Thursday seems to come around earlier every week, especially if you’ve set yourself an immovable deadline for writing 15 questions about general knowledge and topical news stories. All your favourites are here: Kate Bush, Ron from Sparks, the Olly Murs face masks, and the unexpected anagram round. It is just for fun, there are no prizes, but there are bonus points to be had in the comments for making the quiz master laugh or spotting the hidden Doctor Who reference in this week’s questions. Let us know how you get on! The Thursday quiz, No 28 1.CRYPTO WOE: The creators of a TV programme-themed cryptocurrency launched on 20 October could have made off with as much as $2.1m after the token’s crash. What show was it based on? Game of Thrones Squid Game Breaking Bad Takeshi"s Castle Reveal 2.WE COME FROM THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW: Scientists have claimed that the Azores in the Atlantic were settled first not by sailors from Portugal, as long believed, but by Vikings. Which animal did they bring with them that carried a tell-tale genetic sign? Cats Dogs Chickens Mice Reveal 3.NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH: That"s a 1974 song by Sparks that warns us never to be tempted by her favours. But that"s not important right now. Why have people been warned about beaches in Cumbria this week? A colony of seals has been aggressively defending their territory and one has bitten a child Plants that look and smell like parsnips but are highly poisonous have washed ashore A container has spilled, littering the beaches with Olly Murs face masks among other toxic waste Some of them have been closed as a Cop26 security precaution, even though the conference is being held over 175 miles away in Glasgow Reveal 4.COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING: Which of these absolute bangers by goddess of pop Kylie Minogue came out first? Shocked Spinning Around Confide in Me Breathe Reveal 5.GEOGRAPHICAL IDIOCY: CNN’s Wolf Blitzer sparked much hilarity with a tweet that he was covering Glasgow"s Cop26 conference from which Scottish location? Plot twist – it is time for the anagrams Inbred hug Nerviness Heaven snot Owl trim fail Reveal 6.POETRY CORNER: John Donne was considered one of the finest English poets of his age. Where was he born? Bristol Bath Wells London Reveal 7.GCSE SCIENCE CORNER: Is Calcium a metal? Yes No Reveal 8.MAMMA MIA: Ado Campeol died aged 93 at his home in Treviso at the weekend. He is widely – though perhaps not definitively – credited with inventing which Italian dessert dish in 1972? Torrone Tersurus Tiramisu Taralli Reveal 9.ON THIS DAY: It was on 4 November 1960 that Dr Jane Goodall made the first-ever scientific observation of the use of tools by a non-human animal. In which species? Chimpanzee Octopus Gorilla Crow Reveal 10.MUSIC: Which of these guilty pleasures from the quiz master"s office playlist narrowly missed out on a top 10 cinema box office placing last week after their anniversary concert was shown in theatres in the UK? David Essex Gary Numan Cliff Richard Kate Bush Reveal 11.SPORT: It seems that after the notorious horse-punching incident at the Tokyo Olympics, modern pentathlon is set to replace horse-riding with which discipline to go alongside fencing, swimming, shooting and running? Weightlifting Rowing Cycling Snooker Reveal 12.GOING IT ALONE: The city of Kingston upon Hull is the only city in England that has its own unique company and network for what, separate from the rest of England? Telecoms Electricity grid Postal service Ice cream vans Reveal 13.WEIRD CLAIMS TO FAME: The George Hotel in Kingston upon Hull has a plaque on it claiming which unique achievement? It has the smallest toilets in England It has the smallest window in England It has the smallest pub bar in England It once announced that it had started a European Super League and then had to back down a couple of days later Reveal 14.TINTINOLOGY: Which of these, according to definitive source "The Tinitin wiki", is not an oath uttered by Captain Haddock in the Tintin books? Gibbering anthropoids! Great galloping gophers! Guano gatherer! Golbat"s bazookas! Reveal 15.ENSEMBLE CAST: And finally, you interplanetary pirates, as Captain Haddock would say, try this. René Auberjonois, Colm Meaney and Alexander Siddig were regular cast members on which Star Trek show? Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Voyager Enterprise, the one with Scott Bakula that we all pretend never happened