Prime Time Trivia Challenge Answer
Here are the answers (27 KB word file) to The Prime Time Trivia challenge. Additionally, answers are posted in each post showing just the correct number desired. It seems like a good time was had by all and we want thank all of you for making this a great first project for the site. Thanks especially to Don & Sue, the creators of such a fine contest.
Also congrats to the winners:
First Prize - Clive Dawson
Second Prize - Sean Forbes
Third Prize - Jim from Minnesota
And expect another challenge soon.
Thanks,
JM & Nichole
Message from the Prime Time Trivia Challenge authors
We always look forward to the next issue of GAMES Magazine, hoping for another trivia challenge or a scavenger hunt or some other convoluted type of contest. My mentor, Sue, and I, just can’t seem to get enough of them. So, over the past few years, because our areas of expertise are in research, we have authored new games, puzzles and challenges just for the fun of it. Because of the positive internet responses posted on JM and Nichole’s site, we thought it might be fun to present one of these challenges to the general public. If there is a significant level of interest, we may even be able to make it a regular feature.
We want to thank JM and Nichole for the time, effort and expense they bear to host this site. There is no remuneration for anyone involved. This is a true labor of love.
Good Luck and Happy Puzzling,
Don Vance & Sue Bernstein
1
The amount of “stale beer”, converted to fluid drams, referred to in the second chapter of a fantasy novel concerning adventures on a prehistoric island by an author who had a city in California named in honor of his writing accomplishments, times the number of feet in one furlong.
Answer: 11
2
Excluding dates, serial numbers, plate numbers and security threads, the number of times “20” appears on a twenty-dollar bill issued in 2004
Answer: 151
3
(Note from Nichole: Please pardon the fuzziness of this image.)
Answer: 107
4
Number of the Senate Bill of the 2003 Regular Session concerning disability sponsored by Senators Teitelbaum, Ruben, Lawlah, Jones, Gladden, Forehand, Britt and Grosfeld, plus the number of the area code common to Melbourne, Eau Gallie and Sanford, with the sum expressed in base 6.
Answer: 1304
5
The day of the month on which Alfred Vail received a momentous message times the Chapter of the Number’s attribution.
Answer: 552
6
Number of the flight in a film with a two-digit number in its title, which included in a supporting role an actor who had earlier starred in a movie with a three-digit number in its title.
Answer: 23
7
First part of a seemingly oxymoronic phrase, which describes an American event of almost 208 weeks, with the second and last characters reversed.
Answer: 157
8
Maximum number of days a President of the United States could theoretically remain in office.
Answer: 3653
9
Using abbreviations exactly as they appear in the Periodic Table of Elements to spell an eleven-letter word that was first used in print in 1789 by Augustin Barruel and means “love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it”, find the difference between the two possible combinations of the sums of the atomic numbers within each word. Each element may be used only once per word.
Answer: 53
10
The number represented using the byte sequence: 1111111111111110.
Answer: 65534
11
Assigning each letter of the alphabet its corresponding numerical value, (i.e. A=1, B=2, etc.), solve the following equation: The product of all the letters of the first name of a performer who won a Golden Globe Award in 1969, divided by the product of that performer’s last name, times the product of the first name of a performer who won a Vocalist of the Year Award in 1974, divided by the product of the letters of the last name of a 1994-95 Rookie of the Year Award winner, times the product of the letters in the second name of the same 1974 winner as above, divided by that performer’s last name, times the product of the letters in the first name of a performer who won an Entertainer of the Year Award in 2002, divided by the product of that performer’s last name.
Answer: 270
12
The sum of one each of every denomination of U.S. currency issued by the Treasury Department for use by the general public under $2,200.00 that is still redeemable at face value, times the denomination of the third largest note, divided by the number of the form issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Economic Census concerning beer, wine and alcoholic beverages.
Answer: 4
13
Order of admission to the Union of the state where Routes 252, 467, 200 and 13 converge within a ten-mile radius.
Answer: 41
14
US Highway that separates Monona and Mendota.
Answer: 151
15
Numerical representation in the title of a film that ended with Charles Buchinski saying, “Boy, oh boy. Killing generals could get to be a habit with me.”
Answer: 12
16
Using the numbers on a standard telephone dial, the numerical representation of the common term for the African quadruped responsible annually for the most human casualties, divided by the year of the publication of the original manuscript presented to the King of Spain, concerning the anagram of HEADSTONE DONOR and later translated by Buckingham Smith.
Answer: 29
17
The number of a world-famous attraction, held on one man-made island and one natural island during the year of its host country’s 100th anniversary of union.
Answer: 67
18
Height, in inches, of the notable figure who celebrated her 100th birthday in October, 1986.
Answer: 1333
19
Number of floors (above ground) in the tallest building on Century Boulevard.
Answer: 88
20
Number of the Super Bowl where the losing AFC team scored the same number of points as the Super Bowl number, losing to the same team they had beaten in a previous Super Bowl when that team scored the same number of points as that Super Bowl number.
Answer: 17
21
Highest natural point above sea level of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part north of a state with any part south of a state with any part west of a state with any part west of a state with any part west of a state whose highest natural point is 345 feet above sea level, visiting each state only once.
[see the rephrased question in comments below - nichole]
Answer: 1951 or 1979
22
Number associated with an unsuccessful attempt to explore an area near Lansberg, that is across the southern end of a major sea, via the “Aquarius”, times the number of cousins in the family of Diana Tarsier.
Answer: 65
23
Numerical representation, per the New General Catalog, in a cluster associated with nebulosity in Cassiopeia, a faint, very large, diffused, small triple star on the north preceding edge; Right Ascension: 0:52.8, Declination: +56:37, Magnitude 7.p, Diameter: 35 arc minutes.
Answer: 281
24
Retired jersey number of the professional athlete who was the first recipient of an award originally named for the son of a first-baseman who played for the St. Louis Browns.
Answer: 42
25
The number of the gelb Tatra tram that services the former Ochsenmarkt, which is also the number of the Section in the US Code Collection under Title 26, Subtitle F, Chapter 61, Subchapter A, Part III, Subpart A, concerning partnership income returns.
Answer: 6031
Final steps
All calculations refer to remaining numbers in a diminishing chain.
- Reverse the order of the digits in answers #9 and #13.
- Divide all numbers by 9 that are evenly divisible by 9.
- Eliminate the fourth highest number and the lowest number.
- Divide all even numbers by 2.
- Divide the fourth number by 2.
- Divide the largest number by the second number.
- Divide all numbers by 3 that are evenly divisible by 3.
- Divide all even numbers by the fourteenth number and eliminate the fourteenth number.
- Divide the fifth number by the sixth number and eliminate the sixth number.
- Divide the highest number by the fourth number and eliminate the fourth number.
- Eliminate all palindromic numbers over 10.
- Divide the fourth number by the third to last number and eliminate the third to last number
- Divide the third to last number by the fourth number and eliminate the fourth number.
- Divide the fourth and sixth numbers by the third to last number and eliminate the sixth and third to last numbers.
- Divide the fifth number and the fourth to last number by their common factor.
- Eliminate all numbers evenly divisible by 7.
- Eliminate all three-digit numbers.
- Eliminate the largest and second smallest numbers.
If you have accurately followed all the directions, you should be able to ascertain the numerical locality suggested by the product of the remaining numbers.
Answer: 92278 (Twentynine Palms, CA)
Rules for Prime Time Trivia Challenge
- While there may be fractions and decimals along the way, all answers will be expressed in whole numbers.
- All entries must be received by midnight, April 15, 2004.
- All entries must include all 25 answers as well as the final answer.
- You may enter as many times as you wish, but only one identical entry per person will be accepted.
- Names of entrants may be listed on the web site. If you don’t want your actual name to be used, choose an alias.
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
1. If there is more than one correct solution, the entry with the most correct answers will be the winner.
2. If no entry has the correct final solution, the entry with the greatest number of correct answers will be the winner.
3. Ties will be broken by random draw.
1st prize - Mensa's 100 "Riddles & Conundrums"
2nd Prize - "The Amazing 1000 Puzzle Challenge"
3rd Prize - Games magazine's "Giant Book of Games", edited by Will Shortz
Entries may be submitted by
FAX: (310) 329-4052
EMAIL Don: dlxvi@aol.com
EMAIL Sue: subee@flash.net
Click here to email Don and Sue.
Emails must have Prime Time Trivia Challenge in the Subject line.
USPS: TRIVIA CHALLENGE
c/o Don Vance
PO Box 4453
Lakewood, CA 90711
GOOD LUCK, Don Vance & Sue Bernstein
4/1/04 NOTE: Deadline extension!!
Message from your site hosts
Hello puzzle enthusiasts,
Welcome to the Unoffical Calculatrivia Discussion Place. This little site has sort of become the home of number based trivia contests on the web. Thanks for stopping by. We're excited to have all of you here.
The Unofficial Calculatrivia Discussion Place has just finished up the Prime Time Trivia Challenge. (See answers below.) That contest has now closed. Expect a new puzzle in the coming weeks.
Looking for Calculatrivia 2003?
Never fear - the discussion of Calculativia 2003 is still hosted on this site. It is available through a link in the sidebar. Under "Categories," click "Calculatrivia 2003" to view the discussion, which is still open. Clicking on GAMES magazine will lead you to the new home of the "New issue = new threads?" post and discussion, where we also hope to host discussion of upcoming GAMES magazine issues.
Happy puzzling!
Your hosts,
Nichole and JM
