Hopper was an American painter who supported himself as a commercial illustrator until he gained recognition in the mid-1920s with his now-iconic scenes of American life. His dramatically lit works often feature still, anonymous figures inside geometric buildings and evoke a haunting sense of isolation that was his hallmark. His famous Nighthawks depicts a mostly empty, brightly lit diner on an otherwise dark, desolate street at night. What was said to be Hopper’s favorite thing to paint? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Linked to multiple legends, the Pearl of Lao Tzu is the largest known pearl in the world, measuring 9.45 inches (24 centimeters) in diameter and weighing 14.1 pounds (6.4 kilograms). Reportedly extracted from a giant clam off the coast of the Philippines in 1934, the pearl has been labeled “The Pearl of Allah” by some who believe it resembles the face of Muhammad and has also been connected to a legend involving the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. What is the pearl’s estimated value? 
Located near the magnetic South Pole, Russia’s Vostok Research Station in Antarctica experiences three straight months of polar night every year from April to August, a period during which the Sun does not rise. In 1983, in the dead of southern winter and polar night, Vostok experienced the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth, a chilling -128.56 degrees F (-89.2 degrees C). December 1989 was the warmest month ever recorded at Vostok. On average, how warm was it? 
This week-long celebration of 
Born in Ukraine, Stern came to the US as an infant and began studying violin as a child. He made his New York debut at 17 and toured extensively after World War II. A cultural ambassador, he performed in the Soviet Union and China as one of the world’s top violin virtuosos. In 1960, he formed a famous trio with pianist Eugene Istomin and cellist Leonard Rose. Stern helped establish the National Endowment for the Arts and is noted for having saved what landmark institution from demolition? 
Discovered under the North Sea off the coast of the UK during an analysis of seismic data collected during oil exploration, the Silverpit crater may have been formed as much as 74 million years ago, perhaps when a large projectile impacted Earth’s surface. Though the crater bears features similar to those of the impact crater Valhalla found on Jupiter’s moon Callisto, many scientists question whether such a collision created Silverpit. What other theories about its origin have been proposed? 
From the 16th century, present-day Colombia formed the nucleus of the region that Spanish conquistadors called New Granada. In the early 1800s, people like Antonio Nariño began agitating for independence. A prominent early revolutionary leader, Nariño helped foment rebellion by distributing The Declaration of the Rights of Man to his countrymen. Parts of Colombia threw off Spanish jurisdiction in 1810, but full independence was not secured until nine years later, under what famous revolutionary? 
The first man to walk on the moon was American astronaut