November 28, 2007
Wave Power
Wave power is a form of renewable energy that may be harnessed for use in electricity generation. Capturing the energy of ocean surface waves and converting it into a useable form of electrical energy is a difficult task, and a major technological breakthrough is necessary if wave power is ever to contribute significantly to the world’s energy needs. Salter’s Duck, invented in 1974, remains the device against which all other wave energy systems are measured. Why has the Duck never gone to sea?
November 24, 2007
Marmalade
Marmalade is a sweet preserve with a bitter tang made from citrus fruit, sugar, water, and, in some commercial brands, a gelling agent. The term marmalade stems from marmelo, Portuguese for quince, which is the fruit originally used to make the preserve. The term marmalade first appeared in the English language in the 15th century, and has been used since the 17th century to refer to any preserve derived from citrus fruit. What is the legend of Dundee Marmalade?
November 23, 2007
La Tomatina
Approximately 30,000 people participate in La Tomatina, an annual festival held on the last Wednesday in August in the Spanish town of Buñol. A weeklong festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks, but it is the tomato fight that draws the crowds. During the battle, more than 100 metric tons of overripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets. Participants must follow certain safety guidelines during the event, and wearing goggles is recommended. When does the tomato throwing begin?November 22, 2007
Iconoclasm
Veneration of pictures and statues symbolizing sacred figures and biblical events was an early feature of Christian worship. Iconoclasts were opposed to the use of such religious images and destroyed them, claiming that they violated the second commandment not to make or worship “graven images.” An iconoclastic movement developed during the Byzantine Empire, and it was characterized by fierce persecution of those who made and venerated icons. What are a few modern examples of iconoclasm?November 21, 2007
Davy Jones’s Locker
Davy Jones's Locker is a euphemism for death at sea and refers to the bottom of the ocean, where drowned sailors lie. Many theories exist as to where the name “Davy Jones” stems from, but while its origins are unclear, its meaning is not; sailors use the term when referring to the devil of the sea. Jones was described by one 18th century author as having 3 rows of teeth, horns, a tail, and blue smoke coming from his nostrils. How was he portrayed in the 2006 film Pirates of the Caribbean?November 20, 2007
The Climate of Antarctica
About 200 million years ago Antarctica was joined to S America, Africa, India, Australia, and New Zealand in a single, warm continent called Gondwana. According to the plate tectonics theory, Antarctica split from Gondwana and drifted to its present location at the South Pole. Persistent westerly winds began to circle Antarctica, blocking heat transport to the continent and making it the coldest region on Earth. When was the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth, -89.4C (-129F), reported?November 19, 2007
The Mysterious Boulders of Moeraki
The unusually large, spherical Moeraki Boulders that dot a stretch of Koekohe Beach in New Zealand have been the subject of attention since prehistoric times. They range in size from .5 to 2.2 m (1.5 to 6.7 ft) in diameter and are composed of mud, fine-silt, and clay, and are cemented by calcite. Centuries of coastal erosion have exhumed these septarian concretions from the mudstone enclosing them. How many millions of years did it take for the larger Moeraki Boulders to form?November 18, 2007
Shay’s Rebellion
Debt-ridden farmers, struck by the economic depression that followed the American Revolution, petitioned the Massachusetts state senate to halt foreclosure of mortgages on their property and imprisonment for debt. When the senate failed to undertake these reforms, armed rebels, led by Daniel Shays and other local leaders, forcibly closed a number of debtors' courts. The rebellion, suppressed in 1787, less than a year after it began, prompted the fledgling US government to make what changes?November 17, 2007
Bookbinding
The craft of bookbinding began simply, with the use of boards to protect parchment manuscripts. By the 2nd century, sheets of parchment were being folded and sewn together. During the Middle Ages, the practice of making fine bindings for these sewn volumes rose to great heights; books were rare and precious articles, and many were treated with exquisite gilded and jeweled bindings. What is the uncommon practice of binding books in human skin, a technique dating back to the 17th century, called?November 16, 2007
The Deepest Ocean
In 1951, the British Royal Navy ship HMS Challenger II surveyed the Challenger Deep trench of the Pacific Ocean, located between Indonesia and Japan, establishing it as the deepest known point of any ocean on Earth. Less than a decade later, a US Navy deep-sea diving submersible descended to the trench floor. There, the crew observed small sole and flounder and noted that the floor consisted of diatomaceous ooze. What is the maximum depth surveyed at the Challenger Deep?- » About
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