It is generally accepted that the first living cells on Earth were some form of prokaryote. In biology, a prokaryote is generally a single-celled organism that lacks membrane-bound organelles such as a nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Genetic material is instead organized into a ring-like structure called a nucleoid. Most prokaryotes are bacteria, and the two terms are often treated as synonyms. What are the four basic shapes of prokaryotic cells? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Hadean geologic eon began when the Earth was formed an estimated 4.6 billion years ago and ended approximately 800 million years later. There remain few geological traces of this period on Earth, but toward the end of the 20th c, geologists identified a few rocks and zircon crystals that dated to the Hadean. The eon’s name is derived from Hades, a Greek word now used as a synonym for hell, and may be a reference to the conditions on Earth at the time. How hot was Earth’s surface then? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In 1970, journalist Hunter S. Thompson was assigned to cover the Kentucky Derby for Scanlan’s Monthly. With a deadline fast approaching and his story still unwritten, Thompson desperately resorted to tearing out pages of his notes and sending them to his editor. The resulting story, titled “The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved,” became the first example of Gonzo journalism. Whose belief that “fiction is often the best fact” formed the basis for Thompson’s subjective writing style? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A meme is an idea, thought, or piece of information that is passed from generation to generation through imitation and behavioral replication. The terms memes and memetics, coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, are the cultural counterpart to the biological study of genes and genetics. In his book, Dawkins hypothesizes that human cultures evolve via “contagious” communications in a manner similar to the gene pools of populations. What is a memeplex? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
An automat is a fast food restaurant where food and drinks are served by coin- and bill-operated vending machines. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart opened the first automat in the US in 1902 and quickly popularized the notion of take-out food with their slogan “Less work for Mother.” The original automat machines, which had little windows containing the prepared meals, were filled from behind by workers who cooked the fresh food in an unseen kitchen. What led to the decline of automat dining? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Synesthesia is a condition in which one type of sensory stimulus evokes sensations associated with a different sense, as when hearing a sound stimulates the visualization of a color. Approximately 1 in 2,000 people have the condition, and most of those affected are female. Synesthesia can result in a number of cross-sensory experiences, but it most commonly manifests as a grapheme-color interchange. Which Russian painter, regarded by some as the originator of abstract art, had synesthesia? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Free running is a physical art in which practitioners use acrobatic movements such as vaulting, jumping, and somersaulting to interact with the environment and pass obstacles along a path in a smooth and fluid manner. The sport is sometimes described as a more adventurous form of jogging, often involving building-to-building jumps and one-story drops. What 2006 action film features Sébastien Foucan, the art’s founder, using his free running skills to escape from a construction site? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Located in the remote, mountainous border region between the Jiangxi and Hunan provinces of China, Jinggangshan is known as the birthplace of the Chinese Red Army and the “cradle of the Chinese revolution.” In 1927, after an unsuccessful uprising against the Kuomintang, Mao Zedong’s army retreated to Jinggangshan and established a military base there. During the 1960s, the area became a place of pilgrimage for young Red Guards. Why did the government begin discouraging such pilgrimages? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Despite a century of study, researchers can agree on the decipherment of only a single phrase of Proto-Sinaitic script, a Middle Bronze Age alphabet dating to 1500 BCE. The Proto-Sinaitic script is one of two similar undeciphered scripts dated to that period and believed to be ancestral to nearly all modern alphabets. Many experts believe the language of Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions is Semitic, and cite the one phrase that was interpreted as proof of this hypothesis. What is the phrase? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Chekhov’s gun is a literary technique in which a seemingly insignificant element is introduced early in a story and later becomes crucial to the plot. It is named for famed Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, who felt strongly that any object introduced in a story must be used, or it should not be featured in the first place. The technique has remained popular and is widely used in modern literature, film, and television. What popular fantasy novels frequently feature this plot device? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary