The nerd-off is to engineer the tallest free-standing structure they can. The first to get a structure that is 10 feet, or the nerd who has the tallest structure in 10 minutes wins. They are given an assortment of nerdy objects such as rubik's cubes, nintendo cartridges, video cassettes, text books, calculators, rulers, DVD players, etc.
This post has the most technical terms I've ever quoted in a King of the Nerds post. If I get some of the physics lingo wrong because I can't quite understand what some of the nerds are saying, please don't judge me. I'm a writer, not a physicist. *wink*
Richard Blaise, winner of Top Chef: All Stars, cooked for the winner of the nerd war and one other nerd. He used the molecular gastronomy style of cooking, which the nerds loved. One of the dishes he made was macaroni and head cheese. I wonder if these two smart nerds know what head cheese is. I don't know if I would be able to eat it.
Next week is the finale when they will crown the King of Nerds, who will sit atop the Throne of Games. I will be posting the name of the winner, so if you don't want to read spoilers, don't read the post until you find out who won in the manner you would like to find out.
**Spoiler Alert** The winner of this episode's nerd-off is revealed.
Quotes:
Moogega: Yay! Something related to physics! Central energy: mass times acceleration due to gravity, times the height. Central energy.
Moogega: Everything that I need to solve this problem is right up here, in my head.
Moogega: I can't wait to solve all these problems.
Danielle: This challenge is [bleep]. You've got Genevieve who writes AP physics guides. Moo works for NASA and has a master's degree in physics, and I majored in a pre-Vet program. So, like, I never had to take physics, because we don't care how fast a cat can move, we care about the composition of its body.
Celeste: What the heck? It was, like, all fun and games, and now I have to sit here and do physics problems?
Ivan: I'm pretty deep down the rabbit hole. I have notes, equations, references, numbers, break-downs. I'm swimming in papers! I never took physics. I took logic instead. I did logic puzzles.
Moogega: This competition brings out the weirdness in people.
Danielle: I might be the only one in the house looking at My Little Pony to solve a physics problem.
Ivan: The two key things that need to be right for this theory to work, is the force impact of the ball when it hits the glass, which is calculated in jewels. Jewel is a unit of measurement in applying force. It's represented in "J." And I think I have my force impact represented... Oh, [bleep] I'm sorry. Newton's. No. I have jewels of energy, but not Newton's. All my force impact is in Newton's.
Celeste: I am absolutely worried that this is the challenge that's going to send me home. And I do not want to go home; especially since people knew in High School I was really good in math and physics.
(Side note: I was really good in science in High School. And I'm a technical writer. Go figure.)
Ivan: Moo has the largest advantage in this, but there's always a chance. You can't get too poo pooey about it. That's being just a big old fuss bucket.
Curtis: Let's test your hypotheses. Put on your goggles.
Ivan (in a German accent): The goggles. They do nothing.
Moogega: I have to trust the numbers.
Moogega: This is definitely a must-win for me. Hello, I work for NASA. And I'm going to look like a fool if I don't get this right.
Genevieve: I'm kicking myself because I realized that the mass of the glass added to the momentum, and I didn't factor that in. Oh, I hope it didn't throw off all my calculations.
Moogega: Ahh! I underestimated it. I'm a conservative (pause) when it comes to calculations.
Moogega: Please let there be some sort of upward gravitational force that will make me right.
Moogega: I need this 15 pound plush piggy to fall at a different axis, because for me to get this right I need the pig to land on the greatest surface area possible.
Danielle: I work well outside of my comfort zone. Sorry.
Danielle: And the plot thickens.
Danielle: I get food? I'm so excited!
Danielle: Thank you so much to all the conspiracy theorists of America. And thank you to High School kids who do physics on My Little Pony. I owe this one to you.
Moogega: So, I'm putting myself in the nerd-off. Dun dun dun!
Danielle: Okay then, everybody leave me alone.
Moogega: I've been to a restaurant or two where they use molecular gastronomy. It's better than good food. I mean this is a mixture of chemistry and nutrition.
Richard Blaise: I'm really proud of this technique, 'cause I'm a nerd.
Danielle: I'm down with the molecular gastronomy. He's like a food magician. A "foodgician" if you will.
Celeste: I am forced talk to Danielle. Oh, gosh, it's going to be exhausting.
Celeste: I don't really have to talk. I just have to nod my head and just agree, and be like, "yea, I know."
Celeste: Just don't pick me and we're good to go. I'm happy. You're happy. We're all happy. Except for the person who leaves.
Genevieve: The hardest part about the night before nerd-off is you can't leave anyone alone. Because when people are alone, that's when they conspire against you. So, it's almost like this social dance. It's like a waltz of death.
Moogega: This is the time in life to take risks, so that's what I'm doing.
Moogega: I feel confident. I don't feel cocky, though.
Robert: I have before me the tablet of power.
Genevieve: I'm worried that because Moo has an mechanical engineering degree that she's going to be a super-stacker.
Moogega: I've built a lot of these already. Things that have, you know, flown in Antarctica, and lots of crazy places. Just not with Nintendo 64 pieces.
Curtis: You kind of expect nerds to be hitting the books, don't you, Bobby?
Curtis: I question the value of paperback books.
Bobby: It looks like she's got a VHS/Rubik's cube Dagwood sandwich going here.
Genevieve: I have to credit my win to the fact that I was home-schooled, for were I not bored at home and forced to entertain myself by building things in my room, I may not have succeeded.
Celeste: Much as I love Genevieve, that girl is scary.
Genevieve: There's a 25 percent chance that I could win 100,000.00, and that is way better than any odds in Vegas.
Moogega: I think that I've learned that anything is possible, really. If things that can happen is beyond your imagination, then don't let you imagination limit what can happen. There really is no limit.
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