Lumet was an American film and television director with over 50 films to his name, three of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Director. He began acting as a child, appearing in Yiddish productions and on Broadway. After serving in WWII, he began directing plays and teaching acting. He directed more than 200 television dramas before making his debut as a movie director in 1957 with the acclaimed Twelve Angry Men. For what did Lumet receive an Academy Award in 2005? Discuss
Month: June 2024
Cylinder Seals
A cylinder seal is a roller-like object made from hard stone, glass, or ceramics and engraved with a “picture story.” Used in ancient times to roll an impression onto wet clay, seals incorporated sociological or religious images and were used to mark graves, doors, storage jars, amulets, and cloth. Later, they were even used to notarize clay documents. What ancient ruler is featured on a famous cylinder that depicts him aiming his bow at a lion? Discuss
nerveless
One of the First Major Outbreaks of St. John's Dance (1374)
Germany was the site of one of the first outbreaks of dancing mania, a phenomenon seen primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. During such outbreaks, groups of up to thousands of people would dance uncontrollably, screaming, shouting, and claiming to have visions until they collapsed from exhaustion. Initially considered a curse sent by a saint, usually St. John the Baptist, it was called “St. John’s Dance.” To what do researchers now attribute the strange behavior? Discuss
Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795)
Weber was a German physiologist who is known for his work on touch and for the formulation of Weber’s law—which states that the increase in stimulus necessary to produce an increase in sensation is not fixed but depends on the strength of the preceding stimulus. Weber’s law led to the discipline of psychophysics and serves as the basis of the scales used to measure the loudness of sounds. He is considered a founder of experimental psychology and is also known for what discoveries in anatomy? Discuss
Chatterbots
If you had a recent conversation with ELIZA, PARRY, A.L.I.C.E., or ELLA, you were talking to a chatterbot, a computer program designed to simulate an intelligent conversation with human users through auditory or textual prompts. Though many appear to be interpreting human input before providing a response, most chatterbots simply scan for keywords and pull a similar reply from a database. Some people find these sorts of conversations engaging. What book was allegedly written by a chatterbot? Discuss
facile
Definition: (adjective) Working, acting, or speaking with effortless ease and fluency.
Synonyms: eloquent, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken, fluent, silver.
Usage: Those facile and brilliant phrases and ideas struck me as the finest things I had yet known in literature, and I borrowed the book and read it through.
Discuss
Glassboro Summit Conference Begins (1967)
The Glassboro Summit Conference was a meeting between US President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin that took place at Hollybush mansion at Glassboro State College in New Jersey. Although the two leaders failed to reach agreement on anything important, the generally friendly atmosphere of the summit became known as the “Spirit of Glassboro” and is believed to have somewhat improved Soviet-US relations. What two wars were major subjects of discussion at the conference? Discuss
Festa de São João do Porto (So Joo Festival)
June 23, the eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, is celebrated each year in Porto, Portugal, with a curious ritual. Festival-goers tap each other on the head with plastic hammers or leeks. Some say the gesture indicates romantic interest, others claim it brings good luck to the recipient. The custom can be traced to pagan times; indeed, the fireworks, music, all-night dancing, and colorful processions that feature on St. John’s Eve are more closely allied to pagan summer solstice rituals than religious observances. A large amount of wine is drunk, and grilled sardines are consumed. Discuss
Bob Fosse (1927)
Born into a vaudeville family, Fosse began dancing professionally at age 13. He won his first Tony Award for choreographing the Broadway musical The Pajama Game in 1954 and went on to win six more Tonys for his choreography, which was known for its sensuality, precision, and jazz sensibility. His later hit shows included Damn Yankees and Sweet Charity—both starring his wife, Gwen Verdon. Fosse was the first person to win what three awards in the same year? Discuss