Friday, Oct. 15 Weekly Quiz: Superman, Aliens, Spheres

“State of Terror” is a thriller co-written by Hillary Clinton and bestselling crime novelist Louise Penny. The main character is a new US Secretary of State caught up in an international terrorist plot involving nuclear weapons and a Trump-like president.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's office on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, congratulated opposition journalist Maria Ressa for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it "a victory for a Filipina." The spokesperson did add, "There are individuals who feel Maria Ressa still has to clear her name before the courts."

Who is Maria Ressa?

Photo: CPJ Photos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maria Ressa of the Philipinnes and Dmitry Muratov from Russia received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on Oct. 8, 2021, "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace." Ressa is a Filipino-American journalist and author, co-founder, and CEO of Rappler, a Philippine online news website. Rappler has been consistently critical of Duterte's policies, especially his policies on the war on drugs. The website also wrote about the alleged pro-Duterte online "troll army," which, according to their article, were pushing out fake news stories and manipulating the narrative around his presidency.

Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD (body dysmorphic disorder), but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.

Does Megan Fox suffer body dysmorphia?

In an interview published on Oct. 11, 2021, Megan Fox told British GQ Style that she suffers from body dysmorphia. "We may look at somebody and think, 'That person's so beautiful. Their life must be so easy.' They most likely don't feel that way about themselves," Fox said.

Scientists have found evidence of the earliest known tobacco use in the remains of a hearth built by early inhabitants of North America's interior about 12,300 years ago in Utah's Great Salt Lake Desert. The research by Far Western Anthropological Research Group in Nevada was published on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, in Nature Human Behaviour. Until now, the earliest documented use of tobacco came in nicotine residue found inside a smoking pipe from Alabama dating to 3,300 years ago.

How many people use tobacco worldwide?

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is now a worldwide public health crisis, with 1.3 billion tobacco users and more than 8 million annual tobacco-related deaths.

Brazil star striker Neymar has so far played at three World Cups. In 2014, he picked up a back injury in the quarterfinals against Colombia. In 2018 Neymar had just returned from a severe foot injury and had a disappointing performance in the quarterfinals.

Did Neymar play in the 2022 World Cup?

Neymar, 30, says in the documentary “Neymar Jr. & The Line Of Kings” that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be the last of his career. “I am facing it like the last World Cup because I don’t know whether I will be able to, mentally, endure more soccer,” he says. Neymar led Brazil to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. Watch a clip from the docu.

Jon Kent is the new Superman, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. The character was introduced in 2015 as Superboy before being encouraged by his father to become the new Superman.

Is Superman coming out?

DC Comics announced Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, that Jon Kent and his friend Jay would share a kiss in a story published next month. That same-sex relationship continues several behaviors that make Jon Kent a different Superman. Since the new series, Superman: Son of Kal-El, began in July 2021, Jon has combated wildfires caused by climate change and protested the deportation of refugees.

Before becoming NCIS agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Mark Harmon was a medical doctor in the ‘80s medical drama St. Elsewhere and ‘90s Chicago Hope.

Is Mark Harmon leaving NCIS?

Monday’s, Oct. 11, 2021, episode of NCIS was Mark Harmon’s final leading the long-running CBS procedural. He exits the show after 18 years of playing agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, dating back to the character’s introduction to the legal drama JAG in 2003.

In addition to being the longest Bond film ever at two hours and 43 minutes, “No Time to Die”  took a reported production budget of around $250 million, not including marketing costs, which reportedly exceeded $100 million - which makes it the most expensive Bond film yet. Other than that, “No Time to Die” didn’t break any pandemic or 007 box office records (for now).

Netflix’s “Squid Game” was famously produced in South Korea. The series started streaming on Sept. 17, 2021, and soon became Netflix’s No. 1 show.

What’s going on in the “Squid Game”?

“Squid Game” is a Netflix nine-part series that describes a fictional competition where contestants are forced to play elaborately staged and deadly versions of childhood games for cash prizes. Critics say the show taps South Korea’s worries about expensive housing and scarce jobs.

The late Wes Craven directed the original “Scream,” which premiered in 1996. Following its box office success, “Scream” spawned three more installments, each starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette and directed by Craven. Executive producer Kevin Williamson of “Dawson Creek” fame wrote the original “Scream.”

Scream 2022 fact

The new “Scream” will hit theaters on Jan. 14, 2022. The film was written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed 2019’s horror-comedy “Ready or Not.” Watch the trailer.

Coldplay's 2021 album "Music of the Spheres" includes a collaboration with BTS ("My Universe," which has topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart) and with Selena Gomez ("Let Somebody Go").

How Many "Music of the Spheres" songs are titled with an emoji?

Five of the album's 12 songs use emojis as titles: "Music of the Spheres" (stylized as 🪐), "Alien Choir" (stylized as✨), "Human Heart" (stylized as 💓), "Music of the Spheres II" (stylized as 🌎), and "Infinity Sign" (stylized as ∞).

Who produced Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres"?

The album, released Oct. 15, 2021, was produced by Swedish Max Martin, responsible for record-breaking recordings by Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and The Weekend. Martin is the songwriter with the third-most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, behind only Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

1990’s Home Alone earned two Oscar nominations for John Williams’ score and original song. Chris Columbus directed the classic comedy, written by John Hugues and starring Macaulay Culkin.

Peacock's "Unidentified with Demi Lovato" is a four-part series that follows Lovato's exploration of UFOs, as well as their attempt to make contact with alien life. Watch the trailer.

Is Alien a derogatory term?

In a recent interview with Pedestrian.TV, Demi Lovato said, "I think that we have to stop calling them aliens because aliens is a derogatory term for anything," and added, "that's why I like to call them ETs." The term "aliens" has been under debate in recent years, as many deem it derogatory to use toward illegal immigrants.

“Silverview” is John le Carré’s 26th and last completed novel. The novel revolves around Julian Lawndsley, who, at 33, has dropped out of the financial rat race in London to open a bookstore in a small seaside town in East Anglia.