August 31, 2007
sunstone
DEFINITION: (noun) A translucent quartz spangled with bits of mica or other minerals.
SYNONYMS: aventurine.
USAGE: He loved the red gold of the sunstone, and the moonstone's pearly whiteness, and the broken rainbow of the milky opal.
Edison Patents Kinetoscope in the US
Edison helped design the kinetoscope, a precursor to the modern motion picture projector. It worked through a phenomenon known as "persistence of vision," in which a sequence of images is blended by the eye to create the illusion of motion. Because the work of so many others had gone into its invention, Edison never bothered to apply for an international copyright on the device, believing that it would not stand up in European courts. What effect did this have on the development of cinema?Columbia Seizes Island and Assets from Drug Lord
Colombian drug trafficker Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia has been on a list of "specially designated narcotics traffickers" compiled by the US Treasury Department since 2000. Though Ramirez Abadia underwent plastic surgery in order to avoid identification, he was arrested in Brazil earlier this month and is currently awaiting extradition to the US. He faces 3 US federal indictments on drug and racketeering charges. Colombian authorities have since seized $400 million worth of property, including a Caribbean island and a hotel, from the drug lord.The Mandala, a Microcosm of the Universe
The mandala, meaning circle or completion, is a ritualistic diagram that has spiritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism. Representing a microcosm of the universe and the totality of existence, it serves as a collection point for gods and universal powers. Its symmetric geometric shapes draw the viewer's attention to a central meditative point. A Tibetan sand mandala is created over the course of days or weeks only to be swept away upon completion. What does this represent?August 30, 2007
castellated
DEFINITION: (adj.) Having turrets and battlements in the style of a castle.
SYNONYMS: castled, crenelated, crenellated, battlemented.
USAGE: He summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends...and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys.
Bird Flu Found at German Poultry Farm
Investigations are underway at a farm in Germany to discover how the H5N1 strain of bird flu infected poultry there. It is believed that the disease was carried in contaminated straw, but it remains unclear how the straw became infected. The outbreak was discovered after more than 400 ducks at the farm died within a short period of time. All 160,000 birds on the farm were then culled as a precautionary measure, and a 3 km (1.85 mile) exclusion zone was set up around the farm to prevent the virus' spread.Sea Sponge
Sponges are sessile, mostly marine animals from the phylum Porifera. Until the 18th century, scientists classified them as plants because they demonstrated so little movement. More than 4,500 living species, which reproduce through both sexual and asexual means, have been documented. Sponges are colonial in nature, living in groups that may grow to 5 ft (150 cm) in diameter. In common usage, the term “sponge” refers to what part of this aquatic animal?August 29, 2007
apiarist
DEFINITION: (noun) One who keeps bees, specifically one who cares for and raises bees for commercial or agricultural purposes.
SYNONYMS: apiculturist, beekeeper.
USAGE: Profits from the sale of honey comprised only a small portion of the apiarist's income.
Has the World’s Largest Diamond Been Discovered?
A small South African mining company claims to have unearthed the world's largest diamond. Reports indicate that the stone is about 7,000 carats. The Cullinan Diamond, the center-piece of the British crown jewels, was less than half the size of the newly discovered gem when it was found in 1905. A photograph shows the green-tinged stone to be about the size of a coconut, but experts remain skeptical as to the true nature or quality of the gem. The stone has been placed in a Johannesburg bank vault for safekeeping during the verification process.Genocide in Darfur
In 2003, political conflict between Darfur's government and rebel groups erupted when rebels killed 75 military personnel in a surprise raid. The government-backed Janjaweed have since destroyed countless villages and murdered their civilian inhabitants. One UN observer team reported that non-Arab villages were attacked, while Arab villages were unharmed. The mass media has termed the events in Darfur “genocide.” Most NGOs report 400,000 deaths in the region; how many people have been displaced?- » About
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