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October 27, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 27, 2024\yoo-SERP\ verb
What It Means
To usurp something (such as power) is to take and keep it by force and withou...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 27, 2024\yoo-SERP\ verb
What It Means
To usurp something (such as power) is to take and keep it by force and withou...
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Today’s quarterly earnings report painted a gloomy picture for the embattled aviation giant — the company reportedly lost $6 billion in the three months endi...
Today’s quarterly earnings report painted a gloomy picture for the embattled aviation giant — the company reportedly lost $6 billion in the three months endi...
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FREEUS History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
New York is full of engineering wonders, from skyscrapers to suspension bridges, but one of the most impressive isn’t even visible above ground. The New York City subway system transports over a billion riders through the urban jungle every year. The city’s first subway system opened on this day in 1904, and since then it has continued to expand and serve an exponentially growing population.
By the late 1800s, New York City was already the most populated city in the United States. Already known as a center of commerce and culture, the city was growing quickly…and quickly running out of room. Roads were congested with horse-drawn carriages and the island borough of Manhattan was serviced by elevated railways that took up precious real estate. City planners needed a solution that would address the transportation needs of the residents without taking up what little room was left. A subway system seemed like a logical answer. After all, the world’s first underground transit system was already a proven success, as it had been operating in London since 1863. In nearby Boston, America’s first subway was finished in 1897, though it was more limited in scope and used streetcars. There had even been a limited subway line in New York City between 1870 and 1873. During those short few years, a pneumatic-powered, 18-passenger car traversed under Broadway using a 100 horsepower fan. There had been talk of expanding the line, but the technology was made obsolete by improvements in electric traction motors, and the line was soon abandoned. Indeed, the future of transit in New York City was electric, and after much lobbying from the city’s Board of Rapid Transit and financing from prominent financier August Belmont, Jr., construction on the permanent subway system began in 1900.
As construction crews dug underground, they built temporary wooden bridges over the subway tunnels to allow traffic to continue unimpeded. Not everything went so smoothly, though. Because the tunnel was close to the surface in many places, construction often involved moving existing infrastructure like gas and water lines. Some things weren’t so easy to move out of the way, such as the Columbus Monument in Central Park. One section of the tunnels had to pass through the east side of the 700-ton monument’s foundation, and simply digging through could have led to its collapse. To avoid damaging it, workers had to build a new support under the monument, slowing progress on the subway. Another major obstacle was the New York Times building, which had a pressroom below where the tunnel was to be built. So, the subway was simply built through the building with steel channels to reinforce its structure. Despite these and other engineering challenges, construction was completed just four years after it started, and the inaugural run of the city’s new transit system took place on October 27, 1904, at 2:35 PM, with Mayor George McClellan at the controls. The subway system was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and consisted of just 9.1 miles of tracks passing through 28 stations. That may seem limited compared to today, but it was an astounding leap for commuters at the time, with IRT claiming to take passengers from “City Hall to Harlem in 15 minutes.” At 7 PM, just hours after the inaugural run, the subway was opened to the public for just a nickel per passenger. On opening day, around 100,000 passengers tried out the newly-minted subway, and that number has only grown since.
Today, New York City’s subway system has 472 stations and 665 miles of track. It’s operated by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) and serves over three million riders a day. The city’s subway system wasn’t the first, nor is it currently the largest, but it remains the only one to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—a feature that many New Yorkers have come to rely on. The extensive and convenient transit system allowed the city to grow throughout the 20th century, and the Big Apple might have ended up as Small Potatoes without it.
[Image description: A subway train near a sign reading “W 8 Street.”] Credit & copyright: Tim Gouw, PexelsNew York is full of engineering wonders, from skyscrapers to suspension bridges, but one of the most impressive isn’t even visible above ground. The New York City subway system transports over a billion riders through the urban jungle every year. The city’s first subway system opened on this day in 1904, and since then it has continued to expand and serve an exponentially growing population.
By the late 1800s, New York City was already the most populated city in the United States. Already known as a center of commerce and culture, the city was growing quickly…and quickly running out of room. Roads were congested with horse-drawn carriages and the island borough of Manhattan was serviced by elevated railways that took up precious real estate. City planners needed a solution that would address the transportation needs of the residents without taking up what little room was left. A subway system seemed like a logical answer. After all, the world’s first underground transit system was already a proven success, as it had been operating in London since 1863. In nearby Boston, America’s first subway was finished in 1897, though it was more limited in scope and used streetcars. There had even been a limited subway line in New York City between 1870 and 1873. During those short few years, a pneumatic-powered, 18-passenger car traversed under Broadway using a 100 horsepower fan. There had been talk of expanding the line, but the technology was made obsolete by improvements in electric traction motors, and the line was soon abandoned. Indeed, the future of transit in New York City was electric, and after much lobbying from the city’s Board of Rapid Transit and financing from prominent financier August Belmont, Jr., construction on the permanent subway system began in 1900.
As construction crews dug underground, they built temporary wooden bridges over the subway tunnels to allow traffic to continue unimpeded. Not everything went so smoothly, though. Because the tunnel was close to the surface in many places, construction often involved moving existing infrastructure like gas and water lines. Some things weren’t so easy to move out of the way, such as the Columbus Monument in Central Park. One section of the tunnels had to pass through the east side of the 700-ton monument’s foundation, and simply digging through could have led to its collapse. To avoid damaging it, workers had to build a new support under the monument, slowing progress on the subway. Another major obstacle was the New York Times building, which had a pressroom below where the tunnel was to be built. So, the subway was simply built through the building with steel channels to reinforce its structure. Despite these and other engineering challenges, construction was completed just four years after it started, and the inaugural run of the city’s new transit system took place on October 27, 1904, at 2:35 PM, with Mayor George McClellan at the controls. The subway system was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and consisted of just 9.1 miles of tracks passing through 28 stations. That may seem limited compared to today, but it was an astounding leap for commuters at the time, with IRT claiming to take passengers from “City Hall to Harlem in 15 minutes.” At 7 PM, just hours after the inaugural run, the subway was opened to the public for just a nickel per passenger. On opening day, around 100,000 passengers tried out the newly-minted subway, and that number has only grown since.
Today, New York City’s subway system has 472 stations and 665 miles of track. It’s operated by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) and serves over three million riders a day. The city’s subway system wasn’t the first, nor is it currently the largest, but it remains the only one to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—a feature that many New Yorkers have come to rely on. The extensive and convenient transit system allowed the city to grow throughout the 20th century, and the Big Apple might have ended up as Small Potatoes without it.
[Image description: A subway train near a sign reading “W 8 Street.”] Credit & copyright: Tim Gouw, Pexels
October 26, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 26, 2024\kat-uh-GOR-ih-kul\ adjective
What It Means
Categorical is a synonym of absolute and definite that describe...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 26, 2024\kat-uh-GOR-ih-kul\ adjective
What It Means
Categorical is a synonym of absolute and definite that describe...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Americans nowadays don’t agree on much, but most have one thing in common: disappointment in their government and the direction of the country. According to ...
Americans nowadays don’t agree on much, but most have one thing in common: disappointment in their government and the direction of the country. According to ...
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FREESoccer Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
Happy birthday, soccer! Soccer (or football, as it’s known in many parts of the world) became its own, distinct sport on this day in 1863, and in the process led to the creation of other, related sports. Ball games that are primarily played with the feet have been around for millennia and have existed in one form or another in just about every culture on Earth. Soccer as it is played today has its roots in Victorian England. Various, loosely-regulated versions of “football” were played throughout England’s history with rules that could vary between towns. Increased urbanization in the 19th century forced larger groups of people into smaller areas, making it more important for them to agree on a set of rules. Eventually, several football clubs in and around London came together to develop those rules, and in 1863 they printed a standardized version of them, forming the Football Association (FA) and the sport of association football. The new rules most notably forbade the use of hands to carry the ball, distinguishing it from the sport of rugby, another popular game. In time, people started using the nicknames “rugger” for rugby and “assoccer” for association football, which was shortened to “soccer.” By the late 1800s, soccer was a popular spectator sport in England that drew tens of thousands per game. In the early 1900s, the sport made its way to the U.S., where Americans developed another version of it combining elements of soccer and rugby: gridiron, or American football. It was like a football family reunion.
[Image description: A soccer ball on an empty soccer field at sunset.] Credit & copyright: Markus Spiske, Pexels
Happy birthday, soccer! Soccer (or football, as it’s known in many parts of the world) became its own, distinct sport on this day in 1863, and in the process led to the creation of other, related sports. Ball games that are primarily played with the feet have been around for millennia and have existed in one form or another in just about every culture on Earth. Soccer as it is played today has its roots in Victorian England. Various, loosely-regulated versions of “football” were played throughout England’s history with rules that could vary between towns. Increased urbanization in the 19th century forced larger groups of people into smaller areas, making it more important for them to agree on a set of rules. Eventually, several football clubs in and around London came together to develop those rules, and in 1863 they printed a standardized version of them, forming the Football Association (FA) and the sport of association football. The new rules most notably forbade the use of hands to carry the ball, distinguishing it from the sport of rugby, another popular game. In time, people started using the nicknames “rugger” for rugby and “assoccer” for association football, which was shortened to “soccer.” By the late 1800s, soccer was a popular spectator sport in England that drew tens of thousands per game. In the early 1900s, the sport made its way to the U.S., where Americans developed another version of it combining elements of soccer and rugby: gridiron, or American football. It was like a football family reunion.
[Image description: A soccer ball on an empty soccer field at sunset.] Credit & copyright: Markus Spiske, Pexels
October 25, 2024
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FREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 25, 2024\yoo-FOR-ee-uh\ noun
What It Means
Euphoria refers to a feeling of great happiness and excitement.
// The ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 25, 2024\yoo-FOR-ee-uh\ noun
What It Means
Euphoria refers to a feeling of great happiness and excitement.
// The ...
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FREEDaily CurioFree1 CQ
This sticky topping is more than just a pancake accessory. Maple syrup has a uniquely North American history beginning with the continents’ first inhabitants. Over the centuries, it’s been used as a medicine, a drink, a food topping, and it even helped early U.S. colonists avoid hefty import fees.
As its name suggests, maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees, usually black maples, sugar maples, or red maples. These trees are unique in that they store starch in their trunks and roots, which turns into sugar and is carried throughout the tree via sap. In late winter and early spring, when the trees are full of this sugary sap, holes are drilled in their trunks and the sap is collected. It is then heated to get rid of excess water. The result is a runny, brown, sweet-tasting syrup that’s used as a topping on many foods, most famously pancakes.
No one knows who, exactly, first discovered that maple sap was sweet and edible, but they grow throughout North America, and native peoples have been making sugar and syrup from their sap for centuries. For the Algonquian people, who lived mainly in what today is New England and Canada, maple syrup held particular cultural significance. They collected maple sap in clay buckets and turned it into syrup by letting it freeze and then throwing out the ice that formed on top, thereby getting rid of excess moisture. The pots were sometimes boiled over large fires, too. The syrup was not only used as a topping but was also mixed into a drink with herbs and spices.
When European settlers made their way to North America, the Algonquians and other peoples showed them how to make maple sugar and maple syrup. This was lucky, since, in the 17th century, sugarcane had to be imported from the West Indies at a considerable cost. Using maple syrup and sugar as their main sources of sweetness allowed colonists to save considerable money and enjoy desserts at the same time. By the early 19th century, maple syrup was sold and prized throughout North America, and was even exported to other countries. To this day, Canada is particularly proud of its maple syrup, and it’s considered a national staple. Pretty sweet, eh?
[Image description: A stack of three pancakes with whipped cream and berries. Maple syrup is being poured over them.] Credit & copyright: Sydney Troxell, PexelsThis sticky topping is more than just a pancake accessory. Maple syrup has a uniquely North American history beginning with the continents’ first inhabitants. Over the centuries, it’s been used as a medicine, a drink, a food topping, and it even helped early U.S. colonists avoid hefty import fees.
As its name suggests, maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees, usually black maples, sugar maples, or red maples. These trees are unique in that they store starch in their trunks and roots, which turns into sugar and is carried throughout the tree via sap. In late winter and early spring, when the trees are full of this sugary sap, holes are drilled in their trunks and the sap is collected. It is then heated to get rid of excess water. The result is a runny, brown, sweet-tasting syrup that’s used as a topping on many foods, most famously pancakes.
No one knows who, exactly, first discovered that maple sap was sweet and edible, but they grow throughout North America, and native peoples have been making sugar and syrup from their sap for centuries. For the Algonquian people, who lived mainly in what today is New England and Canada, maple syrup held particular cultural significance. They collected maple sap in clay buckets and turned it into syrup by letting it freeze and then throwing out the ice that formed on top, thereby getting rid of excess moisture. The pots were sometimes boiled over large fires, too. The syrup was not only used as a topping but was also mixed into a drink with herbs and spices.
When European settlers made their way to North America, the Algonquians and other peoples showed them how to make maple sugar and maple syrup. This was lucky, since, in the 17th century, sugarcane had to be imported from the West Indies at a considerable cost. Using maple syrup and sugar as their main sources of sweetness allowed colonists to save considerable money and enjoy desserts at the same time. By the early 19th century, maple syrup was sold and prized throughout North America, and was even exported to other countries. To this day, Canada is particularly proud of its maple syrup, and it’s considered a national staple. Pretty sweet, eh?
[Image description: A stack of three pancakes with whipped cream and berries. Maple syrup is being poured over them.] Credit & copyright: Sydney Troxell, Pexels
October 24, 2024
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: In an exclusive BBC interview, IMF Deputy Director Gita Gopinath said tit-for-tat tariffs cause global losses in growth equivalen...
From the BBC World Service: In an exclusive BBC interview, IMF Deputy Director Gita Gopinath said tit-for-tat tariffs cause global losses in growth equivalen...
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FREEEngineering Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Is this new material a wonder or a blunder waiting to happen? Material scientists at Northwestern University have published a paper in Nature describing a newly developed “electric plastic.” However, the innovative material is raising eyebrows in more ways than one. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a rarity among polymers. It has a polar structure that can be manipulated with an electric signal, allowing it to store data and hold a charge. These ferroelectric properties would make PVDF ideal for light, flexible electronics if it wasn’t for two major limitations. Firstly, switching the polarity of PVDF requires a high voltage. Secondly, the material loses its ferroelectric properties at moderately high temperatures, making it unsuitable for many applications.
To overcome these limitations, scientists at Northwestern University combined peptides with small segments of PVDF to form thin ribbons that can switch polarities at a lower voltage and maintain their ferroelectric properties at temperatures up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. This new material is both biocompatible and flexible, and it could potentially be used for everything from wearable health monitors to next-generation pacemakers. Unfortunately, there’s still a catch. Fluorinated compounds like PVDF can linger in the environment for centuries, and their long term effects are largely unknown. While PVDF itself isn’t toxic, some microbes can break it down and release trifluoroacetic acid, which is toxic to humans and the environment. Nevertheless, researchers behind the new material believe it shows promise, and that it might be possible to develop a version that is fluorinated. Maybe it’s too good to be true, or maybe it’s too good to stop looking into.
Is this new material a wonder or a blunder waiting to happen? Material scientists at Northwestern University have published a paper in Nature describing a newly developed “electric plastic.” However, the innovative material is raising eyebrows in more ways than one. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a rarity among polymers. It has a polar structure that can be manipulated with an electric signal, allowing it to store data and hold a charge. These ferroelectric properties would make PVDF ideal for light, flexible electronics if it wasn’t for two major limitations. Firstly, switching the polarity of PVDF requires a high voltage. Secondly, the material loses its ferroelectric properties at moderately high temperatures, making it unsuitable for many applications.
To overcome these limitations, scientists at Northwestern University combined peptides with small segments of PVDF to form thin ribbons that can switch polarities at a lower voltage and maintain their ferroelectric properties at temperatures up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. This new material is both biocompatible and flexible, and it could potentially be used for everything from wearable health monitors to next-generation pacemakers. Unfortunately, there’s still a catch. Fluorinated compounds like PVDF can linger in the environment for centuries, and their long term effects are largely unknown. While PVDF itself isn’t toxic, some microbes can break it down and release trifluoroacetic acid, which is toxic to humans and the environment. Nevertheless, researchers behind the new material believe it shows promise, and that it might be possible to develop a version that is fluorinated. Maybe it’s too good to be true, or maybe it’s too good to stop looking into.
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FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2966Free1 CQ
Science or superstition? Sometimes, they go hand in hand…literally. Palm reading has been practiced for centuries as a way to tell someone’s future and gain insights into their character. While in many cultures today it’s associated with the supernatural, making it a popular Halloween activity, it was once considered a serious science—and some still swear by it. Palm reading, also called palmistry or chiromancy, has been around for thousands of years, and its exact origins are uncertain. Some believe that it may have originated in ancient India and spread throughout the world by the Roma people, who migrated away from the subcontinent. Palm reading saw a resurgence in European popularity during the Renaissance, and by the 17th century, scholars were trying to gain a more formal, rational understanding of the practice. Similar resurgences in popularity took place in the 19th and 20th centuries as part of a greater interest in mysticism and the occult.
Owing to its muddled origins and variations in regional practices, there’s no one, standardized way to read a person’s palm, but there are usually some shared elements. In any palm reading session, the palmist, or hand reader, takes stock of the various lines, scars, and birthmarks that may be present on the hand. The lines, in particular, are associated with the elements of fire, water, air or earth, depending on their shape. Each element, in turn, can represent a different aspect of the subject’s personality or fortune, but the most important line of all is the life line, which supposedly reveals the most about one’s fate—good or bad. Funnily enough, the features on a person’s hand really can tell a lot about them, according to modern science. Things like dry skin, hand hygiene, calluses, or scars can give hints about a person’s overall health and even their profession. Palm readers might actually use these features to make educated guesses about a person’s background or habits, which may seem like magic to the person whose palm is being read. If that’s the case, you’ve got to hand it to them for being so convincing.
[Image description: A 1685 palmistry chart of the right hand, with various labels.] Credit & copyright: Salmon, William, 1644-1713; Hove, Frederick Hendrick van, 1628?-1698, Science History Institute, Wikimedia Commons. This media file is in the public domain in the United States.Science or superstition? Sometimes, they go hand in hand…literally. Palm reading has been practiced for centuries as a way to tell someone’s future and gain insights into their character. While in many cultures today it’s associated with the supernatural, making it a popular Halloween activity, it was once considered a serious science—and some still swear by it. Palm reading, also called palmistry or chiromancy, has been around for thousands of years, and its exact origins are uncertain. Some believe that it may have originated in ancient India and spread throughout the world by the Roma people, who migrated away from the subcontinent. Palm reading saw a resurgence in European popularity during the Renaissance, and by the 17th century, scholars were trying to gain a more formal, rational understanding of the practice. Similar resurgences in popularity took place in the 19th and 20th centuries as part of a greater interest in mysticism and the occult.
Owing to its muddled origins and variations in regional practices, there’s no one, standardized way to read a person’s palm, but there are usually some shared elements. In any palm reading session, the palmist, or hand reader, takes stock of the various lines, scars, and birthmarks that may be present on the hand. The lines, in particular, are associated with the elements of fire, water, air or earth, depending on their shape. Each element, in turn, can represent a different aspect of the subject’s personality or fortune, but the most important line of all is the life line, which supposedly reveals the most about one’s fate—good or bad. Funnily enough, the features on a person’s hand really can tell a lot about them, according to modern science. Things like dry skin, hand hygiene, calluses, or scars can give hints about a person’s overall health and even their profession. Palm readers might actually use these features to make educated guesses about a person’s background or habits, which may seem like magic to the person whose palm is being read. If that’s the case, you’ve got to hand it to them for being so convincing.
[Image description: A 1685 palmistry chart of the right hand, with various labels.] Credit & copyright: Salmon, William, 1644-1713; Hove, Frederick Hendrick van, 1628?-1698, Science History Institute, Wikimedia Commons. This media file is in the public domain in the United States.
October 23, 2024
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Indian Prime Minster Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia in what...
From the BBC World Service: Indian Prime Minster Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia in what...
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3 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 23, 2024\puh-LAV-er\ noun
What It Means
Palaver is an informal word that usually refers to unimportant or meaningle...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 23, 2024\puh-LAV-er\ noun
What It Means
Palaver is an informal word that usually refers to unimportant or meaningle...
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
A fear of bugs is usually considered irrational, but this moth is practically dressed in a scary costume. The death’s-head hawkmoth, which gets its spooky name from the yellow, skull-like marking on its back, seems ready to waltz into the nearest Halloween party. Its appearance has made it so famous, in fact, that a stylized version of the moth was even featured on promotional materials for the acclaimed 1991 thriller film, The Silence of the Lambs. As it turns out, death’s-head hawkmoths do use their markings to strike fear into other creatures…just not humans, specifically. The face-like pattern is meant to trick predators into thinking that the moth’s back is actually its front.
There are three species of Death’s-head hawkmoths, the most famous of which is found in Africa and parts of Europe. It’s a big insect, with a wingspan of around five inches, yet it’s rarely seen by people unless they’re specifically looking for it. That’s because they’re nocturnal, and tend to be most active in particularly dark areas. As if their skull markings and preference for nighttime weren’t enough, Death’s-head hawkmoths have another spooky trait: they can scream. At least, they can make a shrill chirp, which is more noise than most other moths can make. They do this by sucking in air and quickly expelling it using the same mouthparts that allow them to slurp up nectar and honey. Speaking of honey, these moths are thieves. By mimicking the scent of honeybees, they routinely slip into hives undetected to steal honey. If they’re discovered, they use their noisemaking abilities to frighten the local, stinging residents. If that’s not enough, their cuticles, or outer membranes, are tough enough to prevent most stings.
Of course, Death’s-head hawkmoths don’t begin life as frightening, thieving adults. As caterpillars, they are inconspicuous, with mottled brown coloring and stripes along their sides. Unlike adult moths, which can travel great distances with their powerful wings, caterpillars rarely move at all. They prefer to park themselves on a tasty plant and eat until they can dig an underground chamber in which to pupate. So, which plants do they prefer? Those in the nightshade family, fittingly. Though, it sounds less spooky when you realize that eggplants, tomatoes, and potatoes all fall into that category.
[Image description: A preserved brown-and-yellow moth with skull-like markings on its back.] Credit & copyright: Vassil, Wikimedia Commons. Natural History Museum of Maastricht. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.A fear of bugs is usually considered irrational, but this moth is practically dressed in a scary costume. The death’s-head hawkmoth, which gets its spooky name from the yellow, skull-like marking on its back, seems ready to waltz into the nearest Halloween party. Its appearance has made it so famous, in fact, that a stylized version of the moth was even featured on promotional materials for the acclaimed 1991 thriller film, The Silence of the Lambs. As it turns out, death’s-head hawkmoths do use their markings to strike fear into other creatures…just not humans, specifically. The face-like pattern is meant to trick predators into thinking that the moth’s back is actually its front.
There are three species of Death’s-head hawkmoths, the most famous of which is found in Africa and parts of Europe. It’s a big insect, with a wingspan of around five inches, yet it’s rarely seen by people unless they’re specifically looking for it. That’s because they’re nocturnal, and tend to be most active in particularly dark areas. As if their skull markings and preference for nighttime weren’t enough, Death’s-head hawkmoths have another spooky trait: they can scream. At least, they can make a shrill chirp, which is more noise than most other moths can make. They do this by sucking in air and quickly expelling it using the same mouthparts that allow them to slurp up nectar and honey. Speaking of honey, these moths are thieves. By mimicking the scent of honeybees, they routinely slip into hives undetected to steal honey. If they’re discovered, they use their noisemaking abilities to frighten the local, stinging residents. If that’s not enough, their cuticles, or outer membranes, are tough enough to prevent most stings.
