Definition: (adjective) Of, given to, characterized by, or having the nature of digression.
Synonyms: rambling, digressive, discursive.
Usage: What started as a few excursive remarks soon turned into a long, rambling speech about this and that.
Discuss
Month: March 2024
Bahá'í Calendar Begins (1844)
Founded in Iran in the mid-19th century by Baha’ Ullah, Bahá’í is a religion based on the unity of all faiths. Adherents pray daily, fast 19 days a year, and follow a strict ethical code. Because of the religion’s 19 initial disciples, the number 19 is considered sacred, and the Bahá’í calendar, which began in 1844, consists of 19 months of 19 days, with four additional “intercalary” days. Today is the first day of the 168th year of the Bahá’í Era. On what day does the Bahá’í week begin? Discuss
Joseph Fourier (1768)
Fourier was a French mathematician and Egyptologist. As an engineer on the Egyptian expedition led by Napoleon—who later made him a baron—he conducted anthropological investigations and wrote the preface to the monumental Description de l’Égypte, whose publication he oversaw. In mathematics, he is primarily known for his work in heat conduction and for his use of the Fourier series to solve differential equations. Whom did Fourier inspire to study Egyptology? Discuss
when pigs can fly
At a time that will never come to pass. (Used to show skepticism or cynicism over someone’s hypothetical remark.) Watch the video
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran
The Islamic Revolution’s Guards (IRG) is the largest branch of Iran’s military. It is separate from, and parallel to, the other arm of the Iran’s military and is equipped with its own ground forces, navy, air force, intelligence, and special forces. The IRG’s stated role is to maintain national security, yet the force is also rumored to have ties with terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. The IRG also controls the Basij force, which has a potential strength of how many million volunteers? Discuss
haggard
Dutch East India Company Established (1602)
Chartered by the parliament of the Netherlands to expand trade and assure close ties between the government and its colonial enterprises in Asia, the Dutch East India Company was the world’s first multinational corporation. It had quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, and wrested control of the Spice Islands trade from Portugal. However, it was plagued by corruption and insolvency in the late 18th century and was dissolved. What issues contributed to its decline? Discuss
Henrik Ibsen (1828)
Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright, is considered the father of modern theater. Emphasizing character over plot, he explored psychological conflicts stemming from frustrated love and destructive family relationships, and he addressed social problems such as political corruption and the changing role of women. Many considered his plays scandalous, but he earned a worldwide audience with powerful studies of middle-class morality, such as A Doll’s House. What, allegedly, were Ibsen’s last words? Discuss
the idiot box
slang A television set, or television in general. Watch the video
Antivenin: The Antidote
Antivenin is a biological material used to neutralize the venom of poisonous creatures like snakes, scorpions, spiders, and other insects. The antitoxins are created by injecting a small amount of venom into a serum-producing animal such as a horse, sheep, goat, or rabbit. The subject animal then suffers an immune response to the venom and produces antibodies which can be harvested from its blood and used to treat envenomation in others. What is mithridatism, and why is it so named? Discuss