A 20-Mile Long ‘Spacescraper’ Dangling from an Asteroid: Could It Work?

It’s a new approach to an old idea. While Jonathan Swift’s fantastical island city of Laputa stayed aloft via magnets, a New York City design firm envisions using an orbiting asteroid to hang a skyscraper above the Earth. Clouds Architecture Office espouses a … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

As the World Turns Premieres (1956)

Soap operas began in the early 1930s as 15-minute radio episodes and continued in that format when they began appearing on TV in the early 1950s. As the World Turns premiered as the first half-hour TV soap. The show, which primarily focused on two professional families in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois, ran for 54 years and aired nearly 14,000 episodes. For 20 of those years, it was most-watched daytime drama in the US. What interrupted a live broadcast of the show in 1963? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Deadly Nightshade

Although deadly nightshade, a perennial herbaceous plant that has bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries, is related to potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants, it is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western Hemisphere. It contains alkaloids that can cause tachycardia, hallucinations, blurred vision, and, in extreme cases, death. Also known as belladonna, meaning “beautiful lady” in Italian, the plant was once used cosmetically by women to enhance the appearance of what feature? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

How This New Dinosaur Might Change the Face of Tyrannosaurs, Evolution

Before Tyrannosaurus rex terrorized Cretaceous North America, another frightful lizard ruled Montana. Some 75 million years ago, Daspletosaurus horneri, at nearly 30 feet long and over seven feet tall, dominated the landscape. And although D. horneri doesn’t have … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Apple Inc. Is Formed (1976)

Apple Computer, Inc., was the first successful personal computer company. The company has its roots in the Jobs family’s garage, where cofounders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled the first Apple computer. Consisting of a handmade motherboard, the Apple I did not even include a monitor or keyboard. The Apple II, introduced the next year with a plastic case and color graphics, launched Apple to success. By 1980, Apple had earned more than $100 million. How much did an Apple I cost in 1976? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lon Chaney (1883)

Chaney was an American silent-film actor. Born to parents who were both deaf and mute, he learned to express himself through pantomime at an early age. He moved to Hollywood in 1912 and became one of the biggest stars of the time, appearing in more than 150 silent films. Known as “the man of a thousand faces,” he masterfully used makeup to play tortured, grotesque characters in horror films such as The Phantom of the Opera. How did fake snow made of corn flakes contribute to his death? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cockroaches

Though cockroaches are insects commonly associated with human dwellings, only about 20 of the 3,500 known species are suited to thrive in the typical home. Once a home is infested, however, it is extremely difficult to eradicate the pest. One of the world’s hardiest insects, the cockroach can live without food for up to a month and without breathing for up to 45 minutes. Even decapitation does not immediately kill the bugs. Experts believe cockroaches could even survive what cataclysmic event? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary