Big Singing

Big Singing in Benton, Kentucky, brings together more than 100 singers trained in the tradition of shape-note singing. Together they enjoy a communal picnic lunch and spend the day singing hymns written in an almost-extinct style of musical notation called shape notes. A book titled The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion increased the popularity of this kind of singing in 19th-century America. The Big Singing in Benton dates back to 1884; it is currently sponsored by the Society for the Preservation of Southern Harmony Singing. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz (1807)

Agassiz was a Swiss-born naturalist and geologist. Noticing the presence of huge alpine boulders in areas of Switzerland where there are no glaciers, he hypothesized that glaciers had, at one time, been widespread in the area and had dragged the boulders there. This lent credence to his theory of a recent ice age. He was also a renowned teacher and did notable work with fossils. Agassiz was a lifelong opponent, on religious grounds, of what now-accepted scientific theory? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a medical treatment that involves the use of a device called a brain pacemaker, which sends high-frequency electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain via implanted electrodes. The technique has provided remarkable therapeutic benefits for otherwise treatment-resistant disorders such as chronic pain and Parkinson’s disease, however, its underlying principles and mechanisms are still not clear, and there is potential for serious side effects, including what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Christopher Reeve Is Paralyzed (1995)

Having starred in four Superman movies beginning in 1978, Reeve was an immensely popular actor by the 1990s. He was also an avid athlete and equestrian. During an event in 1995, his horse spooked before a jump, throwing Reeve. He landed on his head and was paralyzed from the neck down. He briefly considered suicide, but instead spent the rest of his life campaigning for spinal injury research. His friend Robin Williams was the first person to make Reeve laugh after the accident. How? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ramadan

The month of Ramadan traditionally begins with the actual sighting of the new moon, marking the start of the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. This holiest season in the Islamic year commemorates the time when the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book, is said to have been revealed to Muhammad. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars (fundamental religious duties) of Islam. It is a time for self-examination and increased religious devotion. The Fast of Ramadan ends when the new moon is again sighted and the new lunar month begins. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794)

Cornelius was the patriarch of the famous Vanderbilt family. As a youth, he ferried freight and passengers in New York Harbor. As an adult, he gained control of most of the ferry lines around New York City and quickly expanded up and down the coast. He had similar success in the railroad business and died with an estate worth more than $100 million, the largest personal fortune accumulated in the US to that date. Why did Vanderbilt, who had 13 children, leave nearly everything to just one son? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Body Farms

Body farms are used in the field of forensic anthropology to help law enforcement officials, medical examiners, and crime scene investigators study human decomposition. The original body farm, the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Facility, is simply a wooded area where bodies are exposed to the elements in different ways and left to decompose. These experiments help researchers understand how various conditions affect decomposition. How do body farms acquire their cadavers? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary