Month: November 2023

Louis Daguerre (1787)

Originally a scene painter for the opera, Daguerre was a French inventor who devised one of the first practical photographic processes—the daguerreotype. He, in collaboration with Nicéphore Niépce, found that a permanent image could be formed on a silver iodide-coated copper plate if it was exposed to light, then fumed with mercury vapor and fixed by a solution of common salt. His daguerreotype process was announced in 1839 at the Academy of Sciences. Who acquired the patent for the invention? Discuss

The Rocket-Propelled Grenade

The term rocket-propelled grenade is actually a misnomer stemming from the Russian acronym for a handheld anti-tank grenade-launcher. The RPG, developed by the Soviets during WWII, is a low-cost, low-tech, direct fire, portable weapon used primarily against unarmored or medium-armored vehicles and personnel. Though it is largely ineffective against heavily armored vehicles and has a low level of accuracy, the RPG has become a favored weapon in what modern conflicts? Discuss

First Computer Mouse Patented (1970)

While working at the Stanford Research Institute in the early 1960s, human-computer interaction pioneer Doug Engelbart invented the first computer mouse, so called because of its resemblance to the small rodent. His mouse was constructed out of a wooden box and two wheels set perpendicular to one another. The rotation of each wheel was translated into motion along one axis, and this information was relayed to the computer to indicate the mouse’s position. What is the proper plural of “mouse”? Discuss

Martin Scorsese (1942)

Scorsese is an American film director whose movies often deal with violent and obsessive aspects of modern America and the themes of sin and redemption. He won critical attention for his film Mean Streets in 1973 and went on to make a number of acclaimed films, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Departed, for which he finally received the Academy Award for best director. What vocation did Scorsese pursue before attending film school? Discuss

The Four Humors

In the 3rd century BCE, Hippocrates introduced his theory of Humoralism. It was based on the notion that 4 fluids, each corresponding to one of the 4 elements, permeate the human body and cause disease when not in balance. Theories regarding the 4 humors—blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm—expanded over the years, and in the 2nd century CE, Galen published a treatise which associated a specific temperament with each humor. What humor was thought to cause a melancholic disposition? Discuss

UNESCO Founded (1945)

Established in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to further peace by acting as a clearinghouse for the exchange of ideas and knowledge and by improving education, especially supporting efforts to eliminate illiteracy. In 1972, it helped establish the World Heritage program, which promotes government protection for cultural sites and natural areas. Why did the US and the UK withdraw from UNESCO in the mid-1980s? Discuss