Month: February 2019

Bioacoustics

Bioacoustics is the study of the relation between living organisms and sound, focusing on the neurophysiological, anatomical, and evolutionary basis of sounds produced and detected by animals, especially those involved in communication. It was established as a scientific discipline by Slovene biologist Ivan Regen, whose experiments with crickets in the early 20th century proved that insects respond to acoustic stimuli produced by other individuals. What animal sounds are humans unable to hear? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rumspringa

In some Amish communities, rumspringa is a period of “running around” that begins at about age 16 and ends when a youth chooses to become a full member of the church or to leave the community. Rumspringa is often portrayed in popular media as a period of sanctioned adolescent rebellion, but within the Amish community, deviation from norms is frowned upon, and the term usually simply refers to a period of greater social activity. What choice do most make at rumspringa‘s end? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Firecracker Festival

Firecrackers are a traditional element of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year celebration, and one town really takes its firecrackers seriously. Each year 16 families are selected to compete in producing the most spectacular display for the town of Dong Ky in Vietnam’s Bac Ninh Province. These are huge, elaborately decorated affairs that may require two dozen men to carry and up to $500 to create. Each firecracker is paraded through town and set up on a special tripod for firing. After all the firecrackers have been set off, a panel of judges determines the winning family. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Muppets

In 1954, Jim Henson got his first job as a local television puppeteer and soon created his alter ego, the debonair Kermit the Frog. He subsequently introduced several other “Muppets”—crosses between hand puppets and marionettes, with mobile, expressive faces and gesturing hands. In 1969, Henson and his associate Frank Oz brought Muppets like Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird to public television’s Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Why are most Muppets left-handed? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Great Sámi Winter Fair (Jokkmokksmarknad)

The Sámis are a nomadic people of ancient origin who still make their living keeping reindeer herds in the northernmost regions of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, and on the Kola Peninsula of the former Soviet Union. They started holding the Winter Fair, or Market, in Jokkmokk, Sweden, more than 400 years ago. The four-day event draws many visitors who are curious about Sámi culture. It includes the marking of the reindeer, reindeer roundup demonstrations, folk music and dance, films, lectures, and the sale of special Sámi foods and handicrafts. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Simple Machines

Practically every machine in existence incorporates one or more simple machines, elementary mechanical devices that change the magnitude or the direction of a force. These include the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw. The idea of the “simple machine” originated with the Greek philosopher Archimedes around the 3rd century BCE, but it was not until 1600 that scientists showed that simple machines only transform energy and do not create it. Who figured this out? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary