Month: September 2023

Silly Putty

When scientists tried to find a rubber substitute for the US during WWII, they stumbled upon a product that would entertain children for generations. Silly Putty is silicone plastic “clay” sold in an egg-shaped plastic container and marketed as a children’s toy. As an inorganic polymer, it can pick up ink when pressed against a newspaper; the imprint can then be stretched in any direction. It also bounces, breaks, and “melts” into a puddle. What causes these unusual flow characteristics? Discuss

Leon Czolgosz Assassinates William McKinley (1901)

In 1901, anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot US President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition, a World’s Fair in Buffalo, New York. McKinley died a week later, and Czolgosz was convicted of his murder and executed that same year. Though judged sane during the trial, Czolgosz is believed by some to have been mentally unstable after suffering a breakdown years earlier. What Broadway musical incorporates the story of Czolgosz with those of eight other presidential assassins? Discuss

Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt (1817)

Galt was a British-Canadian statesman. Born in London, he immigrated to Canada in his teens and began his political career there in 1849, eventually serving several terms as minister of finance. Although he signed the 1849 manifesto favoring the annexation of Canada by the US, he became one of the most persistent and influential leaders of the movement for confederation of the provinces and later advocated Canadian independence. He was a founding member of what company that still exists today? Discuss

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

L. Frank Baum was an American journalist, playwright, and author. In 1900, he published his most famous work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story about a girl named Dorothy who is carried by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. Baum’s fame rests largely on his 14 stories of Oz, all of which emphasize the virtues of practicality, self-reliance, tolerance, and egalitarianism. In 1938, the story was made into an extraordinarily popular motion picture. Who played the role of Dorothy? Discuss

First Continental Congress Assembles in Philadelphia (1774)

Indignation against England’s colonial policy reached fever pitch in the British North American colonies after the passage of the so-called Intolerable Acts. The First Continental Congress, made up of delegates from every colony except Georgia, was convened in Philadelphia to address grievances against British policy. At that time, only a few radical members considered the possibility of breaking with England. What course of action did the delegates elect to pursue instead? Discuss

Werner Herzog (1942)

One of the leading filmmakers in contemporary German cinema, Herzog is a prolific director, screenwriter, and producer known for his vivid and poetic films. During the 1960s, he mostly made short films but completed his first feature, Signs of Life, in 1968. He went on to make a number of films noted for their acutely observed detail and tales of danger and escape. More recently, he has made several acclaimed documentaries. What criminal act started Herzog on his filmmaking career? Discuss