Month: May 2018

Coca-Cola Hits the Market as a Health Tonic (1886)

At a time when soda fountains were popular in the US due to the widespread belief that carbonated water was good for the health, American pharmacist John Pemberton came up with his own formula for a health tonic. Among its ingredients were cocaine, derived from the coca leaf, and caffeine, derived from the kola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola. It was initially sold as a patent medicine for five cents a glass. What serious ailments did Pemberton claim Coca-Cola had the power to cure? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Helston Flora Day

According to legend, there was a large stone that blocked off the entrance to hell. One night, Satan tried to steal the stone; on his way through Cornwall, England, he was intercepted by the Archangel Michael, who forced him to drop the stone and flee. The town where he dropped it was called Helston (from Hellstone). The people of Helston continue to celebrate the Archangel’s victory with the Helston Flora Day. The day’s festivities include the “Furry dance,” which is performed in the streets by men in top hats and women in fancy dresses, and a trip to the woods in search of flowers and leaves. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William Walker (1824)

Though he was a qualified doctor, lawyer, and journalist by the time he was 24, Walker had his sights set on a more adventurous career path. In 1853, he attempted but failed to seize and govern the Mexican province of Lower California. Undeterred, he led a small band of mercenaries to Nicaragua two years later, overthrew the government, and briefly served as president before being ousted. Despite his earlier failures, he tried once more to conquer Central America in 1860. What happened? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Clinical Lycanthropy

A rare psychiatric syndrome involving the delusion that one can or has transformed into an animal, clinical lycanthropy derives its name from the mythical belief that some humans have the capacity assume the physical characteristics of a wolf, an ability known as lycanthropy. In clinical lycanthropy, patients report transforming into a variety of creatures; thus, the condition is sometimes referred to as zoanthropy. What areas of the brain have been linked to the development of this condition? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Meet InSight: The Mission To Measure Marsquakes and Unlock Red Planet

Even while tucked away in a testing lab in Colorado, the instrument picks up the sloshing of the oceans thousands of miles away. That’s the kind of sensitive equipment that’s about to go to Mars, where NASA’s next mission will dig into the mysterious history … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Suicidal Passenger Brings Down Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 (1964)

In early May, Francisco Gonzales—a disturbed former member of the Philippine Olympic sailing team—bought a gun and life insurance and began talking about killing himself. He followed through on his threat during a flight to San Francisco, but he did more than just end his own life; he took the lives of all 44 people on board by shooting both the pilot and co-pilot, causing the plane to crash. What cockpit security regulation—adopted before the flight—only went into effect after the tragic crash? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary