Science
This & That
The World
U.S.
Potpourri
100

On Feb. 22, a U.S.-built spacecraft landed on the moon for the first time since what year?

2023

2001

1972

It had never happened before.

What is 1972?

100

The results of Pakistan’s recent elections threw that country’s political system into chaos. Why?

The military’s preferred party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, or P.M.L.N., won over 99 percent of the votes, casting doubt on whether the election was free and fair.

The party of Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister, took the most seats, humiliating the country’s military rulers.

What is The party of Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister, took the most seats, humiliating the country’s military rulers?

100

This week, Sweden cleared a final hurdle to joining what organization when the Hungarian Parliament voted to ratify its membership? 

NATO

European Union

United Nations

World Bank

What is NATO?

100

The death of a 16-year-old nonbinary student one day after an altercation with classmates in a school bathroom has renewed scrutiny over which state’s strict gender policies?

California

Illinois

Oklahoma

Vermont

What is Oklahoma?

100

What N.C.A.A. women’s basketball record did Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark set this month? 

Most assists in a season

Most career points

Most consecutive shots without a miss

Most 3-pointers in a single game

What is most career points?

200

Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl above, died after apparently striking a building in Manhattan. Why was he so famous?

He was the inspiration for the 2010 animated film “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.”

His escape from the Central Park Zoo and subsequent life on the loose in Manhattan captured the public’s attention.

Scientists have been tracking Flaco ever since he migrated from the Canary Islands last February.

What is His escape from the Central Park Zoo and subsequent life on the loose in Manhattan captured the public’s attention?

200

Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top which Billboard chart this week with her single “Texas Hold ’Em”?

Digital Song Sales

Hot Country Songs

Hot Rock & Alternative Songs

Hot Latin Songs

What is Hot Country Songs?

200

Fears of a wider Middle East war continue to grow. This week the United States struck several sites in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three American soldiers.

Though the sites were in Syria and Iraq, which country’s forces and proxies were the target?

Afghanistan

Egypt

Iran

Saudi Arabia

What is Iran?

200

Last week a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court made national headlines. Why was the court’s decision so significant?

It could change common practices at fertility clinics in the state and possibly nationwide.

It could prevent businesses in Alabama from offering hybrid work as an option for workers.

It might eliminate youth football programs across the state.

It might make all-electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries illegal in the state.

What is It could change common practices at fertility clinics in the state and possibly nationwide?

200

According to a recent announcement, what will Yale require for students applying for the class entering in the fall of 2025?

60 hours of community service

campus visits

memorization of Yale’s unofficial alma mater, “Bright College Years”

standardized test scores

What is standardized test scores?

300

Fears of a wider Middle East war continue to grow. This week the United States struck several sites in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three American soldiers.

Neuralink, a company working to develop computer interfaces that can be implanted in human brains, placed its first device in a patient on Jan. 29, said its founder, Elon Musk.

The device will allow humans to do what?

Control a phone or computer “just by thinking”

Increase their mental abilities by 200 percent

Upload their memories into cloud storage accounts

What is Control a phone or computer “just by thinking”?

300

A cat meowing for Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Cardi B rapping about lip gloss and Kris Jenner twisting an Oreo cookie. They all have one thing in common: Those companies paid lots of money to advertise during this year’s Super Bowl.

How much was the average cost of a 30-second ad spot?

$500,000

$2 million

$7 million

$92 million

What is $7 million?

300

Devastating wildfires ripped through a Latin American country, destroying thousands of homes and taking scores of lives, with many more reported missing.  What country was it?

Brazil

Ecuador

Chile

Argentina

What is Chile?

300

The Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII has many people calling the champs a dynasty. Why?

It was the first overtime victory in Super Bowl history.

Kansas City won its third Super Bowl in five seasons.

Patrick Mahomes won his second straight Super Bowl M.V.P. award.

The Chiefs were considered underdogs going into the game.

What is Kansas City won its third Super Bowl in five seasons?

300

Last week, the town of Willits, Calif., hosted its annual celebration of its most treasured resident, Edith Ceccarelli, pictured above. At 116, she is the nation’s oldest person.

Which of the following events did Ms. Ceccarelli NOT live through?

The advent of the Ford Model T automobile

The California gold rush

The two deadliest pandemics in American history

Two world wars

What is The California gold rush?

400

A record deluge spawned landslides and flooded roads in California on Feb. 5.

These kinds of storms, named for their long, narrow shape and the prodigious amount of water they carry, have a huge influence on the state’s weather.

What are they called?

Arctic storms

Atmospheric rivers

Bomb cyclones

Nor'easter

What is Atmospheric rivers?

400

Three of the following stories about politics made headlines over the past two weeks. One of them didn’t happen. Which one is the made-up story?

A New York judge ordered Donald Trump to pay over $350 million in his civil fraud case.

Democrats flipped the House seat formerly occupied by George Santos.

House Republicans voted to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary.

Nikki Haley trounced Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina, changing the trajectory of the Republican primaries.

What is Nikki Haley trounced Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina, changing the trajectory of the Republican primaries?

400

This month, the Senate passed a 95-point-3 BILLION dollar aid package for these three places... but that money likely won't make it overseas anytime soon.

Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

Ukraine, Israel, and Chile

Afghanistan, Syria, and Sudan

Chile, Syria, and Sudan

What is Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan?

400

This month a mother was convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each student her son killed in Michigan’s deadliest school shooting. Why did this verdict make national headlines?

A near-total breakdown in policing protocols hindered the response to the school shooting.

It was the most high-profile example of prosecutors’ seeking to hold parents responsible for violent crimes committed by their children.

The judge declared a mistrial after a juror admitted to violating a court order not to discuss the case with anyone.

What is It was the most high-profile example of prosecutors’ seeking to hold parents responsible for violent crimes committed by their children?

400

Senators grilled the leaders of Meta, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord at a congressional hearing on Jan. 31. What were they discussing?

Child safety online

Election misinformation

Silicon Valley monopolies

The dangers of artificial intelligence

What is Child safety online?

500

A group called Conservation of Migratory Species, or CMS, has been studying numerous animals for years and recently presented their findings to the United Nations. Their numbers show that the populations of nearly half of the world's migratory animal species - like antelope, snow leopards, geese and some other birds - have declined.

What is not to blame?

Too many food sources

More trash

Loss of habitat

Climate Change

What is too many food sources?

500

Users of a popular social media site woke up last week and discovered that many videos with songs by stars like Lana Del Rey, Drake and Ariana Grande had gone silent after negotiations broke down between the platform and Universal Music Group.

What social media platform was it?

Instagram

Snapchat

TikTok

X

et

What is TikTok?

500

The 2024 Carnival celebrations in Brazil have been affected by which disease spread by mosquitos?

Dengue Fever

Malaria

Typhoid Fever

West Nile

What Dengue Fever?

500

On Feb. 6, in a stunning defeat for Republicans, the House rejected impeachment charges against Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, as rank-and-file lawmakers balked at what they considered a misuse of the process.

Republicans had initiated impeachment charges against Mr. Mayorkas over his handling of what?

Cybersecurity failures

Immigration on the southern border

Natural disasters

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

What is Immigration on the southern border?

500

Last week, the X account for Elmo, the fuzzy red monster from “Sesame Street,” posed a softball question to its 457,000 followers. It received thousands of responses.

What was the question?

Elmo doesn’t think he’s on Sesame Street anymore. Where is Elmo?

Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?

Elmo’s fur is furry. Right?

What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird?

What is Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?