Of course, Death’s-head hawkmoths don’t begin life as frightening, thieving adults. As caterpillars, they are inconspicuous, with mottled brown coloring and stripes along their sides. Unlike adult moths, which can travel great distances with their powerful wings, caterpillars rarely move at all. They prefer to park themselves on a tasty plant and eat until they can dig an underground chamber in which to pupate. So, which plants do they prefer? Those in the nightshade family, fittingly. Though, it sounds less spooky when you realize that eggplants, tomatoes, and potatoes all fall into that category.
[Image description: A preserved brown-and-yellow moth with skull-like markings on its back.] Credit & copyright: Vassil, Wikimedia Commons. Natural History Museum of Maastricht. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. -
FREEPolitical Science Daily Curio #2965Free1 CQ
Can you believe that it’s easier to cancel your credit card than it is to cancel your gym membership? New Year’s resolutions inspire plenty of people to sign up for memberships to gyms and fitness clubs, but statistically, very few people end up using them consistently. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, except that many such businesses make it notoriously difficult to cancel subscriptions. Often, there is no way to cancel subscriptions online or in-person, while phone calls result in a tiresome runaround. One man from Ohio even made the news recently by canceling his credit card just to get out of recurring payments to his gym. The problem has gotten so severe that now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has stepped in. A new FTC rule will soon require any business offering a subscription with a recurring payment to have a “Click-to-Cancel” feature. Specifically, anyone who signed up for a subscription via a website or app can’t be forced into a phone call or chatbot conversation to cancel the subscription—they must be able to cancel online. Canceling also can’t take any more clicks than it took to sign up in the first place. In a statement, FTC chair Lina Khan said, “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.” However, the FTC did make some concessions in favor of businesses by allowing them to offer “save attempts” to retain customers. The agency also dropped a proposed “annual reminder requirement” that would have made businesses contact their customers regularly. The new rules will go into effect six months after they are published in the Federal Register, so until then, try not to sign up for anything unless you’re absolutely sure you want it.
[Image description: An American flag with a wooden flagpole.] Credit & copyright: Crefollet, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Can you believe that it’s easier to cancel your credit card than it is to cancel your gym membership? New Year’s resolutions inspire plenty of people to sign up for memberships to gyms and fitness clubs, but statistically, very few people end up using them consistently. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, except that many such businesses make it notoriously difficult to cancel subscriptions. Often, there is no way to cancel subscriptions online or in-person, while phone calls result in a tiresome runaround. One man from Ohio even made the news recently by canceling his credit card just to get out of recurring payments to his gym. The problem has gotten so severe that now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has stepped in. A new FTC rule will soon require any business offering a subscription with a recurring payment to have a “Click-to-Cancel” feature. Specifically, anyone who signed up for a subscription via a website or app can’t be forced into a phone call or chatbot conversation to cancel the subscription—they must be able to cancel online. Canceling also can’t take any more clicks than it took to sign up in the first place. In a statement, FTC chair Lina Khan said, “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.” However, the FTC did make some concessions in favor of businesses by allowing them to offer “save attempts” to retain customers. The agency also dropped a proposed “annual reminder requirement” that would have made businesses contact their customers regularly. The new rules will go into effect six months after they are published in the Federal Register, so until then, try not to sign up for anything unless you’re absolutely sure you want it.
[Image description: An American flag with a wooden flagpole.] Credit & copyright: Crefollet, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
October 22, 2024
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Hyundai Motor India shares have made their trading debut after a $3.3 billion initial public offering, but the price has already ...
From the BBC World Service: Hyundai Motor India shares have made their trading debut after a $3.3 billion initial public offering, but the price has already ...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 22, 2024\bih-TWIKST\ adverb or preposition
What It Means
Betwixt is a synonym of between that lends an old-fashione...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 22, 2024\bih-TWIKST\ adverb or preposition
What It Means
Betwixt is a synonym of between that lends an old-fashione...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
His music wasn’t happy, but there’s no doubt it touched lives. 21 years ago today, the indie rock world lost one of its most important figures. 34-year-old Elliott Smith passed away on this day, leaving behind a body of work that helped turn Portland, Oregon, into an indie rock hub. Though he might be best remembered for his contributions to 1997’s Good Will Hunting soundtrack, Smith’s self-titled album, released in 1995, is beloved by fans to this day. One track, Needle In The Hay, uses minor chords, acoustic instrumentation, and rough-yet-echoey vocals to tell the story of a drug addict who uses substances to distract from life’s sadness and stress. It’s a story that Smith was uniquely positioned to tell, as he was open about his own struggles with drugs. At the time of his death, Smith had been working on what would have been his sixth studio album, From a Basement on the Hill. The album was released posthumously a year later, and two albums of his live performances have also been released, the most recent in 2020. At least fans have plenty to remember this brilliant rocker by.
