Curio Cabinet
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May 29, 2022
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 29, 2022
junket \JUNK-ut\ noun
What It Means
Junket refers to a trip that is paid for by someone else, such as a promotional trip ma...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 29, 2022
junket \JUNK-ut\ noun
What It Means
Junket refers to a trip that is paid for by someone else, such as a promotional trip ma...
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Following the tragic school shooting in Texas that left 19 children dead along with two adults, the debate about restrictions on guns has been rekindled. Ove...
Following the tragic school shooting in Texas that left 19 children dead along with two adults, the debate about restrictions on guns has been rekindled. Ove...
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FREEBiology PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
With spring comes gardening, but these “gardeners’ best friends” have been hiding a dastardly secret. Believe it or not, practically all earthworms in North America are invasive. Many worm species, originally brought to the continent from Europe and Asia, are doing active harm to forests in the U.S. and Canada. Oddly, some of the same traits that make worms so helpful to gardens make them a devastating force in wild forests.
At first glance, worms may seem like simple creatures with little destructive potential. They have no eyes. Their brains contain a mere 300 or so neurons, compared with a dog’s 530 million. Worms have a simple body layout, sometimes described as a “tube in tube” system: a digestive tube inside a muscular tube, with five heart-like organs called aortic arches to pump their blood. Once upon a time, there were many native species of earthworms in North America. Their demise came not by man-made means, but by unprecedented natural events. Around 15,000 years ago, during the ice age of the Pleistocene epoch, glaciers formed over much of North America. This included Canada and the northern United States, stretching as far south as midwestern states like Illinois and Ohio. The glaciers eroded soil, severely impacting native earthworm populations. Around 3,700 years later, as the ice age ended, the glaciers retreated. This left behind a lot of barren land that gradually grew into worm-free ecosystems. Trees and other plants in these areas evolved to live without worms, meaning that they were adapted for a particular kind of soil, with particular levels of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Things were going great until explorers, traders, and settlers from Europe and Asia brought new worms to North America with them. The wriggly invaders likely hid out in the roots of imported crops and other organic materials. These included several species in the Acanthodrilidae family and the Lumbricidae family, which today make up the majority of earthworms in North America.
In the confines of a garden, non-native worms help aerate soil with their tunneling. Their droppings, called castings, are water-soluble, so plants that live in soil with a lot of castings can more easily absorb water. In a forest, however, trees and native plants have adapted to live in dryer soil with fewer nutrients. When worms move in, the soil changes, and invasive plants often reap the benefits while trees and other native plants suffer. Worms also love to eat leaf litter—dead leaves on forest floors which would otherwise compost into soil. This causes many species of insects, which rely on the leaf litter for shelter and food, to die out. Even some bigger species, like salamanders, can’t survive without adequate leaf litter. With fewer insects, many kinds of birds can’t survive. From top to bottom, invasive worms affect every part of an ecosystem they touch. In an interview with The Atlantic, Anise Dobson, a forest ecologist at Yale University, said of the worm invasion, “If you were to think about the soil food web as the African savanna, it’s like taking out all the animals and just putting in elephants—a ton of elephants.”
So, can anything be done to stop these tunneling troublemakers? There are no easy answers, since pesticides can’t be used in forests, and removing invasive species is notoriously difficult once they’re well-established. For now, some ecologists suggest that people hiking or traveling through forests check their shoes before entering and after leaving, to prevent further spread of worms. Education and outreach can also help ensure that people don’t release worms used for fishing bait into wild areas. Here’s hoping that we can avoid a worm-pocalypse.
[Image description: An earworm crawls on top of soil.] Credit & copyright: PortalJardin, PixabayWith spring comes gardening, but these “gardeners’ best friends” have been hiding a dastardly secret. Believe it or not, practically all earthworms in North America are invasive. Many worm species, originally brought to the continent from Europe and Asia, are doing active harm to forests in the U.S. and Canada. Oddly, some of the same traits that make worms so helpful to gardens make them a devastating force in wild forests.
At first glance, worms may seem like simple creatures with little destructive potential. They have no eyes. Their brains contain a mere 300 or so neurons, compared with a dog’s 530 million. Worms have a simple body layout, sometimes described as a “tube in tube” system: a digestive tube inside a muscular tube, with five heart-like organs called aortic arches to pump their blood. Once upon a time, there were many native species of earthworms in North America. Their demise came not by man-made means, but by unprecedented natural events. Around 15,000 years ago, during the ice age of the Pleistocene epoch, glaciers formed over much of North America. This included Canada and the northern United States, stretching as far south as midwestern states like Illinois and Ohio. The glaciers eroded soil, severely impacting native earthworm populations. Around 3,700 years later, as the ice age ended, the glaciers retreated. This left behind a lot of barren land that gradually grew into worm-free ecosystems. Trees and other plants in these areas evolved to live without worms, meaning that they were adapted for a particular kind of soil, with particular levels of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Things were going great until explorers, traders, and settlers from Europe and Asia brought new worms to North America with them. The wriggly invaders likely hid out in the roots of imported crops and other organic materials. These included several species in the Acanthodrilidae family and the Lumbricidae family, which today make up the majority of earthworms in North America.
In the confines of a garden, non-native worms help aerate soil with their tunneling. Their droppings, called castings, are water-soluble, so plants that live in soil with a lot of castings can more easily absorb water. In a forest, however, trees and native plants have adapted to live in dryer soil with fewer nutrients. When worms move in, the soil changes, and invasive plants often reap the benefits while trees and other native plants suffer. Worms also love to eat leaf litter—dead leaves on forest floors which would otherwise compost into soil. This causes many species of insects, which rely on the leaf litter for shelter and food, to die out. Even some bigger species, like salamanders, can’t survive without adequate leaf litter. With fewer insects, many kinds of birds can’t survive. From top to bottom, invasive worms affect every part of an ecosystem they touch. In an interview with The Atlantic, Anise Dobson, a forest ecologist at Yale University, said of the worm invasion, “If you were to think about the soil food web as the African savanna, it’s like taking out all the animals and just putting in elephants—a ton of elephants.”
So, can anything be done to stop these tunneling troublemakers? There are no easy answers, since pesticides can’t be used in forests, and removing invasive species is notoriously difficult once they’re well-established. For now, some ecologists suggest that people hiking or traveling through forests check their shoes before entering and after leaving, to prevent further spread of worms. Education and outreach can also help ensure that people don’t release worms used for fishing bait into wild areas. Here’s hoping that we can avoid a worm-pocalypse.
[Image description: An earworm crawls on top of soil.] Credit & copyright: PortalJardin, Pixabay
May 28, 2022
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 28, 2022
propagate \PRAH-puh-gayt\ verb
What It Means
Propagate is used in contexts relating to biology to mean "to produce offsprin...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 28, 2022
propagate \PRAH-puh-gayt\ verb
What It Means
Propagate is used in contexts relating to biology to mean "to produce offsprin...
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: We look at the likelihood of Russia defaulting on billions of dollars of debt to foreign investors, and what the ramifications co...
From the BBC World Service: We look at the likelihood of Russia defaulting on billions of dollars of debt to foreign investors, and what the ramifications co...
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FREERunning Daily CurioFree1 CQ
“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” isn’t just a catchy phrase—the science behind it can be a matter of life and death. On May 21, 32-year-old runner David Reichman died after completing the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, while 15 others were hospitalized for heatstroke. While temperatures on the day of the race were near record-breaking, it was the humidity that posed the most danger. When the race started at 7 a.m., the temperature was 63 degrees Fahrenheit, which doesn’t sound too bad for a run. However, relative humidity was at 97 percent, and that number didn’t go down much throughout the day. Relative humidity, in the most basic sense, means how much water vapor is in the air compared to how much the air can actually hold. At 100 percent, water doesn’t evaporate, because the air can’t hold any more water vapor. That poses a dangerous problem for athletes, since the human body relies on the evaporative cooling provided by sweat. In normal conditions, the energy exchange that takes place when sweat evaporates cools surface-level blood vessels, which leads to cooler blood circulating through the body, thus lowering overall body temperature. But in high humidity, the process grinds to a halt. It doesn’t matter if there’s a breeze, shade, or if sweat is wiped off—if the sweat isn’t evaporating from the surface of the skin, it’s not cooling anything. That’s why many experts recommend checking the humidity forecast before doing heavy yard work or going for a run in the summertime. If you’re going to break a sweat, make sure it’s going to count.
[Image description: A group of runners shown from the waist down.] Credit & copyright: maxmann, Pixabay
“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” isn’t just a catchy phrase—the science behind it can be a matter of life and death. On May 21, 32-year-old runner David Reichman died after completing the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, while 15 others were hospitalized for heatstroke. While temperatures on the day of the race were near record-breaking, it was the humidity that posed the most danger. When the race started at 7 a.m., the temperature was 63 degrees Fahrenheit, which doesn’t sound too bad for a run. However, relative humidity was at 97 percent, and that number didn’t go down much throughout the day. Relative humidity, in the most basic sense, means how much water vapor is in the air compared to how much the air can actually hold. At 100 percent, water doesn’t evaporate, because the air can’t hold any more water vapor. That poses a dangerous problem for athletes, since the human body relies on the evaporative cooling provided by sweat. In normal conditions, the energy exchange that takes place when sweat evaporates cools surface-level blood vessels, which leads to cooler blood circulating through the body, thus lowering overall body temperature. But in high humidity, the process grinds to a halt. It doesn’t matter if there’s a breeze, shade, or if sweat is wiped off—if the sweat isn’t evaporating from the surface of the skin, it’s not cooling anything. That’s why many experts recommend checking the humidity forecast before doing heavy yard work or going for a run in the summertime. If you’re going to break a sweat, make sure it’s going to count.
[Image description: A group of runners shown from the waist down.] Credit & copyright: maxmann, Pixabay
May 27, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
President Biden signed an executive order addressing policing on Wednesday, the two-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. To ...
President Biden signed an executive order addressing policing on Wednesday, the two-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. To ...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 27, 2022
uncanny \un-KAN-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Uncanny is typically used to describe something that is strange or unusual in a...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 27, 2022
uncanny \un-KAN-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Uncanny is typically used to describe something that is strange or unusual in a...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Talk about a show-stopping musical collaboration. On Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn, the titular artists explore a serendipitous meeting of traditional Chinese and Appalachian folk music. On the lead track, Water is Wide / Wusuli Boat Song, Wu Fei shows off her skills with the guzheng, a 2,000-year-old stringed instrument. She sings an ancient pastoral tune from the Nanai people of northern China called Wusuli Boat Song. Abigail Washburn joins in with a gentle, rolling clawhammer banjo rhythm, and harmonizes with a version of The Water is Wide. Washburn initially altered the forlorn love lyrics to meet the mother-and-child themes of Wusuli Boat Song when she and Wu discussed lullabies for their young children. What emerges from Water is Wide / Wusuli Boat Song is a piece that highlights the beauty and unique character of both folk music styles—making it the perfect soundtrack for welcoming a new, fortuitous lunar year.
Image credit & copyright: Gary Todd, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Talk about a show-stopping musical collaboration. On Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn, the titular artists explore a serendipitous meeting of traditional Chinese and Appalachian folk music. On the lead track, Water is Wide / Wusuli Boat Song, Wu Fei shows off her skills with the guzheng, a 2,000-year-old stringed instrument. She sings an ancient pastoral tune from the Nanai people of northern China called Wusuli Boat Song. Abigail Washburn joins in with a gentle, rolling clawhammer banjo rhythm, and harmonizes with a version of The Water is Wide. Washburn initially altered the forlorn love lyrics to meet the mother-and-child themes of Wusuli Boat Song when she and Wu discussed lullabies for their young children. What emerges from Water is Wide / Wusuli Boat Song is a piece that highlights the beauty and unique character of both folk music styles—making it the perfect soundtrack for welcoming a new, fortuitous lunar year.
Image credit & copyright: Gary Todd, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
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FREEWorld History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Nothing to see here but a lighthearted sibling rivalry. According to ancient Roman tradition, mythological twins Romulus and Remus founded Rome on today's date in 753 B.C.E. as the culmination of an epic family feud started by their twisted great-uncle. Their legend, which originated in the third or fourth century B.C.E., was once taken as fact, and with so many theatrical ups and downs, it's easy to see why the story jibed with the masses. Even if it stretches the truth… just a smidge.
The legend of Romulus and Remus begins with their grandfather, King Numitor, who ruled the ancient Latin city of Alba Longa until he was usurped by his brother, Amulius. Amulius forced Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia to take a sacred vow of chastity, to ensure that none of Numitor's progeny could seek revenge. She was sealed within a convent, but the wily god of war Mars impregnated her.
When Amulius caught wind that Rhea had given birth to twins, he ordered their death, and the two babies were left to perish on the shores of the Tiber River. But a generous she-wolf came across the twins and nursed them. Eventually, a shepherd named Faustulus encountered the feral children, too, and raised them as his own. Romulus and Remus matured with no knowledge of their origins, though their godly blood made them just, charismatic leaders in their village community.
By this time, King Amulius was loathed by his citizens. When Romulus and Remus involved themselves in a local dispute between rival supporters of Numitor and Amulius, Remus was imprisoned and whisked away to Alba Longa. There, both Numitor and Amulius suspected Remus' true identity. Romulus, meanwhile, gathered a mob of supporters to rescue his brother. During the ensuing quarrel, fiendish uncle Amulius died. Numitor revealed to the twins that he was their grandfather, and was then reinstated as king of Alba Longa.
The boys were delighted to have all that nasty business behind them. They set out from Alba Longa to establish a new kingdom. Only, they couldn't agree on a location for it. Romulus argued that Palatine Hill was the perfect site. No way, scoffed Remus; it was definitely Aventine Hill. To settle their dispute, they consulted augury, or the practice of interpreting omens from the flight of birds. When Romulus saw more auspicious birds than Remus, the latter flew into a rage. In an act of anger and mockery, Remus leaped over a meager wall that Romulus had been building on his hill of choice. Fed-up Romulus, in turn, slew Remus for his contempt. So Palatine Hill, it was.
After gloating over his senseless act of fratricide, Romulus went on to found Rome. Well, not really. According to modern dating of ancient Roman walls and pottery, some of the artifacts and structures of Rome actually predate the legend of Romulus and Remus by 100 years. Sure, the tale's happenings could have transpired further back in time, but we're not betting on it. After all, who in their right mind would choose to live under the king of a hill, no less one who gutted his brother?
Image credit & copyright: Benutzer:Wolpertinger, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Nothing to see here but a lighthearted sibling rivalry. According to ancient Roman tradition, mythological twins Romulus and Remus founded Rome on today's date in 753 B.C.E. as the culmination of an epic family feud started by their twisted great-uncle. Their legend, which originated in the third or fourth century B.C.E., was once taken as fact, and with so many theatrical ups and downs, it's easy to see why the story jibed with the masses. Even if it stretches the truth… just a smidge.
The legend of Romulus and Remus begins with their grandfather, King Numitor, who ruled the ancient Latin city of Alba Longa until he was usurped by his brother, Amulius. Amulius forced Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia to take a sacred vow of chastity, to ensure that none of Numitor's progeny could seek revenge. She was sealed within a convent, but the wily god of war Mars impregnated her.
When Amulius caught wind that Rhea had given birth to twins, he ordered their death, and the two babies were left to perish on the shores of the Tiber River. But a generous she-wolf came across the twins and nursed them. Eventually, a shepherd named Faustulus encountered the feral children, too, and raised them as his own. Romulus and Remus matured with no knowledge of their origins, though their godly blood made them just, charismatic leaders in their village community.
By this time, King Amulius was loathed by his citizens. When Romulus and Remus involved themselves in a local dispute between rival supporters of Numitor and Amulius, Remus was imprisoned and whisked away to Alba Longa. There, both Numitor and Amulius suspected Remus' true identity. Romulus, meanwhile, gathered a mob of supporters to rescue his brother. During the ensuing quarrel, fiendish uncle Amulius died. Numitor revealed to the twins that he was their grandfather, and was then reinstated as king of Alba Longa.
The boys were delighted to have all that nasty business behind them. They set out from Alba Longa to establish a new kingdom. Only, they couldn't agree on a location for it. Romulus argued that Palatine Hill was the perfect site. No way, scoffed Remus; it was definitely Aventine Hill. To settle their dispute, they consulted augury, or the practice of interpreting omens from the flight of birds. When Romulus saw more auspicious birds than Remus, the latter flew into a rage. In an act of anger and mockery, Remus leaped over a meager wall that Romulus had been building on his hill of choice. Fed-up Romulus, in turn, slew Remus for his contempt. So Palatine Hill, it was.
After gloating over his senseless act of fratricide, Romulus went on to found Rome. Well, not really. According to modern dating of ancient Roman walls and pottery, some of the artifacts and structures of Rome actually predate the legend of Romulus and Remus by 100 years. Sure, the tale's happenings could have transpired further back in time, but we're not betting on it. After all, who in their right mind would choose to live under the king of a hill, no less one who gutted his brother?
Image credit & copyright: Benutzer:Wolpertinger, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
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FREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Alright, who ordered the roast duck and cauliflower skewers with a side of Mount Vesuvius eruption? This past month, archaeologists uncovered a frescoed street food stand in the ancient city of Pompeii near Naples, Italy. The well-preserved artifact was known then as a thermopolium or "hot drinks counter" in Latin. There is a fresco painting of a sea nymph in blue hues to the left of the stall; at the forefront are images of chickens and ducks which may indicate what was on the menu in 79 C.E.: remnants of poultry as well as pig, goat, and snails were found in clay pots at the site along with containers for wine. Researchers have uncovered about 165 acres of Pompeii's remains, which were buried under Mount Vesuvius' volcanic debris. The food stalls and their contents will provide further insights into the daily diets of ancient Roman culture. But what we really want to know is what time the food chariots came around to serve lunch!
Image credit & copyright: Pompeii Archaeological Park/Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/Luigi Spina/Handout via REUTERS
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Alright, who ordered the roast duck and cauliflower skewers with a side of Mount Vesuvius eruption? This past month, archaeologists uncovered a frescoed street food stand in the ancient city of Pompeii near Naples, Italy. The well-preserved artifact was known then as a thermopolium or "hot drinks counter" in Latin. There is a fresco painting of a sea nymph in blue hues to the left of the stall; at the forefront are images of chickens and ducks which may indicate what was on the menu in 79 C.E.: remnants of poultry as well as pig, goat, and snails were found in clay pots at the site along with containers for wine. Researchers have uncovered about 165 acres of Pompeii's remains, which were buried under Mount Vesuvius' volcanic debris. The food stalls and their contents will provide further insights into the daily diets of ancient Roman culture. But what we really want to know is what time the food chariots came around to serve lunch!
