The Official TPH Education Thread (POTENTIAL GAME DAY SPOILERS)

[opusthepenguin]

So, just now I decided to actually try to find some sort of trick to help...

Here's one: the last three are Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The initials of those three spell SUN.

That's the trick I use! I forget when and where I learned it, but it's stuck with me ever since.

[opusthepenguin]

I'm as terrible as you are for guessing distances: is 89,000 miles big or small? I remembered that Earth is 20,000 miles (24,901 actually) so it'll have to be on the big side. Now there are four planets (the gas giants) bigger than Earth (the biggest terrestrial planet), so which one are they referencing? Well, they won't have us do a crapshoot, especially for a clue in the top box or two (can't remember which), so it's a safe bet to go with the biggest planet. Jupiter it is.

I ended up clamming on this one and realizing the correct line of reasoning (outlined above) after the reveal. It just felt like 89,000 miles was too small for Jupiter. Earth's about 25,000 miles around which gives it about an 8,000 mile diameter. (For quick estimates, Pi = 3.) So an 89,000 mile diameter planet is about 11 times that. I thought Jupiter was more than 11 times the size of earth. I mean, the great red spot is more than twice the surface area of earth and it takes up way LESS than 1/11 of the surface of Jupiter.

Turns out my recollection about the size of Jupiter was entirely correct. I just don't have good intuition for the relation between the diameter, surface area, and volume of a sphere. The diameter of Jupiter is indeed a little over 11 times the diameter of Earth. It's surface area is about 122 times that of Earth. And by volume, Jupiter could contain over 1,300 Earths. So I was right that Jupiter was way way way huger. I just didn't realize that 11 times the diameter was enough to make that happen. I guess I should have since volume varies proportionately with the radius CUBED. And 11 cubed is 1,331.

[opusthepenguin]

I can never remember which of the four is largest, which of the four has rings, which of the four is made of gas, etc.

Easy: Jupiter (> Saturn > Uranus > Neptune), all of them, all of them (technically ice giants, but they're made of gas, too)

Nice! This seems like a fact I've learned before and forgotten. I hope this refresher will make it stick. I especially like the parentheses to indicate that Jupiter is larger than all of the others COMBINED. (That remains true even if you throw in the chump change of the inner planets.)

[BobF]

I have always mixed up the order of the outside two planets and did so last night, responding Uranus instead of the 8th planet Neptune.

So, just now I decided to actually try to find some sort of trick to help...

Here's one: the last three are Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The initials of those three spell SUN.

Whaddaya know, I found it!

Of course, it took me YEARS to get "Roy G. Biv" to sink in for the rainbow... Maybe by 2025, I'll remember SUN.

It's like the old joke about a guy who tied a string around his finger... "I know I'm supposed to remember something..."

My kids taught me a mnemonic years ago.

My very excellent mother just ... forget what the rest was. Maybe my very excellent mother just sold unique Nikes (like those ones that self lace and sell for tens of thousands of dollars).

[AFRET CMS]

I have always mixed up the order of the outside two planets and did so last night, responding Uranus instead of the 8th planet Neptune.

So, just now I decided to actually try to find some sort of trick to help...

Here's one: the last three are Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The initials of those three spell SUN.

Whaddaya know, I found it!

Of course, it took me YEARS to get "Roy G. Biv" to sink in for the rainbow... Maybe by 2025, I'll remember SUN.

It's like the old joke about a guy who tied a string around his finger... "I know I'm supposed to remember something..."

My kids taught me a mnemonic years ago.

My very excellent mother just ... forget what the rest was. Maybe my very excellent mother just sold unique Nikes (like those ones that self lace and sell for tens of thousands of dollars).

I remember the same mnemonic as "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies." Of course, that was back when Pies was considered a planet.

[Wheatley]

Or how big Venus's year is?

If its "year" is less than 365 days, it must be a planet that's closer than Earth. So a 50/50 shot even if you don't know anything else.

I thought it was very cold of astronomers to take away Pluto's planet status, so my new mnemonic is "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nothing."

[TenPoundHammer]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

I can remember the names of the eight planets, but as I said, Jupiter through Neptune always blend together for me. I keep picturing them all as roughly the same size and appearance.

[BobF]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

I can remember the names of the eight planets, but as I said, Jupiter through Neptune always blend together for me. I keep picturing them all as roughly the same size and appearance.

So I hope you never get on a quiz show and get asked "What is the third rock from the sun?" You might answer Falleen.

[1stlvlthinker]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

I can remember the names of the eight planets, but as I said, Jupiter through Neptune always blend together for me. I keep picturing them all as roughly the same size and appearance.

Does it matter if it was Entertaining or Educated? Still "E".

You need to watch this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2gbGXzFbs

[TenPoundHammer]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

I can remember the names of the eight planets, but as I said, Jupiter through Neptune always blend together for me. I keep picturing them all as roughly the same size and appearance.

Does it matter if it was Entertaining or Educated? Still "E".

You need to watch this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2gbGXzFbs

Yes, because it makes me second-guess if it was even an E word to begin with.

[clt013]

[/quote]

I remember the same mnemonic as "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies." Of course, that was back when Pies was considered a planet.
[/quote]

My astronomy professor in college taught us both "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" and "Many Vicious Evil Martians Just Stole Uncle Ned's Playboys".

[dhkendall]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

I can remember the names of the eight planets, but as I said, Jupiter through Neptune always blend together for me. I keep picturing them all as roughly the same size and appearance.

Does it matter if it was Entertaining or Educated? Still "E".

You need to watch this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_2gbGXzFbs

YES! CGP Grey has the best videos on YouTube and are very entertaining and educational!

My astronomy professor in college taught us both "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" and "Many Vicious Evil Martians Just Stole Uncle Ned's Playboys".

But, now that Playboy doesn't have nude women, the aliens went back to good old fashioned abductions: Many Vicious Evil Martians Just Stole Uncle Ned.

[opusthepenguin]

But, now that Playboy doesn't have nude women, the aliens went back to good old fashioned abductions: Many Vicious Evil Martians Just Stole Uncle Ned.

You're behind the times. Playboy decided last February that Pluto is a planet again.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... issue.html

[This Is Kirk!]

But, now that Playboy doesn't have nude women, the aliens went back to good old fashioned abductions: Many Vicious Evil Martians Just Stole Uncle Ned.

You're behind the times. Playboy decided last February that Pluto is a planet again.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... issue.html

It always seemed like a bit of a "New Coke" move.

[MarkBarrett]

Alex told you what led to Solomon in the Tuesday game.

(Alex: Yes, shalom. Less than a minute now.)

It was rebounded correctly after a player missed with David. Just as easily someone could have guessed Saul.

The starting point was Hebrew word for "peace" and even you should know by now that is shalom.

You mentioned Ishmael, Phoebe and Eunice. Did you get Joshua to avoid the skunk? Or you have at least heard of him?

[TenPoundHammer]

Alex told you what led to Solomon in the Tuesday game.

(Alex: Yes, shalom. Less than a minute now.)

Yeah. That was honestly not that obvious to me, because they sound nothing alike. "Sounds like" is always such a tenuous and subjective thing to use on a top-row clue.

You mentioned Ishmael, Phoebe and Eunice. Did you get Joshua to avoid the skunk? Or you have at least heard of him?

I didn't get him, but at least know him. He fit the battle of Jericho.

[1stlvlthinker]

I find that mnemonics only hinder me more than help, because they just clutter my mind with far more words. "Was it My Very Educated Mother, or My Very Entertaining Mother? Or maybe it wasn't even an E word at all. My Very Fantastic... no, that's not right... crap."

Does it matter if it was Entertaining or Educated? Still "E".

Yes, because it makes me second-guess if it was even an E word to begin with.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but you think too much.

[dhkendall]

Falklands was very obscure for $200 IMO.

The Falklands are literally known for only one thing, being a British colony off the coast of Argentina. Argentina fought a war with them shortly before you were born. So with the "Argentina" hint, it was well placed at 200, that's a Pavlov.

Seoul has archbishops? I thought that was also very obscure for $400.

I didn't know that either, but I figured it had to if there's even a small number of Catholics.

[TenPoundHammer]

I didn't know that either, but I figured it had to if there's even a small number of Catholics.

What part of the clue said Catholic?

[dhkendall]

I didn't know that either, but I figured it had to if there's even a small number of Catholics.

What part of the clue said Catholic?

I forget the wording, but if archbishop was in the clue, then there.