People with color blindness are not blind in the most common sense of the word; their condition can perhaps be more accurately described as a color vision deficiency. Those who suffer from it tend to see colors in a limited range of hues—most commonly they are unable to distinguish red and green—while a rare few may not see colors at all. The condition is often genetic, but it can also be acquired through eye disease. When did the scientific community first acknowledge color blindness? Discuss
Month: January 2022
denigrate
musical instrument
piano word – One in which all of its letters can be played as notes on a musical instrument (e.g. cabbage). More…
cord, chord – Cord comes from Greek khorde, “gut, string of a musical instrument,” and chord is a refashioning of cord. More…
sweet potato – An informal name for the ocarina, a musical instrument. More…
tone color – The same as timbre, the quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or musical instrument from another. More…
28,800 Floating Bath Toys Topple into Ocean (1992)
Children’s bath toys may seem an unlikely source of oceanographic data, but that is just what they have been since 1992, when a shipment of Friendly Floatees from China went rogue while en route to Tacoma, Washington. It all began when 12 shipping containers went overboard during a storm in the Pacific. One broke open, releasing 28,800 toy ducks, beavers, frogs, and turtles into the water. Oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer began tracking their progress after the first Floatees washed ashore where? Discuss
Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835)
Japanese author, educator, and publisher Fukuzawa Yukichi grew up during a tumultuous time in Japan, as Western powers began infiltrating the country and the Japanese people’s hostility toward the ruling shogunate grew. Fukuzawa—who was intrigued by the West—traveled to the US on a diplomatic mission in 1860 and afterward became involved in Japan’s Meiji Restoration, which restored the emperor to power and rapidly modernized the country. What is considered Fukuzawa’s most important contribution? Discuss
be on (the) air
To be broadcasting live, as on television or radio. Watch the video
Kabul University
Established in the 1930s, Afghanistan’s Kabul University became a premier educational institution. By the 60s, it was so highly regarded that it was even attracting foreign scholars, who introduced students to topics like communism. However, Afghanistan’s civil war greatly disrupted university operations. Much of the faculty fled, and many of the library’s 200,000 books were sold or destroyed. The school has since regained some of its former prominence. How many of its 7,000 students are women? Discuss
sumptuous
terrier
whippet – A cross between a greyhound and a terrier. More…
terrier – A dog that “takes the earth” or unearths its prey, from Latin terra, “earth.” More…
Dobermann, pinscher – Dobermanns are named for German dog breeder Ludwig Dobermann; pinscher means “terrier” in German. More…
Jack Russell – A type of terrier—not recognized as a distinct breed— named for the Rev. John Russell (1795-1883) of Devonshire. More…
First iPhone Announced (2007)
Development of Apple’s iPhone began in 2004, when a team of about 1,000 employees began work on the highly confidential “Project Purple.” Their efforts fundamentally changed the cell phone industry and prompted the development of a host of increasingly advanced smartphones that essentially function as mobile computers. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone on January 9, 2007, at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco. What business did he prank-call as he tested features for the audience? Discuss