Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder in which gluten—a protein found in wheat and other flours—generates an inflammatory response in the small intestine, damaging tissue and impairing nutrient absorption. A lifelong gluten-free diet is the only effective way to relieve symptoms, which include diarrhea, weight loss, and depression. Though it was observed as early as 200 CE, celiac disease’s link to wheat remained undiscovered until 1950. What natural event may have contributed to the discovery? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Blood Eagle Torture

Referenced in some Norse saga literature, the Blood Eagle is a form of torture and execution performed by cutting the victim’s ribs by the spine, breaking them to resemble blood-stained wings, and pulling the lungs out through the gaping wound. Though some cite archaeological evidence of the practice, others argue that it never occurred and that accounts of the method are based on folklore or inaccurate translations. Which Viking Age rulers were reportedly victims of the gruesome torture? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Blue Whale

Perhaps the largest animal to have ever lived, the blue whale can grow to be 100 ft (30.5 m) long and weigh as much as 200 tons. It eats as much as 4 tons of krill a day, and its massive mouth can hold up to 100 tons of food and water, but its throat restricts the passage of anything wider than a beach ball. Once abundant, it was nearly hunted to extinction before being placed under the protection of the international community in 1966. What is the blue whale’s only natural predator? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Spider Webs

Many spiders use webs of proteinaceous fibers extruded from silk-spinning organs, called spinnerets, to catch prey without having to expend energy pursuing it. However, constructing a web is an energetically costly process, and it is not uncommon for a spider to eat its own web each day to recoup some of the energy expended in its spinning. A remarkable material, spider silk possesses a tensile strength comparable to that of high-grade steel and has been used in medical settings to do what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Leprechauns

Leprechauns are mythological male fairies of Irish folklore. They are often described as small, mischievous cobblers who hide crocks of gold in secret locations. According to legend, leprechauns can be captured and compelled to reveal the location of their treasure, but their captors must never look away because doing so allows the elusive creatures to escape. Why do some Irish people consider the modern, popularized image of leprechauns offensive? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic condition in which the lower esophageal sphincter allows gastric acids to move up into the esophagus. The disorder can cause heartburn, esophagitis, and chronic chest pain and has been linked to laryngitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and asthma. GERD affects children as well as adults, and it is estimated that up to 35% of babies born in the US struggle with reflux. When do most babies outgrow the disease? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Imperial Camel Corps

The Imperial Camel Corps was a brigade-sized military formation that fought for the Allies in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After being evacuated to Egypt following the failure of the Gallipoli Campaign, Allied troops looking to suppress a tribal rebellion in the west formed four companies of camel-mounted infantry. The units were so successful that 14 more camel companies were eventually formed. What advantages did the camel companies have over horse-mounted cavalry units? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Crop Circles

Crop circles, patterns created in fields by the unexplained flattening of crops, have garnered worldwide attention since they began appearing in the English countryside in the late 1970s. Since then, roughly 12,000 crop circles have been found worldwide. Though many incidents have been exposed as hoaxes, both meteorological phenomena and UFOs have been cited as possible sources of the mysterious patterns. How did the men who perpetrated some of the original crop circle hoaxes create the designs? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Srebrenica Massacre

The largest mass murder in Europe since WWII, the Srebrenica Massacre was carried out by the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of General Ratko Mladic during the Bosnian War. Ruled a genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the 1995 massacre claimed the lives of an estimated 8,000 Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks, in the Srebrenica region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. How many UN peacekeeping troops were stationed in the area at the time of the massacre? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Shroud of Turin

The subject of intense study, the Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been crucified. Though carbon dating places the shroud’s origin in the Middle Ages, some believe the image on the cloth is that of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded on the shroud at the time of his proclaimed resurrection. Skeptics, however, have dismissed the shroud as a medieval forgery created using paint or even crude photography. How recently did the shroud undergo carbon dating? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary