Space is full of grease-like molecules, according to a new study that attempted to mimic interstellar dust in a laboratory. The study, conducted by the University of New South Wales in Australia and Ege University in Turkey, sought to better estimate … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Chowchilla is a small California town that made national headlines when kidnappers took control of a school bus full of children in 1976. The 26 children and their bus driver, Ed Ray, were driven around in two vans for 11 hours before being forced into a moving van buried in a quarry. After 16 hours underground, Ray and the children managed to escape. All were safely returned home, and the kidnappers were soon arrested. Who were they? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Basset Hound games are held annually at Legion Park in Woodburn, Oregon, as a way to bring together Basset Hound owners and their dogs in a day of light-hearted activities. The dogs compete in such custom-tailored Basset Hound events as longest ears, marathon napping, and the best howl. The public is welcome to view the games. The event is run by and raises money for Oregon Basset Hound Rescue, a non-profit group that fosters abandoned Basset Hounds and places them in permanent homes. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
An Irish-born novelist and philosopher, Murdoch studied at Cambridge under prominent philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein before pursuing a career in writing. Her novels focus on the idea that free will is illusory and depict humans as “accidental” creatures, seemingly free but actually bound to self, society, and the natural world. She penned 26 novels and many philosophical works before Alzheimer’s ended her writing career. To what non-medical condition did she initially attribute her symptoms? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the most famous antiheroes in fiction, Captain Nemo is an enigmatic character featured in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island. A scientific genius, Nemo roams the depths of the sea in his submarine, the Nautilus. Though he projects a stern confidence, he is driven by a thirst for vengeance and, at the same time, is wracked with remorse over the deaths of his crew members and even his enemies. What does “Nemo” mean in Latin? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles.
Synonyms: tubocurarine.
Usage: The arrow was usually tipped with a poison, such as curare, which would stun or kill the struck prey.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
The Earth and Mars are a bit like fraternal twins that slowly grew apart. Four billion years ago, both planets were warm, sheathed by protective atmospheres, and carved with rivers and pools of liquid water. But today, Mars is an irradiated desert … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Originally built in the 9th century, St. Mark’s Campanile is the 323-foot (98.6-m) bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy. It has been damaged many times in its history, including by fire and an earthquake. In 1902, a crack appeared in its north wall. On the morning of July 14, the campanile collapsed. Remarkably, no one was killed by the collapse, and only one building was damaged. Reconstruction of the campanile was completed in 1912. What was the one casualty of the collapse? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This lighthearted event takes place in Wayne, Nebraska, a town that is known primarily as a pork capital. But since there were some egg-processing plants and chicken farms in the area who were willing to contribute to the cause, the Wayne Chicken Show was “hatched” in 1981. Up to 15,000 people witness competitions in rooster crowing, chicken flying, egg dropping and catching, and a national cluck-off whose winner has appeared on the Tonight Show. There are prizes for the oddest egg, the most beautiful beak, and the best chicken legs on a human. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Pankhurst was a leading British suffragette. In 1889, she founded the Women’s Franchise League, which in 1894 secured for married women the right to vote in local elections. She later advocated militancy, mainly in the form of arson, and was once arrested 12 times in a year. During World War I, she organized a rally of 30,000 women to encourage employers to let men fight while women did their jobs in England. Pankhurst also founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose motto was what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary