Some women have trouble staying asleep, and a new small study may shed light on why. Women’s internal, or circadian, body clocks run at a faster pace than men’s, according to the research. It’s as if women operate in a different “internal time zone,” said … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The John Bull is a steam locomotive that ran on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, the first railroad built in New Jersey. Retired in 1866, the locomotive was acquired by the Smithsonian in 1885 and became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world in 1981, when it was operated in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of its first use. Though its official name was Stevens, crews began calling it John Bull, and the name eventually stuck. What made them choose that name? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This festival to honor the moon goddess is a national holiday in China and a day celebrated in Asian communities all over the world. Family reunions are traditional on this day. People travel long distances to be together for exchanging presents, feasting, and eating moon cakes, which in their roundness are symbolic of family unity. Some are made of lotus seed paste, some of red bean paste, and some have a duck egg in the center. There are varying versions of the origins of the festival; the most accepted is that the day is a harvest festival at a time when the moon is brightest. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Christie, a British mystery novelist and playwright known for her detective figures Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, wrote over 75 novels, including Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None. Her books have been translated into 100 languages and have sold over 100 million copies, and her play The Mousetrap, still running after 23,000 performances, holds the record for longest initial run in theatrical history. What prompted Christie’s 1926 disappearance? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Found in oceans worldwide, orcas display sophisticated hunting techniques and social behaviors that have been described by experts as manifestations of a shared culture. Like other dolphins, orcas produce a variety of vocalizations used for communication and echolocation. Orca mothers have even been observed training their young in the group’s dialect, and it is said that groups that share ancestors are likely to have a similar set of call types. What does this suggest about orca vocal behavior? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Stroke survivors showed improved hand dexterity more when using a new electrical stimulation therapy compared to an existing stimulation technique, said researchers from the MetroHealth System, Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center and the Case Western … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
OPEC is a multinational organization that was established in 1960 to coordinate the petroleum production and export policies of its original members, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Other nations have since joined the organization. In 1973, OPEC began a series of oil price increases in retaliation for Western support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War, and its members’ income greatly increased as a result. What member country withdrew from OPEC in 2008? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In Nicaragua, September 14 is a national holiday dedicated to the anniversary of the independence of Central America and the battle at San Jacinto. Starting at 7:30 in the morning, the president awards the Presidential Medallion to the best students and teachers from around the country at the Plaza de la Fé Juan Pablo Segundo. Marching bands from 100 schools in the capital and bands from the National Army and the Police participate in a parade that day. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Capovilla was an Ecuadorian supercentenarian whose life spanned three centuries. At the time of her death shortly before her 117th birthday in 2006, she was recognized as the world’s oldest living person. She was also the last remaining documented person born in the 1880s. At age 100, Capovilla nearly died and was given last rites by a priest, but she recovered and lived in good health for another 16 years. She had 20 great-grandchildren and how many great-great-grandchildren? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary