King Zog

Zog I, born Ahmet Zogolli, was president of Albania from 1925 to 1928 and king from 1928 to 1939. During the worldwide depression of the 1930s, Zog’s government became almost completely dependent on Italy. Ultimately unable to check Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s increasing control over his country, Zog was forced into exile. He formally abdicated in 1946, when Albania became a communist republic after WWII. How many assassination attempts is Zog said to have survived during his reign? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Fainting Goats

When a fainting goat is startled, its external muscles freeze for about 10 seconds, causing it collapse as if in a faint. Older goats generally learn to spread their legs or lean against something when startled and remain standing during these episodes. The condition is caused by a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita, which disrupts the flow of chloride ions into skeletal muscle cells. What key aspect of human fainting does not happen to these goats? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device through analysis of its structure, function, and operation. It often involves taking apart an electronic component, software program, or other device in order to redesign the system for better maintainability or produce a copy of a system without access to the original design. Militaries often use reverse engineering to copy other nations’ technology. What are some well-known examples from WWII? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Microcredit

Microcredit is the extension of small loans—which are not secured by collateral and often require repayment in weekly installments—to poor individuals for use in income-generating activities that will improve the borrowers’ living standards. The concept of microcredit was developed in 1976 by Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, as a means of alleviating poverty and improving the lives of Bangladesh’s poorest inhabitants. What group comprises the majority of microcredit borrowers? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bouncing Betty

The German S-mine, nicknamed the “bouncing betty” by US troops during World War II, is the best-known example of a bounding mine. These land mines are designed to attack unshielded infantry by launching into the air, exploding at waist-height, and propelling shrapnel outward at lethal speeds. One of the definitive weapons of the war, the S-mine often maimed rather than killed its victims and was one of the most feared devices encountered by Allied troops. What did French soldiers dub the S-mine? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Beehive Tombs

Beehive tombs, or tholoi, are the large, underground ceremonial tombs constructed in Greece during the Late Bronze Age. The tombs, usually built into the side of a hill, have a distinctive beehive shape formed with layers of stone that taper toward the top of the structure. Though many of these tombs have been pillaged, they have still provided archeologists with some of the richest finds from the period. What might the abundance of such tombs at certain sites reveal about who used them? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jug Bands

Jug bands are musical groups that use a mix of traditional and improvised instruments—usually ordinary objects modified for making music, such as the jug, washtub bass, washboard, spoons, stovepipe, and kazoo. Early jug bands were typically made up of African-American vaudeville and medicine show musicians. Emerging in the urban South, the bands played a mixture of Memphis blues—before it was formally called the blues—ragtime, and Appalachian music. How does one play the jug? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

3D Computer Graphics

Though a computer monitor’s display is a two-dimensional plane, 3D computer graphics programs can produce images of objects that appear to be three dimensional. Creating 3D graphics is typically a three step process. First, the object’s shape is described in a process called modeling. Then designers determine the object’s motion and placement within a scene. Lastly, the model is given its final appearance in the rendering process. The term “computer graphics” was coined in the 1960s by whom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. One of five major dance styles corresponding to each of the elements, Bharatanatyam represents the mystic manifestation of fire in the human body. The movements of Bharatanatyam dancers resemble a dancing flame, while their expressive hand gestures communicate specific meanings. Rooted in Hindu tradition, the dance form has since crossed religious boundaries and is now studied by members of what other religions? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hatching

Hatching and cross-hatching are artistic techniques in which artists use closely-spaced parallel or crossed lines to create tonal or shading effects in their work. By varying the length, angle, spacing, and thickness of these lines, artists achieve a variety of visual effects. Western artists developed cross-hatching in the Middle Ages, and many 15th-century old master prints contain examples of the technique. Which artist is said to have perfected the techniques in his woodcuts and engravings? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary