Month: September 2024

Richard Wright (1908)

Wright was an American author whose works helped redefine discussions of race in the mid-20th century. The grandson of slaves, he grew up in poverty in the American south. The fictionalized autobiography Black Boy vividly describes his often harsh youth. He first came to wide attention in 1938 with a collection of short stories titled Uncle Tom’s Children and published his bestselling novel Native Son two years later. Why were some of his works reissued in 1991? Discuss

The Lafarge Poisoning Case

In one of the first trials followed by the public through daily newspaper reports, Frenchwoman Marie-Fortunée Lafarge, who stood accused of poisoning her husband with arsenic, was found guilty of murder. Her conviction in 1840 was the first to be based heavily on direct forensic toxicological evidence. During the trial, local experts presented contradictory testimony regarding the presence of arsenic in the victim’s body, and it was ultimately exhumed and tested using what new detection method? Discuss

Louis Sullivan (1856)

Sullivan is considered the father of modern American architecture. After working for several Chicago firms, he joined the office of Dankmar Adler in 1879, becoming Adler’s partner at age 24. Their 14-year association produced more than 100 buildings, many of them landmarks. During this period, Frank Lloyd Wright spent six years as an apprentice to Sullivan, who would be a major influence on the younger architect. What famous phrase did Sullivan coin to express his architectural philosophy? Discuss

Space-Time

In physics, space-time is a four-dimensional continuum consisting of three dimensions in space and one dimension in time. This mathematical model, which is an integral part of Einstein’s relativity theory, combines space and time into a single continuum that allows physicists to more uniformly describe the workings of the universe. The merger of space and time is often represented as a measure of distance expressed in units of time. What novelists have referenced the topic of space-time? Discuss

CBS Evening News Expands to Half Hour (1963)

The CBS Evening News is the chief nightly news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast the program since 1948, when it was called The CBS-TV News. Legendary journalist Walter Cronkite took over as the program’s anchor in 1962, and the following year, the show was expanded from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, becoming network television’s first half-hour nightly news program. When Cronkite retired in 1981, who replaced him as the show’s anchor? Discuss

Louis Bonaparte (1778)

Louis was the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, the first Emperor of France. He accompanied Napoleon on the Italian campaign and was his aide-de-camp in Egypt. At Napoleon’s insistence, he married Hortense de Beauharnais, but the union did not last. Proclaimed king of Holland in 1806, he was criticized by Napoleon for being too easy on his subjects. His unwillingness to join the Continental System led him into conflict with Napoleon and to eventually flee his kingdom. Who was Louis’s son? Discuss

Polymers

Both DNA and plastic, two seemingly unrelated materials, are classified as polymers, compounds of usually high molecular weight consisting of a number of structural units linked together by covalent bonds. A diverse assortment of natural and synthetic materials comprises the class of polymers, including hair, polyester, and shellac. Polymers are even used in the production of microprocessor parts. What is the process that produces polymers called? Discuss