John Calvin (1509)

Calvin was a French theologian and a major figure of the Protestant Reformation. In 1531, he became part of a movement that emphasized salvation by grace rather than by works. By 1555, Calvin had succeeded in establishing a theocracy in Geneva, where he served as pastor and head of the Genevan Academy and wrote the sermons, biblical commentaries, and letters that form the basis of Calvinism. What theologian, whose arrest was ordered by Calvin, was burned atop a pyre of his own books? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Happiness

Buddha believed that those who speak and act with a pure mind are sure to experience happiness. Aristotle reasoned that happiness results from man’s unique ability to contemplate reality. But the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi argued that it is this very ability to reason that prevents us from achieving true happiness. While happiness is a psychological state, there are those who believe that it can be objectively measured and quantified. What neural systems may be directly related to happiness? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans Exhibition Opens (1962)

One of the most influential artists of the late 20th century, Warhol began painting in the late 1950s and received sudden notoriety in 1962, when he exhibited 32 silkscreened paintings of Campbell’s soup cans in a California art gallery. The blatantly mundane content of the exhibition ran contrary to the abstract expressionist aesthetic of the time and generated much controversy, establishing Warhol as the leading exponent of the pop art movement. How did the soup cans differ from one another? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Camel Cup

What began in 1971 as a friendly camel race between two Alice Springs Lions Club members has grown into a major Australian event. Camels thrive in Alice Springs, which has one of the driest and harshest climates in Australia. Today the Camel Cup takes place at Blatherskite Park in Alice Springs and is only one of several camel-oriented events, which are accompanied by the eating and beer-drinking that are a hallmark of so many Australian festivals. Other events include polo on camels, helicopter rides, rickshaw races, the Miss Camel Cup competition, and fireworks. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Franz Boas (1858)

Boas was a German-American anthropologist. Trained in physics, he was part of an early scientific expedition to Baffin Island, where he turned to studying Eskimo culture. He is largely credited with establishing anthropology as an academic discipline in the US, and his achievements in anthropology are virtually unrivaled. It is largely because of his work that anthropologists today attribute human differences to cultural, rather than genetic, factors. Who were some of his famous students? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Harappan Civilization

The Harappan civilization is the name given to the mature phase of the Indus Valley civilization, an ancient society that inhabited the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys in what is now Pakistan and western India. Named after its city of Harappa, the civilization flourished from 2600 to 1900 BCE, developing a technologically advanced urban culture that was likely the result of efficient planning and a government that emphasized hygiene. What modern convenience first developed in its cities? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Nanoscale Microscopy Technique Allows Scientists to Pinpoint RNA Molecules in the Brain

Cells contain thousands of messenger RNA molecules, which carry copies of DNA’s genetic instructions to the rest of the cell. MIT engineers have now developed a way to visualize these molecules in higher resolution than previously possible in intact … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary