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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
February 1, 2023
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: We look at India’s finances as it tries to supercharge its manufacturing sector in a final budget before key elections. Plus, wit...
From the BBC World Service: We look at India’s finances as it tries to supercharge its manufacturing sector in a final budget before key elections. Plus, wit...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : February 1, 2023
eleemosynary \el-ih-MAH-suh-nair-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Eleemosynary means "of, relating to, or supported by chari...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 1, 2023
eleemosynary \el-ih-MAH-suh-nair-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Eleemosynary means "of, relating to, or supported by chari...
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FREEEntrepreneurship Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It seems you can rent out anything these days! We’ve written before about people renting out their swimming pools to make extra cash, and it turns out you can do something similar with boats. Boatsetter is a company that allows users to rent out their personal boats for whatever hourly fee they choose. The company collects a 20 to 35 percent fee on each rental, and users must provide proof of boat insurance, or sign up for the insurance that Boatsetter offers through Geico Marine. Users don’t actually need to have any boating experience to register their boat for rent…though if they also want to serve as the boat’s captain, they have to show proof of a boating license (and those renting must do the same if they plan to captain the boat). For those who live near the water, renting out boats can be a surprisingly lucrative business or side hustle. 32-year old JP Mancini II, of Key West, Florida, had little experience with boats (his career was in car sales) before he bought his first one in 2020 and began renting it out with Boatsetter. Rather than using the money he made to pay off the boat’s loan, Mancini used it to fund other boat purchases, focusing on luxury motorboats that weren’t easy to find for rent on other platforms. That decision has paid off big, as today he makes around $39,000 a month. Though a large percentage of that money goes toward paying off the loans for his boats, Mancini was still able to leave his past career in car sales to focus on his new boating business full time. Of course, Key West is an ideal market for boat renting due to the area’s constant supply of luxury-seeking tourists, but not everyone who finds success with Boatsetter lives near the ocean. Those who live near large rivers and lakes have also found success on the platform, many by renting their boats to fishermen. It may not be as fancy, but it can still pay the bills.
[Image description: A motorboat with bicycles aboard makes its way across water with sailboats in the background.] Credit & copyright: pasja1000, PixabayIt seems you can rent out anything these days! We’ve written before about people renting out their swimming pools to make extra cash, and it turns out you can do something similar with boats. Boatsetter is a company that allows users to rent out their personal boats for whatever hourly fee they choose. The company collects a 20 to 35 percent fee on each rental, and users must provide proof of boat insurance, or sign up for the insurance that Boatsetter offers through Geico Marine. Users don’t actually need to have any boating experience to register their boat for rent…though if they also want to serve as the boat’s captain, they have to show proof of a boating license (and those renting must do the same if they plan to captain the boat). For those who live near the water, renting out boats can be a surprisingly lucrative business or side hustle. 32-year old JP Mancini II, of Key West, Florida, had little experience with boats (his career was in car sales) before he bought his first one in 2020 and began renting it out with Boatsetter. Rather than using the money he made to pay off the boat’s loan, Mancini used it to fund other boat purchases, focusing on luxury motorboats that weren’t easy to find for rent on other platforms. That decision has paid off big, as today he makes around $39,000 a month. Though a large percentage of that money goes toward paying off the loans for his boats, Mancini was still able to leave his past career in car sales to focus on his new boating business full time. Of course, Key West is an ideal market for boat renting due to the area’s constant supply of luxury-seeking tourists, but not everyone who finds success with Boatsetter lives near the ocean. Those who live near large rivers and lakes have also found success on the platform, many by renting their boats to fishermen. It may not be as fancy, but it can still pay the bills.
[Image description: A motorboat with bicycles aboard makes its way across water with sailboats in the background.] Credit & copyright: pasja1000, Pixabay -
FREEDogs Daily Curio #2593Free1 CQ
Dogs may not understand why we dress them in tiny sweaters, but they do understand our intentions in other situations. Dogs already have a reputation for being smart animals, but new research shows that they are also able to differentiate between malice and mistakes. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna conducted a series of experiments to see just how much dogs understood about human behavior. One of the tests involved a researcher holding a treat above a container that was inaccessible to the dogs. When she offered the treat and had the dogs come over, she pretended to accidentally drop it into the container when the dogs reached for the treat. In another experiment, she held the treat out to the dogs, but when they came over to her, she jerked the treat away suddenly. Finally, in another experiment, she pretended to try to squeeze the treat through a narrow hole to give it to the dogs, while appearing to struggle. During these experiments, the researchers analyzed the body language of the dogs with AI-powered 3D tracking software to interpret what the dogs might have been thinking based on our current understanding of the way dogs communicate. When the researcher was pretending to be clumsy, the dogs hung around 89 percent of the time, seemingly under the assumption that the treat was on the way, but that the human was too clumsy to feed them right away. When the researcher pretended to be deceitful by yanking the treat away, on the other hand, the dogs only hung around 78 percent of the time, presumably unwilling to wait around for a treat they believed they would not receive. In the final experiment where the researcher pretended to struggle, only 64 percent of the dogs bothered to stay for the treat, believing that the effort was fruitless and that they would not get the treat. Overall, the researchers say the results show that dogs are capable of distinguishing between inability and unwillingness in similar situations, meaning that dogs may be more complex than humans give them credit for. Now go pet your dog and tell them they’re good…they’ll know if you mean it or not!
[Image description: A small dog wearing a blue sweater vest reaches for a treat in a human’s hand.] Credit & copyright: StockSnap, PixabayDogs may not understand why we dress them in tiny sweaters, but they do understand our intentions in other situations. Dogs already have a reputation for being smart animals, but new research shows that they are also able to differentiate between malice and mistakes. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna conducted a series of experiments to see just how much dogs understood about human behavior. One of the tests involved a researcher holding a treat above a container that was inaccessible to the dogs. When she offered the treat and had the dogs come over, she pretended to accidentally drop it into the container when the dogs reached for the treat. In another experiment, she held the treat out to the dogs, but when they came over to her, she jerked the treat away suddenly. Finally, in another experiment, she pretended to try to squeeze the treat through a narrow hole to give it to the dogs, while appearing to struggle. During these experiments, the researchers analyzed the body language of the dogs with AI-powered 3D tracking software to interpret what the dogs might have been thinking based on our current understanding of the way dogs communicate. When the researcher was pretending to be clumsy, the dogs hung around 89 percent of the time, seemingly under the assumption that the treat was on the way, but that the human was too clumsy to feed them right away. When the researcher pretended to be deceitful by yanking the treat away, on the other hand, the dogs only hung around 78 percent of the time, presumably unwilling to wait around for a treat they believed they would not receive. In the final experiment where the researcher pretended to struggle, only 64 percent of the dogs bothered to stay for the treat, believing that the effort was fruitless and that they would not get the treat. Overall, the researchers say the results show that dogs are capable of distinguishing between inability and unwillingness in similar situations, meaning that dogs may be more complex than humans give them credit for. Now go pet your dog and tell them they’re good…they’ll know if you mean it or not!
[Image description: A small dog wearing a blue sweater vest reaches for a treat in a human’s hand.] Credit & copyright: StockSnap, Pixabay
January 31, 2023
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11 minFREEWork Business CurioFree6 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Three years on what has Brexit meant for businesses in the U.K. and the European Union? Britain’s official exit from the E.U. and...
From the BBC World Service: Three years on what has Brexit meant for businesses in the U.K. and the European Union? Britain’s official exit from the E.U. and...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : January 31, 2023
savant \sa-VAHNT\ noun
What It Means
Savant is a formal word that refers to a learned person, especially someone with d...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : January 31, 2023
savant \sa-VAHNT\ noun
What It Means
Savant is a formal word that refers to a learned person, especially someone with d...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Talk about a supergroup! In late 2022, four of Japan’s biggest rockstars, Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo, and Miyavi, announced that they’d be forming a band together. For those unfamiliar with Japanese rock, imagine Mick Jagger, Bono, Steven Tyler and Jon Bon Jovi teaming up, and you might have a sense of how exciting this is for fans of the genre. The aptly-named THE LAST ROCKSTARS released first, titular single, THE LAST ROCKSTARS (Paris Mix) on December 23. Written by Yoshiki, who made a name for himself in the 1990s with a distorted, heavy metal style that was a rarity in Japan at the time, THE LAST ROCKSTARS (Paris Mix) has a very different sound. Though it is undoubtedly a rock song, with its ultra-fast, bombastic beat and distorted electric guitars, its verses evoke modern, mainstream Japanese pop with clear vocals and lyrics about love and reaching for one’s dreams. Clearly, these rockers are out to show that their style isn’t stuck in the pre-Y2K era. As Sugizo said in a recent public statement, “We want to put what's left of our lives on the line to make the world rock with our music.” Rock on!
[Image description: Yoshiki plays piano as he performs onstage in front of an illuminated starry backdrop.] Credit & copyright: Justin Higuchi, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
Talk about a supergroup! In late 2022, four of Japan’s biggest rockstars, Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo, and Miyavi, announced that they’d be forming a band together. For those unfamiliar with Japanese rock, imagine Mick Jagger, Bono, Steven Tyler and Jon Bon Jovi teaming up, and you might have a sense of how exciting this is for fans of the genre. The aptly-named THE LAST ROCKSTARS released first, titular single, THE LAST ROCKSTARS (Paris Mix) on December 23. Written by Yoshiki, who made a name for himself in the 1990s with a distorted, heavy metal style that was a rarity in Japan at the time, THE LAST ROCKSTARS (Paris Mix) has a very different sound. Though it is undoubtedly a rock song, with its ultra-fast, bombastic beat and distorted electric guitars, its verses evoke modern, mainstream Japanese pop with clear vocals and lyrics about love and reaching for one’s dreams. Clearly, these rockers are out to show that their style isn’t stuck in the pre-Y2K era. As Sugizo said in a recent public statement, “We want to put what's left of our lives on the line to make the world rock with our music.” Rock on!
[Image description: Yoshiki plays piano as he performs onstage in front of an illuminated starry backdrop.] Credit & copyright: Justin Higuchi, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size.
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FREERelationships Daily Curio #2592Free1 CQ
Nothing like pancakes and coffee to start off the day. Even though it’s past the holiday season and winter is still here for a while longer, there’s reason to celebrate in Iceland, because the sun is finally shining down between the fjords once again, if only briefly. Despite its reputation for brutal winters, Iceland doesn’t see nights as long as those in places like Alaska. However, there are fjords carved into the landscape by ancient glaciers where the sun doesn’t shine directly for a few months starting in November. As the rest of Iceland gets to enjoy the winter sunlight (barring the nation’s famously cloudy weather, of course), the villages in the fjords only get indirect light from the sky, and the sun is hidden behind mountains. Starting in late January, though, the sun begins to rise high enough over the mountains that it can be seen by the residents of these villages. At first, it’s only for a few minutes at a time, but it’s worth celebrating nonetheless. The first day that the sun is visible is called Sólardagur, or “Sun Day.”
So how does one party it up on Sólardagur? With lots of pancakes and coffee! There’s even a special name for the coffee drunk on that day: Sólarkaffi, or “Sun coffee.” The solar merrymakers wish friends and family “gleðilega sólrisu,” or “Merry sunrise!” Those who are willing and able trek up the mountains to greet the sun, which can remain in the sky for as few as 10 minutes, sometimes do so on Sólardagur. Not everyone celebrates Sólardagur on the same day, though, since different areas get their first view of the sun at different times. Some families even celebrate the day independently based on when the light of the sun hits their home specifically. Forget white Christmas—let’s hear it for a bright sun day!
