A few months ago, when European Space Agency director general Johann-Dietrich Woerner laid out a vision for his agency to lead the way in establishing an international Moon Village, I had a feeling of déjà vu. In January 2004 President George W. Bush … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Magna Carta—Latin for “Great Charter”—was signed by King John under pressure from his barons. Resentful of high taxes and aware of the king’s waning power, the barons demanded a solemn grant of their rights. Among the charter’s provisions were clauses reforming law and controlling the behavior of royal officials. Though it reflects the feudal order rather than democracy, the Magna Carta is traditionally considered the foundation of British constitutionalism. How did King John sign it? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
According to legend, St. Vitus was raised as a Christian by his nurse and his foster father. All three suffered persecution and were eventually put to death for their beliefs around 303 CE, when Vitus was still a young boy. A chapel was later built in his honor at Ulm, Germany, and it was believed that anyone who danced before his shrine there on June 15, St. Vitus’s Day, would be assured of good health in the coming year. St. Vitus is the patron saint of those suffering from epilepsy and other disorders of the nervous system, as well as actors and dancers. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The eldest son of King Edward III, Edward was the prince of Wales. Joining his father as a commander in the campaigns of the Hundred Years War, he established a reputation for valor. However, his rule as the prince of Aquitaine from 1362 to 1372 was a failure, and he returned sick and broken to England and formally surrendered his principality to his father. Though the heir apparent, he never became king, dying one year before his father. Edward was the first in England to be granted what title? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
More than half of the electricity generated in the United States is produced by coal-fired power plants. Generally, only a small percentage of the coal used in those plants comes from the controversial practice of mountaintop removal mining, or MTR, which involves the use of heavy explosives to blast away up to 1,000 vertical feet of a mountain after its surface has been cleared of timber. What 1970s crises first sparked an increase in the demand for coal and triggered the widespread use of MTR? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
There must be a limit to the mistakes one person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I’ll be through with them. That’s a very comforting thought. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Covered with a layer of myelin.
Synonyms: medullated.
Usage: The medical textbook had a detailed diagram of myelinated nerve fibers.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Researchers say they’ve developed a blood test that detects an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease with “unparalleled accuracy.” The test, developed by researchers at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and Durin Technologies, Inc., was … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Compiled by official Roman Catholic censors, Index Librorum Prohibitorum—”List of Prohibited Books”—was a catalog of works considered dangerous to the faith or morals of Catholics. The Index was never a complete catalog of forbidden reading; rather, it contained only works that the ecclesiastical authority was asked to act on. The first catalog of banned books to be called an index was published in 1559. Its publication ceased in 1966. What were some of the works listed over the years? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that established June 14 as Flag Day in 1916, but it didn’t become official until 1949, after a campaign by Bernard J. Cigrand and the American Flag Day Association. American homes and public buildings across the country display the American flag in observation of the holiday. Other popular events on this day include flag-raising ceremonies, the singing of the national anthem, and the study of flag etiquette and the flag’s origin and meaning. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary