The Final Jeopardy question (5/3/2012) in the category “Medicine” was:

Though its name means “against life”, it’s any of a class of substances used to save a life.

We’re a day away from end of the Teen Tournament quarter-finals. It’s Day 4 and these three new players will vie for a spot in the semi-finals today: Kevin Yang, a junior from Birmingham, AL; Caleb Olson, a senior from Chariton, IA and Morgan Flood, a sophomore from Pequea, PA. More than one can end up in the semi-finals. The Wild Card spots are hardly unattainable at this point.

Caleb found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double before the first commercial break in “Beastly Business.” Unlike the plight of many who find it early, he was in the lead with a healthy $3,000, $1,400 more than Morgan in second place. He bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

A supercolony of an invading Argentine species of this insect stretches almost 4,000 miles from Italy to Portugal. show

WHAT ARE ANTS?

Caleb finished in the lead with $4,200. Morgan was second with $4,200 and Kevin was last with $3,600.

Kevin found the first Double Jeopardy Daily Double in “4-Letter Verbs.” By now, this was one tight game and Kevin was in the lead with $12,400, $1,000 more than Caleb and $1,800 more than Morgan. The clues so far had been easy-peasy, but Caleb only bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

As a noun, it’s a building where grain is ground into flour, as a verb, it means to do the grinding. show

WHAT IS MILL?

Kevin found the last Daily Double in “Oh So Very Literary.” It wasn’t quite that tight by now. Kevin had $20,400, $7,000 more than Caleb and $9,800 more than Morgan. He bet $4,000 this time. He said it was “Blank Verse” and that was WRONG.

Unrhymed poetry of irregular meter & rhythm is known by this 2-word term. show

WHAT IS FREE VERSE’?

Kevin finished in the lead with $16,400. Morgan and Caleb were tied at $13,400.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT ARE ANTIBIOTICS?

“Selman Waksman first used the word antibiotic as a noun in 1941 to describe any small molecule made by a microbe that antagonizes the growth of other microbes. From 1945–1955 the development of penicillin, which is produced by a fungus, along with streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline, which are produced by soil bacteria, ushered in the antibiotic age. Today, the evolution of antibiotic resistance by important human pathogens has rendered these original antibiotics and most of their successors largely ineffective, and if replacements are not found, the golden age of antibiotics will soon come to an end.” (The Natural History of Antibiotics)

Morgan wrote down ‘antidote’ very quickly, so quickly that Alex Trebek said he can’t even use any of the expressions that come to mind. But it was wrong so she lost $5,042 and finished with $8,358.

Caleb wrote down “antiseptic.” That also was wrong. He bet $6,600 and finished with $6,800.

Kevin got it right and added $10,401 to finish with $26,801.

Alex informed us that the losers in the quarter-finals take home $5,000. Those that suffer the agony of defeat in the semi-finals will console themselves with $10,000.

Wild Card Spots after Game 4:
Catherine Briley: $21,000
Anshika Nirau: $17,401
Rose Schaefer: $15,400
Krishna Bharathala $15,001