Final Jeopardy! Clues

[seaborgium]

FAMOUS THINKERS

In 1954, this person wrote, "I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world."

Spoiler

Who is Albert Einstein?

I like this one. I think it hits the sweet spot between too hard and too easy. It's possible to take note of the TOMs and make a good guess even if you don't recognize the quote.

Spoiler

It helps to know that Spinoza was a Jewish philosopher (also Dutch and Portuguese, but that's not important right now). That plus 1954 took me to the correct response with a fair degree of confidence.

Does anyone know whether the quote was written or spoken and whether it was in English or German? I ask because I notice that "god" is not capitalized. Some sources have it that way, others capitalize the word. If the quote was spoken and/or originally in German (which capitalizes EVERY noun) then it's a matter of interpretation how to transfer the quote to written English. But if he wrote it in English, then one way's right and the other isn't.

Of course, for J! purposes, the show has a nifty way of sidestepping that question entirely.

Spoiler

It was either adding 1954 or "scientist" somewhere in the clue or category, and I decided to shield the scientist with the more generic "thinker". I actually caught the quote from NDT's repurposed-for-COVID-viewing network series Cosmos: Possible Worlds, and looked it up. The more complete version is a little more atheistic (or, perhaps more accurately, deistic) for J's middle-of-the-road viewing, but could probably be used, although it's not particularly helpful:

"I believe in Spinoza's god, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a god who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”

The quote from a Scientific American blog didn't have "god" capitalized, but I'd be open to capitalizing it. On the big board, it wouldn't matter, as you noted.

The "Spinoza = Jewish philosopher" was exactly the TOM I was going for. (I'm sure there are other facets of his life and philosophy that are relevant, but Dutch, Jewish, and philosphy cover about 70% of his clues.) And it wouldn't be a far cry to imagine this to be "Einstein's thoughts on God" - one of his famous quotes on quantum mechanics was "God does not play dice with the universe." Or maybe he does. You have to open the box to find out.

I do like the choice of category to make it less obvious, but I could see someone arguing that THINKERS in the category led them away from the correct response, because it may have more of a philosophical connotation than a scientific one. If that's a concern (and it needn't be), I humbly offer GREAT MINDS as an alternative. Not only can it refer to various fields of thought/knowledge/research, but also the quote might be said to exemplify the adage about great minds.

[opusthepenguin]

I do like the choice of category to make it less obvious, but I could see someone arguing that THINKERS in the category led them away from the correct response, because it may have more of a philosophical connotation than a scientific one. If that's a concern (and it needn't be), I humbly offer GREAT MINDS as an alternative. Not only can it refer to various fields of thought/knowledge/research, but also the quote might be said to exemplify the adage about great minds.

Ooh, I like that.

[mas3cf]

Came across this one today: can someone educate me as to why Puerto Rico is not the correct response?

Just over 4,000 square miles, it's the largest single island under the US flag

What is the Big Island of Hawaii?

http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=105

[talkingaway]

Came across this one today: can someone educate me as to why Puerto Rico is not the correct response?

Just over 4,000 square miles, it's the largest single island under the US flag

What is the Big Island of Hawaii?

http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=105

Puerto Rico is, according to Wikipedia, only 3515 square miles. The big/main island of Hawaii is 4028 square miles.

[Golf]

Puerto Rico is not a single island.

[mas3cf]

Puerto Rico is not a single island.

Ah, okay. My (too) quick Google search gave me a value of over 5000 mi², but that was for the combined territory. Thanks.

[mas3cf]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first and only time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

[Volante]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

[Golf]

I'd like to think with the issues currently going on, this clue would never see the light of day on a syndicated show.

[davey]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

[mas3cf]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

What is the other one?

Spoiler

If it's "whereof" I'd be perfectly fine to have that as an alternate correct response on the infinitesimal chance that someone comes up with that one!

[Volante]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

Son of a ... I'm so used to seeing that line I thought it was older and didn't bother checking

[davey]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

What is the other one?

Spoiler

If it's "whereof" I'd be perfectly fine to have that as an alternate correct response on the infinitesimal chance that someone comes up with that one!

It's in Section 2. "First and only time" would work.

[davey]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

Son of a ... I'm so used to seeing that line I thought it was older and didn't bother checking

Yes, very surprising that word had never appeared...

[mas3cf]

7-LETTER WORDS

78 years after the US Constitution was drafted, this word was added to it for the first time.

Spoiler

What is slavery? (in the 13th Amendment)

I had a great idea for a loophole...and then I saw the category... Boo, hiss.

There are still 2 correct responses to this clue.

What is the other one?

Spoiler

If it's "whereof" I'd be perfectly fine to have that as an alternate correct response on the infinitesimal chance that someone comes up with that one!

It's in Section 2. "First and only time" would work.

Change made.

[mas3cf]

US PRESIDENTS

He has the easternmost resting place of any US president, by a margin of about 60 feet over a president interred 22 years later.

Spoiler

Who is John Adams?

[opusthepenguin]

US PRESIDENTS

He has the easternmost resting place of any US president, by a margin of about 60 feet over a president interred 22 years later.

Spoiler

Who is John Adams?

Nice!

[triviawayne]

US PRESIDENTS

He has the easternmost resting place of any US president, by a margin of about 60 feet over a president interred 22 years later.

Spoiler

Who is John Adams?

Spoiler

that is probably your best yet. just enough information not to give it away, but requiring just enough knowledge to get it easily

[cheezguyty]

READY FOR PRIME TIME, PLAYERS?

It's the smallest prime number that contains three even digits

Spoiler

What is 2003?

[Bamaman]

The dead presidents one was good.

Spoiler

Making it better is a plausible wrong answer of Taft