King AVMA the III

Finally inheriting the title after 70 years.

• Simons Mith
  [AI, standard] No, both still too cold for the clapping to restart.
• CdM - Associated with a particular computer game?
• Radox The Green - Does a number figure in the AOTC?
• Simons Mith
  [particular] No Clapping resumes
  I think you've got it, near as dammit
  [numbery] No
• Raak - Computer games in general?
• Simons Mith - A winner
  [Computer games] Yes, that was the AOTC. Please go to Steam and fill out a pre-order bonus add-on form for your exclusive premium-content custom baton.

  ---

• Raak
  The next is MINERAL.
• Bismarck - Silicon?
• Raak
  [B] Not silicon.
• Tuj - Unique?
• Rosie - Solid?
• Raak
  [T] Unique!
  [R] Solid!
• Superman - Jewel?
• Raak
  [S] Not a jewel.
• Tuj - Metallic?
• Rosie - Needs processing?
• Raak
  [T] Yes, metallic.
  [R] Does not need processing, having already had all the processing it needs.
• Rosie - A manufactured item?
• Raak
  [R] Yes, manufactured.
• Bismarck - Is it on the earth?
• Tuj - But is it art?
• Simons Mith - Is it a particle collider?
• Raak
  [B] On the Earth, but not on earth.
  [T] (Sends Mycroft off to investigate. Mycroft returns, shaking his head.) Not art.
  [SM] Not a particle collider.
• Tuj - Does/would it float?
• Raak
  [T] It would absolutely not float.
• Simons Mith - Is it Excalibur?
• Raak
  [SM](The audience is amused by the idea of a moistened bint holding this thing aloft.) Not Excalibur.
• Bismarck - Is it made of iron?
• Raak
  [B] Not iron.
• Chalky - Is it larger than a standard double decker bus?
• Simons Mith - Have the Ukrainians attacked it?
• Raak
  [C] Umm...broadly similar, depending on how "size" is defined.
  [SM] The Ukrainians have not attacked it.
• Simons Mith - Has Tom Scott done a video about it?
  Either way, that should clear out a LOT
• Raak
  [SM] As far as I can tell, he has never done a video about it. I'm sure he could, though, and one day he might.
• Tuj - Is it in a single fixed location?
• Raak
  [T] It IS in a single fixed location!
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• Chalky - Is it located in a country setting as opposed to a built-up area
• Raak
  [T] Does not begin with P.
  [C] In a built-up area.
• Rosie - A drone?
• Raak
  [R] Not a drone.
• Boolbar - Is it on top of a building?
• Tuj - Is it in the Southern Hemisphere?
• Raak
  [B] mmm...not on top of a building.
  [T] Not in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Bismarck - The Shard?
• Raak
  [B] Not the Shard.
• Chalky - Is it in London?
• Raak
  [C] Yes! In London.
• Simons Mith - Does it bong?
• Raak
  [SM] applause! It bongs indeed.
• Bismarck - Is it a bell?
• Raak
  [B] Dancing in the aisles to a Quarter Peal of Kent Treble Bob! It is a bell.
• Simons Mith - Was it cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858?
• Raak
  [SM] It was indeed!
  So, who will say the two words on the card and have the next go?
• Bismarck - Is it commonly known as Big Ben?
• Raak
  [B] Congratulations! Have this brass-look replica Big Ben handbell.
• Simons Mith
  Oh, thank goodness; I was a hair away from giving up :-)
• Bismarck
  Heyyyy it goes bong! too... cooooolll.

  ---

• Bismarck - The laser display overheated ...
  So here is the mystery voice to tell listeners the subject on the card.
  This is basically ANIMAL, so have at it there.
• Rosie - Human?
• Tuj - Unique?
• Bismarck
  [Rosie] Not human.
  [Tuj] Not unique.
• Simons Mith - Alive, alive-o?
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• Raak - Water-dwelling?
• Boolbar - Can it fly (on its own volition, not if put in an aeroplane or thrown off a building?)
• Bismarck
  [Simons Mith] Not alive. Not a crustacean, either.
  [Tuj] Doesn't begin with 'P'.
  [Raak] Not water-dwelling.
  [Boolbar] Cannot fly.
• Rosie - Is this just a part of an animal?
• Raak - Is this something made from animals?
• Simons Mith - Do you sit on it?
• Tuj - Do you eat it?
• Bismarck
  [Rosie] Yes. The audience wake up.
  [Raak] Yes. Some claps breaks out in the audience.
  [Simons Mith] No sitableupon, at least not in intended use.
  [Tuj] Yes! Audience claps vigorously.
• Radox The Green - Is it soup?
• Simons Mith - Does it have a misleading name?
  [e.g. the disgraceful lack of toad in the toad in the hole, the misleading provenance (and lack of pork content) of so-called Hamburgers etc. Don't even get me started on Rocky Mountain oysters.]
• Boolbar - Is this foodstuff made from a mammal?
• Tuj - Could it have been eaten 200 years ago?
• Raak - Can I order it in a restaurant?
• Chalky - Would it be stored in a fridge?
• Bismarck
  [Radox the Green] Not soup.
  [Simons Mith] After reference to Mycroft, the answer is "No".
  [Boolbar] Yes! Spontaneous hoots break out.
  [Tuj] Yes, it could have been enjoyed by Napoleon, and may well have been. More muted applause is heard as the audience try and work this out.
  [Raak] Yes you can eat it in a restaurant, as long as it's on the menu. Some shouts from the audience.
  [Chalky] Doesn't have to be kept cool, but Raak's restaurant probably does store it there. Audience is generally approving.
• Rosie - Is it meat-based?
• Simons Mith - Has it been in a Monty Python sketch?
• CdM - Is it preserved in some manner?
• Raak - Is the mammal a pig?
• Bismarck
  [Rosie] Yes! whoops and hollers. A small protest by two Vegans based on a mistranslation starts in a corner.
  [Simons Mith] Mycroft says NO.
  [CdM] Not, it's fresh.
  [Raak] Yes! Swine it is. Applause and such.
• Radox The Green - Pig's trotters?
• Simons Mith - Bacon?
  France is bacon, isn't it?
• Rak - Has it been named in a Monty Python sketch?
• Raak
  (Actually me.)
• Bismarck
  [Radox the Green] Not pig's trotters.
  [Simons Mith] Not bacon.
  [Ra(a)k] Mycroft says "This is a dead python. It is not."
• Simons Mith - Ham ham ham ham haaaaaammm???
• CdM - Pork scratchings?
• Bismarck
  [Simons Mith] Not ham. Nor Hamtaro.
  [CdM] Yuck. No.
• Rosie - Is cutlery normally used in the consumption of this?
• Raak - Pig jerky?
• CdM
  (View the source to read the hidden text)
• Radox The Green - Sweet and sour pork?
• Bismarck
  [Rosie] Yes! It is most commonly found on a plate and eaten with knife and fork.
  [Raak] No. Attention is drifting, some of the audience are arguing about the relative merits of jerked beef and jerked pork.
  [Radox the Green] Not sweet and sour pork. Audience restive.
• Simons Mith - Gammon?
• Raak - Salami?
• Rosie - A chop?
• Chalky - Has anyone said Sausage yet?
• Raak - Does it come in a can?
• Bismarck
  [Simons Mith] Good suggestion, but not quite what is the AOTC. The audience are appreciative.
  [Rosie] That's even better than the previous. But it's not the AOTC. Audience holds its breath.
  [Raak] No, not salami. Some disgusted looks from the epicureans in the audience.
  [Chalky] No, nobody has suggested "sausage" yet. (And if I were you, I wouldn't).
  [Raak] No, it doesn't come in a can. Shouts of rage from the epicureans.
• Raak - Prosciutto?
• Rosie - A slice of bacon?
• Radox The Green - Does it have a foreign name?
• CdM - Has the AOTC been processed in some manner?
  It's not preserved; it doesn't have to be kept cool; and it is not ham or salami (or any kind of sausage). I feel like I must be missing something obvious, but I am stuck.
• Chalky - Pork Knuckle a.k.a. Ham Hock?
• Raak - Lard?
  Not preserved: check. Doesn't have to be kept in the fridge (but likely would be in a restaurant kitchen): check. Eaten with a knife and fork: er...
• Simons Mith - Deep-fried lard?
  Very well-known French dish :-)
• Bismarck
  [Raak] Not prosciutto, but some appreciation from the audience.
  [Rosie] Not a slice of bacon. Someone in the audience has produced a foldable diagram of a pig and is attempting to make a point by pointing at it.
  [Radox the Green] Yes, it does have a foreign name. Cries of "Sacre bleu !" and some laughter from the audience.
  [CdM] Mycroft is consulted and states, "Between the fridge and the plate there is preparation. It's called 'cuisine' in the places I patronise, and may be classed as having been ... 'processed'."
  [Chalky] Back on the right track, but not right yet. Some audience applause.
  [Raak] Not lard - I think you realised that...
  [Simons Mith] No. Hoots from the epicureans.
• Chalky - Spare Ribs?
• Simons Mith - Porky pies?
• Bismarck
  [Omnes] The reply to Radox above should be interpreted as an AOTC that is not in English. So it's not spare ribs, not a meat pie floater, but could be a kebab (although it isn't).
• Raak
  Ah, so it's foreign food, then? Well, no knowing what sort of strange thing it could be. :)
• Chalky - Is it a confit ...of some part of a pig?
• Raak - When refrigeration is unnecessary, is that because the pig is still alive at that point?
• Tuj - Is the AOTC in Spanish?
• Bismarck
  [Chalky] Not a confit.
  [Raak] Refrigeration is a bit of a red herring when taken to such lengths. I have known this to come from the pig within a day or so, though not in the UK, but modern practice will presumably demand tracing the chain of cold between slaughter and serving.
  [Tuj] No, it isn't Spanish.
• Tuj - French?
• Raak - In the UK would we consider it offal?
• Bismarck
  [Tuj] No, it isn't French.
  [Raak] No, not offal.
  Audience beginning to discuss restaurants in the neighbourhood.
• Simons Mith - Is the reason Napoleon might have enjoyed it a hideous name-related pun?
• Raak - Is alcohol involved in the cuisine?
• CdM - German?
• Radox The Green - An escalope alla Milanese?
• Bismarck
  [Simons Mith] Lovely pun, if you refer to beef Wellington, but not that at all.
  [Raak] Often served with the dish, but no alcohol is used in cooking or preparing it.
  [CdM] JA! it is German. The audience cheer and some ejaculations of "Herr Ober!" and Bier oder Wein, eins muss sein" are heard.
  [Radox the Green] Very good! If it wasn't for being Italian and made out of veal, that could well have been the answer. Hint: the AOTC does have a veal version as well. The audience are terribly excited.
• Raak - Is "wurst" a part of the name of this?
• Chalky
  [Raak] I do hope not as I said the word Sausage a while back
• Raak
  [Chalky] I was thinking the same, but then I saw in Wikipedia that "wurst" does include some non-sausage meat products.
• Bismarck
  [Omnes] It's not a sausage, not tube-shaped, and not known as wurst anything.
• Raak - It is made from the head of a pig?
• Chalky - Schnitzel?
• Simons Mith - Calling Dr Raak
  [Raak] Could I ask a major favour? I have a mathematical problem I think I've solved, but I need someone with a mathematical head to give a thumb-up or a thumbs down, and maybe to insert a few equations translating some of my prose into mathematical language. Would you be willing to help out? I know you've done the odd bit of recreation mathing in the past - there was your paper on Culture orbitals for example. This is another in that vein. I have found your professional email address online, but I wouldn't just fire off a random message without checking first.
• Raak
  [SM] By all means!
• Bismarck
  [Raak] Not made from the head of a pig.
  [Chalky] Yes! A schnitzel it is. I was actually looking for "Schweineschnitzel" as schnitzels can be veal, but that will do.

  Your order of a finely beaten baton fried in chapelure is now presented to you.

• Simons Mith - maths!
  [Raak] Sent. Thank you ever so. It's just an HTML file - should read okay on most browsers. I haven't done anything especially fancy.
• A chalk-drawn line

  ---

• Chalky - Let's keep this simple ..
  The laser display flashes up

  ANIMAL

• Boolbar - SQUIRREL!
• Chalky
  [Boolbar] SQUIRREL! NO!
• Rosie - Human?
• Raak - An individual?
• Tuj - Alive?
• Bismarck - Domestic or domesticated?
• Simons Mith - Legged?
• Chalky
  [Rosie] Human? YES
  [Raak] An individual? YES
  [Tuj] Alive? YES
  [Bismarck] Domestic or Domesticated? BOTH
  [SM] Legged? YES
• Raak - British?
• Tuj - A known player of Mornington Crescent?
• Rosie - A politician?
• Chalky - ... the business end
  [Raak] British? YES
  [Tuj] A known player of Mornington Crescent? YES! * Audience whoops and cheers*
  [Rosie] A politician? NO
• Raak - Have they appeared on ISIHAC?
• Rosie - Is it one of us?
• Chalky - ... easy does it
  [Raak] Appeared on ISIHAC? NO
  [Rosie] One of us? YES! * much laughter from the Audience *
• Rosie - Does this person have a misleading monicker?
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
  :D
• Chalky
  [Rosie] Misleading moniker? YES!
  * Audience goes wild *
  [Tuj] Does it begin with P? NO
  * Audience unwilds *
• Simons Mith - Do they claim to be an animal?
• Chalky
  [SM] Claim to be an animal? NO
• Tuj - Is it you, Chalky?
• Rosie - Smee, then. Sgoddaby
• Chalky - Done
  [Tuj] Not me
  * points at him *
  [Rosie] YES! 'Tis you my friend
  * Audience cheers as a leek-shaped baton changes hands *

  ---

• Rosie - Fame at last
  I'm rather flattered.

  Well, the next one is probably a bit more difficult.
  It's ABSTRACT

  ---

• Boolbar - Is it being rather flattered?
• Rosie
  (Boolbar) No such luck, so NO.
• Simons Mith - Is it an idiom?
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• Rosie
  (Simons Mith) An idiom? Can be used as an idiom. So a sort of qualified YES.
  (Tuj) Pinitial? Not in any language that I know, so NO.
• Raak - A figurative expression?
• Rosie
  (Raak) Figurative? YES, can be used figuratively.
• Raak - Did the expression exist before 1900?
• Simons Mith - Is it sanity-related?
• Bismarck - Does it refer to a place?
• Rosie
  (Raak) Exist before 1900? YES.
  (SM) Sanity-related? NO.
  (Bis) Refer to a place? NO.
• Radox The Green - Can it refer to a person?
• Rosie
  (RtG) Refer to a person? NO.
• Tuj - Does it relate to time?
• Rosie
  (Tuj) The AOTC contains no reference to time but it is nevertheless time-dependent. Hope that makes some sort of sense.
• Simons Mith - 'Out to lunch'?
• Rosie
  (SM) There could be tenuous connection there but even metaphorically the answer has to be NO.
• Simons Mith - Related to fiction?
• Tuj - Is there a film with this title?
• Bismarck - Does the sky come into it?
• Rosie
  (SM) Related to fiction? NO, it's part of reality.
  (Tuj) Film? Not that I've heard of, though I know bugger all about films. According to Google there is a film of this name so the answer, strictly, is YES.
  (Bis) Sky involved? Could be, so YES.
• Raak - Blue sky? (As in "blue sky research")
• Tuj - Does it appear in the Bible?
  [Rosie] I'd a feeling that might happen, but figured a qualifier wouldn't be too useful
• Radox The Green - A weather phenomenon?
• Rosie
  (Raak) NO, not blue sky, literal or metaphoric.
  (Tuj) In the Bible? Almost certainly, so YES. But again, I am not fully acquainted with The Book.
  (RtG) Weather phenomenon? NO.
• Raak - Fire and brimstone?
• Tuj - Is it something created by the human mind?
• Bismarck - Heaven?
• Rosie
  (Raak) Fire and brimstone? NO.
  (Tuj) In the mind? *a few audience members show signs of amusement* . NO. This objectively exists.
  (Bis) Heaven? *audience further engrossed*. NO
• Bismarck - Life, the Universe and/or Everything?
• Rosie
  (Bis) NO, not nearly so comprehensive.
• Tuj - Is it the absence of something?
• Rosie
  (Tuj) Absence of something? YES.
• Tuj - Related to death?
• Rosie
  (Tuj) Death? NO.
• Superman - Vacuum?
• Rosie
  (Superman) Vacuum? Interesting - good thinking, but alas NO.
• Projoy - A haitus?
• Projoy - Or a hiatus?
• Rosie
  (Projoy) A hiatus? NO.
• Tuj - Is the AOTC a verb?
• Bismarck - Does it involve a concept from physics?
• Rosie
  (Tuj) A verb? NO. Not even in American English.
  (Bis) A concept from physics? YES.
• Raak - Related to meteorology?
• Rosie
  (Raak) There is a link but the AOTC is quite independent of meteorology. So the answer is NO.
• Radox The Green - Hole in the ozone layer?
• Rosie
  (RtG) NOT the Ozone hole.
• Projoy - thoughtlessness?
• Rosie
  (Projoy) Thoughtlessness? NO.
• Chalky - Is it a two word answer?
• Rosie
  (Chalky) 2 words? YES, but one is the definite article.
• Raak - Does it exist now?
• Raak - (that is, in whatever sense an absence can be considered an existing thing)
• Rosie
  (Raak) Currently in existence? YES, somewhere.
• Simons Mith - The heavens?
• Chalky - The Truth?
• Rosie
  (SM) NOT the heavens *some audience appreciation*
  (Chalky) Boris' nemesis? Alas, NO.
• Raak - The place, somewhere in the Earth's surface, where (mathematicians assure us) the horizontal wind velocity is zero?
• Raak - (*on)
• Rosie
  (Raak) The essential calm? Er, NO, though there is a possible connection with the AOTC.
• Bismarck - Night?
• Rosie
  YES - BISMARCK HAS IT! The AOTC is actually The Night but that's near enough or we'll be here, er, all night. I hand you the illuminated baton - you can switch it off when the light improves.

