Weber was a German sociologist and political economist whose most famous and controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, examines the relationship between Calvinist—or Puritan—morality, compulsive labor, bureaucracy, and economic success under capitalism. Weber also wrote about social phenomena such as charisma and mysticism, which he saw as antithetical to the modern world and its underlying process of rationalization. What other important works did he write? Discuss
in the unlikely event (that) (something) happens
If a very improbable outcome turns out to be the case. Watch the video
Calorie Restriction and Life Extension
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
prejudicious
Definition: (adjective) Causing harm or injury.
Synonyms: damaging, detrimental, prejudicial.
Usage: The reporter’s coverage resulted in prejudicious publicity for the defendant.
Discuss
The Columbine High School Massacre (1999)
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were seniors at Colorado’s Columbine High School when they carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, killing 12 students and one teacher and injuring 21 others before taking their own lives. The incident, widely covered by the media, stirred debate about the pair’s motivation for the killings, the availability of firearms, and the role of bullying, video games, and music in acts of violence. For what crime had the two been previously arrested? Discuss
Philippe Pinel (1745)
After moving to Paris in 1778, Pinel, a French physician, was appointed director of the Bicêtre and Salpêtrière hospitals. His experiences there prompted him to advocate for the humane treatment of mentally ill persons—then called the insane—and for the empirical study of mental disease. He further contributed to the development of psychiatry by establishing the practice of thoroughly documenting psychiatric case histories for research. What initially inspired Pinel’s interest in mental illness? Discuss
in the sticks
In the countryside, especially in a rustic or particularly unsophisticated area. Watch the video
Underwater Archaeology
Underwater archaeology, a branch of maritime archaeology, is the study of past human life, behaviors, and cultures using the physical remains found in bodies of water or buried beneath water-logged sediment. Researchers in this field generally examine the sites of shipwrecks, submerged airplanes, structures created by humans in water bodies, and places where people once lived that have since been flooded or covered by water. How do divers record their findings underwater? Discuss
buffoon
Definition: (noun) A person given to clowning and joking.
Synonyms: merry andrew, clown, goof, goofball.
Usage: At a country fair there was a buffoon who made all the people laugh by imitating the cries of various animals.
Discuss
David Ricardo (1772)
Ricardo was a British economist who made a fortune in the stock market before turning to the study of political economy, publishing his major work, The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, in 1817. According to his labor theory of value, the value of almost any good is a function of the labor needed to produce it; thus, a $10 watch requires ten times more labor than a $1 pencil. According to his “iron law of wages,” what keeps wages stabilized around the subsistence level? Discuss