In 1940, four teens uncovered a fantastic archeological site, a cave system decorated with prehistoric paintings, drawings, and engravings that have been dated to about 15,000–13,000 BCE. Many of the paintings are drawn over former works, enabling experts to trace stylistic developments over more than 1,000 years. The later paintings, featuring animals along with signs and symbols, exhibit an advanced artistic quality and technical skill. Why was the cave closed to the public in 1963? Discuss
Month: September 2023
Defenders' Day
Defenders’ Day, a legal holiday in Maryland, celebrates the anniversary of the battle of North Point. The battle took place near Baltimore on September 12, 1814; two days later, the unsuccessful British attack on Baltimore’s Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to jot down the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” For this reason the two events are celebrated more or less in conjunction on September 12. Defenders’ Day is celebrated with a number of patriotic events, including an annual mock bombardment of the fort on the weekend nearest September 12. Discuss
Richard Jordan Gatling (1818)
Gatling, an inventor who began his career creating agricultural devices including a rice-sowing machine and a steam plow, is best remembered as the creator of a rapid-firing gun that was the precursor of the modern machine gun. He offered his Gatling gun to the Union army in the Civil War, but only a few were put into use toward the war’s end. For a time, Gatling worked on improving the gun, but he eventually went back to devising agricultural machinery. What were some of his other inventions? Discuss
have a/the right to (something)
To have the just or legal permission, privilege, or authority to have or own something. Watch the video
Rhinoplasty, an Ancient Art?
Commonly called a “nose job,” rhinoplasty is surgery performed to improve either the function or appearance of a person’s nose. Sushruta, an Indian physician, developed rhinoplasty around 500 BCE. It was a necessary procedure at the time, because nose amputation was used as a punishment for certain crimes. Some of the techniques Sushruta developed are still in use today. In 1887, the first intranasal rhinoplasty was performed in the West. In modern rhinoplasty, what does the acronym SIMON mean? Discuss
cuspidor
Coptic New Year (Feast of El-Nayrouz)
Members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the native Christian church in Egypt, celebrate the New Year on September 11 because it is the day on which the Dog Star, Sirius, rises in the Egyptian sky, announcing the flooding of the Nile and the new planting season. To commemorate the martyrs of the church, red vestments and altar clothes are used on this day. A food of special significance on this day is the red date: red recalls the martyrs’ blood, the light-colored flesh of the date symbolizes their purity, and the stony pit symbolizes their steadfast faith. Discuss
O. Henry (1862)
O. Henry was the pseudonym of American short-story writer William Sydney Porter. As a young man, he wrote for newspapers and worked as a bank teller in Texas, where he was convicted of embezzlement. Although many people believed him innocent, he fled to Honduras. He soon returned, however, when his wife became fatally ill. He eventually served three years in prison, during which time he began writing short stories noted for their surprise endings. What was the origin of his pen name? Discuss
have a mountain to climb
To have an extremely difficult, seemingly impossible task at hand. Watch the video
Scuba Diving
Deep sea diving is generally performed with the aid of a breathing apparatus. Scuba (an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is a system that delivers air to the diver at the same pressure exerted by the surrounding water. Most scuba divers limit their descent to about 130 ft (40 m), though certain record setters have reached depths of 300 ft (91 m) or more. At depths beyond 130 ft, nitrogen narcosis may set in; how does this condition impair a diver’s judgment? Discuss