For his contributions to the knowledge of the evolution of stars, Indian-American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar shared the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics. His work advanced the understanding of white dwarfs, supernovas, neutron stars, and black holes. He determined the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf—about 1.44 solar masses, the Chandrasekhar limit—beyond which a star will ultimately collapse and become a neutron star or black hole. Who else in his family was a Nobel laureate? Discuss
Month: October 2022
curdle (one's) blood
To terrify someone. Watch the video
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
With the vast majority of able-bodied American men away fighting in World War II, baseball executives looked for new ways to keep the sport in the public eye. They hit upon the idea of forming a new professional league composed of women and decided to give it a try. Formed in 1943, the league lasted past the end of the war into 1954. It differed from the men’s league in pitching style, the size of the diamond and of the ball, and the fact that spring training included classes in what subject? Discuss
decanter
Texas Instruments Announces First Commercial Transistor Radio (1954)
Transistors are the basis of much modern electronic technology, including the most popular communications device in history: the transistor radio. Billions of these compact, portable radios were manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s. Battery-operated, they came in handy during electrical outages, and their pocket size sparked a change in popular music listening habits, allowing people to listen to music anywhere they went. When it was released in 1954, how much did the transistor radio cost? Discuss
Azerbaijan Independence Days
Azerbaijan observes two independence days. The May 28, 1918, establishment of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan provides the occasion for one independence celebration. As Azerbaijan came under Soviet rule two years later, its new independence day commemorates the declaration of independence made by the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan on October 18, 1991. After the USSR ceased to exist as a geopolitical entity, Azerbaijan became an official independent state on December 26, 1991. Discuss
Chuck Berry (1926)
Berry was one of the most innovative musicians of the 1950s. His unique blues-derived guitar style and witty lyrics helped define the rock music genre and earned him one of the first spots in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A dynamic performer, he is also known for his signature crouching and gliding “duck walk,” a move that has been imitated by many musicians. What legendary musician said, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry'”? Discuss
cry on (one's) shoulder
To bemoan one’s problems to someone else. Watch the video
Dr. Spock
Benjamin Spock was an American pediatrician who wrote Baby and Child Care, a perennial bestseller published in 1946. Spock was the first pediatrician to study psychoanalysis, and his revolutionary message to mothers was, “You know more than you think you do.” Retiring in 1967, he spent much of the next quarter-century living and sailing on boats, though he did serve as the People’s Party candidate for president in 1972. What extensive changes did he help bring about in child care? Discuss