Diana’s beauty and unprecedented popularity as a member of the royal family attracted intense press attention, and she became one of the most photographed women in the world. After her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, she remained highly visible and continued her activities on behalf of numerous charities. In 1997, she was killed in a car crash in Paris, along with her companion, Dodi al-Fayed, and their driver. Who was blamed for the accident in subsequent investigations? Discuss
Month: August 2024
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821)
Helmholtz was one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century. He made fundamental contributions to physiology, optics, electrodynamics, mathematics, acoustics, and meteorology, but he is best known for formulating the mathematical law of conservation of energy. His approach was strongly empirical at a time when many scientists embraced deductions from mental concepts. He described body heat and energy, nerve conduction, and the physiology of the eye. What medical instruments did he invent? Discuss
Pica
Characterized by the consumption of materials such as soil, chalk, and hair, pica is a disorder involving an appetite for non-nutritive substances or an abnormal compulsion to eat foodstuffs that are usually ingredients, such as flour or starch. Such eating behaviors have been observed in people of all ages but are only termed pica if they persist for more than one month in persons deemed developmentally able to determine whether an item is appropriate for consumption. How is pica treated? Discuss
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Nancy Wake (1912)
Wake, who lived to the age of 98, was one of World War II’s most decorated servicewomen. A New Zealand native, she left home at 16 and eventually settled in Paris. When the Germans occupied France, Wake joined the resistance. Pursued by the Gestapo, she fled to Britain, where she joined the Special Operations Executive. In 1944, she parachuted back into France to help establish communications between the British military and French Resistance. What nickname did the Gestapo have for her? Discuss
The Total Solar Eclipse of 1999
Often considered the most-viewed total solar eclipse in human history, the eclipse of August 11, 1999, was the first total eclipse visible from Europe in nearly a decade. The path of the moon’s shadow began in the Atlantic Ocean just before noon and traversed England, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Serbia before reaching maximum coverage in Romania and continuing across Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India. What spacecraft also observed the moon’s shadow? Discuss
gutsy
Definition: (adjective) Marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited.
Synonyms: plucky.
Usage: Though she lost her arm in a violent shark attack, the gutsy teen refused to abandon her dream of becoming a world-class surfer and soon returned to the water.
Discuss
US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Incident (2007)
In 2007, six cruise missiles with nuclear warheads were mistakenly loaded onto a US Air Force bomber and transported from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana without the knowledge the flight crew. A military investigation of the incident found that a number of procedures for handling nuclear weapons had been carried out improperly by numerous service members. Disciplinary actions were taken against many officers, including what high-ranking officials? Discuss
Ingrid Bergman (1915)
Bergman was a Swedish actress who specialized in portrayals of strong, sophisticated women. Her radiance and unaffected charm made her a star in films such as Casablanca, Gaslight, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious. A scandal caused by her affair with director Roberto Rossellini kept her off the US screen for seven years and forced her to return to Europe until 1956, when she made her successful Hollywood comeback in Anastasia. How many Academy Awards did she win? Discuss
Carnivorous Plants
Usually found in places with thin or nutrient-poor soil, carnivorous plants derive some or most of their sustenance by attracting, trapping, and digesting insects, small animals, and protozoans. Though there are hundreds of species of carnivorous plants, they all attract and trap prey using any of 5 basic mechanisms: pitfall traps, flypaper traps, snap traps, bladder traps, and lobster-pot traps. Just two species are classified as “active” snap traps; one is the Venus flytrap, what is the other? Discuss