Urbex: Urban Exploration

Urbex is the exploration of the normally unseen or off-limits structures of urban environments or industrial facilities, such as abandoned subway tunnels, missile silos, grain elevators, asylums, schools, and amusement parks. Urban explorers often face myriad dangers in such areas, including toxic chemicals, broken glass, and collapsing floors. Arrest for trespassing is also a risk. The unspoken rule of urbex is: Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Costa Rica Annexation of Guanacaste Day

Annexation of Guanacaste Day is a Costa Rican national holiday, also known as Guanacaste Day. It marks the annexation of Guanacaste, the northern part of the Nicoya peninsula, from Nicaragua. The inhabitants of Guanacaste voted to join the state of Costa Rica on July 25, 1824. The holiday is celebrated with street fiestas, folk dancing, horse parades, and cattle shows. There are organized activities in major parks, and bullfights are a traditional part of the celebration in the Nicoya peninsula, where the holiday festivities typically last for several days.

Source: The Free Dictionary

En Pointe

En pointe is the classical ballet technique of dancing on the tips of the toes. Primarily the domain of female dancers, it conveys an appearance of fairy-like weightlessness. Pointe work is accomplished with the aid of specialized ballet shoes that have a flat, stiff front that supports the toes and a shank that supports the arch. Still, dancing en pointe puts tremendous stress on dancers’ feet and requires extensive training. Why should dancers be at least 12 before starting to dance en pointe?

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cornouaille Festival

The Celtic heritage of the Breton people comes alive every year in Quimper, a town in the district of Cornouaille. Located in Brittany, a region in northwestern France, Quimper has hosted this festival of traditional dance, music, storytelling, food, and games for more than 70 years. People dress in Breton costumes, which include elaborate lace bonnets for the women and shallow, brimmed hats for the men. Many of Brittany’s inhabitants still speak the ancient Celtic language brought to the region by its first settlers some 2,500 years ago. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

William of Ockham

Born around 1285, William of Ockham was an English Franciscan philosopher, theologian, and political writer. He is remembered as the originator of the medieval rule of logical economy known as Ockham’s razor, the doctrine that unnecessary assumptions should be avoided in formulating hypotheses. He was excommunicated by Pope John XXII for his defense of the Franciscan notion of poverty and the rights of the empire against the papacy. He died in Bavaria. How did he come to be there? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Minneapolis Aquatennial Festival

The Aquatennial Festival that takes place in Minneapolis is not only a celebration of summer, but of the region’s many rivers and lakes as well. Of the nearly 50 events in the festival, one of the most popular is the Milk Carton Boat Race, a competition for vessels made entirely from milk cartons. First held in 1940, the Aquatennial Festival also features such events as the evening Torchlight Parade and the Grande Day Parade, a sand castle competition, a sailing regatta, a triathlon, and a fireworks display. More than 800,000 people attend the 10-day annual festival. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bacterial Conjugation

First observed in 1946, bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells through a bridge-like connection during direct contact between the cells. The transferred information is often beneficial to the recipient cell and can include material involved in antibiotic resistance. The process is easily interrupted—some scientists have disrupted it simply using a blender—and such breaks stop the transfer. How does the transfer of genetic material take place? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary