Month: April 2019

Down Feathers

Down feathers are the soft, fine feathers that lie underneath the tougher exterior feathers of some adult birds and help prevent the loss of body heat. Because of its light weight, compressibility, and ability to retain heat, down is considered the best insulation material for outdoor equipment and is used in goods such as jackets, pillows, and sleeping bags. The discovery of feathers encased in ancient amber suggests that what now-extinct creatures may have also sported down-like feathers? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gentleman

In English law, a gentleman was one who bore a coat of armor, was entitled to bear arms, and ranked above yeomen. However, by the 19th century, the word’s association with social rank had diminished, and rather than signify a distinction of blood, the term came to describe a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated. Today, it is often used, alongside “lady,” to emphasize norms expected in polite society. What qualities are associated with the Confucian “gentleman,” the junzi? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hillsborough Disaster (1989)

The Hillsborough Disaster occurred in 1989 during a soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough stadium in England. When the match began, many fans were still attempting to enter the stadium, forming a bottleneck at the gate. When the gates were opened, the push from the crowd crushed many against barriers, resulting in the deaths of 96 people. It remains the deadliest stadium-related disaster in British history. What factors are believed to have led to the disaster? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Problem of Evil

The “problem of evil” is the philosophical and theological dilemma of how to reconcile the existence of evil with the idea of an omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient deity. Some philosophers argue that the existence of such a God and of evil are logically incompatible. Others say that true free will cannot exist without the possibility of evil, that suffering is necessary for spiritual growth, or that evil is the consequence of a fallen world. What is the “problem of good”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lindsborg Messiah Festival

The first Messiah Festival in Lindsborg, Kansas, was held in 1882 by a group of Swedish immigrants led by Dr. Carl Swensson and his wife Alma. Using the local townspeople, the Swenssons established what is now known as the Bethany Oratorio Society, a group of 400 singers that includes faculty and students from Bethany College and a 50-member symphony orchestra. The annual festival’s program consists primarily of choral works, oratorios, and solo recitals. Lindsborg’s Messiah Festival is often referred to as the “Oberammergau of the Plains.” Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Coelacanths

Coelacanths, powerful predators with limb-like fins, appeared about 350 million years ago. Once considered the missing link between fish and tetrapods, they were thought to have become extinct 80 million years ago—until one was caught in 1938 near the southern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. They are deep-sea fish with hollow fin spines and average 5 ft (1.5 m) in length and weigh approximately 100 lb (45 kg). How is the coelacanth’s heart different from those of other vertebrates? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary