Ballpark
Puzzle #29 · 18 October 2026
The five questions from that day's Ballpark, each with its answer, the fact behind it and a link to the source. Rather play it first? It is in the archive.
1. How much does the International Space Station weigh?
420 metric tons
About 420 t, delivered on 42 assembly flights. Its pressurized volume equals a Boeing 747. Source
Image: NASA · Public domain
2. How much gold has been mined in all of human history, as of mid-2026?
222,600 metric tons
About 222,600 tonnes, two-thirds of it since 1950. It would all fit in a cube just 22.6 m on a side. Source
Image: James St. John · CC BY 2.0, cropped
3. How many living languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea, according to Ethnologue?
840 languages
840, which makes it the most linguistically diverse country in the world. Tok Pisin, an English-based creole, is the lingua franca. Source
Image: Larry V. Dumlao · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
4. About how many life-size soldiers are estimated to be in China's Terracotta Army?
8,000 soldiers
About 8,000, plus 130 chariots and 670 horses. Most are still buried and the true total may never be known. Source
Image: Zossolino · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
