Month: December 2017

Cosmic Rays from Exploding Stars Create Clouds and Heat the Earth

Particles from exploding stars can create clouds over Earth, which heat up our planet, scientists have discovered. When charged particles from solar rays and supernovae mingle with aerosols, they make clouds gather in a process never described before. “Finally … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Radio City Music Hall Opens in New York City (1932)

Developed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the Radio Corporation of America, and the creator of the Roxy Theatre, New York’s landmark Radio City Music Hall opened with a lavish variety show that was not well received. Instead, the world’s largest indoor theater began showing movies with accompanying stage spectacles. Recently, it has focused on concerts and live events such as the Grammy Awards. Its annual Christmas show remains a popular tourist attraction. What was the first film shown there? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Second Night of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of family and black culture. Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Families gather in the evenings to discuss the principle of the day, and then light a black, red, or green candle and place it in a candleholder called a kinara. On the evening of Dec. 31, families join for a feast called the karamu. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Louis Pasteur (1822)

Perhaps best remembered for developing the pasteurization process, Pasteur was a French microbiologist who made great strides in keeping people safe by revolutionizing contemporary thinking about diseases. He proved that food spoilage was due to exposure to microorganisms, leading to the use of heat pasteurization to kill bacteria. He developed vaccines against anthrax, cholera, and rabies, and his work on silkworm diseases saved the French silk industry. What was “Pasteur’s Deception”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cities of Refuge

Cities of refuge were towns in the ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judah in which the perpetrators of manslaughter could claim the right of asylum. Outside of these cities, blood vengeance against such perpetrators was allowed by law. According to some regulations, perpetrators who had claimed asylum were to be taken from the city and put on trial; if found innocent, they were to be returned safely to the city of refuge, which they could ultimately leave without fear of harm when what happened? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Birds learn from each other’s ‘disgust,’ enabling insects to evolve bright colors

Many animals have evolved to stand out. Bright colours are easy to spot, but they warn predators off by signalling toxicity or foul taste. Yet if every individual predator has to eat colourful prey to learn this unappetising lesson, it’s a puzzle how conspicuous … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Soviet Union Officially Dissolves (1991)

In December 1991, a series of events spelled the end of the Soviet Union—and each has been put forth as the date the Union truly broke up. On December 8, the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared the Soviet Union dissolved. Two weeks later, on December 21, representatives of most of the remaining Soviet states signed an agreement confirming the dissolution. On December 25, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from office. The following day, what final step was taken? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Stephen’s Day (Ireland)

On this day in c. 35, St. Stephen became the first Christian martyr. He was denounced as a blasphemer by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council in ancient Palestine, and stoned to death. In many countries, St. Stephen’s Day is celebrated as an extra Christmas holiday. In Ireland, boys with blackened faces carrying a paper wren go about begging and “hunting the wren.” The hunting of the wren is most likely a carryover from an old belief that the robin, symbolizing the New Year, killed the wren, symbolizing the Old, at the turning of the year. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary