The 350,000 or so beetle species account for one-quarter of all known insect species. Scientists estimate there could be 8,000,000 kinds of beetles.

“Superman” actor Christopher Reeve underwent a strenuous

exercise regimen under the supervision of British bodybuilder David Prowse. Prowse portrayed Darth Vader in “Star Wars.”

Why is the cap of the familiar Bic stick ballpoint pen manufactured with a small hole in it?

A) To dry out the ink faster

B) To save money on production costs

C) To prevent choking if it is accidentally swallowed

D) So it can be removed more easily if it gets stuck to the pen

Answer Monday.

Thursday’s answer: Space probes that land on the planet Venus are unable to survive for more than a few hours, because the planet’s atmospheric pressure is about 90 times that of Earth’s.