Month: December 2020

phenomena

cosmology – The study of the world as a totality of all phenomena in space and time. More…

noology – The science of intuition and reason as phenomena of the mind. More…

ontology, phenomenology – Ontology is the branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature or essence of being or existence, the opposite of phenomenology, the science of phenomena. More…

second nature – Originally Latin secundum naturam, “according to nature,” it is from Aristotelian philosophy and contrasts with phenomena that are super naturam (“above nature,” such as God’s grace), extra naturam (“outside nature”), supra naturam (“beyond nature,” such as miracles), or contra naturam (“against nature”). More…

Asarah be-Tevet (Fast of the Tenth of Tevet)

Asarah be-Tevet is a Jewish fast day commemorating the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE that was a prelude to the destruction of the First Temple. The fast begins at first morning light on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet. In Israel, it is also a day to remember the victims of the Holocaust. However, Jews outside Israel observe Yom ha-Shoah as Holocaust Memorial Day. Discuss

Cock Throwing

Widely practiced in England until the 19th century, cock throwing was a blood sport in which people took turns throwing heavy sticks at a rooster tied to a stake until it died. If a rooster became too injured to stand, it could be propped up on sticks for the remainder of the game. It was a popular pastime for people of all classes, particularly among the young, and was traditionally practiced on Shrove Tuesday—even after it was banned. What were some variations on the brutal game? Discuss

The Gyroscope

Among the unusual properties at work in gyroscopes is the resistance of a spinning object to being tilted. If set in a free-moving framework, such an object can provide a stable point of reference even if everything else around it—an airplane, for example—tilts. The effect is so strong that large gyroscopes can even prevent ships from rolling. Today, gyroscopes are used in missile guidance, automatic steering, and video game technology. What toys, besides tops, work with gyroscopic effects? Discuss