Darrow was an American lawyer and a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union. He worked to free anarchists charged with murder in the Haymarket Riot, and his defense of Eugene V. Debs established his reputation as a union lawyer. Later came sensational criminal cases that displayed his eminence as a defense lawyer, especially the Loeb-Leopold murder case. Perhaps his most famous case was the Scopes trial, in which he defended a high school teacher who was charged with what? Discuss
Author: Ian
in hospital
Receiving medical or surgical treatment, care, or attention at a hospital. Primarily heard in UK. Watch the video
The Sword of Gou Jian
In 1965, archeologists excavating ancient tombs in Hubei, China, discovered a bronze sword sheathed tightly in a wooden scabbard. The weapon had been in a wet, underground tomb for over 2,000 years, yet the blade remained untarnished and sharp. Scientists, amazed by the sword’s resilience, tested it to determine its chemical composition and found it to be an alloy of six metals. What does the “text of birds and worms” inscribed on the blade tell historians about the artifact? Discuss
charwoman
Definition: (noun) A woman hired to do cleaning or similar work, usually in a large building.
Synonyms: cleaning lady.
Usage: The charwoman cleaned every bathroom in the office building after the executives left for the evening.
Discuss
Ill-Fated Apollo 13 Spacecraft Returns to Earth Safely (1970)
Less than a year after the first lunar landing, Apollo 13 departed for the moon. Two days into the mission, an oxygen tank exploded, severely damaging the spacecraft’s electrical system, and the landing had to be aborted. Despite limited power, loss of cabin heat, a shortage of potable water, and the need to improvise a carbon dioxide removal system, the craft returned safely to Earth. The immortal line from the mission—”Houston, we have a problem”—is a misquote. What was actually said? Discuss
John Pierpont Morgan (1837)
The son of a financier, Morgan began his career as an accountant before being named a partner in the firm that became J.P. Morgan and Company. One of the world’s most powerful railroad magnates, he formed a syndicate to supply the US Treasury’s depleted gold reserves and financed the mergers that formed General Electric and US Steel Corporation—the world’s first billion-dollar corporation. In addition to being a noted art collector, Morgan had one of America’s most important collections of what? Discuss
in the hope that
With the expectation, intention, or desire that (something will happen). Watch the video
Astrobiology
Astrobiology, also called exobiology, combines aspects of astronomy, biology, and geology in an interdisciplinary study of life in space. According to astrobiologists, the search for extraterrestrial life throughout the universe is governed by 6 basic parameters that determine whether an environment can support life: temperature, pressure, salinity, acidity, water availability, and oxygen content. Which 3 planetary bodies, located within our solar system, are best equipped to sustain life? Discuss
figurine
Tensions between US and USSR First Described as "Cold War" (1947)
Lasting from the end of WWII until 1991, the Cold War was a period of political hostility and military tension between the Western powers, primarily the US and its allies, and the Communist bloc. Although there were a number of military conflicts during this time, including the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War was waged mainly on political, economic, and propaganda fronts. Who first used the term “Cold War” to describe the conflict? Discuss