Month: January 2019

Gut Flora

The average human body, which consists of an estimated ten trillion cells, has about ten times that number of microorganisms in its digestive tract. These bacteria, known as intestinal, or gut, flora, normally reside within the lumen of the intestine and fulfill a number of useful functions for the host, including producing vitamins, training the immune system, fermenting unused energy substrates, and producing hormones that prompt the host to store fats. Can a person survive without gut flora? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Innocent III Is Pope (1198)

Lotario di Segni became Pope of the Catholic Church in 1198 at the age of 37, taking the name “Innocent III.” He believed that just as things of the spirit take preeminence over things of the body, so should earthly monarchs be subject to the pope, and he set out immediately to realize this ideal. He was the virtual overlord of Christian Spain, Scandinavia, Hungary, and the Latin East and launched the Fourth Crusade, which went awry when the crusaders did what instead of going to the Holy Land? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gynaecocratia

The Greek title of this observance is a word that means female rule or government. This stab at feminist revolt is of long tradition in northern Greece, where it is common for women to do all the household work and for most men to take life easy in cafes. Today, in the villages of Komotini, Xanthi, Kilkis, and Serres, that standard is reversed for a day when Gynaecocratia is celebrated. The women gather in village cafes to socialize, while the men stay at home cleaning house, tending the babies, and generally looking after household tasks. At dusk, the men join their wives in celebrations. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tunneling Shields

Tunneling shields are used in the excavation of tunnels through soft ground, especially under rivers or in water-bearing strata, to prevent the tunnels from collapsing before they are reinforced with concrete, cast iron, or steel support structures. The Thames Tunnel project in 1825 was the first in which a tunneling shield was used. Designed by Sir Marc Brunel, the device was considered unsuccessful and was not employed again until 1870, after what crucial improvement was made? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ganna

The Christmas celebration in Ethiopia (observing the Coptic Orthodox calendar), which is officially called Leddat, is more popularly known as Ganna, after the game that is traditionally played on this day by boys, young men, and occasionally elders. According to legend, the shepherds were so happy when they heard about the birth of Jesus that they used their hooked staffs to play ganna—a game similar to field hockey. Pilgrims gather in the spectacular medieval churches in Lalibela for services, music, and food. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marriage Stones

A marriage stone is a stone—or sometimes wood—lintel carved with the initials, coats of arms, or other symbols of a newly married couple along with the date of their marriage. Occasionally, religious symbols or artistic motifs are also incorporated into the design. Popular until Victorian times, marriage stones served as a record of a marriage as well as a symbol of social status. For whose 2005 wedding was a two-ton, granite marriage stone created? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Coopers’ Dance

The famous Coopers’ Dance, a 500-year-old custom, is performed in Munich, Germany, every seven years throughout the Carnival season. The coopers, who make the barrels in which beer is stored, are highly respected in this city known for its breweries. According to tradition, the first dance is performed on Epiphany in front of the Minister-President’s office building, where spectators gather in the streets to watch. The dance is performed by 25 colorfully dressed coopers, who swing hoops of fir branches and keep time with the music by beating on barrels with their tools. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary