Grapeshot is a cluster of small iron balls loaded into a canvas bag and fired from a cannon. When a grapeshot-loaded cannon is fired, the balls disperse at a high velocity, causing devastation similar to that of a scaled-up shotgun. This ammunition was especially effective against infantry massed at close range and was used until the early 19th century, when it was largely replaced by metal-cased canister shot. Which pirate was killed by a blast of grapeshot? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Rhyta are ancient, hornlike drinking vessels that often feature a wide mouth and a pierced, pointed bottom. This design allows a rhyton to function as both a scoop for liquids contained in a larger storage vessel and, when the hole at its base is unstoppered, as a pouring device. Rhyta are often shaped like animal heads or horns and can be simple ceramic constructions or ornate showpieces decorated with precious metals and stones. What animal was frequently depicted on the rhyta of Minoan Crete? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Smokejumpers are firefighters who parachute into remote areas to combat forest fires. While smokejumpers save many lives, the inherent risks associated with parachuting into a fire lead many to question the value of the profession. Proponents argue that parachute deployment helps firefighters reach remote areas quickly and with more equipment than other means allow, thus enabling them to begin containing fires at their early stages. Which country employs the largest number of smokejumpers? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Wingsuit fliers wear a specialized jumpsuit that shapes the human body into an airfoil, a structure whose shape provides lift, propulsion, stability, and directional control over a flying object. Fabric sewn between the legs and under the arms of the wingsuit allows the flier to glide through the air much like a bird, while a separate parachute allows him to land safely. A British stuntman died wing-diving in 2013, just a year after he parachuted into what high-profile event? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Despite being the last digit to come into use in the numerical system, the zero plays a central role in mathematics. During the 2nd century CE, Ptolemy began using a small circle with a long bar above it to symbolize zero. Because it was used alone, not just as a placeholder, this Hellenistic zero was perhaps the first documented use of a number zero in the Old World. Four centuries later, an Indian mathematician wrote a book of rules governing the use of the zero. Is zero an odd or even number? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Sambo is a modern martial art and combat sport that was developed to enhance the military’s hand-to-hand combat system in the former Soviet Union. In 1938, it was named the official sport of the USSR. Sambo combines a variety of wrestling styles with east Asian martial arts, boxing, and even fencing, from which it derives its parrying and lunging techniques. What does the combat style’s name mean? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian team sport in which players on horseback try to grab the carcass of a headless goat or calf and pitch it across a goal line or into a target circle or vat. Although it is known as a popular Afghani sport, Buzkashi began as a sport of the steppes, a vast, prairie-like ecoregion of Eurasia, and remains a popular game throughout the region. Games can last for several days, and competition is fierce. How is the animal carcass prepared before a game? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Kinship terms like mother and son are words used by a specific culture to describe various familial relationships. Such terminologies include words used to address members of one’s own family as well as words used to identify people’s relationships to one another. Kinship terms generally distinguish between the sexes and generations and indicate whether people are related by blood or marriage. What is the difference between “descriptive” and “classificatory” kinship terms? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Over the centuries, as styles of clothing change and evolve, so too do the ways in which men wear their facial hair. In 18th-century Europe, the chinstrap, a narrow line of beard that grows along the chin and jaw, gained popularity, while the handlebar moustache, with its characteristically lengthy ends, is considered stereotypical of the 19th-century American Wild West. What are “friendly mutton chops”? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Calorie restriction (CR), a diet known by many names, is the practice of limiting dietary energy intake with the intention of improving overall health and slowing the aging process. While caloric intake among practitioners is limited, care is taken to ensure that dieters receive adequate vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. CR has been shown to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose in human subjects. What are some of the criticisms of this diet? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary