Most of us have about five dreams each night, though we’re not likely to remember any of them. But a team of researchers has found a pattern of brain activity that seems to reveal not only when the brain is generating a dream but something about the … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The first African American to achieve leading man status in Hollywood, Poitier began acting with the American Negro Theatre in New York City and made his film debut soon after. He won acclaim on Broadway for his role in 1959’s A Raisin in the Sun and, in 1964, became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role in Lilies of the Field. Many of his films address issues of race, yet some have criticized his choice of film roles for what reason? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Also known as Sheer Thursday or Holy Thursday, this is the day preceding Good Friday. It commemorates Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper, celebrated by Christians since the middle of the fourth century. The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion still celebrate the rites of Maundy Thursday, which may include handing out special coins known as “Maundy money” to the aged and the poor, instead of footwashing. Also on this day, the sacramental Holy Oils, or chrism, are blessed. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the founders of the “off-off-Broadway” theater movement, Wilson began writing plays in 1962 and helped found the Circle Repertory Company in 1969. His plays frequently address themes of decay, solitude, and loss, and are known for their realistic dialogue in which monologue, conversation, and direct audience address overlap. His Pulitzer Prize-winning Talley’s Folly depicts the post-Vietnam War world of a Southern family. What Russian work did he translate for the stage? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The subject of intense study, the Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been crucified. Though carbon dating places the shroud’s origin in the Middle Ages, some believe the image on the cloth is that of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded on the shroud at the time of his proclaimed resurrection. Skeptics, however, have dismissed the shroud as a medieval forgery created using paint or even crude photography. How recently did the shroud undergo carbon dating? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
He’s hunting for sunken treasure in the Caribbean, using a secret map created from outer space by one of NASA’s first astronauts. Darrell Miklos, who is documenting the experience as part of a new Discovery Channel series, told ABC News that he obtained the … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Liberia was founded in the 1820s by former slaves from the US, and tensions between the Americo-Liberian minority and the indigenous majority have persisted since that time. On April 12, 1980, a group of soldiers led by Samuel Kanyon Doe stormed the executive mansion, killing Americo-Liberian President William R. Tolbert and 27 other government leaders. Doe, a member of the ethnic Krahn tribe, then declared himself president. How had a rice scandal seriously undermined Tolbert? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel in outer space. April 12th was declared Cosmonauts Day in Gagarin’s honor. Official ceremonies on this day begin in the Moscow suburb of Korolyov, well known as the center of Russian rocket production, where officials and former cosmonauts lay flowers at a statue of Gagarin. The general public celebrates the day in a less formal manner: some place flowers at statues of Gagarin in various cities, while others attend space-themed art and film exhibitions. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Hancock is a jazz and funk pianist, composer, and bandleader who emerged as part of Miles Davis’s group in the mid-1960s. An early adopter of electronic instruments, he became involved with funk and disco in the 70s, while continuing to tour with jazz groups, such as that of Wynton Marsalis. He won an Academy Award for his original score of the 1986 film ‘Round Midnight and has won 14 Grammys, including “Album of the Year” for a work that paid tribute to what fellow musician? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary