This goo was worth a point in October 2025.

publication date: Saturday, October 11, 2025 (part of October 2025)

category: Paranormal

clue: He never did find any little green men or their canals, but his Arizona observatory did make valuable contributions to astronomy during and after his lifetime.

explanation: In the 1890s, Lowell was so confident in his theory of Martian canals made by intelligent life forms, the result of his own mistranslation of an Italian text, that he founded the Lowell Observatory near Flagstaff. more…

intended difficulty: easy

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, and LaVonne Lemler

trivia: Lowell claimed to be a distant relative of Pocahontas, which if true would also make him a relative of original Hulk actor Edward Norton.

Avengers Resemble: Since Marvel's smash hit film series began with The Avengers in 2012, the superhero team has seen ever-growing box office receipts and an ever-growing cast. Finding seating for everyone's families at the red-carpet premieres must be getting difficult! Most of the actors who play screen-official members of the Avengers have famous relatives, whether they bear a resemblance or not. This month-long theme assembles an extended family tree of Earth's mightiest relatives.

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