Earth’s crust on average is three times as dense as water; its core, 12 times as dense. A thimbleful of neutrons in a pulsar star is so dense it would weigh millions and millions of tons. I learned that much from the opening paragraphs of a long scientific article on density. It probably has my name in it.

Q. What was Gene Wilder’s first movie role?

A. The hostage in 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde.”

Some crocodiles are vegetarian, but don’t count on it.

French truffle hunters for quite some time have been using trained dogs instead of pigs.

Q. “Therianthropic” is what your sports columnist called football linebackers. What’s that mean?

A. Part human, part animal.

“Bronco Buster” is the best bronze statue ever turned out in America, some think. Maybe so, don’t know. Do know the man who sculpted it was a heavy drinker with neither training nor experience in sculpture - Frederic Remington.

It was the humorist Will Cuppy who said, “Young gorillas are friendly, but they soon learn.”

Q. Among Americans who vacation in foreign countries, which are the most popular destinations?

A. Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Jamaica - in that order.

In the archives of European folklore is an ancient saying: “Woe to the child who tastes salty when kissed on the forehead. He is bewitched. He must die.” Nobody back then knew about any such genetic disease as cystic fibrosis. And that it’s eventual diagnosis would include a test for salty skin.