In late 1999, 5-year-old Elián González and his mother left Cuba on a boat with a dozen other people seeking asylum in the US. Elián’s mother and several others died during the voyage, and Elián was found on an inner tube by fishermen off the coast of Florida. He was released into the custody of his uncle in Miami, but his father in Cuba pressed for his return. The custody dispute ended in an armed raid on the Miami house, and Elián returned to Cuba with his father. What has he said since? Discuss
Month: April 2021
brain surgery
A task requiring extreme intelligence, skill, or competence, usually used in a negative or rhetorical manner to indicate the opposite. Watch the video
Electrophysiology
Electrophysiology is the branch of physiology concerned with determining the basic mechanisms by which electric currents are generated within living organisms, particularly in the nervous system. The electrical properties of biological cells and tissues are studied using a number of different methods. Classical techniques involve placing electrodes into biological tissue, and even into individual cells. What are some electrophysiology projects that have been awarded the Nobel Prize? Discuss
halfhearted
silly
Kartini Day
Kartini Day is an Indonesian holiday commemorating the birth in 1879 of Raden Ajeng Kartini, one of the country’s national heroes and a pioneer in the emancipation of Indonesian women. After marrying in 1903, she began a fight for the right of women to be educated and against the unwritten but all-pervading Javanese law, Adat. Throughout Indonesia on this day, women wear their national dress to symbolize their unity, and the nation enjoys parades, lectures, and various school activities. Discuss
bragging rights
The authority and freedom to boast or brag of one’s achievements that comes from having won a contest or succeeded in some way, especially against a close rival. Watch the video
Airglow
In Earth’s upper atmosphere, ultraviolet light from the Sun ionizes atoms and dissociates molecules at heights between 40 and 200 miles (64 and 322 kilometers) above the planet’s surface. When the fragments collide and recombine, some atoms and molecules are left with excess energy, which they release as light, known as airglow. Airglow hampers optical telescopic observations on Earth by reducing the apparent contrast between stars and space. What types of atoms are involved in the phenomenon? Discuss
fragrancy
stall
loge – A booth or stall; also a box in a theatre. More…
cage – Came to English from Latin cavea, “enclosure for animals; coop, hive, or stall”—or “dungeon.” More…
install – Its earliest sense was “place in office by seating in a stall or official seat,” from Old French estaler, “to place,” from estal, “place.” More…
pedestal – Comes from Old Italian piedestallo, a conflation of pie de stallo, “foot of a stall.” More…