Month: January 2018

Tapeworms are brainless, spineless, gutless parasites — and this scientist loves them

Janine Caira’s lifelong passion began on a beach in Baja California. She was in her 20s, studying for her parasitology PhD at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, when a friend who worked as a guard on the California-Mexico border invited her to join … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Peter Sutcliffe Charged in the “Yorkshire Ripper” Case (1981)

From 1975 to 1981, the Yorkshire area of England was terrorized by a string of murders. Though hundreds of investigators worked to find the killer, they were hampered by false leads, and the case generated so much paperwork that real clues were buried. After Sutcliffe was arrested for having stolen license plates, police noticed his similarity to the killer. What item found in a victim’s purse allowed investigators to narrow down the search to a group of 8,000 people—one that included Sutcliffe? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Epiphany Eve

Also known in Austria as the Vigil of Epiphany, there is traditionally a special feast on this night during which an Epiphany cake is served. Three beans are concealed in the cake—two white, one black—and whoever finds a bean in his or her portion gets to dress up as one of the Three Wise Men or Holy Kings. The one with the black bean dresses up as the African king, Balthasar, by rubbing his face with soot or shoe polish. On Epiphany Day the three kings are the guests of honor at the table. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Constanze Mozart (1762)

When famed Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in 1791, he left his beloved 29-year-old wife, Constanze—herself a musician—with two young children and an uncertain financial outlook. Constanze went to work. She arranged for a pension from the emperor, organized memorial concerts, and collaborated on a biography of her late husband. Today, she is recognized as much for her business sense as for her influence on her husband’s music. Which of her sisters did Wolfgang originally pursue? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Herero and Namaqua Genocide

In the early 20th century, Germany claimed territory in what is now Namibia and colonized the land as German South-West Africa. From 1904 to 1907, the Germans quashed rebellions by the native Herero and Nama tribes by driving them into the desert. Approximately 65,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama—80 percent and 50 percent of their populations, respectively—died in what is perhaps the earliest attempt at genocide in the 20th century. When did Germany officially apologize for the massacre? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Diet rich in apples, tomatoes may help repair lungs of ex-smokers, study suggests

The natural decline in lung function over a 10-year period was slower among former smokers with a diet high in tomatoes and fruits, especially apples, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, suggesting certain … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Donald Campbell Dies in Water Speed Record Attempt (1967)

Following in the footsteps of his father—record-breaking English racing enthusiast Malcolm Campbell—Donald Campbell set the world speed record on water at 276 mph (445 km/h) in 1964. In 1967, during an attempt to set a new record, Donald’s jet-powered boat violently disintegrated over Coniston Water, killing him instantly. Though his teddy bear mascot was found floating among the debris, Donald’s body was not recovered until nearly 35 years later. Did he at least succeed in breaking his record? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sakata Chauth

Hindu men and women fast on this day in honor of Ganesh, the Hindu god of wisdom with the head of an elephant, because it is believed to be the day of his birth. After being bathed first thing in the morning, the statue of Ganesh is worshipped with sweets and balls made of jaggery (a coarse, dark sugar made from palm trees) and sesame seeds. When the moon rises, the fast is broken, and the moon god is worshipped and offered water. The day-long fast observed on Sakata Chauth is believed to ensure wisdom, a trouble-free life, and prosperity. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary