Learned League 86 - Aug/Sep 2020

[classicroadster]

I posted this on the LL board, but am I supposed to know what sodium carbonate is? I mean, I can do the chemistry but washing soda means absolutely nothing to me. Looking it up after the fact, I guess they made glass out of it?
Anyway, didn't matter too much as I won 4(4)-3(3) to keep the promotion dream alive. I'm one point out of promotion zone but its a real logjam for that last spot. I think there are 6 people within 2 points.

[morbeedo]

I posted this on the LL board, but am I supposed to know what sodium carbonate is? I mean, I can do the chemistry but washing soda means absolutely nothing to me. Looking it up after the fact, I guess they made glass out of it?

I spent so much time wondering if I should put sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, or simply baking soda! Didn’t even think that I might have too many carbonates in the mix :/

[MarkBarrett]

I posted this on the LL board, but am I supposed to know what sodium carbonate is? I mean, I can do the chemistry but washing soda means absolutely nothing to me. Looking it up after the fact, I guess they made glass out of it?

I spent so much time wondering if I should put sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, or simply baking soda! Didn’t even think that I might have too many carbonates in the mix :/

No idea for me on the science and I was correctly assigned 3 to leave me with 6 points. Relying on limited percentages (opponent's second season) I put the 3 on Hurston to give up a 8(5) in making me the only poor so-and-so in the group to lose with five correct.

[StevenH]

I was so close to a Buckner win yesterday, as I won 7(3)-1(1). I am not sure why my opponent would give me a 2 for Hurston, but I'll take it!

My opponent also gave me a 0 for Champagne. I embarrassingly lost the coin flip on that one and guessed Burgundy.

[Vermonter]

One day I'll stop mixing up cation and anion...yesterday was not that day.

Onions make you cry --> Anions are negative

[Woof]

I posted this on the LL board, but am I supposed to know what sodium carbonate is? I mean, I can do the chemistry but washing soda means absolutely nothing to me. Looking it up after the fact, I guess they made glass out of it?

I spent so much time wondering if I should put sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, or simply baking soda! Didn’t even think that I might have too many carbonates in the mix :/

The bi in the name actually refers to the presence of a hydrogen atom. Bicarbonate has the formula HCO3- whereas carbonate is CO3(2-) Since there's no acid present you end up with plain carbonate but unless you know the ratios of brine to limestone there's no way to be sure.

[econgator]

I was so close to a Buckner win yesterday, as I won 7(3)-1(1).

How is that close to a Buckner win?

[This Is Kirk!]

One day I'll stop mixing up cation and anion...yesterday was not that day.

Cation has a 't' in the middle, which looks like a +. Anion could be slightly mispronounced like n (for negative)-ion.

One I read yesterday (after the fact, obvs) was "Cat(ion)s are Pawsitive"

I saw that. Awesome mnemonic!

[StevenH]

I was so close to a Buckner win yesterday, as I won 7(3)-1(1).

How is that close to a Buckner win?

Wouldn't it have been a Buckner win if I gave my opponent a 0 for the one that they got correct (Champagne, which I did consider for the 0)?

[econgator]

I was so close to a Buckner win yesterday, as I won 7(3)-1(1).

How is that close to a Buckner win?

Wouldn't it have been a Buckner win if I gave my opponent a 0 for the one that they got correct (Champagne, which I did consider for the 0)?

No. A Buckner win is scoring more points on two-fewer correct answers (7(3)-6(5), for example).

[StevenH]

I was so close to a Buckner win yesterday, as I won 7(3)-1(1).

How is that close to a Buckner win?

Wouldn't it have been a Buckner win if I gave my opponent a 0 for the one that they got correct (Champagne, which I did consider for the 0)?

No. A Buckner win is scoring more points on two-fewer correct answers (7(3)-6(5), for example).

Ah ok, thanks. My bad!

[teapot37]

There are only three possible sets of Buckner scores: 7(3)-6(5), 5(2)-4(4), and 3(1)-2(3).

[twelvefootboy]

I posted this on the LL board, but am I supposed to know what sodium carbonate is? I mean, I can do the chemistry but washing soda means absolutely nothing to me. Looking it up after the fact, I guess they made glass out of it?

I spent so much time wondering if I should put sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, or simply baking soda! Didn’t even think that I might have too many carbonates in the mix :/

The bi in the name actually refers to the presence of a hydrogen atom. Bicarbonate has the formula HCO3- whereas carbonate is CO3(2-) Since there's no acid present you end up with plain carbonate but unless you know the ratios of brine to limestone there's no way to be sure.

I'm curious how other chemistry minded players missed this one, since it polled at only 12%. From the straight chemistry angle, I inferred sodium carbonate and calcium chloride as potential products. Neither one rang a bell for Solvay process. I finally remembered why I know the name Solvay, it is from the famous Solvay Conferences which began early in the 20th century. The 1927 conference featured 17 nobel laureates (or soon to be) of the 29 attendees and the class picture is a popular poster. So, I figured Solvay got rich (like Alfred Nobel) with a game changing discovery and it must be a critical item - surely not just sodium (bi)carbonate to keep our refrigerators and drains smelling nice and our battery terminals clean. I went with HCl, as possibly the first cost effective source of hydrochloric acid.

My slide continues, and as expected, classicroadster has caught Armandillo and owns the tiebreaker. I've yet to get a W from him and hope to put up a decent number in MD25 when I play CR in the private rundle and my brother in the E rundle. I'm 2 match points below the cut line, so I need to run the table, or hope for an expanded cut line to meet Thorsten's rundle management needs.

[This Is Kirk!]

I'm curious how other chemistry minded players missed this one, since it polled at only 12%.

I thought about it for quite a while and finally came up with cement.

[seaborgium]

I'd never heard of Five Moons or the three women in that question, but I knew of only one set of famous Native American sisters, with or without a last name; luckily that set had a last name, and it was the correct answer. I'm not surprised to see the low get percentage. (I could name Maria but not Marjorie; I mainly knew Maria had a sister because Alex Trebek once BMSed a player who said, "Who is Tallchief?")

[alietr]

One day I'll stop mixing up cation and anion...yesterday was not that day.

Onions make you cry --> Anions are negative

I always remember them as ANTIons. And anything anti is negative.

I'd never heard of Five Moons or the three women in that question, but I knew of only one set of famous Native American sisters, with or without a last name; luckily that set had a last name, and it was the correct answer. I'm not surprised to see the low get percentage. (I could name Maria but not Marjorie; I mainly knew Maria had a sister because Alex Trebek once BMSed a player who said, "Who is Tallchief?")

Exact same here. I was surprised that it's probably going to be the hardest question of the season (and that I got it). I knew Maria had a sister, and since those were the only Native American sisters I could name, I went with that.

[mrparadise]

I'd never heard of Five Moons or the three women in that question, but I knew of only one set of famous Native American sisters, with or without a last name; luckily that set had a last name, and it was the correct answer. I'm not surprised to see the low get percentage. (I could name Maria but not Marjorie; I mainly knew Maria had a sister because Alex Trebek once BMSed a player who said, "Who is Tallchief?")

Same for me though I didn't recall Alex's bms until you mentioned it. I figured that most folks with an interest in classical music or opera would have gotten this easily so I was shocked at the low get rate.

[This Is Kirk!]

Out of the players I track (12 out of the 15 are in an A rundle--lots of heavy hitters), five of the 15 got Q4 (Reebok) right, and seven of 15 got Q5 (Tallchief) right. I thought that was interesting since the overall get rate was 46% for Q4 and 5% for Q5.

I got Tallchief right, but so did my opponent, thus had to set for a 9(6)-9(6) tie. I'm in a tight battle right now in my rundle and currently in third. I play both the person sitting in first (FrankJ) and second in my final three matches. There's still a good chance I could get knocked out of the top three, too, since fourth is sitting just one point below me. I am leading the rundle right now in MPD, so that will help my chances.

[MarkBarrett]

Out of the players I track (12 out of the 15 are in an A rundle--lots of heavy hitters), five of the 15 got Q4 (Reebok) right, and seven of 15 got Q5 (Tallchief) right. I thought that was interesting since the overall get rate was 46% for Q4 and 5% for Q5.

I got Tallchief right, but so did my opponent, thus had to set for a 9(6)-9(6) tie. I'm in a tight battle right now in my rundle and currently in third. I play both the person sitting in first (FrankJ) and second in my final three matches. There's still a good chance I could get knocked out of the top three, too, since fourth is sitting just one point below me. I am leading the rundle right now in MPD, so that will help my chances.

Tallchief for 3 points for me though TOCers Jim Coury and Jared Hall did not get it. 3xer Ali Hasan did not get it either. It seems like Tallchief was well above 5% for J! alums on this board.

[econgator]

Tallchief for 3 points for me though TOCers Jim Coury and Jared Hall did not get it. 3xer Ali Hasan did not get it either. It seems like Tallchief was well above 5% for J! alums on this board.

And me to the list of those who got it. She was the only Native American woman from recent times that I could name. I'll take the 3-points for the win.