QI | Stephen VS Rory: Battle Of The Eggheads

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This clip is from QI Series C, Episode 3, 'Common Knowledge' with Stephen Fry, Alan Davies, Jimmy Carr, Rory McGrath and Sean Lock.

[@JunesGo]

Bit of a misnomer this, not much of a battle at all. One corrects the other, they exchange pleasantries and Sean Lock gets sucked into the underworld out of sheer boredom.

[@gmdille]

Saturday night out, really

[@JunesGo]

more of a Tuesday imho.

[@booxwee3804]

Almost worth writing r/iamverysmary. Its a fkn comedy show...

[@catnerdadrian7601]

@@booxwee3804 it's a comedy trivia show and he's having fun maybe you should try it

[@booxwee3804]

@@catnerdadrian7601 I assume to ment to @ the original commentor

[@martinpettett4306]

It's funny how, in all these snippet videos of Qi over the years, you can roughly judge how long ago they were based on what the regulars look like... Apart from Jimmy Carr, who appears to be made from titanium, porcelain and laminate.

[@barbarajoseph-adam8337]

Jimmy must’ve been a test subject at Stephen’s child-buffing workshop.

[@MormanNinja]

Just look at the hairline

[@Fithrealmhuntsman]

Don’t forget the live goose that he uses as a laughing box

[@imamoronand9199]

Not to shit in your parade, but young Jimmy Carr has a much rounder face

[@ykkrasaoz9748]

Or just excessive calcium phosphate

[@TheZapan99]

Bill Bailey writes books about birds, but he still manages to crack a joke before showing off. You know, for the audience.

[@Jotari]

Alas not everyone can be as wonderful as Bill Bailey.

[@shanewright2772]

It's very hard to think of a circumstance under which Bill Bailey would not or could not be funny.

[@craigwalker9121]

Guys look at the heading of the vid ! Stephan V Rory not Stephan V Bill . I am sure Bill would like to have as much hair as Rory !

[@zapkvr]

I've seen Bill live in Geelong. He is a friggin riot. Far funnier than Jimmy Carr.

[@Goldenblade14]

Not everyone can GISS like bill bailey.

[@TykusBalrog]

This is the guy who Stephen talked about when he said a certain guest wouldn't be invited back because he cheated by always asking to know the questions beforehand, so he could look them up. Rory always seemed to know the answer except for when the question was so vague that you couldn't look it up. And after Stephen said this, Rory was never on again. Where as many of the other people that have been suspected as the cheater have continued to be allowed back.

[@allancharter3519]

McGrath also narrowly avoided jail for harassing/stalking a married woman. He always came across as a pompous git!

[@jacobseager4897]

WHo else was suspected for cheating?

[@TykusBalrog]

@@jacobseager4897 people have suspected almost all the regulars including Jimmy Carr, Phill Jupitus and Gyles Brandreth. But not only do these people rarely get the right answer, they've also been allowed back multiple times, så it makes no sense if it were them. Even Sandi was suspected xD if that were the case she obviously wouldn't have been made the host ^^

[@lohphat]

The only reason I can think of in a quiz panel show that the questions would be told is for the comedians to be able to write come-back joke material. But then, it's no longer a quiz show, innit?

[@keelanmurphy9941]

doesn't seem like fry likes him much, does it?

[@donaloflynn]

There are so many people in these comments complaining about Sean Lock, when the fact of the matter is that he saved this section of the show from being a complete write-off that wouldn't have been included in the final edit. Rory was being an insufferable arse and watching Stephen try to stay calm, play the gracious host and feed Rory's ego in the hope that he'd eventually shut up was becoming increasingly awkward. Any semblance of humour had gone out the window. Alan wasn't the right person to step in, as his role is to play the fool and poke fun at Stephen. Jimmy could have wiped the floor with Rory, but was seated too close to him, such that any attempt to break the tension wouldn't have taken attention away from Rory. Sean had just the right comic persona to be able to burst Rory's bubble, plus as he was sitting right opposite him, he could get Rory off the screen altogether by doing something to make the cameras focus on his and Alan's side of the set. That's exactly what he did and it provided the comic relief necessary to break Rory's hold on proceedings. It's praise Sean should be getting, not criticism.

[@WillBravoNotEvil]

Dónal O'Flynn tl;dr

[@christophermelville5234]

I think you’ve turned into Rory here

[@mahna_mahna]

The real travesty is whoever decided to cut to the side view of Sean during his bit. Completely spoiled the gag. It's like cutting to the side of someone doing the elevator/stairs gag.

[@svrestless3425]

It is supposed to be comedy not an boring BBC 2 program. Sean saved the episode for sure

[@elijahkinnane2730]

10 points

[@GerardFrankMcr]

"It's so embarrassing to know all the numbers of elements on the periodic table I've been trying to forget them ever since I learned them!! It's so very embarrassing let me tell about it on television and then proceed to go on about it for minutes!"

[@jackdavids2723]

ninaeatworld Lol

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

It’s funny that someone out egg-headed the question writing team. Stephen is very intelligent, but he is mostly just reading cards. If Rory finagled the theme of an upcoming show, and then researched for it, all the better for him. I recall when they had Daniel Radcliffe on, and they highlighted Daniel’s knowledge of an ancient magic trick... beheading a bird (that actually is unharmed). Come to think of it, the writers might have been told about Rory’s tutoring so he could shine in this segment. Rory might have not needed any extra work at all. It could’ve been just as he stated.

[@chrismanuel9768]

@@redelfshotthefood8213 He didn't "finagle" anything. He quite literally demanded all the answers before the show so he could memorize them and then pretend he just knew all this stuff. He's actually a huge prick and was never asked back

[@Legion563]

@@chrismanuel9768 That sounds very doubtful imo, got anything to back that up?

[@janhenson9616]

@@Legion563 Stephen said so

[@lewisb9226]

"they should really put railings round you"- I'm sure the woman he stalked would have welcomed that

[@CharisReid]

best comment here oh my god

[@timothy790110]

this is like brent in the office coming back from reading up on dostojevsky in his office to try and one up the temp

[@eleanorhucklesby6934]

I remember watching this episode when it was first broadcast. Rory monopolised not just this section but the whole episode, answering every question before a joke could be made, and honestly, I was starting to nod off. He was relentless up until Sean did his “portal to the underworld”/trying to shut off Rory’s buzzer bit. Then Rory backed off and the rest of the episode was more even. What’s interesting to note is that on his other appearance (“Cockneys”), McGrath wasn’t nearly as clever. But considering that was broadcast after this ep (“Common Knowledge”), maybe he just learned a lesson.

[@chrismanuel9768]

He was fed all the answers on this episode. I assume they gave him a lot less next time

[@LuckyNobody1]

@@chrismanuel9768 he wasn't allowed back on the show, it is common gor contestants to see the questions pre-show so they can come up with jokes, instead according to a reddit post he just cheated and learned all the answers so he could pretend to be smart.

[@taserrr]

@@chrismanuel9768 they shoot multiple episodes in 1 day.

[@petemk73]

Sean saw the audience losing all interest and rescued it, on more than one occasion.

[@grahamhume5953]

No, Sean Lock was a prick.

[@jameslikesbooks]

@@grahamhume5953 how was he a prick? Two guys arguing over a Latin name of a bird and Sean took the opportunity to change the tone of the segment

[@grahamhume5953]

@@jameslikesbooks Easy. What they were talking about was Quite Interesting. What Sean Lock was doing wasn't. The trouble with Sean Lock was that he couldn't have kept his mouth shut even if he was underwater.

[@chadwickmcfaggins9734]

@@grahamhume5953 If Sean wasn’t on this, no one would watch it

[@grahamhume5953]

@@chadwickmcfaggins9734 What are you talking about? Q.I is still going 18 years after it first started.

[@mattstubbs]

We’ve all met a Rory. Look how Stephen treats people though, despite being vastly intelligent; he’s kind - and ultimately that’s gained him enormous respect, complementing his knowledge. Rory is not his equal. Meanwhile Sean Lock spots the arrogance a mile away and deflates it magnificently. Don’t be a Rory in a world where you could be a Sean or a Stephen.

[@spudsmith]

Hear hear!!

[@geertbeerens826]

Bless you Sean Lock, Trader of Mayhem.

[@littlemisspipebomb4723]

Stephen: we need someone to come on my show that uses a quiz show format to be funny Rory: all I heard is quiz show, and I plan on winning it

[@TheBlackJacksItalia]

Sean Lock is my spirit animal

[@Stuck313]

Sean's sideburns are amazing in so many ways

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Sadly, this is exactly how Sean Lock eventually died. Eaten by a table. It was tragic.

[@DeniseF]

He's a cheat right?what also annoyed me about him is that he acts like he doesn't like the praise but he clearly loves it.trying to hide his smugness 🙄 Stephen does it the right way

[@RIXRADvidz]

he demands when he is to appear on these panel shows that he knows the questions ahead of time. you don't see much of Rory on telly anymore.

[@MrAjerguy]

Wow, love Stephen's shout out to the film "Evolution"

[@Vyselink]

Stephen can make being a know-it-all funny and interesting. Rory is just insufferable.

[@mr.busster8424]

I think the key difference is that Stephen is an intellectual because he has genuine interest in learning about what he finds curious. Rory is just trying to show off and is completely transparent

[@thedarkness111]

Plus on QI Stephen isn't a note it all he's having it all fed to him on cards, auto cue, ear piece etc. (he is intelligent but not that intelligent) the point is he does it with charm and class. Rory just seems like a prized tit.

[@chrismanuel9768]

And Rory, while pretending to know it all, is actually just reciting what's on the cards like Stephen said. He was fed the answers ahead of time

[@rosemorris7912]

I'd like to hold a conversation with Stephen--Rory, not so much.

[@AI_support]

Sean lock says what we’re all thinking

[@ericfurey1669]

Sean Lock has always taken pride in being thick.

[@lukeet331]

@@ericfurey1669 it's part of act he's most certainly not thick

[@Oly1y]

@@ericfurey1669 so since he's not trying to show off ("oh it's so embarrassing knowing all the elements") he's thick?

[@Dracoriax]

@@ericfurey1669 As a Chemist, I'll let you in on a secret: knowing atomic numbers is purely an egotistical exercise to preen feathers. Likewise, rote memorisation of binomial names doesn't make you intelligent. It'd be fine if he was just pretentious. But he's also a sentenced, unfaithful stalker. All in all not a nice man to aspire to be. I'd much rather share a pint with the late "thick" Sean Lock.

[@grahamhume5953]

I used to think he was a bit of a wanker.

[@Orion3741]

Unpleasant moment. When a guest tries to monopolise a show. And its host. Thank goodness Sean Lock was there to break the ice. And the awkwardness. I felt sorry for Stephen.

[@adamg8554]

QI how about a compilation of all the times Phil Jupitus does an impression of Steven

[@JonasHamill]

I watched a live filming recently where he got Sandi to do the impression.

[@MrARock001]

"NOT THERE... A MIRAGE."

[@Gooberpatrol66]

This guy was totally THAT one kid in class

[@tipperary1082]

The cheater?

[@RIXRADvidz]

the center of attention drama queen that Must Have Everything His Way.

[@griff5713]

The one bouncing up and down in his chair with his arm in the air because he knows the answer.

[@deanmoncaster]

Alan Davis "Sean, the spot light isn't on you at the moment" Sean lock"hold my beer, I can fix this"

[@fredh1720]

Just imagine this video without Sean in it. It's not exactly a comedy show is it

[@OnlyNeedJuan]

@@fredh1720 Would just be Rory bein a prick

[@STUNTS1516]

Sean did his absolute best to insert some air back in to the room 😂

[@cartoonhead9222]

So it's Rory that demands to see the questions before the show.

[@theoriginaldylangreene]

No it was John Sessions. Rory McGrath is an avid bird watcher who has written books on the subject. Learning the Latin names for birds was his wheelhouse, if you watch again he even gets one wrong and rolls his eyes at Stephen Fry, as if to say "I should have known that".

[@LyleAllbritton]

Sean is the scalpel that cuts Rory's cringe away

[@bifygif9154]

And Rory never appeared on television again.

[@TheTrolliosis]

God bless Sean Lock, Rory is unwatchable otherwise.

[@illdeletethismusic]

usually he is just crude and somewhat dull himself, but here he"s the perfect antidote to that prick

[@Mrbluesplayer43]

I think Sean Lock came across as a bit of a prick actually. He's just childish and not very funny.

[@Thorsbeard]

@@Mrbluesplayer43 It's one of those rare QI ep where Sean Lock is just not enjoying himself because of another guess. Otherwise, he's usually funny, imo.

[@invisiblekid99]

@@Mrbluesplayer43 No. He was acting up cos QI was being turned in QB thanks to Rory trying to show off on a TV program where showing off is not the point of the show.

[@leetemple1033]

@@Mrbluesplayer43 I agree. To be honest, perhaps two or three aside (Hugh Denis, David Mitchell, Bill Bailey), none of the panel show comedians are very funny. They all have very little wit and generally just shout.

[@IndecentExposure.]

If he was really a genius he would've got off in court recently

[@MosesDeLaRoses]

I'd argue he got off with a slap on the wrist. A suspended sentence and a fine that he probably wrote a cheque for on the spot

[@slartibartfast420]

It's nice to know that even people like Stephen Fry remember obscure science things because of mundane movies. I only remember the differencd between horizontal and verticle because of Road To El Dorado.

[@jamesmurray2690]

Shame they cutoff Stephen’s reply to Jimmy saying that Rory had pulled.... “And all it took was a cute mind.” 😄

[@CharisReid]

I got to the end of the video before looking at the comments, and i felt rather bad that i was really put off by him acting like a show off - then i saw all the other comments saying he harassed some poor woman eeeessssh

[@PaulSmith-qs1es]

some poor married woman he had an affair with for five years. I'm not sure how much sympathy I have for her.

[@TallSilentGuy]

"All it takes is a cute mind". "You're actually beginning to test my patience now, dear." I am appalled that neither of these two quotes were included.

[@HAZARDOUS88]

I think it's obvious why Rory has never been back.

[@TheMrTombee]

Rory needs his hard drive checking.

[@spudsmith]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[@SessVlogs]

Poor Jimmy wishes he was on the cool side of the classroom. I mean, studio.

[@davecrupel2817]

3:50 *Jimmy's face!!!* AAAAHAHAHAHAHA 😂😂

[@purplefaerie]

R.I.P Sean Lock 💜

[@philipeafroboy1]

What an insufferable man

[@robertjusic9097]

Why? Because hes smart? Respect him for his knowledge, that's why this world has gone to shit

[@philipeafroboy1]

@@robertjusic9097 he asked for the questions prior to appearing on the show, so that he could look up the answers, and then appear super knowledgeable when he answered everything correctly. His demeanor is so smug as well.

[@charlieward5439]

@@robertjusic9097 you can be smart without being a twat, just look at Alan Davies who's actually incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable but is still incredibly modest about it

[@fisherking7798]

@@robertjusic9097 No because he's a smug, cheating, boring, wannabee knowitall and the biggest mistake he is not funny or entertaining or even amusing and most of all not interesting.

[@Nilguiri]

@@robertjusic9097 No, because he's an obnoxious, smug bastard. Nobody likes a smartarse. Except you, evidently.

[@adam_p99]

This is the kind of chat you’ll often hear around the pubs of Cambridge

[@JamesAHirons_]

RIP Sean Lock

[@KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin]

Think he's wandered onto the wrong show. They should make a show about answering trivia questions, I bet he'd be good at it.

[@mathemagician81]

This was great to watch

[@anothertav]

what episode is this from?

[@MrSmeg17]

"It's been so embarrassing to know them all" never was a sentence more moronic 🤔

[@highflyerl23]

That was a slightly tense show

[@andemaiar]

Thank god Rory McGrath and John Sessions were never on the same show together. It really would be like Eggheads then!

[@mikespike007]

sean really didn't like rory

[@chrismanuel9768]

None of them did. They cut this clip off right before Fry and Carr both make a joke at his expense

[@NewMessage]

If he thinks he can't get the elements out of his head now, he should listen to the Animaniacs Elements Song.

[@stuartrobertkennedy8608]

Or yakko's world

[@nunyanunya4147]

i cant tell if the nerds are flirting or just mentally impressed with each other enough to forget everyone else in the room is not there.

[@groupcaptainbonzo]

To be honest, Rory is just a “look at me” type. Very arrogant. Not overly impressed

[@Supertimegamingify]

I thought it was calcium as well, guess I'm a genius.

[@honeybadger3902]

I remember watching a series of questions put to Stephen Fry on which guests didn't quite fit in and I think Rory definitely fits that bill. I'm also sure he researched the answers before coming on which is why it just feels so off.

[@waynemarvin5661]

Too many commenters here are confusing intelligence with memorization. One could teach a parrot to repeat what it hears, but that doesn't mean the parrot is sapient.

[@lonnwy]

I wonder if Alan Davies remembers the most common metal in the human body after this episode, xxxx

[@dansaunders1655]

Could've sworn it was Bluewhalium

[@bugmanuk]

What on earth was Mcgrath doing?

[@LuckyNobody1]

Being a tosser

[@aaroncottam]

Didn’t Rory insist on knowing the questions beforehand?

[@iamwarlock1292]

I would indeed pick something, Sandi, if you were to show me one I hadn't already seen.

[@Mikelectric]

Apparently Rory wanted the questions in advance so he could research the answers and appear smarter then everyone else

[@simone-zt6jj]

I believe Rory is a genuinely smart guy but he doesn't seem to realise(or care?) that there aren't many friends to be found up your own arse.Sad.

[@yugrusretep]

Gosh fangs daggers and claws are out for Rory....

[@BLT1967too]

If you ask an astrophysicist, the answer is oxygen. 🙂

[@soloseraphimheartsong3710]

Fight! Fight! Fight!

[@Nilguiri]

If I were not a pacifist, I would say that somebody needs to punch that smug twat right in the coupon.

[@m0xiemarlinspike]

I wonder what the Latin for sexual harassment is

[@johnlong8082]

Nice one! Lol

[@chriswilliams9798]

And Graculus was the name of the bird in Noggin the Nog （╹◡╹）

[@shanewright2772]

John Sessions, meanwhile, can run rings around Fry but he is charming and humble and funny about it.

[@hopebgood]

Urgh. John Sessions is the school swot who lives only to impress the teacher and gets a well deserved kicking in the playground.

[@shanewright2772]

@@hopebgood I think you are mistaking him for David Mitchell :-)

[@hopebgood]

@@shanewright2772 lol Yeah....I see ya point.

[@RIXRADvidz]

sessions had a session on here where he proved himself insufferable.

[@slipknot95maggot]

I always wondered how Sean would react when somebody took the attention from him and held it for over 30 seconds

[@NibberKSmooth]

Quite pathetic if questions are shared preshow. A genuine comedian would make a decent joke spontaneously.

[@chrismanuel9768]

They're usually not. This void of humor and likeability demanded he be given the answers

[@NxDoyle]

Every so often I'll go on a QI binge. There are maybe half a dozen I'll skip as a matter of course, thanks to the fact that one of the panellists is too annoying. The two McGrath episodes are top of that list. I understand the spirit of QI is such that a panellist should strike a balance between funny and informative. So, guys like Sean Lock and Ross Noble can get stuck in joke mode, with Sean being the most overtly anti-intellectual guest. At the other end of the spectrum is the little cadre of guests whose goal appears to be signalling how brainy they are, and in so doing reveal themselves as utter fucking bores. McGrath, Brandreth, Sessions. The first two are instant skips.

[@donaloflynn]

I disagree entirely about Gyles Brandreth. To put him in the same category as McGrath and Sessions is very unfair. He shows off, but in an entertaining way. He's competitive, but only as a means of injecting fun into the game and giving the other panellists an opportunity to have a go at him for comic effect. It's a great shame that he's rarely if ever on the show anymore, I think he simply isn't a big enough name. I'm sure if they were still doing all male panels (though I'm very glad that they're not) he'd show up now and again, but with a roster of bigger male names to choose from, he doesn't get a look in. Rory McGrath as we can see here is just a smug insufferable git. John Sessions is a total showoff and almost certainly the cheater Stephen once alluded to. I can't fathom at all why you prefer him to Brandreth.

[@TheARobb21]

Dónal O'Flynn I always thought that McGrath was the cheater. Sessions I can handle in part because he is occasionally funny (the Alan Rickman bit is one that pops to mind), Brandreth I’m indifferent too, but McGrath is almost unwatchable.

[@brelshar4968]

Why are you "very glad that they are not?" Citation needed. @@donaloflynn

[@googoogjoobgoogoogjoob]

Odd that a comedian didn't get the comedic point of the show he was on

[@matthampton8692]

It’s not that impressive apparently he used to demand to know the subjects that were coming up so he could prepare

[@boum62]

Qi was so much better with Stephen fry.

[@fillhixx]

...and just don't get him going on trains.....

[@liamnevilleviolist1809]

3:51 - well... these cheeks and neck of Jimmy's no longer exist. Back into the earth (if he's not a robot...)

[@MarxistKnight]

I understand why people think maybe it was Rory that Stephen said would cheat, as I remember watching They Think It’s All Over and they found him out in the show, and he seems to know most of the questions. But he knew the atomic numbers for instance, that recalcitrant is from the Latin calx meaning heel not stone and the scientific name for the jackdaw is corvus monedula. Those were all just asides and not the questions. So maybe he is just clever too?

[@chrismanuel9768]

He had all the answers given to him. Everything written on the cards. That's why when Stephen asked him a single question not on the cards he had no idea at all, complete 180 from know it all to know nothing. The worst part of it is him "correcting" Stephen when he wasn't even right - the origin of recalcitrant was calx, the same word, as Stephen said, but from a second definition... a fact most definitely on the card Stephen had in front of him which Rory had seen before the show

[@MarxistKnight]

@@chrismanuel9768 Stephen said that phalacrocorax graculus was a created cormorant because graculus was the Latin (i.e. Roman) name for a jackdaw, and Rory replied that the Latin name for a jackdaw was corvus monedula - that was an aside, it wasn’t a scripted question or surely Rory would have said graculus. But I’m not saying it’s not likely he cheated, as I say I know he did it on other shows.

[@jeanpaulsinatra]

Why have they not had Rory McGrath (sp?) on it years? He could have a smartarse-off with Victoria Coren Mitchell

[@catsonmeth1]

because he's an idiot and an asshole

[@jamesthomas4580]

And he cheated

[@chrismanuel9768]

And he's a convicted stalker

[@ReverendJackson]

Rory mcgrath also cheated in the kung fu film he was in with Steven Seagal.

[@paulwhite4804]

There's a lot of bitterness on here

[@ericacroft13]

didn't even give the comedians a chance to give any humour to the question, straight in before the question was even finished. wouldn't need guests just Stephan reading form the cards for the whole show. so Rory can cheat and be pretentious. its fine on this show to show your knowledge on an area, but Rory doesn't know these things as Stephen said that's what is on my card. I think Stephen was trying to catch him out but he was just giving Rory more limelight and taking the show away form any entertainment, so Sean stepped in to shut him down. soon enjoyed the rest of that episode because he then kept his arrogant mouth quiet. everybody else knows how to let others speak. but Rory has to monopolise all the attention.

[@TommyLellan]

* most common

[@louisbradburn265]

Interesting that Stephen and Rory have both been in prison

[@hf3923]

Yeah but Stephen was in prison for debts

[@dawesreads1263]

Harry Forsyth And stealing a credit card

[@copasetic1]

There’s no “versus” here. It’s Rory suddenly fellating himself while Stephen tries to keep the show running.

[@realscientistflanders1688]

Sean was bored. There weren't enough animal cruelty jokes.

[@dash1141]

Rory = read knowledge Stephen = learned knowledge

[@dallasl3688]

His knowledge base is pretty awesome. Assuming he didn't make it all up hahaha

[@chrismanuel9768]

He got told ahead of time to show off

[@malenotyalc]

Get a room you two!

[@peteknight3687]

Sean doesn’t like to not be the centre of attention.

[@Munnmaista]

Is there an award for worst contestant ever? Cause I think this Rory guy gets it

[@boli2746]

Calcium is wrong, its hydrogen. :)

[@googoogjoobgoogoogjoob]

Hydrogen is a non-metal

[@SvenTviking]

First question is wrong, commonest metal in the body is Hydrogen, because Hydrogen behaves like a metal at high enough pressure.

[@thakillman7]

Hydrogen isn't a metal in your body though.

[@BenjaminGoose]

To be fair calcium phosphate isn't a metal either.

[@scottythedawg]

I don't think that a change of physical properties at extreme pressures is enough to classify hydrogen as a metal.

[@chrismanuel9768]

Behaving like something doesn't mean it is. After all, liquids behave like gases at high pressures. Are liquids gases?

[@Dracoriax]

Chemist here. Only in extreme conditions can hydrogen have metallic properties. Despite having the same value for orbital angular momentum (l=0) as alkali metals it exhibits different behaviour that is more akin to non-metals. It's therefore not typically classed as a metallic element (you define based on behaviour at standard conditions).

[@wizard1234567]

Yep, he got the questions before the show. Pathetic really.

[@andrewsandoz8005]

Steven Fry is so overly posh.

[@macsnafu]

So how many people realized that calcium is actually a metal? I had to look it up to be sure.

[@cupidstunt22]

Well played

[@TheWajio]

Respect to Rory ;-)

[@NewMessage]

Funny that calcium is so common.. seeing as if you grew up in a council estate, you probably didn't get enough of it in your diet.

[@PatrickKelly-lz3pv]

New Message I aspired to live on a council estate, I thought people with toilets inside their houses must be millionaires.

[@aussiebloke609]

House? You had a house? We used to live in a shoebox in middle of the road. Sorry, I had to do that. I'll see myself out now... :-P

[@PatrickKelly-lz3pv]

@@aussiebloke609 You had a shoe box ? I dreamed of living in a shoe box in the middle of the road, we that's all 23 kids plus mom and dad shared a hole with a badger family.

[@aussiebloke609]

Luxury. We lived in a rolled up newspaper in the middle of a septic tank. :-P

[@aussiebloke609]

LOL. I'm _so_ glad someone else got that reference. Now I'm off to work in the mill for 26 hours a day - and pay the mill owner for the privilege. Ciao! :_D

[@ditsycitykitty3841]

[@josephmathes]

It's not calcium, though. Hydrogen is a metal. Water is 2/3 hydrogen and the body is 60% water.

[@scottythedawg]

hydrogen is considered a non-metal.

[@chrismanuel9768]

Hydrogen is not a metal.

[@Dracoriax]

Chemist here. Only in extreme conditions can hydrogen have metallic properties. Despite having the same value for orbital angular momentum (l=0) as alkali metals it exhibits different behaviour that is more akin to non-metals. It's therefore not typically classed as a metallic element.

[@90PBO]

I do not know why this should be a battle? I think Rory is very funny and knows a lot.

[@hamisharnold8745]

Looking at the comments, it's no wonder people are so ignorant and stupid, given the abuse intelligent people receive purely for knowing something. What a sad world we live in.

[@davidbrigden4194]

I think you'll find that the hate is not because he's knowledgable, but because he is such an insufferable prick. Steven is every bit as intelligent as McGrath, if not more so, but he is considered a national treasure, simply because he is not braggartly and brash with his cleverness, he mostly conducts himself as a gentleman. I can understand why a Rory McGrath fanboy would, at the same time, be up themself enough to judge everybody else as stupid! You are right, sad world indeed.

[@chrismanuel9768]

Rory isn't smart and nobody is abusing him for being intelligent. He's a cheater and a scumbag that disrespects others and stalks women.