Image credit & copyright: Pompeii Archaeological Park/Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/Luigi Spina/Handout via REUTERS
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Title: Untitled (Ganymedes and the Heron)
Artist: unknown
Created: ca. 200 C.E.
Medium: tile, latrine mosaic
Current location: Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey
Bathroom graffiti is nothing new, but the ancient Romans took it to another level with their latrine art. Pictured above is a mosaic of Ganymedes that was unearthed in Antakya, Turkey, in 2018. It was found in what used to be the Roman city of Antiochia. The myth of Ganymedes tells of how Zeus (or his Roman equivalent, Jupiter) transformed into a bird to abduct the young male beauty, forcing him to serve as a cupbearer at Olympus. In the Antiochian bathroom humor twist, Ganymedes' stick toy has been tipped with a sponge for cleaning latrines, and Zeus' beak is… a little invasive, to say the least. Another suggestive mosaic of the Narcissus myth was found in the public men's toilet, leading the Antiochia ad Cragum Excavations co-director Michael Hoff to declare "I think this was really the most intimate piece of evidence that we have of the humanity who lived and breathed and worked and played here at our ancient city." Now that we know the ancient Romans were into potty humor at Antiochia, it makes us wonder what other kinds of hijinks they may have gotten into.
Below: a larger view of the uncovered mosaics at Antakya, Turkey.
Image credit & copyright: University of Nebraska, Antiochia ad Cragum Excavations
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Title: Untitled (Ganymedes and the Heron)
Artist: unknown
Created: ca. 200 C.E.
Medium: tile, latrine mosaic
Current location: Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey
Bathroom graffiti is nothing new, but the ancient Romans took it to another level with their latrine art. Pictured above is a mosaic of Ganymedes that was unearthed in Antakya, Turkey, in 2018. It was found in what used to be the Roman city of Antiochia. The myth of Ganymedes tells of how Zeus (or his Roman equivalent, Jupiter) transformed into a bird to abduct the young male beauty, forcing him to serve as a cupbearer at Olympus. In the Antiochian bathroom humor twist, Ganymedes' stick toy has been tipped with a sponge for cleaning latrines, and Zeus' beak is… a little invasive, to say the least. Another suggestive mosaic of the Narcissus myth was found in the public men's toilet, leading the Antiochia ad Cragum Excavations co-director Michael Hoff to declare "I think this was really the most intimate piece of evidence that we have of the humanity who lived and breathed and worked and played here at our ancient city." Now that we know the ancient Romans were into potty humor at Antiochia, it makes us wonder what other kinds of hijinks they may have gotten into.
Below: a larger view of the uncovered mosaics at Antakya, Turkey.
Image credit & copyright: University of Nebraska, Antiochia ad Cragum Excavations
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FREEWorld History Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Kuskoy, a small village in Turkey, is one of the last places on Earth with a whistled language. For generations, Kuskoy residents have communicated with their neighbors--who are sometimes miles away across mountainous terrain--by whistling. They speak Turkish when close up, but use whistling to communicate at a distance--as far away as three miles! The language is not technically its own, but rather an adaptation of Turkish with each syllable represented by a certain tone. This has allowed it to survive, since modernizations to Turkish can still be translated to the phonetic whistling. Quite interesting in its own right. But the whistled language of Kuskoy has accidentally uncovered a mystery of the brain. Brain scientists have long known language is processed by the left hemisphere (primarily from sounds heard by the right ear), and music is processed by the right hemisphere (mostly left ear). Yet when researchers studied the brains of Kuskoy whistlers, they processed the language with both hemispheres/ears equally. Something about the musical quality of the language causes the right brain to turn on its processing power. This could be hugely useful for stroke victims, who often struggle with speech and comprehension after damage to the right ear and/or left brain. Scientists are already experimenting with teaching stroke victims how to whistle-speak as a means of communication. Now that is something worth whistling about! Click below for a video of the amazing long-distance Kuskoy whistlers.
[Image description: A mountainous landscape in Turkey.] Credit & copyright: 12019, PixabayIt's Flashback Friday! This week we’re throwing things waaay back with these curios all about ancient times and practices.
Kuskoy, a small village in Turkey, is one of the last places on Earth with a whistled language. For generations, Kuskoy residents have communicated with their neighbors--who are sometimes miles away across mountainous terrain--by whistling. They speak Turkish when close up, but use whistling to communicate at a distance--as far away as three miles! The language is not technically its own, but rather an adaptation of Turkish with each syllable represented by a certain tone. This has allowed it to survive, since modernizations to Turkish can still be translated to the phonetic whistling. Quite interesting in its own right. But the whistled language of Kuskoy has accidentally uncovered a mystery of the brain. Brain scientists have long known language is processed by the left hemisphere (primarily from sounds heard by the right ear), and music is processed by the right hemisphere (mostly left ear). Yet when researchers studied the brains of Kuskoy whistlers, they processed the language with both hemispheres/ears equally. Something about the musical quality of the language causes the right brain to turn on its processing power. This could be hugely useful for stroke victims, who often struggle with speech and comprehension after damage to the right ear and/or left brain. Scientists are already experimenting with teaching stroke victims how to whistle-speak as a means of communication. Now that is something worth whistling about! Click below for a video of the amazing long-distance Kuskoy whistlers.
[Image description: A mountainous landscape in Turkey.] Credit & copyright: 12019, Pixabay
May 26, 2022
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Hazel Henderson was perhaps best known as an environmental activist, her work in evolutionary economics and her iconoclastic views of several pillars of trad...
Hazel Henderson was perhaps best known as an environmental activist, her work in evolutionary economics and her iconoclastic views of several pillars of trad...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 26, 2022
fetter \FET-er\ noun
What It Means
A fetter is a chain or shackle for the feet. Fetter is also used figuratively to refer t...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 26, 2022
fetter \FET-er\ noun
What It Means
A fetter is a chain or shackle for the feet. Fetter is also used figuratively to refer t...
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Scientists are really shooting for the moon with these plants. Researchers at the University of Florida were recently able to grow plants on Lunar soil collected during the Apollo missions, according to a paper published in Communications Biology. The soil used is Lunar regolith, which is powdery and razor-sharp at the microscopic level. That’s challenging enough when cultivating crops, but the scientists also had a limited quantity of the soil. After several attempts to acquire Lunar regolith from NASA, the agency finally loaned them just 12 grams to be used in their experiments. To make the most of the soil, the scientists created thimble-sized wells filled with 1 gram each. They then planted arabidopsis, also known as thale cress, along with a mix of nutrients and water. Surprisingly, the plants were able to sprout in the alien soil, although they did appear to struggle compared to the control group. The sprouts in the Lunar regolith tended to grow slower and were smaller in size. Most importantly, the scientists were able to deduce how the plants reacted to the stressful environment at the genetic level. Lead author Anna-Lisa Paul told Science News, “By seeing what kind of genes are turned on and turned off in response to a stress, that shows you what tools plants are pulling out of their metabolic toolbox to deal with that stress.” This means that, if humanity ever does create livable colonies on the moon, plants might be able to be genetically engineered to grow better there. Such plants could provide oxygen and food to lunar explorers. Now that would be some out-of-this-world horticulture.
[Image description: Bean sprouts grow inside small cups.] Credit & copyright: KlausAires, Pixabay
Scientists are really shooting for the moon with these plants. Researchers at the University of Florida were recently able to grow plants on Lunar soil collected during the Apollo missions, according to a paper published in Communications Biology. The soil used is Lunar regolith, which is powdery and razor-sharp at the microscopic level. That’s challenging enough when cultivating crops, but the scientists also had a limited quantity of the soil. After several attempts to acquire Lunar regolith from NASA, the agency finally loaned them just 12 grams to be used in their experiments. To make the most of the soil, the scientists created thimble-sized wells filled with 1 gram each. They then planted arabidopsis, also known as thale cress, along with a mix of nutrients and water. Surprisingly, the plants were able to sprout in the alien soil, although they did appear to struggle compared to the control group. The sprouts in the Lunar regolith tended to grow slower and were smaller in size. Most importantly, the scientists were able to deduce how the plants reacted to the stressful environment at the genetic level. Lead author Anna-Lisa Paul told Science News, “By seeing what kind of genes are turned on and turned off in response to a stress, that shows you what tools plants are pulling out of their metabolic toolbox to deal with that stress.” This means that, if humanity ever does create livable colonies on the moon, plants might be able to be genetically engineered to grow better there. Such plants could provide oxygen and food to lunar explorers. Now that would be some out-of-this-world horticulture.
[Image description: Bean sprouts grow inside small cups.] Credit & copyright: KlausAires, Pixabay
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FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2449Free1 CQ
Want to spend the night at the Moulin Rouge? Now you cancan. The famed cabaret recently announced that it’s making a secluded room within its iconic windmill structure available for booking through Airbnb. Founded in 1889 by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the Moulin Rouge was an elaborately decorated entertainment venue where guests could mingle and watch dance performances while consuming copious amounts of champagne. It was where the cancan as it is portrayed today was developed, although the dance had been scandalizing polite society since the early 1800s. But not everything was fun and frivolity in the Moulin Rouge’s 130-plus years of history. The venue suffered a devastating fire in 1915 that required the entire structure to be rebuilt, and attendance was understandably low during World War II, when it was turned into a dance club. However, the Moulin Rouge was revitalized in the 1950s as a cabaret, and nowadays serves as a reservation-only cabaret where guests can enjoy dinner and a show.
However, this is the first time that anyone can stay overnight in the Moulin Rouge’s secret boudoir. It’s certainly a limited-time offer to say the least. Spots are available only on June 13, 20, and 27. But the stay comes with additional perks. The room will be decorated with costumes and other artifacts from the venue—including old letters sent to the performers from admirers. Guests will also be treated to a private tour of the Moulin Rouge, a three-course dinner, and have access to a rooftop terrace that would be off-limits to regular visitors. Of course, they’ll also get tickets to “Féerie,” the cabaret’s current stage show, and they’ll get to meet Claudine Van Den Bergh, the lead dancer of the Moulin Rouge who will be pulling double-duty as Airbnb host. So, what’s the price tag for the night of glitz and glamor in one of the most storied locations in Paris? Just one Euro, according to Airbnb. It’s sure to be a night to remember in the City of Light for whomever is lucky enough to snag a reservation!
[Image description: The Moulin Rouge, with its famous red windmill, in 2011.] Credit & copyright: Juanedc, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.Want to spend the night at the Moulin Rouge? Now you cancan. The famed cabaret recently announced that it’s making a secluded room within its iconic windmill structure available for booking through Airbnb. Founded in 1889 by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the Moulin Rouge was an elaborately decorated entertainment venue where guests could mingle and watch dance performances while consuming copious amounts of champagne. It was where the cancan as it is portrayed today was developed, although the dance had been scandalizing polite society since the early 1800s. But not everything was fun and frivolity in the Moulin Rouge’s 130-plus years of history. The venue suffered a devastating fire in 1915 that required the entire structure to be rebuilt, and attendance was understandably low during World War II, when it was turned into a dance club. However, the Moulin Rouge was revitalized in the 1950s as a cabaret, and nowadays serves as a reservation-only cabaret where guests can enjoy dinner and a show.
However, this is the first time that anyone can stay overnight in the Moulin Rouge’s secret boudoir. It’s certainly a limited-time offer to say the least. Spots are available only on June 13, 20, and 27. But the stay comes with additional perks. The room will be decorated with costumes and other artifacts from the venue—including old letters sent to the performers from admirers. Guests will also be treated to a private tour of the Moulin Rouge, a three-course dinner, and have access to a rooftop terrace that would be off-limits to regular visitors. Of course, they’ll also get tickets to “Féerie,” the cabaret’s current stage show, and they’ll get to meet Claudine Van Den Bergh, the lead dancer of the Moulin Rouge who will be pulling double-duty as Airbnb host. So, what’s the price tag for the night of glitz and glamor in one of the most storied locations in Paris? Just one Euro, according to Airbnb. It’s sure to be a night to remember in the City of Light for whomever is lucky enough to snag a reservation!
[Image description: The Moulin Rouge, with its famous red windmill, in 2011.] Credit & copyright: Juanedc, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
May 25, 2022
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: One of England’s top soccer clubs, Chelsea, is now in American hands, after the U.K. government approved its sale to a consortium...
From the BBC World Service: One of England’s top soccer clubs, Chelsea, is now in American hands, after the U.K. government approved its sale to a consortium...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 25, 2022
benevolent \buh-NEV-uh-lunt\ adjective
What It Means
Benevolent means "kind and generous," or less commonly, "organized for...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 25, 2022
benevolent \buh-NEV-uh-lunt\ adjective
What It Means
Benevolent means "kind and generous," or less commonly, "organized for...
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #2448Free1 CQ
Is there another pandemic brewing? Not quite. Still, some people are understandably nervous after learning that the U.S. now has six confirmed cases of monkeypox. Government officials aren’t ready to sound the alarm just yet, though. The monkeypox virus was first identified in monkeys and causes symptoms very similar to smallpox—including headaches, fevers and skin rashes—but tends to be milder in severity. However, the disease is still considerably deadly, with a mortality rate of 1 in 10, with children, pregnant women and the elderly being most susceptible. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is only endemic to a few African countries, but with cases popping up in North America and Europe, there are some concerns that the disease may be spreading. One of the U.S. cases involved an individual who was traveling from Nigeria, while another case involved someone in Massachusetts who had recently traveled to Canada. Between the 13th and 21st of May, there were up to 92 confirmed cases and up to 28 further suspected cases throughout North America and Europe. Still, no one is calling for quarantines or lockdowns, as governments around the world did with COVID-19. The reason is mainly that while monkeypox is far deadlier, it isn’t nearly transmissible as the coronavirus.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it originates in some animals (not just monkeys). It can be spread to humans who consume infected meat. Between humans, the disease is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact. In a recently published statement, the WHO stated that the confirmed cases involve mostly sexual transmission, and the AP is reporting that the majority of cases can be linked to raves that were held in Spain and Belgium. Even if the virus were to somehow spread to the wider population, there is already a vaccine that has been proven to be effective, meaning that there won’t be a rush to develop it on the fly in the event of an outbreak. On May 23, at a news conference in Tokyo, President Joe Biden stated, "We have had this monkeypox in large numbers in the past. We have vaccines to take care of it.” He added, "I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with Covid-19." Of course, it never hurts to keep some hand sanitizer around.
[Image description: A toque monkey sits in a tree.] Credit & copyright: pen_ash, PixabayIs there another pandemic brewing? Not quite. Still, some people are understandably nervous after learning that the U.S. now has six confirmed cases of monkeypox. Government officials aren’t ready to sound the alarm just yet, though. The monkeypox virus was first identified in monkeys and causes symptoms very similar to smallpox—including headaches, fevers and skin rashes—but tends to be milder in severity. However, the disease is still considerably deadly, with a mortality rate of 1 in 10, with children, pregnant women and the elderly being most susceptible. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is only endemic to a few African countries, but with cases popping up in North America and Europe, there are some concerns that the disease may be spreading. One of the U.S. cases involved an individual who was traveling from Nigeria, while another case involved someone in Massachusetts who had recently traveled to Canada. Between the 13th and 21st of May, there were up to 92 confirmed cases and up to 28 further suspected cases throughout North America and Europe. Still, no one is calling for quarantines or lockdowns, as governments around the world did with COVID-19. The reason is mainly that while monkeypox is far deadlier, it isn’t nearly transmissible as the coronavirus.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it originates in some animals (not just monkeys). It can be spread to humans who consume infected meat. Between humans, the disease is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact. In a recently published statement, the WHO stated that the confirmed cases involve mostly sexual transmission, and the AP is reporting that the majority of cases can be linked to raves that were held in Spain and Belgium. Even if the virus were to somehow spread to the wider population, there is already a vaccine that has been proven to be effective, meaning that there won’t be a rush to develop it on the fly in the event of an outbreak. On May 23, at a news conference in Tokyo, President Joe Biden stated, "We have had this monkeypox in large numbers in the past. We have vaccines to take care of it.” He added, "I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with Covid-19." Of course, it never hurts to keep some hand sanitizer around.
[Image description: A toque monkey sits in a tree.] Credit & copyright: pen_ash, Pixabay -
FREEWork Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
A high-ranking job at established businesses is an end-goal for many, but for some aspirational entrepreneurs it’s just a stepping stone. 49-year-old Faisal Masud spent years working in high-level positions at business powerhouses like Amazon and Google. Using what he learned there, Masud helped launch an e-commerce startup called Fabric in 2016. Fabric creates software that allows retailers to sell goods online, similar to businesses like Shopify, although Fabric is more tailored to medium and large-scale businesses. Since e-commerce software is a hot commodity these days, it’s no surprise that the startup is well-funded by investors. But the hard truth is that even well-funded startups often die. That’s where Masud’s expertise came in. As Fabric’s CEO, he employs many work principles that he learned at specific large businesses. For example, having empathy for employees, rather than seeing them as cogs in a machine, is something that Masud learned during his years at Google. The concept of “ownership”, wherein a particular person “owns” a particular developmental idea and has final say over its implementation, is something he learned at Amazon. “Culturally, we’ve built a company that’s sort of a hybrid of all the companies I’ve worked at,” Masud told CNBC. “We’re able to take the best pieces out of the places I’ve had experiences and apply those.” Talk about lifelong learning.
[Image description: A digital illustration of hands reaching out of computer screens, one holding a $100 dollar bill, the other holding a brown shopping bag.] Credit & copyright: Mediamodifier, PixabayA high-ranking job at established businesses is an end-goal for many, but for some aspirational entrepreneurs it’s just a stepping stone. 49-year-old Faisal Masud spent years working in high-level positions at business powerhouses like Amazon and Google. Using what he learned there, Masud helped launch an e-commerce startup called Fabric in 2016. Fabric creates software that allows retailers to sell goods online, similar to businesses like Shopify, although Fabric is more tailored to medium and large-scale businesses. Since e-commerce software is a hot commodity these days, it’s no surprise that the startup is well-funded by investors. But the hard truth is that even well-funded startups often die. That’s where Masud’s expertise came in. As Fabric’s CEO, he employs many work principles that he learned at specific large businesses. For example, having empathy for employees, rather than seeing them as cogs in a machine, is something that Masud learned during his years at Google. The concept of “ownership”, wherein a particular person “owns” a particular developmental idea and has final say over its implementation, is something he learned at Amazon. “Culturally, we’ve built a company that’s sort of a hybrid of all the companies I’ve worked at,” Masud told CNBC. “We’re able to take the best pieces out of the places I’ve had experiences and apply those.” Talk about lifelong learning.
[Image description: A digital illustration of hands reaching out of computer screens, one holding a $100 dollar bill, the other holding a brown shopping bag.] Credit & copyright: Mediamodifier, Pixabay
May 24, 2022
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The World Food Programme’s director bluntly lays out what could happen if food production and delivery continues to be hit by the...
From the BBC World Service: The World Food Programme’s director bluntly lays out what could happen if food production and delivery continues to be hit by the...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : May 24, 2022
dander \DAN-der\ noun
What It Means
Dander is a synonym of dandruff and is also used to refer to anger or temper, especiall...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 24, 2022
dander \DAN-der\ noun
What It Means
Dander is a synonym of dandruff and is also used to refer to anger or temper, especiall...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
And the winner is…Switzerland! American Idol is far from the first televised singing contest. The honor for longest-running annual, international, televised music competition goes to Europe’s Eurovision Song Contest, in which European countries compete to see which is the best at writing and performing songs. Held in Lugano, Switzerland, on this day in 1956, the very first Eurovision contest saw Swiss singer Lys Assia score the win for her country with her rendition of Refrain. Assia performed the song in French as it was originally written by Swiss radio moderator Émile Gardaz and Swiss composer Géo Voumard. The song adheres to the chanson style of French music, in which lyrics take a front seat and sometimes even run over the meter of each line. With its sweet melody and lyrics about long lost youth and love, Refrain was a dignified song for a dignified song contest. Eurovision’s first competitors might not recognize the pop-heavy, bombastic competition today. But hey, at least it’s still running.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Lys Assia, who won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, performing at the 1958 contest.] Credit & copyright: Nederlandse Televisie Stichting, Beeld en Geluid Wiki, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
And the winner is…Switzerland! American Idol is far from the first televised singing contest. The honor for longest-running annual, international, televised music competition goes to Europe’s Eurovision Song Contest, in which European countries compete to see which is the best at writing and performing songs. Held in Lugano, Switzerland, on this day in 1956, the very first Eurovision contest saw Swiss singer Lys Assia score the win for her country with her rendition of Refrain. Assia performed the song in French as it was originally written by Swiss radio moderator Émile Gardaz and Swiss composer Géo Voumard. The song adheres to the chanson style of French music, in which lyrics take a front seat and sometimes even run over the meter of each line. With its sweet melody and lyrics about long lost youth and love, Refrain was a dignified song for a dignified song contest. Eurovision’s first competitors might not recognize the pop-heavy, bombastic competition today. But hey, at least it’s still running.
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Lys Assia, who won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, performing at the 1958 contest.] Credit & copyright: Nederlandse Televisie Stichting, Beeld en Geluid Wiki, image cropped for size, this image is hereby distributed under the same license linked here.
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FREEScience Daily Curio #2447Free1 CQ
This place is a hole. Literally! Cave explorers in China have found a massive sinkhole in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that is home to an ancient forest. The area is known for large limestone formations, and caves and sinkholes in the region are common. Sinkholes are formed when water erodes away at the limestone, and in this case, the culprit is an underground river system. While sinkholes are a common occurrence, it’s rare to find one large enough to contain its own forest. In China, there are around 29 other known sinkholes like this, called Tiankeng, which means “heavenly pit” in Mandarin. This particular sinkhole appears to be about 500 feet wide, 1000 feet long and 630 feet deep. It’s so big that it took explorers hours to safely rappel down around 330 feet before trekking into the sunken forest.
Despite the size of the hole, there isn’t much sunlight at the bottom because of the limited angle at which light can enter from above. Nevertheless, the trees in the underground forest grow up to 130 feet, seemingly well-adapted to their unusual environment. On the forest floor are shade plants that fill every nook and cranny, potentially hiding future discoveries. Chen Lixin, the leader of the expedition that discovered the massive sinkhole, believes there might be undiscovered species lurking in the enclosed ecosystem. Lixin told the press, "I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now.” Lixin’s team was sent from the Institute of Karst Geology of the China Geological Survey. Its sister institute in the U.S. is the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI). NCKRI’s executive director, George Veni, explained that China’s karsts, or limestone landscapes featuring heavily eroded areas, are different than those found in other parts of the world . "So in China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth. In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don't notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them." Sounds like China really is heavenly for sinkhole explorers.
[Image description: The Xiaozhai Tiankeng, the world's deepest sinkhole, in Chongqing Municipality, China.] Credit & copyright: Brookqi, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, Public DomainThis place is a hole. Literally! Cave explorers in China have found a massive sinkhole in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that is home to an ancient forest. The area is known for large limestone formations, and caves and sinkholes in the region are common. Sinkholes are formed when water erodes away at the limestone, and in this case, the culprit is an underground river system. While sinkholes are a common occurrence, it’s rare to find one large enough to contain its own forest. In China, there are around 29 other known sinkholes like this, called Tiankeng, which means “heavenly pit” in Mandarin. This particular sinkhole appears to be about 500 feet wide, 1000 feet long and 630 feet deep. It’s so big that it took explorers hours to safely rappel down around 330 feet before trekking into the sunken forest.
Despite the size of the hole, there isn’t much sunlight at the bottom because of the limited angle at which light can enter from above. Nevertheless, the trees in the underground forest grow up to 130 feet, seemingly well-adapted to their unusual environment. On the forest floor are shade plants that fill every nook and cranny, potentially hiding future discoveries. Chen Lixin, the leader of the expedition that discovered the massive sinkhole, believes there might be undiscovered species lurking in the enclosed ecosystem. Lixin told the press, "I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now.” Lixin’s team was sent from the Institute of Karst Geology of the China Geological Survey. Its sister institute in the U.S. is the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI). NCKRI’s executive director, George Veni, explained that China’s karsts, or limestone landscapes featuring heavily eroded areas, are different than those found in other parts of the world . "So in China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth. In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don't notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them." Sounds like China really is heavenly for sinkhole explorers.
[Image description: The Xiaozhai Tiankeng, the world's deepest sinkhole, in Chongqing Municipality, China.] Credit & copyright: Brookqi, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, Public Domain
May 23, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : May 23, 2022
mercurial \mer-KYUR-ee-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Mercurial means "changing often" or "characterized by rapid and unpredic...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : May 23, 2022
mercurial \mer-KYUR-ee-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Mercurial means "changing often" or "characterized by rapid and unpredic...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
How much impact will inflation have on profits? Will higher interest rates lead a recession? Investors are getting out of stocks at a rate that’s causing the...
How much impact will inflation have on profits? Will higher interest rates lead a recession? Investors are getting out of stocks at a rate that’s causing the...
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FREEBiology Daily Curio #2446Free1 CQ
This is a big step toward helping little ones. Scientists might be moving closer to solving the mystery behind one of the most tragic syndromes known to man: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Australian researchers recently published a study in eBioMedicine claiming that they’ve found the first ever biomarker, or genetic indicator, for SIDS. The Mayo Clinic defines SIDS as the unexplained death of an infant under one year old, usually during sleep. Past studies have not shown any genetic links, although SIDS is more likely to affect an infant who has had closely related family members die of it. It is also more likely to affect infants who are born premature, born to mothers under 20, or who live in a household where someone smokes. Around 3,400 babies die from it every year in the U.S. alone, and parents have long been desperate for answers on how to prevent it.
In this new line of research, scientists examined blood samples from infants that had died from SIDS, specifically to measure the levels of Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an enzyme in the cholinergic system, part of the body’s autonomic system that controls things like sleep, wakefulness, and blood pressure. They found that in the samples from infants that had died from SIDS, the BChE activity was lower than in healthy infants. This marks the very first measurable factor that can be tied to SIDS. In a press release by the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, lead author of the study, Dr. Carmel Therese Harrington, stated, “Babies have a very powerful mechanism to let us know when they are not happy. Usually, if a baby is confronted with a life-threatening situation, such as difficulty breathing during sleep because they are on their tummies, they will arouse and cry out. What this research shows is that some babies don't have this same robust arousal response.” While this finding doesn’t yet point to a cure for SIDS, and there is currently no test available to search for low BChE in living infants, at least some light is finally being shed on this dark subject.
[Image description: An infant’s hand clutches and adult’s finger.] Credit & copyright: RitaE, PixabayThis is a big step toward helping little ones. Scientists might be moving closer to solving the mystery behind one of the most tragic syndromes known to man: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Australian researchers recently published a study in eBioMedicine claiming that they’ve found the first ever biomarker, or genetic indicator, for SIDS. The Mayo Clinic defines SIDS as the unexplained death of an infant under one year old, usually during sleep. Past studies have not shown any genetic links, although SIDS is more likely to affect an infant who has had closely related family members die of it. It is also more likely to affect infants who are born premature, born to mothers under 20, or who live in a household where someone smokes. Around 3,400 babies die from it every year in the U.S. alone, and parents have long been desperate for answers on how to prevent it.
In this new line of research, scientists examined blood samples from infants that had died from SIDS, specifically to measure the levels of Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an enzyme in the cholinergic system, part of the body’s autonomic system that controls things like sleep, wakefulness, and blood pressure. They found that in the samples from infants that had died from SIDS, the BChE activity was lower than in healthy infants. This marks the very first measurable factor that can be tied to SIDS. In a press release by the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, lead author of the study, Dr. Carmel Therese Harrington, stated, “Babies have a very powerful mechanism to let us know when they are not happy. Usually, if a baby is confronted with a life-threatening situation, such as difficulty breathing during sleep because they are on their tummies, they will arouse and cry out. What this research shows is that some babies don't have this same robust arousal response.” While this finding doesn’t yet point to a cure for SIDS, and there is currently no test available to search for low BChE in living infants, at least some light is finally being shed on this dark subject.
[Image description: An infant’s hand clutches and adult’s finger.] Credit & copyright: RitaE, Pixabay -
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It seems black goes with everything. American artist Franz Kline, best known for his black-and-white expressionist paintings, was born on this day in 1910. His untitled piece above, from 1961, features his trademark wide, black brushstrokes against a white background. Bold horizontal strokes cover the lower part of the painting, while several intercrossing vertical and diagonal strokes run up its center. Oddly, Kline’s early works were mostly illustrations, scenic paintings and commercial designs. His personal style only began to develop once he dove into abstract art. Soon, his realist days were behind him, and he earned a reputation for working almost exclusively in black and white for a time in the 1950s.The bold, striking brushstrokes that featured heavily during this period have been compared to Chinese or Japanese calligraphy. However, Kline never completely abandoned figurative and scenic art. During the Great Depression, he often depicted scenes from everyday American life, and the struggles of ordinary people. Who says there’s only one way for an artist to express their emotions?
Untitled, Franz Kline (1910-1962), 1961, Acrylic on canvas, 72.5 in. × 106 in. (184.2 × 269.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum
Below: One of Kline’s realist paintings, Palmerton, Pa.
It seems black goes with everything. American artist Franz Kline, best known for his black-and-white expressionist paintings, was born on this day in 1910. His untitled piece above, from 1961, features his trademark wide, black brushstrokes against a white background. Bold horizontal strokes cover the lower part of the painting, while several intercrossing vertical and diagonal strokes run up its center. Oddly, Kline’s early works were mostly illustrations, scenic paintings and commercial designs. His personal style only began to develop once he dove into abstract art. Soon, his realist days were behind him, and he earned a reputation for working almost exclusively in black and white for a time in the 1950s.The bold, striking brushstrokes that featured heavily during this period have been compared to Chinese or Japanese calligraphy. However, Kline never completely abandoned figurative and scenic art. During the Great Depression, he often depicted scenes from everyday American life, and the struggles of ordinary people. Who says there’s only one way for an artist to express their emotions?
Untitled, Franz Kline (1910-1962), 1961, Acrylic on canvas, 72.5 in. × 106 in. (184.2 × 269.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum
Below: One of Kline’s realist paintings, Palmerton, Pa.