] -We have neither and Senate.

-Senate is correct.

Judiciary is actually both.

So some bonus points, but not all.

Hey, here's a question for both teams, and it is a calculation question, students.

What is the complex conjugate of 5i?

A-Tech, Carlo: negative 5i -Correct.

Bonus calculation questions for A-Tech only.

First, what is the greatest common factor of 42, 126, and 210?

Second, rounded to the nearest centimeter, what's the volume of a cone with a radius of 6 centimeters and a height of 10 centimeters?

Let me repeat those.

What's the greatest common factor of 42, 126, and 210?

Second, rounded to the nearest centimeter, what's the volume of a cone with a radius 6 centimeters, height, 10 centimeters?

10 seconds.

[students deliberate] Captain?

-We have 3 and 120.

-Both are incorrect.

We were looking for 42 is the common factor, and the volume is 377 cubic centimeters.

No points-- no bonus points.

Now-- we're out of time?

Oh, darn.

Hey, the Speed Round is coming up.

The score going into Round 3: Clark 80, A-Tech 55.

We say it all the time only because we mean it, in this Speed Round, anything can happen.

So even if the score sounds a little off, no, these kids, they're amazing.

So in Round 3-- oh, by the way, all of the players for Clark are returning players.

Vivian is back, Shajee is back, Parth didn't go anywhere, and Theo is back.

A-Tech has one new player.

We love Shivaansh, Carlo, and Callum.

And there's William.

Hi, William.

Welcome aboard.

Didn't want to get ahead of myself.

Speed Round, 30 questions.

Correct answers still worth 5 points.

This is a timed round as well, six minutes.

We get to as many questions as we can.

Think about the logic.

If we get to all 30 questions before the six minutes is up, the round is still over.

The match will be over after that 30th question.

All right.

Let's keep going.

Let's go!

What two words are used to designate an experience where you feel immersed in a computer-generated environment?

A-Tech, Shivaansh: virtual reality -Yes.

Who was the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, holding the office from 2006-- We'll go with A-Tech, Carlo: Shinzo Abe -Correct.

Next is a calculation question.

We do not repeat in this third round.

Solve for y.

2y/3=4.

Clark, Parth: 6 -Correct.

Who is the author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, a novel blending history, fantasy, and the immigrant experience?

[bell chimes, time expires] Junot Diaz.

Next question.

August of 2023, Noah Lyles became "The Fastest Man on Earth" when he broke the record of which superstar-- A-Tech, Shivaansh: Usain Bolt -Correct.

What binds quarks within protons and neutrons as well as-- A-Tech, Carlo: gluons -Incorrect.

--and neutrons as well as holding atomic nuclei together?

Clark, Parth: the strong force -That is correct.

-Which company is known for its electric cars, including the Model S-- A-Tech, Shivaansh: Tesla -Yes.

Who was the Roman god of the sky?

A-Tech, Shivaash: Jupiter -Yes.

What's the term for a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific-- Clark, Parth: population -Yes.

What's the largest city in South America by population?

Clark, Shajee: Sao Paulo -Correct.

Which Egyptian goddess specialized in several areas that included magic?

A-Tech, Shivaansh: Isis -Yes.

What court position was held by a humorous character who often provides comic relief in a Shakespearean play?

Clark, Vivian: jester -Yes.

Paleontologists study the structure of which part of the dinosaur to determine their type of movement?

A-Tech, Shivaansh: wings -No.

Clark, Theo: legs -Yes.

What two words name the study of marine weather patterns?

Clark, Shajee: ocean geology -Incorrect.

A-Tech, Carlo: oceanology -No.

We were looking for ocean meteorology.

Y'all were dancing around it.

We move on.

Known for always remaining true to herself, which Irish singer and activist known for the hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" died in July 2023.

[bell chimes, time expires] [buzzer sound] Too late?

You got to go back and listen to Sinead O'Connor.

Next question.

What's the first name of the protagonist in Gary Paulsen's Hatchet series?

Clark, Theo: Brian -Yes.

Musical intervals can either be harmonic or what other-- Clark, Theo: melodic -Yes.

What's the capital of Turkey?

Clark, Theo: Ankara -Yes.

What's the name for the process by which nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is converted into-- A-Tech, Carlo: nitrification -Let me finish the question.

--is converted into ammonia by bacteria?

Clark, Shajee: a modification -No.

We were looking for nitrogen fixation.

No points.

We move on.

Calculation question.

Again, not repeated in the third round, so listen up.

Factor this expression: 9a squared minus 4b squared.

Clark, Parth: (3a+2b)(3a-2b) -Yes.

What's the chemical formula for sodium hydroxide?

Clark, Parth: NaOH -Yes.

What's the title of the series by C.S.

Lewis that ends with the book-- Clark, Theo: The Chronicles of Narnia -Yes.

Bathymetry is the study of the topography of what areas?

Clark, Parth: ocean floor -Yes.

What two-word name is used to describe animal proteins that have been lab-grown?

Clark, Parth: synthetic meat -I don't think we can take that.

A-Tech, Carlo: in vitro -No.

It's cultured meat.

Next question.

Chanoyu is the traditional Japanese ceremony where guests sit on a tatami floor while the host prepares and serves what?

Clark, Parth: tea -Yes.

On July 26, 2023, a federal district judge in Delaware delayed a plea deal for who-- for what well-known person on charges of late tax payments-- Clark, Shajee: Donald Trump -Incorrect.

--late tax payments and illegal gun possession?

[bell chimes, time expires] It was Hunter Biden.

Next question.

What's the term for a circular depression formed by the collapse of a volcano?

Clark, Parth: caldera -Yes.

-What's the clear, watery fluid that lubricates the joints in your body?

Clark, Parth: synovial fluid -Yes.

What biological term refers to the variety of life in a habitat?

Clark, Shajee: biodiversity -Yes.

What was the first state of the United States?

A-Tech, Callum: Delaware -That is correct.

Now we're out of questions.

That means we need to find out who won.

[crashing sound] Our final score tonight: Clark 160 points to A-Tech's 80 points.

Can we get a round of applause for both teams?

An excellent match today.

[applause] Congratulations to Clark.

They're going to be matching wits next week against Coronado for the title 2024 Varsity Quiz Champion.

Thanks for watching Varsity Quiz on Vegas PBS.