In Greek mythology, Medusa was the most famous of the three monstrous Gorgon sisters. She was once a beautiful woman, but she offended Athena, who changed her hair into snakes and made her face so hideous that all who looked at her were turned to stone. When Medusa was with child by Poseidon, Perseus beheaded her. What creatures sprang from her blood? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and extremely poisonous gas. It is present in the exhaust of internal-combustion engines, such as in automobiles, and is generated in coal stoves, furnaces, and gas appliances that do not get enough air. Breathing air that contains as little as 0.1% carbon monoxide by volume can be fatal; a concentration of about 1% can cause death within a few minutes. What are the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The tooth fairy is a character in modern Western culture that attends a child’s loss of a deciduous tooth. In Spanish and Italian culture, the tooth fairy takes the form of a little mouse. Typically, a child who has just lost a tooth places it under his or her pillow before going to sleep; in the morning, the child finds that the tooth has been replaced by a coin, a dollar bill, or a present. What is the origin of the tooth fairy character? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Midwifery is the art of assisting at childbirth. In ancient Greece and Rome, midwives had some formal training, but as the medical arts declined during medieval times, the skills a midwife possessed were gained solely from experience and lore. With the upsurge in medical science in Europe in the 16th c., formal medical training became more prevalent and professional schools of midwifery were established. How are the criteria for becoming a midwife in the US different from those in the UK? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Medina is a city in Saudi Arabia, 110 mi (177 km) inland from the Red Sea in a well-watered oasis where fruit, dates, vegetables, and grain are raised. Muhammad gained control of the city in 622 and used it as a base for converting and conquering Arabia. It grew rapidly until 661, when the Umayyad dynasty transferred the capital of the caliphate to Damascus. Pilgrimages to Mecca usually include a side trip to Medina, where the Prophet’s Mosque houses the tombs of what important Islamic figures? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Vieques is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico, located east of the Puerto Rican mainland. Most of Vieques was within US military installations from the 1940s. The facilities included a live-ammunition training area for the US navy, a use that was the subject of protests by many Puerto Ricans. In 2001 the federal government announced that it would halt all military exercises on the island by May, 2003. The former installations are now being converted to what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. While named a ‘key’, it is not geologically part of the Florida Keys, but a barrier island composed of sand eroded from the Appalachian Mountains and carried there. When Hurricane Andrew stripped part of the island in 1992, archeologists found extensive evidence of a large Tequesta community that had lived there up to 2,000 years ago. What is the island’s history with regard to slavery? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland. Situated on the Lake of Geneva and divided by the Rhône River, it became a focal point of the Reformation when John Calvin arrived there in 1536, after the city expelled its bishop. The city’s intellectual life reached its zenith in the 18th century, when the stern theocracy of Calvin had mellowed into patrician rule and Voltaire and Rousseau were among the city’s residents. What important international organizations are headquartered there? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Church of Scientology was founded by American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. The church believes that a person’s spirit can be cleared of past painful experiences through a process called “auditing,” or freeing the person of the burdens that interfere with happiness and self-realization. It has confronted suspicions from many sides during its history and has been banned and investigated in various countries. What was the purpose of the church’s “Operation Snow White”? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production, in which personal profit can be acquired through investment of capital and employment of labor. It stresses freedom of individual economic enterprise but does not presuppose a specific form of social or political organization. Government action has been and is required to curb its abuses, which have ranged from slavery to monopoly cartels and financial fraud. What is the “invisible hand”? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary