I'm reading Randall Munro's "Thing Explainer," in which the guy responsible for xkcd and the "What If" blog explains stuff with sometimes easy-to-understand language and diagrams. A very entertaining skim-through. Here are some of his entries from the Periodic Table. Which element is he describing? Look ma, I can make a science quiz! (No you can't!) Who said that?
Rank | Player | Total | %ile | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Money Value (% Incorrect): | 56 | 00 | 66 | 27 | 72 | 37 | 45 | 27 | 62 | 62 | 97 | 64 | |||
1 | WangA | 477 | 99 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
15 97 |
15 64 |
2 | ChernicoffS | 405 | 97 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
00 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
00 |
15 64 |
3 | LaudermithM | 385 | 95 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 |
15 64 |
4 | WolfsbergE | 372 | 93 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
00 |
15 64 |
5 | jefe | 369 | 91 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
00 |
00 |
15 62 |
00 |
15 64 |
6 | cprov77 | 355 | 89 |
15 56 |
15 |
15 66 |
15 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
15 64 |
7 | LuskT | 347 | 87 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
15 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 |
8 | GambinoG | 345 | 85 |
15 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
15 97 |
15 64 |
9 | chc | 339 | 83 |
15 56 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
15 72 |
15 37 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
10 | RosenbergR | 332 | 81 |
00 |
15 00 |
15 66 |
00 |
15 72 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
11 | LiptonM | 331 | 79 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 |
15 45 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
12 | WeikleB | 324 | 77 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 |
00 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 |
15 64 |
13 | ShapiroA | 312 | 75 |
15 56 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
15 64 |
14 | FryedBetaKappa | 310 | 74 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 |
15 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 64 |
15 | MoyseyC | 303 | 72 |
15 |
15 00 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
15 45 |
00 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 |
15 64 |
16 | WengerAS | 289 | 70 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 45 |
00 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
17 | FrankensteinP | 286 | 68 |
15 |
15 00 |
15 |
15 27 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
18 | GoodmanDL | 282 | 66 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 64 |
19 | VenguswamyK | 278 | 64 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 64 |
20 | RuizJ | 273 | 62 |
00 |
15 00 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 |
15 64 |
21 | letouj | 268 | 60 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 |
15 62 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
22 | StahlhutJ | 264 | 58 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
23 | NathanL | 263 | 56 |
00 |
15 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
15 64 |
24 | Egantx7 | 254 | 54 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
15 72 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
25 | HensleyB | 241 | 52 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 64 |
26 | milton | 238 | 50 |
00 |
15 00 |
15 |
00 |
15 72 |
00 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 64 |
27 | NeimanB | 231 | 49 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
15 |
15 |
00 |
15 62 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
28 | CorlissM | 229 | 47 |
00 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
15 72 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
29 | RichmondJ | 226 | 45 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
30 | VaccaD | 214 | 43 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 |
15 37 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 00 |
31 | JonesRW | 209 | 40 |
15 56 |
15 |
15 66 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
31 | DixonD | 209 | 40 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
15 |
00 |
15 45 |
00 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
33 | AdamKing | 196 | 37 |
00 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 64 |
34 | Tablesaw | 194 | 35 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 45 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 00 |
35 | Steve | 186 | 33 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 72 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
36 | RaiaB | 164 | 31 |
00 00 |
15 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
15 62 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
37 | MatthewsP | 159 | 29 |
15 |
15 00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 62 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
38 | bmrafferty | 137 | 27 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 |
15 62 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 |
39 | SpraragenM | 135 | 25 |
00 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 45 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
40 | SteevesR | 132 | 24 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 72 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
41 | PruettC | 129 | 22 |
00 |
15 00 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
00 |
15 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
42 | KMG365 | 128 | 20 |
15 56 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
43 | HessJa | 124 | 18 |
00 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
44 | Hupfen | 109 | 16 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
15 37 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
45 | bdunn02 | 99 | 14 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
46 | BlomE | 72 | 10 |
00 00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
46 | SorensonG | 72 | 10 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
46 | BradburnA | 72 | 10 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
49 | yourname | 67 | 6 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
15 37 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
50 | HallW | 57 | 3 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 00 |
15 27 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
50 | osxpert | 57 | 3 |
00 |
15 00 |
00 |
15 27 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 |
52 | Consigliari | 45 | 1 |
00 |
15 00 |
15 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
00 |
00 |
15 |
00 |
00 |
00 00 |
00 00 |
Metal put on food cans to keep water from making holes in them.
Stuff named after a little world named after a god of food kids eat in the morning.
Metal laid down in a thin layer when a space rock hit Earth.
Metal named for a man who helped build the first heavy metal power building.
The hard metal in the little ball at the end of a writing stick.
I'm sure this is a nice town, but come on.
(Ok, this is only the description for one element in the book, but I'll give you credit if you can name two for which this description fits.)