His music wasn’t happy, but there’s no doubt it touched lives. 21 years ago today, the indie rock world lost one of its most important figures. 34-year-old Elliott Smith passed away on this day, leaving behind a body of work that helped turn Portland, Oregon, into an indie rock hub. Though he might be best remembered for his contributions to 1997’s Good Will Hunting soundtrack, Smith’s self-titled album, released in 1995, is beloved by fans to this day. One track, Needle In The Hay, uses minor chords, acoustic instrumentation, and rough-yet-echoey vocals to tell the story of a drug addict who uses substances to distract from life’s sadness and stress. It’s a story that Smith was uniquely positioned to tell, as he was open about his own struggles with drugs. At the time of his death, Smith had been working on what would have been his sixth studio album, From a Basement on the Hill. The album was released posthumously a year later, and two albums of his live performances have also been released, the most recent in 2020. At least fans have plenty to remember this brilliant rocker by.
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FREEFitness Daily Curio #2964Free1 CQ
Stand at attention...or not. Sitting for extended periods of time has long been known to contribute to a myriad of health issues, but now it appears that standing may be just as dangerous in large quantities. It's no secret that a sedentary lifestyle without sufficient exercise is bad for a person's health. From heart disease to cancer, sitting for extended periods can be seriously bad for you, but it’s often unavoidable, as with office workers who are required to be at their desks for hours at a time. The dangers are hard to overstate, with those who sit eight hours or more per day dying at the same rate as smokers and obese people. That has led many people to opt for standing desks, under the assumption that standing for long periods, while tiresome, is at least healthier. Unfortunately, it now seems that that may not be the case. Researchers from the University of Sydney combed through data from over 83,000 adults in the U.K. who wore activity tracking devices on their wrists. Standing for extended periods increased the subjects’ risk of cardiovascular disease and circulatory issues like varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. Around two hours of standing per day seems healthy, but past that point, every additional 30 minutes increased the risk of circulatory disease by 11 percent. That said, the study may not be showing the whole picture. Some medical professionals have criticized the study for not taking into account the details of what the people in their data set were doing. It's possible that standing may not be nearly as bad if it's combined with frequent movement, like walking. And really, it seems that activity level is more important. Whether sitting or standing, staying in one spot for too long can lead to health complications, while just an hour or so of moderate exercise can counter the effects of prolonged inactivity. Basically, if you want to keep your body working, you've just got to keep moving it.
[Image description: Three treadmills side by side.] Credit & copyright: Pietro Saura, PexelsStand at attention...or not. Sitting for extended periods of time has long been known to contribute to a myriad of health issues, but now it appears that standing may be just as dangerous in large quantities. It's no secret that a sedentary lifestyle without sufficient exercise is bad for a person's health. From heart disease to cancer, sitting for extended periods can be seriously bad for you, but it’s often unavoidable, as with office workers who are required to be at their desks for hours at a time. The dangers are hard to overstate, with those who sit eight hours or more per day dying at the same rate as smokers and obese people. That has led many people to opt for standing desks, under the assumption that standing for long periods, while tiresome, is at least healthier. Unfortunately, it now seems that that may not be the case. Researchers from the University of Sydney combed through data from over 83,000 adults in the U.K. who wore activity tracking devices on their wrists. Standing for extended periods increased the subjects’ risk of cardiovascular disease and circulatory issues like varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. Around two hours of standing per day seems healthy, but past that point, every additional 30 minutes increased the risk of circulatory disease by 11 percent. That said, the study may not be showing the whole picture. Some medical professionals have criticized the study for not taking into account the details of what the people in their data set were doing. It's possible that standing may not be nearly as bad if it's combined with frequent movement, like walking. And really, it seems that activity level is more important. Whether sitting or standing, staying in one spot for too long can lead to health complications, while just an hour or so of moderate exercise can counter the effects of prolonged inactivity. Basically, if you want to keep your body working, you've just got to keep moving it.
[Image description: Three treadmills side by side.] Credit & copyright: Pietro Saura, Pexels
October 21, 2024
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: October 21, 2024\in-TRAN-suh-junt\ adjective
What It Means
Intransigent is a formal word that describes a person who refuse...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: October 21, 2024\in-TRAN-suh-junt\ adjective
What It Means
Intransigent is a formal word that describes a person who refuse...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It’s the season of the orange gourd yet again. Pumpkins are inextricably tied to fall traditions in the U.S., and it’s not just because of jack-o’-lanterns. The piece above, Pumpkins Among the Corn, is a woodcut print depicting a farmer harvesting pumpkins from a pumpkin patch. The patch is surrounded by corn shocks—stalks of corn tied together and left to dry. Scenes like this one have been common in America since colonial times. While many Halloween traditions come from Europe, pumpkins are native to the Americas. Ready to harvest in the fall, they were an important source of sustenance for American colonists since they could last a long time without spoiling. By the late 1800s, pumpkin pies were heavily associated with Thanksgiving, and when an influx of Irish immigrants arrived in the states, they brought their traditions of carving jack-o’-lanterns. Before long, it became standard to use pumpkins and other gourds for decorative purposes in the fall, much to the delight of farmers. Pumpkins are more than just food, they’re fun and finery too.
Pumpkins Among the Corn, Winslow Homer (1836–1910), 1878, Wood engraving, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Winslow Homer, The Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1942.1431, Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation.]It’s the season of the orange gourd yet again. Pumpkins are inextricably tied to fall traditions in the U.S., and it’s not just because of jack-o’-lanterns. The piece above, Pumpkins Among the Corn, is a woodcut print depicting a farmer harvesting pumpkins from a pumpkin patch. The patch is surrounded by corn shocks—stalks of corn tied together and left to dry. Scenes like this one have been common in America since colonial times. While many Halloween traditions come from Europe, pumpkins are native to the Americas. Ready to harvest in the fall, they were an important source of sustenance for American colonists since they could last a long time without spoiling. By the late 1800s, pumpkin pies were heavily associated with Thanksgiving, and when an influx of Irish immigrants arrived in the states, they brought their traditions of carving jack-o’-lanterns. Before long, it became standard to use pumpkins and other gourds for decorative purposes in the fall, much to the delight of farmers. Pumpkins are more than just food, they’re fun and finery too.
Pumpkins Among the Corn, Winslow Homer (1836–1910), 1878, Wood engraving, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Winslow Homer, The Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1942.1431, Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation.] -
FREELiterature Daily Curio #2963Free1 CQ
What does a novelist know about war? Unfortunately for Ernest Hemingway, he knew it intimately. In his seminal work, For Whom the Bell Tolls, which was published on this day in 1940, Hemingway infused his own experiences into his literary handiwork, creating a masterpiece that highlights the worst—and the best—that mankind has to offer. Born on July 21, 1899 in Illinois, Hemingway had a passion for writing from an early age. After graduating high school, he attempted to enlist in the military to fight in WWI, but was rejected due to a defective eye. Undeterred, he instead joined the American Red Cross and became an ambulance driver in Italy. After getting injured during his service and returning home, he wrote for a number of different publications. In 1929, he published A Farewell to Arms, inspired by his experiences as an ambulance driver. Never one to settle down in one place, Hemingway began traveling throughout Europe, spending much of his time in France and Spain. When Spain broke out into civil war, Hemingway returned to the country as a war correspondent.
It was this war that inspired For Whom the Bell Tolls, his most financially successful novel and arguably the most acclaimed of his works. The story follows the American expatriate Robert Jordan, who joins the Spanish Loyalist guerrillas planning to destroy a bridge to stymie the progress of fascist forces. In the span of a few days, Jordan becomes deeply attached to the group and falls in love with a woman named María. By joining their cause, however, Jordan eventually meets his end, though the group is successful in their mission. The novel’s title is a reference to Devotions upon Emergent Occasions by 17th century poet John Donne, where he writes, “…every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” In other words, whether you’re a soldier, writer, ambulance driver, or bystander, war and death will impact you, one way or another.What does a novelist know about war? Unfortunately for Ernest Hemingway, he knew it intimately. In his seminal work, For Whom the Bell Tolls, which was published on this day in 1940, Hemingway infused his own experiences into his literary handiwork, creating a masterpiece that highlights the worst—and the best—that mankind has to offer. Born on July 21, 1899 in Illinois, Hemingway had a passion for writing from an early age. After graduating high school, he attempted to enlist in the military to fight in WWI, but was rejected due to a defective eye. Undeterred, he instead joined the American Red Cross and became an ambulance driver in Italy. After getting injured during his service and returning home, he wrote for a number of different publications. In 1929, he published A Farewell to Arms, inspired by his experiences as an ambulance driver. Never one to settle down in one place, Hemingway began traveling throughout Europe, spending much of his time in France and Spain. When Spain broke out into civil war, Hemingway returned to the country as a war correspondent.
It was this war that inspired For Whom the Bell Tolls, his most financially successful novel and arguably the most acclaimed of his works. The story follows the American expatriate Robert Jordan, who joins the Spanish Loyalist guerrillas planning to destroy a bridge to stymie the progress of fascist forces. In the span of a few days, Jordan becomes deeply attached to the group and falls in love with a woman named María. By joining their cause, however, Jordan eventually meets his end, though the group is successful in their mission. The novel’s title is a reference to Devotions upon Emergent Occasions by 17th century poet John Donne, where he writes, “…every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” In other words, whether you’re a soldier, writer, ambulance driver, or bystander, war and death will impact you, one way or another. -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
There’s a way U.S. companies could help employees pay down student loan debt the way the boss can help you save for retirement. But will your company go for ...
There’s a way U.S. companies could help employees pay down student loan debt the way the boss can help you save for retirement. But will your company go for ...