Between the late-1970s and the mid-1990s, an elusive bomber, dubbed the “Unabomber” by the FBI, perpetrated of a series of bombings in the US that killed three people and wounded 23. In 1995, the Washington Post and The New York Times published the Unabomber’s lengthy manifesto after he pledged in return to end the bombings. A year later, the FBI, acting on information from the Unabomber’s brother, arrested Theodore Kaczynski at his isolated cabin in Montana. Whom did he target? Discuss
Month: April 2024
George Herbert (1593)
Herbert was a British metaphysical poet, ordained priest and rector, and Cambridge University orator. His poetry was entirely unpublished at the time of his death and was bequeathed to Nicholas Ferrar, who had the collection published as The Temple in 1633. The poems concern personal, doctrinal, and ritual matters and are noted for their mastery of metrical form, use of allegory and analogy, and religious devotion. Some are pattern poems, in which the lines form what? Discuss
in one blow
All at once, with a single decisive or powerful action. Watch the video
The Virus: Is It Really Alive?
A virus is a minute infectious agent that, in general, cannot be seen with a light microscope. It lacks an independent metabolism and is able to replicate only within a living host cell. A free virus particle does not carry out the functions of a living cell, such as respiration and growth, and may be thought of as a packaging device by which viral genetic material can be introduced into appropriate host cells. What are the arguments for and against classifying viruses as living organisms? Discuss
worriment
Definition: (noun) A difficulty that causes anxiety.
Synonyms: troublesomeness, inconvenience.
Usage: To him, everything was a worriment, and his anxiety increased every day.
Discuss
CN Tower Becomes World's Tallest Free-Standing Structure (1975)
In 1975, the final portion of the antenna atop Canada’s CN Tower was set in place, completing the tower and officially making it the tallest free-standing structure on land. At 1,815 ft (553 m) in height, the CN Tower surpassed the previous record holder, Russia’s Ostankino Tower, by 43 ft (13 m) but was itself surpassed in 2007 by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. According to a study, the CN Tower is struck by lightning more than any other structure in Toronto. How did ice affect the tower in 2007? Discuss
Hans Christian Andersen (1805)
Andersen was a Danish writer best known for his many collections of fairy tales, in which he broke with literary tradition and employed the idioms and constructions of spoken language. His stories are imaginative combinations of universal elements from folk legend and include such favorites as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” While some reveal an optimistic belief in the ultimate triumph of goodness and beauty, others are deeply pessimistic. What else did Andersen write? Discuss
in (one's) heyday
In, at, or during the period of one’s greatest success, power, vigor, etc. Watch the video
The History of Opium Use
The medicinal properties of opium have been known for millennia, and by 4000 BCE, both Sumerian and European cultures were using it as a narcotic. Early in the 19th century, British merchants began smuggling opium into China, and by 1905, more than a quarter of China’s male population was addicted to the drug. The generous use of opium-derived morphine in treating wounded American Civil War soldiers also produced many addicts. How much morphine does one gram of poppy seeds contain? Discuss