Episode 10 Celebrity Eggheads

'These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

'Together they make up the Eggheads,

'arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

'The question is, can they be beaten?'

Welcome to a special celebrity edition of Eggheads,

the show where a team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

And tackling our awesome quiz geniuses today are Science Friction.

With the combined brain power of this quintet of science experts,

we finally have a team that can answer the ultimate question

about life, the universe and everything.

What on earth does CJ put on his hair each day? Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Johnny Ball, and I've been dabbling in all branches

of maths and science for many years, and I'm still dabbling.

Hello, I'm Dr Adam Hart-Davis, I used to present television programmes,

now I write books and I make spoons.

Hi, I'm Kate Bellingham and I'm an electronic engineer

and I used to be a presenter on Tomorrow's World.

Hello, I'm Dr Marty Jopson, I used to be a plant cell biologist,

now I make strange Heath Robinson props

and present science for The One Show.

Hello, I'm Dr Ian Johnson, engineer, TV presenter,

and academic consultant for Bang Goes The Theory.

Welcome, Science Friction. We're excited to have you here

and expect great things against the Eggheads.

Tell me, Johnny, you've been around your friends, your colleagues

and assembled the finest brains that you can find.

I have, I've been around. You're right. I have been around.

And this is a great team.

They're picked because all their understanding and belief

in science and technology is so diverse.

But none of us knows what the others are talking about.

Well, we'll talk as we quiz, but the main business is quizzing,

and let me tell you what's happened before Science Friction arrived.

Each day there's £1,000 up for grabs for our challengers' chosen charity.

If they fail to defeat the Eggheads, that rolls over to the next show.

The Eggheads have won the last nine games, you can do the maths,

that means £10,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

And our first subject today is History.

I know it's not just science you people straddle. History as well.

-Who wants to play?

-I've an idea that Adam might be best

having done his Horrible Histories, not Horrible Histories...

Johnny, here's the problem,

the BBC think I am a historian but my only qualification

-is that I failed O-Level.

-At history?

-At history.

-But you've made up for it since.

-I've made up lots of history since,

whether I know anything is another question, three questions.

All right, you're on.

Adam, as you're playing first, you get to choose any Eggheads you like.

Choose the youngest. They've been around for the least history.

I love it, choose the youngest, they've lived the least history.

That's Daphne then.

-I think that's CJ.

-You're going to go for CJ.

-CJ.

-OK.

Well, let's see how you go. Adam and CJ, into the question room, please.

Adam, is that true that you failed history at O-level?

Yes, I had a postcard saying you pass everything except history.

And they never said anything about it again, ever.

Because you did What The Romans Did For Us and others.

-How did you get into that?

-That's right.

The first series I presented was called Local Heroes.

And I rode around the country on a pink and yellow bicycle

talking about dead scientists. We chose dead scientists

cos old science is easier to explain than new science.

And if we got it wrong, they wouldn't sue us if they were dead.

After doing 100 of them, the BBC began to think I knew about history,

quite untrue, but since then I've presented 100 history programmes.

So, I have learnt a bit, you know. Henry VIII had six wives,

-or was it Henry VI had who had eight? That sort of thing I've learnt.

-OK.

I hope you know a little bit more than that,

cos the questions might be a tad harder than that.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I think I'll go first, please.

OK, best of luck, Adam, first question to you,

and, bearing in mind what we've just discussed,

in ancient Rome, what was the name of the festivals to the god of wine,

a word which now refers to any drunken revelry?

I think we should have got Johnny to answer this question.

-HE LAUGHS

-What are you suggesting?

-Just that he is very knowledgeable about ancient Rome.

-Oh, I see.

But I would choose Bacchanalia.

Well, very diplomatically put there.

Bacchanalia is the right answer. Well identified.

CJ, who commanded the axis army at the first battle of El Alamein?

Well, Alamein was a desert battle and the Desert Fox there is Rommel.

Rommel it is and you each have a point. Straight back then to Adam.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Portuguese court

transferred to which country?

Oh, well, I haven't a clue, as I don't know any history.

Erm... I'm going to go for Brazil, because they speak Portuguese there.

And right to do so. Well worked out, Adam, it's the right answer.

You have two. What name was given to the gathering of representatives

who declared independence for the American colonies?

Well, there were more than one of these.

You can argue that the head of these was really the first US President.

-But these were the Continental Congresses.

-OK.

Continental Congress is correct, CJ.

Two all. And this could be the point at which the game is won or lost.

Adam, Savang Vatthana was the last monarch of which country?

Savang Vatthana. I'll spell the name.

S-A-V-A-N-G V-A-T-T-H-A-N-A.

Oh, I'm glad about the H, I might have missed that.

Er, again, I haven't a clue.

Erm, but since I feel completely lost, I will choose Laos.

Got it! It's the right answer. Three out of three!

-One out of three.

-Yeah, well.

CJ, he's been in this situation before and knows what to do.

In what capacity did Herbert Ponting take part

in Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition?

Er, I don't know. Erm...

I really don't know this. I'll guess at photographer.

Photographer for Herbert Ponting. Eggheads, are you happy about that?

-Yep.

-Yes, it is the right answer, well done, CJ. Did he survive?

-Oh, yes, he wasn't one of those who were lost.

-He wasn't.

-No.

His photographs provided the record of what happened on that expedition.

Well, there we are. So, well, Adam,

you've quizzing so well, we're going to make it a bit harder.

It's been too easy for both of you.

That means we remove the choices and go to Sudden Death.

So, this is your question.

The woman born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst

became better known by what name?

Oh. Again, total ignorance.

Erm, I'm going to guess it was Maria Theresa.

OK, Maria Theresa.

No. Good guess. It's incorrect.

-CJ? Eggheads?

-I can't remember.

-Catherine the Great.

-Catherine the Great.

-So the same period.

So very close there, Adam, but a chance for CJ, then.

Which order of monks was founded in the early 16th century

and named after the pointed cowls they wore?

The Capuchins were named after the colour of their cowls.

I think.

You've got Cistercian, Dominican...

Er, I don't know, I'll try the Capuchin.

It's the right answer, CJ. You have got it,

which means Adam, you're not going to be in the final round.

But thank you for quizzing so well.

Would you please both come back and join your teams?

As it stands, Science Friction have lost one brain,

the Eggheads are all there as we've only played one round.

Let's bring our next one out. Ha-ha! It is Science!

Well, don't all rush at once.

-They've nominated me. Do you want me to do it?

-I think so.

Apparently as I'm the only one who knows any biology.

Marty, and you can choose any Egghead apart from CJ.

-Daphne?

-She's smiling.

-She's always smiling.

-She is, and that's good reason to choose her.

-Daphne or Judith?

-Go for Daphne.

-Daphne.

SHE SIGHS

-That's the right response.

-Yeah, she's always smiling.

Marty and Daphne into the question room, please.

Marty, great to have you here. Science communicator.

I saw you on telly a while back

-explaining why toast falls butter-side down.

-Oh, yes.

I missed the conclusion to that. Why does it?

It's because we are all holding toast at approximately the same height,

and the size of toast is the same all over the world.

As it falls, it rotates, making about half a rotation and hits the ground.

It's simply about height, not that the butter adds a bit of weight?

No, unless you dropped it from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Can you get serious scientific principles across like that?

Any piece of science can be explained to anybody

given enough time and props.

I mean, science, to me, is endlessly fascinating, interesting, absorbing,

and all I do is try to communicate that enthusiasm.

That's what we want as we throw a lot of questions at you.

A hugely broad subject, so best of luck.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-I will go first, please.

Off we go, Marty. Your first question.

Plants of the yucca genus are native to which part of the world?

Now, are they African or are they American?

Oh, deary me.

I'll never live this one down if I get this one wrong.

I think they're South American.

I'm going to go for Americas.

OK. I'm just looking at your Science Friction colleagues.

-They're very happy. It's the right answer, well done.

-Oh, thank God!

It's amazing, the certainties begin to desert you in the question room.

Well, you've got it. The Americas. A solid start has been achieved.

And Daphne, in physical chemistry, which term is used to refer to

tiny particles of a solid or liquid suspended in a gas?

Aerosol.

Aerosol is correct. OK. And back to Marty.

The open hearth process is a method of producing what?

-Open hearth?

-Open hearth, yes. H-E-A-R-T-H.

-Right.

-Yes, hearth.

-Well, ammonia is the Haber process.

That's a slightly different thing.

Paper, why would you need a hearth in paper?

Erm, steel seems almost too obvious. I'm going for steel.

-No trick questions, so right to do so. It's correct.

-Phew!

Again, all happy there. Science Friction, you have two.

Daphne, which fibre used to make ropes and dartboards

is obtained from an agave plant?

Well, it's not kapok because that's cotton.

Erm, I would have said sisal.

-Sisal.

-Mm-hm.

You got it right. It is the right answer. Sisal.

OK, right, getting to the decisive part of the round here.

Marty, the canthus is located in which part of the human body?

The canthus.

Oh, man alive. Erm...

Oh, drag up that A-level biology. Erm...

I'm a plant scientist!

Erm, now, my biology of the eye and the ear is moderate.

And my understanding of the wrist is less so.

-I'm going to say wrist.

-OK, wrist.

No. It's not in the wrist.

It's in the eye. That's where the upper and lower eyelids meet.

It's not over, though. Daphne needs to get this right if she's to win.

Daphne, in the abbreviation EUV,

referring to the part of the spectrum

between the ultraviolet and X-ray regions,

for what does the letter E stand?

If it's in the spectrum then I would say it was probably extreme.

And it's extremely rude of you to eject a guest. It is correct.

Extreme goes green and I'm sorry to say, Marty,

we have to bid you farewell. Stay with us though, in the studio.

Would you both please come back and join your teams.

Well, Science Friction, that friction not producing many sparks,

lost two brains. The Eggheads all still there.

Two more head-to-heads so could be all square in the final round.

Our third one is Music. Who fancies displaying their musical knowledge

from Johnny, Kate or Ian?

-Johnny, you don't sing, do you?

-No.

-Thank goodness for that.

-I think that's the one I said I was going to volunteer at.

-Yes.

-OK.

Choose an Egghead. Remember CJ and Daphne have played in the middle,

so Chris on the end or Kevin or Judith.

-Be brutal.

-Be brave.

-Hm. Chris.

Chris and Kate competing over music.

Could you both please go to the question room?

Kate, we need more female scientists and engineers.

We certainly do.

I'm patron of WISE, the Women Into Science and Engineering campaign,

to try and make more young women realise all the opportunities

from studying science and maths, particularly going into engineering.

We are beginning to deal with it,

-but not in sufficient quantities.

-It's interesting.

It's not necessarily what the girls think themselves,

it's the influences who say, "Oh, do you really want to do that, dear?"

And that can be enough to put somebody off.

My advice is, if anybody shows interest, encourage that interest

and they'll have a whale of a time pursuing science and engineering.

Hear, hear! Well said! Right, now let's pursue...

-It's seems rather mundane now.

-Music!

-Switch your head now. Do you want to go first or second?

-I'll go first.

So from the future of engineering to ABBA.

What was the original surname of Anni-Frid,

one of two female singers who found fame in the group ABBA?

-Oh, dear.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, I'm really sorry about this, gang.

I'm going to go, it's a guess, but I'm going to go for Lyngstad.

Lyngstad. It's correct!

-Hurray!

-Brilliant, yes, well done. And your first question, Chris.

Who wrote the song Make You Feel My Love?

I've not heard it by Barry Manilow. Doesn't sound Dylanesque,

so I'll go for the artist formerly known as Prince.

-Erm, it's not. Bob Dylan.

-Oh, was it?

Make You Feel My Love. Well, this is great news for you, Kate.

You are one-nil up and a chance to go two-nil in the lead with this.

The musician Dennis Brain

was a virtuoso performer on which instrument?

Now, my instinct is one of those straight away.

-But now I'm beginning to feel nervous.

-Well, what was it?

I think Dennis Brain is a French horn player.

-Yes, let's go for French horn.

-Instincts.

-Good to stick with them. It's the right answer.

-Yes!

-Brilliant!

Right, Chris goes out if he doesn't get this one.

In which operetta does the character Adele sing the laughing song?

That's more my kind of stuff. It's Die Fledermaus. The bat.

It is Die Fledermaus, you have a point.

But your reprieve may only be temporary

if Kate continues that fantastic form and gives me a correct answer.

Who wrote the poems which were set to music by William Walton

under the title Facade?

I'm trying to think when that would've been.

I don't think it's Stevie Smith.

Sorry, team, it's going to be a guess again.

I'm going to go for Edith Sitwell.

-It's the right answer.

-THEY CHEER

You're through to the final round, no need to trouble Chris again.

Please come back and join your teams.

Talk about sparks. Kate set the world on fire there. Chris is out.

The Eggheads are missing one brain. Science Friction missing two.

It could be all square because we've got one more head-to-head to play

and this is Food And Drink for Johnny or Ian. Food And Drink.

-I'd be happy for you to take it.

-I'd be happy for you to take it.

Very happy indeed.

I'm an engineer, I survive on stale sandwiches.

Being the captain, to spare his blushes,

I will blush taking Food And Drink.

-OK, captain's innings. Who do you want to play, Kevin or Judith?

-Ohh.

-Judith, can I play you? Is that OK?

-I love playing Food and Drink

-so I hardly ever get asked.

-What have I done?

Let's have you both into the question room, please.

BAFTA-award-winning Johnny Ball. Great to have you here.

-Do you like your food and drink?

-Well, I eat and drink every day,

so I should be used to it. But when it gets to exotic names,

I might struggle. We shall have to see.

-We will see right now. Do you want to go first or second?

-First.

And the very best of luck, Johnny. First question.

What part of the piper nigrum plant is used to make ground black pepper?

Well, often leaves are used, but I don't think this is leaves.

And I don't think black pepper comes from the root.

I can't... I can only go for fruit.

OK. Fruit. Thumbs up from the team. Thumbs up from me, the right answer.

Well done, Johnny. And Judith,

flageolet is a type of which basic food?

-It's a bean.

-It is a bean. OK, we bounce straight back to Johnny.

What term is applied to the state of over-ripeness

at which certain fruits become suitable for eating?

Right. I know when bananas are transported, they are very raw.

And they mature on the way, and I've a feeling...

That's not bletted. I have a feeling it's not whetted, either.

-I'm going...

-HE SIGHS

I'm definitely not sure, but I think it might be fretted.

It's not fretted, Johnny, no. Anyone know?

-Bletted.

-It is bletted.

-Never heard of it.

Right, a chance for the lead, Judith.

What is another name for the leaf vegetable

winter purslane, often used in salads?

I don't think it's mountie's rocket because mounties are in Canada.

So I don't think we would call it mountie's rocket.

So, erm...

Winter purslane, miner's lettuce. Why would it be miner's lettuce?

Sailor's watercress?

I really don't know. I think it might be miner's lettuce.

Winter purslane is miner's lettuce.

You've got it. So Johnny, you need to get this.

What is the French name of the red wine grape

known in Germany as Spatburgunder?

Spatburgunder. Next to Burgundy.

It's that link. Pinot Noir is further south than Burgundy.

I'm going for Merlot.

-Merlot.

-I don't know.

-OK, well, you will in a moment.

It's Pinot Noir. I think you did the work there.

Burgundy where the red wine grape is, is Pinot Noir.

-Pinot is a classic Burgundy grape.

-Yeah.

But, Johnny , it's over. You're not in the final round.

Judith has done it with two. Please come back and join your teams.

So, this is what we've been playing towards.

It's time for the final round, which is general knowledge.

But those of you who lost your head-to-heads

aren't allowed to take part.

So Johnny, Adam and Marty from Science Friction,

and Chris from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

So, Kate and Ian, you are playing to win Science Friction £10,000.

Judith, Kevin, CJ and Daphne,

you're playing for something money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

I ask each team three questions in turn,

the questions are all general knowledge,

so anything can come up. But you are allowed to confer.

Kate and Ian, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Kate and Ian, do you want to go first or second?

Oh, erm, first, definitely first.

All right. First set of questions.

Off we go. Let's see if you can win this money for charity.

The Great Bear Lake

is the largest freshwater lake entirely within which country?

What do you think? Greenland is too cold.

The biggest lake in Greenland is probably a puddle.

The biggest freshwater lake in Russia is Lake Baikal, isn't it?

-I think Canada.

-Canada.

-It's a gut reaction, but, yeah, OK.

We're confidently hesitant

about suggesting the possibility of Canada.

Kate's gut instinct worked well for you in those head-to-heads,

it's worked again, Canada! OK, Eggheads,

what type of large tree dominates the left foreground

of Vincent van Gogh's 1889 work The Starry Night?

-Starry Night, that's the one in Arles.

-Yeah, when he was in Arles.

-It's got to be a cypress.

-I think it's cypress.

-OK, happy with cypress?

-Mm-hm.

-We think that's a cypress.

Cypress is correct. Got it.

All square after the opening exchanges. Back to Kate and Ian.

The Rose Theatre, with an auditorium modelled on

the original Elizabethan theatre of the same name,

opened in 2008 in which town?

Oh!

Oh, I thought this was going to ring a bell, but it hasn't.

I'm dredging, I'm dredging. Oh!

-Can I make a wild guess.

-Are you going to guess?

No, I am going to read it psychically from you.

I'm going to use your intuition in a psychic way.

Kingston upon Thames!

I was rather hoping you were going to use a more scientific...

Kingston upon Thames! Possibly. It was her psychic intuition.

-It's the right answer!

-THEY LAUGH

Well, well, well. OK, well, you have two. Eggheads.

Clive Owen won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar

for his performance in which 2004 film?

I'm sure he was nominated for Closer.

Croupier was his breakthrough film, that was much earlier. Duplicity...

Is just a comedy. I'm sure he was nominated for an Oscar for Closer.

Closer was one of those types of dramas that's up for awards.

Er, we think that is Closer.

The Eggheads' popular culture expert and their film expert

survived to the final round. Narrowed it down to Closer.

It is. It's the right answer.

If you get this, though, you could win the money. Ian and Kate,

what is the name of the golf course at Sandwich in Kent

that held the Open championship in 1932?

We actually said that if we got sport, we're scuppered.

And we've managed to get this far.

We're scientists, we're proud not to know about sport.

-You've got Ian's psychic fingers.

-They only work once.

Erm, 1932.

If it was called Queen's, what queen would it be named after,

and why would it be there in 1932?

-If it was...

-Queen Victoria.

I don't like the sound of Prince's but that's not a good reason.

It's up to you. You're...

OK, I'm going to go scientifically

and use the scientific technique known as a Monte Carlo simulation.

I'm going to make a wild guess at random and say Queen's.

Why is it a Monte Carlo simulation?

If you want to test lots of options, you guess them at random

so that you don't bias yourself.

If you look at every second one, you may miss an effect on the others,

so you choose them at random. So this is a Monte Carlo wild guess

of Queen's, which I stress is based on no knowledge whatsoever,

and has a two-to-one chance of being wrong. So it wasn't my fault.

-HE LAUGHS

-I think you'd be pretty good

if you ended up in Monte Carlo, but it's not Queen's.

And it's the one you didn't like, Kate, it's Prince's. Prince's.

So, if they get this wrong, we go to Sudden Death.

Eggheads, Corporal William Glass and his wife

started a community in the early 19th century

that still survives on which remote island?

I'm assuming it's not Pitcairn.

-It's Tristan.

-Yeah, that was my first thought.

-Ascension...

-Which was your first thought?

Tristan da Cunha. Mine, too. Both of us.

Which really, really is remote.

-Mm.

-In the same way that Pitcairn is but in the Atlantic,

Ascension is remote but it's not as remote, there's St Helena and...

There's some official things on Ascension, too.

There's a very small population on Tristan da Cunha.

But Pitcairn, wasn't that the mutineers?

Yes, the mutineers from the Bounty.

I would go for Tristan da Cunha if it was me.

Well, I'm perfectly happy with that.

-So, are we happy to go for...

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-Tristan.

We don't know it as such,

but we've got reasons to go for Tristan da Cunha.

OK. William Glass and his wife started a community,

on the remote island of,

yeah, Tristan da Cunha. It is the right answer. Eggheads, you've won.

Ah, well, you played brilliantly today.

Science Friction, it's been great having you all here,

the three guys stuck in the question room, too.

I think you approached the game in the way you approach science,

a little serious at times, but above all, fun.

Thank you for playing the Eggheads today.

Not to be, though. The Eggheads have done what comes naturally to them,

their winning streak continues. I'm afraid you haven't won the £10,000

so it will be heading to Children In Need to add to this year's appeal.

Eggheads, congratulations. Who will beat you?

Join us next time to see if a new team of challengers

have the brains to defeat the Eggheads. Until then, goodbye.

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