Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

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seaborgium
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by seaborgium »

Just to be clear, I had seen Monday's game at the time I read that post; I was just concerned for anybody who might be watching out of order (which, as Arthur pointed out, shouldn't be to one's detriment this week due to QFs).
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by opusthepenguin »

goatman wrote:This tricky 'alternate number' theme occurs fairly often I think Alex likes it: when you multiply a negative # you get a + real number so every real integer has both -/+ solutions. Again the math intuition helps to quickly solve; you know SqRoot 81 = 9 and 14-5=9 is already given; so the other solution has to be for the negative root; x-5 = -9 has to be -4-5=-9; -9 x -9 also = 81.
And yet two clues prior, they'd had "8^2 + X^2 = 100" and accepted an incomplete response. That always very mildly peeves me.
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georgespelvin
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by georgespelvin »

Coelacanth wrote:
ArthurChu wrote:Interesting thought: During the QFs and SFs of a tournament is the only time when watching eps out of order does not inherently constitute a spoiler because the makeup of this game's three contestants is, for once, wholly independent of the previous game's outcome. (To the point where during the QFs the contestants are sequestered so they themselves don't know what the outcome of the previous games were when they play theirs.)
Just for completeness' sake, this is also true during the "pre-quarterfinal" or preliminary or whatever you want to call them rounds of the BotD, and was also true during the first couple of rounds of the UToC.

There have been times when Alex himself has spoiled results during the tournaments. ("Let's see which of our players will join ____ in the next round")
If you didn't see the 2000s taping, don't watch Tuesday's show before Monday's. I think Alex does that in the taping of the Tuesday show.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by teapot37 »

Apparently the fact in this game's FJ is already out of date.
Not many people can say they've lost four times on Jeopardy!.
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El Jefe
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by El Jefe »

teapot37 wrote:Apparently the fact in this game's FJ is already out of date.
Earth to Ellen: if you didn't take the picture, it's *not* your selfie, it's just a picture.
seaborgium
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by seaborgium »

El Jefe wrote:
teapot37 wrote:Apparently the fact in this game's FJ is already out of date.
Earth to Ellen: if you didn't take the picture, it's *not* your selfie, it's just a picture.
Where did she call it a selfie? (Unless you're talking about her calling it a selfie before it was taken, in which case you're correcting terminology she used before the situation made itself clear.)

edit: and it's still a selfie (if not hers).
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El Jefe
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by El Jefe »

seaborgium wrote:
El Jefe wrote:
teapot37 wrote:Apparently the fact in this game's FJ is already out of date.
Earth to Ellen: if you didn't take the picture, it's *not* your selfie, it's just a picture.
Where did she call it a selfie? (Unless you're talking about her calling it a selfie before it was taken, in which case you're correcting terminology she used before the situation made itself clear.)

edit: and it's still a selfie (if not hers).
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/172333 ... erse.jhtml

..."[Ellen] called the 'most retweeted selfie of all time"

To further moot the quibble:

http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/03 ... ie/358758/

In the court of public opinion, photos belongs to camera owners, I will grant you.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by seaborgium »

I amend my question to "Where did she call it her selfie?" Never mind!
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El Jefe
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by El Jefe »

seaborgium wrote:I amend my question to "Where did she call it her selfie?" Never mind!
The second link talks about why whose picture it is is problematic. She gave AP permission to use it, confirming their implication that it was hers to give. We'll probably never know. I still don't like how inconsistently the term is applied by media. Are we to understand that every time a tourist hands a camera to another person in order to get a picture of them in front of a landmark they are 'taking a selfie'?
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by dhkendall »

El Jefe wrote:
seaborgium wrote:I amend my question to "Where did she call it her selfie?" Never mind!
The second link talks about why whose picture it is is problematic. She gave AP permission to use it, confirming their implication that it was hers to give. We'll probably never know. I still don't like how inconsistently the term is applied by media. Are we to understand that every time a tourist hands a camera to another person in order to get a picture of them in front of a landmark they are 'taking a selfie'?
If that's the case we might as well call the iconic pictures of Che or Winston Churchill "selfies". Or the Mona Lisa.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by TenPoundHammer »

Bumping because I can't believe I never asked for help on these math clues. $200 in particular seems way undervalued.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by jeff6286 »

TenPoundHammer wrote:Bumping because I can't believe I never asked for help on these math clues. $200 in particular seems way undervalued.
It's really a shame, because every other time you've asked how you were supposed to solve math clues, it's led to engaging, enlightening conversation that was said to be a real joy by all involved.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by Bamaman »

jeff6286 wrote:
TenPoundHammer wrote:Bumping because I can't believe I never asked for help on these math clues. $200 in particular seems way undervalued.
It's really a shame, because every other time you've asked how you were supposed to solve math clues, it's led to engaging, enlightening conversation that was said to be a real joy by all involved.
I assumed he didn't ask because he listens to us so much he no longer needed help with math.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by alietr »

Every time TPH asks one of his inimitable questions, I keep thinking of this scene (particularly the part about the dime), which has always been one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wOUMd3bMRI
TenPoundHammer

Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by TenPoundHammer »

Seriously though.

500-x+1=381

How in the world do you shortcut that?!
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skullturf
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by skullturf »

Well, first of all, it's a very specific type of question, and it's a type of question that comes up on Jeopardy! only occasionally.

If an aspiring Jeopardy! contestant decided that they were just going to ignore that type of question, and hope that it doesn't come up when they tape, that would be an entirely reasonable approach.

But here's how I approach that question.

I notice there happens to be a 1 on both sides. By subtracting that 1 from both sides, it becomes:

500-x = 380. (Edited to fix typo. Lousy keyboards having the "+" and "=" symbols on the same key.)

In other words, "What do I need to subtract from 500 to get 380?" And the answer is 120. Subtracting 100 from 500 would get you down to 400, so in order to get down to 380, you need to subtract a little bit more.

That's how I would do it. There is more than one correct way to do it.

Would I have done that quickly enough to ring in on the show, before all other contestants? I'm honestly not sure.

Quick mental arithmetic or algebra is a skill that can be improved with practice. The extent to which we need or want that skill is another question, and can vary with the person or the circumstances.
Last edited by skullturf on Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by TenPoundHammer »

skullturf wrote:I notice there happens to be a 1 on both sides. By subtracting that 1 from both sides, it becomes:

500-x + 380.

In other words, "What do I need to subtract from 500 to get 380?" And the answer is 120. Subtracting 100 from 500 would get you down to 400, so in order to get down to 380, you need to subtract a little bit more.
My thought process when I tried it by myself:

500-380. Okay, that's 50-38. Can't take away from 0, so borrow the 1. 4 [10] - 38. 10 minus 8 is 2... oh wait, what did I have up there again, a 5 or a 4? Crap, go back. 50-38. 10-8=2, 5-3 is... whoops. Borrowing and carrying ALWAYS trip me up because it's too many numbers to keep track of.
skullturf wrote:Quick mental arithmetic or algebra is a skill that can be improved with practice. The extent to which we need or want that skill is another question, and can vary with the person or the circumstances.
It hasn't with me. Whenever these math categories come up, I pause the DVR to see if I can work it. If anything, I'm only getting WORSE by actually trying.
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by opusthepenguin »

TenPoundHammer wrote:
skullturf wrote:I notice there happens to be a 1 on both sides. By subtracting that 1 from both sides, it becomes:

500-x + 380.

In other words, "What do I need to subtract from 500 to get 380?" And the answer is 120. Subtracting 100 from 500 would get you down to 400, so in order to get down to 380, you need to subtract a little bit more.
My thought process when I tried it by myself:

500-380. Okay, that's 50-38. Can't take away from 0, so borrow the 1. 4 [10] - 38. 10 minus 8 is 2... oh wait, what did I have up there again, a 5 or a 4? Crap, go back. 50-38. 10-8=2, 5-3 is... whoops. Borrowing and carrying ALWAYS trip me up because it's too many numbers to keep track of.
The corollary to "there's more than one right way" is "there's also more than one WRONG way." :lol:
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by opusthepenguin »

skullturf wrote:I notice there happens to be a 1 on both sides. By subtracting that 1 from both sides, it becomes:

500-x + 380.

In other words, "What do I need to subtract from 500 to get 380?" And the answer is 120. Subtracting 100 from 500 would get you down to 400, so in order to get down to 380, you need to subtract a little bit more.

That's how I would do it. There is more than one correct way to do it.

Would I have done that quickly enough to ring in on the show, before all other contestants? I'm honestly not sure.
I used your method as well. I can state pretty confidently that I wouldn't have gotten that done in time to ring in. I think most contestants wouldn't. You sort of have to look at the equation, deduce that it's quickly solvable, ring in, and hope that your brain gears don't lock up in fright when Alex calls your name. (But if they do, you should shout "Bourbon!")
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skullturf
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Re: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

Post by skullturf »

TenPoundHammer wrote:500-380. Okay, that's 50-38. Can't take away from 0, so borrow the 1. 4 [10] - 38. 10 minus 8 is 2... oh wait, what did I have up there again, a 5 or a 4? Crap, go back. 50-38. 10-8=2, 5-3 is... whoops. Borrowing and carrying ALWAYS trip me up because it's too many numbers to keep track of.
This is why many people recommend not using borrowing and carrying for mental subtraction. Another way to do it is to "add up" to the number. People often do this when making change.

If you give me a $5 bill for something that costs $3.80, I might hand you a dime and say "3.90", then hand you another dime and say "4 dollars", and then hand you a dollar bill and say "And one dollar makes five" or something like that.

Effectively, I "counted up" from 380 to 500. I figured out that 120 is what I need to add to 380 to make 500.

And again, this is a very small part of the game of Jeopardy! (although it may be useful in other situations, like making change, or deciding on bets in poker, or figuring out your share of a restaurant bill).

Part of becoming better at mental arithmetic is not thinking of arithmetic as a set of rules that must be followed, but a set of various correct rules where you can choose the most convenient one to follow.
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