MATTE - Packet by Andrew Yaphe and Paul Litvak

Food imagery figures prominently in this film’s dialogue. One protagonist offers “chips, dips, chains and whips” while another is concerned about his friend’s parents “shitting eggrolls.” During the climactic showdown, one of the antagonists asks to keep the altercation a secret to avoid risking his teaching job. This is after a string of events precipitated by the successful use of the Crypto Smasher software program to hack into a government computer. Following some escapades at a seedy bar, the protagonists make a trade with the bullies Max and Ian to acquire their girlfriends Deb and Hilly. Despite creating a nuclear missile and infuriating Chet, the two protagonists manage to avoid parental retribution, all thanks to the power of their creation. FTP, identify this John Hughes film starring Ilan Mitchell Smith and Anthony Michael Hall which concerns two nerds who create the perfect woman in Kelly LeBrock.

Answer: Weird Science

Its final section, subtitled “A Paradoxical Appendix to the Foregoing Treatise”, discusses the work of van Helmont and famously quotes 1st Kings about Solomon’s navy. The first part, a series of “physiological considerations”, discusses the sixth book of Archidoxis, which describes the use of the seal of Hermes. Primarily an attack on the Aristotelian doctrine as well as the Spagyrists, this work asserts the impossibility of the notion of the tria prima. Consisting of six parts, it follows the discussions of five characters, including Philoponus, Themistius, Eleutherius and Carnaedes, the latter of whom voices many objections to Paracelsus. FTP, identify this 1661 dialogue which opposed alchemy, written by Robert Boyle.

Answer: The Sceptical Chymist

He was a member of a group known as the "Lunar Society," because they met monthly on a Monday near to the full moon. One of his works illustrates an "inquiry into the original state and formation of the earth" by his friend John Whitehurst, while another may illustrate a lecture delivered by astronomer James Ferguson. His early works include a depiction of three people viewing a gladiator by candlelight, while his major paintings include one of a philosopher lecturing on an orrery. FTP, name this 18th century English painter of "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump."

Answer: Joseph Wright of Derby

One song with this name refers to "analysis and freaky sensitivity" and proclaims that "we've gotta live" on a certain discipline alone. That song is the 5th track on an album called _Welcome to the Monkey House_ by the Dandy Warhols. This word also appears in the title of a song in which the singer claims "I shoot myself with rock and roll / The hole I dig is bottomless / But nothing else can set me free." In that song, the singer claims to be a "journalist" and a "pharmacist" as well as the title figure. FTP, give this word which forms part of the title of a Guided by Voices song, and also describes both Selene Koo and Mike Sorice.

Answer: scientist

In _Free Willy 3: The Rescue_, this was the name of a whaling ship. More famously, it is the name of a DY-100 class sleeper ship that was launched during the Eugenics Wars of the late 20th century. A place of this name contains Towra Point Nature Reserve, and is home to the sizable Kingsford Smith International Airport. That place was originally named for stingrays before being renamed for some discoveries of Joseph Banks. FTP, name this body of water discovered by James Cook and located near Sydney.
Answer: Botany Bay

In Polynesian mythology, they are known as the Matariki and also oversee agriculture. The Babylonians knew them as the Zappu, while in Mayan myth they were created by the giant Zipacna after some young men tried to kill him. In Greek myth, one of them was turned into a doe by Artemis, while another was the mother of Hermes. FTP, name this group which includes Taygete, Maia, and five other daughters of Atlas and Pleione, who were pursued by Orion and placed into the heavens by Zeus as a star cluster in Taurus.

Answer: Pleiades

In his _Arcana Microcosmi_, Alexander Ross notes that this author wrote about a man who lived for seven weeks only on water. The "pseudo" author of this name wrote _De Secretis Mulierum_, which discusses the effects on children of lightning striking at the moment of ejaculation. In his treatise _De vegetabilibus et plantis_ he laid down the maxim "Experiment is the only safe guide in investigations," and his scientific work includes a demonstration of the earth's sphericity. He became Bishop of Ratisbon in 1260, and in the Divine Comedy he appears in the _Paradiso_ with his best-known student. FTP, name this patron saint of scientists, a Scholastic philosopher who discovered arsenic and taught Thomas Aquinas everything he knew.

Answer: Albertus Magnus

A primitive one of them seems to have been produced by Francisco Fontana, while the first to describe one of the subject's more interesting features was produced by Giacomo Miraldi. The first serious one was produced in the 1830s by Johann von Madler and Wilhelm Beer, while Richard Proctor produced an improved version in the 1860s which included numerous features named for William Dawes, who had previously made one. Data for one was complied by William Herschel, whose findings inspired Gauss to suggest that enormous patterns be drawn in the snow of Siberia as a form of communication. Some include a feature named by Pietro Secchi and popularized by Giovanni Schiaparelli. FTP, name this kind of thing also produced by Percival Lowell, which would be useful if you wanted to get around on a neighboring planet.
Answer: maps of Mars (accept equivalents)

Its first leader developed a namesake formula which represents pi through a generalized continued fraction. Another of its leaders named the Crab Nebula, while a more recent one received a 1982 Nobel Prize for his work on crystallographic electron microscopy. That one, Aaron Krug, was succeeded by Robert May, who himself was replaced in 2005 by Martin Rees, who also served as Astronomer Royal. FTP, name this organization whose other presidents have included Samuel Pepys, Humphrey Davy, and Isaac Newton.

Answer: Royal Society

In this novel, Maurice Wu ends up in a cave full of bats. Modeled after Through the Looking Glass, the novel consists of two parts “Adventures” and “Reflections.” Other characters include U.F.O Schwartz, the leader of the Space Brain Complex, J. Graham Hummer, who provoked the MIT “language riots,” and Thorkild, an expert in decollation control. Central to this novel is the repeating decimal 142857, which is used to decode messages from the title entity. Also important are numbers called “zorgs” which are invented by the protagonist, earning him the first Nobel Prize in math at the age of 14. FTP, identify this novel concerning the genius Billy Twillig’s attempt to decipher a message from space, written by Don Delilo.

Answer: Ratner’s Star

The author of this drama took up similar themes in his novel The Pledge, which was later made into a film starring Jack Nicholson. Minor characters in this work include Uwe Sievers and Murillo, attendants who might be in mortal danger. The protagonist speaks to Solomon about his problems, a fact noted by Mathilde von Zahnd. In the climax of the play, it is revealed that the three title characters were all masquerading, and that the protagonist was hiding his insanity to avoid dealing with the repercussions of his “Unitary Theory of Elementary Particles”. Set in a sanatorium, this is FTP, what play concerning Mobius’ ethical struggles during Cold War, written by Friedrich Durrenmatt.

Answer: The Physicists also accept Die Physiker

George Boas said in his review of it that “all prospective PhD’s in the humanities would do well to study this book.” In chapter 50, the author discusses Pope’s translation of the Odyssey and his collaborations with Elijah Fenton and William Broome. Chapter 65 quotes the aphorist Azariah de Rossi’s magnum opus The Gathered Sheaves, which is later connected to Bernard of Chartres. The work begins by quoting a correspondence with the historian Bernard Bailyn, and begins by tracing the title phrase to Didacus Stella. FTP, identify this sociological work whose title was famously uttered by Isaac Newton, written by the author of Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England, Robert Merton.

Answer: On the Shoulders of Giants

One of them spent much of his career trying to convert charcoal into diamonds and received a Nobel Prize by a margin of one vote over Mendelev in 1906. Another of them lived in Berzelius’ house while working as his assistant. Another one trained Berzelius in the use of the blow pipe. One of the most prolific of them has a namesake green compound, copper arsenite. They include Johann Gahn, Henri Moissan, and Martin Klaproth. FTP identify this group of benefactors to humanity who also include Humphrey Davy and Karl Scheele.

Answer: discoverers of elements (accept equivalents), prompt on scientists, people, men, humans

Thomas Hardy laments that “too fragrant was life’s early bloom, too tart the fruit it brought!” in a poem where it is “shut out.” It is said to be “distant from the sea, but a chin of gold and upon her fluent route” in three poems by Emily Dickinson. Sidney asks of it “is constant love deemed there but want of wit?” in the 31st sonnet of Astrophil and Stella. In that sonnet, he describes “with how sad steps” it climbs the skies. FTP, identify this celestial body, “down” in a novel by Steinbeck, which in a famous children’s book was bid goodnight.

Answer: the moon prompt on “a moon”, do not accept Phobos or Deimos

His collaboration with Prezent led him to advance the theory that the basis of heredity did not involve some special self-reproducing substance. Like Mendel, his first work was also on growing peas, and his was influenced by the work of Michurin on fruit trees. The strongest opponent of his work was H. J. Muller, who argued against the “vernalization.” Gaining ascendancy following a speech in which “practice” was elevated over “theory”, his ideological commitments and mobilization of peasants was key to his success. FTP, identify this man whose views on agriculture were promoted by Stalin.

Answer: Trofim Lysenko

Answer the following about David Frankel FTPE:

[10] David Frankel was the teacher of this Jewish philosopher, whose works include _Morning Hours_ and a dialogue modeled on the _Phaedo_.
ANSWER: Moses Mendelssohn
[10] Frankel was a devoted scholar of this earlier author, and instructed Moses Mendelssohn in reading his Guide for the Perplexed.
ANSWER: Maimonides
[10] Frankel started his illustrious career as chief rabbi of this German city, which later became the home of the Bauhaus after it was forced to close up shop in Weimar.
ANSWER: Dessau

Answer the following about noted mathematician Adolf Frankel, FTPE:
[10] Adolf Frankel may be best known for his work modifying the system of this German mathematician; a kind of set theory is now named for this man and Frankel.
ANSWER: Ernst Zermelo
[10] Frankel did early work on this kind of number, which was first discussed by Kurt Hensel; they constitute a field which is a completion of the rational numbers.
ANSWER: p-adic numbers
[10] Frankel also wrote an important biography of this wacky German mathematician, who wrote a crucial 1874 paper on a characteristic property of all real algebraic numbers.
ANSWER: Georg Cantor

Answer the following about the tragic Arctic balloon expedition of 1897, FTPE:
[10] Among those who perished was this Swedish engineer, who had unluckily replaced Nils Ekholm at the last minute.
ANSWER: _Knut Frankel_ (prompt on "Frankel")
[10] The first member of the expedition to die was this photographer, who was the nephew of the author of the novel _The Red Room_.
ANSWER: Nils Strindberg
[10] One of the funders of the expedition was this Swedish scientist, who owned the Bofors company and loathed mathematicians.
ANSWER: Alfred Nobel

He was born Alexander Frankel. FTPE:
[10] Name this Hungarian psychoanalyst, whose theoretical opposition to Freud's views on transference led him to sleep with his patients.
ANSWER: Sandor Ferenczi
[10] Sandor Ferenczi's greatest work may be this brief book, subtitled "a theory of genitality," whose title comes from a Greek word for the sea.
ANSWER: Thalassa
[10] Ferenczi's ideas found some favor later in the 20th century after this French psychoanalytic thinker, who theorized about the mirror stage, took an interest in his work.
ANSWER: Jacques Lacan

Name the following people who have worked with esteemed percussionist Danny Frankel, FTPE:
[10] This daughter of Brandon Maggart has released such albums as Extraordinary Machine and Tidal.
ANSWER: Fiona Apple
[10] Her albums include Pieces of You and Goodbye Alice in Wonderland.
ANSWER: Jewel
[10] This all-woman group was named for a former NBA player; their albums include _Electric Honey_ and 1996's _Fever In Fever Out_.
ANSWER: Luscious Jackson

Answer the following about noted programmer Justin Frankel, FTPE:
[10] Justin invented the multimedia player Winamp, which was made by this company.
ANSWER: Nullsoft
[10] Justin also developed this file-sharing network, whose name refers to the chocolate and hazelnut spread consumed by him as he developed it.
ANSWER: Gnutella
[10] Justin developed Gnutella while working for this corporation, which was offended when he developed a patch to block ads in its Instant Messenger software.
ANSWER: AOL

His compositions include eight symphonies and a violin concerto dedicated "to the memory of the six million." FTPE:
[10] Name this 20th-century British composer, who also wrote a Serenata Concertante for piano trio and orchestra.
ANSWER: _B_enjamin _Frankel_ (prompt on "Frankel")
[10] Benjamin Frankel's other compositions include five of this type of piece, including his opus 14 and 15.
ANSWER: string quartet
[10] Ben Frankel wrote the score to this 1951 Alec Guinness movie, which centers on Sidney Stratton, a scientist who invents a kind of yarn which repels dirt.
ANSWER: The Man in the White Suit

Answer the following about noted politician Sandra Frankel, FTPE:
[10] Sandra works as supervisor of the town of Brighton in this northeastern state; she ran for lieutenant governor in 1998 on a ticket with Peter Vallone.
ANSWER: New York
[10] Vallone lost in 1998 in the race for governor of New York to this Republican.
ANSWER: George Pataki
[10] A more successful member of that 1998 New York democratic ticket was this state Attorney General, who will be running for governor in 2006.
ANSWER: Eliot Spitzer

Answer some questions about the Assistant Secretary of State for educational and cultural affairs from 1965 to 1967 FTPE:

[10] Eschewing metaphysical speculation for pragmatism, this Columbia professor is the author of The Case for Modern Man, and Pleasures of Philosophy.

Answer: _C_harles Frankel

[10] The NEH has an award named after Charles Frankel. In 1996, this former poet laureate won the prize. She is best known for Thomas and Beulah.

Answer: Rita Dove

[10] In 1992 the prize was awarded to this deceased University of Chicago professor and author of The Closing of the American Mind.

Answer: Allen Bloom

Answer some questions about Conservative Judaism FTPE:

[10] A descendant of the Spira rabbinical family, this man was one of the founders of Conservative Judaism and his work on the Talmud and Christian jurisprudence led to the end of discrimination in the Prussian court system.

Answer: _Z_echarias Frankel

[10] Zecharias Frankel engaged in many a debate with this man, the German founder of neo-Orthodoxy, author of a famous translation of the Torah and advocate of “Torah im derech erertz.”

Answer: Samson Raphael Hirsch

[10] Frankel also provided a new interpretation of this book of Jewish law, which was compiled by Judah the Prince and supplemented by the Gemara.

Answer: Mishnah

Answer some questions about a man with an “acknowledged position among Viennese writers”, Ludwig August Ritter von Hochwart Frankl:

[10] Frankl, a student of Zecharias Frankel (no relation) translated this narrative poem by Thomas Moore.

Answer: Lalla Rookh

[10] Ludwig Frankl was good friends with Nicholas Lenau, whose 1837 epic about this Dominican preacher from Florence who was hanged in who was hanged in 1498.

Answer: Girolamo Savonarola

[10] Lenau decided to move to American and spent six months living in this Indiana utopian colony founded by George Rapp and later run by Robert Owen.

Answer: New Harmony

Answer the following about noted American film personality David Frankel, FTPE:
[10] David directed an episode of this miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, which was based on a book by Stephen Ambrose.
ANSWER: Band of Brothers
[10] David directed this film, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2006. It is an adaptation of a bestselling novel by Lauren Weisberger, and stars Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
ANSWER: The Devil Wears Prada
[10] He also worked on this HBO historical series, which starred Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson.
ANSWER: Rome