The Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo, developed by the Australian Aborigines, is perhaps the world’s oldest wind instrument. Though the exact age of the didgeridoo is unknown, studies of rock art in northern Australia suggest that the Aboriginal people have been using it for approximately 1,500 years. Didgeridoos measure about 4 ft (1.5 m) in length and are made from branches that have been hollowed out by termites. A 2005 study found that practicing the didgeridoo can help reduce what sleep-related conditions? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

New Research on Giraffe Biology, Dwindling Population Size Gives Zoos a Tall Order

A pair of scientific discoveries have forced zoos to rethink how they handle giraffes. Earlier this month the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified giraffes on its Red List of Threatened Species, changing their status from “Least Concerned” to … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Hagia Sophia Is Completed (537 CE)

Distinguished by its size and rising succession of domes, the Hagia Sophia is the supreme masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. First a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, it was designed under Justinian I by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus and completed in less than six years. Its combination of a longitudinal basilica with a main building was wholly original in the sixth century, as was its use of pendentives. The Hagia Sophia stands on the site of what earlier structure? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dian Fossey Day

American conservationist Dian Fossey (1932-1985) conducted groundbreaking research on Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, a species long victimized by wide-scale poaching, and helped ensure their preservation. Fossey was murdered in her cabin at a research center in the Virunga Mountains on December 27, 1985. Ceremonies for the anniversary of her death take place in Volcanoes National Park, which contains a permanent memorial to the zoologist. Individuals typically perform traditional dances, while government officials deliver speeches and lay wreaths on her gravesite. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marlene Dietrich (1901)

Dietrich was a German actress and singer. Abandoning an early ambition to be a violinist, she turned to acting and gained international attention as a femme fatale in The Blue Angel (1930). She then moved to Hollywood, where she starred in a series of films that established her glamorous and sophisticated persona. Resisting Nazi pressure to return to Germany, she became a US citizen in 1939. During WWII, she regularly entertained Allied troops, appearing before them how many times? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

High-Speed Photography

High-speed photography allows fast moving phenomena to be recorded with precision and clarity. While in 1948 high-speed photography was defined as a set of at least 3 photographs taken by a camera capable of recording a minimum of 128 frames per second, today’s equipment can shoot as many as 1 million frames per second. High-speed photography was first put to practical use in 1878 to investigate whether or not a trotting horse ever has all 4 feet off the ground at once. What did the images show? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mysterious Metallic Sound in the Mariana Trench Finally Identified

An otherworldly noise that was recorded near the Mariana Trench could be a never-before-heard whale call. Dubbed the “Western Pacific Biotwang,” this newly discovered call might be from a minke whale — a type of baleen whale — according to the researchers … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary