PUZZLE #34TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2026

The answers

01PHYSICS
How many chemical elements are on the periodic table?
118 elements
118. Only about 90 occur naturally; the rest have been made in laboratories, some existing for a fraction of a second.
75% of players got it inside their bracket · 4 went for a Bullseye, 2 hit it dead on
02EARTH
How many lightning strikes hit the Earth every second?
100 strikes
Around 100 a second — about eight million a day, and at any moment some two thousand storms are running.
25% of players got it inside their bracket
03GEOGRAPHY
How high above sea level is La Paz, Bolivia’s seat of government?
11,900 feet
About 11,900 feet — the highest seat of government in the world. Visitors often need a day or two to catch their breath.
17% of players got it inside their bracket
04ANIMALS
How long can an elephant seal stay underwater on one breath?
120 minutes
Up to about two hours, diving more than a mile deep.
42% of players got it inside their bracket
05THE OCEAN
How high did the tallest wave ever recorded surge?
1,720 feet
About 1,720 feet — in Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958, when a landslide crashed into the bay and the water surged up the far slope, stripping the trees.
50% of players got it inside their bracket