Scientists say in a new study the discovery of ‘mini-moons’ caught in Earth’s orbit could offer a better understanding of what makes up asteroids. Researchers say the mini-moons are small asteroids temporarily captured in Earth’s orbit. The objects are … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
President Getúlio Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, holding power from 1930 to 1945 and 1951 to 1954. Though defeated in the presidential election of 1930, he led a successful revolt that gained him the presidency. Vargas then set up the totalitarian Estado Novo—”New State”—but was overthrown in a coup d’état in 1945. He regained the presidency six years later but committed suicide under threat of impeachment as his popularity dwindled. What were the last words in his suicide note? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A charming, witty, and elegant English caricaturist and writer, Beerbohm used his pen to parody whatever was pretentious, affected, or absurd in his famous and fashionable contemporaries. His works include A Christmas Garland, a collection of parodies on such authors as Joseph Conrad and Thomas Hardy; Zuleika Dobson, an amusing satire on Oxford and his only novel; and Caricatures of Twenty-five Gentlemen, his first book of drawings. Who dubbed him “the incomparable Max”? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Since 1924, “Kleenex” has been the trademarked brand name of facial tissues manufactured by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. The global popularity of the product, originally marketed to the public as a cold cream remover and later, in the 1930s, as a disposable handkerchief, has led consumers to use the Kleenex name when referring to any tissue, regardless of brand. In what country had another form of tissue been used for centuries before Kleenex appeared? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) Degradation or humiliation of oneself, especially because of feelings of guilt or inferiority.
Synonyms: self-mortification, penance.
Usage: "Let them break my heart if they like," she had thought to herself, in the self-abasement of that bitter moment; "it will be no more than I have deserved."
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
(Inside Science) — It is nearly impossible to snap a dry spaghetti noodle neatly in two — a challenge that has confounded pasta-loving researchers for decades. Now scientists from MIT have finally figured out how to break such noodles in two — with … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
British industrialist Henry Kremer set up the Kremer Prize in 1959, offering £50,000 to the first group that could fly a human-powered aircraft over a 1-mile (1.6-km) figure-eight course. The aircraft also had to clear a 10-foot (3-m) pole at the start and finish line. Early attempts with heavy aircraft failed, so engineer Paul MacCready took a radically different approach in designing the Gossamer Condor, and his team won the first Kremer Prize in 1977. What was their inspiration? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Moreška Sword Dance is a ritual dance of medieval knights that has been performed for centuries. The dance takes place in Korcula, the main town of the island of Korcula off the coast of the former Yugoslavia (now within Croatia), in honor of the town’s patron saint, Theodore. The dance-cum-pageant, with many clashes of steel, symbolizes the battle against the Turks when Korcula was under the control of the kings of Bosnia in the late 14th century. Korcula has hosted the dance since 1997 to celebrate and preserve the 400-year-old tradition of sword dancing. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Lucas had an abusive upbringing and began exhibiting violent behavior at an early age—even killing his own mother when he was 23. Little did officers know when they arrested him in 1983 on a weapons charge that they were taking a serial killer—perhaps the most prolific one in US history—off the streets. Lucas eventually claimed responsibility for over 600 murders, but many of his confessions are suspect, and the true number of his victims remains a mystery. Who spared him from execution and why? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Found only in the lowland rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the bonobo is an endangered species of great ape whose name has been variously reported as being a Bantu word for “chimpanzee” or “ancestor” or a misspelling of the name of the town of Bolobo on the Congo River. Sometimes called pygmy chimpanzees, bonobos closely resemble common chimpanzees in appearance and way of life but usually live in larger groups and are said to be less aggressive. How do bonobos settle disputes? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary