20.1 - Most Improved - Sarah E's task: Periodically challenged

[Kristina Simon]

20.1 - Most Improved - Sarah E's task: Periodically challenged

A new series of University Challenge will start during this season. At 37 episodes per series there are (happily) only a few months of the year without it. Although I never manage to answer very many questions, it is always gratifying when a lifetime of reading throws up an answer - or means that I have at least heard of the subject (always a bonus).

Some of the more fiendish questions require the answer to be spelt out using codes: for example, International Country codes (GB, FR, US, etc.), the radio alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, etc.), or the symbols of the chemical elements. For this task, we are going to use the symbols of the chemical elements.

This is a ONE book task.

Read one book, and using this list: The Chemical Elements sorted alphabetically by symbol, spell out one word** of at least 3 letters from the title or subtitle of your book using the symbols of the chemical elements.

**Spaces determine words. Ignore punctuation, but words with symbols (&, @, etc.) cannot be used.
One word titles are allowed. You may use the same symbol more than once.

Required: State which word you have used, and list the elements that spell it out.

Example: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

My word is Spoon

S - Sulfur
Po - Polonium
O - Oxygen
N - Nitrogen

Optional - Have a go at some of these sample questions:
University Challenge: Are these the 20 toughest questions Jeremy Paxman has ever asked?

[Sarah]

Correct:

Marked for Life - Life
The Heat Islands - Islands
Tall Man in Ray-Bans - Ray-Bans (ignore the hyphen)
Boar Island - Boar Island
Phoenix and Ashes - Ashes
Far Gone - Far
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Physick
All About Passion - Passion
Firefly Lane - Lane

[Sarah]

Incorrect interruption:

[Kristina Simon]

This thread is now open!

[Pia]

Marked for Life

Using the word LIFE

Li = Lithium
Fe = Iron

Will it work?

[Sarah]

Pia wrote: "Marked for Life

Using the word LIFE

Li = Lithium
Fe = Iron

Will it work?"

Yes, that works. Enjoy!

[Pia]

Thanks! It was the first book I tried and it was easy.

[Andy]

Is this correct, using islands
The Heat Islands
I Iodine
S Sulfer
La Lanithanum
N Nitrogen
DS Darmstadtium

[Sarah]

Andy wrote: "Is this correct, using islands
The Heat Islands
I Iodine
S Sulfer
La Lanithanum
N Nitrogen
DS Darmstadtium"

That works. Cool use of unusual elements - and a long word too. :)
Enjoy.

[Trish]

Does this work okay, matching either Ray-Bans, or just Bans - I wasn't sure if for a hyphenated word you need both sides of the hyphen?

Tall Man in Ray-Bans, Joseph Flynn
Ra – Radium (88)
Y – Yttrium (39)
Ba – Barium (56)
N – Nitrogen (7)
S – Sulphur (6)

[Jonquil]

Nerd fun; thanks, Sarah!

I'm excited about a twofer that lets me use my latest Nevada Barr: Boar Island

B Boron/ O Oxygen/ Ar Argon...I Iodine/ S Sulfer/ La Lanithanum/Nd Neodymium

[Dee]

Love this!!

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

My word is Ashes: As-Arsenic, H-Hydrogen, Es-Einsteinium
so my book is Phoenix and Ashesby Mercedes Lackey

[Kristina Simon]

Trish wrote: "Does this work okay, matching either Ray-Bans, or just Bans - I wasn't sure if for a hyphenated word you need both sides of the hyphen?

Tall Man in Ray-Bans, Joseph Flynn
Ra – Radi..."

Quick moderator note: Hyphenated words are treated as one word. So, yes, you both sides of the hyphen

[Dee]

got mine (I think)

Far Gone
Far - F (Fluorine); Ar (Argon)

[Bea]

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Physick:
P - Phosphorus
H - Hydrogen
Y - Yttrium
Si - Silicon
C - Carbon
K - Potassium

[Lauren]

Just to confirm that I am doing this right:

All About Passion - Passion

Pa - Protactinium
S - Sulfur
S - Sulfur
I - Iodine
O - Oxygen
N - Nitrogen

[Sarah]

Trish wrote: "Does this work okay, matching either Ray-Bans, or just Bans - I wasn't sure if for a hyphenated word you need both sides of the hyphen?

Tall Man in Ray-Bans, Joseph Flynn
Ra – Radi..."

Using both sides of the hyphen works.

Thanks Kristina!

[Sarah]

Jonquil wrote: "Nerd fun; thanks, Sarah!

I'm excited about a twofer that lets me use my latest Nevada Barr: Boar Island

B Boron/ O Oxygen/ Ar Argon...I Iodine/ S Sulfer/ La Lanithanum/Nd Neodymium"

Great! This works.

[Sarah]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "My word is Ashes: As-Arsenic, H-Hydrogen, Es-Einsteinium
so my book is Phoenix and Ashesby Mercedes Lackey"

This works. Enjoy!

[Sarah]

Dee wrote: "got mine (I think)

Far Gone
Far - F (Fluorine); Ar (Argon)"

Yes, that works. Happy reading!

[Sarah]

Bea wrote: "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Physick:
P - Phosphorus
H - Hydrogen
Y - Yttrium
Si - Silicon
C - Carbon
K - Potassium"

This works. Enjoy!

[Sarah]

Lauren wrote: "Just to confirm that I am doing this right:

All About Passion - Passion

Pa - Protactinium
S - Sulfur
S - Sulfur
I - Iodine
O - Oxygen
N - Nitrogen"

Yes, you are right. This works.

[Andy]

Sarah wrote: "Andy wrote: "Is this correct, using islands
The Heat Islands
I Iodine
S Sulfer
La Lanithanum
N Nitrogen
DS Darmstadtium"

That works. Cool use of unusual elements - and a long word too..."

Thanks and I do know how to spell Sulfur I just don't always pick the right keys on the keyboard.
Andy

[Ann A]

I love tasks like this - fun AND educational!

[KSMary]

I'm going to read Firefly Lane for this challenge. Although you can spell Firefly also, for the sake of brevity I'm going with the word Lane. La= Lanthanum/Ne = Neon.

[Sarah]

KSMary wrote: "I'm going to read Firefly Lane for this challenge. Although you can spell Firefly also, for the sake of brevity I'm going with the word Lane. La= Lanthanum/Ne = Neon."

Yes, either works. Enjoy!

[Nicole]

I would like to use My Life on the Road

The word is life. My elements:

Li= Lithium
Fe= Iron

[Sarah]

Nicole wrote: "I would like to use My Life on the Road

The word is life. My elements:

Li= Lithium
Fe= Iron"

This works (and the word Life spelt this way has already been approved). Happy reading!

[Cindie]

So if I use Boron (B) Oxygen twice (O) and potassium (k) , I can spell "book." So can I read a book with the word book in the title, like The Book of Esther or The Lost Book of Moses: The Quest for the World's Oldest Bible--and the Man Who Wrote It?

[Sarah]

Cindie wrote: "So if I use Boron (B) Oxygen twice (O) and potassium (k) , I can spell "book." So can I read a book with the word book in the title, like The Book of Esther or [book:The Lost Book o..."

Yes, that way to spell "Book" works, so you can read a book with "Book" in the title - providing it meets the usual SRC requirements of course. Those two examples look fine.

[Cindie]

Sarah wrote: "Cindie wrote: "So if I use Boron (B) Oxygen twice (O) and potassium (k) , I can spell "book." So can I read a book with the word book in the title, like The Book of Esther or [book:..."

thanks!