Fact Primer
by Jessica Sedgewick, currently ranked 6th in her rundle
If you've been poking around this website for a while, you've already realized the amazing power of wagering $4000. However, you might not yet appreciate the historical and cultural significance of the number 4000 itself. In this Fact Primer, we teach you all about 4000--where it has been, where it now is, and where it's going to take you, the future Jeopardy! megachampion.
- 4000 is a decagonal number, according to Wikipedia. I don't know what this means but it sounds pretty fancy.
- The earth's core is 4000 degrees Celsius. That's not as hot as you'll be when you make your $4000 wager, but it's not bad.
- In approximately 4000 BC, humans domesticated the horse. The horse. Take that, other years.
- In 1973, Electric Light Orchestra released the song "Dreaming of 4000."
- "I'm just like everybody else. I have two arms, two legs, and 4000 hits," said... someone. It's on the tip of our tongue. Possibly Roger Clemens.
- Amy Herzog's play "4000 Miles," a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, was described by Time magazine's reviewer as "easily the best play of the season." See? 4000 is always the best play, folks.
- The phone number for Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City is (310) 244-4000. That's how deep this goes. Scared yet?
"All right," you say, "This amazing website has convinced me. Wagering $4000 is right for me--nay, for all mankind. But what if I forget it when I'm up there wagering for Final Jeopardy, and panic and write something ridiculous like '-10' or 'eleventy bazillion,' or worse, attempt to do math to try to figure out a wager? That would be so embarrassing."
Don't worry! We've come up with some useful mnemonics to help you remember "4000."
- The Roman numeral method: in Roman numerals, "4000" is "MMMM." This is what your entire family will say to you when you take them out for dinner at Los Angeles' finest restaurant after a day of $4000-fueled Jeopardy! victories.
- The since-you-love-trivia-so-much method: The current year is 2015. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. There are 206 bones in the human body. There are three stars on the Tennessee flag. Add them up and what do you get? A successful final wager, that's what.
- The sounds-like method: "four zero zero zero" rhymes with "more hero hero hero." That's how much hero you'll be after winning on Jeopardy!.
- The stand-on-your-head method: upside down, "4000" looks like "oooh." "Oooh," they'll say, "you're the one who won big on Jeopardy!, right? Can I buy you a drink and then marry you?"