Antonio Canova (1757)

Canova was an Italian sculptor who was extremely influential in the development of neoclassicism. He produced his first important sculpture, Daedalus and Icarus, in 1779 and was accused of making plaster casts from live models because his figures were so realistic. Among his most important commissions were the tombs of Popes Clement XIII and Clement XIV. In 1802, he became court sculptor to Napoleon I in Paris. How did his love of sculpting ultimately contribute to his death in 1822? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Origin of Birds

Though the origin of birds has long been a contentious topic, the current scientific consensus is that they evolved from maniraptors, dinosaurs with which they share many anatomical features. One issue that has yet to be resolved, however, is whether the capacity for flight arose in tree-living dinosaurs that glided from branch to branch—the “trees-down” hypothesis—or in fast-running terrestrial dinosaurs—the “ground-up” hypothesis. What other theory about the origin of flight has been proposed? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary