Month: November 2019

Timgad

Timgad was Roman city founded by Trajan in northeast Algeria in 100 CE. The city was destroyed by Berbers in the 7th century and was unknown until excavations were begun in 1881. Today, it is popularly known as “the Pompeii of North Africa” because of its extensive, well-preserved ruins, which include a triumphal arch, public baths, a theater, a library, and a forum. For thousands of years, volcanic debris protected the ruins of Pompeii; what helped preserve the ruins of Timgad? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Martin’s Eve (Estonia)

Traditionally, children in Estonia go from door to door at dusk on St. Martin’s Eve in much the same way that American children trick-or-treat on Halloween. If they are not welcomed into the house and given treats, they retaliate by singing rude and uncomplimentary songs. Usually they’re ushered into the kitchen, where such delicacies as apples, nuts, cookies, and raisin bread are handed out. Turnips are another prized gift, as is viljandi kama, a kind of meal composed of grains and dried vegetables mixed with sour milk, sugar, and cream that is regarded as a special treat. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Sphinx

The sphinx was a mythical beast of ancient Egypt, usually represented in sculpture in a recumbent position with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The most famous of these is the Great Sphinx at Giza, built around 2500 BCE and considered by the ancients as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In Greek mythology, a sphinx poses a version of this famous riddle to Oedipus: “What walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?” What is the answer? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Brain in a Vat

For millennia, philosophers have grappled with various versions of the “brain-in-a-vat” scenario. A thought experiment, it raises questions about the individual’s ability to know anything, since a brain suspended in a vat of life-sustaining liquid and connected to a computer that provides it with electrical impulses identical to those the brain normally receives would never be able to determine whether it is in a skull or a vat. What popular film trilogy is loosely based on this concept? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Peregrine Falcon

The fastest living creature on Earth, the peregrine falcon can reach speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) when it dives to capture prey—typically other birds that it seizes in midair. Small bony tubercles on its nostrils guide the high-pressure airflow away from its lungs during a dive, while transparent inner eyelids protect its eyes. It usually nests on cliff ledges, but in urban areas skyscrapers serve as an adequate substitute. What is the primary food source of a city-living peregrine falcon? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Revolution Day

Revolution Day commemorates the October Revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Russian government by seizing power in Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg, later named Leningrad, and renamed St. Petersburg in 1991, after the collapse of the Communist Party). The coup took place on November 7 (October 25 on the Julian calendar) and through the years was celebrated as a national holiday marking the start of the Soviet regime. All this ended in 1991 with the Soviet Union’s disintegration. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary