Immanuel Kant (1724)

Kant was a German metaphysician who shook the foundations of Western philosophy. In his Critique of Pure Reason, Kant proposed that objective reality is known only insofar as it conforms to the essential structure of the knowing mind and that things beyond experience are unknowable. He thus concluded that the existence of God, freedom, and immortality can be neither affirmed nor denied on theoretical grounds. His system of ethics is based the “categorical imperative,” which is what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

LASIK Surgery

LASIK is a form of refractive laser eye surgery performed by ophthalmologists to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The surgery generally eliminates the need for glasses or contact lenses and is a less painful alternative to photorefractive keratectomy. LASIK is a two step process. First, a flap of corneal tissue is created and folded back to reveal the cornea, which is then remodeled with a laser. What have studies revealed about the safety and efficacy of LASIK? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Battle of Mutina (43 BCE)

The Battle of Mutina was fought in 43 BCE between Marc Antony and the combined forces of Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus and Aulus Hirtius, who were providing aid to one of Julius Caesar’s assassins, Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus. When negotiations between the Roman Senate and Antony broke off a year after Caesar’s murder, Antony gathered his legions and marched against Decimus Brutus. Though Hirtius died in the battle, Antony was defeated. Not long after, a truce was formed between whom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

San Jacinto Day

Fresh from his victory at the Alamo, General Antonio López de Santa Anna of Mexico proceeded eastward until he encountered the Texan army general, Samuel Houston, at San Jacinto, about 22 miles east of the present-day city of Houston. Houston’s 900 soldiers defeated the Mexican force of nearly 1,600, in a battle that lasted only 18 minutes. A legal holiday in Texas, San Jacinto Day is celebrated throughout the state but particularly in San Antonio, where the highpoint of the 10-day San Antonio Fiesta is the huge Battle of Flowers parade winding through the city’s downtown streets. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charlotte Brontë (1816)

The eldest of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature, Charlotte Brontë is best known for penning Jane Eyre, the story of a governess who falls passionately in love with her employer. Ranked among the great English novels, it addresses women’s need for both love and independence. Considered the most professional of the sisters, Charlotte endeavored to achieve financial success from the family’s literary efforts. What were her other novels? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Darkrooms

A darkroom is a workspace for the processing of light-sensitive materials. Darkrooms have been used for black and white photography since the late 19th century, but their popularity has waned with the introduction of color, Polaroid, and digital photography. The most familiar black and white processes involve developing the image, stopping the development, fixing the image, then washing and drying it. Why is it safe to use red or amber lighting in a darkroom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

First Pasteurization Test Conducted (1862)

Pasteurization is the process of heating beverages or food, such as milk, beer, or cheese, to a specific temperature for a specific period of time in order to kill microorganisms that could cause disease, spoilage, or undesired fermentation. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who conducted the first pasteurization test with fellow French scientist Claude Bernard in 1862. Why is pasteurization not designed to kill all microorganisms in food? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sechseläuten

This colorful springtime festival in Zurich, Switzerland, ushers in spring by exploding the Böögg (“snowman”), the symbol of winter. Sechseläuten means the “six-o’clock ringing.” On Monday, members of the guilds parade through the city in medieval costumes, accompanied by bands. Everyone converges at six that evening. The bells ring, groups on horseback gallop around the Böögg (which is stuffed with cotton wadding and firecrackers) to the music of a hunting march, and then the Böögg explodes and burns. Torchlight parades go on into the night, and feasts are held at guild halls. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary