University Challenge viewers rejoice as Open University underdogs with an average age of 52 BEAT postgraduate students from Oxford's Linacre College by 70 points
- Open University beat Linacre College Oxford 210-140 on University Challenge
- Last night's episode saw team with average age of 52 advance to second round
- Fans delighted to see the OU excel saying on Twitter it made their day
University Challenge viewers rejoiced yesterday as the Open University beat Linacre College, Oxford on the BBC Two show.
The team from the Open University, who had an average age of 52, beat the post-graduate Oxford college 210 to 140 leaving fans overjoyed at the underdogs' win.
Oxford University is ranked number one in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and is notoriously hard to get into.
Meanwhile, most Open University courses don't have entry requirements and are designed for students of any age - many of whom work full-time alongside their studies.
The team from the Open University, who had an average age of 52, beat the post-graduate Oxford college 210 to 140 leaving fans overjoyed at the underdog's win. Pictured is the final shot of the two teams before the OU scored an extra 10 points in the last second
On last night's episode, the OU team, lead by engineering student Jill Taylor from Riddlesden, Yorkshire, answered questions on literature, composers and chemistry to advance to the second round of the show.
And viewers at home were very excited about the win, saying they were routing for the inclusive institution, which has more than 174,000 students making it the UK's largest University.
What questions did the Open University students answer and beat Linacre College, Oxford?
1. STARTER FOR TEN: What plural noun appears in the titles of a novel by E Nesbit, concerning Roberta, Peter and Phyllis?
BONUSES ON COMPOSERS BURIED IN VIENNA (five points each)
Name the composer based on the title of their work
Question 2: The Hungarian Dances and the Symphony No. 1 in C Minor , the latter premiered in 1876
Question 3: Operas including Orfeo ed Euridice, Alceste and Iphigénie en Tauride. The last of these premiered in 1779
Question 4: Symphonies including The Little C Major and No 9 in C Major, known as the great, he died in 1828
PICTURE ROUND
5. STARTER FOR TEN: Name this city on a map of Italy
BONUSES ON BOTANICAL GARDENS (five points each)
Name the city this University Botanical Garden founded in the 16th Century is in
Question6
Question 7
Question 8
9. STARTER FOR TEN: The surname of which British scientist is used as an alternative to the AMU or atomic mass unit?
BONUSES OF SURREALISM (five points each)
10. Cat's Paradise, Cat Lady and The Fern Cat are among the works of which surrealist born in Catalonia in 1908? She created most of her work in Mexico City
11. A close friend of Remedios Varo in Mexico, which Lancashire born artist's creations include The House Opposite, The Giantess and the novel The Hearing Trumpet?
12. Varo's Vegetarian Vampires depicts figures drinking liquid through long straws from red flesh plant foods including a rose, a tomato and which large, succulent fruit of the gourd factory?
13. STARTER FOR TEN: Which six-letter adjective links all of the following: Firstly a 1904 novel by Henry James, secondly a flagship of Sir Francis Drake, formerly named the Pelican?
BONUSES ON CHEMISTRY (five points each)
14. Discovered in 1965, the C60 molecule or buckyball is named after which US engineer born in 1895?
15. What term denotes the two-dimensional form of crystalline carbon that compromises a hexagonal lattice?
16. When Graphene is rolled up into a cylinder, the fullerene can be called a buckytube. What other term is also used, abbreviated to CNT?
17. STARTER FOR TEN: Developed during the Middle Ages and mentioned, for example, in Milton's Poem L'Allergo, the rebec is generally held to be a forerunner of which modern musical instrument?
BONUSES ON FINE ARTS AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (five points each)
18. Firstly, what stringed instrument appears in painting by both Artemisia Gentileschi and Frans Hals, played by St Cecila and jester respectively?
19. Who painted the 1894 work, The Mozart Sonata, in which her daughter Julie Manet plays the violin?
20. Painted in about 1910, Violin and Palette and Piano and Mandola are works by which French cubist? 'Watching the Open University beat Oxford on #UniversityChallenge has brought me so much joy tonight!' one Twitter user wrote.
'Superb win by Open University, well played Linacre College Oxford, thoroughly enjoyed watching, thank you Jezza,' added another, referring to the host Jeremy Paxman.
On last night's episode, the OU team lead by engineering student Jill Taylor (second right) from Riddlesden, Yorkshire, answered questions on literature, composers and chemistry to advance to the second round of the show
Viewers at home were very excited about the win, saying they were routing for the inclusive institution, which has more than 174,000 students making it the UK's largest University
'Nice to see the Open University smashing an Oxford College. There's no substitute for life experience,' commented a third.
'I love the Open University!' said another.
Others praised the programme for including mature students.
While the Open team had an average age of 52, the Linacre were also older than most students at an average age of 27.
Linacre, one of the newer Oxford colleges founded in 1962 is only for post-graduate students and has a student body of around 500.
'#UniversityChallenge Open doing it for the Mature student,' one wrote.
Another added: 'Once again urging everyone to remember that mature students are students too, and deserve their spot on #UniversityChallenge as much as anyone else!
While the Open team had an average age of 52, the Linacre were also older than most students at an average age of 27. The team was lead by James King (second right) from Hampshire who is studying for a PhD in Climate science
Many praised the programme for including mature students in its line-up, as the team's had an average age of 39.5 between them
'Fascinating episode of University Challenge on Monday. Despite an average age of over 50,' commented a third.
'Open University enjoyed a superb win!' wrote another.
The Open University was granted Royal charter in 1969 and was the brainchild of the social reformer Michael Young, who convinced Labour Prime Minster Harold Wilson that, through ‘TV and radio state-sponsored correspondence courses’, a brand new university would ‘provide an opportunity for those, who, have not been able to take advantage of higher education’.
Wilson made the OU his pet project, defended it from the doubters and was on hand for its first academic meeting in July 1969.
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