[Image description: The sun shines through a waterfall in a cave in Iceland.] Credit & copyright: 12019, PixabayNothing like pancakes and coffee to start off the day. Even though it’s past the holiday season and winter is still here for a while longer, there’s reason to celebrate in Iceland, because the sun is finally shining down between the fjords once again, if only briefly. Despite its reputation for brutal winters, Iceland doesn’t see nights as long as those in places like Alaska. However, there are fjords carved into the landscape by ancient glaciers where the sun doesn’t shine directly for a few months starting in November. As the rest of Iceland gets to enjoy the winter sunlight (barring the nation’s famously cloudy weather, of course), the villages in the fjords only get indirect light from the sky, and the sun is hidden behind mountains. Starting in late January, though, the sun begins to rise high enough over the mountains that it can be seen by the residents of these villages. At first, it’s only for a few minutes at a time, but it’s worth celebrating nonetheless. The first day that the sun is visible is called Sólardagur, or “Sun Day.”
So how does one party it up on Sólardagur? With lots of pancakes and coffee! There’s even a special name for the coffee drunk on that day: Sólarkaffi, or “Sun coffee.” The solar merrymakers wish friends and family “gleðilega sólrisu,” or “Merry sunrise!” Those who are willing and able trek up the mountains to greet the sun, which can remain in the sky for as few as 10 minutes, sometimes do so on Sólardagur. Not everyone celebrates Sólardagur on the same day, though, since different areas get their first view of the sun at different times. Some families even celebrate the day independently based on when the light of the sun hits their home specifically. Forget white Christmas—let’s hear it for a bright sun day!
[Image description: The sun shines through a waterfall in a cave in Iceland.] Credit & copyright: 12019, Pixabay
January 30, 2023
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : January 30, 2023
adapt \uh-DAPT\ verb
What It Means
To adapt is to make or become fit (as for a new use) often by modification.
// When...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : January 30, 2023
adapt \uh-DAPT\ verb
What It Means
To adapt is to make or become fit (as for a new use) often by modification.
// When...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Today’s GDP numbers likely lifted many an economist’s spirits — the economy grew at 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter last year, a solid showing despite infl...
Today’s GDP numbers likely lifted many an economist’s spirits — the economy grew at 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter last year, a solid showing despite infl...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It’s not quite time for spring cleaning, but you might want to check your shed anyway. That’s where one lucky art collector found a rare painting by 17th-century Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck a few decades ago. It was recently sold at an auction in New York City. The piece, A Study for Saint Jerome with an Angel, depicts a nude man sitting with a downcast gaze and his hands hanging in front of him. He has gray hair and a beard. After its discovery, the painting was originally purchased by an art collector for $600 in 2002. Now, it has sold for over $3 million. The three-foot-long painting is one of only two surviving examples of a live study, or art piece created from observing a live model, done by van Dyck in this scale. The model is the same figure that appears in Saint Jerome with an Angel. Van Dyck is considered one of the greatest Flemish artists of the 17th-century and was known for his portraits of royal figures like King Charles I. The man in this painting might not be a king, but his portrait is worth a king’s ransom!
Study for Saint Jerome with an Angel, Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), 1615–18, oil on canvas, Sotheby's, New York City, New York
Below: Another of Van Dyck’s paintings, Self Portrait with a Sunflower.
It’s not quite time for spring cleaning, but you might want to check your shed anyway. That’s where one lucky art collector found a rare painting by 17th-century Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck a few decades ago. It was recently sold at an auction in New York City. The piece, A Study for Saint Jerome with an Angel, depicts a nude man sitting with a downcast gaze and his hands hanging in front of him. He has gray hair and a beard. After its discovery, the painting was originally purchased by an art collector for $600 in 2002. Now, it has sold for over $3 million. The three-foot-long painting is one of only two surviving examples of a live study, or art piece created from observing a live model, done by van Dyck in this scale. The model is the same figure that appears in Saint Jerome with an Angel. Van Dyck is considered one of the greatest Flemish artists of the 17th-century and was known for his portraits of royal figures like King Charles I. The man in this painting might not be a king, but his portrait is worth a king’s ransom!
Study for Saint Jerome with an Angel, Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), 1615–18, oil on canvas, Sotheby's, New York City, New York
Below: Another of Van Dyck’s paintings, Self Portrait with a Sunflower.
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FREEBiology Daily Curio #2591Free1 CQ
The root of human language might not be all that far down in the tree of life. Researchers at the University of St. Andrews have found that humans share some striking similarities with our great ape cousins when it comes to the way we communicate using body and hand gestures. This hints at the possibility of a common origin of language between apes and humans. To test this theory, the researchers first created a catalog of gestures used by chimpanzees and bonobos that conveyed meanings like, “groom me,” “let’s mate” and “come here.” Interestingly, the two species used the same gestures for many of these messages, even though the two populations don’t interact in the wild. Lead researcher Kristy Graham and her team then recorded chimps and bonobos making the gestures from the catalog. They showed these recordings to human volunteers and asked them to choose what each gesture meant from a selection of multiple choice answers. According to the results, human beings can understand great apes’ body language over 50 percent of the time, a rate that is higher than if the volunteers had simply guessed. In other words, human beings can understand chimps and bonobos using just hand signals and body language intrinsically, even though we are different species with no shared spoken language. That may not seem like a big deal, but it means that there is something innately similar in the way human beings and other great apes understand and process language. Graham told the BBC, "Human infants use some of these same gestures, too. So we already had a suspicion that this was a shared gesturing ability that might have been present in our last shared ancestor…We're quite confident now that our ancestors would have started off gesturing, and that this was co-opted into [our] language." That’s a big thumbs up for evolutionary science!
[Image description: A chimpanzee lies on its back and chews on a blade of grass.] Credit & copyright: Gotti1979, PixabayThe root of human language might not be all that far down in the tree of life. Researchers at the University of St. Andrews have found that humans share some striking similarities with our great ape cousins when it comes to the way we communicate using body and hand gestures. This hints at the possibility of a common origin of language between apes and humans. To test this theory, the researchers first created a catalog of gestures used by chimpanzees and bonobos that conveyed meanings like, “groom me,” “let’s mate” and “come here.” Interestingly, the two species used the same gestures for many of these messages, even though the two populations don’t interact in the wild. Lead researcher Kristy Graham and her team then recorded chimps and bonobos making the gestures from the catalog. They showed these recordings to human volunteers and asked them to choose what each gesture meant from a selection of multiple choice answers. According to the results, human beings can understand great apes’ body language over 50 percent of the time, a rate that is higher than if the volunteers had simply guessed. In other words, human beings can understand chimps and bonobos using just hand signals and body language intrinsically, even though we are different species with no shared spoken language. That may not seem like a big deal, but it means that there is something innately similar in the way human beings and other great apes understand and process language. Graham told the BBC, "Human infants use some of these same gestures, too. So we already had a suspicion that this was a shared gesturing ability that might have been present in our last shared ancestor…We're quite confident now that our ancestors would have started off gesturing, and that this was co-opted into [our] language." That’s a big thumbs up for evolutionary science!
[Image description: A chimpanzee lies on its back and chews on a blade of grass.] Credit & copyright: Gotti1979, Pixabay
January 29, 2023
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : January 29, 2023
rubric \ROO-brik\ noun
What It Means
Rubric is a somewhat formal word that is most often used to mean “an established r...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : January 29, 2023
rubric \ROO-brik\ noun
What It Means
Rubric is a somewhat formal word that is most often used to mean “an established r...
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FREEEngineering PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
On this day in 1986, the U.S. was in mourning. One day earlier, on January 28, the space shuttle Challenger had exploded after takeoff, killing all seven crew members aboard. Most Americans were in shock…but not engineer Allan J. McDonald. He had known that there were potentially deadly problems with the Challenger, and had tried to delay its launch. After the tragedy, McDonald and other like-minded engineers worked to expose those at NASA who had insisted on pressing forward with the launch in spite of safety concerns.
Born on July 9, 1937, in Coding, Wyoming, McDonald began working for Morton-Thiokol, Inc., a company specializing in rockets and propulsion systems, in 1959. He served as leader for all of Morton-Thiokol’s flight tests launched out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he would check the condition of missiles before they were launched for testing. In 1973, Morton-Thiokol was contracted by NASA to create solid rocket boosters for their space shuttles. McDonald led a team which assessed shuttles before their launches from Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. It was up to McDonald to sign paperwork approving or disapproving each launch. He didn’t have the final say in whether launches moved forward, however. His opinion was considered alongside that of other engineers.
The space shuttle Challenger was built in 1983. Over its three years of service, it completed nine successful missions. Its tenth mission, designated STS-51-L, was originally scheduled for July, 1985. Assigning the crew took longer than anticipated, though, so the launch was rescheduled for November of that year. However, changes to the shuttle’s weight necessitated another delay, leading to the launch being set for January 28, 1986. Throughout the ongoing delays, McDonald and other engineers were tasked with inspecting Challenger, and they weren’t comfortable with what they found. The cold January weather made McDonald concerned about the O-ring seals in the shuttle's solid rocket booster joints. These O-rings were made from rubber, and were supposed to seal together joints in the boosters. Cold weather caused the rubber to stiffen. McDonald knew that this could lead to unsealed joints, and leaks of pressurized gas. Bob Ebeling, Arnold Thompson, and Roger Boisjoly, fellow engineers from Morton-Thiokol, agreed that the O-rings posed a serious problem. They, along with McDonald, told Morton-Thiokol officials of their concerns.
Unfortunately, pressure surrounded the mission. After all, Challenger’s launch had already been delayed, and the mission was highly-publicized due to the inclusion of school teacher Christa McAuliffe, the crew member meant to be America’s first civilian astronaut. When Morton-Thiokol brought their engineers’ concerns to NASA, they were dismissed. Days before launch, Morton-Thiokol asked McDonald to sign and submit an official form stating that the Challenger was safe to launch. He refused, but the launch moved forward anyway.
73 seconds after Challenger’s launch, the O-ring seals on the shuttle’s right solid rocket booster failed, having stiffened from the cold weather. Hot, pressurized gas from the boosters leaked through joints and into an external propellant tank. This caused an explosion and threw the shuttle into a rotation at nearly 1,500 miles per hour. It was ripped apart by aerodynamic forces, killing all seven crew members aboard. McDonald watched the tragedy unfold from Cape Canaveral.
Days later, he traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the Rogers Commission, a Presidential Commission meant to uncover the reasons behind the launch’s failure. McDonald listened as NASA officials failed to acknowledge his concerns leading up to the launch. Finally, he interrupted an official’s testimony by raising his hand to speak. He informed the commission that he and other engineers had recommended against the launch, refused to sign off on it, and had even sent NASA a letter of concern regarding the O-rings. The focus of the commission immediately shifted to focus on procedural failures at NASA. Afterward, Morton-Thiokol retaliated against McDonald by demoting him and several other engineers, including Roger Boisjoly. Boisjoly reported this to the commission, and Congress threatened to bar Morton-Thiokol from future federal contracts unless they reversed the demotions. In 1988, McDonald was placed in charge of creating new, safer rocket boosters for future shuttle launches.
Even after his retirement in 2001, McDonald remained committed to safety. He became a speaker on ethics and decision making, addressing engineers on the importance of both. Prior to his death in 2021, he donated his personal papers regarding the Challenger launch to Chapman University in the hope that they could prove useful to future researchers. No doubt they contain just as many lessons about leadership and heroism as they do about engineering.
[Image description: Allan J. McDonald gestures as he speaks at a conference in 2012.] Credit & copyright: NASA, Sean Smith, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainOn this day in 1986, the U.S. was in mourning. One day earlier, on January 28, the space shuttle Challenger had exploded after takeoff, killing all seven crew members aboard. Most Americans were in shock…but not engineer Allan J. McDonald. He had known that there were potentially deadly problems with the Challenger, and had tried to delay its launch. After the tragedy, McDonald and other like-minded engineers worked to expose those at NASA who had insisted on pressing forward with the launch in spite of safety concerns.
Born on July 9, 1937, in Coding, Wyoming, McDonald began working for Morton-Thiokol, Inc., a company specializing in rockets and propulsion systems, in 1959. He served as leader for all of Morton-Thiokol’s flight tests launched out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he would check the condition of missiles before they were launched for testing. In 1973, Morton-Thiokol was contracted by NASA to create solid rocket boosters for their space shuttles. McDonald led a team which assessed shuttles before their launches from Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. It was up to McDonald to sign paperwork approving or disapproving each launch. He didn’t have the final say in whether launches moved forward, however. His opinion was considered alongside that of other engineers.
The space shuttle Challenger was built in 1983. Over its three years of service, it completed nine successful missions. Its tenth mission, designated STS-51-L, was originally scheduled for July, 1985. Assigning the crew took longer than anticipated, though, so the launch was rescheduled for November of that year. However, changes to the shuttle’s weight necessitated another delay, leading to the launch being set for January 28, 1986. Throughout the ongoing delays, McDonald and other engineers were tasked with inspecting Challenger, and they weren’t comfortable with what they found. The cold January weather made McDonald concerned about the O-ring seals in the shuttle's solid rocket booster joints. These O-rings were made from rubber, and were supposed to seal together joints in the boosters. Cold weather caused the rubber to stiffen. McDonald knew that this could lead to unsealed joints, and leaks of pressurized gas. Bob Ebeling, Arnold Thompson, and Roger Boisjoly, fellow engineers from Morton-Thiokol, agreed that the O-rings posed a serious problem. They, along with McDonald, told Morton-Thiokol officials of their concerns.
Unfortunately, pressure surrounded the mission. After all, Challenger’s launch had already been delayed, and the mission was highly-publicized due to the inclusion of school teacher Christa McAuliffe, the crew member meant to be America’s first civilian astronaut. When Morton-Thiokol brought their engineers’ concerns to NASA, they were dismissed. Days before launch, Morton-Thiokol asked McDonald to sign and submit an official form stating that the Challenger was safe to launch. He refused, but the launch moved forward anyway.
73 seconds after Challenger’s launch, the O-ring seals on the shuttle’s right solid rocket booster failed, having stiffened from the cold weather. Hot, pressurized gas from the boosters leaked through joints and into an external propellant tank. This caused an explosion and threw the shuttle into a rotation at nearly 1,500 miles per hour. It was ripped apart by aerodynamic forces, killing all seven crew members aboard. McDonald watched the tragedy unfold from Cape Canaveral.
Days later, he traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the Rogers Commission, a Presidential Commission meant to uncover the reasons behind the launch’s failure. McDonald listened as NASA officials failed to acknowledge his concerns leading up to the launch. Finally, he interrupted an official’s testimony by raising his hand to speak. He informed the commission that he and other engineers had recommended against the launch, refused to sign off on it, and had even sent NASA a letter of concern regarding the O-rings. The focus of the commission immediately shifted to focus on procedural failures at NASA. Afterward, Morton-Thiokol retaliated against McDonald by demoting him and several other engineers, including Roger Boisjoly. Boisjoly reported this to the commission, and Congress threatened to bar Morton-Thiokol from future federal contracts unless they reversed the demotions. In 1988, McDonald was placed in charge of creating new, safer rocket boosters for future shuttle launches.
Even after his retirement in 2001, McDonald remained committed to safety. He became a speaker on ethics and decision making, addressing engineers on the importance of both. Prior to his death in 2021, he donated his personal papers regarding the Challenger launch to Chapman University in the hope that they could prove useful to future researchers. No doubt they contain just as many lessons about leadership and heroism as they do about engineering.
[Image description: Allan J. McDonald gestures as he speaks at a conference in 2012.] Credit & copyright: NASA, Sean Smith, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
A new paper in the journal “Nature” finds that the rate of scientific innovation has been on a steady decline, despite living in the most technologically adv...
A new paper in the journal “Nature” finds that the rate of scientific innovation has been on a steady decline, despite living in the most technologically adv...