November 26, 2006
arboretum
DEFINITION: (noun) A place where an extensive variety of woody plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes.
SYNONYMS: botanical garden.
USAGE: The botany class took a field trip to the arboretum to examine its extensive collection of rare plants.
Norbert Wiener
Wiener was an American mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to a number of areas of mathematics, including harmonic analysis and Fourier transforms, but he is best known for his theory of cybernetics, the comparative study of control and communication in humans and machines. While serving as a professor of mathematics at MIT, Wiener developed a reputation for being extraordinarily absent-minded. What are some of the stories about him that support this characterization?Carter Enters the Tomb of Tutankhamun
When Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the tomb of the Egyptian King Tutankhamun, they were the first people to do so in 3,000 years. The tomb was then the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. While team members were unwrapping the linens of King Tut's mummy, the skull of the ancient king fell away from the body and was dented. Later, the deaths of several of Carter's team members invited speculation about what ancient curse?Shalimar Gardens
The Shalimar Gardens, which are included on UNESCO's World Heritage list, were built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, Pakistan, in the period 1641-1642. They are composed of three descending terraces laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. The terraces are elevated by 4-5 m (13-15 ft) above one another and contain a wide variety of trees, fountains, and buildings. What are the names of the terraces?Scientists Boost Nutrients in Wheat
Scientists identified a gene in wild wheat that raises the grain's protein, zinc, and iron content, an achievement that could help bring more nutritious food to millions of people worldwide. The gene became nonfunctional for unknown reasons during humankind's domestication of wheat, and the researchers used conventional breeding methods to bring it into cultivated wheat varieties; they said the process does not change how wheat tastes.November 25, 2006
esthetics
DEFINITION: (noun) The branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste.
SYNONYMS: aesthetics.
USAGE: Traditional esthetics assumed the existence of universal and timeless criteria of artistic value.
Andrew Carnegie
Famous as a self-made man, Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and philanthropist. He amassed a huge fortune in iron and steel during the American Industrial Revolution, becoming the second richest man in the world. He later sold his firm to J.P. Morgan and established the Carnegie Foundation to donate millions for education. What was Carnegie's connection to the Johnstown Flood, which killed over 2,200 people?Battle of Montgisard
At the Battle of Montgisard, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, established by the First Crusade and led by Baldwin IV, defeated Saladin, the renowned Kurdish military general. Learning of Saladin's plans to invade from Egypt, Baldwin's forces surprised his army en route and were triumphant despite inferior numbers. Saladin soon renewed his attacks, but the kingdom enjoyed a year of peace, and the victory soon became a heroic legend. What powerful Christian military order participated in the fighting?Anti-Poaching Patrols Helping Save Wildlife in Tanzania
A new study shows that patrols in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park have cut poaching and increased the population of black rhinoceros, elephants, and buffalo. Researchers show that herds declined after 1977, when spending on anti-poaching patrols was slashed. In the late 1980s the situation improved. Serengeti National Park is famous for its 1.5 million-plus annual animal migration to and from Maasai Mara in Kenya.The United States Secret Service
The Secret Service was originally established in 1865 under the Department of the Treasury, with the primary task of preventing the counterfeiting of US currency. It assumed the role of protecting the president after President McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Today, in addition to its original duties, the Secret Service is responsible for guarding high-ranking government officials, their families, and foreign dignitaries. In 2003, the Secret Service became part of what new federal department?- » About
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