A new device developed at The Ohio State University can start healing organs in a “fraction of a second,” researchers say. The technology, known as Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT), has the potential to save the lives of car crash victims and even … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Long Count is one of the various ancient Mayan calendars that maintained complicated, cyclical measurements of time. It was intended to provide an accurate record of historical events and counts the days elapsed from a fixed starting point—calculated as August 11, 3114 BCE, the date of creation according to the Maya. Some believe that the calendar predicts the world’s end on December 21, 2012, but scholars have widely rejected this claim. What was the significance of that date to the Maya? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Omak Stampede and Suicide Race includes three days of professional rodeo in Omak, Washington. What makes this different from other rodeos is the World Famous Suicide Race, a terrifying hoof-thundering gallop by 15-20 mounted horses down an almost vertical hill, across the Okanogan River, and then into the rodeo arena. The rodeos top off a week of activities that include Indian ceremonies and dances, a western art show, and a grand parade. Animal rights activists have protested the race because of the extreme danger to the horses. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A descendent of African slaves, Haley began writing during a 20-year US Coast Guard career. He became a journalist, and earned national attention for The Autobiography of Malcolm X. His biggest success was 1976’s Roots, a Pulitzer Prize-winning history of his ancestors beginning with their enslavement. A television adaptation became one of the most-watched programs in America, spurring interest in genealogy. Why then was the work excluded from a prominent anthology of literature? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Completing a traditional marathon means running a staggering 26.2 mi (42 km), but each year, more than 70,000 runners worldwide tackle an even greater challenge—the ultramarathon. Ultramarathons are races that require competitors to run hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, often while facing severe conditions like inclement weather, changes in elevation, or rugged terrain. Events can last mere hours or span several days. What extreme location hosts “The Last Desert,” a 155.3 mi (250 km) race? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Not of the nobility; common.
Synonyms: ungentle, untitled.
Usage: The princess loved the stable boy, but he was of ignoble birth, and her father refused to let them marry.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
When a thirty-year-old woman turned up to the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, in Western Australia complaining about an incredible amount of stomach pain, the cause of her suffering initially eluded the physicians trying to treat her. Blood tests that … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The first planetary spacecraft to be launched from a space shuttle, Magellan took 15 months to reach its destination, arriving in orbit around the second planet from the Sun in August 1990. It was then put to work generating high-resolution maps of Venus’s surface and measuring the planet’s gravity. Four years later, with its mission complete, Magellan plunged into Venus’s tremendously dense atmosphere and disintegrated. What do Magellan‘s images reveal about the planet? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Started in 1901, the Baby Parade that takes place along the boardwalk at the seaside resort of Ocean City on the second Thursday in August each year allows children up to the age of 10 to participate and compete for prizes. The children are reviewed by the judges as they walk or wheel along the boardwalk from Sixth Street to Twelfth Street, and every child who enters receives a sterling silver identification bracelet. Cash prizes are given to the best entry in each division. More than 50,000 spectators are drawn to the Ocean City Baby Parade each year. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Born in Germany, Nestlé was the 11th of 14 children—only half of whom survived to adulthood. After apprenticing to a pharmacist in the 1830s, he began to work on an infant food that could serve as a substitute for breast milk for struggling babies. Combining milk, flour, and sugar, he created the first commercial infant formula and founded what is today the largest processed foods company in the world. The Nestlé company logo is derived from the family coat of arms, which includes what image? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary