Episode 98 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 Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz

challengers attempt to beat possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

Their quiz pedigree is well known as they have won some of the country's

toughest quiz shows, they are the Eggheads.

And taking on our resident quiz Goliaths today, are the Eggitors, from London.

This team are colleagues at the same media company. When they aren't quizzing at various local pubs,

then they like to test one another's general knowledge during lunch breaks. Let's meet them.

Hi, I'm Conrad, I'm 24 and I'm a clinical trials scientific editor.

Hi, I'm Livia, I'm 25, and I'm a scientific news editor.

Hi, I'm Don, I'm 22 and I'm a scientific editor.

Hi, I'm Jaya, I'm 25, and I'm a licensing scientific editor.

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm 30 and I'm also a scientific editor.

Conrad and team, welcome to you. Hi.

Great to see a very young team here.

This always throws that lot.

They get frightened by youth.

We hope so, anyway. You all work for the same pharmaceutical publication?

Yes, we do, it's an online database for pharmaceuticals.

Do you need a background in medicine for that, or what?

Life science, so biological science, basically, so, hopefully our science knowledge is...

What if we get you on music or politics and you have all got the same subject strengths?

Is that going to be a problem?

Politics, maybe not, but music we should be OK.

We'll see. Thanks for joining us.

Every day there's ?1,000 worth of cash up for grabs for our challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads, the prize money rolls over to the next show.

So, The Eggitors, the Eggheads have won the last three games so ?4,000 says you can't beat them.

Shall we try? Yes.

First head-to-head battle is on the subject of Politics,

challengers. not pharmaceuticals!

Politics!

Which one of you wants this? OK.

Right. I know nothing on politics.

It's gonna have to be... Want to go for it, Liv?

What if music comes up?

I can do music.

I think Liv. We think Liv.

OK, we've decided.

Liv is going to do it. Liv on politics against which egghead?

Not Judith. No.

This is supposed to be the easiest question.

Come on. Barry. Shall we go for Barry. Yes. Barry.

OK, it's Liv from The Eggitors verses Barry from the Eggheads and to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions in the question room.

So, Livia, your dream is to live in a loft in New York.

Well, a loft apartment, yes.

I'd love to live in New York.

Why is that? Oh, it's just so huge and it's much bigger than London and the buildings are amazing.

I went last year and I had a really good time.

Wouldn't you miss your friends here and their quizzing and the gossip?

They can come and stay in my loft apartment.

Good luck. I'll ask each of you three multiple-choice questions on politics in turn.

And obviously, whoever answers the most questions

correctly goes through to the final. The other person is knocked out.

Livia, you can tell me if you want to have the first or the second set. I'll go first, please.

Your first question. What nickname was George W Bush

given in 1994 during his campaign to be an elected Governor of Texas?

OK. I'm not entirely sure.

For some reason, my first idea would be Shrub. I think...

I wouldn't know, so I'm just going to have to make a slight guess at Shrub.

Yes, Shrub is right.

Barry, your question, what name is given to a district in the UK

administered by just one tier of local government?

It's a unitary authority.

Quite right. 1-1.

Liv. Is it Liv or Livia?

Either.

It's Livia now, and then after I've known you for a while it's Liv.

Yeah, exactly. I understand.

A prominent diarist, a former Defence Secretary and a former

Foreign Secretary have all been recent MPs for which constituency?

Erm...

The only diarist I can think of

is Jeffrey Archer, but I don't know whether

he'd have been an MP for...

I don't think he'd be in Scotland,

so I think I'm going to rule out Dundee West,

so that just leaves the other two. I want to say Kensington and Chelsea.

So I think, yeah, I'm going to go with Kensington and Chelsea.

Kensington and Chelsea is your answer. It's right.

Eggheads, can you name the diarist, the former Defence Secretary and the former Foreign Secretary?

Alan Clark. Michael Portillo.

Malcolm Rifkind.

Malcolm Rifkind, yeah. Over to you, Barry, to catch up.

In 2003, which journalist became the regular presenter

of the late-night BBC political review, This Week?

Andrew Neil. Yeah. Brilliant at it as well.

Andrew Neil.

OK, Liv...ia.

Immediately before he became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2007,

Alastair Darling was Secretary of State for which department?

OK. I think he's Scottish, I think,

but I don't think that necessarily means

he was working for them.

I don't want to say transport.

I'm going to go Trade and Industry.

