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The Sugar Glider

Found mainly in Australia and the nearby islands of Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, the sugar glider, or Petaurus breviceps, is a type of small, nocturnal marsupial that glides from tree to tree feeding on insects and nectar. A parachute-like fold of furry skin between its front and hind legs allows it to glide across distances as great as 492 ft (150 m) in much the same way as a flying squirrel. How does a dominant male sugar glider mark his territory? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

machination

Definition: (noun) A crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end.

Synonyms: intrigue.

Usage: During his early youth he had to contend against the machinations of a malignant uncle, who would have robbed him of his large possessions.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shock Waves

A shock wave is created when a powerful explosion within a fluid forms a zone of extremely high pressure that propagates through the fluid faster than the speed of sound. A shock wave carries energy and can have destructive effects as it impinges on solid objects, but it decays rapidly as it moves further away from its point of origin and gradually changes into an ordinary sound wave. How does a shock wave differ from a sonic boom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

downplay

Definition: (verb) Represent as less significant or important.

Synonyms: understate, minimize.

Usage: As the police interrogated him, Henry tried desperately to downplay his role in the bank robbery.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine)

The custom of burying a “sardine” on Ash Wednesday is common throughout Spain and is thought to have originated in an old fertility custom symbolizing the burial of winter in early spring. The Entierro de la Sardina also symbolizes the burial of worldly pleasures and serves as a reminder that people must abstain from eating meat on Fridays throughout the 40 days of Lent. Another Spanish custom is to make figures representing the King and Queen of Carnival and to burn or drown these personifications of Carnival on Ash Wednesday or Shrove Tuesday. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gamma Knife

The Gamma Knife is a device used in stereotactic radiosurgery to produce precise lesions in specific areas of pathologic tissue in deep-seated central nervous system structures. The apparatus uses 201 beams of gamma radiation, which are carefully aimed to converge on a specific intracranial target, to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors, and treat vascular anomalies while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. What specialized equipment do patients wear during treatment? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

hoarfrost

Definition: (noun) Frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface.

Synonyms: rime.

Usage: In the morning, one will arise as fresh as a lark and look at the window, and see the fields overlaid with hoarfrost, and fine icicles hanging from the naked branches.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pancake Day

For the people of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, Pancake Day is more than another name for Shrove Tuesday. The old custom of making pancakes on the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday has survived in the form of a Pancake Race. Ladies of both towns run a 450-yard course, and participants must wear a skirt, an apron, and a headscarf, and must toss their pancakes in the air three times as they run. The winner of the Kansas race is announced by a phone call to Olney immediately after it is over. The Olney race dates back to 1445; the Liberal, Kansas, race has been run since 1950. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Space Elevator

A space elevator is a hypothetical megastructure capable of transporting material from Earth—or another celestial body—into space without the use of rockets. The concept was first conceived by Russian inventor Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895. Many of today’s proposed designs incorporate tensile towers built out of advanced materials like carbon nanotubes, which are very strong and lightweight. By 1978, technology had advanced enough that working space elevators could have been constructed where? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

steadfast

Definition: (adjective) Marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable.

Synonyms: unbendable, unfaltering, unshakable, unwavering, firm, steady, stiff.

Usage: He remained steadfast in his belief that he had done the right thing.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary