["[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-01 00:00]\n<User>Here are some news I learnt earlier:\nFormal membership varies between communities, but basic lay adherence is often defined in terms of a traditional formula in which the practitioner takes refuge in The Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha (the Buddhist community). At the present time, the teachings of all three branches of Buddhism have spread throughout the world, and Buddhist texts are increasingly translated into local languages. While in the West Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East it is regarded as familiar and traditional. Buddhists in Asia are frequently well organized and well funded. In countries such as Cambodia and Bhutan, it is recognized as the state religion and receives government support. Modern influences increasingly lead to new forms of Buddhism that significantly depart from traditional beliefs and practices.\n\nA number of modern movements or tendencies in Buddhism emerged during the second half of the 20th Century, including the Dalit Buddhist movement (also sometimes called 'neo-Buddhism'), Engaged Buddhism, and the further development of various Western Buddhist traditions.\n<Assistant>Got it. I will remember them.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-02 00:00]\n<User>I've gathered some additional data to share:\nIn the second half of the 20th Century a modern movement in Nichiren Buddhism: Soka Gakkai (Value Creation Society) emerged in Japan and spread further to other countries. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a lay Buddhist movement linking more than 12 million people around the world, and is currently described as \"the most diverse\" and \"the largest lay Buddhist movement in the world\".[web 21]\n\nBuddhism is practiced by an estimated 488 million,[web 1] 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 7% to 8% of the world's total population.\n\nChina is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population.[web 1] They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practiced in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of world Buddhists.[web 1]\n\nAccording to a demographic analysis reported by Peter Harvey (2013): Mahayana has 360 million adherents; Theravada has 150 million adherents; and Vajrayana has 18,2 million adherents. Seven million additional Buddhists are found outside of Asia.\n\nAccording to Johnson and Grim (2013), Buddhism has grown from a total of 138 million adherents in 1910, of which 137 million were in Asia, to 495 million in 2010, of which 487 million are in Asia. According to them, there was a fast annual growth of Buddhism in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and several Western European countries (1910\u20132010). More recently (2000\u20132010), the countries with highest growth rates are Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and some African countries.\n\nSome scholars[note 44] use other schemes. Buddhists themselves have a variety of other schemes. Hinayana (literally \"lesser vehicle\") is used by Mahayana followers to name the family of early philosophical schools and traditions from which contemporary Theravada emerged, but as this term is rooted in the Mahayana viewpoint and can be considered derogatory, a variety of other terms are increasingly used instead, including \u015ar\u0101vakay\u0101na, Nikaya Buddhism, early Buddhist schools, sectarian Buddhism, conservative Buddhism, mainstream Buddhism and non-Mahayana Buddhism.\n\nNot all traditions of Buddhism share the same philosophical outlook, or treat the same concepts as central. Each tradition, however, does have its own core concepts, and some comparisons can be drawn between them. For example, according to one Buddhist ecumenical organization,[web 23] several concepts common to both major Buddhist branches:\n\nTheravada (\"Doctrine of the Elders\", or \"Ancient Doctrine\") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism. The name Therav\u0101da comes from the ancestral Sth\u0101vir\u012bya, one of the early Buddhist schools, from which the Theravadins claim descent. After unsuccessfully trying to modify the Vinaya, a small group of \"elderly members\", i.e. sthaviras, broke away from the majority Mah\u0101s\u0101\u1e43ghika during the Second Buddhist council, giving rise to the Sthavira sect. Sinhalese Buddhist reformers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries portrayed the Pali Canon as the original version of scripture. They also emphasized Theravada being rational and scientific.\n\nTherav\u0101da is primarily practiced today in Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia as well as small portions of China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. It has a growing presence in the west.\n\nTheravadin Buddhists believe that personal effort is required to realize rebirth. Monks follow the vinaya: meditating, teaching and serving their lay communities. Laypersons can perform good actions, producing merit.\n\nMahayana Buddhism flourished in India from the 5th century CE onwards, during the dynasty of the Guptas. Mah\u0101y\u0101na centres of learning were established, the most important one being the N\u0101land\u0101 University in north-eastern India.\n\nMahayana schools recognize all or part of the Mahayana Sutras. Some of these sutras became for Mahayanists a manifestation of the Buddha himself, and faith in and veneration of those texts are stated in some sutras (e.g. the Lotus Sutra and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra) to lay the foundations for the later attainment of Buddhahood itself.\n\nNative Mahayana Buddhism is practiced today in China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, parts of Russia and most of Vietnam (also commonly referred to as \"Eastern Buddhism\"). The Buddhism practiced in Tibet, the Himalayan regions, and Mongolia is also Mahayana in origin, but is discussed below under the heading of Vajrayana (also commonly referred to as \"Northern Buddhism\"). There are a variety of strands in Eastern Buddhism, of which \"the Pure Land school of Mahayana is the most widely practised today.\". In most of this area however, they are fused into a single unified form of Buddhism. In Japan in particular, they form separate denominations with the five major ones being: Nichiren, peculiar to Japan; Pure Land; Shingon, a form of Vajrayana; Tendai, and Zen. In Korea, nearly all Buddhists belong to the Chogye school, which is officially Son (Zen), but with substantial elements from other traditions.\n<Assistant>Sure I will remember them.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-03 00:00]\n<User>I'd like to tell you about some recent findings:\nVarious classes of Vajrayana literature developed as a result of royal courts sponsoring both Buddhism and Saivism. The Ma\u00f1jusrimulakalpa, which later came to classified under Kriyatantra, states that mantras taught in the Saiva, Garuda and Vaisnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Manjushri. The Guhyasiddhi of Padmavajra, a work associated with the Guhyasamaja tradition, prescribes acting as a Saiva guru and initiating members into Saiva Siddhanta scriptures and mandalas. The Samvara tantra texts adopted the pitha list from the Saiva text Tantrasadbhava, introducing a copying error where a deity was mistaken for a place.\n\nBuddhist scriptures and other texts exist in great variety. Different schools of Buddhism place varying levels of value on learning the various texts. Some schools venerate certain texts as religious objects in themselves, while others take a more scholastic approach. Buddhist scriptures are mainly written in P\u0101li, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese. Some texts still exist in Sanskrit and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.\n\nUnlike many religions, Buddhism has no single central text that is universally referred to by all traditions. However, some scholars have referred to the Vinaya Pitaka and the first four Nikayas of the Sutta Pitaka as the common core of all Buddhist traditions.[page needed] This could be considered misleading, as Mah\u0101y\u0101na considers these merely a preliminary, and not a core, teaching. The Tibetan Buddhists have not even translated most of the \u0101gamas (though theoretically they recognize them) and they play no part in the religious life of either clergy or laity in China and Japan. Other scholars say there is no universally accepted common core. The size and complexity of the Buddhist canons have been seen by some (including Buddhist social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar) as presenting barriers to the wider understanding of Buddhist philosophy.\n\nOver the years, various attempts have been made to synthesize a single Buddhist text that can encompass all of the major principles of Buddhism. In the Theravada tradition, condensed 'study texts' were created that combined popular or influential scriptures into single volumes that could be studied by novice monks. Later in Sri Lanka, the Dhammapada was championed as a unifying scripture.\n\nDwight Goddard collected a sample of Buddhist scriptures, with the emphasis on Zen, along with other classics of Eastern philosophy, such as the Tao Te Ching, into his 'Buddhist Bible' in the 1920s. More recently, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar attempted to create a single, combined document of Buddhist principles in \"The Buddha and His Dhamma\". Other such efforts have persisted to present day, but currently there is no single text that represents all Buddhist traditions.\n\nThe P\u0101li Tipitaka, which means \"three baskets\", refers to the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Vinaya Pitaka contains disciplinary rules for the Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as explanations of why and how these rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification. The Sutta Pitaka contains discourses ascribed to Gautama Buddha. The Abhidhamma Pitaka contains material often described as systematic expositions of the Gautama Buddha's teachings.\n\nThe P\u0101li Tipitaka is the only early Tipitaka (Sanskrit: Tripi\u1e6daka) to survive intact in its original language, but a number of early schools had their own recensions of the Tipitaka featuring much of the same material. We have portions of the Tipitakas of the S\u0101rv\u0101stiv\u0101da, Dharmaguptaka, Sammitya, Mah\u0101sa\u1e45ghika, K\u0101\u015byap\u012bya, and Mah\u012b\u015b\u0101saka schools, most of which survive in Chinese translation only. According to some sources, some early schools of Buddhism had five or seven pitakas.\n\nAccording to the scriptures, soon after the death of the Buddha, the first Buddhist council was held; a monk named Mah\u0101k\u0101\u015byapa (P\u0101li: Mah\u0101kassapa) presided. The goal of the council was to record the Buddha's teachings. Up\u0101li recited the vinaya. \u0100nanda, the Buddha's personal attendant, was called upon to recite the dhamma. These became the basis of the Tripitaka. However, this record was initially transmitted orally in form of chanting, and was committed to text in the last century BCE. Both the s\u016btras and the vinaya of every Buddhist school contain a wide variety of elements including discourses on the Dharma, commentaries on other teachings, cosmological and cosmogonical texts, stories of the Gautama Buddha's previous lives, and various other subjects.\n\nMuch of the material in the Canon is not specifically \"Theravadin\", but is instead the collection of teachings that this school preserved from the early, non-sectarian body of teachings. According to Peter Harvey, it contains material at odds with later Theravadin orthodoxy. He states: \"The Theravadins, then, may have added texts to the Canon for some time, but they do not appear to have tampered with what they already had from an earlier period.\"\n\nThe Mahayana sutras are a very broad genre of Buddhist scriptures that the Mahayana Buddhist tradition holds are original teachings of the Buddha. Some adherents of Mahayana accept both the early teachings (including in this the Sarvastivada Abhidharma, which was criticized by Nagarjuna and is in fact opposed to early Buddhist thought) and the Mahayana sutras as authentic teachings of Gautama Buddha, and claim they were designed for different types of persons and different levels of spiritual understanding.\n\nThe Mahayana sutras often claim to articulate the Buddha's deeper, more advanced doctrines, reserved for those who follow the bodhisattva path. That path is explained as being built upon the motivation to liberate all living beings from unhappiness. Hence the name Mah\u0101y\u0101na (lit., the Great Vehicle).\n<Assistant>Got it. I will remember them.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-04 00:00]\n<User>Here are some new facts I learnt just now:\nAccording to Mahayana tradition, the Mahayana sutras were transmitted in secret, came from other Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, or were preserved in non-human worlds because human beings at the time could not understand them:\n\nApproximately six hundred Mahayana sutras have survived in Sanskrit or in Chinese or Tibetan translations. In addition, East Asian Buddhism recognizes some sutras regarded by scholars as of Chinese rather than Indian origin.\n\nGenerally, scholars conclude that the Mahayana scriptures were composed from the 1st century CE onwards: \"Large numbers of Mahayana sutras were being composed in the period between the beginning of the common era and the fifth century\", five centuries after the historical Gautama Buddha. Some of these had their roots in other scriptures composed in the 1st century BCE. It was not until after the 5th century CE that the Mahayana sutras started to influence the behavior of mainstream Buddhists in India: \"But outside of texts, at least in India, at exactly the same period, very different\u2014in fact seemingly older\u2014ideas and aspirations appear to be motivating actual behavior, and old and established Hinnayana groups appear to be the only ones that are patronized and supported.\" These texts were apparently not universally accepted among Indian Buddhists when they appeared; the pejorative label Hinayana was applied by Mahayana supporters to those who rejected the Mahayana sutras.\n\nOnly the Theravada school does not include the Mahayana scriptures in its canon. As the modern Theravada school is descended from a branch of Buddhism that diverged and established itself in Sri Lanka prior to the emergence of the Mahayana texts, debate exists as to whether the Theravada were historically included in the hinayana designation; in the modern era, this label is seen as derogatory, and is generally avoided.\n\nScholar Isabelle Onians asserts that although \"the Mah\u0101y\u0101na ... very occasionally referred contemptuously to earlier Buddhism as the Hinay\u0101na, the Inferior Way,\" \"the preponderance of this name in the secondary literature is far out of proportion to occurrences in the Indian texts.\" She notes that the term \u015ar\u0101vakay\u0101na was \"the more politically correct and much more usual\" term used by Mah\u0101y\u0101nists. Jonathan Silk has argued that the term \"Hinayana\" was used to refer to whomever one wanted to criticize on any given occasion, and did not refer to any definite grouping of Buddhists.\n\nBuddhism provides many opportunities for comparative study with a diverse range of subjects. For example, Buddhism's emphasis on the Middle way not only provides a unique guideline for ethics but has also allowed Buddhism to peacefully coexist with various differing beliefs, customs and institutions in countries where it has resided throughout its history. Also, its moral and spiritual parallels with other systems of thought\u2014for example, with various tenets of Christianity\u2014have been subjects of close study. In addition, the Buddhist concept of dependent origination has been compared to modern scientific thought, as well as Western metaphysics.\n\nThere are differences of opinion on the question of whether or not Buddhism should be considered a religion. Many sources commonly refer to Buddhism as a religion. For example:\n\nAmerican Idol is an American singing competition series created by Simon Fuller and produced by 19 Entertainment, and is distributed by FremantleMedia North America. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002, as an addition to the Idols format based on the British series Pop Idol and has since become one of the most successful shows in the history of American television. The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists, with the winner being determined by the viewers in America. Winners chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting were Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, Candice Glover, Caleb Johnson, and Nick Fradiani.\n\nAmerican Idol employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell. The judging panel for the most recent season consisted of country singer Keith Urban, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, and jazz singer Harry Connick, Jr. The show was originally hosted by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and comedian Brian Dunkleman, with Seacrest continuing on for the rest of the seasons.\n\nThe success of American Idol has been described as \"unparalleled in broadcasting history\". The series was also said by a rival TV executive to be \"the most impactful show in the history of television\". It has become a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. According to Billboard magazine, in its first ten years, \"Idol has spawned 345 Billboard chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert and Jordin Sparks while remaining a TV ratings juggernaut.\"\n\nFor an unprecedented eight consecutive years, from the 2003\u201304 television season through the 2010\u201311 season, either its performance or result show had been ranked number one in U.S. television ratings. The popularity of American Idol however declined, and on May 11, 2015, Fox announced that the series would conclude its run in its fifteenth season.\n\nAmerican Idol was based on the British show Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller, which was in turn inspired by the New Zealand television singing competition Popstars. Television producer Nigel Lythgoe saw it in Australia and helped bring it over to Britain. Fuller was inspired by the idea from Popstars of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition. He then added other elements, such as telephone voting by the viewing public (which at the time was already in use in shows such as the Eurovision Song Contest), the drama of backstories and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time. The show debuted in 2001 in Britain with Lythgoe as showrunner\u200d\u2014\u200cthe executive producer and production leader\u200d\u2014\u200cand Simon Cowell as one of the judges, and was a big success with the viewing public.\n<Assistant>Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep track of this.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-05 00:00]\n<User>The following are some more news I learnt:\nIn 2001, Fuller, Cowell, and TV producer Simon Jones attempted to sell the Pop Idol format to the United States, but the idea was met with poor response from United States television networks. However, Rupert Murdoch, head of Fox's parent company, was persuaded to buy the show by his daughter Elisabeth, who was a fan of the British show. The show was renamed American Idol: The Search for a Superstar and debuted in the summer of 2002. Cowell was initially offered the job as showrunner but refused; Lythgoe then took over that position. Much to Cowell's surprise, it became one of the hit shows for the summer that year. The show, with the personal engagement of the viewers with the contestants through voting, and the presence of the acid-tongued Cowell as a judge, grew into a phenomenon. By 2004, it had become the most-watched show in the U.S., a position it then held on for seven consecutive seasons.\n<Assistant>Perfect. I've stored this information in my memory.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-06 00:00]\n<User>Let me provide you with some new details:\nThe show had originally planned on having four judges following the Pop Idol format; however, only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. A fourth judge, radio DJ Stryker, was originally chosen but he dropped out citing \"image concerns\". In the second season, New York radio personality Angie Martinez had been hired as a fourth judge but withdrew only after a few days of auditions due to not being comfortable with giving out criticism. The show decided to continue with the three judges format until season eight. All three original judges stayed on the judging panel for eight seasons.\n\nIn season eight, Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer\u2013songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge. She stayed for two seasons and left the show before season ten. Paula Abdul left the show before season nine after failing to agree terms with the show producers. Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul for that season, but left after just one season. On January 11, 2010, Simon Cowell announced that he was leaving the show to pursue introducing the American version of his show The X Factor to the USA for 2011. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judging panel in season ten, but both left after two seasons. They were replaced by three new judges, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, who joined Randy Jackson in season 12. However both Carey and Minaj left after one season, and Randy Jackson also announced that he would depart the show after twelve seasons as a judge but would return as a mentor. Urban is the only judge from season 12 to return in season 13. He was joined by previous judge Jennifer Lopez and former mentor Harry Connick, Jr.. Lopez, Urban and Connick, Jr. all returned as judges for the show's fourteenth and fifteenth seasons.\n\nGuest judges may occasionally be introduced. In season two, guest judges such as Lionel Richie and Robin Gibb were used, and in season three Donna Summer, Quentin Tarantino and some of the mentors also joined as judges to critique the performances in the final rounds. Guest judges were used in the audition rounds for seasons four, six, nine, and fourteen such as Gene Simmons and LL Cool J in season four, Jewel and Olivia Newton-John in season six, Shania Twain in season eight, Neil Patrick Harris, Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry in season nine, and season eight runner-up, Adam Lambert, in season fourteen.\n\nThe first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Dunkleman quit thereafter, making Seacrest the sole emcee of the show starting with season two.\n\nBeginning in the tenth season[citation needed], permanent mentors were brought in during the live shows to help guide the contestants with their song choice and performance. Jimmy Iovine was the mentor in the tenth through twelfth seasons, former judge Randy Jackson was the mentor for the thirteenth season and Scott Borchetta was the mentor for the fourteenth and fifteenth season. The mentors regularly bring in guest mentors to aid them, including Akon, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and current judge Harry Connick, Jr..\n\nThe eligible age-range for contestants is currently fifteen to twenty-eight years old. The initial age limit was sixteen to twenty-four in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to twenty-eight in season four, and the lower limit was reduced to fifteen in season ten. The contestants must be legal U.S. residents, cannot have advanced to particular stages of the competition in previous seasons (varies depending on the season, currently by the semi-final stage until season thirteen), and must not hold any current recording or talent representation contract by the semi-final stage (in previous years by the audition stage).\n\nContestants go through at least three sets of cuts. The first is a brief audition with a few other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. Although auditions can exceed 10,000 in each city, only a few hundred of these make it past the preliminary round of auditions. Successful contestants then sing in front of producers, where more may be cut. Only then can they proceed to audition in front of the judges, which is the only audition stage shown on television. Those selected by the judges are sent to Hollywood. Between 10\u201360 people in each city may make it to Hollywood[citation needed].\n<Assistant>Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep track of this.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-07 00:00]\n<User>Let me provide you with some new details:\nOnce in Hollywood, the contestants perform individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Until season ten, there were usually three rounds of eliminations in Hollywood. In the first round the contestants emerged in groups but performed individually. For the next round, the contestants put themselves in small groups and perform a song together. In the final round, the contestants perform solo with a song of their choice a cappella or accompanied by a band\u200d\u2014\u200cdepending on the season. In seasons two and three, contestants were also asked to write original lyrics or melody in an additional round after the first round. In season seven, the group round was eliminated and contestants may, after a first solo performance and on judges approval, skip a second solo round and move directly to the final Hollywood round. In season twelve, the executive producers split up the females and males and chose the members to form the groups in the group round.\n\nIn seasons ten and eleven, a further round was added in Las Vegas, where the contestants perform in groups based on a theme, followed by one final solo round to determine the semi-finalists. At the end of this stage of the competition, 24 to 36 contestants are selected to move on to the semi-final stage. In season twelve the Las Vegas round became a Sudden Death round, where the judges had to choose five guys and five girls each night (four nights) to make the top twenty. In season thirteen, a new round called \"Hollywood or Home\" was added, where if the judges were uncertain about some contestants, those contestants were required to perform soon after landing in Los Angeles, and those who failed to impress were sent back home before they reached Hollywood.\n\nFrom the semi-finals onwards, the fate of the contestants is decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, a toll-free telephone number for each contestant is displayed on the screen. For a two-hour period after the episode ends (up to four hours for the finale) in each US time zone, viewers may call or send a text message to their preferred contestant's telephone number, and each call or text message is registered as a vote for that contestant. Viewers are allowed to vote as many times as they can within the two-hour voting window. However, the show reserves the right to discard votes by power dialers. One or more of the least popular contestants may be eliminated in successive weeks until a winner emerges. Over 110 million votes were cast in the first season, and by season ten the seasonal total had increased to nearly 750 million. Voting via text messaging was made available in the second season when AT&T Wireless joined as a sponsor of the show, and 7.5 million text messages were sent to American Idol that season. The number of text messages rapidly increased, reaching 178 million texts by season eight. Online voting was offered for the first time in season ten. The votes are counted and verified by Telescope Inc.\n\nIn the first three seasons, the semi-finalists were split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night. In season one, there were three groups of ten, with the top three contestants from each group making the finals. In seasons two and three, there were four groups of eight, and the top two of each selected. These seasons also featured a wildcard round, where contestants who failed to qualify were given another chance. In season one, only one wildcard contestant was chosen by the judges, giving a total of ten finalists. In seasons two and three, each of the three judges championed one contestant with the public advancing a fourth into the finals, making 12 finalists in all.\n\nFrom seasons four to seven and nine, the twenty-four semi-finalists were divided by gender in order to ensure an equal gender division in the top twelve. The men and women sang separately on consecutive nights, and the bottom two in each groups were eliminated each week until only six of each remained to form the top twelve.\n\nThe wildcard round returned in season eight, wherein there were three groups of twelve, with three contestants moving forward \u2013 the highest male, the highest female, and the next highest-placed singer - for each night, and four wildcards were chosen by the judges to produce a final 13. Starting season ten, the girls and boys perform on separate nights. In seasons ten and eleven, five of each gender were chosen, and three wildcards were chosen by the judges to form a final 13. In season twelve, the top twenty semifinalists were split into gender groups, with five of each gender advancing to form the final 10. In season thirteen, there were thirty semifinalists, but only twenty semifinalists (ten for each gender) were chosen by the judges to perform on the live shows, with five in each gender and three wildcards chosen by the judges composing the final 13.\n\nThe finals are broadcast in prime time from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, in front of a live studio audience. The finals lasted eight weeks in season one, eleven weeks in subsequent seasons until seasons ten and eleven which lasted twelve weeks except for season twelve, which lasted ten weeks, and season thirteen, which lasted for thirteen weeks. Each finalist performs songs based on a weekly theme which may be a musical genre such as Motown, disco, or big band, songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or The Beatles, or more general themes such as Billboard Number 1 hits or songs from the contestant's year of birth. Contestants usually work with a celebrity mentor related to the theme. In season ten, Jimmy Iovine was brought in as a mentor for the season. Initially the contestants sing one song each week, but this is increased to two songs from top four or five onwards, then three songs for the top two or three.\n\nThe most popular contestants are usually not revealed in the results show. Instead, typically the three contestants (two in later rounds) who received the lowest number of votes are called to the center of the stage. One of these three is usually sent to safety; however the two remaining are not necessarily the bottom two. The contestant with the fewest votes is then revealed and eliminated from the competition. A montage of the eliminated contestant's time on the show is played and they give their final performance. However, in season six, during the series' first ever Idol Gives Back episode, no contestant was eliminated, but on the following week, two were sent home. Moreover, starting in season eight, the judges may overturn viewers' decision with a \"Judges' Save\" if they unanimously agree to. \"The save\" can only be used once, and only up through the top five. In the eighth, ninth, tenth, and fourteenth seasons, a double elimination then took place in the week following the activation of the save, but in the eleventh and thirteenth seasons, a regular single elimination took place. The save was not activated in the twelfth season and consequently, a non-elimination took place in the week after its expiration with the votes then carrying over into the following week.\n\nThe \"Fan Save\" was introduced in the fourteenth season. During the finals, viewers are given a five-minute window to vote for the contestants in danger of elimination by using their Twitter account to decide which contestant will move on to the next show, starting with the Top 8.\n\nThe finale is the two-hour last episode of the season, culminating in revealing the winner. For seasons one, three through six, and fourteen, it was broadcast from the Dolby Theatre, which has an audience capacity of approximately 3,400. The finale for season two took place at the Gibson Amphitheatre, which has an audience capacity of over 6,000. In seasons seven through thirteen, the venue was at the Nokia Theatre, which holds an audience of over 7,000.\n\nThe winner receives a record deal with a major label, which may be for up to six albums, and secures a management contract with American Idol-affiliated 19 Management (which has the right of first refusal to sign all contestants), as well as various lucrative contracts. All winners prior to season nine reportedly earned at least $1 million in their first year as winner. All the runners-up of the first ten seasons, as well as some of other finalists, have also received record deals with major labels. However, starting in season 11, the runner-up may only be guaranteed a single-only deal. BMG/Sony (seasons 1\u20139) and UMG (season 10\u2013) had the right of first refusal to sign contestants for three months after the season's finale. Starting in the fourteenth season, the winner was signed with Big Machine Records. Prominent music mogul Clive Davis also produced some of the selected contestants' albums, such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. All top 10 (11 in seasons 10 and 12) finalists earn the privilege of going on a tour, where the participants may each earn a six-figure sum.\n<Assistant>I've captured all of this valuable information.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-08 00:00]\n<User>Here are some facts I recently discovered:\nEach season premieres with the audition round, taking place in different cities. The audition episodes typically feature a mix of potential finalists, interesting characters and woefully inadequate contestants. Each successful contestant receives a golden ticket to proceed on to the next round in Hollywood. Based on their performances during the Hollywood round (Las Vegas round for seasons 10 onwards), 24 to 36 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From the semifinal onwards the contestants perform their songs live, with the judges making their critiques after each performance. The contestants are voted for by the viewing public, and the outcome of the public votes is then revealed in the results show typically on the following night. The results shows feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The Top-three results show also features the homecoming events for the Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a two-hour results finale show, where the winner of the season is revealed.\n\nWith the exception of seasons one and two, the contestants in the semifinals onwards perform in front of a studio audience. They perform with a full band in the finals. From season four to season nine, the American Idol band was led by Rickey Minor; from season ten onwards, Ray Chew. Assistance may also be given by vocal coaches and song arrangers, such as Michael Orland and Debra Byrd to contestants behind the scene. Starting with season seven, contestants may perform with a musical instrument from the Hollywood rounds onwards. In the first nine seasons, performances were usually aired live on Tuesday nights, followed by the results shows on Wednesdays in the United States and Canada, but moved to Wednesdays and Thursdays in season ten.\n\nThe first season of American Idol debuted as a summer replacement show in June 2002 on the Fox network. It was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman.\n\nIn the audition rounds, 121 contestants were selected from around 10,000 who attended the auditions. These were cut to 30 for the semifinal, with ten going on to the finals. One semifinalist, Delano Cagnolatti, was disqualified for lying to evade the show's age limit. One of the early favorites, Tamyra Gray, was eliminated at the top four, the first of several such shock eliminations that were to be repeated in later seasons. Christina Christian was hospitalized before the top six result show due to chest pains and palpitations, and she was eliminated while she was in the hospital. Jim Verraros was the first openly gay contestant on the show; his sexual orientation was revealed in his online journal, however it was removed during the competition after a request from the show producers over concerns that it might be unfairly influencing votes.\n\nThe final showdown was between Justin Guarini, one of the early favorites, and Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was not initially thought of as a contender, but impressed the judges with some good performances in the final rounds, such as her performance of Aretha Franklin's \"Natural Woman\", and Betty Hutton's \"Stuff Like That There\", and eventually won the crown on September 4, 2002.\n\nIn what was to become a tradition, Clarkson performed the coronation song during the finale, and released the song immediately after the season ended. The single, \"A Moment Like This\", went on to break a 38-year-old record held by The Beatles for the biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Guarini did not release any song immediately after the show and remains the only runner-up not to do so. Both Clarkson and Guarini made a musical film, From Justin to Kelly, which was released in 2003 but was widely panned. Clarkson has since become the most successful Idol contestant internationally, with worldwide album sales of more than 23 million.\n\nFollowing the success of season one, the second season was moved up to air in January 2003. The number of episodes increased, as did the show's budget and the charge for commercial spots. Dunkleman left the show, leaving Seacrest as the lone host. Kristin Adams was a correspondent for this season.\n\nCorey Clark was disqualified during the finals for having an undisclosed police record; however, he later alleged that he and Paula Abdul had an affair while on the show and that this contributed to his expulsion. Clark also claimed that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show due to their affair. The allegations were dismissed by Fox after an independent investigation. Two semi-finalists were also disqualified that year \u2013 Jaered Andrews for an arrest on an assault charge, and Frenchie Davis for having previously modelled for an adult website.\n\nRuben Studdard emerged as the winner, beating Clay Aiken by a small margin. Out of a total of 24 million votes, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Aiken. This slim margin of victory was controversial due to the large number of calls that failed to get through. In an interview prior to season five, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wildcard week onward until the finale.\n\nBoth finalists found success after the show, but Aiken out-performed Studdard's coronation song \"Flying Without Wings\" with his single release from the show \"This Is the Night\", as well as in their subsequent album releases. The fourth-place finisher Josh Gracin also enjoyed some success as a country singer.\n\nSeason three premiered on January 19, 2004. One of the most talked-about contestants during the audition process was William Hung whose off-key rendition of Ricky Martin's \"She Bangs\" received widespread attention. His exposure on Idol landed him a record deal and surprisingly he became the third best-selling singer from that season.\n\nMuch media attention on the season had been focused on the three black singers, Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London, and Jennifer Hudson, dubbed the Three Divas. All three unexpectedly landed on the bottom three on the top seven result show, with Hudson controversially eliminated. Elton John, who was one of the mentors that season, called the results of the votes \"incredibly racist\". The prolonged stays of John Stevens and Jasmine Trias in the finals, despite negative comments from the judges, had aroused resentment, so much so that John Stevens reportedly received a death threat, which he dismissed as a joke 'blown out of proportion'.\n\nThe performance of \"Summertime\" by Barrino, later known simply as \"Fantasia\", at Top 8 was widely praised, and Simon Cowell considered it as his favorite Idol moment in the nine seasons he was on the show. Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo were the last two finalists, and Fantasia was crowned as the winner. Fantasia released as her coronation single \"I Believe\", a song co-written by season one finalist Tamyra Gray, and DeGarmo released \"Dreams\". Fantasia went on to gain some successes as a recording artist, while Hudson, who placed seventh, became the only Idol contestant so far to win both an Academy Award and a Grammy.\n\nThe top 12 finalists originally included Mario Vazquez, but he dropped out citing 'personal reasons' and was replaced by Nikko Smith. Later, an employee of Freemantle Media, which produces the show, sued the company for wrongful termination, claiming that he was dismissed after complaining about lewd behavior by Vazquez toward him during the show.\n<Assistant>Sure I will remember them.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-09 00:00]\n<User>I just discovered some interesting information:\nDuring the top 11 week, due to a mix-up with the contestants' telephone number, voting was repeated on what was normally the result night, with the result reveal postponed until the following night.\n\nIn May 2005, Carrie Underwood was announced the winner, with Bice the runner-up. Both Underwood and Bice released the coronation song \"Inside Your Heaven\". Underwood has since sold 65 million records worldwide, and become the most successful Idol contestant in the U.S., selling over 14 million albums copies in the U.S. and has more  Underwood has won seven Grammy Awards, the most Grammys by an \"American Idol\" alumnus.\n\nSeason five began on January 17, 2006. It remains the highest-rated season in the show's run so far. Two of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood round were the Brittenum twins who were later disqualified for identity theft.\n\nChris Daughtry's performance of Fuel's \"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)\" on the show was widely praised and led to an invitation to join the band as Fuel's new lead singer, an invitation he declined. His performance of Live's version of \"I Walk the Line\" was well received by the judges but later criticized in some quarters for not crediting the arrangement to Live. He was eliminated at the top four in a shocking result.\n\nOn May 30, 2006, Taylor Hicks was named American Idol, with Katharine McPhee the runner-up. \"Do I Make You Proud\" was released as Hicks' first single and McPhee's was \"My Destiny\".\n\nDespite being eliminated earlier in the season, Chris Daughtry (as lead of the band Daughtry) became the most successful recording artist from this season. Other contestants, such as Hicks, McPhee, Bucky Covington, Mandisa, Kellie Pickler, and Elliott Yamin have had varying levels of success.\n\nSeason six began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The premiere drew a massive audience of 37.3 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers.\n\nTeenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most talked-about contestant for his unusual hairdo, and for managing to survive elimination for many weeks due in part to the weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern, who both encouraged fans to vote for him. However, on April 18, Sanjaya was voted off.\n\nThis season saw the first Idol Gives Back telethon-inspired event, which raised more than $76 million in corporate and viewer donations. No contestant was eliminated that week, but two (Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson) were eliminated the next. Melinda Doolittle was eliminated in the final three.\n\nIn the May 23 season finale, Jordin Sparks was declared the winner with the runner-up being Blake Lewis. Sparks has had some success as a recording artist post-Idol.\n\nSeason four premiered on January 18, 2005; this was the first season of the series to be aired in high definition, although the finale of season three was also aired in high definition. The number of those attending the auditions by now had increased to over 100,000 from the 10,000 of the first season. The age limit was raised to 28 in this season, and among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, the two rockers of the show.\n\nThis season also saw the launch of the American Idol Songwriter contest which allows fans to vote for the \"coronation song\". Thousands of recordings of original songs were submitted by songwriters, and 20 entries selected for the public vote. The winning song, \"This Is My Now\", was performed by both finalists during the finale and released by Sparks on May 24, 2007.\n\nSeason seven premiered on January 15, 2008, for a two-day, four-hour premiere. The media focused on the professional status of the season seven contestants, the so-called 'ringers', many of whom, including Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White, Michael Johns, and in particular Carly Smithson, had prior recording contracts. Contestant David Hernandez also attracted some attention due to his past employment as a stripper.\n\nFor the finals, American Idol debuted a new state-of-the-art set and stage on March 11, 2008, along with a new on-air look. David Cook's performance of \"Billie Jean\" on top-ten night was lauded by the judges, but provoked controversy when they apparently mistook the Chris Cornell arrangement to be David Cook's own even though the performance was introduced as Cornell's version. Cornell himself said he was 'flattered' and praised David Cook's performance. David Cook was taken to the hospital after the top-nine performance show due to heart palpitations and high blood pressure.\n\nDavid Archuleta's performance of John Lennon's \"Imagine\" was considered by many as one of the best of the season. Jennifer Lopez, who was brought in as a judge in season ten, called it a beautiful song-moment that she will never forget. Jason Castro's semi-final performance of \"Hallelujah\" also received considerable attention, and it propelled Jeff Buckley's version of the song to the top of the Billboard digital song chart. This was the first season in which contestants' recordings were released onto iTunes after their performances, and although sales information was not released so as not to prejudice the contest, leaked information indicated that contestants' songs frequently reached the top of iTunes sales charts.\n\nThe finalists were Cook and Archuleta. David Cook was announced the winner on May 21, 2008, the first rocker to win the show. Both Cook and Archuleta had some success as recording artists with both selling over a million albums in the U.S.\n\nThe American Idol Songwriter contest was also held this season. From ten of the most popular submissions, each of the final two contestants chose a song to perform, although neither of their selections was used as the \"coronation song\". The winning song, \"The Time of My Life\", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008.\n\nSeason eight premiered on January 13, 2009. Mike Darnell, the president of alternative programming for Fox, stated that the season would focus more on the contestants' personal life. Much early attention on the show was therefore focused on the widowhood of Danny Gokey.[citation needed]\n\nIn the first major change to the judging panel, a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, was introduced. This was also the first season without executive producer Nigel Lythgoe who left to focus on the international versions of his show So You Think You Can Dance. The Hollywood round was moved to the Kodak Theatre for 2009 and was also extended to two weeks. Idol Gives Back was canceled for this season due to the global recession at the time.\n\nThere were 13 finalists this season, but two were eliminated in the first result show of the finals. A new feature introduced was the \"Judges' Save\", and Matt Giraud was saved from elimination at the top seven by the judges when he received the fewest votes. The next week, Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai were eliminated.\n\nThe two finalists were Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, both of whom had previously landed in the bottom three at the top five. Allen won the contest in the most controversial voting result since season two. It was claimed, later retracted, that 38 million of the 100 million votes cast on the night came from Allen's home state of Arkansas alone, and that AT&T employees unfairly influenced the votes by giving lessons on power-texting at viewing parties in Arkansas.\n\nBoth Allen and Lambert released the coronation song, \"No Boundaries\" which was co-written by DioGuardi. This is the first season in which the winner failed to achieve gold album status, and none from that season achieved platinum album status in the U.S.[citation needed]\n\nSeason nine premiered on January 12, 2010. The upheaval at the judging panel continued. Ellen DeGeneres joined as a judge to replace Paula Abdul at the start of Hollywood Week.\n\nCrystal Bowersox, who has Type-I diabetes, fell ill due to diabetic ketoacidosis on the morning of the girls performance night for the top 20 week and was hospitalized. The schedule was rearranged so the boys performed first and she could perform the following night instead; she later revealed that Ken Warwick, the show producer, wanted to disqualify her but she begged to be allowed to stay on the show.\n<Assistant>Great! I've added this to my knowledge base.", "[Dialogue between User and Assistant on 2024-01-10 00:00]\n<User>I have some interesting updates for you:\nMichael Lynche was the lowest vote getter at top nine and was given the Judges' Save. The next week Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia were eliminated. That week, Adam Lambert was invited back to be a mentor, the first Idol alum to do so. Idol Gives Back returned this season on April 21, 2010, and raised $45 million.\n\nA special tribute to Simon Cowell was presented in the finale for his final season with the show. Many figures from the show's past, including Paula Abdul, made an appearance.\n\nThe final two contestants were Lee DeWyze and Bowersox. DeWyze was declared the winner during the May 26 finale. No new song was used as coronation song this year; instead, the two finalists each released a cover song \u2013 DeWyze chose U2's \"Beautiful Day\", and Bowersox chose Patty Griffin's \"Up to the Mountain\". This is the first season where neither finalist achieved significant album sales.\n\nSeason ten of the series premiered on January 19, 2011. Many changes were introduced this season, from the format to the personnel of the show. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined Randy Jackson as judges following the departures of Simon Cowell (who left to launch the U.S. version of The X Factor), Kara DioGuardi (whose contract was not renewed) and Ellen DeGeneres, while Nigel Lythgoe returned as executive producer. Jimmy Iovine, chairman of the Interscope Geffen A&M label group, the new partner of American Idol, acted as the in-house mentor in place of weekly guest mentors, although in later episodes special guest mentors such as Beyonc\u00e9, will.i.am and Lady Gaga were brought in.\n\nSeason ten is the first to include online auditions where contestants could submit a 40-second video audition via Myspace. Karen Rodriguez was one such auditioner and reached the final rounds.\n\nOne of the more prominent contestants this year was Chris Medina, whose story of caring for his brain-damaged fianc\u00e9e received widespread coverage. Medina was cut in the Top 40 round. Casey Abrams, who suffers from ulcerative colitis, was hospitalized twice and missed the Top 13 result show. The judges used their one save on Abrams on the Top 11, and as a result this was the first season that 11 finalists went on tour instead of 10. In the following week, Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia were both eliminated the following week.\n\nPia Toscano, one of the presumed favorites to advance far in the season, was unexpectedly eliminated on April 7, 2011, finishing in ninth place. Her elimination drew criticisms from some former Idol contestants, as well as actor Tom Hanks.\n\nThe two finalists in 2011 were Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery, both teenage country singers. McCreery won the competition on May 25, being the youngest male winner and the fourth male in a row to win American Idol. McCreery released his first single, \"I Love You This Big\", as his coronation song, and Alaina released \"Like My Mother Does\". McCreery's debut album, Clear as Day, became the first debut album by an Idol winner to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 since Ruben Studdard's Soulful in 2003, and he became the youngest male artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.\n\nSeason 11 premiered on January 18, 2012. On February 23, it was announced that one more finalist would join the Top 24 making it the Top 25, and that was Jermaine Jones. However, on March 14, Jones was disqualified in 12th place for concealing arrests and outstanding warrants. Jones denied the accusation that he concealed his arrests.\n\nFinalist Phillip Phillips suffered from kidney pain and was taken to the hospital before the Top 13 results show, and later received medical procedure to alleviate a blockage caused by kidney stones. He was reported to have eight surgeries during his Idol run, and had considered quitting the show due to the pain. He underwent surgery to remove the stones and reconstruct his kidney soon after the season had finished.\n\nJessica Sanchez received the fewest number of votes during the Top 7 week, and the judges decided to use their \"save\" option on her, making her the first female recipient of the save. The following week, unlike previous seasons, Colton Dixon was the only contestant sent home. Sanchez later made the final two, the first season where a recipient of the save reached the finale.\n\nPhillips became the winner, beating Sanchez. Prior to the announcement of the winner, season five finalist Ace Young proposed marriage to season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo on stage \u2013 which she accepted.\n\nPhillips released \"Home\" as his coronation song, while Sanchez released \"Change Nothing\". Phillips' \"Home\" has since become the best selling of all coronation songs.\n\nSeason 12 premiered on January 16, 2013. Judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler left the show after two seasons. This season's judging panel consisted of Randy Jackson, along with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj. This was the first season since season nine to have four judges on the panel. The pre-season buzz and the early episodes of the show were dominated by the feud between the judges Minaj and Carey after a video of their dispute was leaked to TMZ.\n\nThe top 10 contestants started with five males and five females, however, the males were eliminated consecutively in the first five weeks, with Lazaro Arbos the last male to be eliminated. For the first time in the show's history, the top 5 contestants were all female. It was also the first time that the judges' \"save\" was not used, the top four contestants were therefore given an extra week to perform again with their votes carried over with no elimination in the first week.\n\n23-year-old Candice Glover won the season with Kree Harrison taking the runner-up spot. Glover is the first female to win American Idol since Jordin Sparks. Glover released \"I Am Beautiful\" as a single while Harrison released \"All Cried Out\" immediately after the show. Glover sold poorly with her debut album, and this is also the first season that the runner-up was not signed by a music label.\n<Assistant>I understand. I'll keep this in mind."]
[{"question": "When did Paula Abdul quit as a judge?", "answer": "before season nine"}, {"question": "At what point did the judges use their save on American Idols ninth season?", "answer": "top nine"}, {"question": "What season were contestants allowed use a musical instrument when they sing?", "answer": "seven"}, {"question": "What company produces American idol?", "answer": "19 Entertainment"}, {"question": "Who was the first female to be saved by the judges on American Idol?", "answer": "Jessica Sanchez"}, {"question": "Who performed a Fuel song on this season?", "answer": "Chris Daughtry"}, {"question": "How many finalists were there on the first season of American Idol?", "answer": "ten"}, {"question": "condensed study texts where created in what tradition?", "answer": "Theravada"}, {"question": "What actress is a judge on the most current season of American Idol?", "answer": "Jennifer Lopez"}, {"question": "Which contestant was removed from the competition for not revealing his police record?", "answer": "Corey Clark"}, {"question": "What date was Sanjaya Malakar eliminated on American Idol?", "answer": "April 18"}, {"question": "Which original judge was a record producer and music manager?", "answer": "Randy Jackson"}, {"question": "What is the capacity for Gibson Ampitheatre?", "answer": "6,000"}, {"question": "Who may have added texts to the Canon for some time?", "answer": "The Theravadins"}, {"question": "How many votes were cast in the American Idol finale in season eight?", "answer": "100 million"}, {"question": "Which contestant drew attention because he was a former stripper?", "answer": "David Hernandez"}, {"question": "Who was disqualified for having a police record?", "answer": "Corey Clark"}, {"question": "Who led the American Idol band after Rickey Minor's departure?", "answer": "Ray Chew"}, {"question": "What New York radio personalty was hired as a judge for American Idol in season two but declined?", "answer": "Angie Martinez"}, {"question": "Who was eliminated in the Top 4 show?", "answer": "Chris Daughtry"}, {"question": "In what episode is the winner of American Idol revealed?", "answer": "The finale"}, {"question": "Which contestant had previously been arrested and charged with assault?", "answer": "Jaered Andrews"}, {"question": "The winner also receives a management contract with which company?", "answer": "19 Management"}, {"question": "Which contestant sold more albums than all except two from season three of American Idol?", "answer": "William Hung"}, {"question": "How many Hollywood rounds were there in the first nine seasons?", "answer": "usually three"}, {"question": "Which finalist sang \"Hallelujah\" during the semi-finals?", "answer": "Jason Castro"}, {"question": "Where was the Hollywood round moved to?", "answer": "Kodak Theatre"}, {"question": "What celebrity asked his fans to vote for Sanjaya Malakar on American Idol?", "answer": "Howard Stern"}, {"question": "What song did DeWyze cover for his first release?", "answer": "Beautiful Day"}, {"question": "What was introduced in season 14 to allow the fans to help save a contestant?", "answer": "Fan Save"}, {"question": "Some scholars say there is no universally accepted common what?", "answer": "core"}, {"question": "In which season was Bo Bice a contestant on American Idol?", "answer": "Season four"}, {"question": "How do viewers vote for a contestant using Fan Save?", "answer": "Twitter"}, {"question": "Who said it Archuletta's rendition is one that she will never forget?", "answer": "Jennifer Lopez"}, {"question": "What is the oldest surviving Buddhist school?", "answer": "Theravada"}, {"question": "How many semi-finalists were there in season 4?", "answer": "twenty-four"}, {"question": "Which contestant had Type-I diabetes?", "answer": "Crystal Bowersox"}, {"question": "Who do contestants sing for in the second round of cuts during auditions?", "answer": "producers"}, {"question": "Who finished fourth on season two?", "answer": "Josh Gracin"}, {"question": "How many Billboard hits did American Idol produce in its first ten years?", "answer": "345"}, {"question": "Which former Idol star made an appearance for Cowell's tribute?", "answer": "Paula Abdul"}, {"question": "What song did the two finalists release?", "answer": "Inside Your Heaven"}, {"question": "What company produces American Idol?", "answer": "19 Entertainment"}, {"question": "Who created American Idol?", "answer": "Simon Fuller"}, {"question": "Which contestant was saved with the first Judges' Save?", "answer": "Matt Giraud"}, {"question": "How many contestants from this season reached platinum album status?", "answer": "none"}, {"question": "When do contestants start singing two songs?", "answer": "top four or five"}, {"question": "What was Phillip's coronation song?", "answer": "Home"}, {"question": "When does the Fan Save start?", "answer": "Top 8"}, {"question": "What was the Las Vegas round called in season twelve?", "answer": "Sudden Death"}, {"question": "What does the winner of American Idol receive?", "answer": "a record deal"}, {"question": "What song won the contest?", "answer": "This Is My Now"}, {"question": "Mantras taught in the Saiva, Garuda, and Vaisnava tantra will be effective if applied by who?", "answer": "Buddhists"}, {"question": "Currently, contestants can not have a recording track by what stage of the competition?", "answer": "semi-final stage"}, {"question": "What year did FOX announce that American Idol was cancelled?", "answer": "2015"}, {"question": "Who was a correspondent on season two of American Idol?", "answer": "Kristin Adams"}, {"question": "Who mentored contestants in the fourteenth and fifteenth seasons of American Idol?", "answer": "Scott Borchetta"}, {"question": "What provides chances for comparative study with a large range of subjects?", "answer": "Buddhism"}, {"question": "In addition to back stories and drama, what did Fuller add to the show?", "answer": "telephone voting"}, {"question": "Who was a pop idol that started on American Idol?", "answer": "Carrie Underwood"}, {"question": "The Buddhism practiced in Tibet, the Himalayan regions and Mongolia are often referred to as?", "answer": "Northern Buddhism"}, {"question": "How long did the Hollywood round air for in season eight of American Idol?", "answer": "two weeks"}, {"question": "How many record has Carrie Underwood sold since winning American Idol?", "answer": "65 million"}, {"question": "How many women were semi-finalists on season six of American Idol?", "answer": "twelve"}, {"question": "What kind of pain did Phillips endure?", "answer": "kidney pain"}, {"question": "How many weeks in a row were male contestants eliminated?", "answer": "five"}, {"question": "Who talked Rupert Murdoch into buying American Idol for FOX?", "answer": "his daughter Elisabeth"}, {"question": "What was the main reason Sanjaya garnered such attention?", "answer": "hair"}, {"question": "What is the only Tipitaka to survive intact in its original language?", "answer": "P\u0101li Tipitaka"}, {"question": "How many wildcard contestants were chosen?", "answer": "four"}, {"question": "Which arrangement was used for Cook's version of Billie Jean?", "answer": "Chris Cornell"}, {"question": "Goddard collected mainly what type of Buddhist scripture?", "answer": "Zen"}, {"question": "What was the name of the song that Kris Allen and Adam Lamber released after American Idol?", "answer": "No Boundaries"}, {"question": "What was Glover's first single?", "answer": "I Am Beautiful"}, {"question": "How many finalists were there in season eight?", "answer": "thirteen"}, {"question": "When did American Idol change to a four-judge panel?", "answer": "season eight"}, {"question": "When was Jones removed from the show?", "answer": "March 14"}, {"question": "When was the finale aired?", "answer": "May 23"}, {"question": "How many text message votes were there in season eight?", "answer": "178 million"}, {"question": "Buddism has what kind of parallels withother systems of thought?", "answer": "moral and spiritual"}, {"question": "What was canceled for this year of Idol?", "answer": "Idol Gives Back"}, {"question": "Who won this season of Idol?", "answer": "Candice Glover"}, {"question": "Who was accused of teaching the public how to power text for the winner?", "answer": "AT&T employees"}, {"question": "How many votes did Ruben Studdard win by?", "answer": "134,000"}, {"question": "In the audition rounds, what do contestants who win the approval of the judges receive?", "answer": "a golden ticket"}, {"question": "Which actor criticized Toscano's elimination?", "answer": "Tom Hanks"}, {"question": "What was the first song that Katherine McPhee released after coming in second on American Idol?", "answer": "My Destiny"}, {"question": "Which song performance did he receive both praise and criticism for?", "answer": "I Walk the Line"}, {"question": "What is given to contestants who make it past the audition round?", "answer": "a golden ticket"}, {"question": "Unlike every previous winner, the winner of this season failed to achieve what status?", "answer": "gold album status"}, {"question": "Who was declared the season winner?", "answer": "Fantasia"}, {"question": "Which contestant from season eight suffered the loss of a spouse?", "answer": "Danny Gokey"}, {"question": "What buddhism recognizes sutras of Chinese origin?", "answer": "East Asian Buddhism"}, {"question": "How many more votes did Studdard have at the finale?", "answer": "134,000"}, {"question": "At what point during season 9 of American Idol did Ellen Degeneres become a judge?", "answer": "Hollywood Week"}, {"question": "Where is there a growing presence of Theravada?", "answer": "the west"}, {"question": "In Sri Lanka, what was determined to be the best unifying scripture?", "answer": "Dhammapada"}, {"question": "Who called American Idol \"the most impactful show in the history of television\"?", "answer": "a rival TV executive"}, {"question": "In What season did Diana DeGarmo come in second on American Idol?", "answer": "three"}, {"question": "In which season of American Idol did Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez become judges?", "answer": "ten"}]