Scientists in Michigan have found a new dwarf planet in our solar system. It’s about 330 miles across and some 8.5 billion miles from the sun. It takes 1,100 years to complete one orbit. But one of the most interesting things about the new object, known for … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
During a bid for the presidency in 1912, Roosevelt was shot by saloonkeeper John Schrank. The bullet lodged in his chest after penetrating a steel eyeglass case and a folded copy of the 50-page speech he was carrying in his jacket, but he refused to go to the hospital until after he had delivered his scheduled speech. Doctors deemed it too dangerous to remove the bullet, and it remained in Roosevelt’s chest for the rest of his life. What did Roosevelt say about the shooting during his speech? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Eisenhower was the 34th president of the US. During WWII, he successfully commanded US forces in the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He was then appointed supreme commander of Allied forces and planned the Normandy Campaign and the war in Europe until the German surrender. After the war, both Democrats and Republicans courted him as a presidential candidate. He was elected as a Republican in landslide elections in 1952 and 1956. What famous warning did he issue in his final presidential address? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The subjects of rumor and urban legend since the 1970s, psychoactive toads are toads from which hallucinogenic, mind-altering substances such as 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin can be derived. The presence of such substances may produce psychoactive effects in persons who smoke the toad skin or venom. However, contrary to popular myth, there is no evidence that hallucinatory effects can be achieved by licking the toads. In what country have dogs begun to pursue the toads? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot.
Synonyms: quagmire, mire, quag.
Usage: The path from the wood leads to a morass, and from thence to a ford, which, as the rains have abated, may now be passable.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
If you’re angry or upset, you might want to simmer down before heading out for an intense run or gym workout. A large, international study ties heavy exertion while stressed or mad to a tripled risk of having a heart attack within an hour. Regular exercise … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Ankara was an important commercial center for millennia, but in the late 19th century it experienced a decline. By the early 20th century, it was just a small town known primarily for its mohair production. After WWI, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made Ankara the seat of his provisional nationalist government. In 1923, it replaced Istanbul as Turkey’s capital, partly to break with tradition and partly because of its central location. Who, according to Phrygian lore, founded the city in about 1000 BCE? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Born on the Isle of Jersey, Emilie Charlotte Le Breton married diplomat Edward Langtry in 1874. A famous beauty, she caused a sensation when she became the first society woman to go on the stage, making her debut at the Haymarket theater in 1881 after her husband failed financially. “Jersey Lily,” as she became known, played to enthusiastic audiences in England and the US and later remodeled and managed London’s Imperial Theatre. With what future monarch was Langtry once romantically involved? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Famed poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe considered his 1848 essay “Eureka” to be his career masterpiece. Though described as a “prose poem” by Poe, who wished it to be viewed as art, the work is also a notable scientific and mystical essay unlike any of his other works and includes a cosmological theory that touches on black holes and the big bang theory about 80 years before the 2 subjects gained widespread recognition. Poe claimed “Eureka” was more important than what major scientific discovery? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A woman who rules a family, clan, or tribe.
Synonyms: materfamilias.
Usage: When the matriarch of the clan appeared in the doorway, all conversation immediately ceased.
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Source: The Free Dictionary