Category: Article of the Day

The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during WWI that was precipitated by the military’s failure to create units for French-speaking forces. Instead the French-Canadian volunteers were assigned to various English-speaking units. Witnessing what they perceived as the mistreatment of the first contingent, many French-Canadians elected not to volunteer, leading legislators to pass a conscription act. What was the political aftermath of this crisis in Quebec? Discuss

Used to evaluate job recruits, potential jurors, and romantic partners, graphology is the study and analysis of handwriting, especially in relation to human psychology. Supporters cite anecdotal evidence for its accuracy in personality evaluation, but empirical studies have often failed to prove its validity. Among its most controversial forms, medical graphology uses handwriting analysis to evaluate patient health. What do proponents of holistic graphology claim John Wayne’s signature revealed? Discuss

Often called “China’s Mona Lisa,” Along the River During the Qingming Festival is a 17-ft (5.2-m) long panoramic painting that depicts life during the Song dynasty. The subject of several similar works painted over the next few hundred years, the 12th-century original depicts 814 people in a bucolic countryside and busy city and reveals some of the nuances of class structure at the time. Why do some scholars question the traditionally accepted translation of the painting’s name? Discuss

The lowest temperature theoretically achievable by a system, absolute zero is the point at which substances possess no thermal energy. In 1848, British physicist Lord Kelvin devised a temperature scale that set absolute zero, or 0°K, at -273.15°C. Although absolute zero is impossible to achieve, scientists have brought some substances within a billionth of a degree of 0°K, inducing in these materials odd quantum effects such as superconductivity. Where is the coldest known place in the universe? Discuss

Arguably the first European wars in which hand-held gunpowder weapons played a decisive role, the Hussite Wars were a series of 15th-century conflicts that followed the execution of Czech religious reformer Jan Hus by the Roman Catholic Church. Protests from his followers, called Hussites, who opposed the ascension of Emperor Sigismund to the Bohemian throne, led to three anti-Hussite crusades and a number of armed conflicts. War broke out after what was thrown out of windows in Prague? Discuss

Stari Most, meaning “The Old Bridge,” is a 16th-century bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is believed to have been the largest single-span arch bridge in the world when it was built. Charged under pain of death to construct a bridge of such unprecedented dimensions, the architect that built it reportedly prepared for his own funeral on the day the scaffolding was finally removed. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For what dangerous tradition do the people of Mostar use the bridge? Discuss

The Comanche were one of the first Native American Plains groups to adopt the horse as a significant part of their culture. By the mid-19th century, they were supplying horses to traders and settlers, but because many of the horses had been stolen, the Comanche were often drawn into battle. The group regularly attacked under the full moon, a condition which afforded them better visibility during nighttime raids and led to the term “Comanche Moon.” How far south were the feared raids carried out? Discuss

Chalk streams are watercourses originating from chalk hills, where rainwater soaks into the ground and is trapped by porous chalk rock. The chalk acts as an aquifer, filtering the water that passes through it and creating a clear, mineral-rich spring lower down on the slope. Because the chalk also regulates the flow of water to the waterway below, there is little day-to-day variation in the amount of water entering the stream. Such conditions make chalk streams an ideal venue for what activity? Discuss

A cytokine storm is a potentially fatal immune reaction that results from an uncontrolled positive feedback loop between immune cells and cytokines, proteins that facilitate intercellular communication. During an immune response, cytokines prompt immune cells to travel to the site of infection as well as stimulate the production of more cytokines. The body regulates this process, but in some cases it becomes inappropriately elevated. What are the primary symptoms of a cytokine storm? Discuss

A cytokine storm is a potentially fatal immune reaction that results from an uncontrolled positive feedback loop between immune cells and cytokines, proteins that facilitate intercellular communication. During an immune response, cytokines prompt immune cells to travel to the site of infection as well as stimulate the production of more cytokines. The body regulates this process, but in some cases it becomes inappropriately elevated. What are the primary symptoms of a cytokine storm?