University Challenge 2024: Heat 2: Aberdeen v. Birmingham

The Teams

Aberdeen

Archie Broomfield

Zachary Eisler

Emily Osborne (Capt.)

Kyle McClements

Birmingham

Archie Bennett

Faiz Ahmed

Will Rogers (Capt.)

Sam Hastings

Good afternoon, dearly beloved. It’s already the second heat of the first round of UC: The Next Generation, and last night it was Aberdeen v. Birmingham. The Birmingham team seemed to have a mascot of the famous Joseph Chamberlain clock tower made of lego (other plastic brick-based construction toys are available although don’t ask me to name any of them right at this moment.)

Both teams were sensible to wait with the first starter until the word ‘ragtime’ was mentioned. As we all know, when you hear that word you slam the buzzer and answer – Scott Joplin. Archie Broomfield did and opened Aberdeen’s account. This brought them bonuses on the body and they knew their vertebrae well enough to brig a full house. Again, both teams listened to the question for the next starter and as soon as it became obvious this time Birmingham skipper Will Rogers nipped in with the correct answer – poet Andrew Marvell (known as ‘Captain’ to his mates.) With a set of bonuses on forms of Japanese theatre, Birmingham got their Kabuki confused with their Noh and ended up with 1 correct answer. Archie Broomfield chanced his arm with the Byzantine Generals’ Problem for the next starter about a thought experiment, and was close but no cigar losing five, allowing Archie Bennett in with the correct answer of the Two Generals Problem. Never heard of either, me. Chemical elements used in the making of red and green pigments earned me a lap of honour for a full house. I was surprised that Brum didn’t know that chromium is used in stainless steel. So to the picture starter. We saw titles of works in their original German. Now, to me, Aschenputtel – ash – screams Cinderella, so I answered that the authors were Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Zachary Eisler took his first starter with the same answer. Extracts from the original texts of some of the stories in the original German saw Aber take two and the lead. With a rush of blood to the head Zachary Eisler came in too early on the next starter. Asked for an artist he gave Jackson Pollack, allowing Archie Bennett in with the correct answer of Mondrian, whose picture had hung upside down for many decades. Indigenous peoples brought Brum two bonuses and they led by 55 – 35 as we approached the ten-minute mark.

The Fascist, the Communist and the Hitler-Lover were not as it happened rejected names for three of the seven dwarves, but three of the Mitford Sisters. Zachary Eisler had that one. Words containing ‘bit’ brought a full house. Will Rogers took the next starter knowing that the two neighbouring countries on the Mediterranean whose names, and the names of their capital cities both begin with the same letter are Algeria and Tunisia. Home victories by home drivers driving for home teams in F1 Grand Prix brought a couple of bonuses for Brum. Had I not already taken a lap of honour I would have taken one for recognising a description of what had to be superconductors. Sam Hastings took that one. With the set of bonuses on Toni Morrison, Brum only knew Beloved but they made sure they got the points for it. Zachary Eisler, who’d now found his range, buzzed in early with a good interruption on the term Orientalism for the next starter. Now, I’ll be honest, polymerase chain reaction rarely comes up in conversation in LAM Towers. So I was surprised that my hastily made up word thermophile was right for he third bonus on it! Aberdeen did the same and took one bonus. Emily Osborne recognised the unique stylings of Taylor Swift for the music starter. Extracts from others of the official best albums of the 2010s provided 2 bonuses. The artist they didn’t get was Frank Ocean. I remember his dad, Billy, and his grandad, Pacific. (Note to self: You can do better than that. Note to note to self: No I can’t) Zachary Eisler knew that Charles Edward Stuart won the Battle of Prestonpans – although one suspects that his soldiers had rather more to do with the outcome than he did. Aber took 2 bonuses from a gettable set on Angela Lansbury. For the next starter Fiaz Ahmed identified Heimdall as the deity protecting Bifrost (which I was once told was pronounced beef-roast in the original Old Norse) which led to three bonuses on the Bounty. That’s the Mutiny on the – as opposed to the taste of paradise. They missed out on Bligh’s eventual destination – Timor – but took the other two. Arche Bennett recognised a description of Agar – incidentally John Agar was, I believe, the first husband of Shirley “You can’t be serious” Temple. Bonuses on the tomb of Oscar Wilde brought just the one bonus on what seemed like something of a hail Mary punt. Still, that was enough to ensure that they led by 125 – 110 at the 20-minute mark.

Kyle McClements took his first starer knowing a variety of football teams who play in green and white. Bonuses on the Markov chain – me neither – gave Aber back the lead. Back in 2019 I was lucky enough to visit Vienna, and the Kunst – or Culture – Museum has a superb collection of Brueghels, so I recognised the second picture starter as their work. Neither team did. That man Zachary Eisler, building up a very useful set of starters, knew that the King James Bible was published in the 1610s. Other paintings featuring Mount Vesuvius brought just one bonus. All still to play for. Now, if you know that gypsum is 2 on the Mohs scale, you’ll know that this corresponds to Helium on the periodic table. Kyle McClements was first to work this out. German states brought a single bonus. Fiaz Ahmed did exactly what you should do when you’re behind with little time remaining. He buzzed for the next starter as soon as he might have known it. OK, this time it didn’t work, but you’re never going to win if you don’t buzz. Kyle McClements completed his treble, knowing that all of the places alluded to in the question only contained a and no other vowel. Aber only managed the one bonus on Shakespeare, hinting that Literature may be a weaker area for them. Not that it seemed to matter in this match. Sadly, Fiaz Ahmed lost another five points, but Aber could not capitalise with bhaji. For the next starter Fiaz Ahmed hit the jackpot with the mathematician Ramanujan. I enjoyed “The Man Who Knew Infinity” based on his life. Brutalist architecture in London brought a name check for Erno Goldfinger – the story goes that when he threatened to sue Ian Fleming for using his surname, Fleming offered to rename it Goldprick. Sadly Aberdeen missed all of the bouses, and to be honest this felt very much like a last despairing throw of the dice for them. Especially when Zachary Eisler buzzed in with the correct answer of the Palaeolithic for the next starter. 1 out of three bonuses on types of stone added a little gilding to Aber’s score, but the contest was already won. As Amol began the last starer we were gonged, Aberdeen winning by 190 – 125.

It was a close contest for the first 20 minutes, but Aber’s superior buzzing told in the last third. Added to that, their bonus conversion rate was above 50 percent while Birmingham’s was slightly below. Another good show – keep it up.

How is Amol Doing?

In short, very well. He began by giving us the full run down of the rules which he didn’t do last time out. Shades of Bamber Gascoigne when he explained, kindly, that the Byzantine Generals Problem was actually related to the Two Generals Problem, which Archie Broomfield seemed to appreciate. Good. Is Amol a formula 1 fan? I asked because in the appropriate question he responded ‘the GREAT Alain Prost’. When Emily Osborne recognised the Taylor Swift starter Amol responded “You’re obviously a fan.” Hmm – not too sure about that one Amol. Just because you recognise someone’s music it doesn’t mean you like it. Not sure if he was having a little dig there. Late on in the contest Amol said, “Just under 4 minutes to go.” then immediately added, “Plenty of time Birmingham.” Now, I’m sorry, but those two statements are mutually exclusive. If the first is correct, then the second cannot be. Time will tell if this piece of encouragement proves to be as much the kiss of death as it was in the Paxman era. Then when Emily Osborne took a wild punt with plantain for the question about bhajis Amol once again channelled Paxman. “Plantain?!!!!” Finally, he paid tribute to his father’s love of Ramanujan. “My dad’s hero.” Having a mathematician as a hero? Fair play to you, Mr. Rajan, Senior.

Interesting Fact That I Didn’t Already Know Of The Week

Scott Joplin was actually born in Texas.