Month: April 2019

Bat Bombs

During WWII, a dentist named Lytle Adams proposed a new method of aerial attack to the US military: the bat bomb. The plan called for containers filled with hundreds of bats fitted with small incendiary devices to be dropped over Japanese cities at dawn, a time when the nocturnal creatures would be inclined to find somewhere to roost. Shortly thereafter, the timed devices would detonate, creating widespread fires and chaos. How was his proposal received by government and military officials? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Retroviruses

A retrovirus is a type of RNA virus that reproduces itself by transcribing its DNA into the genetic material of the host cell. These viruses are therefore used as vectors by genetic engineers to import foreign DNA into certain cells. Retroviruses sometimes destroy the cells whose DNA they alter, as with HIV, and sometimes cause them to become cancerous, as with the viruses that cause certain leukemias. What enables retroviruses to rapidly develop resistance to antiviral drugs? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Founding of the People’s Army of North Korea

The founding of the People’s Army of North Korea in 1932 is marked every year with a national public holiday. The main celebration takes place in the capital city of Pyongyang and includes oratorical meetings, where various officials praise the army’s exploits. Public displays can also include parades, gun-salutes, fireworks, choruses, dance displays, and drum-beating. While many sources list February 8, 1948, as the army’s official start-date, the North Korean government observes 1932 as the date of the army’s founding. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Logos

In Greek philosophy and theology, Logos is the divine reason that orders the cosmos and gives it form and meaning. The concept is found in the sixth-century BCE writings of Heracleitus and in Persian, Indian, and Egyptian philosophical and theological systems as well. It is particularly significant in Christian theology, where it is used to describe the role of Jesus as the principle of God active in the creation and ordering of the cosmos. What is the literal meaning of the word “Logos”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Armenian Martyrs’ Day

Armenian Martyrs’ Day is a day of remembrance for the one million Armenians who died in the Turkish massacre of 1915-16. On April 24, 1915, Turks arrested Armenian political and intellectual leaders in Istanbul, killing 250 of them. That was the start of deportations, forced marches in the desert, and imprisonments that killed half the Armenian population in Turkey. Armenian communities throughout the world observe this day. In the US, many state governors issue proclamations of remembrance; there are also special services in Armenian churches. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Zhaozhou Bridge

The Zhaozhou Bridge is the oldest standing bridge in China and the world’s oldest open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge. It was constructed between 595 and 605 CE, during the Sui Dynasty, and is credited to the design of a craftsman named Li Chun. In the 1400 years that it has stood spanning the Xiao River in Hebei Province, the 167-ft- (51-m-) long bridge has survived several wars and floods and numerous earthquakes. What is the only portion of the bridge that has been regularly replaced? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary