Scientists have discovered a dinosaur-era shark with 300 teeth and a snake’s head off the Portuguese coast. The frilled shark was caught by a trawler during a research project on how to minimise unwanted catches during commercial fishing, according to … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Ergot, a toxic fungus that grows on rye, can cause spasms and hallucinations if accidentally ingested. In 1938, Hofmann was researching potentially useful derivatives of ergot when he first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). However, he did not discover its hallucinogenic properties until five years later, when he accidentally absorbed some of the substance through his fingertips. In 1947, his laboratory introduced LSD as a psychiatric drug. What is “Bicycle Day”? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Kaufman was an American dramatist and humorist who co-wrote more than 40 plays, many of which became tremendously successful. His collaboration with Moss Hart produced such plays as Once in a Lifetime and You Can’t Take It With You, and he also worked on the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera. Kaufman was also an influential drama critic for New York newspapers and was known for his caustic wit. What did he once suggest as a way to avoid crowds during a flu epidemic? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the best preserved ancient buildings in Rome, the Pyramid of Cestius was built circa 12 BCE as a tomb for magistrate Gaius Cestius Epulo. Constructed of brick-faced concrete covered with slabs of white marble, the pyramid stood at a fork between two ancient roads and was later incorporated into the Aurelian Walls, built around 271 CE to fortify the city. The origins of the pyramid were forgotten during the Middle Ages, and later Romans mistakenly concluded that the tomb belonged to whom? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Free from emotional agitation or nervous tension.
Synonyms: unflurried, unflustered, unruffled.
Usage: Though chaos and panic swirled all about him, the fireman remained unperturbed and calmly brought order to the scene.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
When the cosmos shoots pool, it plays for keeps. It sunk a six-mile-wide rock in our pocket of the solar system 66 million years ago. The smack of the asteroid against Earth released energy on the order of billions of atomic bombs. Dinosaurs were the … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Though it did not bring an immediate end to the Troubles, the Anglo-Irish Agreement addressed some specific points of contention. It granted the Republic of Ireland a role in the government of Northern Ireland for the first time, while confirming that Northern Ireland would remain a part of the UK until a majority of its citizens decided otherwise. The agreement met with fierce opposition in Northern Ireland. One politician compared Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, to what biblical villain? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
King Leopold I (1790-1865) of Belgium was named after St. Leopold, whose feast is celebrated on this day. He was the first leader of Belgium after it achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1831, and reigned until his death. The day is a major observance particularly among Belgium’s German-speaking community. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Jérôme Bonaparte was the youngest brother of Napoleon. The two men became estranged after Jérôme married an American in 1803 without Napoleon’s consent. Napoleon personally had the marriage annulled and arranged Jérôme’s wedding to Princess Catherine of Württemberg instead. Jérôme was made king of Westphalia, but his kingdom collapsed and became part of Prussia in 1815, after which he returned to France. Which one of his grandsons founded the precursor of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Gambian pouched rat, with its superb sense of smell and tractable personality, has been used recently to locate land mines in its native Africa. Trained from a young age to associate the smell of explosives with a reward, the rodents learn to alert their handlers to the presence of mines. There are several advantages to using rodents rather than dogs in such operations, among them the fact that they are fairly small and thus rarely cause mines to detonate. Why has the US banned their import? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary