Curio Cabinet
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February 8, 2023
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Turkish President Erdogan heads to the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake as rescue efforts continue in freezing conditions. The de...
From the BBC World Service: Turkish President Erdogan heads to the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake as rescue efforts continue in freezing conditions. The de...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 8, 2023
despot \DESS-putt\ noun
What It Means
A despot is a ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel an...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 8, 2023
despot \DESS-putt\ noun
What It Means
A despot is a ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel an...
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FREEEntrepreneurship Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Selling your startup isn’t always the best idea! When entrepreneur Daniel Lubetzky first started KIND snacks, in 2004, his business struggled for funding, the way that many startups do. By 2008, KIND’s granola bars and other healthy, outdoor-oriented snacks were catching on, but Lubetzky knew he still needed outside investors. So, he struck a deal with VMG Partners, a private equity firm. For around $16 million in funding, Lubetzky agreed to sell his company within four years. It seemed like a good deal at the time, since Lubetzky believed that he could make more money by selling KIND than by keeping it. The trouble was, that $16 million in funding helped KIND become suddenly popular, and Lubetzky quickly realized that his initial assessment was wrong; his company was successful, and he wanted to keep it. To make that happen, Lubetzky had to buy back his shares from VMG Partners. The process took around two years and cost far more than the amount that VMG had put into KIND—around $220 million. It was a risky process, since Lubetzky had to take out loans in order to buy back the shares. However, the risk paid off. Lubetzky maintained control of the company, and KIND’s popularity only increased. In 2017, Lubetzky did indeed sell the company…but by then it represented a significant portion of the snack food market and was worth billions of dollars. He also retained his position as CEO, even after KIND was acquired by food industry giant Mars Incorporated. In the business world, it sometimes pays to change your mind!
[Image description: A pile of unwrapped granola bars.] Credit & copyright: walterrodriguezph, Pixabay, the granola bars in this image are not associated with KIND foods.Selling your startup isn’t always the best idea! When entrepreneur Daniel Lubetzky first started KIND snacks, in 2004, his business struggled for funding, the way that many startups do. By 2008, KIND’s granola bars and other healthy, outdoor-oriented snacks were catching on, but Lubetzky knew he still needed outside investors. So, he struck a deal with VMG Partners, a private equity firm. For around $16 million in funding, Lubetzky agreed to sell his company within four years. It seemed like a good deal at the time, since Lubetzky believed that he could make more money by selling KIND than by keeping it. The trouble was, that $16 million in funding helped KIND become suddenly popular, and Lubetzky quickly realized that his initial assessment was wrong; his company was successful, and he wanted to keep it. To make that happen, Lubetzky had to buy back his shares from VMG Partners. The process took around two years and cost far more than the amount that VMG had put into KIND—around $220 million. It was a risky process, since Lubetzky had to take out loans in order to buy back the shares. However, the risk paid off. Lubetzky maintained control of the company, and KIND’s popularity only increased. In 2017, Lubetzky did indeed sell the company…but by then it represented a significant portion of the snack food market and was worth billions of dollars. He also retained his position as CEO, even after KIND was acquired by food industry giant Mars Incorporated. In the business world, it sometimes pays to change your mind!
[Image description: A pile of unwrapped granola bars.] Credit & copyright: walterrodriguezph, Pixabay, the granola bars in this image are not associated with KIND foods. -
FREEOutdoors Daily Curio #2598Free1 CQ
They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but what if that ounce warrants a pound of its own? That’s a potential issue with DEET, a popular insect repellent that has been shown to have some potentially concerning health effects. But scientists in Italy may have come up with an alternative that is harmless to humans while being just as effective at warding off mosquitoes. While DEET is demonstrably effective as an insect repellent under most circumstances, it has some drawbacks. First, there’s the strong smell, but that’s possibly the least of anyone’s worries. At high enough concentrations, DEET can cause skin and lung irritation and can even damage synthetic materials (which is what most outdoor gear is made of). Then there’s the growing concern that mosquitoes and other insects are becoming resistant to DEET, rendering it less useful the more it’s used. There is already a popular alternative to DEET on the market in the form of picaridin (also known as icaridin), but even that has its drawbacks. Like DEET, it can cause skin irritation and easily loses its effectiveness if the user gets wet and the substance washes off. It’s a hassle to reapply and it can also be a hit to the wallet, since mosquito repellents are notoriously expensive. The new alternatives developed by researchers at the University of Pisa and the University of Florence address all of these concerns. Called cyclic hydroxyacetals, the compounds were shown to be 95 percent effective at preventing mosquito bites for 8 hours, while DEET’s performance declines after just a few hours. The compounds are less likely to cause irritation or immune responses when applied directly on the skin because they don’t get absorbed through skin cells like the other repellents do. They’re also cheap to produce because the compounds can be easily synthesized while being more potent, meaning they could be easier on the wallet and add less bulk to a hiker’s backpack. That could mean carrying less bug spray and more granola on your next adventure.
[Image description: A black-and-yellow mosquito bites human skin.] Credit & copyright: nuzree, PixabayThey say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but what if that ounce warrants a pound of its own? That’s a potential issue with DEET, a popular insect repellent that has been shown to have some potentially concerning health effects. But scientists in Italy may have come up with an alternative that is harmless to humans while being just as effective at warding off mosquitoes. While DEET is demonstrably effective as an insect repellent under most circumstances, it has some drawbacks. First, there’s the strong smell, but that’s possibly the least of anyone’s worries. At high enough concentrations, DEET can cause skin and lung irritation and can even damage synthetic materials (which is what most outdoor gear is made of). Then there’s the growing concern that mosquitoes and other insects are becoming resistant to DEET, rendering it less useful the more it’s used. There is already a popular alternative to DEET on the market in the form of picaridin (also known as icaridin), but even that has its drawbacks. Like DEET, it can cause skin irritation and easily loses its effectiveness if the user gets wet and the substance washes off. It’s a hassle to reapply and it can also be a hit to the wallet, since mosquito repellents are notoriously expensive. The new alternatives developed by researchers at the University of Pisa and the University of Florence address all of these concerns. Called cyclic hydroxyacetals, the compounds were shown to be 95 percent effective at preventing mosquito bites for 8 hours, while DEET’s performance declines after just a few hours. The compounds are less likely to cause irritation or immune responses when applied directly on the skin because they don’t get absorbed through skin cells like the other repellents do. They’re also cheap to produce because the compounds can be easily synthesized while being more potent, meaning they could be easier on the wallet and add less bulk to a hiker’s backpack. That could mean carrying less bug spray and more granola on your next adventure.
[Image description: A black-and-yellow mosquito bites human skin.] Credit & copyright: nuzree, Pixabay
February 7, 2023
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: BP has announced its profits in 2022 more than doubled to just shy of 28 billion dollars. But the oil giant scaled back its green...
From the BBC World Service: BP has announced its profits in 2022 more than doubled to just shy of 28 billion dollars. But the oil giant scaled back its green...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 7, 2023
acquiesce \ak-wee-ESS\ verb
What It Means
To acquiesce is to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying sil...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 7, 2023
acquiesce \ak-wee-ESS\ verb
What It Means
To acquiesce is to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying sil...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
He’s come a long way since his One Direction days! Harry Styles has taken the world by storm in recent years, and that includes the Grammys. Styles’ album Harry’s House recently won Album of the Year, beating out longtime industry giants like Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar. Of the album’s three singles, As It Was may have had the most to do with the album’s big win. This wistful track employs the bubbly sounds of synth-pop, but to sad, nostalgic effect. With lyrics in which Harry calls himself out by name, the song tells the story of someone who yearns for the past but knows he can never return. Its raw vulnerability seems to showcase that Styles will never again return to the bubblegum-pop-esque sound that first made him famous, and listeners certainly seem happy about it. The song became the most streamed song in the U.S. in a single day when it was first released, and it even achieved a Guinness World Record the most-streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours by a male artist. Not too shabby for an ex-boybander!
[Image description: Harry Styles, wearing a white t-shirt, holds a microphone and points while performing onstage in 2014.] Credit & copyright: Ianthebush, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
He’s come a long way since his One Direction days! Harry Styles has taken the world by storm in recent years, and that includes the Grammys. Styles’ album Harry’s House recently won Album of the Year, beating out longtime industry giants like Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar. Of the album’s three singles, As It Was may have had the most to do with the album’s big win. This wistful track employs the bubbly sounds of synth-pop, but to sad, nostalgic effect. With lyrics in which Harry calls himself out by name, the song tells the story of someone who yearns for the past but knows he can never return. Its raw vulnerability seems to showcase that Styles will never again return to the bubblegum-pop-esque sound that first made him famous, and listeners certainly seem happy about it. The song became the most streamed song in the U.S. in a single day when it was first released, and it even achieved a Guinness World Record the most-streamed track on Spotify in 24 hours by a male artist. Not too shabby for an ex-boybander!
[Image description: Harry Styles, wearing a white t-shirt, holds a microphone and points while performing onstage in 2014.] Credit & copyright: Ianthebush, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
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FREELiterature Daily Curio #2597Free1 CQ
Many authors are known for their writing, but few are as known for their convictions. Sinclair Lewis, the first American author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, was born on this day in 1885, but he’s almost as famous for the award that he turned down as he is for the one that he accepted. While he was given the Nobel Prize in 1930 “for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters,” he once declined a Pulitzer for what he perceived as the Pulitzer Prize Committee’s hypocrisy and moral failings. Lewis had written four books before publishing Main Street, a novel about an intelligent young woman married to a doctor in a small town. Upon release, it received widespread acclaim, and it was under consideration for a Pulitzer Prize in 1921 but was denied. Why? At the time, the Pulitzer Prize for novels were only given to books which represented American life in a “wholesome” manner, and Main Street was far from wholesome. It was a scathing commentary on the romanticized small towns of America, and Lewis himself likened the experience of reading with the “masochistic pleasure that one has in sucking an aching tooth.” Instead, the prize that year went to The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton—and Lewis was well aware of why he was denied the award. So, in 1926, when the Pulitzer jury nominated Arrowsmith, Lewis refused the accept the prize, and in a letter to the Pulitzer Prize Committee, stated, “...the Pulitzer Prize for novels is peculiarly objectionable because the terms of it have been constantly and grievously misrepresented.” Additionally, he criticized the committee for awarding novels not for their literary merit but for conforming to whatever was considered the acceptable standard for portraying life in America. Although Lewis declined the prize money, the committee still decided to name him as that year’s winner. Additionally, the Pulitzer Prize eventually phased out the “wholesome” requirement, perhaps as a result of the nationwide attention his refusal received. It probably didn’t help their case that Lewis went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature just a few years later, which isn’t exactly a consolation prize.
[Image description: ] Credit & copyright: Oscar Whiite, Pach Brothers Studio, National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainMany authors are known for their writing, but few are as known for their convictions. Sinclair Lewis, the first American author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, was born on this day in 1885, but he’s almost as famous for the award that he turned down as he is for the one that he accepted. While he was given the Nobel Prize in 1930 “for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters,” he once declined a Pulitzer for what he perceived as the Pulitzer Prize Committee’s hypocrisy and moral failings. Lewis had written four books before publishing Main Street, a novel about an intelligent young woman married to a doctor in a small town. Upon release, it received widespread acclaim, and it was under consideration for a Pulitzer Prize in 1921 but was denied. Why? At the time, the Pulitzer Prize for novels were only given to books which represented American life in a “wholesome” manner, and Main Street was far from wholesome. It was a scathing commentary on the romanticized small towns of America, and Lewis himself likened the experience of reading with the “masochistic pleasure that one has in sucking an aching tooth.” Instead, the prize that year went to The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton—and Lewis was well aware of why he was denied the award. So, in 1926, when the Pulitzer jury nominated Arrowsmith, Lewis refused the accept the prize, and in a letter to the Pulitzer Prize Committee, stated, “...the Pulitzer Prize for novels is peculiarly objectionable because the terms of it have been constantly and grievously misrepresented.” Additionally, he criticized the committee for awarding novels not for their literary merit but for conforming to whatever was considered the acceptable standard for portraying life in America. Although Lewis declined the prize money, the committee still decided to name him as that year’s winner. Additionally, the Pulitzer Prize eventually phased out the “wholesome” requirement, perhaps as a result of the nationwide attention his refusal received. It probably didn’t help their case that Lewis went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature just a few years later, which isn’t exactly a consolation prize.
[Image description: ] Credit & copyright: Oscar Whiite, Pach Brothers Studio, National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
February 6, 2023
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : February 6, 2023
fraught \FRAWT\ adjective
What It Means
Fraught means “causing or having a lot of emotional stress or worry.” When frau...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 6, 2023
fraught \FRAWT\ adjective
What It Means
Fraught means “causing or having a lot of emotional stress or worry.” When frau...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Young people have done it again — “it” being reviving an old piece of technology from the dead. This time, it’s old cameras that their parents likely used. W...
Young people have done it again — “it” being reviving an old piece of technology from the dead. This time, it’s old cameras that their parents likely used. W...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
There’s just something about a snowy landscape. As much of the northern hemisphere is currently in the depths of winter, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the season, and a somewhat-familiar view from almost a hundred years ago. The piece above, Evening Snow at Terashima Village, shows a dark, snow-covered street in Tokyo, Japan. A lone pedestrian with an umbrella is walking along a path beside a river, and power lines hang over houses with light coming out of the windows. The artist behind the piece is Hasui Kawase, an influential Japanese printmaker known for his landscapes. His works create rich scenery by focusing on the most salient elements in the landscape, though that’s not to say they are sparse on detail. In fact, many of his works show architectural features in stunning detail or realistic reflections in rippling water, like in Evening Snow at Terashima Village, in which light can be seen on the surface of the scene’s river. It’s a wonderful moment frozen in time.
Title, Hasui Kawase (1883-1957), 1920, Woodblock print, 9.44 x 14.937 in (24 x 37.9 cm)
Below: another of Kawase’s woodblock prints, Zōjō-ji in Shiba, from his Twenty Views of Tōkyō series.
There’s just something about a snowy landscape. As much of the northern hemisphere is currently in the depths of winter, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the season, and a somewhat-familiar view from almost a hundred years ago. The piece above, Evening Snow at Terashima Village, shows a dark, snow-covered street in Tokyo, Japan. A lone pedestrian with an umbrella is walking along a path beside a river, and power lines hang over houses with light coming out of the windows. The artist behind the piece is Hasui Kawase, an influential Japanese printmaker known for his landscapes. His works create rich scenery by focusing on the most salient elements in the landscape, though that’s not to say they are sparse on detail. In fact, many of his works show architectural features in stunning detail or realistic reflections in rippling water, like in Evening Snow at Terashima Village, in which light can be seen on the surface of the scene’s river. It’s a wonderful moment frozen in time.
Title, Hasui Kawase (1883-1957), 1920, Woodblock print, 9.44 x 14.937 in (24 x 37.9 cm)
Below: another of Kawase’s woodblock prints, Zōjō-ji in Shiba, from his Twenty Views of Tōkyō series.
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FREEReligious Studies Daily Curio #2596Free1 CQ
Even trees deserve to celebrate their birthdays. And they get to, assuming there are people around who observe Tu Bishvat, which falls on February 5 and 6 this year, ending this evening. Tu Bishvat is a Jewish holiday that falls on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, and it has interesting roots that go back to ancient Jewish farmers. Specifically, it’s part of a custom dictated by the Torah, or first five books of the Hebrew Bible, to farmers growing fruit trees. Although the Torah doesn't mention the holiday specifically, it does state that the fruit of trees shouldn’t be harvested for three years, and that the fruit of the fourth year should be given as gifts to priests in the Temple. Only from the fifth year onward were farmers allowed to harvest the fruit for themselves and eat it freely. In ancient Judaism, fruit trees were considered signs of divine favor, so it’s no wonder they were treated with such respect—in fact, the Torah even forbids cutting down fruit trees in conquered territories during times of war. But trees are planted at different times throughout the year and different seasons. Who can remember exactly when a specific tree is planted if there’s a whole orchard full of them? Well, that’s why Tu Bishvat was established, to simplify the matter. Instead of keeping track of the “birthdays” of each individual tree, the fifteenth day of Shevat was made the birthday of all the trees, so no matter when in the year a tree had been planted, their age was counted on the same day. Of course, few people grow fruit trees in their backyards these days, but the day is still celebrated in a number of ways. Some celebrate by giving their time or money to environmental causes, with many donating money to the Jewish National Fund, an organization that is restoring forests in Israel, where Tu Bishvat is most popularly celebrated. Others might also celebrate by eating the fruits of trees and plants that are traditionally associated with the day, like grapes, figs and olives. That sounds like a great spread for anyone’s birthday!
[Image description: Large olive trees grow from brown soil in Israel.] Credit & copyright: IrinaUzv, PixabayEven trees deserve to celebrate their birthdays. And they get to, assuming there are people around who observe Tu Bishvat, which falls on February 5 and 6 this year, ending this evening. Tu Bishvat is a Jewish holiday that falls on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, and it has interesting roots that go back to ancient Jewish farmers. Specifically, it’s part of a custom dictated by the Torah, or first five books of the Hebrew Bible, to farmers growing fruit trees. Although the Torah doesn't mention the holiday specifically, it does state that the fruit of trees shouldn’t be harvested for three years, and that the fruit of the fourth year should be given as gifts to priests in the Temple. Only from the fifth year onward were farmers allowed to harvest the fruit for themselves and eat it freely. In ancient Judaism, fruit trees were considered signs of divine favor, so it’s no wonder they were treated with such respect—in fact, the Torah even forbids cutting down fruit trees in conquered territories during times of war. But trees are planted at different times throughout the year and different seasons. Who can remember exactly when a specific tree is planted if there’s a whole orchard full of them? Well, that’s why Tu Bishvat was established, to simplify the matter. Instead of keeping track of the “birthdays” of each individual tree, the fifteenth day of Shevat was made the birthday of all the trees, so no matter when in the year a tree had been planted, their age was counted on the same day. Of course, few people grow fruit trees in their backyards these days, but the day is still celebrated in a number of ways. Some celebrate by giving their time or money to environmental causes, with many donating money to the Jewish National Fund, an organization that is restoring forests in Israel, where Tu Bishvat is most popularly celebrated. Others might also celebrate by eating the fruits of trees and plants that are traditionally associated with the day, like grapes, figs and olives. That sounds like a great spread for anyone’s birthday!
[Image description: Large olive trees grow from brown soil in Israel.] Credit & copyright: IrinaUzv, Pixabay
February 5, 2023
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 5, 2023
weal \WEEL\ noun
What It Means
Weal is a somewhat old-fashioned word that refers to “a state of being happy, healthy, a...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 5, 2023
weal \WEEL\ noun
What It Means
Weal is a somewhat old-fashioned word that refers to “a state of being happy, healthy, a...
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FREEWorld History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
G’day mate, fancy a stroll in the Outback? The Australian Outback made international headlines recently, when mining company Rio Tinto lost a tiny, radioactive capsule in the expansive region. Luckily, government officials using specialized equipment were able to locate the capsule, but the situation led to many people outside of Australia learning more about the Outback, and just how big it is. In fact, the Australian Outback isn’t just one region. The term refers to any remote, sparsely-populated inland area, though it’s most commonly used to refer to arid regions in eastern and northern Australia, and the center of the nation’s Western Plateau. Four deserts sit in areas that are considered to be Outback: the Great Sandy, the Gibson, the Great Victoria, and the Tanami. The Outback covers more than 50,000 square miles, and includes some of the hottest, harshest environments on earth. In fact, the highest temperature ever recorded in the Outback was a whopping 123.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet, amazingly, animals and some humans have managed to thrive there for centuries.
The first people to settle in the Australian Outback arrived there from South East Asia around 60,000 years ago. Today, these Indigenous people are collectively known as Aboriginal Australians, though they are made up of many distinct groups. Despite the Outback’s harsh conditions, Aboriginals thrived there, as well as on several of Australia’s islands, like Tasmania and the Tiwi Islands. Those living in The Outback became adept at collecting and storing water. Many also practiced controlled burning of undergrowth, which fertilized the soil and encouraged plant growth, and attracted more animals to hunt. When the first Europeans arrived in Australia, in 1788, around 250,000 Aboriginals lived in Australia, many of them in the Outback. Unfortunately, Europeans brought disease which devastated the Aboriginal population. They also violently drove many Aboriginals from their land on the premise of “terra nullius”, a concept that meant that the land belonged to no one. Only in recent years has the Australian government committed to giving back swaths of land, including some of the Outback, to its ancestral owners. However, only around 5 percent of Australians live in the Outback today.
The Outback is still home to a surprisingly diverse array of wildlife. Animals that live in the most arid parts of the Outback have special adaptations to manage desert life. These include odd-looking marsupials like the bilby. Bilbies’ name comes from a word in the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal language meaning “long-nosed rat.” Though they’re not rats, or even rodents, bilbies do have long snouts which allow them to root through underbrush, and large ears which help to dissipate the intense heat of their desert environment. Their bodies are so adapted to desert life that they never need to drink liquid water. Their omnivorous diet, which includes insects, small mammals, plants, and fruits, provides all the water they need. Another, more famous marsupial native to the Outback is the black-flanked rock-wallaby. These small, kangaroo-like creatures make their homes on rock formations in the Outback, using their powerful legs to climb and their strong tails to balance. Like many other Outback-dwellers, they are nocturnal, which allows them to take advantage of lower nighttime temperatures. The Outback is home to many reptiles, like great desert skinks, which build burrows to escape high aboveground temperatures. Even some colorful birds are native to the Outback, like the pink cockatoo. These parrots live in large groups and spend their days sheltering in shady trees, but gather in large flocks in the evenings, often by watering holes. Their powerful beaks are adept at breaking open seeds and nuts, and tearing through thick fruit skins. One of the Outback’s most famous inhabitants is the dingo, an animal which isn’t technically native to Australia. These canines were brought to the continent by humans from East Asia between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago. Nevertheless, they are considered native wildlife under Australia’s Nature Conservation Act of 1992, and are protected in the country’s national parks. As far as we’re concerned, any creature hardy enough to call the Outback home deserves respect.
[Image description: A photo of the Australian Outback featuring tufts of grass and a large rock formation with a dead tree in the foreground.] Credit & copyright: lum-box, PixabayG’day mate, fancy a stroll in the Outback? The Australian Outback made international headlines recently, when mining company Rio Tinto lost a tiny, radioactive capsule in the expansive region. Luckily, government officials using specialized equipment were able to locate the capsule, but the situation led to many people outside of Australia learning more about the Outback, and just how big it is. In fact, the Australian Outback isn’t just one region. The term refers to any remote, sparsely-populated inland area, though it’s most commonly used to refer to arid regions in eastern and northern Australia, and the center of the nation’s Western Plateau. Four deserts sit in areas that are considered to be Outback: the Great Sandy, the Gibson, the Great Victoria, and the Tanami. The Outback covers more than 50,000 square miles, and includes some of the hottest, harshest environments on earth. In fact, the highest temperature ever recorded in the Outback was a whopping 123.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet, amazingly, animals and some humans have managed to thrive there for centuries.
The first people to settle in the Australian Outback arrived there from South East Asia around 60,000 years ago. Today, these Indigenous people are collectively known as Aboriginal Australians, though they are made up of many distinct groups. Despite the Outback’s harsh conditions, Aboriginals thrived there, as well as on several of Australia’s islands, like Tasmania and the Tiwi Islands. Those living in The Outback became adept at collecting and storing water. Many also practiced controlled burning of undergrowth, which fertilized the soil and encouraged plant growth, and attracted more animals to hunt. When the first Europeans arrived in Australia, in 1788, around 250,000 Aboriginals lived in Australia, many of them in the Outback. Unfortunately, Europeans brought disease which devastated the Aboriginal population. They also violently drove many Aboriginals from their land on the premise of “terra nullius”, a concept that meant that the land belonged to no one. Only in recent years has the Australian government committed to giving back swaths of land, including some of the Outback, to its ancestral owners. However, only around 5 percent of Australians live in the Outback today.
The Outback is still home to a surprisingly diverse array of wildlife. Animals that live in the most arid parts of the Outback have special adaptations to manage desert life. These include odd-looking marsupials like the bilby. Bilbies’ name comes from a word in the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal language meaning “long-nosed rat.” Though they’re not rats, or even rodents, bilbies do have long snouts which allow them to root through underbrush, and large ears which help to dissipate the intense heat of their desert environment. Their bodies are so adapted to desert life that they never need to drink liquid water. Their omnivorous diet, which includes insects, small mammals, plants, and fruits, provides all the water they need. Another, more famous marsupial native to the Outback is the black-flanked rock-wallaby. These small, kangaroo-like creatures make their homes on rock formations in the Outback, using their powerful legs to climb and their strong tails to balance. Like many other Outback-dwellers, they are nocturnal, which allows them to take advantage of lower nighttime temperatures. The Outback is home to many reptiles, like great desert skinks, which build burrows to escape high aboveground temperatures. Even some colorful birds are native to the Outback, like the pink cockatoo. These parrots live in large groups and spend their days sheltering in shady trees, but gather in large flocks in the evenings, often by watering holes. Their powerful beaks are adept at breaking open seeds and nuts, and tearing through thick fruit skins. One of the Outback’s most famous inhabitants is the dingo, an animal which isn’t technically native to Australia. These canines were brought to the continent by humans from East Asia between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago. Nevertheless, they are considered native wildlife under Australia’s Nature Conservation Act of 1992, and are protected in the country’s national parks. As far as we’re concerned, any creature hardy enough to call the Outback home deserves respect.
[Image description: A photo of the Australian Outback featuring tufts of grass and a large rock formation with a dead tree in the foreground.] Credit & copyright: lum-box, Pixabay -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting China this weekend amid multiple points of tension, including Taiwan and a Chinese spy balloon spotted ove...
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting China this weekend amid multiple points of tension, including Taiwan and a Chinese spy balloon spotted ove...
February 4, 2023
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 4, 2023
scrutinize \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ verb
What It Means
Scrutinize means "to examine (something) carefully especially in a criti...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 4, 2023
scrutinize \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ verb
What It Means
Scrutinize means "to examine (something) carefully especially in a criti...
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
This morning’s jobs report is out, and the number was staggering — 517,000 jobs added relative to the 187,000 that economists expected. FHN Financial Chief E...
This morning’s jobs report is out, and the number was staggering — 517,000 jobs added relative to the 187,000 that economists expected. FHN Financial Chief E...
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FREEFootball Daily CurioFree1 CQ
This takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level. As the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face off in Arizona at Super Bowl LVII, so are two brothers who happen to be playing for opposing sides. Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce of the Eagles and Chiefs, respectively, will be staring down at each other across the gridiron, making this the first time in NFL history that two brothers playing on different teams are being pitted against each other during the biggest game of the year. The father of the siblings, Ed Kelce, told CNN, "One of my kids is going to get another ring and one is going to go home brokenhearted that he didn't beat his brother.” Their mother, Donna Kelce, doesn’t seem to be looking forward to the match-up either, and said in an interview with PJ Ziegler of FOX 8, "It's your hopes and dreams coming true, but it's your worst fears. Somebody is going to go home a loser, and neither one of them lose very well." There’s still plenty to celebrate though, considering that the Kelces will be the first parents to have two sons in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Though the Kelce brothers are the first sibling players to face off against each other at the Super Bowl, 2013’s event also saw some brotherly tension when head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh led opposing Super Bowl teams. The former’s Baltimore Ravens ended up defeating the latter’s San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Here’s hoping things didn’t get too awkward at Thanksgiving that year.
[Image description: A football stadium with crowded stands.] Credit & copyright: 12019, Pixabay
This takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level. As the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face off in Arizona at Super Bowl LVII, so are two brothers who happen to be playing for opposing sides. Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce of the Eagles and Chiefs, respectively, will be staring down at each other across the gridiron, making this the first time in NFL history that two brothers playing on different teams are being pitted against each other during the biggest game of the year. The father of the siblings, Ed Kelce, told CNN, "One of my kids is going to get another ring and one is going to go home brokenhearted that he didn't beat his brother.” Their mother, Donna Kelce, doesn’t seem to be looking forward to the match-up either, and said in an interview with PJ Ziegler of FOX 8, "It's your hopes and dreams coming true, but it's your worst fears. Somebody is going to go home a loser, and neither one of them lose very well." There’s still plenty to celebrate though, considering that the Kelces will be the first parents to have two sons in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Though the Kelce brothers are the first sibling players to face off against each other at the Super Bowl, 2013’s event also saw some brotherly tension when head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh led opposing Super Bowl teams. The former’s Baltimore Ravens ended up defeating the latter’s San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Here’s hoping things didn’t get too awkward at Thanksgiving that year.
[Image description: A football stadium with crowded stands.] Credit & copyright: 12019, Pixabay
February 3, 2023
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: From Sunday the G7 group of leading economies will ban the import from Russia of refined oil products like diesel, and impose a p...
