PUZZLE #30FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026

The answers

Finished rounds

7

Average score

545

Best score

906

1. 01HISTORY

   How many years did the Berlin Wall stand?

   28 years

   28 years, August 1961 to November 1989. On 5 February 2018 it had been gone for exactly as long as it had stood.

   71% of players got it inside their bracket

2. 02PHYSICS

   How many times denser than water is gold?

   19 times

   About 19.3 times. A gallon jug of gold would weigh about 160 pounds.

   29% of players got it inside their bracket

3. 03GEOGRAPHY

   How far below sea level is the shore of the Dead Sea?

   1,410 feet

   About 1,410 feet — the lowest land on Earth, and still dropping by several feet a year.

   43% of players got it inside their bracket

4. 04ANIMALS

   How many times a second can a woodpecker peck?

   20 pecks

   Up to about 20 times a second, and thousands of times a day. A thick, spongy skull and a tongue that wraps around the brain help absorb the shock.

   57% of players got it inside their bracket · 1 went for a Bullseye, none dead on

5. 05MATH

   How many people need to be in a room for a better-than-even chance that two share a birthday?

   23 people

   Just 23. With 70 people the chance is over 99.9%.

   0% of players got it inside their bracket · 2 went for a Bullseye, none dead on