• QFTCIWSS24 Game 5, Rounds 2-3: probes, Mr. President

    From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Tue May 6 23:42:25 2025
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2024-10-07,
    and should be interpreted accordingly.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
    Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
    based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
    the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
    the correct answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of What She Said, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of
    current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my 2024-08-30
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes

    Did you know it's World Space Week this week? It's true! And,
    in related news, since the 1960s, humans have been launching
    unmanned probes into space to explore and, well, probe it.
    In each case name them.

    1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring
    Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Its probes achieved several space
    travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the
    first planetary orbiter.

    2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of
    which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to
    land on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of
    the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars
    revealed that Mars once had water.

    3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989
    to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at
    Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well
    as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.
    The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to
    avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.

    4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in
    1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's
    gravitational field.

    5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which
    were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar
    system. They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two
    also studied Uranus and Neptune. Both probes remain operational
    and are still sending back data.

    6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;
    the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the
    Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958
    to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,
    and Saturn. The final two probes in this series were the first
    man-made objects to leave our solar system.

    7. This probe program was instituted by NASA to find missions "of
    convenience" -- finding planetary missions that fit launch
    windows, to minimize expense. The 16 probes launched under
    this program have gone to the Moon, all of the inner planets,
    and multiple asteroids and comets, and even obtained and returned
    solar wind samples from the Sun.

    8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons. It launched
    in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet
    and its system for another 13 years. It discovered 7 new
    moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,
    exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.

    9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both
    launched in 2003. Name either of the two rovers from this
    program.

    10. The Mars 2020 mission consisted of a ground rover and a small
    robotic helicopter. Name either the rover or the helicopter.


    * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President

    This is a bonus round.

    The President of the United States is frequently a major character
    in movies and TV shows. We'll name a fictional president and
    describe some of the events of his presidency; you tell us what
    movie or TV show he was in. If you get the title right on your
    first or only answer, you may also try for a 2-point bonus by
    naming the actor or actress. (This will only be counted if the
    first or only show you name is correct, so you may as well guess
    the performer along with your first or only answer for the show;
    you can't lose points. Don't bother naming the performer along
    with a second guess on the show; it won't count.)

    Titles may repeat.

    1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt
    with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment
    when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout
    of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.

    2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his
    first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt
    they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer
    during his campaign. When he began dating an environmental
    lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --
    and her.

    3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens
    attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces. Luckily,
    Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the
    remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.

    4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted
    by aliens attacking Earth. However, rather than fight, Dale
    spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens
    disintegrated Congress. As he said, "I want the American
    people to know that we still have two out of three branches of
    government working for them, and that ain't bad."

    5. Matt Santos ran a tough campaign to become the first Latino
    President of the United States, and almost immediately once in
    office will have to deal with a potential war between Russia
    and China.

    6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and
    attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of
    his own bribery scandals. However, in the last months of
    his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later
    died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed
    dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's
    course. Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,
    two President Mitchells.

    7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear
    war broke out, annihilating all of humanity. However, to the
    very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would
    not fight in the War Room.

    8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for
    speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer
    who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a
    successful campaign for the presidency.

    9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office
    from the vice-presidency, then lost her election, and then
    won a subsequent election to become president by courting
    conservatives, running against same-sex marriage, and allowing
    China to re-annex Tibet. Her presidencies were politely
    described as "underrated" by historians.

    10. Tom Kirkman never planned to be President, but when the US
    Capitol was blown up during the State of the Union address,
    Kirkman -- about to be fired as the Secretary of Housing and
    Urban Development -- was the sole member of Cabinet not killed,
    and thus ascended to the presidency.

    --
    Mark Brader | "As the old saying goes: those who learn history
    Toronto | are doomed to watch others repeat it."
    [email protected] | --Peter Moylan

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Tue May 6 21:16:40 2025
    On 5/6/2025 6:42 PM, Mark Brader wrote:

    * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes

    Did you know it's World Space Week this week? It's true! And,
    in related news, since the 1960s, humans have been launching
    unmanned probes into space to explore and, well, probe it.
    In each case name them.

    1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring
    Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Its probes achieved several space
    travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the
    first planetary orbiter.

    Vostok

    2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of
    which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to
    land on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of
    the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars
    revealed that Mars once had water.

    Mariner

    3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989
    to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at
    Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well
    as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.
    The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to
    avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.

    Galileo

    4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in
    1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's
    gravitational field.

    Magellan

    5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which
    were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar
    system. They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two
    also studied Uranus and Neptune. Both probes remain operational
    and are still sending back data.

    Voyager

    6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;
    the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the
    Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958
    to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,
    and Saturn. The final two probes in this series were the first
    man-made objects to leave our solar system.

    Pioneer

    7. This probe program was instituted by NASA to find missions "of
    convenience" -- finding planetary missions that fit launch
    windows, to minimize expense. The 16 probes launched under
    this program have gone to the Moon, all of the inner planets,
    and multiple asteroids and comets, and even obtained and returned
    solar wind samples from the Sun.

    New Horizons

    8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons. It launched
    in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet
    and its system for another 13 years. It discovered 7 new
    moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,
    exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.

    Galileo

    9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both
    launched in 2003. Name either of the two rovers from this
    program.

    Curiosity

    10. The Mars 2020 mission consisted of a ground rover and a small
    robotic helicopter. Name either the rover or the helicopter.

    Curiosity

    * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President

    The President of the United States is frequently a major character
    in movies and TV shows. We'll name a fictional president and
    describe some of the events of his presidency; you tell us what
    movie or TV show he was in. If you get the title right on your
    first or only answer, you may also try for a 2-point bonus by
    naming the actor or actress.

    1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt
    with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment
    when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout
    of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.

    "The West Wing"
    Martin Sheen

    2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his
    first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt
    they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer
    during his campaign. When he began dating an environmental
    lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --
    and her.

    "The American President"
    Michael Douglas

    3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens
    attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces. Luckily,
    Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the
    remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.

    "Independence Day"
    Bill Pullman

    4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted
    by aliens attacking Earth. However, rather than fight, Dale
    spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens
    disintegrated Congress. As he said, "I want the American
    people to know that we still have two out of three branches of
    government working for them, and that ain't bad."

    "Mars Attacks"
    Jack Nicholson

    5. Matt Santos ran a tough campaign to become the first Latino
    President of the United States, and almost immediately once in
    office will have to deal with a potential war between Russia
    and China.

    "The West Wing"
    Jimmy Smits

    6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and
    attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of
    his own bribery scandals. However, in the last months of
    his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later
    died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed
    dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's
    course. Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,
    two President Mitchells.

    "Dave"
    Kevin Kline

    7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear
    war broke out, annihilating all of humanity. However, to the
    very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would
    not fight in the War Room.

    "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"
    Peter Sellers

    8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for
    speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer
    who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a
    successful campaign for the presidency.

    "Primary Colors"
    John Travolta

    9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office
    from the vice-presidency, then lost her election, and then
    won a subsequent election to become president by courting
    conservatives, running against same-sex marriage, and allowing
    China to re-annex Tibet. Her presidencies were politely
    described as "underrated" by historians.

    "Veep"
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    [email protected]

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Wed May 7 00:30:59 2025
    On 5/6/25 16:42, Mark Brader wrote:


    * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes

    Did you know it's World Space Week this week? It's true! And,
    in related news, since the 1960s, humans have been launching
    unmanned probes into space to explore and, well, probe it.
    In each case name them.

    1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring
    Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Its probes achieved several space
    travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the
    first planetary orbiter.

    Mariner


    2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of
    which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to
    land on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of
    the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars
    revealed that Mars once had water.

    Viking


    3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989
    to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at
    Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well
    as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.
    The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to
    avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.

    Galileo


    4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in
    1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's
    gravitational field.

    Magellan


    5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which
    were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar
    system. They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two
    also studied Uranus and Neptune. Both probes remain operational
    and are still sending back data.

    Voyager


    6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;
    the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the
    Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958
    to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,
    and Saturn. The final two probes in this series were the first
    man-made objects to leave our solar system.

    Pioneer


    7. This probe program was instituted by NASA to find missions "of
    convenience" -- finding planetary missions that fit launch
    windows, to minimize expense. The 16 probes launched under
    this program have gone to the Moon, all of the inner planets,
    and multiple asteroids and comets, and even obtained and returned
    solar wind samples from the Sun.

    8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons. It launched
    in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet
    and its system for another 13 years. It discovered 7 new
    moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,
    exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.

    Cassini


    9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both
    launched in 2003. Name either of the two rovers from this
    program.

    Spirit


    10. The Mars 2020 mission consisted of a ground rover and a small
    robotic helicopter. Name either the rover or the helicopter.

    Perseverance



    * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President

    This is a bonus round.

    The President of the United States is frequently a major character
    in movies and TV shows. We'll name a fictional president and
    describe some of the events of his presidency; you tell us what
    movie or TV show he was in. If you get the title right on your
    first or only answer, you may also try for a 2-point bonus by
    naming the actor or actress. (This will only be counted if the
    first or only show you name is correct, so you may as well guess
    the performer along with your first or only answer for the show;
    you can't lose points. Don't bother naming the performer along
    with a second guess on the show; it won't count.)

    Titles may repeat.

    1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt
    with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment
    when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout
    of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.

    West Wing


    2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his
    first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt
    they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer
    during his campaign. When he began dating an environmental
    lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --
    and her.

    3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens
    attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces. Luckily,
    Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the
    remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.

    Independence Day


    4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted
    by aliens attacking Earth. However, rather than fight, Dale
    spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens
    disintegrated Congress. As he said, "I want the American
    people to know that we still have two out of three branches of
    government working for them, and that ain't bad."

    5. Matt Santos ran a tough campaign to become the first Latino
    President of the United States, and almost immediately once in
    office will have to deal with a potential war between Russia
    and China.

    6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and
    attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of
    his own bribery scandals. However, in the last months of
    his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later
    died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed
    dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's
    course. Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,
    two President Mitchells.

    7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear
    war broke out, annihilating all of humanity. However, to the
    very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would
    not fight in the War Room.

    Dr Strangelove


    8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for
    speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer
    who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a
    successful campaign for the presidency.

    9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office
    from the vice-presidency, then lost her election, and then
    won a subsequent election to become president by courting
    conservatives, running against same-sex marriage, and allowing
    China to re-annex Tibet. Her presidencies were politely
    described as "underrated" by historians.

    10. Tom Kirkman never planned to be President, but when the US
    Capitol was blown up during the State of the Union address,
    Kirkman -- about to be fired as the Secretary of Housing and
    Urban Development -- was the sole member of Cabinet not killed,
    and thus ascended to the presidency.



    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Wed May 7 21:59:02 2025
    Mark Brader <[email protected]> wrote:

    * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes

    1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring
    Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Its probes achieved several space
    travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the
    first planetary orbiter.

    Mariner

    2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of
    which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to
    land on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of
    the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars
    revealed that Mars once had water.

    Viking

    3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989
    to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at
    Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well
    as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.
    The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to
    avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.

    Galileo

    4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in
    1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's
    gravitational field.

    Magellan

    5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which
    were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar
    system. They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two
    also studied Uranus and Neptune. Both probes remain operational
    and are still sending back data.

    Voyager

    6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;
    the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the
    Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958
    to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,
    and Saturn. The final two probes in this series were the first
    man-made objects to leave our solar system.

    Pioneer

    8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons. It launched
    in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet
    and its system for another 13 years. It discovered 7 new
    moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,
    exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.

    Huygens

    9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both
    launched in 2003. Name either of the two rovers from this
    program.

    Curiosity


    * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President

    1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt
    with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment
    when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout
    of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.

    West Wing and Martin Sheen

    2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his
    first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt
    they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer
    during his campaign. When he began dating an environmental
    lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --
    and her.

    The American President and Michael Douglas

    3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens
    attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces. Luckily,
    Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the
    remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.

    Independence Day and Bill Pullman

    4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted
    by aliens attacking Earth. However, rather than fight, Dale
    spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens
    disintegrated Congress. As he said, "I want the American
    people to know that we still have two out of three branches of
    government working for them, and that ain't bad."

    Mars Attacks! and Jack Nicholson

    6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and
    attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of
    his own bribery scandals. However, in the last months of
    his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later
    died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed
    dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's
    course. Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,
    two President Mitchells.

    Dave and Kevin Kline

    7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear
    war broke out, annihilating all of humanity. However, to the
    very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would
    not fight in the War Room.

    Dr. Strangelove and Peter Sellers

    8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for
    speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer
    who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a
    successful campaign for the presidency.

    Primary Colors and John Travolta

    9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office
    from the vice-presidency, then lost her election, and then
    won a subsequent election to become president by courting
    conservatives, running against same-sex marriage, and allowing
    China to re-annex Tibet. Her presidencies were politely
    described as "underrated" by historians.

    Veep and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    10. Tom Kirkman never planned to be President, but when the US
    Capitol was blown up during the State of the Union address,
    Kirkman -- about to be fired as the Secretary of Housing and
    Urban Development -- was the sole member of Cabinet not killed,
    and thus ascended to the presidency.

    Designated Survivor

    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum [email protected]
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Sat May 10 09:22:35 2025
    Mark Brader:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2024-10-07,
    and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
    please see my 2024-08-30 companion posting on "Questions from the
    Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


    * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes

    Did you know it's World Space Week this week? It's true! And,
    in related news, since the 1960s, humans have been launching
    unmanned probes into space to explore and, well, probe it.
    In each case name them.

    1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring
    Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Its probes achieved several space
    travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the
    first planetary orbiter.

    Mariner. 4 for Dan Tilque and Dan Blum.

    2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of
    which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to
    land on Mars. They took the first high-resolution images of
    the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars
    revealed that Mars once had water.

    Viking. 4 for Dan Tilque and Dan Blum.

    3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989
    to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at
    Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well
    as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.
    The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to
    avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.

    Galileo. 4 for everyone -- Joshua, Dan Tilque, and Dan Blum.

    4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in
    1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's
    gravitational field.

    Magellan. 4 for everyone.

    5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which
    were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar
    system. They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two
    also studied Uranus and Neptune. Both probes remain operational
    and are still sending back data.

    Voyager. 4 for everyone.

    6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;
    the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the
    Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958
    to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,
    and Saturn. The final two probes in this series were the first
    man-made objects to leave our solar system.

    Pioneer. 4 for everyone.

    7. This probe program was instituted by NASA to find missions "of
    convenience" -- finding planetary missions that fit launch
    windows, to minimize expense. The 16 probes launched under
    this program have gone to the Moon, all of the inner planets,
    and multiple asteroids and comets, and even obtained and returned
    solar wind samples from the Sun.

    Discovery.

    8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons. It launched
    in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet
    and its system for another 13 years. It discovered 7 new
    moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,
    exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.

    Cassini-Huygens. ("Cassini" was sufficient.) 4 for Dan Tilque.
    3 for Dan Blum.

    9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both
    launched in 2003. Name either of the two rovers from this
    program.

    Spirit, Opportunity. 4 for Dan Tilque.

    10. The Mars 2020 mission consisted of a ground rover and a small
    robotic helicopter. Name either the rover or the helicopter.

    Perseverance, Ingenuity (respectvely). 4 for Dan Tilque.


    * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President

    This is a bonus round.

    The President of the United States is frequently a major character
    in movies and TV shows. We'll name a fictional president and
    describe some of the events of his presidency; you tell us what
    movie or TV show he was in. If you get the title right on your
    first or only answer, you may also try for a 2-point bonus by
    naming the actor or actress. (This will only be counted if the
    first or only show you name is correct, so you may as well guess
    the performer along with your first or only answer for the show;
    you can't lose points. Don't bother naming the performer along
    with a second guess on the show; it won't count.)

    Titles may repeat.

    With the bonus points included, this was the easiest round of
    the entire season.

    1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt
    with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment
    when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout
    of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.

    "The West Wing"; Martin Sheen. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.
    4 for Dan Tilque.

    2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his
    first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt
    they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer
    during his campaign. When he began dating an environmental
    lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --
    and her.

    "The American President"; Michael Douglas. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

    3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens
    attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces. Luckily,
    Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the
    remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.

    "Independence Day"; Bill Pullman. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.
    4 for Dan Tilque.

    4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted
    by aliens attacking Earth. However, rather than fight, Dale
    spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens
    disintegrated Congress. As he said, "I want the American
    people to know that we still have two out of three branches of
    government working for them, and that ain't bad."

    "Mars Attacks!"; Jack Nicholson. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

    5. Matt Santos ran a tough campaign to become the first Latino
    President of the United States, and almost immediately once in
    office will have to deal with a potential war between Russia
    and China.

    "The West Wing"; Jimmy Smits. It's "will have to" because the series
    ends when he takes office. 6 for Joshua.

    6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and
    attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of
    his own bribery scandals. However, in the last months of
    his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later
    died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed
    dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's
    course. Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,
    two President Mitchells.

    "Dave"; Kevin Kline. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

    7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear
    war broke out, annihilating all of humanity. However, to the
    very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would
    not fight in the War Room.

    "Dr. Strangelove"; Peter Sellers. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.
    4 for Dan Tilque.

    8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for
    speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer
    who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a
    successful campaign for the presidency.

    "Primary Colors"; John Travolta. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

    9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office
    from the vice-presidency, then lost her election, and then
    won a subsequent election to become president by courting
    conservatives, running against same-sex marriage, and allowing
    China to re-annex Tibet. Her presidencies were politely
    described as "underrated" by historians.

    "Veep"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 6 for Joshua and Dan Blum.

    10. Tom Kirkman never planned to be President, but when the US
    Capitol was blown up during the State of the Union address,
    Kirkman -- about to be fired as the Secretary of Housing and
    Urban Development -- was the sole member of Cabinet not killed,
    and thus ascended to the presidency.

    "Designated Survivor"; Kiefer Sutherland. 4 for Dan Blum.


    Scores, if there are no errors:

    GAME 5 ROUNDS-> 2 3 TOTALS
    TOPICS-> Sci Ent
    Dan Blum 27 52 79
    Joshua Kreitzer 16 54 70
    Dan Tilque 36 12 48

    --
    Mark Brader | "In the land of truth, my friend,
    Toronto | the man with one fact is king."
    [email protected] | --"In the Loop", Jesse Armstrong et al.

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)