Sea Sponges

Sponges are sessile, mostly marine animals from the phylum Porifera. Until the 18th century, scientists classified them as plants because they demonstrated so little movement. More than 4,500 living species, which reproduce through both sexual and asexual means, have been documented. Sponges are colonial in nature, living in groups that may grow to 5 feet (150 cm) in diameter. In common usage, the term “sponge” refers to what part of this aquatic animal? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Genocide in Darfur

In 2003, political conflict between Darfur’s government and rebel groups erupted when rebels killed 75 military personnel in a surprise raid. The government-backed Janjaweed have since destroyed countless villages and murdered their civilian inhabitants. One UN observer team reported that non-Arab villages were attacked, while Arab villages were unharmed. The mass media has termed the events in Darfur “genocide.” Most NGOs report 400,000 deaths in the region; how many people have been displaced? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Silk Road

According to legend, the secrets of sericulture and reeling from the cocoon were developed in China by 2640 BCE. By the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, silk fabrics were being imported to Rome and Greece and sold for exorbitant prices. Trade in silk became so prevalent that the ancient trade routes between China and the Mediterranean, spanning about 4,000 miles, have been dubbed the Silk Road. How did Mongols use silk as armor in battle? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Kites

The kite is an aircraft restrained by a towline that derives its lift from the aerodynamic action of the wind flowing across it. The apparatus consists of a stabilizing tail and light framework across which paper or thin material is stretched. It has been popular in China and East Asia for centuries. In the 18th century, Alexander Wilson used kites to obtain meteorological readings, and Benjamin Franklin used them to study lightning. Where is kite fighting a popular activity? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Salman Rushdie

Rushdie is a British-Indian novelist known for the allusive richness of his language and the wide variety of Eastern and Western characters and cultures he explores. After his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses was deemed sacrilegious, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or legal ruling, sentencing him to death. Rushdie was forced into hiding, where he wrote Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a novelistic allegory against censorship. What is the fatwa’s current status? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rhinoplasty, an Ancient Art?

Commonly called a “nose job,” rhinoplasty is surgery performed to improve either the function or appearance of a person’s nose. Sushruta, an Indian physician, developed rhinoplasty around 500 BCE. It was a necessary procedure at the time, because nose amputation was used as a punishment for certain crimes. Some of the techniques Sushruta developed are still in use today. In 1887, the first intranasal rhinoplasty was performed in the West. In modern rhinoplasty, what does the acronym SIMON mean? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Scuba Diving

Deep sea diving is generally performed with the aid of a breathing apparatus. Scuba (an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is a system that delivers air to the diver at the same pressure exerted by the surrounding water. Most scuba divers limit their descent to about 130 ft (40 m), though certain record setters have reached depths of 300 ft (91 m) or more. At depths beyond 130 ft, nitrogen narcosis may set in; how does this condition impair a diver’s judgment? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sudoku

Sudoku is a number puzzle based on the Latin squares described by the 18th-century Swiss mathematician Euler. The modern version consists of a box divided into nine squares, each of which is again divided into nine smaller boxes, making 81 boxes in total. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid so that there is only one solution. The objective is to fill the grid so that every column, every row, and every 3×3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. What was sudoku originally called? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Legendary Griffin

In ancient and medieval legend, the griffin is a creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Some traditions also give it a serpent’s tail. The griffin is thought to have originated in ancient Middle Eastern legend and is often found in Persian sculpture. Although its significance is obscure, the griffin is thought to have been a protective symbol, representing strength and vigilance. When is a griffin called an “alce” or “keythong”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Piazza San Marco

St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco, is Venice’s principal plaza. Originating in the 9th c as a small area in front of St. Mark’s Basilica, the Piazza was enlarged to its present shape and size in 1177. As Venice’s central gathering place, it is extremely popular with tourists, pigeons, and photographers. The Piazza is surrounded by a number of historic structures, including the Doge’s Palace, Procuraties, and Biblioteca Marciana. What was the purpose of the paved pattern on the Piazza floor? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary