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Can you please tell us about Amanda Tapping, who plays Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1?
—Adella R., Texas

Tapping, who was born in England, grew up in Canada and studied drama at the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Art. She worked in theater for several years and co-founded the improvisational Canadian comedy troupe Random Acts with two other women. She has played the role of Capt. Samantha Carter (who has since been promoted to major) since 1997. To play Carter, Tapping talked to an ex-Navy SEAL and also learned about astrophysics. She has three brothers, one her twin, and is married to Alan Kovacs. Her film credits include The Void with Malcolm McDowell and Adrian Paul, and a cameo in Life or Something Like It with Angelina Jolie. Tapping is a spokeswoman for UNICEF.

Whatever happened to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which was my favorite country band when I was a teenager?
—Lon S., Pennsylvania

“Well, might depend on when you were a teenager,” says band co-founder John McEuen. The group, which performed its first gig in California in 1966, has had several incarnations. The current group—founding members Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden, as well as Bob Carpenter, Jimmy Ibbotson and McEuen—has recorded and toured steadily. In 2003, they saw the release of Will the Circle Be Unbroken—The Trilogy, a boxed set featuring all three volumes of their acclaimed series. This week, they released a new album titled Welcome to Woody Creek. “Though they’re new songs, they’re possibly much like the sound you were familiar with,” McEuen adds. Carpenter’s first solo album was released this month. Additional information on McEuen can be found at www.johnmceuen.com.

On the show Russian Roulette, where do the contestants fall?
—Linda T., Indiana

The contestants who fall drop into a secure, padded area so that no one gets hurt, says a spokeswoman for GNS, The Network for Games, which airs the show hosted by Mark L. Walberg. “We take all safety precautions and everyone is aware of what will happen,’’ the spokeswoman says. Contestants on the show challenge each other with multiple-choice questions. When a contestant answers incorrectly, he or she pulls a lever that triggers a drop zone. A correct answer earns cash. The last contestant standing advances to the final round to win $100,000 or falls into a black hole.

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