I don't know why. I just feel like it's the right answer.

It's the right answer.

Brilliant. You are good.

Barry, if you don't get this right... It's curtains.

Yep.

Which was the last state to declare its results in the 2008 US presidential election?

Gosh! Well, the obvious answer is Alaska.

Given the huge distances between all the various cities in Alaska.

I can't imagine it would be North Carolina or Missouri,

because they're normally quite

early in.

So my answer must be Alaska.

It's wrong. Yes!

It's wrong.

You say North Carolina.

Anyone else?

Was it Missouri?

Missouri. Missouri, maybe it was tight.

I'm trying to remember.

Well done, Livia!

What about that? First blood to our Eggitors.

You took on an egghead, you emerge triumphant, you'll be in the final round.

I'm sorry to say, Barry, you won't be. Do both of you, please, come back and rejoin your teams.

Livia, well done. Thank you. May be that loft in New York is not far away.

As it stands, the challengers have lost no brains from the final round, the Eggheads have lost one brain.

The next subject is Science. Science? Perfect.

I think that will be you.

OK.

And...Judith?

Judith, I'm thinking Judith.

Yeah. Judith.

So, Jaya, from The Eggitors verses Judith from the Eggheads.

To ensure there's no conferring, please take your positions in the question room.

I'll ask each of the three questions on science in turn. So, Jaya, would you like the first or second set?

I'll go first, please.

Which term means the bending of a ray of light when it passes from one medium to another?

I know it's not diffraction, and pretty sure it's not infraction

so I'm going to go with refraction.

Refraction is correct.

Hi, Judith.

Hello. You're up against a scientist in Science here. I know.

So you're well covered.

The molecules of chemical compounds known as acids contain at least one atom of which element?

Ah!

I think that is Oxygen.

Oxygen, you think. Eggitors?

It's Hydrogen. Hydrogen!

They all say it as if we should all know that.

I know, but they... It may be sort of common knowledge to them.

Well they're dealing with hydrogen the whole time. Sorry, Judith.

Jaya, which word do mathematicians use to denote two triangles

that are identical in shape and size, but may differ in orientation?

Um...

Connective doesn't sound

like it would be the right answer.

I'm going to go purely with a guess and go with Congruent.

You say Congruent. Yeah.

There's a subdued whoop from your team.

You've got it right. Well done.

You're not getting the break of the green here, Judith.

No. The only molluscs that live on land belong to which taxonomic class?

For goodness sake.

The only ones that live

on land? I can't think of any molluscs that live on land.

They all live in the sea.

What, slugs and things like that, are molluscs, aren't they?

Oh, Gastropods.

What? Gastropod just came to you? Yes. Where did it come from?

The depths.

The depths of you?

Good. They're on form, the depths of you have got it right.

Gastropods is correct.

So if you get this right, Jaya,

you're in the final round.

Coryza is the technical medical term for which complaint?

Could I have it spelt?

Yeah. Coryza, C-O-R-Y-Z-A,

is the technical, medical term for which complaint?

Hmmm. I'm going to go with my gut instinct

and pick Toothache.

No. It's not Toothache, it's actually Head Cold.

Considering how common the cold is, you'd think we'd have heard that before. Yeah.

Judith, in botany, what term is used to denote a characteristic

mode of growth and general external appearance of a plant?

I think that's Habit.

You're right, it is Habit, well done.

So, after three questions, the scores are level, we go to sudden death.

That means it's not multiple-choice, Jaya, and I will need the answer from you.

What two-word name is given to the classification of chemical elements by increasing atomic number

in a series of rows such that those with similar chemical properties form groups?

I think it's periodic table.

Quite right.

Good answer.

OK, your question, Judith, to stay in it,

what is the geological term derived from the Latin for to dig for the remains of a once living

organism generally more than 10,000 years old that's discovered in rock?

I should think that's probably fossil, because I imagine

the Latin word for a ditch is foss or fosse or something, I think it's fossil.

Fossil is correct.

Back to you, Jaya, which chemical compound has the formula WC?

Erm... I'm trying to go through the periodic table

and see if I can mentally see it, but it's not working.

Oh, I don't know.

I can't think. I'm just great to make up a word now.

Walcyllium! No!

That's... If I said right answer,

you'd die of shock! It was in fact tungsten carbide.

Why is it W?

For tungsten. For Wolfram. That's the old name for tungsten.

OK. What a stinker.

Judith, you have the round in your hands here.

Which rocky archipelago, west of the Hebrides is home to two

unique animal species, a field mouse and a wren,

both of which are larger than the mainland equivalents?

Hmm.

West of the Hebrides.

I can only think of St Kilda, but that's not an archipelago.

Is that your answer? It'll have to be. It's correct.

No! Yes!

No! I'm really amazed!

Well done, Judith. Science has been beastly for Judith recently,

so I'm going to congratulate an Egghead. Jaya, sorry, you won't be in the final round.

Please both of you rejoin your teams.

You can still win, challengers. You've lost one brain, the Eggheads have lost one brain from that

crucial final round. Next subject is Film and Television. Who wants this?

Jay has gone, so it has to be Mark. Yeah. Are you all right doing that?

Yeah.

Against who?

Chris?

I think we should go with Chris.

OK, I'll go against Chris.

Mark from the Eggitors against Chris from the Eggheads. And to ensure there's no conferring,

please take your positions.

Mark, you also work at the publication? Yes.

And we've met before. Apparently so.

I used to work at the Clapham Picture House, with your sister, and you came once and visited her.

I think it was a passing hello.

When you say apparently so, you can't remember anything about it?

It could have been you or your brother. OK!

I'm going to stop this before it gets even more devastating.

Good luck, Mark. Good luck to Chris as well.

I'll ask each of you three questions on Film and Television in turn,

and Mark, you can choose the first or second set. I'll go first.

Who played the title role in the 1995 film, Batman Forever?

It wasn't Christian Bale.

He did the more recent films.

Chris O'Donnell played Robin, so I'll go for Val Kilmer.

Val Kilmer is correct.

Chris, who played Hannah in Woody Allen's 1986 comedy film, Hannah And Her Sisters?

I was waiting for Diane Keaton to come up, because she's in most

Woody Allen films. It wasn't Meryl Streep.

I don't think it was Barbara Hershey, I think it was Mia Farrow.

Mia Farrow is correct.

Mark, your question. The 1977 Christmas special of which TV comedy series featured

one of the main characters not wanting to wear a paper hat because it's made out of the Daily Mirror?

The only one I can think of where that might occur is On The Buses.

No, it's not. I thought you were going to say the right answer when you used that logic. The Good Life.

There's the class thing going on...

It must be Margot. It must be Margot!

Your chance to take the lead, Chris. Most of the James Bond films

have been made at which studio in south-east England?

I've been there and seen the 007 stage, it's Pinewood.

You're right, Chris. It is.

Back to you, Mark. You need this to stay in the contest.

Timothy, Joseph, Sam and Ben are the names of four brothers, all American film actors, with what surname?

Total guess here, Butts.

No, the answer is surprising to me. Eggheads? Bottoms.

Bottoms is the correct answer.

You've gone out where the answer was Bottoms.

That's really embarrassing.

Sorry, Mark. Well done, Chris.

Mark, you were beaten by our Egghead,

you'll not be able to help your team in the final round.

Chris, you will. Please both of you come back to the studio.

The challengers have lost two brains from the final round, whilst the Eggheads

have lost one brain.

Last subject is Arts and Books.

Which challenger wants this?

What are we going to do, are we going to risk it?

I'd say Donald.

What if they're really good at it? But then general knowledge...

Conrad, you're better. Donald, then.

We're going to say Donald.

I'm going to be the pitied one.

I told some friends from home I'd take CJ on in the run-off, so I'll go with CJ.

Don from the Eggitors, against CJ from the Eggheads. Please go to the question room now.

Three questions on arts and books in turn. Don, you can choose the first or second set.

I think I will go first.

Here we go. In a scholarly work, what name

is given to the list of books that have been used as references, usually listed as an appendix?

Well, Glossary is just lists of words so it's not Glossary.

Index, that just tells you where in whatever you're reading certain topics appear.

So, I think I'll go for Bibliography.

Bibliography is quite right. Well done, first to you.

CJ, don't be nervous.

I'll try not to be.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet,

Ophelia is the daughter of which character?

Don't know. You know I've never read Shakespeare in my entire life.

Barry has got his head in his hands. Yes.

Ophelia

is the daughter of Polonious.

How did you do that? It's a blind guess.

Well done. Sorry, Don.

That's cruel. That is cruel.

Somebody who boasts that they haven't read

any Shakespeare shouldn't be allowed to get a question right like that.

What is the name of the 1960s school of abstract art in which patterns and bright colours are used

to create the impression that the image is flickering or vibrating?

Flickering or vibrating...

I guess that's kind of movement,

kinetic means movement so, I'll go for Kinetic Art.

Kinetic Art,

I'd have gone for that. Team mates?

Op Art. Is right.

Not kinetic, Don.

Back to you, CJ.

Robinsonade is the literary term for a work of fiction set typically in what location?

I'd have to go for a desert island.

Because?

Because, it sounds like an author who's set a few books on a desert island.

Quite right, it is Desert Island. Well done.

So we know what happens now, Don.

You've got to get this one right.

The term plagiarism is derived from the Latin word for which crime?

If I get this wrong I'm going to go mental, we get

warned about plagiarism when we're editing at work, when you

copy someone else's work without citing them.

So, I'm praying that it's Piracy.

Is it Piracy?

I get your logic totally, but it's Kidnapping. Oh, man!

You kidnap somebody else's work.

Don, sorry, you were beaten by CJ. No way back in this round.

CJ, you'll be in the final and Don, you won't.

Please, both of you, come back to us.

This is what we've been playing towards - the final round

which is General Knowledge.

I'm afraid those of you who lost your head to heads won't be allowed to take part in this round.

Don, Jaya and Mark from the Eggitors and Barry from the Eggheads, please leave the studio.

Conrad and Livia, it's the big moment.

You're playing to win the ?4,000.

CJ, Daphne, Chris and Judith, you're playing for something which money can't buy, the Eggheads' reputation.

As usual, I will ask each team three questions in turn.

This time, the questions are all general knowledge and you're allowed to confer.

Eggitors, the question is, are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

Conrad, Livia, do you want to go first or second?

We'll carry on the pattern and go first.

A pattern

that has served you well. Patrick Cox, born in Edmonton in Canada in 1963

is a famous name in which industry?

He makes men's suits.

Does he? Are you sure? Yeah.

100%? 100%.

OK, Livia seems to be really sure of herself so Fashion, we're going to go for.

Because he makes, what was it? Men's shoes and suits, I think.

Funny, I thought I heard you say men's soups.

And I thought, oh, my goodness, they're going for food.

Fashion is correct. You're absolutely right.

Eggheads, what was the name of the nanny of Princes William and Harry,

who joined the Royal Household in 1993?

It was Tiggy Legge-Bourke.

That's the correct answer.

Your next question, Eggitors.

According to the authorised version of the Bible, after 40 days and 40 nights of rain,

which bird did Noah send forth from the Ark prior to the dove?

It's definitely Raven, because in a quiz that we did recently,

I remember it being a raven, I said dove.

OK. But it was actually Raven.

It's Raven.

And it does say prior to the dove in the question.

Raven is correct.

The name of the Parthenon, the great temple

on the Acropolis of Athens comes from the Greek word for what?

It's Virgin.

Virgin is correct. So...

get this one right, you keep the pressure on them, big time.

The consonants F and V in their normal pronunciations

are classed by linguists as what type of sounds?

Labiodental means both the teeth and lips.

F and V...

Nasal is

like the "ng",

and a plosive is...

Can't remember what a plosive is.

I think Labiodentals,

because your lips are touching your teeth. I'll go with that.

I think, because

labiodental means lips and teeth, we're going to go for Labiodentals.

You sound very uncertain.

Despite your uncertainty, I can tell you you're right. Yes!

The logic was perfect as well.

Eggheads, if you get this wrong,

then you've lost.

Which familiar word is derived from a legal term in the late

Middle Ages for somebody who took bribes from both sides?

Binocular is both eyes, ambidextrous is both handed.

Duplicate from duplicity, both sides. Exactly.

Yes. We think Duplicate.

I think that's the most likely out of the three.

We think it's Duplicate.

Duplicate. I'm just casting a glance at Barry here.

Barry thinks you're right.

It's Ambidextrous, Eggheads.

Well done, challengers.

You've just won ?4,000.

Eggheads, what happened? You just came in...

Ambidextrous just seems too obvious for the definition. What would you've gone for?

We'd have gone for Ambidextrous, I think. Well, you've just won ?4000.

We're getting closer to the loft apartment. One step. Slightly!

Really well done.

You're officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You've proved they can be beaten.

Join us next time on Eggheads, to see if a new team of challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.

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