Hint: Yes, it’s a guitar – and, yes, it’s functional.

Answer: It’s functional guitar, made from 1200 colored pencils. Burl – that’s all he goes by – is a creative luthier who makes a good living building unique and uniquely creative guitars for collectors. This is the second guitar he made from colored pencils. He says, “It’s been over a year and a half since I last attempted the pencil guitar concept, so it’s time for another rendition. I built my first pencil guitar over seven years ago and my designs have evolved over the years so… I’m going to try to cover the advancements I’ve made in design and process.” Click here.

Hint: It’s in Africa. It is not a cult. It’s about family size.

Answer: It’s a program for adolescent mothers run by the Center for Girls Education in Zaria, Nigeria, which is expected by 2050 to overtake the US as the world’s third most populous country. Researchers have found that the program has an unusually large impact on family size in Africa because it helps the young women space out the births of their children.

Hint: This photo was taken in 1910 in Ripley, Ohio. The woman’s name is Rhoda Jones.

Answer: In May 1910, Rhoda Jones was photographed standing outside her cabin near Ripley, Ohio, accompanied by her loyal dog. At the time, she was the oldest surviving resident of Africa, a remarkable settlement of free African Americans founded on the hillside above Ripley. This small but determined community had long been known for its involvement in the Underground Railroad, and Rhoda herself played a critical role in aiding enslaved people seeking freedom. As they crossed the Ohio River from bondage in Kentucky, she and others like her offered shelter, guidance, and hope on their journey north.

1. There Are No Stop Signs in Paris 

Paris has no stop signs. The last one was removed from Quai Saint-Exupéry in 2016. Instead, drivers follow the right-of-way rule.

2. The World’s Largest Art Museum 

The Louvre is the biggest museum in the world by size. It began as a fortress, then became a royal palace. Since 1793, it has collected art from around the globe and now draws 7.8 million visitors each year.

3. Why It’s Called the City of Light 

I don’t know. One source I found said it is because Paris was one of the first cities in Europe to install streetlights. Another source says the term comes from its role as a center of the Enlightenment in the 17th century.

4. Why the Eiffel Tower Was Hated by Artists 

The story is that when the Eiffel Tower was first planned in 1887, many artists hated it. They called it a “giant smokestack.” Gustave Eiffel defended the design, comparing it to the pyramids of Egypt. And today, the Iron Lady is a symbol of Paris.

5. Paris Is Going Green 

Paris has around 500,000 trees, thanks to King Henry IV, who started lining streets with them in the 16th century. According to a city planning group, that number will increase to 670,000 by 2026.

6. The Hidden Tunnels 

This is crazy. Under the streets of Paris there are 200 miles of tunnels known as the Catacombs. In the 1700s, the remains of six million people were moved there from overcrowded cemeteries.

7. The Eiffel Tower Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint Every Seven Years 

If you’ve never taken a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower, you probably don’t realize what an engineering marvel it is. This is hard to believe, but it’s said that it draws more than 300 million visitors a year. To keep it looking new, workers repaint it by hand every seven years.

8. France Has 12 Time Zones 

France spans 12 time zones because of its overseas territories. This gives it the world record for the most time zones of any country.

Hint: It looks so neat and orderly because it exists in a country that is neat and orderly.

Answer: Modern dykes, windmills, and highways in the Netherlands.

Photo from National Geographic…

(You know what it is!)

Hint: Obviously, it’s a female soccer team. Obviously, they are celebrating. But what team and what victory?

Answer: This is a great photo of Spain’s women’s soccer team, celebrating moments after winning its first-ever Women’s World Cup on Aug. 20, 2023.

Hint: It’s not a game of “midget toss.” It was taken a year ago – and could not be taken today.

Answer: A child is being thrown over a narrow stretch of the Rio Grande on March 29, 2024, by Venezuelans seeking asylum in the US.

Hint: It’s not a car crash. It took place in 1963.

Answer: I’d be willing to bet that everyone in my generation remembers this photo all too well. It is the image of a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire on a street in Vietnam on July 11, 1963. One of a handful of iconic photographs that came to symbolize the horror of the Vietnam War, the photographer, Malcolm Browne, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting as well as the World Press Photo of the Year.

What’s interesting is that many (me included) believed that the monk (since identified as Thich Quang Duc) self-immolated as a protest against the war. In fact, he was protesting discrimination toward Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government.

The car from the scene is now on display in Huế.

Hint: It’s only one millimeter tall. The photo was shot in Buckinghamshire, England.

Answer: It’s a slime mold, photographed by British gardener and photographer Barry Webb on a cold day in January. He said, “I had to be very careful not to breathe on it…. During a previous attempt with another slime mold, my breath had melted the ice when I inadvertently got too close.”