From the BBC World Service: From Sunday the G7 group of leading economies will ban the import from Russia of refined oil products like diesel, and impose a p...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 3, 2023
challah \HAH-luh or KHAH-luh\ noun
What It Means
Challah refers to an egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually bra...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 3, 2023
challah \HAH-luh or KHAH-luh\ noun
What It Means
Challah refers to an egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually bra...
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FREEScience Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
Imagine being a playwright, doctor, humanitarian, astronaut, and history-maker. In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space. Jemison grew up in a time when the Apollo missions were in full swing, with television broadcasts of the astronauts launching into space. But she also grew up in a time when there were no women, and very few African American people donning spacesuits and exploring the cosmos. Nevertheless, Jemison dreamed of going into space from the time she was a child. One of her earliest inspirations came in the form of Lt. Uhura, the African American, female communications officer aboard the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek. Jemison would go on to befriend Nichelle Nichols, the actress who portrayed the character, and she even had a guest appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1993, but before her own voyage into the “Final Frontier,” Jemison took some detours.
She excelled in academics and graduated from high school at the age of 16. Then, at Stanford University, she studied chemistry and earned a degree in African and Afro-American Studies. In between her demanding coursework, she managed to direct a musical play titled, Out of the Shadows, with music by Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. After completing her undergraduate studies, she went to Cornell University to study medicine, squeezing in overseas humanitarian missions between semesters. She then joined the Peace Corp for a number of years before opening a private practice in 1983. That same year, Sally Ride became the first woman to go into space. Inspired by Ride, Jemison’s dream of going into space was renewed, and she applied for the astronaut program at NASA. NASA briefly stopped taking applications for new candidates after the Challenger disaster in 1986, but Jemison applied again in 1987. This time, she was accepted, and on September 12, 1992, Jemison finally embarked on her voyage on the space shuttle Endeavor. Today, she is an advocate for minorities in STEM fields and manages The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which she named after her mother, who encouraged her pursuits. She really takes “reach for the stars” to a whole new level.
[Image description: Mae Carol Jemison wearing her orange NASA space suit.] Credit & copyright: NASA, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainIt's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
Imagine being a playwright, doctor, humanitarian, astronaut, and history-maker. In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space. Jemison grew up in a time when the Apollo missions were in full swing, with television broadcasts of the astronauts launching into space. But she also grew up in a time when there were no women, and very few African American people donning spacesuits and exploring the cosmos. Nevertheless, Jemison dreamed of going into space from the time she was a child. One of her earliest inspirations came in the form of Lt. Uhura, the African American, female communications officer aboard the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek. Jemison would go on to befriend Nichelle Nichols, the actress who portrayed the character, and she even had a guest appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1993, but before her own voyage into the “Final Frontier,” Jemison took some detours.
She excelled in academics and graduated from high school at the age of 16. Then, at Stanford University, she studied chemistry and earned a degree in African and Afro-American Studies. In between her demanding coursework, she managed to direct a musical play titled, Out of the Shadows, with music by Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. After completing her undergraduate studies, she went to Cornell University to study medicine, squeezing in overseas humanitarian missions between semesters. She then joined the Peace Corp for a number of years before opening a private practice in 1983. That same year, Sally Ride became the first woman to go into space. Inspired by Ride, Jemison’s dream of going into space was renewed, and she applied for the astronaut program at NASA. NASA briefly stopped taking applications for new candidates after the Challenger disaster in 1986, but Jemison applied again in 1987. This time, she was accepted, and on September 12, 1992, Jemison finally embarked on her voyage on the space shuttle Endeavor. Today, she is an advocate for minorities in STEM fields and manages The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which she named after her mother, who encouraged her pursuits. She really takes “reach for the stars” to a whole new level.
[Image description: Mae Carol Jemison wearing her orange NASA space suit.] Credit & copyright: NASA, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain -
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
In the hands of an artist, modifications can become masterworks. American artist Derrick Adams is adept at creating colorful art series based around repeating motifs. Style Variation 37 features a Black mannequin head with shoulder-length, wavy pink hair. The abstracted image is created from geometric shapes in bold colors, yet manages to convey the complexity of lifelike skin and hair tones. Every piece in Adams’ Style Variations series showcases a similar Black mannequin head, but with different skin tones, amounts of makeup, and hairstyles. According to Adams, his art is meant to showcase the beauty and joy of Black life. “I wanted to occupy a different space from all the artists who were speaking on issues of race and trauma and oppression,” he said, in an interview with Vogue. “People couldn’t exist if they lived in constant grief. My work is focused on the idea of how crucial it is for Black people to think of leisure as a radical act.” He added that his work is “like driving through a Black neighborhood. It’s a world more than a neighborhood—and everyone knows when they drive through a Black neighborhood.”
Style Variation 37, Derrick Adams (1970-), 2020 , Acrylic paint and graphite on digital inkjet photograph, 96.5 x 60.25 x 1.75 inches (245.1 x 153 x 4.4 cm), Salon 94, New York City, New York
Below: two more of Adams’ works, Style Variation 24 and We Came to Party and Plan 24.
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
In the hands of an artist, modifications can become masterworks. American artist Derrick Adams is adept at creating colorful art series based around repeating motifs. Style Variation 37 features a Black mannequin head with shoulder-length, wavy pink hair. The abstracted image is created from geometric shapes in bold colors, yet manages to convey the complexity of lifelike skin and hair tones. Every piece in Adams’ Style Variations series showcases a similar Black mannequin head, but with different skin tones, amounts of makeup, and hairstyles. According to Adams, his art is meant to showcase the beauty and joy of Black life. “I wanted to occupy a different space from all the artists who were speaking on issues of race and trauma and oppression,” he said, in an interview with Vogue. “People couldn’t exist if they lived in constant grief. My work is focused on the idea of how crucial it is for Black people to think of leisure as a radical act.” He added that his work is “like driving through a Black neighborhood. It’s a world more than a neighborhood—and everyone knows when they drive through a Black neighborhood.”
Style Variation 37, Derrick Adams (1970-), 2020 , Acrylic paint and graphite on digital inkjet photograph, 96.5 x 60.25 x 1.75 inches (245.1 x 153 x 4.4 cm), Salon 94, New York City, New York
Below: two more of Adams’ works, Style Variation 24 and We Came to Party and Plan 24.
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FREEUS History Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans. The U.S. tax code may be a pain...but it should be an equal pain for everyone! According to tax attorney and investment banker Dorothy Brown, the current U.S. tax code negatively impacts Black Americans, creating situations where they pay more than white Americans with the same incomes. She explains this argument in her book The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix It. Brown has had a storied financial career, and was even a political appointee of former President George H.W. Bush. Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, however, she also weathered a fair amount of racism. According to an interview with Bloomberg, Brown once believed that “the only color that mattered was green,” in tax law.
After decades spent studying tax law, Brown came to believe that the tax code actually wasn’t exempt from racial bias. For example, statistically, in Black marriages, both spouses tend to work. Yet people in marriages where one spouse is a high earner and the other stays home pay less in taxes, due to regulations established in the 1930s. Another example: interest paid on mortgages is tax deductible, but homeowners are disproportionately white. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the people who wrote tax laws had race in mind, but according to Brown, “The question of intent is really irrelevant. It’s hurting Black Americans whether Congress meant to or not.” Brown has plenty of ideas about how Congress could deal with the problems creating inequality in the tax code. She believes that all income should be taxable, including gifts, property sales, and inheritances. This would tax income that white Americans statistically see more of than Black Americans. Brown also argues that investment proceeds should be taxed at the same rate as wage income. She would like to see lawmakers add a “living allowance deduction” to cut taxes for those earning below a certain amount. Regardless of how you feel about Brown’s proposed changes, one thing’s for sure: everyone deserves a fair shake when it comes to finances.
[Image credit & copyright: stevepb, PixabayIt's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans. The U.S. tax code may be a pain...but it should be an equal pain for everyone! According to tax attorney and investment banker Dorothy Brown, the current U.S. tax code negatively impacts Black Americans, creating situations where they pay more than white Americans with the same incomes. She explains this argument in her book The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix It. Brown has had a storied financial career, and was even a political appointee of former President George H.W. Bush. Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, however, she also weathered a fair amount of racism. According to an interview with Bloomberg, Brown once believed that “the only color that mattered was green,” in tax law.
After decades spent studying tax law, Brown came to believe that the tax code actually wasn’t exempt from racial bias. For example, statistically, in Black marriages, both spouses tend to work. Yet people in marriages where one spouse is a high earner and the other stays home pay less in taxes, due to regulations established in the 1930s. Another example: interest paid on mortgages is tax deductible, but homeowners are disproportionately white. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the people who wrote tax laws had race in mind, but according to Brown, “The question of intent is really irrelevant. It’s hurting Black Americans whether Congress meant to or not.” Brown has plenty of ideas about how Congress could deal with the problems creating inequality in the tax code. She believes that all income should be taxable, including gifts, property sales, and inheritances. This would tax income that white Americans statistically see more of than Black Americans. Brown also argues that investment proceeds should be taxed at the same rate as wage income. She would like to see lawmakers add a “living allowance deduction” to cut taxes for those earning below a certain amount. Regardless of how you feel about Brown’s proposed changes, one thing’s for sure: everyone deserves a fair shake when it comes to finances.
[Image credit & copyright: stevepb, Pixabay -
FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
When director Ryan Coogler was looking for music to represent the world of Black Panther, he went straight to the reigning king of rap. Originally, Kendrick Lamar was asked to contribute a song or two to the film's soundtrack; but upon viewing early footage, Lamar decided to bring together artists from around the world to create an album inspired by the fictional world of Wakanda. Black Panther: The Album shot to the #1 spot on the Billboard album charts last week, and eight of its tracks cracked the Top 100 singles. The album captures some of the most important themes at play in the movie: namely what responsibilities the powerful (of Wakanda) and not-so-powerful have to play in the aftermath of colonialism. The lead single All the Stars, teams Lamar with SZA to bring a downtempo jam to images of extreme poverty-shanty towns and afrofuturist fantasies in the music video. For all the dazzling effects of the Marvel Comics film and Lamar's album, the important conversations they're unearthing are as valuable as Vibranium.
Explicit content warning: this song contains strong language.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Merlijn Hoek, ccbysa/GFDL, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
It's Flashback Friday, and the first day of Black History Month! Enjoy these curios celebrating the history and innovations of Black Americans.
When director Ryan Coogler was looking for music to represent the world of Black Panther, he went straight to the reigning king of rap. Originally, Kendrick Lamar was asked to contribute a song or two to the film's soundtrack; but upon viewing early footage, Lamar decided to bring together artists from around the world to create an album inspired by the fictional world of Wakanda. Black Panther: The Album shot to the #1 spot on the Billboard album charts last week, and eight of its tracks cracked the Top 100 singles. The album captures some of the most important themes at play in the movie: namely what responsibilities the powerful (of Wakanda) and not-so-powerful have to play in the aftermath of colonialism. The lead single All the Stars, teams Lamar with SZA to bring a downtempo jam to images of extreme poverty-shanty towns and afrofuturist fantasies in the music video. For all the dazzling effects of the Marvel Comics film and Lamar's album, the important conversations they're unearthing are as valuable as Vibranium.
Explicit content warning: this song contains strong language.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Merlijn Hoek, ccbysa/GFDL, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
February 2, 2023
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The war in Ukraine and responses to it pushed oil and gas prices to record highs in 2022. It’s meant bumper profits for the world...
From the BBC World Service: The war in Ukraine and responses to it pushed oil and gas prices to record highs in 2022. It’s meant bumper profits for the world...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 2, 2023
portend \por-TEND\ verb
What It Means
Portend is usually used in formal and literary contexts as a verb meaning “to giv...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 2, 2023
portend \por-TEND\ verb
What It Means
Portend is usually used in formal and literary contexts as a verb meaning “to giv...
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FREEScience Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Feeling the sting of high gas prices? Go fly a kite! That’s what one company wants cargo ships to do with their new invention, which can help save on fuel costs. French energy equipment company AirSeas recently debuted the Seawing, a parafoil, or self-inflating, kite-like device, that can be retrofitted onto the fronts of ships to provide additional propulsion. It’s not quite a sail in the traditional sense. Rather, it catches the wind like a kite. When wind conditions are right, the parafoil is deployed automatically, rising into the air and pulling ships along. When the wind dies down, it retracts automatically, and no one needs to fiddle around with folding it up manually. The device currently comes in two sizes: 2,700-square-feet and 5,400-square-feet. A 10,800-square-foot version reportedly on the way. Used correctly, the Seawing can reportedly account for up to 20 percent of a ship’s total propulsion, greatly saving on fuel during long voyages. While this technology alone is far from enough to completely eliminate the need for fuel, it could still have a big impact in fighting climate change. Cargo ships primarily burn bunker fuel, which tends to contain more contaminants and release far more pollutants than other fuels. Around 100,000 cargo ships travel the world’s oceans every year, contributing greatly to rising greenhouse gas emissions. AirSeas already has several customers, including Japanese shipping company K Line, which plans to fit 50 of their ships with Seawings. It seems that catching air is really catching on.
[Image description: A cargo ship on the water, loaded with shipping containers.] Credit & copyright: hectorgalarza, Pixabay
Feeling the sting of high gas prices? Go fly a kite! That’s what one company wants cargo ships to do with their new invention, which can help save on fuel costs. French energy equipment company AirSeas recently debuted the Seawing, a parafoil, or self-inflating, kite-like device, that can be retrofitted onto the fronts of ships to provide additional propulsion. It’s not quite a sail in the traditional sense. Rather, it catches the wind like a kite. When wind conditions are right, the parafoil is deployed automatically, rising into the air and pulling ships along. When the wind dies down, it retracts automatically, and no one needs to fiddle around with folding it up manually. The device currently comes in two sizes: 2,700-square-feet and 5,400-square-feet. A 10,800-square-foot version reportedly on the way. Used correctly, the Seawing can reportedly account for up to 20 percent of a ship’s total propulsion, greatly saving on fuel during long voyages. While this technology alone is far from enough to completely eliminate the need for fuel, it could still have a big impact in fighting climate change. Cargo ships primarily burn bunker fuel, which tends to contain more contaminants and release far more pollutants than other fuels. Around 100,000 cargo ships travel the world’s oceans every year, contributing greatly to rising greenhouse gas emissions. AirSeas already has several customers, including Japanese shipping company K Line, which plans to fit 50 of their ships with Seawings. It seems that catching air is really catching on.
[Image description: A cargo ship on the water, loaded with shipping containers.] Credit & copyright: hectorgalarza, Pixabay
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FREEUS History Daily Curio #2594Free1 CQ
The historical figure behind this doll was a real-life superhero. Toy company Mattel has released a Barbie doll in honor of the first Black and Native American female pilot, Bessie Coleman. In doll form, she wears an olive-green aviator suit along with a brown leather hat with her initials. “Brave Bessie,” as she was known, spent her life defying racial and gender discrimination. Born in 1892, Coleman grew up in Atlanta, Texas, where she had to quit college because she couldn’t afford more than a semester. Afterwards, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, to live with her older brother, who had served in World War I and had spent much of his deployment in France. He told Coleman that French women were allowed to become pilots. Coleman already had a yearning to fly, but she was unable to find an American instructor willing to teach her. Undeterred, she began studying French and eventually moved to the country for instruction. At the age of 29, she graduated from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, becoming the first Black American to earn an international pilot’s license. After returning to the U.S., she performed as a stunt flier and flight instructor. She refused to perform at segregated events and once forced an event organizer to desegregate one of her shows after learning that they were forcing audience members to use separate entrances based on race. Tragically, Coleman was killed at the age of 34 in a plane crash during a rehearsal, when she was thrown out of a plane after a wrench became jammed in the controls. Today, she is remembered as an inspirational civil rights icon. Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, even carried a picture of Coleman with her in the Space Shuttle Endeavor on her first mission. Talk about lifting up others.
[Image description: A black and white photo of Bessie Coleman in aviation gear standing on the wheel of her plane.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainThe historical figure behind this doll was a real-life superhero. Toy company Mattel has released a Barbie doll in honor of the first Black and Native American female pilot, Bessie Coleman. In doll form, she wears an olive-green aviator suit along with a brown leather hat with her initials. “Brave Bessie,” as she was known, spent her life defying racial and gender discrimination. Born in 1892, Coleman grew up in Atlanta, Texas, where she had to quit college because she couldn’t afford more than a semester. Afterwards, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, to live with her older brother, who had served in World War I and had spent much of his deployment in France. He told Coleman that French women were allowed to become pilots. Coleman already had a yearning to fly, but she was unable to find an American instructor willing to teach her. Undeterred, she began studying French and eventually moved to the country for instruction. At the age of 29, she graduated from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, becoming the first Black American to earn an international pilot’s license. After returning to the U.S., she performed as a stunt flier and flight instructor. She refused to perform at segregated events and once forced an event organizer to desegregate one of her shows after learning that they were forcing audience members to use separate entrances based on race. Tragically, Coleman was killed at the age of 34 in a plane crash during a rehearsal, when she was thrown out of a plane after a wrench became jammed in the controls. Today, she is remembered as an inspirational civil rights icon. Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, even carried a picture of Coleman with her in the Space Shuttle Endeavor on her first mission. Talk about lifting up others.
[Image description: A black and white photo of Bessie Coleman in aviation gear standing on the wheel of her plane.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain