If some NASA researchers have their way, Mars exploration technology of the future may rely on an art form from the past. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed a Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot (PUFFER) prototype that could change how we … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Until 1839, the little town of Henley-on-Thames was known primarily as a glass-producing port town. During a town hall meeting that year, Captain Edmund Gardiner proposed holding a regatta, since the growing popularity of rowing could benefit the town. Today, the rowing competition is a world-class competition that draws oarsmen from around the world for five days each summer, with thousands of spectators taking part in its traditions. How did it officially become a “royal” regatta in 1851? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Schnorr was a German religious and historical painter and draftsman. As a child, he studied under his father, who was an engraver and painter. In 1817, he went to Rome, where he became associated with the Nazarene movement of painters, who rejected most painting after the Middle Ages and focused primarily on religious subjects for their art. Schnorr is best known for the hundreds of illustrations he created for a pictorial Bible. He also designed the windows of what famous London cathedral? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Aerial exploration of the arid tableland surrounding Peru’s Palpa valley has revealed a remarkable network of geometric and zoomorphic forms etched in the desert floor. Created by the Nazca, a pre-Incan civilization that flourished from about 200 BCE to about 600 CE, the Nazca Lines span about 200 sq mi (500 sq km). The glyphs are only recognizable as coherent figures from the air, but the Nazca never possessed the technology to view them from that vantage point. Why, then, did they create them? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts.
Synonyms: cognoscente.
Usage: I brought the painting to the world's best art connoisseurs, and they all agreed that it was an authentic Picasso and would fetch millions at auction.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Scientists in Germany flipped the switch Thursday on what’s being described as “the world’s largest artificial sun” and which they hope will help shed light on new ways of making climate-friendly fuel. The giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was a clothing manufacturer that occupied the top three floors of a 10-story building in New York. In 1911, a small fire flared up in a dustbin on the 8th floor and quickly spread. Tragically, a number of doors had been locked by management to prevent theft, and fire truck ladders only reached the 6th floor. Dozens of workers jumped to their deaths to escape the conflagration, while others burned alive. What sweeping safety reforms were prompted by the disaster? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This day celebrates the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary announcing that she was to become the mother of Jesus. In England, the Feast of the Annunciation is commonly called Lady Day. Greek Orthodox Christians refer to this day as the Annunciation of the Theotokos. In Sweden it was called Varfrudagen, “Our Lady’s Day.” Common pronunciation turned it into Vaffeldagen, or “Waffle Day.” This is the source of heart-shaped waffle irons: the waffles commemorate the heart of the Virgin Mary. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
O’Conner was an American writer, considered a master of the short story form and the Southern Gothic style. In stories that reflect her strong Catholic faith, her often grotesque characters are placed in extreme situations that impel them toward redemption. O’Conner spent most of her life on her mother’s farm in Georgia, where she died of lupus at the age of 39. When she was just six years old, she became a minor celebrity for teaching a chicken to do what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Found floating in warm seas or washed up on the shore, ambergris is a solid, waxy substance formed in the intestines of sperm whales. Possessing a sweet, earthy odor, it has been used throughout history as a food flavoring and a material for jewelry, though its primary commercial use has been as a fixative in perfumes. However, because ambergris is quite rare and expensive, many of today’s perfumes use synthetic replacements. What function does ambergris serve within the whale’s digestive tract? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary