Definition: (noun) A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.
Synonyms: aperient, cathartic, purgative.
Usage: “Affery, woman,” said Mr. Flintwinch, with a friendly grin on his expressive countenance, “if you ever have a dream of this sort again, it’ll be a sign of your being in want of physic.”
Discuss
Month: November 2022
Carter Breaches Entrance to Tutankhamun's Tomb (1922)
In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter had one last chance at a successful excavation in Egypt before his patron, Lord Carnarvon, withdrew financial backing. Luckily, the two soon became the first to enter the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun in some 3,000 years. The tomb was almost completely intact, and its treasures made Tutankhamen perhaps the best-known of the pharaohs despite his early death and limited accomplishments. What did Carter reportedly say upon accessing the tomb? Discuss
Norbert Wiener (1894)
A child prodigy, Wiener graduated college at age 14 and earned his PhD at 18. Several years later, he joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he became a professor of mathematics. He made significant contributions to a number of areas in the field, but he is best known for his theory of cybernetics—the comparative study of control and communication in humans and machines. In an article titled “A Scientist Rebels,” Wiener urged his fellow scientists to do what? Discuss
hold up (one's) end (of the bargain)
To fulfill or attend to one’s obligation(s) or promise(s) as agreed; to do one’s agreed part in some arrangement. Watch the video
Graffiti
Graffiti is a form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. Derived from the Italian word graffio (“scratch”), “graffiti” technically applies to designs scratched through a layer of paint or plaster, but its meaning has evolved over the centuries. Graffiti has been found in ancient Roman ruins and in medieval English churches. Today, its common targets are subways, billboards, and walls. Who is Banksy? Discuss
phagocyte
Definition: (noun) A cell, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and absorbs waste material, harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies in the bloodstream and tissues.
Synonyms: scavenger cell.
Usage: The doctor was fond of referring to phagocytes as “sanitation workers.”
Discuss
Battle of Montgisard (1177)
The Kingdom of Jerusalem—a feudal state created by the leaders of the First Crusade in the areas they had wrested from the Muslims in Syria and Palestine—came under attack in the Battle of Montgisard. Although heavily outnumbered, sickly king Baldwin IV and his troops defeated renowned Kurdish military general Saladin by surprising his army en route. The kingdom enjoyed a brief truce before Saladin renewed his attacks. What powerful Christian military order participated in the battle? Discuss
Andrew Carnegie (1835)
Famed Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie amassed a huge fortune in iron and steel during the American Industrial Revolution, eventually selling his firm to J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Steel Corporation for several hundred million dollars. However, Carnegie was not content to keep his riches to himself. Guided by the belief that the rich are “trustees” of their wealth and must administer it for the good of the public, he donated how much of his fortune during his lifetime? Discuss
Hell hath no fury like a (certain type of person) scorned
No one will have a greater wrath or vengeance than (this type of person) when he or she has been wronged. A hyperbolic and often humorous play on the phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” in which any person, demographic, or profession may be substituted for “woman.” Watch the video
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 film that combines animation and live action. It is set in 1947 in a fictionalized Hollywood where animated characters live and work alongside humans. At the time of its release, the film was one of the most expensive ever made, costing $70 million, but it earned more than $150 million at the US box office alone. It is now seen as a groundbreaking film that sparked a new era in American animation. What Academy Awards did it win? Discuss