  ---

• Bismarck
  I reckon this is a THHGTTG "Thumb" in disguise. Anyway, the next card has something that is ABSTRACT but could be argued to be MINERAL. If you look over there, you can see Nadine Dorries performing a mime of the subject in a monokini, as the Mystery Voice announces the answer to the audience.
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
  [Ros,Bis] Bravo!
• Rosie - A stoning?
• Chalky - Golden handshake?
• Raak - The Rock of Ages?
• Bismarck - Sandwich Light Vessel? Nope, just some Tupperware
  [Tuj] No. We are p-empty.
  [Rosie] Not stoning of any kind.
  [Chalky] No Midas touch here.
  [Raak] Not a rock of any kind, nor a roll.
• Rosie - Is the mineral rock?
• Simons Mith - A phrase or saying?
• Tuj - Is it a geographic location?
• Raak - Is it a mythical thing?
• Bismarck - The massed choirs of the Mothers' Union will now sing the shipping forecast to the tune of "Deutschland über alles".
  [Rosie] No. Please pay attention.
  [Simons Mith] Not a phrase, saying, meme, idiom, slang expression or quotation, except insofar as any arrangement of words as the AOTC be a phrase, saying, etc.
  [Tuj] Not geographical. Some of the audience shows signs of appreciation.
  [Raak] That's a miss.
• Simons Mith - The wilderness?
• Rosie - A hill-top?
• Raak - Superconductivity?
• Bismarck - North Utsire, South Utsire...
  [Simons Mith], [Rosie] - not IN THE SLIGHTEST geographical.
  [Raak] On the scale of perfect insulation to superconductivity, the AOTC is not to be found.
• CdM - Found on Earth?
• Simons Mith - Heavy metal?
• Bismarck - Dogger, Cromarty and Forth...
  [CdM] Yes. <>[Simons Mith] If you really want to pursue the mineral side, then yes, there is a reference to metal, though not music.
• Bismarck - Dogger, Cromarty and Forth...
  [CdM] Yes.
  [Simons Mith] If you really want to pursue the mineral side, then yes, there is a reference to metal, though not music.
• Simons Mith - A cloud's silver lining?
• Raak - A pot of gold?
• Bismarck - North-west backing slowly, showers,
  [Simons Mith] No. Not meteorological either.
  [Raak] No. No P's, remember.
  Hint: The metal is not explicit in the AOTC. It's sort of inferred.
• CdM - Is the sort of inferred metal ferrous?
• Chalky - Is it a CGI generated character?
• Bismarck - Nine hundred and ninety, good.
  [CdM] Yes - may contain traces of brass or white metal, but it's largely iron and steel.
  [Chalky] No CGI.
• Raak - Cold steel?
  They don’t like it up ‘em.
• Simons Mith - To do with emotions or temperament?
• Bismarck - German Bight and Tyne and Fisher
  [Raak] Cold if not working, otherwise quite hot.
  [Simons Mith] Some people no doubt get turned on by the AOTC, but it isn't anything to do with emotions.
• Raak - Striking while the iron is hot?
• Bismarck - Force eight, cyclonic, raining, poor.
  [Raak] No. (The iron does form a machine of a specific type.)
• Tuj - Is it hypothetical?
  By which I mean something like a thought experiment or philosophical concept
• Bismarck - But Forties, with all the oil rigs
  [Tuj] No.
• Chalky - Any connection to music?
• Boolbar - Would people have known about this in the year 1900?
• Simons Mith - Is it an abstract collection of machines, such as, oh, a steam fair or a tank regiment?
• Projoy - Anything to do with the arts?
• Bismarck - A nice day is fairly sure.
  [Chalky] No.
  [Boolbar] Yes.
  [Simons Mith] A collection of machines is implied.
  [Projoy] There is a connection to the arts (or one of them).
• Boolbar - Any connection to printing?
• Simons Mith - The telegraph?
• Bismarck - Wasn't that something, give them a big hand.
  [Boolbar] No printing.
  [Simons Mith] Not telegraph, in fact not any sort of media.
• Simons Mith - Are these metal doohickeys, whatever they are, Preserved for the Nation or otherwise protected?
• Bismarck - And now over to the Open Newt-fishing Championships at Rutland Water.
  [Simons Mith] No, they are in use. There are a few in museums.
• Rosie - A collection of old steam engines?
  Had to get that in
• Bismarck - With only the ripple of the water and the occasional twig snapped by the camouflaged men and women engaged in this ancestral sport, one can hear the peeps and squawks of the unsuspecting newts.
  [Rosie] The metal objects ARE steam engines, at least some of them are. The two remaining audience members offer polite applause. Now what is the abstract thing associated with this discovery?
• Rosie - Does the abstract thing apply equally to those members of the AOTC that are not steam engines?
• Raak - Theromdynamics?
• Raak - that's Thermodynamics
• Bismarck - Omnes: Shush!
  [Rosie] Yes. Hint: they are also trains.
  [Raak] Not thermodynamics.
• Raak - Travelling upon rails?
• Simons Mith - If so, are the rails travelled upon scenic?
• Bismarck - Beclad in waders and an intense expression, Mrs Fortescue pounces and the net comes up in with not one newt but two! Perfect position and movement of the net has certainly won points from the judges.
  [Raak] No. [Simons Mith] See previous answer.
• Rosie - Trains of gears involved?
• Raak - A convention of steam engine enthusiasts?
• Boolbar - Is it something to do with a journey?
• Bismarck - Omnes: Shush!
  [Rosie] No.
  [Raak] That is getting a lot closer. No, but the audience likes it.
  [Boolbar] No, other the evocation of travel that comes with trains.
• Raak - Is the AOTC also the name of a film starring Ewan Macgregor?
• Raak - (or Ewan McGregor, as he is more usually known)
• Bismarck - We interrupt that fascinating duel between man and amphibian to bring you an update on the age of President Biden - 29,522 days, 16 hours, and 32 minutes. These figures may change.
  [Raak] [Raak bis] Well, given the slow progress on this one I was considering whether I should accept that as an answer. However I have said that there is no 'p' in the answer and therefore I have to refuse. But you're very close. Alternatively, you are very far away, it depends on your point of view.
• Raak - Hobby train driving?
• Raak - Train enthusiasts?
  They don’t like you if you call them trainspotters.
• Simons Mith - Ferroequinologists?
  I found that one online; really liked it
• Bismarck - We now proceed to our afternoon program of static, lull, and intermission.
  [Raak] No.
  [Raak] Not either.
  [Simons Mith] Remind me to use that in the future. No.
• Raak - Metalworking?
• Simons Mith - The railway network?
• Projoy - Beeching cuts?
• Bismarck - Our next program, 'Obviously', where all those topics we all know stand to reason will be aired, will come this time on location from the top of the Clapham omnibus, and we'll be answering listener questions. This will be followed at six-thirty by News and Bother with Maureen Lipman.
  [Raak] No.
  [Simons Mith] No.
  [Projoy] No.
  Hint: the 'trainspotting' guess could have been accepted. What do aficionados do, or what is the content of their leisure activity?
• Projoy - Making lists of trains?
• Bismarck - This question comes from a Mrs Trellis of North Wales. She writes, "Dear Obviously, it seems quite clear that the demistrile under Hardinge's Loop conditions leads only to a stalemate. Why does nobody seem to realise this?" Well obviously Mrs Trellis, that isthe solution to more than one tricky position in the second quadrant. But since Hardinge was once a member if the Socialist Party, his games have been unanalysed for some decades.
  [Projoy] Not lists of trains.
• Raak
  [Bismarck] Aficionados spot trains, I suppose, and the content of their leisure activity is trains, the spotting of.
• Raak - Painting graffiti on trains?
• Bismarck - A Mr R.S. of Westminster writes: "Dear elector, the past three years have been one of growing prosperity for the UK. Crime has dropped, business confidence has grown, and we are now sending refugees to Rwanda. Surely it stands to reason that you want this to continue?" We reply:to Mr R.S. that it's not quite as obvious as all that!
  [Raak] Not graffiti. But you're right to say that the content of their activity is spotting trains. We're just looking for the right way of putting it. Hint - film name.
• Raak - Does "train" occur in the answer (including as part of a longer word)?
• Rosie - Trainspotting?
  I used to do it. Paddington, platform 8.
• Bismarck - It's 8:05, which means it's time for a timecheck. It's 8:05 and 8:06 is forecasted to occur within forty seconds. Let's wait and see how that turns out, hey?
  [Raak] Yes. Genteel applause.
  [Rosie] Hi, Rosie, nice to see you back in the game. Please look a page or so above for the answer to your question.
• Raak - Train fanning?
• Raak - Train enthusiasts?
• Raak - Train geeking?
• Raak - Train buffs?
• Raak - Train mavens?
• Bismarck
  [Raak] No, no, no, no, no.
  How about looking at it from the train's point of view?
• Raak - A train museum?
• Chalky - Train Livery?
• Simons Mith - Model trains?
  Can trains be supermodels? I am trying not to picture a 4-4-2 Atlantic strutting down a catwalk
• Bismarck - What a surprise, it's 8:06. Different day, same time, but you can't step in the same stream twice unless you run quickly. Now an interview with an elephant that has forgotten! In this case to turn up for the interview. Hello, Nelly, are you there? [Silence.]
  I'm going to hand this over to VAR owing to the closeness of 'trainspotting' before, if someone doesn't get this soon.
  [Raak] No, we had that one.
  [Chalky] No.
  [Simons Mith] Not model trains.
• Raak - Train drivers?
• Projoy - Is it to do with filming or photographing trains?
• Projoy - Or simulating them?
• Bismarck
  [Raak] Not really.
  [Projoy] Yes, there is a link.
  [Projoy] Not intentionally but by extension, possibly
• Rosie - A footplate video?
• Bismarck - And that's it folks, this program is now closed owing to further notice.
  [Rosie] Nope.
  Anyway the entity known as Raak is declared the winner for getting "Trainspotting", whether or not it has a 'p' in it. The AO(T)C was "Closely Observed Trains", but the direction you were coming from, allied to how close "trainspotting" actually was, as well as the usual quantity of lines drawn and etceteras, means that VAR has forced my hand. Take this telescopic baton and go on to better things.
• Raak

  ---

  Ok, well then...
  MINERAL with ABSTRACT and ANIMAL connections.
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
  No faffing.
• Raak
  [Tuj] Does not begin with P.
• Tuj - Is it unique?
  Tis better to bounce than flounce.
• Raak
  [Tuj] The less misleading answer is no, not unique. (A pedant in the audience gets to his feet and begins, "Actually..." The chair cuts him off with, "We've read that Wikipedia article too, and yes, you have a point, but the answer stands.")
• Bismarck - The fossil of a conodont tooth?
• Raak
  [Bismarck] Not that Wikipedia article.
  (Addendum to previous) But on the other hand it is a definite specific thing.
• Tuj - Is it entirely metal?
• Rosie - A prosthetic device?
• Raak
  [Tuj] Entirely non-metal.
  [Rosie] Not a prosthetic.
• Chalky - Is it a building?
• Raak
  [Chalky] Not a building.
• Tuj - Would it float?
• Raak
  The very original of it that the pedant above tried to bring up might indeed float. But the thing is otherwise not something that can float or sink.
• Raak
  I am also thinking that "yes" and "no" are both misleading answers to the uniqueness question.
• Bismarck - Recap
  So far we know that it doesn't begin with 'P', isn't metallic and not a building.
• Bismarck - Does this represent an animal?
• Bismarck - Is it made out of wood?
• Tuj - Is it smaller than a toaster?
  And, if Bismarck is declaring this a double round: Are you regretting your selection yet?
• Raak
  [B] Yes! Partly, it does represent an animal.
  [B] No! It is not made of wood.
  [T] It could be smaller or larger than a toaster.
  [T] Not yet. Maybe if we're still on this by Christmas.
• Simons Mith - Is it a heraldic device?
• Raak
  [SM] Not an heraldic device.
• Tuj - Is it associated with a particular nation?
• Raak
  [T] Yes, associated with a particular nation.
• Simons Mith - Is there more than one animal connected?
• Raak
  [SM] Just one animal.
• Radox The Green - The animal might be the Great Seal of the Pres of the US of A, maybe?
• Raak
  [RtG] Not the Great Seal.
• Tuj - Are there statues of it?
• Raak
  [T] No statues.
• Projoy - Does it make a sound?
• Raak
  [P] It does not make a sound.
• Tuj - Was it invented/first created in a particular known year?
• Raak
  [T] Yes, the original object was created in a known year.
• Radox The Green - Is the animal human?
• Raak
  [R] The animal is human.
• Tuj - Is it a flag or crest?
• Raak
  [T] Not a flag or a crest.
• Raak
  To get past the awkwardness of the uniqueness thing, I retroactively declare that we are looking for the unambiguously unique, physical, original object, which indeed in part represents a human, was created in a known year, etc. Clue: not many people have seen the original, and I can find no information about whether it even still exists.
• Simons Mith - Related to money?
• Raak
  [SM] Not related to money (except insofar as everything is).
• Simons Mith - Is the person famous?
• Raak
  Yes, they are somewhat famous. (Audience goes hmm.)
• Simons Mith - Was the original made within the last 200 years?
• Raak
  [SM] Yes, made in the last 200 years.
• Tuj - Is it an item of clothing?
• Radox The Green - The original Oscar?
• Raak
  [T] Not clothing.
  [RtG] Not the Oscar.
• Tuj - But is it art?
• Raak
  [T] Is not everything art, rightly considered? No, not art, although much artifice went into making it.
• Simons Mith - Is this object medically aligned?
• Raak
  [SM] Not medical.
• Radox The Green - Is it a photograph?
• Raak
  [RtG] applause!! It is a photograph!
• Tuj - Is it the photograph of the Tiananmen Square protestor and tanks?
  Hail Radox! I note that the aforementioned Wikipedia has a "List of photographs considered the most important", though I'd think we're a few weeks away from recourse to that.
• Raak
  [T] Not Tiananmen.
  [all] Not on Wikipedia's "List of photographs considered the most important".
• Superman - Does the Mineral part of the AOTC refer to the photograph itself, or is there something mineral in the photograph we should identify?
• Raak
  [S] The MINERAL refers to the photograph itself, although there are things in it that are also mineral.
• Projoy - Has it featured in memes?
• Raak
  [P] Having googled this, I think it’s fair to say that it has featured in memes.
• Raak
  I am sure it will be instantly recognisable to everyone here.
• Superman - What springs to mind is either the photo of the Montparnasse train crash, although it doesn't have anybody on it, and the Conan Doyle 'fairies at the bottom of the garden' photo, but that has a whole person, not part of one, so I'm going to ask if the photo was taken before 1930?
• Raak
  [S] Not taken before 1930.
  Hint:this thing is not for the purpose of being a record of anything.
• Radox The Green - Roentgen's first X-ray?
• Raak
  [RtG] Not Roentgen's first X-ray.
• Tuj - Taken this century?
  I for one was in shocked silence at that last hint!
• Raak
  [T] Not taken this century.
• Bismarck - Is it a photo made with normal light?
• Raak
  [B] Yes, made with normal light.
• Projoy - The "Napalm Girl"?
• Radox The Green - "Not a 'record' of anything" - is this a record sleeve?
• Raak
  [P] Not Miss Napalm 1972. Remember, this was not created to be a record of something.
  [RtG] Not a record sleeve, or anything else to do with "records" in that sense.
• Superman - A stamp?
• Raak
  [S] Not a stamp.
• Simons Mith - Is the profession of the human in the photo pertinent?
• Raak
  [SM] Their profession (if any) is not pertinent.
  Hint: not even their identity is pertinent.
• Superman - Was the human alive when the photo was taken?
• Raak
  [S] Alive when the photo was taken. Still is, in fact.
• Bismarck - Is there a link to Mornington Crescent?
• Raak
  [B] No link to Mornington Crescent.
• Boolbar - Any connect to a sport?
• Raak
  [B] No connection to any sport.
• Simons Mith - Is this an accidental capture of some kind?
• Raak
  [SM] Not accidental. Very deliberately composed.
• Boolbar - Is the face of the human visible?
• Simons Mith - If not medical, how about scientific?
  Very deliberately composed, but not art, and not a record of anything... Yet well-known and memeworthy. That combination's a stumper.
• Projoy - The first AI generated human face?
• Projoy
  Doh, no, because human is alive. Forget that.
• Projoy - Is it a deepfake?
• Raak
  [P] Not a deepfake. (Made before this century, it wouldn't be.)
• CdM - Is the photograph in/of an easily identifiable location?
• Raak
  [C] No identifiable location.
• Raak
  Sorry, I missed Boolbar and Simons:
  [B] The person's face is visible. (Knowing murmurs from the audience.)
  [SM] Not scientific (but approving murmurs from the audience).
• Raak
  [SM] Your summary is spot on.
• goldfinch
  Is it Test Card F, featuring Carole Hersee and Bubbles the Clown?
• Raak
  Fanfares! Streamers! Orgies in the aisles! It is indeed Test Card F. Have this chalkboard and stuffed clown to make your very own!

  ---

• goldfinch
  Oh, well, that's embarrassing. Okay. What I have here seems to be mostly MINERAL.
• Projoy - Liquid?
• goldfinch
  [P] Extremely not liquid.
• blamelewis - Gas?
• goldfinch
  [b] Even less so, I'd say.
• Bismarck - Hmm.. tricky. Solid?
• goldfinch
  [B] As a rock.
• CdM - A rock?
• Tuj - Unique?
  Wow! Congrats both to goldfinch and Raak on that last one
• Raak - Terrestrial?
• goldfinch
  A unique terrestrial rock!
  [T] v. kind
• Rosie - A valuable mineral?
• goldfinch
  [R] Its value, while arguably immense, is not primarily monetary in nature.
• Raak - It is valued for being a site of natural beauty?
• goldfinch
  [R] It is indeed a site, and sight, of natural beauty.
• Tuj - In North America?
• goldfinch
  [T] Not in North America
• Raak - A mountain?
• goldfinch
  [R] Mindful of pedantry, I’m inclined to say “in the mountain family”.
• Projoy - In England?
• goldfinch
  [P] No, not in England.
• Bismarck - A meteorite crater?
• Raak - Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock?
• goldfinch
  [B] No meteorites involved, no.
  [R] Not Uluru.
• Simons Mith - Lord Hereford's Knob ?
• blamelewis - The Earth?
• goldfinch
  [SM] It is not, but that's on me for not having any previous knowledge of a landform called Lord Hereford's Knob.
  [b] It...certainly protrudes from it, but no, more localised than that.
• Raak - Does it have a name?
• goldfinch
  [R] It has a name.
• Simons Mith - It is some other, er, prominence that has had a song written about it?
• goldfinch
  [SM] Not famously, if at all (I can’t find any prominent examples)
• - - (That being said, there are nevertheless books, films and poems about it, or in which it features.)
• Projoy - In the British/Irish archipelago?
• goldfinch
  [P] Yes, in the British Isles
• Bismarck - Is it higher than Scafell Pike?
• goldfinch
  [B] (checks tape measure) lower than Scafell Pike
• Projoy - In Wales?
• goldfinch
  [P] It's not in Wales.
• Boolbar - Is it on a Scottish Island?
• goldfinch
  [B] It's not on a Scottish island.
• Simons Mith - Rockall?
• goldfinch
  [SM] While arguably all rock, it's not Rockall.
• Raak - Is it in Scotland?
• goldfinch
  [R] Yes! It’s in Scotland.
• Bismarck - The Trossachs ?
• blamelewis - Arthur's Seat?
• Raak - Salisbury Crags?
• goldfinch
  [blamelewis] Aye! It is indeed Arthur’s Seat. Take these bagpipes and a sturdy pair of hiking boots, and either play to the wind or chuck them off the top, I guess.
  

  ---

• blamelewis
  Huzzah! Oh gosh, I've got to do one now. Erm... Animal
• Tuj - Named Arthur?
  Worth checking
• Raak - An individual?
• Projoy - Begins with a Q?
• Simons Mith - Edible?
• blamelewis
  [Tuj] Not aware of any of them going by Arthur.
  [Raak] Not an individual.
  [Projoy] 25 more guesses.
  [Simons] Possibly, but it's not a regular part of the human diet. Also lots of people would be quite cross.
• Raak - Typically owned as a pet?
• Tuj - Have they got tails?
• blamelewis
  [Raak] No.
  [Tuj] Yes.
• Bismarck - Carnivorous?
• Raak - A primate?
• Simons Mith - A rabbi?
• blamelewis
  [Bismarck] Not carnivorous
  [Raak] Not a primate
  [Simons] What do you call a rabbit without a tail? No in either case!
• Raak - An endangered species?
• blamelewis
  [Raak] Yes!
• goldfinch - Terrestrial?
• Boolbar - A bird?
• blamelewis
  [goldfinch] Yes.
  [Boolbar] Yes.
• Simons Mith - Good at sneezing?
• Raak - Is it a native of the British Isles?
• blamelewis
  [Simons] Don't think so.
  [Raak] No.
• Tuj - Kakapo?
• blamelewis
  Yes! The amazing, critically endangered Kakapo - well done!
• Tuj - Wow, whoops!

  ---

  ...and on we go! Can you figure out this ABSTRACT next please?
  There are connections, strongest mineral, but they're probably safer not mentioned.
• Simons Mith - Electricity?
• blamelewis - Alchemy?
• Tuj - The starter's gun is fired!
  [SM] No!
  [bl] No!
• Rosie - Death?
  Dead as as a doornail. This is entirely mineral.
• Bismarck - Does it begin with P?
• Simons Mith - Oh dear, a false start
  I went off before the gun. What do I do, go back two questions?
• Tuj - The trackside officials gather to discuss Simons Mith's reaction time
  [R] No!
  [B] No! *mutters, booing, some of the audience leave*
• Raak - A work of conceptual art?
• Boolbar - Would this exist if there was no life in the universe?
• Tuj
  [R] No! Well, not that I'm aware of - that's the trouble with conceptual art, in theory someone could have declared it to be so...
  [B] No!
• Chalky - Would this exist without Christmas?
• Projoy - Would Christmas exist without this?
• Tuj - Yule have to fight the urge to log off, but...
  [C] Yes!
  [P] Yes!
• goldfinch - Is it ephemeral or somehow time-bound?
• Tuj
  [g] I'd say ephemeral Yes!, time-bound No!
  This is certainly debatable, and indeed the audience are doing so amongst themselves.
• Raak - A feeling?
• Simons Mith - Doomscrolling?
• Tuj
  [R] No!
  [SM] No!
• Radox The Green - The transit of Venus?
• goldfinch - An act performed by humans?
• Raak - A scientific concept?
• Tuj
  [RTG] No!
  [g] No! or, by a certain reading of that sentence, Yes! *the audience mutter amongst themselves about different meanings of the word 'act'*
  [R] No!
• Simons Mith - irony?
  That's an abstract with metal connections...
• blamelewis - Sex?
  I can see a mineral connection when it comes to a sticky end.
• Projoy - Is there a particular person associated with the invention/popularisation of this thing?
• Tuj
  [SM] No!
  [bl] No!
  [P] person - No! (But people - Yes!)
• Bismarck - Acting?
• Raak - Is an assembly of people together a necessary element of this thing?
• Tuj
  [B] No!
  [R] I think No! is the clearest answer here, though there's certainly an interpretation of that question which could yield a Yes!.*the audience, clearly a pleasantly diverse group of thinkers, politely interlocute about the meanings the words "assembly" and "together" can have*
• Chalky - A religion?
• Projoy - Or something connected with religion?
• Simons Mith - A musical performance?
• Tuj
  [C] No!
  [P] No!
  [SM] No!
• Raak - Did this thing exist before 1950?
• Radox The Green - Is it astronomical?
• Tuj
  [R] No!
  [RTG] No!
• Projoy - Does it exist?
• goldfinch - Does it generally require an internet connection?
• Radox The Green - Social media?
• Tuj - The audience cease conversation and offer applause and vocal encouragement
  [P] No! Does not physically exist.
  [g] Yes! This would have no existence of any sort without the internet.
  [RTG] No!
• goldfinch - Cancel culture?
• Projoy - A tweet?
• Projoy - No, not social media... A blog?
• Raak - An NFT?
• Rosie - Broadband?
• Tuj
  [g] No!
  [Px2] No!
  [Ra] No!
  [Ro] No!
• Bismarck - Anything to do with marketing?
• blamelewis - The great game itself?
  Scared to name it in case I end it...
• Tuj
  [B] No!
  [bl] No! but... *the audience gasp and a couple even clap*
• blamelewis - I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue??
• Bismarck - Since this needs the Internet, could it be a site on which games are played?
• Tuj
  [bl] No!
  [B] No! but *more scattered applause*
• Raak - Is it a particular game?
• Projoy - This game of AVMA?
• Tuj
  [R] No!
  [P] No! but *the audience are making all sorts of appreciative noises*
• Rosie - A game based on ISIHAC?
• Raak - Wit?
• Projoy - The Morniverse?
• Tuj - The previous crescendo has lessened
  [Ro] No!
  [Ra] No!
  [P] No!
• Raak - Has it greatly declined from its former glory?
• Rosie - Online chess?
• Simons Mith - Geocities?
• Tuj - It's all gone rather quiet
  [Ra] No!
  [Ro] No!
  [SM] No!
• Superman - Is it that thing some people do when they broadcast themselves playing games online?
• Raak - A speedrun?
• Tuj - 10 questions ago you were warm, getting warmer, now it's cold, freezing cold
  [S] No!
  [R] No!
  Hint: just because "The Morniverse" itself wasn't the answer, doesn't mean the AOTC doesn't come from this corner of the internet.
• Projoy - Is it a player's name?
• Chalky - MC5?
• Tuj
  [P] No!
  [C] No!
• Raak - Some sort of archive?
• Projoy - "The answer to this clue in AVMA"
• Simons Mith - The old York Duck Hunt?
• Projoy - All the answers so far in this game that began with the letter P?
• Tuj - Is that... the finish line?
  [R] No!
  [P1] No! *a large proportion of the audience goes ooh!*
  [SM] No! Either I've forgotten it, or that's before my time...
  [P2] No! *a smaller number of oohs from the audience, but also some eye-rolling ;)*
• Chalky - The AOTC?
• Simons Mith - Lord Byron's bicycle?
• Projoy - "Something that is NOT the answer to the current clue in AVMA"?
• Tuj
  [C] No! *a few audience members over-excitedly swoon*
  [SM] No!
  [P] No! So the answer would be... "not the answer"? I think what I've set is much more straightforward than that, but time will tell :D
• Raak - The previous answer in this game?
• Projoy - The first answer in this game?
• Tuj - The fever pitch is fractionally less febrile
  [R] No!
  [P] No!
• Projoy - One of the questions asked during a game of AVMA?
• Raak - Something specifically related to AVMA?
• Tuj
  [P] No!
  [R] Yes!
• Simons Mith - Is it the abstract category of 'Mineral'?
• Radox The Green - The Laser Display Board?
• Projoy - This round of AVMA?
• Tuj - The audience remain poised on their seat-edges
  [SM] No!
  [RTG] No!
  [P] No!
• Superman - Just passing through on my way to save something or other, and understanding the absolute necessity of the internet to satisfy this question, how about the list of all words used in this game as AOTCs?
• Projoy - Can the answer be seen above (if loading all moves)?
• Simons Mith - The baton?
• Tuj - The tape is breasted!
  [S] No!
  [P] Yes! Because...
  [SM] YES!
  *balloons and streamers shower down from the ceiling onto the audience as Simons is handed the very AOTC that's been being hunted, in one of its many (but typically mineral) forms*

  ---

• Simons Mith
  All right, let's do a VEGETABLE then. Haven't done a veggie in a while.
• Raak - Wooden?
• Simons Mith
  Wooden? Yes. Immediate applause.
• Raak - A spoon?
• Projoy - Bigger than a spoon?
• Simons Mith
  Spoon? No. I've done utensils before.
  Bigger? Yes.
• Projoy - Bigger than Jupiter?
• Simons Mith
  Jupiter? No. Not that big.
• Tuj - Unique?
  Ah drat, too slow to guess a carrot baton
• Bismarck - A bush?
• Projoy - Smaller than a pig?
• Simons Mith
  [Unique] Yes.
  [Bushy] No.
  [Oink?] No.
• Raak - A whole tree?
• Tuj - Living?
• Rosie - A man-made object?
• Simons Mith
  [whole?] No.
  [living] Yes.
  [man-made] No.
• Raak - A Christmas tree?
• Tuj - In the UK?
• Boolbar - In Australasia?
• Simons Mith
  [tree?] No
  [UK?] Yes
  [Auz*] No
  
• Bismarck - The Major Oak?
  It's wooden, alive, quite large, not a Christmas tree, in the UK, nor a bush.
• Tuj - A fruit tree?
• CdM - The remaining stump from the vandalised tree on Hadrian’s Wall?
  (Is it still alive? I’ll defer to the arborists.)
• Simons Mith
  [Major] No, but there's an ooo from the audience.
  [fruity] No.
  [stumpy] No.
• Raak - Is it unusually old?
• Bismarck - Is the tree not whole because of human intervention?
  Forgot that it wasn't a whole tree...
• Projoy - Son of Royal Oak?
• Simons Mith
  [old] Yes.
  [intervention] No. Mutters from the audience over misleading answering, but the answer certainly isn't Yes.
  [descendant] No.
• Raak - Is its exact location a secret?
• Projoy - In England?
• Bismarck - The blasted oak on the withered heath where the hags dance?
• Simons Mith
  [Secret] No
  [English] Yes
  [Dance venue] No
• Raak - Does it have an individual name?
• Bismarck - Is it a tree?
• Simons Mith
  [Individual name?] In the context I think you're asking, no.
  [A tree] No.
• Tuj - In London?!
• Projoy - Is it outdoors?
• Simons Mith
  [London] No.
  [Outdoors] Yes.
• Boolbar - Is it many trees?
• Simons Mith
  [A f- many trees] Yes! Audience applause
• Bismarck - I would love this to be the National Forest, which was on those brown signs as you went up the A38 north of Birmingham and could be seen as miles and miles of hedges and fields. But given the reaction to my Major Oak bid just before, I'll go for Sherwood Forest.
• Simons Mith - A winner
  [Sherwood Forest] You divined the ooos correctly. It's Sherwood Forest.

  ---

• Bismarck - Winner's comments
  This was of course impossible without the help of some merry Morningtonians whom I would like to thank, and some unfeasibly good archery. So I accept this baton in the shape of an arrow and let us go on to what may be a quick round before Christmas. This one is:

  MINERAL.

• Tuj - Is it Christmas-related?
• Boolbar - Is it found on planet Earth?
• Raak - Was it, until recently, not on planet Earth?
• Bismarck
  [T] Not Christmas-related.
  [B] Yes, earthly.
  [R] This has never left earth.
• CdM - Is it unique OR does it begin with P?
• Tuj - Does it begin with P OR is it unique?
  Delete as applicable
• Bismarck
  [C, T] No.
• Raak - Man=made?
• Raak - That is, man-made?
• CdM - Is it smaller than a toaster OR is it bigger than a telephone box?
• Boolbar - Has it existed for more than 100 years?
• Tuj - Is it typically powered by electricity?
• Simons Mith - Does its name end in 'ite'?
  That'll eliminate a lot.
• Bismarck
  [R] Yes, man-made.
  [C] Depends which dimensions you are talking about, both are true, and both false. Which Boolean operator that is, I don't know.
  [T] It's electrically powered.
  [S] Audience murmurs as the board displays "No".
• Simons Mith - Does its name rhyme with 'ite', or 'ites'?
• Bismarck
  [S] Applause as it is revealed that one of the words on the card does indeed rhyme with "ite" or "ites".
  I have been informed that the Boolean operator referred to above is the UM operator, where any input can give any output.
• Rosie - Christmas lights?
  My cat liked 'em.
• Bismarck
  [R] Not Christmas lights.
• goldfinch - Can I buy it in a big Tesco?
• Raak - Some sort of light or lights?
• Bismarck
  [G] No, not found in Tesco.
  [R] Applause from the audience. Yes.
• Raak - (signal-boosting Boolbar) Has it existed for more than 100 years?
• Bismarck
  [R'n'B] Missed that, the answer is Yes, accompanied by scattered applause.
• Raak - Street lights?
• Bismarck
  [R] Much applause, though the answer is No.
• goldfinch - Traffic lights?
• Rosie - Showing various colours?
• Bismarck
  [G] Yes! Audience goes wild for goldfinch.
  [R] Also yes, but now no longer relevant.
  So, goldfinch, take this multicoloured bayon, and, obeying the filter signals, turn right to greater things!

  ---

• goldfinch
  Oh heck, just what I wanted for Christmas. And what’s this? *rustling of wrapping paper* oh! It’s MINERAL
• Simons Mith - First things first, is it actually feasible to wrap?
• goldfinch
  [SM] Very much depends, but suffice to say that kind of undertaking would require significantly more than paper and sticky tape.
• Bismarck - Is it an astronomical object?
• goldfinch
  [B] No
• Rosie - Is it radioactive?
• Raak - A geographical feature?
• goldfinch
  [Rosie] *very appreciative crowd* Yes
  [Raak] in that you’d put it on a map, yes
• Rosie - Sellafield, formerly Windscale?
• Raak - The natural nuclear reactor discovered in Oklo?
• goldfinch
  [R/R] *hubbub dies down* No and no.
• Raak - Is it underground?
• goldfinch
  [R] Not underground
• Bismarck - Is it an element?
• goldfinch
  [B] No, it isn’t an element.
• Rosie - A hospital?
• goldfinch
  [R] Not a hospital
• Simons Mith - Is it a 'station' of some kind?
• goldfinch
  [SM] If it was then it isn’t anymore
• CdM - Unique?
• goldfinch
  [CdM] By far the less deceptive answer is yes
• Tuj - Is it below the Earth's crust?
• goldfinch
  [T] Above the Earth's crust. Unless viewed from its antipodal point, of course, but let's not worry about that kind of pedantry.
• Simons Mith - Is it outside the UK?
• goldfinch
  [SM] Yes! Not in the UK.
  Also, was probably a bit hedged with the station question. It was (part of) a ‘station’ of some kind.
• Raak - Is it in Antarctica?
• goldfinch
  [R] It’s not in Antarctica.
• Rosie - Chernobyl?
• Simons Mith - Is it numbered?
• goldfinch
  [R/SM] yes to both! So…
• Simons Mith - Is it reactor no.4 at Chernobyl?
• goldfinch
  [SM] Indeed it is. So let’s carefully wrap that back up, with hope for a happy new year.

  ---

• Simons Mith - Ooh what's this? Such a fascinating ANIMAL.
• Simons Mith
  Double points for getting it in Latin. Credit to Anna for the great idea.
• Raak - A land animal?
• Simons Mith - Not a land animal.
• goldfinch - Extinct?
• Tuj - Carduelis carduelis?
• Projoy - Does it begin with a proboscis?
• Simons Mith
  [G] No
  [T] No
  [P] I don't think so.
• Boolbar - Is the Latin a tautonym?
• Raak - A creature of the waters?
• Simons Mith
  [B]No.
  [R]Yes.
• Rosie - A whale?
• Simons Mith - No, but getting warmer.
• Bismarck - Anguilla anguilla?
• Chalky - Carcharodon carcharias?
• goldfinch - Tursiops truncatus?
• Raak - Banjos banjos banjos?
  Which I think ought to be written "Banjos! Banjos! Banjos!"
• Simons Mith
  [a.a.] No
  [c.c.] No
  [t.t.] No
  [b.b.b.] No
  You need to go deeper
• Rosie - A shark? (i.e. Sharcus sharcus)
• Raak - Banjos! Banjos! Banjos! Banjos! ?
• Rosie - Bass?
• Radox The Green - A blobfish?
• Simons Mith
  [Sharks, banjos, bass and blobfish] All no, I'm afraid.
• Bismarck - Is this a vertebrate?
• Simons Mith
  [vertebrate] No. audience applause
• Raak - Does it have a central nervous system?
• Simons Mith
  [nerves] Yes.
• Radox The Green - Is it sessile?
• Simons Mith
  [sessility] No, it's free-ranging
• Raak - A cnidarian?
• Simons Mith
  Not cnidarian
• goldfinch - Is it theoretically immortal?
• Bismarck - Is it a squid?
• Simons Mith
  [immortal?] No.
  [Squid] Yes! Some of nature's fascinatingest animals, and this is a fascinating squid
• Projoy - Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni?
• Simons Mith
  [Colossal Squid] No, but obviously homing in nicely.
• Bismarck - Lepidoteuthis grimaldi?
• Simons Mith
  No. There's about 300 species of squid, so only another 298 to go!
• Radox The Green - A cuttlefish?
• Simons Mith
  No, definitely a squid.
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• Bismarck - I failed to see what could possibly be more fascinating than the Grimaldi scaled squid, named after Prince Albert of Monaco, who was a fan and of whom it formed much of the after-dinner conversation. Lettuce carry on. Is it benthic?
• Simons Mith
  [Psquid] No.
  [Benthic] Yes, as a broad category
  Fascinatingness vs Lepidoteuthis grimaldi - in deference to Prince Albert of Monaco I'll accept a draw
• Bismarck - Humboldt squid?
• Simons Mith
  [Humboldt] No. Humboldts seem to be reasonably ordinary, by squid standards.
• Bismarck - I'm solid on narwhal, but squids are a bit of a blank with me. The kraken?
• Simons Mith
  [kraken up] No.
• Bismarck - The colossal squid?
• Simons Mith
  [colossal] No, we had that already. Albeit in Latin
• Chalky - Is it that sick squid I owe you?
• Radox The Green - Terry Pratchett's "curious squid"?
• Raak - Spirula spirula?
• Simons Mith
  [Chalky, RtG, R] No, it's a real-world actual squid
• Bismarck - If this is now a squid game, we risk our lives. Bathyteuthis abyssicola?
• goldfinch - A species as opposed to a specimen?
• Simons Mith
  [Bathyteuthis abyssicola] No. Neither warm nor cold, that guess.
  [A species] Yes!
• Radox The Green - The striped pyjama squid?
• Simons Mith
  [s.p.s.] No, but what a dapper animal.
• Bismarck - I just learned of the existencd of the Antarctic neosquid, no doubt after having ingested a red pill. Is that it?
• Simons Mith
  [Antarctic neosquid] No. That's sort of the opposite of the one I'm after
• goldfinch - Opposite to the icy Antarctic, you say. Could it be Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the vampire squid from hell?
• Simons Mith
  [Vampyroteuthis infernalis] Good guess, but you picked the wrong opposite. There are several possibilities.
• Simons Mith
  Also, vampyroteuthis is not a squid. According to Monterey Aquarium, at least.
• Projoy - Tusoteuthis?
• Raak - The purpleback flying squid (Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis)?
  Flying squid. Two words that seem to go together as well as "bunch" and "water".
• goldfinch - Found in Monterey Aquarium?
• Simons Mith
  [Tusoteuthis] No. [Flying] No. [Monterey] No.
• Bismarck - Squids aren't my forte, but it seems clear that those who name them lack nothing in creativity!
• goldfinch - Gonatus fabricii? (Not to be confused with the late Timbergling avicii.)
• Simons Mith
  [Bismarck] Agreed, but I think equal credit ought to go to the squids themselves.
  [Gonatus fabricii] No
• Bismarck - Australiteuthis aldrichi?
• goldfinch - Wait, we’ve had the colossal squid, but have we had the giant squid – Architeuthis dux?
  (autocorrect suggested “colossal squirrel”, and I shall lose some sleep over that mental image.)
• Simons Mith
  [a.aldrichi] No. It's so teeny tiny!
  [giant squid] No, but getting warmer, I think.
• Projoy - Giant Aquatic Squirrel?
• Simons Mith
  [aquatic squirrels of unusual size] I don't believe they exist
• Bismarck - Is it over one metre in size?
• Simons Mith
  [>1m] Oh yes.
• goldfinch - The internationally-flavoured Dana octopus squid, Taningia danae? Bioluminescent photophores fitted as standard.
• Simons Mith
  [Taningia danae] No. Wow, but no.
• goldfinch - How about this fella?
  
  (the one on the right.)
• Simons Mith
  [photographic evidence] Nu-uh
• Tuj - Is it of the family Cranchiidae?
• Simons Mith
  [Cranch family] No.
• Bismarck - Does the genus end in "-teuthis"?
• Simons Mith
  [teuthises] Nope. audience applauds encouragingly
• goldfinch - Is it a species of glass squid?
• Simons Mith
  [glass squid] No, they're Cranchiidae
• goldfinch - Oops. Okay well while I'm here, are they found in the Pacific Ocean?
• Simons Mith
  [Pacific] Yes!
• Simons Mith
  I am learning so much about squid. I hope some of it sticks with me.
• goldfinch - That's great but now I've forgotten what I was getting at with that question.
• Chalky - Family Ommastrephidae?
• Simons Mith
  [Ommastrephidae] No, not ommastrephidae
• Bismarck - Is it a glass squid?
• Simons Mith
  Bzzt! Repetition!
• goldfinch - What about the frankly terrifying Magnapinnidae family?
• Simons Mith
  [Magnapinnidae] Yep. That's the bunny
• Bismarck - A winner?
  I reckon you should give that to goldfinch. All the Magnapinnidae unknown from specimens which are well under a meter long, under the famous photograph doesn't doesn't have a species name attached to it yet.
• Simons Mith
  Actually yes, I think that would be fair. On Wikipedia, I've just found that 'Magnapinnidae' jumps directly to the particular species in question.
  So I shall hereby pass on this very, very long, writhing, sucker-covered, er, baton.

  ---

• Bismarck - Is it a goldfinch?
• goldfinch - No but it’s just as ABSTRACT.
• Simons Mith
  As abstract as a goldfinch? Hm. Does it have a known unladen airspeed velocity?
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• goldfinch
  [velocity] no it’s more abstract than that
  [p] no
• Rosie - Relativity?
• Bismarck - Was it known to Plato?
• Projoy - A giant aquatic squirrel?
• goldfinch
  [relativity] but less abstract than that
  [plato] no
  [giant aquatic squirrel] surely an animal?
• Simons Mith - An emotion?
• goldfinch
  [emotion] no (slightest ripple of interest)
• Radox The Green - Is it astronomical?
• goldfinch
  [astronomical] no
• Tuj - Morniverse-related?
• goldfinch
  [morniverse] no, but there was another tiny ripple there
• Projoy - Guesswork?
• goldfinch
  [guesswork] meta but no
• Simons Mith - Is it a riddle?
• goldfinch
  [riddle] no.
  I’ll add that it is a thing that exists and has properties, rather than a concept. It has ANIMAL/MINERAL connections but is neither.
• Rosie - The odour of animal faeces?
  Putting it politely
• goldfinch
  [dungsmell] a fair guess but no.

  Half a step in the right direction though.

• Raak - A sensation?
• goldfinch
  [sensation] of sorts
• Simons Mith - FEEEELINNGGS, WHOA WHOA WHOA FEEEELLLINNGGS ?
• goldfinch
  [FEEEELINNGS] the song? or the concept of feeling?
• Simons Mith - [Resists switching to Boney M, but its a struggle]
  As in, emotions.
• Simons Mith
  Sorry, rather than, a specific emotion, which I had already
• goldfinch
  [feelings at large] nope
• Rosie - Is one of the senses involved?
• goldfinch
  [senses] yes
• Projoy - Is there more than one word on the card?
• Simons Mith - Fashion?
• goldfinch
  [more than one word] yes
  [fashion] no
• Tuj - Was it invented/first created in a particular known year?
• goldfinch
  [known year] yes
• Rosie - The Hallelujah Chorus (1741)?
• goldfinch
  [messiah] no, but a step in the right direction
• Raak - Is it a piece of music?
• goldfinch
  [music] it isn’t music
• Simons Mith - Is it dance?
• goldfinch
  [dance] no, getting colder
• Projoy - Is this specific date before 1900?
• goldfinch
  [<1900] no
• Raak - Related to the movie/TV industry?
• goldfinch
  [movie/TV industry] yes!
• Raak - A particular production of said industry?
• goldfinch
  [production] no, product, yes
• Rosie - A TV series?
• goldfinch
  [series] no, getting colder
• Raak - A genre of movie?
• Bismarck - Technicolor?
• goldfinch
  [genre] no!
  [technicolor] no!
• Projoy - The name of a particular camera technique?
• goldfinch
  [camera technique] no, no cameras involved
• Tuj - Is it in a particular language?
• goldfinch
  [language] it is in no particular language
• Tuj - The Wilhelm scream?
• Raak - Is it related to figurative art?
• goldfinch
  [Wilhelm scream] Yes! It is the Wilhelm scream! (crowd goes wild in a way I’m reasonably sure isn’t a stock sound effect.)

  ---

• Tuj - Whoops
  Aaaaaaaaggghhhhh!
  Let's go ANIMAL
• goldfinch
  Okay well let’s just check it’s not the crocodile which prompted the aforementioned scream?
• Rosie - Human?
  i.e. not Liz Truss
• Tuj
  Crocodile? No.
  Human? YES!
• CdM - President Polk? Peter Parker? Prince Philip?
• goldfinch - Philip Pullman? Pablo Picasso? Priscilla Presley?
• Simons Mith - Pele?
• Tuj - :P
  PPx3? No.
  PPx3? No.
  P? No.
• Projoy - Ptolemy? Psychology? Psittacosis? Pterodactyl?
• Simons Mith - Is it a thing that doesn't begin with P ?
• CdM - More to the point, is it a human that doesn’t begin with P?
• Tuj - Oh no, the pile-on was quite apt
  Px4? No.
  Not P? No.
  Non-P person? No.
• CdM - Is it a human typically referred to by two names, neither one of which doesn’t begin with P?
• Radox The Green - Is or was this person a president?
• Boolbar - Is it more than one human?
• Tuj
  P.P.? No.
  Pres? No.
  People? No.
• Rosie - Is the AOTC a person's name?
• CdM - Is the AOTC “A person”?
• Tuj - No need to get so semantic
  Named person? YES!
  "A person"? Not those words, no.
• Rosie - Currently newsworthy?
• Radox The Green - Royalty?
• Bismarck - Was this person known for picking pecks of pickled peppers?
• Tuj
  Current? No (to my knowledge, of course)
  Crowned? No (of any close descent)
  Capsica? No (do I need to caveat this "to my knowledge"?!)
• Raak - Currently alive?
• Rosie - A scientist?
• Tuj
  Alive? No.
  Scientist? No. *a couple of audience members make noises*
• Bismarck - Fictional?
• Raak - A literary figure?
• Rosie - Ptolemy?
• Simons Mith - Psmith?
• Tuj
  Fictional? No.
  Literary? YES! (As in, wrote some stuff)
  Ptolemy? No.
  Psmith? No.
• goldfinch - Political?
• Bismarck - P G Wodehouse?
• Raak - Goethe?
• Tuj
  Political? YES! (But not, AFAIK, a politician)
  PGW? No.
  JWG? No.
• Rosie - British?
• CdM - Does this person’s last name begin with P?
• CdM - Plato?
• Projoy - Wrote something before 1900?
• Tuj
  Plato? YES!!
  CdM has it! And what he now has is possession of the Platonic ideal of a baton.
  Those early shots in the dark really looked like they might hit.

  ---

• CdM - *emerges, blinking, into the light*
  ABSTRACT, with ANIMAL, VEGETABLE and MINERAL connections.
• Projoy - Does it end with a p?
• Bismarck - The universe?
• Rosie - The probability of the Conservatives winning the next election?
• Tuj - Does it begin with C?
• CdM
  Cup, cap, crap, claptrap, clamp, chomp, crisp? No, at both extremities.
  Universe? No.
  Five more years? No.
• goldfinch - Created by humans?
• Tuj - Is it an -ism?
• Raak - A work of fiction?
• CdM
  Human creation? Yes.
  -ism? Yes. *applause*
  Work of fiction? No. *scattered laughter*
• Rosie - A social phenomenon?
• Tuj - Was it invented/coined in the last 50 years?
• CdM
  Social phenomenon? No.
  Since 3/3/1974? No.
• goldfinch - An artistic or literary movement?
• CdM
  Art/lit? No.
• Tuj - Anarcho-syndicalism?
  I'd regret if we didn't ask
• Raak - A work of writing?
• Simons Mith - A recipe?
• CdM - Channeling the ghost of INJ
  Anarcho-syndicalism? No.
  A work of writing? No.
  Recipe? No.
  
  A clarification: I believe my "yes" answer to "Created by humans?" is the least misleading but I suppose proponents of this -ism might dispute my answer.
• Raak - To do with religion?
• CdM
  Religious? Interesting question. I’m going to go with: No—but it is potentially religion-adjacent, for a broad definition of religion.
• Bismarck - Is it named after a person?
• Simons Mith - Is it btheism?
• CdM
  Nominative? No.
  Btheism? No.
• Radox The Green - Idealism?
  We just had Plato, so it's worth a guess
• Tuj - Does it begin with anti-?
• Raak - Something spiritual?
• Projoy - A crackpot theory, according to a majority?
• CdM
  Idealism? No.
  Anti-? No.
  Spiritual? Another interesting question. The best answer is No, though I'd caution that "spiritual" admits of multiple definitions. The AOTC is spiritual-adjacent, however
  Crackpot? If you presented the AOTC to random people on the street, most would agree with that descriptor. If you asked those with more specialised knowledge, some would certainly still agree; the majority would disagree with the AOTC without (I think) necessarily being so pejorative. I hope that helps. :)
• Rosie - Veganism?
• Raak - Artificial Intelligence?
• Bismarck - I'd have loved this to be Dianetics, but it doesn't end in ISM. Is it anything to do with geography or geology?
• Tuj - Is it related to art?
• CdM
  Veganism? No.
  AI? No. (*a few glances exchanged in the audience, but no actual applause*)
  Dianetics? No.
  Geography? No.
  Geology? In some sense maybe Yes, but that's unlikely to be helpful.
  Related to Art? No.
• Bismarck - Does astronomy come in to it?
• goldfinch - Creationism?
• CdM
  Astronomical? No.
  Creationism? No.
• Projoy - Is it the name of a (supposed) being?
• CdM - Overhead, without any fuss
  One of the nine billion names of god? No.
• Bismarck - Recap
  We know that this is an ISM and refers to to something that was invented by humans, and that's about as far as we've got.
  We do know that it doesn't begin or end with p, c, or anti. It has nothing to do with geography, geology, art, literature, or astronomy. It's not veganism, idealism, creationism, or dianetics, nor is it named after a person. There is a possible tenuous link to religion/spirituality, although all the guesses so far have not led anywhere. Normal people will think that the AOTC is crazy, those with more specialised knowledge will think that it doesn't work, although it still has its supporters.
• Bismarck - To do with economics?
• Raak - Aliens?
• Projoy - Does it contain the name of a being, e.g. Marxism?
• Radox The Green - Politics?
• CdM
  Recap. Mostly correct, although you only know that it doesn’t begin with C or end with P. I struggled with my answer to “invented by humans?”, so I’ll attempt a clarification. If we think of, say, a continuum of isms from Marxism (clearly invented by humans) to magnetism (clearly not), I think this is a bit closer to Marxism. But it is something that humans have thought of that could conceivably be fact—and if it were fact, it would be more like magnetism.
  Economics? No.
  Aliens? No.
  Contain the name of a being? No. (Well, technically yes, but that’s essentially coincidental).
  Politics? No.
• Bismarck - Hypnotism?
• CdM
  Hypnotism? No. On the Marx-Magnet scale, the AOTC is to the right of hypnotism.
• CdM
  One more clarification. B’s recap stated “those with more specialised knowledge will think that [the AOTC] doesn’t work”. I’d say,rather, that they’d think it isn’t true.
• Projoy - Is it adhered to by less than 20% of people globally?
• Bismarck - Governmental?
• Tuj - Is it associated with a particular group of people?
  ...who'd be identifiable beyond just being "AOTC-ists", that is
• CdM
  1.6 billion? I think that the adjacent spiritual/religious concept quite probably has more than that number of adherents. The AOTC is a more technical notion (and term), which would be unfamiliar to (most of?) those adherents. I think. The adjacent spiritual/religion-adjacent concept might be a helpful route to the answer.
  Governmental? No.
  Associated with a particular group? For the AOTC itself, I'd say No. But the adjacent spiritual/religion-adjacent concept is certainly associated with various identified groups.
• Projoy - Spiritualism?
• Projoy
  Presumably not, since you wouldn't have described it as spiritual...
• Rosie - Dowsing?
• CdM
  Spiritualism? No.
  Dowsing? No.
• Rosie - Has it anything to do with the human body?
• CdM
  Corporeal? The best and least misleading answer is No. (There is a pedantic sense in which the answer is Yes, because “anything to do with” is pretty broad and vague.)
• Chalky - Solipsism?
• CdM
  Solipsism? No—but the audience awakes from its torpor and there is *some applause, mixed with a little laughter* .
• CdM - -ism scale
  On my Marx-Magnet scale^©, I'd probably put the various isms that have been suggested in the following order, with Idealism/Solipsism/AOTC being fairly close to each other. All three are invented by humans but could in some sense be fact.
  
  Marxism ... Veganism ... Hypnotism ... Spiritualism ... Creationism/Btheism ... Idealism/Solipsism/AOTC ... ... Magnetism
• Projoy - Is it an idea about the nature of the entire universe?
• Bismarck - Is this to do with logic?
• Tuj - Does it relate to death or matters after?
• CdM
  Idea about the nature of the entire universe? Yes! *sustained applause*
  To do with logic? No.
  Relate to death? The best answer is No, though an indirect argument could be made for Yes.
• Radox The Green - Would this be taught in university philosophy courses?
• Raak - Plato's cave?
• Chalky - Has anyone said Existentialism yet?
• Projoy - Does it entail a belief in predestination?
• CdM
  University Philosophy? I'm not an expert in university philosophy curricula, but I'll speculate as follows: the AOTC would show up somewhere in the curriculum but is unlikely to make an appearance in an Introduction to Philosophy subject. The AOTC has an entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Britannica.
  Plato's cave? No.
  Has anyone said Existentialism yet? No.
  Is Existentialism the AOTC? No. (I'd put that more in the vicinity of Spiritualism on the M-m scale.)
  Does it entail a belief in predestination? You just had to ask that, didn't you? No.
• Chalky - You're enjoying this aren't you CdM ;^)
• Bismarck - Does an old Greek come into this as a major proponent of the AOTC?
• Raak - The simulation hypothesis?
• CdM
  Enjoying this? Yes and No. Whenever an AVMA takes this long, I worry that either I have made it too hard or that I have inadvertently misled people with a less than perfect answer.
  Old Greek? The idea of the AOTC can in some sense be traced back to the very earliest days of recorded philosophy, which of course includes quite a few old Greeks. That said, I don't think the AOTC is associated with a particular OG who was a "major proponent". (It's not like, say, stoicism, where—if you know about the topic—you'd immediately link it to Epictetus.)
  Simulation hypothesis? No.
• Raak - Vitalism?
• Bismarck - Deism?
• CdM
  Vitalism? No.*applause of the kind that indicates that even though the answer is in some sense completely wrong, it is also absolutely the right kind of guess* (View the source to read the hidden text)
  Deism? No.
• Raak - Metempsychosis?
• CdM - O, rocks! she said. Tell us in plain words.
  Metempsychosis? No.
• CdM
  Clarification: While "vitalism" (at least as I understand it) is indeed in some sense completely wrong, it is nonetheless oddly close to the AOTC. Raak is definitely thinking along the right lines. Also, the "O, rocks!" quote is not a clue of any kind.
• Raak - Life, the universe, and everything?
• CdM
  Life, the Universe, and Everything? No. But the AOTC is definitely related to LtUaE. :)
• Projoy - Human exceptionalism?
• Bismarck - Buddhism ?
• CdM
  Human exceptionalism? No. *audience laughter*
  Buddhism? No. The AOTC, as already noted, is not religious but is a concept that is spiritual/religion-adjacent. The adjacent spiritual/religious idea is present in Buddhism.
• Raak - Emptiness?
• CdM
  Emptiness? No.
• Projoy - Reincarnationism?
  (I always thought vitalism was a sort of margarine)
• CdM
  Reincarnationism? I always thought that was a sort of milk. No.
• Projoy - Does it involve the concept of an immortal soul?
• CdM
  Immortal soul? No.
• Bismarck - Panpsychism?
• CdM
  Panpsychism? Yes!! It is indeed the belief that there is (some sort of) consciousness present in everything. Here, have this sentient baton.

  ---

• Bismarck - Ooohh goody!
  That was not an easy one to find! I only got it because of the subject being recently treated on the "In Our Time" podcast. So thanks to Melvyn Bragg and his guests.
  The next round is now starting, hold on to the straps. The sentient baton suggests ABSTRACT.
• Bismarck - Small print
  There are links to Animal and Vegetable, and on the Marx-Magnet scale^{© CdM} it's towards magnetism, although it isn't an -ISM.
• Tuj - Does it begin with P?
• Bismarck
  P-precedent? No, but don't let that put you off.
• Tuj - Fictional?
• Bismarck
  Made up? Not fictional.
• Raak - Something in fundamental physics?
• Rosie - A human interest?
• CdM - Present only on Earth?
• Bismarck
  Fun physics? No.
  Fun life? No, although humans have and have had a great interest in the AOTC. It's not an occupation, either.
  Earthbound? So far as anyone knows, only on Earth.
• Raak - Life?
• Tuj - Is the AOTC a single word?
• Bismarck
  Life? Certainly connected, the audience applauds vigorously.
  Single word? Also yes.
• Raak - Death?
• Chalky - Is it an -ology?
• Bismarck
  Death ? Like life, it is necessary for this concept. Audience are aware and expectant.
  Ologious? No.
• Raak - Procreation?
• Bismarck
  Procreation? No. Audience still bate their breath.
• Raak - Sex?
• CdM - Drugs? Rocknroll?
• Bismarck
  What my body needs? No to all three. Audience quiescent.
• Raak - Evolution?
• Bismarck
  Evolution? No.
• goldfinch - To do with food?
• Bismarck
  Food? No. Audience lethargic.
• CdM - Were humans aware of this prior to 1900?
• Bismarck
  Pre-Edwardian? Yes.
• goldfinch - An observable phenomenon?
• Simons Mith - Economic?
• CdM - Was Aristotle aware of this?
• Bismarck
  Observable? There are observations of this occurring.
  Economic? No.
  Aristotelian? Didn't know him personally, but the concept was almost certainly around then.
• goldfinch - To do with health/sickness/medicine?
• Bismarck
  NHS? In a way, yes, but only in a way. Some audience approval.
• Raak - A feeling or mood?
• Rosie - Lifespan?
• Radox The Green - Birth?
• Bismarck
  Sentiments? No.
  Lifespan? No. Audience wakes up, though.
  Lifestart? No, but the audience murmurs approval and emits some applause.
• goldfinch - A biological process?
• Raak - Rebirth?
• Bismarck
  Biology? Arguments start among the audience. Life and death and so forth are all biological, but this is not usually considered to be a biological process.
  Rebirth? No, but the audience really like it. Appreciation is shown.
• Simons Mith - Birthdays?
• Bismarck
  Birthdays? No. Audience calm.
• Chalky - Reincarnation?
• Bismarck
  Reincarnation? No, but big applause and cheering from the crowd.
• CdM - Karma?
• Raak - Nirvana?
• Bismarck
  Getting bad things? No.
  Getting good things? No.
• Simons Mith - Adoption?
• Raak - Eternal recurrence?
• Rosie - Emergence as something different from human? (whatever that's called).
• CdM - Near-death experience?
• Bismarck
  Adoption? No.
  Eternal recurrence? No.
  Alien hatching? No.
  Near-death experience? No.
• Chalky - Transmogrification?
• Bismarck
  Transmogrification? No, but there is some debate in the audience.
• Chalky - Metamorphosis?
• Simons Mith - Enlightenment?
• Simons Mith - The Renaissance?
• Simons Mith
  In hindsight I suspect we were a bit slow on the uptake
• Bismarck
  It's not metamorphosis, enlightenment is nice but completely off beam, "renaissance" is a good try but "the Renaissance" is totally wrong. The audience are collecting tomatoes to throw.
• CdM - Resurrection?
• CdM - Cryonics?
• Raak - Rejuvenation?
• Bismarck
  Not cryonics, not rejuvenation, but definitely Resurrection! (We started this around Easter, so it seemed appropriate.) Congratulations to CdM, who gets to take this stone baton and roll it away. Don't forget to like, subscribe, or leave a review.

  ---

• CdM
  (View the source to read the hidden text)
  
  Here is a straightforward VEGETABLE with an ANIMAL connection.
• goldfinch - An Easter egg?
  (Chocolate is a vegetable, right?)
• CdM
  Easter egg? No.
• Raak - A misshapen potato that looks like someone's head?
• CdM
  Potato head? No. *considerable laughter and significant applause*
• Bismarck - Chips (without fish)?
• CdM
  Chips? No.
• Raak - Is it a plant that looks like an animal?
• Tuj - Is it unique?
• CdM
  Plant that looks like an animal? No. But again, *applause*
  Unique? Yes.
• Raak - A wooden scupture?
• Raak - *sculpture
• Simons Mith - Part of a plant that looks like part of an animal?
• Chalky - Venus Flytrap?
• CdM
  Wooden sculpture? No. No.
  Part of a plant that looks like part of an animal? No.
  Venus flytrap? No.
• Tuj - In a fixed location?
• CdM
  Fixed location? Interesting question. If I wanted to be tricky, I'd give a straightforward and honest answer of No. But a more helpful answer is: Yes, when understood in the context of the AOTC.
• Projoy - It is vegetable but does it resemble something that is not?
• CdM
  Vegetable that resembles non-vegetable? Resemble is a tricky word. I’d say more No than Yes as the word is typically used, but—stretching the meaning of resemble to its broader senses—you could plausibly say Yes.
  
  As a ps to my answer to Tuj, the absence of a fixed location in general is certainly useful information as well.
• Chalky - Is it a mask?
• CdM
  Mask? No.
• Bismarck - Is the AOTC one word?
• CdM
  One word? No. The AOTC as written is four words including the definite article, but I will accept any suitable identifying phrase.
• Chalky - Is it alive?
• Raak - Is it associated with a particular season?
• Tuj - Is it legible?
• CdM
  Is it alive? No. But be careful about your assumptions.
  Associated with a particular season? No. * a certain tension in the air intimates that the audience almost wants to applaud but knows it shouldn’t*
  Legible? No.
• Raak - Does it exist today?
• CdM
  Does it exist today? No.
• Bismarck - Is it fictional?
• CdM
  Fictional? No.
• Bismarck - Is there more than one at any one time?
• CdM
  >1? No. (You already know it is unique.)
• Simons Mith - Is it connected to a celebration?
• Raak - Would an archaeologist know about this in connection with their profession?
• Bismarck - Is the vegetable part edible?
• Tuj - But was it art?
• CdM
  Connected to a celebration? *considerable audience laughter*. I think I have to say No, though some might argue the point.
  Relevant to archaeology? No.
  Vegetable part edible? Yes. (And remember the whole thing is vegetable, not just part of it.)
  Was it art? *more laughter* Not in the conventional sense, No.
  
  After your good start I am surprised this is taking so long. As a hint, you could always explore the animal connection further.
• Radox The Green - Is this found in à restaurant?
• Raak - Did this exist at some point since 1900?
• Simons Mith - Quorn?
• CdM
  Found à restaurant? No. (View the source to read the hidden text)
  Since 1900? Yes.
  Quorn? No.
• Raak - Does the AOTC include a superlative?
• CdM
  Superlative-inclusive? No. *loud and sustained laughter*
• Tuj - Was it eaten by somebody famous?
• CdM
  Celebrity-consumed? No. (At least not as far as I know!)
• Bismarck - Is the animal reference human?
• Raak - Does the AOTC have the form "The X of Y"?
• CdM
  Human animal? Yes.
  The X of Y? No.
• Raak - A vegetarian meat substitute?
• CdM
  Fake ewes? No. Though, in some kinda sorta weirdly literal sense, kinda sorta yes. But really, No.
• Bismarck - Is the animal reference a particular human?