A hermit crab, the coconut crab is remarkable for its massive pincers as well as its sheer size—it is the world’s largest known terrestrial arthropod. Unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs cannot swim. Instead of gills, they possess a special organ called a branchiostegal lung, which is suited to absorb oxygen from air rather than water but must be kept moist if it is to function. Why is this type of crab popularly associated with the coconut? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A flowing together.
Synonyms: merging, confluence.
Usage: There was a conflux of emotions and thoughts in him.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Mammals are a mostly drab bunch. Due to camouflage, a nocturnal lifestyle and other evolutionary demands, dull and earthy tones reign supreme. There are a few notable exceptions. When mandrills become excited, the monkeys’ rumps turn shades of ruby … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Baron Bliss Day is a public holiday in Belize honoring Englishman Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss (1869-1926). When he died on March 9, Bliss bequeathed his entire estate to Belize City. On this day each year, a morning mass and wreath laying is held at his tomb in the Fort Point area. Then there is a regatta in the harbor, a cycle race, and a kite contest. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Sackville-West was an aristocratic English writer and gardener who married the diplomat and author Harold Nicolson in 1913. Their complicated relationship is chronicled in Portrait of a Marriage, a biography inspired by her journals and written by their son Nigel. The gardens at Sissinghurst Castle, which she designed, are among the most visited in England. However, she is perhaps best remembered for her love affair with author Virginia Woolf, which inspired which of Woolf’s novels? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Shuar people of Ecuador and Peru first came to worldwide attention in the 1800s, after Westerners discovered that the group practiced head shrinking. The custom stems from the belief that severing an enemy’s head and shrinking it harnesses the person’s spirit and compels it to serve the shrinker. Though cultural restrictions limited the manufacture of shrunken heads, Western demand for the macabre artifacts prompted the Shuar to produce them in greater quantities. How does one shrink a head? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
For young adults, social media may not be so social after all. Among people in that age group, heavy use of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram was associated with feelings of social isolation, a study finds. The results surprised study … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The first agreement to form a stock exchange in New York was made in 1792 by 24 brokers standing under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange was formally founded 25 years later. The exchange provided capital for the industrialization of the US in the 19th century and is today the world’s largest securities market. The right to trade in the exchange can only be obtained by purchasing a seat from an existing member, and the number of seats is limited to how many? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
San Juan de Dios (St. John of God) was born in Portugal in 1495. A religious order, the Brothers Hospitallers, was founded in his honor, and thereafter he was known as John of God and the patron saint of hospitals. In Puno, Peru, San Juan de Dios is celebrated with a two-day fiesta. On March 7, llamas bring in wood for bonfires in a parade with flute and drum music, and in the evening bonfires blaze. The next day, his feast day, a procession takes the saint’s image through the streets of Puno, and dancers and musicians create a festive atmosphere around the church. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary