Yom Kippur

Also known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, and the last of the 10 High Holy Days. On this day, Jews acknowledge transgressions, repent through confession, then make atonement to God to obtain his forgiveness, with the hope of being inscribed in the Book of Life. Yom Kippur is a strict day of fasting— not even water may be taken from sundown to sundown. It is also a day of reconciliation for those who have done each other harm during the past year. It is the only fast day that is not postponed if it falls on the Sabbath. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Samuel Clarke (1675)

Clarke was an English philosopher and clergyman who advocated the theories of Isaac Newton. Clarke maintained that ethical law is as constant as mathematical law. His published works include many translations, lectures, sermons, and commentaries. In 1717, his correspondence with German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz was published. In it, he argues with Leibniz in defense of the existence of absolute space—physical space independent of what occupies it. Why did their discussion abruptly end? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Offal

Considered either waste material or delicacy, depending on the cultural context, offal is the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. It is prepared and consumed in a myriad of ways throughout the world. In the Philippines, pig intestines are used to make a type of blood sausage called Dinuguan, and in Pakistan, livers, brains, and kidneys are components of Taka-Tak. Scotland’s haggis is a boiled mix of sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs stuffed in what other organ? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

United Air Lines Chesterton Crash (1933)

In 1933, a Boeing 247 operated by United Air Lines exploded mid-flight and crashed near Chesterton, Indiana. The crash killed all seven people aboard, including four passengers and three crew members. Investigators concluded that a bomb caused the explosion, making this the first proven act of air sabotage in the history of commercial aviation. No suspect has ever been identified or charged in the incident. How did investigators determine that a bomb caused the explosion? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Fiji Day

Fijians still celebrate the date of the signing of the 1874 Deed of Cession, the document that initiated the protracted process by which Fiji gained independence in 1970. In Levuka, festivities focus on the historical aspects of Fiji Day, and people dress in traditional garb to re-enact of the Deed of Cession. In Suva, leaders, dignitaries, and citizens gather in historic Albert Park for addresses by the president and the prime minister. There is also a parade, the singing of the national anthem, and a ceremonial firing of cannons. In other communities, Fijians hold oratory contests and cultural performances. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thelonious Monk (1917)

One of the key innovators of modern jazz, Monk worked as a pianist in the early 1940s at Minton’s Playhouse and other clubs where the rudiments of the new jazz style were being developed. Known for his highly idiosyncratic, percussive playing, he performed with many notable jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, before recording under his own name beginning in 1947. Monk is one of only five jazz musicians to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine. Who are the other four? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ebola

Ebola, the virus group responsible for an often fatal hemorrhagic fever, emerged in Africa in the 1970s and was named for a river near the site of the first recognized outbreak. With mortality rates as high as 90%, Ebola hemorrhagic fever encompasses a range of symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes internal and external bleeding, and has no approved vaccine or treatment. Although the carrier is still unknown, what animal is thought to be the most likely reservoir of the disease? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary