Category: Article of the Day

Baskerville was an American teacher and Presbyterian missionary who led a group of student soldiers against Mohammad Ali Shah during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in the early 20th century. He is thus often referred to as the “American Lafayette in Iran”—a reference to the French military officer who participated in the American Revolution. He was shot and killed 9 days after his 24th birthday in 1909. What did Persian artisans create in recognition of his courage and sacrifice? Discuss

Macabre enough to earn an appearance in two James Bond films, the garrote, a weapon used for strangulation, was used in Rome as early as the first century. The device takes many forms and can be made from a variety of materials, including chain, rope, fabric, wire, or fishing line. Used throughout history and as recently as 1974 in Spain, garrotes were also developed as execution devices. What nation became the last country in the world to abolish the death penalty by garroting in 1990? Discuss

Click fraud is a type of Internet crime that occurs when a person or computer program imitates a legitimate user clicking on a pay-per-click online advertisement. It is done to generate a per-click charge without having an interested consumer view the ad’s link. In 2004, authorities in California made what was believed to be the first click fraud arrest, detaining a man who had attempted to blackmail Google with a click fraud program he created. Why were the charges dropped without explanation? Discuss

The word barbecue can refer to many things: a specific cooking method, cooking apparatus, type of food, or party that includes such food. For many, the word brings to mind smoky meats flavored with a variety of sauces, rubs, and seasonings. However, the origins of both the word and activity are somewhat obscure. Most etymologists believe it was derived from the term “barbacoa,” which means “sacred fire pit” in the language of the Taíno people of the Caribbean. What are some other explanations? Discuss

The Adirondack Forty-Sixers is a club whose members have successfully climbed all 46 of the traditionally recognized High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The first “46ers” devised the criteria for the club in the early 20th century, selecting only those summits that rise more than 4,000 ft (1,219 m) above sea level and have at least 300 ft (91 m) of vertical rise on all sides. Some take the challenge further and re-climb all the peaks in winter. How long is the winter 46 season? Discuss

Whistled language is a form of communication that uses whistling to emulate speech, generally by imitating the intonation of a natural language. Though relatively rare, whistled language is found in cultures around the world and is especially common in parts of West Africa, where even French is whistled in some areas. Such languages enable communication over long ranges and are usually found in locations with rough terrain. What culture fines men whose whistle-speech skills are deemed subpar? Discuss

Having killed several London policemen during a botched robbery in 1910, the members of a politically motivated gang of burglars went into hiding. When their location was revealed to authorities, 200 men were sent to surround the building. This prompted a wild gunfight now known as the Siege of Sidney Street. Though outmanned, the gang members possessed superior weapons and were only overtaken when their building caught fire. Why was Winston Churchill criticized for his role in the siege? Discuss

A polymath born in Persia around 980 CE, Avicenna was, among other things, an astronomer, chemist, mathematician, poet, and the foremost physician and philosopher of his time. The Canon of Medicine, one of his most famous works, remained a standard medical text at many Islamic and European universities until the 18th century. Called the “doctor of doctors,” Avicenna is regarded as the father of modern medicine. How old was Avicenna when he began studying medicine? Discuss

The Vienna Dioscurides is an early 6th-century copy of De Materia Medica, a manuscript first created by the ancient Greek physician and pharmacologist Dioscurides. A precursor to all modern pharmacopeias, it remained in practical use until about 1600. The Vienna Dioscurides contains more than 400 pictures of animals and plants and is the earliest known manuscript to use a solid gold background. It is also the oldest surviving illustrated treatise on what type of animal? Discuss

Mud volcanoes are formations created by the geological emission of liquids and gases. They are frequently associated with earthquake zones, and when they erupt, they release an often acidic slurry as well as methane and other hydrocarbon gases. Some mud volcanoes also spew flames when they erupt, though the volcanoes themselves tend to be relatively cool. A 2006 drilling accident in Indonesia created a mud volcano that inundated a number of villages and displaced how many people? Discuss