The medieval mathematicians of Oxford, toiling in torchlight in a land ravaged by plague, managed to invent a simple form of calculus that could be used to track the motion of heavenly bodies. But now a scholar studying ancient clay tablets suggests … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Selkirk was an unruly Scottish sailor who quarreled with his captain and asked to be put ashore on an island in the Pacific. Tired of Selkirk’s troublemaking, the captain granted him his wish. Selkirk promptly regretted his decision and chased after the boat, but to no avail. He survived on the desert island by eating shellfish and goats and domesticated feral cats to keep himself safe from rats. When he was rescued four years later, his story became the inspiration for what fictional character? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Candelaria, or Candlemas, is a major holiday in Bolivia, where the Virgen de Candelaria is the country’s patroness. The festivities focus on her shrine in the normally placid town of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, where visitors begin to arrive in the week that precedes the festival. Aymará, Quechua, and Chiriwano Indians can be recognized by their colorful native costumes and musical instruments, and most begin dancing as soon as they arrive and continue till the end of the festival. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Joyce was an Irish novelist—perhaps the most influential and significant novelist of the 20th century. After publishing his story collection, The Dubliners, and the autobiographical novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, he spent seven years writing Ulysses, which is now widely regarded by many as the greatest English-language novel of the 20th century. It embodies a highly experimental use of language and exploration of new literary methods such as what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
According to legend, Ireland’s mythical hunter-warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill was imbued with universal wisdom after inadvertently eating the Salmon of Knowledge. This boundless knowledge ultimately led Fionn to become leader of the Fianna, the famed heroes of Irish myth. Many geographical features in Ireland are attributed to the legendary giant, including the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway. What land mass was supposedly formed in the Irish Sea when Fionn flung a chunk of earth at a rival? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A spectacular public display.
Synonyms: ostentation.
Usage: Because they were considered hometown heroes, the returning astronauts were greeted with much fanfare.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Most of your Facebook friends don’t care about you and probably wouldn’t even sympathise with your problems, according to a new study. Many people have hundreds of Facebook friends. But people can only really depend on four of them, on average, according… Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In 1624, the Dutch founded forts in southern Taiwan. Two years later, the Spanish occupied the northern part of the island. The Dutch expelled the Spanish in 1641 and assumed control of the entire island but were, in turn, forced to abandon it when Koxinga, a general of the Ming dynasty of China, successfully laid siege to the main Dutch settlement, Fort Zeelandia, and took the island in 1662, establishing an independent kingdom. What happened to the colony’s governor, Frederick Coyett? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the “Greater Sabbats” during the Wiccan year, Imbolc celebrates the coming of spring and the recovery of the Earth Goddess after giving birth to the Sun God at Yule. The Greater Sabbats (or Sabbaths) take place four times a year, at the Cross-Quarter Days of February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. In ancient days, some of these were huge get-togethers that involved dancing, singing, and feasting all night. Revolving around the changing of the seasons and the breeding of animals, they served as a way to give thanks for the bounties of the earth. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Hughes was an American poet and a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His writing is largely concerned with depicting African-American life, particularly the experience of the urban African American, and often uses dialect and jazz rhythms. Along with several collections of poetry, Hughes published numerous other works, including several plays, books for children, and novels. While working as a busboy, Hughes launched his literary career by presenting his poems to what poet as he dined? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary