CruelDoor

Earth, Deformation of the crust

2005-04-04T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Earth's crust has been subjected to widespread deformation over geologic time. This deformation results from forces applied to the rocks that make up the crust. Such forces create stresses within the rocks, and these stresses in turn produce strain, which is manifested in the form of folds, faults, and joints.

Andersen's Disease

2005-04-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Glycogenosis Type Iv, extremely rare hereditary metabolic disorder produced by absence of the enzyme amylo-1:4,1:6-transglucosidase, which is an essential mediator of the synthesis of glycogen. An abnormal form of glycogen, amylopectin, is produced and accumulates in body tissues, particularly in the liver and heart. Affected children appear normal at birth but fail to thrive and later lose

Khons

2005-04-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Khonsu, Khensu, or Chons, in ancient Egyptian religion, moon god who was generally depicted as a youth. A deity with astronomical associations named Khenzu is known from the Pyramid Texts (c. 2350 BC) and is possibly the same as Khons. In Egyptian mythology, Khons was regarded as the son of the god Amon and the goddess Mut. In the period of the late New Kingdom (c. 1100 BC) a major temple was built for Khons in the Karnak

Celastraceae

2005-03-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

The staff-tree family, in the order Celastrales, comprising about 55 genera of woody vines, shrubs, and trees, native in tropical and temperate zones but best known for ornamental forms of the genera Euonymus and Celastrus (bittersweet). Fruit of the family is often colourful. Leaves are frequently leathery and flowers are small, with four to five sepals and petals; alternating

Omar Khayyam

2005-03-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

Arabic in full Ghiyath al-Din Abu al-Fath 'Umar ibn Ibrahim al-Nisaburi al-Khayyami Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet, renowned in his own country and time for his scientific achievements but chiefly known to English-speaking readers through the translation of a collection of his roba'iyat (“quatrains”) in The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (1859), by the English writer Edward

Elda

2005-03-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

City, Alicante province, in the autonomous community (region) of Valencia, southeastern Spain, northwest of Alicante city. Of ancient origin, Elda was called Idella by the Iberians, early peoples of Spain. The city first achieved importance under the Moors, who occupied it in the 8th century and built a castle (ruins remain); it was re-Christianized by James I of Aragon in

Equatorial Guinea, Linguistic composition

2005-03-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

While each ethnic group speaks its own language, other linguistic influences are at work. The first is Spanish, the official language of the republic, which is taught in schools and used by the press and is the only means of communication common to both Bioko and the mainland. The second influence is pidgin English, which is used extensively in petty commerce and forms

Maurice

2005-03-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

In full Maurice, Prince Of Orange, Count Of Nassau, Dutch Maurits, Prins Van Oranje, Graaf Van Nassau hereditary stadholder (1585–1625) of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, or Dutch Republic, successor to his father, William I the Silent. His development of military strategy, tactics, and engineering made the Dutch army the most modern in the Europe of his time.

Pozzuoli

2005-03-19T15:48:00.000-08:00

The town was founded about 529 BC by Greek emigrants who called it Dicaearchia (“City of Justice”). Captured by Rome in the Samnite wars, it was vainly besieged by the Carthaginian general

Straits Question

2005-03-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

The straits were in Turkish territory, but when Russia gained control of the north shore of the

Neurosecretory Cell

2005-03-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

A type of neuron, or nerve cell, whose function is to translate neural signals into chemical stimuli. Such cells produce secretions called neurohormones that travel along the neuron axon and are typically released into the bloodstream at neurohemal organs, regions in which the axon endings are in close contact with blood capillaries. Neurosecretory cells are

älvsborg

2005-03-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

Former län (county) of southwestern Sweden, located to the west and south of Lake Vänern. Formed as a county in 1634, it was merged with the counties of Göteborg och Bohus and Skaraborg in 1998 to form the county of Västra Götaland.

Tadpole Shrimp

2005-03-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

(order Notostraca), any member of a small group of crustaceans (class Branchiopoda), composed of the genera Triops and Lepidurus. The approximately 15 known species are strictly freshwater forms, inhabiting lakes, ponds, and temporary pools, chiefly in Europe and North America. The common name tadpole shrimp derives from the animal's distinctive body shape—a large, oval

Flamsteed, John

2005-03-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Poor health forced Flamsteed to leave school in 1662. He studied astronomy on his own and later (1670–74) continued his education at the University of Cambridge. In 1677 he became a member of the Royal Society. Ordained a clergyman in 1675, Flamsteed in

Gruen, Victor

2005-03-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Gruen received his architectural training at the Technological Institute and Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, and worked under

Nicaea, Council Of

2005-03-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

(325), the first ecumenical council of the Christian church, meeting in ancient Nicaea (now Iznik, Tur.). It was called by the emperor Constantine I, an unbaptized catechumen, or neophyte, who presided over the opening session and took part in the discussions. He hoped a general council of the church would solve the problem created in the Eastern church by Arianism, a heresy first

Phocion

2005-03-11T02:32:00.000-08:00

Phocion was a pupil of Plato and in later life a close friend of the Platonic philosopher Xenocrates. After serving Persia as a mercenary, he was drawn into Athens' efforts to remain

Telescope, X-ray telescopes

2005-03-10T22:23:00.000-08:00

The X-ray telescope is used to examine the shorter-wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum adjacent to the ultraviolet region. The design of this type of telescope must be radically different from that of a conventional reflector. Since X-ray photons have so much energy, they would pass right through the mirror of a standard reflector. X rays must be bounced

Arabia, History Of, The Hejaz

2005-03-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Meccan sharifs were merely the nominees of Egypt until 1840, when the Egyptians evacuated Arabia. Thereafter the sharifs were usually semiautonomous beside the Ottoman governors of the Hejaz. Improved communications after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 allowed the Ottoman Empire to send troops by sea to Arabia. An attempt to establish direct administration

Novaës, Guiomar

2005-03-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

After early studies in São Paulo with Luigi Chiafarelli, Novaës was sent by the Brazilian government to the Paris Conservatory, where she took first place in the entrance examinations (1909). There she studied with

Zanuck, Darryl F.

2005-03-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

Abandoned by his parents at age 13, Zanuck joined the U.S. Army and fought in Belgium during World War I. He worked as a steelworker, garment factory foreman, and a professional boxer while pursuing his career as a

Aedui

2005-03-05T02:54:00.000-08:00

Celtic tribe of central Gaul (occupying most of what was later Burgundy), chiefly responsible for the diplomatic situation exploited by Julius Caesar when he began his conquests in that region in 58 BC. The Aedui had been supported by Rome since 121 BC, but they were heavily defeated in about 61 BC by the Sequani and lost their revenue from tolls on the Arar (Saône) River. Appealing to

Tyrosinemia

2005-03-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Also called Tyrosinosis, inherited inability of the body to metabolize normally the amino acid tyrosine. In the normal metabolic pathway of tyrosine, para-(p-)hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid is converted to homogentisic acid (in the liver) by a specific organic catalyst or enzyme, called p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid oxidase. This enzyme is not active in individuals with tyrosinemia. Clinical

Spodumene

2005-03-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Also called Triphane a lithium aluminum silicate mineral (LiAlSi2O6) in the pyroxene family, an important ore of lithium and a source of ceramic materials. It is ordinarily found in lithium-bearing granite pegmatites. When brilliant and glassy, clear spodumene is valued as a semiprecious gem (more by collectors and museums than by the public, because its colour fades when it is exposed to

Drop Cut

2005-03-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Method of faceting gemstones into a pear shape suitable for pendants, earrings, and other jewelry. A pendeloque is a pear-shaped modification of the round brilliant cut used for diamonds. A briolette is an elongated, pear-shaped stone covered with bands of triangular or rectangular facets, usually with a pointed end and without a girdle.

Extravaganza

2005-02-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

A literary or musical work marked by extreme freedom of style and structure and usually by elements of burlesque or parody, such as Samuel Butler's Hudibras. The term extravaganza may also refer to an elaborate and spectacular theatrical production. The term once specifically referred to a type of 19th-century English drama made popular by J.R. Planché, a British playwright

Himeji

2005-02-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

City, Hyogo ken (prefecture), western Honshu, Japan. It is situated west of Kobe, near the Inland Sea. It developed as a castle town around the white, five-storied Himeji, or Shirasagi (“Egret”), Castle, built in the 14th century and reconstructed in 1577 and 1964. A large part of the city was destroyed by bombing during World War II. The city recovered and grew rapidly after the war. It is now the

Epidermal Tooth

2005-02-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

Any of several hard, horny projections analogous to but not homologous with true teeth (see tooth). Epidermal teeth are found in the jawless fish (e.g., lampreys), on the edges of the jaws of tadpoles (larval frogs and toads), in the mouth of the platypus, where horny plates replace the true teeth before birth, and in sirenians (e.g., sea cows) accompanying true teeth.

Forsterite-fayalite Series

2005-02-26T00:55:00.000-08:00

These minerals are common

Río De Oro

2005-02-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Southern region of Western Sahara. It has an area of 71,000 square miles (184,000 square km) and lies between Cape Blanco and latitude 26° N, near Cape Bojador. The climate is very arid, with virtually no rainfall, and there are extreme variations of temperature in the interior, ranging from nearly 32° F (0° C) at night to about 122° F (50° C) in the afternoon. Its principal town, Dakhla (formerly Villa Cisneros),

Medicine, Drug research

2005-02-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

The administration of any medicament, especially a new drug, to a patient is fundamentally an experiment: so is a surgical operation, particularly if it involves a modification to an established technique or a completely new procedure. Concern for the patient, careful observation, accurate recording, and a detached mind are the keys to this kind of investigation,

Sadhu And Swami

2005-02-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Also spelled saddhu and swamy, Sanskrit sadhu and svamin, in India, religious or holy men. Sadhu signifies any religious ascetic or holy man. The class of sadhus includes not only genuine saints of many faiths but also men (and occasionally women) who have left their homes in order to concentrate on physical and spiritual disciplines, as well as hermits, magicians, and fortune-tellers, some of dubious religious intent. Swami

Hessonite

2005-02-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Essonite, or Cinnamon Stone, translucent, semiprecious, reddish-brown variety of grossular (q.v.), a garnet mineral.

Arminius, Jacobus

2005-02-19T04:17:00.000-08:00

His father died when Arminius was an infant, and one Theodore Aemilius adopted the child and provided for his schooling in Utrecht. On the death of

Commercial Fishing, Shellfish

2005-02-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

The crustaceans include lobsters, crabs, crayfish, and both shrimp and the closely related but larger prawns. The shells consist mainly of a hard, inedible substance called chitin. Crustaceans molt frequently

Jars, Plain Of

2005-02-17T05:10:00.000-08:00

French Plain des Jarres , Laotian Thông Haihin dissected inner region of the Xiangkhoang Plateau in north-central Laos. Drained principally by the Ngum River, a southward-flowing tributary of the Mekong River, the plain is characterized by narrow river valleys and limestone and sandstone hills ranging from 3,000 to 3,600 feet (900 to 1,100 m) in elevation. The plain's name is derived from several hundred huge and ancient carved stone

Lens

2005-02-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

In optics, piece of glass or other transparent substance that is used to form an image of an object by focusing rays of light from the object. A lens is a piece of transparent material, usually circular in shape, with two polished surfaces, either or both of which is curved and may be either convex (bulging) or concave (depressed). The curves are almost always spherical, i.e.,

Lens

2005-02-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Shaharith

2005-02-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Shaharit, Shacharit, or Shacharith, Hebrew Shaharit (“dawn”), in Judaism, the first of three periods of daily prayer; the other daily services are minhah and maarib. They are all ideally recited in the synagogue so that a quorum (minyan) can be formed to pray as a corporate body representing “Israel.” Shaharith is considered a substitute for the dawn sacrifice formerly offered each day in the Temple of Jerusalem, but ancient

Resserella

2005-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Extinct genus of brachiopods (lamp shells) that occurs as fossils in marine rocks of Middle Ordovician to Lower Silurian age (421 to 478 million years old).Resserella has a dorsal shell whose margin is horizontal, and a distal, or upper, shell with an arcuate (bow-shaped) margin. Both valves are often gently convex. Surface markings consist of fine lines, and the internal structure

Epistemology, Relation of epistemology to other branches of philosophy

2005-02-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Philosophy viewed in the broadest possible terms divides into many branches: metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, logic, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and a gamut of others. Each of these disciplines has its special subject matter: for metaphysics it is the ultimate nature of the world; for ethics, the nature of the good life and how people

Henry I

2005-02-11T21:20:00.000-08:00

Henry was the son of Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of England, after whom he was named. He was killed, while still a boy, by the fall of a tile from a roof. Sovereignty over Castile was then assumed by Alfonso VIII's cousin, Alfonso IX, king of Leon.

Hop-hornbeam

2005-02-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Any of about seven species of ornamental trees constituting the genus Ostrya of the birch family (Betulaceae), native to Eurasia and North America. A hop-hornbeam has shaggy, scaling bark and thin, translucent, green leaves with hairy leafstalks. The hoplike, green fruits are composed of many bladderlike scales, each bearing a small, flat nut. The European

Medicine, Levels of health care

2005-02-10T01:31:00.000-08:00

In the curative domain there are various forms of medical practice. They may be thought of generally as forming a pyramidal structure, with three tiers representing increasing degrees of specialization and technical sophistication but catering to diminishing numbers of patients as they are filtered out of the system at a lower level. Only those patients who

Driver Ant

2005-02-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Using their powerful cutting jaws, driver ants attack everything in their path, including snakes, birds, mammals,

Cytokine

2005-02-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Any of a group of small, short-lived proteins that are released by one cell to regulate the function of another cell, thereby serving as intercellular chemical messengers. Cytokines effect changes in cellular behaviour that are important in a number of physiological processes, including reproduction, growth and development, and injury repair. However, they are

World War I, Palestine, autumn 1917

2005-02-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

Having assumed command in Egypt (see above The Egyptian frontiers, 1915–July 1917), Allenby transferred his headquarters from Cairo to the Palestinian front and devoted the summer of 1917 to preparing a serious offensive against the Turks. On the Turkish side, Falkenhayn, now in command at Aleppo, was at this time himself planning a drive into the Sinai Peninsula for the autumn, but

Straight-rail Billiards

2005-02-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

Billiard game played with three balls (one red and two white) on a table without pockets. The object is to score caroms by hitting both object balls with a cue ball. A player may use either white ball as cue ball but not one that has been placed on one of the small spots marked on the table, as at the start of the game or after one is knocked off the table. Only three caroms may be

Arp, Halton Christian

2005-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Arp received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1949 and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 1953. He subsequently accepted a research fellowship to conduct postdoctoral studies at the nearby Hale Observatories

Yama

2005-02-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

In Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See dharmapala.

Andersonville

2005-02-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 1863 the U.S. federal authorities ended an agreement

Floral Decoration, Middle Ages

2005-01-31T02:41:00.000-08:00

Illuminated manuscripts of the Gothic period (from the

Walid, Al-

2005-01-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

Al-Walid, the eldest son of the caliph 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, was fervently orthodox in his religious views, and he had a great interest in architecture. As caliph, he confiscated the Christian Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Damascus

Manchu-tungus Languages

2005-01-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

Also called Tungusic languages, smallest of three subfamilies of the Altaic language family. The Manchu-Tungus languages are a group of 10 to 17 languages spoken by fewer than 70,000 people scattered across a vast region that stretches from northern China across Mongolia to the northern boundary of Russia. Apart from the moribund Manchu and the now-extinct Juchen (Jurchen) languages, these languages have

Ogden, C.k.

2005-01-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

In 1912 Ogden founded an intellectual weekly, The Cambridge Magazine, to which Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, and other noted literary

Beskid Mountains

2005-01-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Czech Beskydy , Polish Beskidy discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia, and southern Poland. The Czech sections at the western end of the Carpathian Mountains lie south and east of the Moravian Gate and are identified locally by smaller units. The Moravian-Silesian Beskid Mountains, which extend from the eastern Czech Republic

Tooth

2005-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

The teeth of vertebrates represent the modified descendants of bony dermal (skin) plates that armoured ancestral fishes. A tooth consists of a crown

Soka

2005-01-25T01:31:00.000-08:00

City, Saitama ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, on the Ayase River, north of Tokyo. During the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) Soka was a post station, noted for its leather and dyes. The Tobu Line (railway) arrived in 1899. Because of its proximity to Tokyo and available water and land, the city developed as an extension of the Keihin Industrial Zone after World War II. Major products are pulp, leather,

Ireland, Air facilities

2005-01-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

International airports are located at Dublin, Shannon, and Cork, and there are several regional airports. Aer Rianta, a public limited-liability company, has responsibility for the operation, management, and development of the three major international airports. Shannon was the world's first duty-free airport; a state-sponsored company offers substantial tax breaks

Xavier, Saint Francis

2005-01-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

After all the members of the band had completed their studies, they reassembled in Venice, where Xavier was ordained priest on June 24, 1537. Having for more than a year sought passage to the Holy Land in vain, the seven, along with fresh recruits, went to Rome to put themselves at the disposal of the Pope. Meanwhile, as a result of their preaching and care of the sick throughout central

Malaita

2005-01-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

Also called Mala, volcanic island in the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It lies 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Guadalcanal across Indispensable Strait. The island is about 115 miles (185 km) long and 22 miles (35 km) across at its widest point, is mountainous (rising to Mount Ire [Mount Kolourat; 4,718 feet, or 1,438 m] in the centre), and is covered with dense forests. It is separated from Maramasike Island at its

Ali, Muhammad

2005-01-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., grew up in the American South in a time of segregated public facilities. His father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., supported a

Surduc Pass

2005-01-20T01:46:00.000-08:00

Also called Jiu Defile , or Jiu Pass Romanian Pasul Surduc pass, southwestern Romania. The Jiu River flows through the pass between the Vâlcan (west) and the Parâng (east) mountains, in the Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians). The pass connects the Petrosani Depression (upper Jiu Valley) with the Plain of Oltenia. A road and the Bumbesti–Livezeni railway line, opened in 1947, follow the pass by means of 30 tunnels and several

Hypoglycemia

2005-01-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Reduction of the concentration of glucose in the blood serum below normal levels, commonly occurring as a complication of treatment for diabetes mellitus. Even brief falls in serum glucose levels can produce severe brain dysfunction. In healthy individuals, an intricate glucoregulatory system acts rapidly to counter hypoglycemia by reducing insulin production

Q Fever

2005-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

Q fever was first recognized in 1935 in Queensland, Australia, by Edward Holbrook Derrick. According to him, Q stands for “query,” an appellation applied because of the many unanswered questions posed by the new disease at the time of its first description. The disease was originally encountered

Orange, Councils Of

2005-01-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

Two church synods held in Orange, France, in 441 and 529. The first, under the presidency of St. Hilary of Arles, dealt mainly with disciplinary matters. The second, and by far the more important, was concerned with refuting the Semi-Pelagianism of Faustus of Riez. It was attended by 15 bishops and was under the presidency of Caesarius of Arles. Caesarius had sought the aid of Rome against

Biblical Literature, The significance of Elijah

2005-01-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

With the dynasty of Omri (c. 876–842), the prophetic movement begins to assume a position of tremendous importance in Israel and Judah. Omri (reigned c. 876–869) reestablished Israel's economic and military significance among the Syrian and Palestinian minor kingdoms, so much so that years after his death the Assyrians referred to the northern kingdom as “the land of Omri.” He is mentioned

Fichtel Hills

2005-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

German Fichtelgebirge , Czech Smrciny mountains in northeastern Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany. They lie at the Czech border between the Franconian Forest in the northwest, the Ore Mountains (in German, Erzgebirge; in Czech, Krušné Hory) in the northeast, and the Upper Palatinate Forest (a section of the Bohemian Forest) in the south. The rectangular plateau of the Fichtel Hills forms a watershed

Moiseiwitsch, Benno

2005-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

His early training was with Dmitry Klimov in Odessa; Moiseiwitsch won the Rubinstein Prize at the age of nine. He studied with Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna from 1904 to 1908, then joined his family in England, making

Ten Days Of Penitence

2005-01-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

Hebrew Aseret Yeme Teshuva, the first 10 days of the Jewish religious year. See yamim nora'im.

Hawk Owl

2005-01-12T01:21:00.000-08:00

The northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula) is approximately 40 cm (about 16 inches) long. Its tail is long, and its wings are short and pointed like those of a hawk. The facial disk of the northern hawk owl does not extend above the eyes, and it has no ear tufts. It feeds on small mammals, birds, and insects, hunting during

Earth Sciences, Radiometric dating

2005-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

In 1905, shortly after the discovery of radioactivity, the American chemist Bertram Boltwood suggested that lead is one of the disintegration products of uranium, in which case the older a uranium-bearing mineral the greater should be its proportional part of lead. Analyzing specimens whose relative geologic ages were known, Boltwood found that the ratio of lead to

Eastern Orthodoxy, In Bulgaria

2005-01-10T03:14:00.000-08:00

The reestablishment of the Church of Bulgaria eventually was secured, but not without tragedy and even a schism; this happened mainly because the issue of reestablishing the autocephalous church arose at a time when both Greek and Bulgarian populations lived side by side in Macedonia, Thrace, and Constantinople itself, though still within the framework of the

Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke Of, Earl Of Surrey, Earl Marshal

2005-01-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

Howard was the brother-in-law of King Henry VII and the son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. In May 1513 he became lord high admiral,

Basil, Liturgy Of Saint

2005-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

The Liturgy of St. Basil, of which two versions—the Alexandrian and the

Nomos

2005-01-06T00:41:00.000-08:00

Nomoi were also performed on the kithara

Beilby, Sir George Thomas

2005-01-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the University of

Heston, Charlton

2005-01-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

Heston decided to become an actor after impulsively auditioning for a high-school play. His stage experience in high school resulted in a scholarship to Northwestern

Race

2005-01-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

The most important promoter of racial ideology in Europe during the mid-19th century was Joseph-Arthur, comte de Gobineau, who had an almost incalculable effect on late 19th-century social theory. Published in 1853–55, his Essay on the Inequality of Human Races was widely read, embellished, and publicized by many different kinds of writers. He imported some of his arguments from

Blueberry

2005-01-03T01:07:00.000-08:00

Blueberries grow only in highly acidic and well-drained but moist soils. About 36,000 acres (14,500 hectares) of the high-bush blueberry

Allemande

2005-01-02T04:17:00.000-08:00

Processional couple dance with stately, flowing steps, fashionable in 16th-century aristocratic circles; also an 18th-century figure dance. The earlier dance apparently originated in Germany but became fashionable both at the French court (whence its name, which in French means “German”) and in England, where it was called almain, or almand. The French dancing master Thoinot

Durango

2004-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

State, north central Mexico. It is bounded by the states of Chihuahua (north), Coahuila and Zacatecas (east), Jalisco and Nayarit (south), and Sinaloa (west). The western portion of the state's 47,560 sq mi (123,181 sq km) of territory lies within the mineral-laden Sierra Madre Occidental; semiarid plains, used for ranching, comprise the eastern portion. Coursing eastward from the Sierra Madre,

Staël, Germaine De

2004-12-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

In full Anne-Louise-Germaine Necker, Baronne (baroness) de Staël-Holstein , byname Madame de Staël French-Swiss woman of letters, political propagandist, and conversationalist, who epitomized the European culture of her time, bridging the history of ideas from Neoclassicism to Romanticism. She also gained fame by maintaining a salon for leading intellectuals. Her writings include novels, plays, moral and political essays, literary

Sundew

2004-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Any plant of the family Droseraceae (order Nepenthales), which contains four genera (Aldrovanda, Dionaea, Drosera, and Drosophyllum) and about 100 annual and perennial species of flowering plants notable for their ability to trap insects. They are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions. One of the best-known sundews is the Venus's-flytrap

Marrah Mountains

2004-12-29T23:56:00.000-08:00

Arabic Jabal Marra, mountain range, a rugged volcanic chain extending for 100 miles (160 km) west-southwest of Al-Fashir, in west-central Sudan. The highest point of the Nile-Lake Chad watershed, the mountains reach heights of more than 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Some intermittent tributaries of the Al-'Arab River rise on the southern flanks.

Oakland

2004-12-27T18:47:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1873) of Alameda county, California, U.S., on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. Its site was once part of Rancho San Antonio, where Moses Chase leased farmland and laid out the town of Clinton (later named Brooklyn). In 1851 Horace W. Carpentier started a transbay ferry service to San Francisco and acquired a town site (1852) to the west of Brooklyn, naming it Oakland for the

Sunflower

2004-12-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Plant of the genus Helianthus of the family Asteraceae, native primarily to North and South America. The common sunflower is an annual herb with a rough hairy stem 1–4.5 m (3–15 feet) high, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves 7.5–30 cm (3–12 inches) long, and heads of flowers 7.5–15 cm wide in wild specimens and often 0.3 m or more in cultivated types. The disk flowers are brown, yellow,

Dumesnil, Mademoiselle

2004-12-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

She made her Paris debut in 1737 at the Comédie-Française as Clytemnestre in Racine's Iphigénie en Aulide. A fiery actress who scorned tradition, she played Cléopâtre in Corneille's Rodogune and played Racine's Phèdre, Athalie,

India, Coastal areas

2004-12-24T20:34:00.000-08:00

Most of the coast of India flanks the Eastern and Western Ghats. In the northwest, however, much of coastal Gujarat lies to the northwest of the Western Ghats, extending around the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay) and into the salt marshes of the Kathiawar and Kachchh (Kutch) peninsulas. These tidal marshes include the Great Rann of Kachchh along the border with Pakistan and the Little

Saicho

2004-12-23T15:52:00.000-08:00

A priest at the age of 13, Saicho was sent to China to study in 804 and returned with the highly eclectic Tendai (T'ien-t'ai in Chinese) teachings. Unlike other Buddhist sects then in existence in Japan, the Tendai sect taught that there could be meaning and value in

Dózsa Rebellion

2004-12-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

During the reign of King Vladislas II (1490–1516), royal power declined in favour of the magnates, who used their power to curtail the peasants' freedom. When the cardinal Tamás Bakócz called for volunteers to go on a crusade against

Astronomical Observatory

2004-12-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Any structure containing telescopes and auxiliary instruments with which to observe celestial objects. Observatories can be classified on the basis of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum in which they are designed to observe. The largest number of observatories are optical; i.e., they are equipped to observe in and near the region of the spectrum visible

1850, Compromise Of

2004-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Series of compromise measures passed by the U.S. Congress in an effort to settle several outstanding slavery issues and to avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. The crisis arose from the request of the territory of California (Dec. 3, 1849) to be admitted to the Union with a constitution prohibiting slavery. The problem was complicated by the unresolved question of

Ashton, Sir Frederick (william Mallandaine)

2004-12-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

Ashton joined

Dientzenhofer, Christoph And Kilian Ignaz

2004-12-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

Father and son, members of a large family of German architects, who were among the leading builders in Bohemian Baroque. Among their joint works are the Church of St. Nicholas (1703–11, 1732–52) and the Brevnov Monastery (1708–21), both in Prague. K.I. Dientzenhofer built the churches of St. Thomas (1725–31; a Gothic structure reworked into Baroque)

Paul, Acts Of

2004-12-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

One of the earliest of a series of pseudepigraphal (noncanonical) New Testament writings known collectively as the Apocryphal Acts. Probably written about AD 160–180, the Acts of Paul is an account of the Apostle Paul's travels and teachings. It includes, among others, an episode reminiscent of the Greek fable of Androcles and the lion, in which Paul escapes from the wild beasts

Vriesea

2004-12-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

The stiff, sword-shaped, fleshy green leaves grow in a rosette and often are mottled or banded with brown. The pink,

Aerospace Industry, Internationalization

2004-12-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

In the 1960s the high development cost of wide-body jets started a trend toward international risk sharing and cost sharing in aircraft development. American firms sought foreign partners because international cooperation was not subject to antitrust regulations and provided an excellent entry into overseas markets. This kind of partnership proved particularly

Kirkland, Samuel

2004-12-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

While still a student at Princeton, Kirkland began his wilderness treks on snowshoes to preach to the Indians. Gradually he mastered several Indian languages

Schally, Andrew V.

2004-12-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

In full Andrew Victor Schally Polish-born American endocrinologist and corecipient, with Roger Guillemin and Rosalyn Yalow, of the 1977 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. He was noted for isolating and synthesizing three hormones that are produced by the region of the brain known as the hypothalamus; these hormones control the activities of other