Month: November 2021

The subject of many legends, Sappho was a Greek lyric poet who lived more than 2,500 years ago on the island of Lesbos, where she was the leader of a thiasos, an informal female community. Her verse is characterized by her passionate love of nature and women, the latter of which gave rise to the term lesbian, derived from the name of her island home. She wrote in a variety of meters, one of which has come to be known as “Sapphic” in her honor. How many of Sappho’s complete poems have survived? Discuss

Biorhythms are recurring patterns of physiological states in an organism or organ. One example is the circadian rhythm that governs humans’ sleep-wake cycle as well as their blood pressure changes and urine production during a 24-hour period. Circannual rhythms are yearly cycles that respond to changes in the length of periods of daylight. Some people believe that biorhythms affect physical and mental states and behavior. Who thought that his students’ good and bad days followed a 33-day cycle? Discuss

The Iranian government established the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) in 2003. Just two years later, it declared that it would allocate $500 million to the ISA. Though Western nations have expressed concern, fearing that Iran’s rapid advancement in space technology will improve its military capabilities, the ISA’s most noteworthy space venture to date was launching a rocket containing living organisms—a rodent, two turtles, and several worms—into space in 2010. Did the animals survive the trip? Discuss