Month: September 2022

First Photos Taken of a Giant Squid in the Wild (2004)

In 2004, two teams of Japanese researchers traveled to a sperm whale hunting ground south of Tokyo, where they attached bait, a camera, and a flash to a 3,000-foot (914-m) line. After numerous attempts to lure their prey, a 26-foot (8-m) giant squid attacked and became entangled in the lure, breaking free after more than 500 photos were taken over a four-hour period. What did the photos—the first ever taken of a live giant squid in its natural habitat—reveal about the mysterious creature? Discuss

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207)

Rumi was a great Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose influence has spread to Persian-speakers in Afghanistan, central Asia, Turkey, and beyond. His Masnavi-ye Manavi, a six-volume work of spiritual teaching and Sufi lore related in the form of stories and lyric poetry, widely influenced Muslim mystical thought and literature. Rumi’s followers founded the Mevlevi order, whose members use dancing and music as part of their spiritual method and are popularly known by what name? Discuss

Code Talkers

“Code talkers” were Native American soldiers in the US military who transmitted secret messages using codes based on their native languages. Though code talking was used as early as World War I, it is chiefly associated with Navajo language speakers in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Navajo code baffled the Japanese, and, according to military officers, was key to the American victory in the Battle of Iwo Jima. What was it about this “code” that made it so difficult to crack? Discuss

Japan Resumes Diplomatic Relations with China (1972)

The first Sino-Japanese War in the late 19th century damaged relations between the two countries for decades, as it marked the emergence of imperial Japan and saw harsh terms imposed on a badly defeated China. Relations did not improve until Kakuei Tanaka was elected prime minister of Japan in 1972. Shortly after his election, Tanaka visited China and signed an agreement establishing diplomatic relations between Japan and the Beijing regime. Who else made a historic visit to China in 1972? Discuss

Election of the Lord Mayor of London

Since 1546, Michaelmas has been the day on which the Lord Mayor of London is elected each year. Two candidates are chosen from among the city aldermen who have already served a term of office as sheriff. The ceremony begins when the current Lord Mayor, two sheriffs, and 26 aldermen walk from the Mansion House to Guildhall. The candidates proceed to the Aldermen’s Court, a body of 13 aldermen whose job it is to select the mayor. Once the voting is over, an ornate horse-drawn coach carries the new mayor to the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s official residence since 1753. Discuss

Miguel de Cervantes (1547)

Cervantes was a Spanish author best known for Don Quixote de la Mancha, his novel about an aging “knight.” A superb burlesque of the popular romances of chivalry, the work was an enormous success and has had an indelible effect on the development of the European novel. Cervantes himself led an eventful life: he was imprisoned several times, captured by pirates, and sold as a slave. How long was he enslaved before his family managed to scrape together the money to secure his release? Discuss

Murphy's Law

Murphy’s Law is the humorous axiom stating that anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong. Its namesake is likely Edward A. Murphy, an engineer on US Air Force rocket-sled experiments. During one trial, someone methodically wired each sensor involved in an experiment backwards, prompting Murphy to remark, “If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.” How did Murphy’s Law become known to the public? Discuss