Originally Posted by PaddyODawes:
“. (In a series where there haven't been any really stand out teams.)”
“. (In a series where there haven't been any really stand out teams.)”
If I'd a penny for every time I read that.
University Challenge 2016/17
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The last time SOAS was on there was a tribute at the end to team member David Bostock who died shortly before the programme was broadcast . (He was the man on the far left)
I wonder if he was able make any more appearances for his team before he died? It must have been sad for his family if they watched this evening but at least they saw his team put in a stonking performance.
I wonder if he was able make any more appearances for his team before he died? It must have been sad for his family if they watched this evening but at least they saw his team put in a stonking performance.
Yes, I seem to remember reading the family were given a private showing before he died so he could see it. I don't know if they saw this one too.
Originally Posted by PaddyODawes:
“you wonder how on earth SOAS managed to get beat”
“you wonder how on earth SOAS managed to get beat”
Well technically they didn't. It was a draw, decided by fastest finger first, against an equally good team.
I'd love to see SOAS win the whole thing - as a tribute to Mr Bostock 
They were certainly on fire last night.
They were certainly on fire last night.
A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.
Originally Posted by RegTumbler:
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
Maybe, but the specialist knowledge of UC teams goes far beyond the average person's general knowledge. Thinking back, I learned some of the stuff that was in last night's questions at university (e.g. utilitarianism) but I also read a lot more books for pleasure back then, so it's probably not unusual for younger students to have a good breadth of knowledge.
Originally Posted by RegTumbler:
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
OTOH there are many maths and physics questions on UC that I know I would have been able to answer back when I was 18, but have since slipped my mind.
Originally Posted by RegTumbler:
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
“A team with an average age of 44 should do better than a team with its average age in the early twenties. My general knowledge now is much better than it was many years ago when I was at university.”
But your knowledge of statistical significance and logical thinking is apparently still just as awful as it ever was!
SOAS were terrific, especially their captain. I love how he rubbed his legs like Vic Reeves every time he got a question correct! They could go the whole way - although losing Bostock (not sure how many more rounds he'll feature in) will be a big blow. He was very good last night too.
Originally Posted by ffa1:
“SOAS were terrific, especially their captain. I love how he rubbed his legs like Vic Reeves every time he got a question correct! They could go the whole way - although losing Bostock (not sure how many more rounds he'll feature in) will be a big blow. He was very good last night too.”
“SOAS were terrific, especially their captain. I love how he rubbed his legs like Vic Reeves every time he got a question correct! They could go the whole way - although losing Bostock (not sure how many more rounds he'll feature in) will be a big blow. He was very good last night too.”
I imagine that the entire series of UC (including the final) was in the can well before the death of Mr. Bostock. The result is known to many but is embargoed.
Originally Posted by ffa1:
“SOAS were terrific, especially their captain. I love how he rubbed his legs like Vic Reeves every time he got a question correct! .”
“SOAS were terrific, especially their captain. I love how he rubbed his legs like Vic Reeves every time he got a question correct! .”
Yeah, that's what I noticed.
The guy's a flippin' genius ... and leg-rubbing weird.
I got three they didn't get, but I didn't get loads that they got.
Really hard to watch knowing Mr. Bostock's passed. Despite having no scientists on the team they were truly excellent!
R.I.P. sir.
Despite having no scientists on the team they were truly excellent! R.I.P. sir.
Originally Posted by Inkblot:
“Maybe, but the specialist knowledge of UC teams goes far beyond the average person's general knowledge. Thinking back, I learned some of the stuff that was in last night's questions at university (e.g. utilitarianism) but I also read a lot more books for pleasure back then, so it's probably not unusual for younger students to have a good breadth of knowledge.”
“Maybe, but the specialist knowledge of UC teams goes far beyond the average person's general knowledge. Thinking back, I learned some of the stuff that was in last night's questions at university (e.g. utilitarianism) but I also read a lot more books for pleasure back then, so it's probably not unusual for younger students to have a good breadth of knowledge.”
Without a doubt. But UC teams aren't made up from "the average person". As it is, I have remembered the answer to a fair number of UC questions that I learned for O Levels, many decades ago. I have also learned a great deal since my university days and can now answer questions that I wouldn't have a chance of knowing the answer to when I was an undergrad.
That Tolkien answer saved Edinburgh after fluffing one of the easiest rounds I've ever seen on UC - The 50s Sci-Fi stuff. To not get Day the Earth Stood Still, to mistake Invasion of the Body Snatchers for Day of the Triffids and to not get Day of the Triffids when it came up was risible.
Originally Posted by apaul:
“Poetic justice that Open lost by running out of time.”
“Poetic justice that Open lost by running out of time.”
Yes! Edinburgh got so little time and was always hurried by Paxo, whereas Open seemed to have aeons of silence to luxuriate in their thoughts.
Well done, Edinburgh! Phew, that was an exhausting episode
Originally Posted by Straker:
“That Tolkien answer saved Edinburgh after fluffing one of the easiest rounds I've ever seen on UC - The 50s Sci-Fi stuff. To not get Day the Earth Stood Still, to mistake Invasion of the Body Snatchers for Day of the Triffids and to not get Day of the Triffids when it came up was risible.”
“That Tolkien answer saved Edinburgh after fluffing one of the easiest rounds I've ever seen on UC - The 50s Sci-Fi stuff. To not get Day the Earth Stood Still, to mistake Invasion of the Body Snatchers for Day of the Triffids and to not get Day of the Triffids when it came up was risible.”
We can't all be Si Fi geeks.
Originally Posted by jimbo1962:
“We can't all be Si Fi geeks.”
“We can't all be Si Fi geeks.”
Not even getting one right was extremely lame at this stage.
Originally Posted by Straker:
“Not even getting one right was extremely lame at this stage.”
“Not even getting one right was extremely lame at this stage.”
I don't know, I'm with Jimbo. Personally I've never seen any of those movies, and only got Day of the Triffids because of the earlier guess - as in 'Oh, this might be Day of the Triffids'.
Very hard on Open, I thought. Not unfair - it's the rules - but hard. But I've never seen such a close finish in all the years I've been watching UC.
Originally Posted by PaddyODawes:
“I don't know, I'm with Jimbo. Personally I've never seen any of those movies, and only got Day of the Triffids because of the earlier guess - as in 'Oh, this might be Day of the Triffids'.”
“I don't know, I'm with Jimbo. Personally I've never seen any of those movies, and only got Day of the Triffids because of the earlier guess - as in 'Oh, this might be Day of the Triffids'.”
The Day the Earth Stood Still and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (been remade three times) are arguably the two most famous and widely respected of fifties SF movies. Their ignorance was only underlined by mistaking Body Snatchers for Triffids and then failing to recognise Day of the Triffids when by chance it did come up!
They should try watching some movies now and again.
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