Welcome to Slate’s weekly news quiz. It’s Friday, which means it’s time to test your knowledge on the week’s news events. Your host, Ray Hamel, has concocted questions on news topics ranging from politics to business, from culture to sports to science.

Questions are multiple choice, and time is of the essence: You have 50 seconds to answer, and as the seconds tick away, the question’s point value drops from 50 all the way down to zero, so you’ll want to click on your answer as fast as you possibly can. There’s no penalty for an incorrect answer, so feel free to take a guess.

At the end of the quiz, you’ll be able to compare your score with that of the average contestant, as well as with the score of a Slatester who has agreed to take the quiz on the record. This week’s contestant is Seth Maxon, Slate’s nights and weekends home page editor.

Can you ace the quiz and beat Maxon? Good luck!