Kwashiorkor

Many children—usually under the age of 5—in overpopulated parts of the world suffer from kwashiorkor, a type of severe malnutrition. Commonly believed to be caused by protein deficiency, kwashiorkor is now thought by some to relate to bacterial contamination of grain ingested by newly weaned children. Symptoms include retarded growth, shifts in skin and hair pigmentation, abdominal swelling, immune deficiency, and liver damage. The term “kwashiorkor” is derived from a Ghanaian word meaning what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Routledge Expedition Arrives at Easter Island (1914)

Today known by its traditional name of Rapa Nui, Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited locations on Earth. The first study of the island by outsiders was undertaken by British archaeologist Katherine Routledge, who spent 16 months on Rapa Nui studying its indigenous Polynesian culture. She interviewed residents and catalogued the island’s now-famous stone statues. Her scholarship proved to be invaluable to later researchers. Why did Routledge’s husband eventually have her kidnapped? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sam Walton (1918)

Born in Oklahoma and raised in Missouri during the Great Depression, Walton opened his first five-and-dime franchise in Arkansas in 1945. Seventeen years later, he opened his first Wal-Mart and began developing the Wal-Mart company into a national chain of massive, centrally controlled discount stores in small towns. By the time Walton died in 1992, his family was the wealthiest in the US, and Wal-Mart had become the country’s largest retailer. How was Walton forced out of his first store? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hassan-i Sabbah

Sabbah was an 11th-century Muslim missionary who led a community of converts that settled in Alamut, a mountain fortress in what is now Iran, and became known as the Hashshashin, or Assassins. According to legend, Sabbah acquired Alamut by offering its owner 3,000 gold dinars for the amount of land that would fit in a buffalo’s hide. When the owner agreed, what did Sabbah do? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Short Bursts Of Exercise May Be As Beneficial As Regular Workouts In Extending Life

One of my college classmates once decided that to focus on his studies he didn’t have time to exercise. So he would sprint everywhere he went at full speed. To the bathroom. To dinner. To class. To the library. To dates (which wasn’t often). Would such … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Vikings Capture Paris (845 CE)

Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse hero of the Viking Age whose life—which was spent largely invading one country after another—has been mixed with myth in many legendary accounts. One of his favorite tactics was to attack Christian cities on holy days, as he did in 845, when he arrived in Paris on Holy Saturday with 120 ships. By some accounts, he accepted a tribute of 7,000 pounds of silver from French King Charles the Bald in exchange for sparing the city. According to legend, how did he die? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary