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August 11, 2022
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Low water levels on the River Rhine mean vessels are having to limit the load they can carry. Following flooding in Seoul, South ...
From the BBC World Service: Low water levels on the River Rhine mean vessels are having to limit the load they can carry. Following flooding in Seoul, South ...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 11, 2022
alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ verb
What It Means
Alleviate means "to make something less painful, difficult, or severe" or ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 11, 2022
alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ verb
What It Means
Alleviate means "to make something less painful, difficult, or severe" or ...
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FREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
This diving robot is the hands-on type. OceanOneK, a robot developed at Stanford University, just got an upgrade. It’s now busy scouring the oceans for lost historical treasures. Originally named just OceanOne, the unusual-looking, orange-and-white, humanoid robot made its maiden voyage in 2016 to the wreck of La Lune, the flagship of King Louis XIV. The wreck is located 100 meters underwater, but that wasn’t a problem for OceanOne, which was capable of diving down to 200 meters at the time. But recent upgrades to its design, including a special foam that contains glass microspheres, allows it to dive down to 1 kilometer, hence the “K” added to its name. Since receiving its upgrades, OceanOneK has explored the wrecks of a Roman ship from the second century as well as a WWII-era submarine and aircraft. While there are other remotely operated submersibles, OceanOneK is unique in a number of ways.
OceanOneK is equipped with a pair of stereoscopic cameras that are mounted on a friendly-looking, humanoid face. The idea is that if OceanOneK is accompanied with conventional divers, they will be able to communicate with the operator underwater in a more intuitive manner. However, the real showstopper is the pair of robotic arms with an advanced haptic feedback system that allows OceanOneK’s operator to feel the resistance of the water and the pressure being exerted on an object, allowing the robot to handle fragile objects with greater care. Technology is cool, but sometimes you just can’t beat the human touch.
Below: A video from Stanford of OceanOneK in action.[Image description: The orange-and-white, humanoid diving robot OceanOneK holds a piece of rope underwater.] Credit & copyright: Stanford, screenshot from video above.
This diving robot is the hands-on type. OceanOneK, a robot developed at Stanford University, just got an upgrade. It’s now busy scouring the oceans for lost historical treasures. Originally named just OceanOne, the unusual-looking, orange-and-white, humanoid robot made its maiden voyage in 2016 to the wreck of La Lune, the flagship of King Louis XIV. The wreck is located 100 meters underwater, but that wasn’t a problem for OceanOne, which was capable of diving down to 200 meters at the time. But recent upgrades to its design, including a special foam that contains glass microspheres, allows it to dive down to 1 kilometer, hence the “K” added to its name. Since receiving its upgrades, OceanOneK has explored the wrecks of a Roman ship from the second century as well as a WWII-era submarine and aircraft. While there are other remotely operated submersibles, OceanOneK is unique in a number of ways.
OceanOneK is equipped with a pair of stereoscopic cameras that are mounted on a friendly-looking, humanoid face. The idea is that if OceanOneK is accompanied with conventional divers, they will be able to communicate with the operator underwater in a more intuitive manner. However, the real showstopper is the pair of robotic arms with an advanced haptic feedback system that allows OceanOneK’s operator to feel the resistance of the water and the pressure being exerted on an object, allowing the robot to handle fragile objects with greater care. Technology is cool, but sometimes you just can’t beat the human touch.
Below: A video from Stanford of OceanOneK in action.[Image description: The orange-and-white, humanoid diving robot OceanOneK holds a piece of rope underwater.] Credit & copyright: Stanford, screenshot from video above.
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FREEScience Daily Curio #2494Free1 CQ
These bones have really mixed things up! Paleontologist Timothy Rowe found the remains of a mammoth mother and calf back in 2013, after his neighbor told him there was something that looked like bones on his property. Now, Rowe and his colleagues have published their findings, and their discoveries are rewriting prehistory. The mammoths’ remains weren’t neatly preserved but instead had been broken in a deliberate manner, fashioned into sharp instruments that were then used to cut into the rest of the carcass. In short, the mammoths had been butchered very methodically by humans. Rowe told CNN, "I have excavated dinosaurs that were scavenged, but the pattern of bone disarticulation and breakage from human butchering was unlike anything I had seen." In addition to a broken skull and marks on the bone left by cutting, there were also signs of a carefully maintained fire around the remains, most likely used to melt the fat inside the mammoth so that it could be drained.
However, the most shocking part of the discovery was its age. The mammoths were killed between 36,250 and 38,900 years ago, and although the prehistoric creatures were known to inhabit the area during that time, it predates the earliest known humans in North America by tens of thousands of years. While humans evolved some 200,000 years ago, it was thought that the Clovis culture was the first to have made its way to North America some 16,000 years ago. Like some other prehistoric humans, they made their way to North America via the Bering land bridge that once linked Asia and Alaska, then they spread southward. While some footprints and possible remains of stone tools have been found in other parts of North America predating them, they were met with skepticism and hadn’t been considered definitive proof. Now, the site in New Mexico might completely change the timeline of human activity on the continent. Who would have guessed that a few broken bones could have such an impact?
[Image description: A model of an adult wooly mammoth and calf at the Anthropos Pavilion, a museum in Brno, South Moravia, Czech Republic.] Credit & copyright: HTO, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainThese bones have really mixed things up! Paleontologist Timothy Rowe found the remains of a mammoth mother and calf back in 2013, after his neighbor told him there was something that looked like bones on his property. Now, Rowe and his colleagues have published their findings, and their discoveries are rewriting prehistory. The mammoths’ remains weren’t neatly preserved but instead had been broken in a deliberate manner, fashioned into sharp instruments that were then used to cut into the rest of the carcass. In short, the mammoths had been butchered very methodically by humans. Rowe told CNN, "I have excavated dinosaurs that were scavenged, but the pattern of bone disarticulation and breakage from human butchering was unlike anything I had seen." In addition to a broken skull and marks on the bone left by cutting, there were also signs of a carefully maintained fire around the remains, most likely used to melt the fat inside the mammoth so that it could be drained.
However, the most shocking part of the discovery was its age. The mammoths were killed between 36,250 and 38,900 years ago, and although the prehistoric creatures were known to inhabit the area during that time, it predates the earliest known humans in North America by tens of thousands of years. While humans evolved some 200,000 years ago, it was thought that the Clovis culture was the first to have made its way to North America some 16,000 years ago. Like some other prehistoric humans, they made their way to North America via the Bering land bridge that once linked Asia and Alaska, then they spread southward. While some footprints and possible remains of stone tools have been found in other parts of North America predating them, they were met with skepticism and hadn’t been considered definitive proof. Now, the site in New Mexico might completely change the timeline of human activity on the continent. Who would have guessed that a few broken bones could have such an impact?
[Image description: A model of an adult wooly mammoth and calf at the Anthropos Pavilion, a museum in Brno, South Moravia, Czech Republic.] Credit & copyright: HTO, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
August 10, 2022
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Major electricity price hikes are adding pressure for people in Sri Lanka who are already struggling to afford the basics. The co...
From the BBC World Service: Major electricity price hikes are adding pressure for people in Sri Lanka who are already struggling to afford the basics. The co...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 10, 2022
trivial \TRIV-ee-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Trivial means “of little worth or importance.”
// Although her parents dis...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 10, 2022
trivial \TRIV-ee-ul\ adjective
What It Means
Trivial means “of little worth or importance.”
// Although her parents dis...
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FREESales Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
This store proves that there's more than one way to do business. As inflation causes costs to rise at most stores, Costco has emerged as a notable exception. Although a few of their items have gotten more expensive, the changes don’t seem to be nearly as drastic as at other stores, and Costco’s most popular items (like their rotisserie chickens and food court hotdogs) have retained their pre-inflation price tags. So what is this popular membership warehouse club’s secret? Well, it’s mostly the memberships. An annual Costco membership is $60, and because Costco has so many members, the store can make a profit without significantly marking up prices. In fact, in 2018, CNN Business reported that around 75 percent of Costco’s profits came from membership fees.
The store takes other cost-cutting measures too, some of them pretty unusual. For one thing, Costco doesn’t advertise. Other than signage outside their stores, you won’t see a Costco ad. The money Costco saves in advertising costs helps keep prices low, which brings in customers through word of mouth. Costco warehouses are devoid of decorative displays for the same reason—it saves money, allowing better deals to be passed on to customers. Another price-lowering factor is that Costco doesn’t tend to offer a wide variety of a single type of product. Customers may find only one brand of shredded cheese, for example, but they’ll be able to buy it in bulk for a discounted price since Costco can buy the cheapest bulk items from manufacturers. Costco has also avoided many consequences of the recent “great resignation” by paying employees at least $15 an hour and providing benefits like health insurance. This has led to greater employee retention compared to other large retailers. Even if its unconventional, it sometimes pays to pay more!
[Image description: The entrance of a Costco warehouse.] Credit & copyright: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainThis store proves that there's more than one way to do business. As inflation causes costs to rise at most stores, Costco has emerged as a notable exception. Although a few of their items have gotten more expensive, the changes don’t seem to be nearly as drastic as at other stores, and Costco’s most popular items (like their rotisserie chickens and food court hotdogs) have retained their pre-inflation price tags. So what is this popular membership warehouse club’s secret? Well, it’s mostly the memberships. An annual Costco membership is $60, and because Costco has so many members, the store can make a profit without significantly marking up prices. In fact, in 2018, CNN Business reported that around 75 percent of Costco’s profits came from membership fees.
The store takes other cost-cutting measures too, some of them pretty unusual. For one thing, Costco doesn’t advertise. Other than signage outside their stores, you won’t see a Costco ad. The money Costco saves in advertising costs helps keep prices low, which brings in customers through word of mouth. Costco warehouses are devoid of decorative displays for the same reason—it saves money, allowing better deals to be passed on to customers. Another price-lowering factor is that Costco doesn’t tend to offer a wide variety of a single type of product. Customers may find only one brand of shredded cheese, for example, but they’ll be able to buy it in bulk for a discounted price since Costco can buy the cheapest bulk items from manufacturers. Costco has also avoided many consequences of the recent “great resignation” by paying employees at least $15 an hour and providing benefits like health insurance. This has led to greater employee retention compared to other large retailers. Even if its unconventional, it sometimes pays to pay more!
[Image description: The entrance of a Costco warehouse.] Credit & copyright: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain -
FREESwimming Daily Curio #2493Free1 CQ
Trying to find the lifeguard on duty? Look up at the sky! In late July, a 14-year-old boy was saved from drowning in Spain, thanks to a flying drone. The boy was on the verge of sinking beneath the waves when the drone dropped a life vest to keep him afloat until rescuers could arrive by jet ski. Miguel Angel Pedrero, the drone pilot who found the boy, told Reuters, “When we arrived what we saw was a kid that was in very bad shape, with almost no energy to keep floating, so I sent over the life vest. Because of the heavy waves it was a complicated maneuver, but we finally managed to give him the vest and he could float until the lifeguards reached him by jet ski.” Pedrero works for General Drones (GD), a firm that employs 30 pilots who operate drones at 22 beaches across Spain. The country attracts beachgoing tourists from around the world, so mitigating the risk of drowning is a high priority. Just within the first six months of 2022, 140 people died from drowning in Spain, an increase of 55 percent from 2021. It’s no wonder, then, that the country is looking for innovative solutions to safeguard their beaches.
According to GD, 90 percent of drowning deaths occur due to lack of surveillance, and a person can submerge underwater in as little as 20 to 60 seconds once they start to struggle. That means that even a brief lapse in attention from a human lifeguard can lead to a drowning death. GD’s drone, the Auxdron LFG, can help prevent drownings in a number of ways. It is equipped with artificial intelligence, rendering it capable of counting swimmers and identifying potential victims. The drone can be deployed to someone who is drowning much faster than rescuers can reach them, buying the victim time by giving them a flotation device, then visually broadcasting their location. Not only does this help save the person drowning, it also makes the situation safer for rescuers, since they won’t be struggling with a panicked victim who could potentially pull them underwater. Next time you’re on Spain’s sandy shores, don’t be surprised to see the lifeguards reaching for a remote controller before a rescue buoy.
[Image description: A drone flies over a beach at sunset] Credit & copyright: bellergy, PixabayTrying to find the lifeguard on duty? Look up at the sky! In late July, a 14-year-old boy was saved from drowning in Spain, thanks to a flying drone. The boy was on the verge of sinking beneath the waves when the drone dropped a life vest to keep him afloat until rescuers could arrive by jet ski. Miguel Angel Pedrero, the drone pilot who found the boy, told Reuters, “When we arrived what we saw was a kid that was in very bad shape, with almost no energy to keep floating, so I sent over the life vest. Because of the heavy waves it was a complicated maneuver, but we finally managed to give him the vest and he could float until the lifeguards reached him by jet ski.” Pedrero works for General Drones (GD), a firm that employs 30 pilots who operate drones at 22 beaches across Spain. The country attracts beachgoing tourists from around the world, so mitigating the risk of drowning is a high priority. Just within the first six months of 2022, 140 people died from drowning in Spain, an increase of 55 percent from 2021. It’s no wonder, then, that the country is looking for innovative solutions to safeguard their beaches.
According to GD, 90 percent of drowning deaths occur due to lack of surveillance, and a person can submerge underwater in as little as 20 to 60 seconds once they start to struggle. That means that even a brief lapse in attention from a human lifeguard can lead to a drowning death. GD’s drone, the Auxdron LFG, can help prevent drownings in a number of ways. It is equipped with artificial intelligence, rendering it capable of counting swimmers and identifying potential victims. The drone can be deployed to someone who is drowning much faster than rescuers can reach them, buying the victim time by giving them a flotation device, then visually broadcasting their location. Not only does this help save the person drowning, it also makes the situation safer for rescuers, since they won’t be struggling with a panicked victim who could potentially pull them underwater. Next time you’re on Spain’s sandy shores, don’t be surprised to see the lifeguards reaching for a remote controller before a rescue buoy.
[Image description: A drone flies over a beach at sunset] Credit & copyright: bellergy, Pixabay
August 9, 2022
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: At least eight people died after torrential downpours in the South Korean capital, with some trapped in subterranean apartments, ...
From the BBC World Service: At least eight people died after torrential downpours in the South Korean capital, with some trapped in subterranean apartments, ...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 9, 2022
riposte \rih-POHST\ noun
What It Means
A riposte is a clever retort or retaliatory measure. In fencing, it refers specifi...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 9, 2022
riposte \rih-POHST\ noun
What It Means
A riposte is a clever retort or retaliatory measure. In fencing, it refers specifi...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It’s a tad bit danceable for a breakup song, but that sure didn’t stop ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All from topping the UK Singles Chart on this day in 1980. In fact, the power ballad became their eighth number one single in the UK. The song’s swelling vocals and heavy keyboard made it quite an attention-grabber. Meanwhile, its dramatic lyrics about a bitter divorce seemed to be born right out of real-life drama: it was written by ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus during his divorce from bandmate Agnetha Fältskog. Although Ulvaeus insisted that the lyrics shouldn’t be taken literally since there were no “winners” in his divorce, he did admit that his own despair inspired the song. For her part, Fältskog jumped fully on board with The Winner Takes It All, singing lead on the track and starring in its music video, which was filmed just ten days after her divorce from Ulvaeus was finalized. You’ve got to wonder how Ulvaeus felt singing backup on this one.
[Image description: Wax figures of ABBA’s four members from the ABBA Museum, wearing their famous costumes in front of a blue background.] Credit & copyright: Graham C99 (schnappi), Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image used under license linked here.
It’s a tad bit danceable for a breakup song, but that sure didn’t stop ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All from topping the UK Singles Chart on this day in 1980. In fact, the power ballad became their eighth number one single in the UK. The song’s swelling vocals and heavy keyboard made it quite an attention-grabber. Meanwhile, its dramatic lyrics about a bitter divorce seemed to be born right out of real-life drama: it was written by ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus during his divorce from bandmate Agnetha Fältskog. Although Ulvaeus insisted that the lyrics shouldn’t be taken literally since there were no “winners” in his divorce, he did admit that his own despair inspired the song. For her part, Fältskog jumped fully on board with The Winner Takes It All, singing lead on the track and starring in its music video, which was filmed just ten days after her divorce from Ulvaeus was finalized. You’ve got to wonder how Ulvaeus felt singing backup on this one.
[Image description: Wax figures of ABBA’s four members from the ABBA Museum, wearing their famous costumes in front of a blue background.] Credit & copyright: Graham C99 (schnappi), Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size, image used under license linked here.
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FREELiterature Daily Curio #2492Free1 CQ
Henry David Thoreau: transcendentalist philosopher, writer, and rugged individualist. Well, maybe not that last one, but he never claimed to be. Walden; or, Life in the Woods was published on this day in 1854, and the tale of Thoreau’s time spent in a woodland cabin still resonates with readers today. Yet as popular as the book is, a mischaracterization of Thoreau seems to have stuck around: namely, the idea that he was a hermit roughing it out in the wilderness on his own. The fact is, Thoreau wasn’t really a loner, and that he didn’t even try to hide it. Walden Pond wasn’t geographically isolated, being located near Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau even mentions that he made regular trips into town on foot. The property was owned by his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, and when Thoreau finally left Walden Pond after just two years, it was at Emerson’s invitation to stay with his family while he went to Europe.
While at Walden, Thoreau wrote about how his mother brought him food and helped with his laundry, and how he would often entertain visitors at his cabin. So why does the myth of Thoreau as a loner persist? It’s hard to say. It could be that the title of the book gave people the impression that the author was deep in a forest, cut off from civilization. Alternatively, it could be that philosophers like Thoreau are portrayed as misunderstood geniuses rejected by society. While that’s a romantic notion, the truth is that Thoreau was always very well-integrated with society at large. We’ve written before about how he ran his family’s pencil-manufacturing business, taking it over entirely after his father’s death. And while he never married or had any children, he had many friends who held him in high esteem, leading his funeral to be a crowded affair. Thoreau’s most controversial ideas actually revolved around his condemnation of slavery, but abolitionists were growing in number in the 1800s, and being in the North, he was by no means alone in his beliefs. Ultimately, Thoreau’s mythologized portrayal might have more to do with what his readers wanted him to be, rather than what he was. Or maybe a lot of college students never got around to doing the assigned reading, and wrote their essays based purely on Walden’s title.
[Image description: Henry David Thoreau] Credit & copyright:
B. D. Maxham, National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons, Image cropped for size, Public DomainHenry David Thoreau: transcendentalist philosopher, writer, and rugged individualist. Well, maybe not that last one, but he never claimed to be. Walden; or, Life in the Woods was published on this day in 1854, and the tale of Thoreau’s time spent in a woodland cabin still resonates with readers today. Yet as popular as the book is, a mischaracterization of Thoreau seems to have stuck around: namely, the idea that he was a hermit roughing it out in the wilderness on his own. The fact is, Thoreau wasn’t really a loner, and that he didn’t even try to hide it. Walden Pond wasn’t geographically isolated, being located near Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau even mentions that he made regular trips into town on foot. The property was owned by his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, and when Thoreau finally left Walden Pond after just two years, it was at Emerson’s invitation to stay with his family while he went to Europe.
While at Walden, Thoreau wrote about how his mother brought him food and helped with his laundry, and how he would often entertain visitors at his cabin. So why does the myth of Thoreau as a loner persist? It’s hard to say. It could be that the title of the book gave people the impression that the author was deep in a forest, cut off from civilization. Alternatively, it could be that philosophers like Thoreau are portrayed as misunderstood geniuses rejected by society. While that’s a romantic notion, the truth is that Thoreau was always very well-integrated with society at large. We’ve written before about how he ran his family’s pencil-manufacturing business, taking it over entirely after his father’s death. And while he never married or had any children, he had many friends who held him in high esteem, leading his funeral to be a crowded affair. Thoreau’s most controversial ideas actually revolved around his condemnation of slavery, but abolitionists were growing in number in the 1800s, and being in the North, he was by no means alone in his beliefs. Ultimately, Thoreau’s mythologized portrayal might have more to do with what his readers wanted him to be, rather than what he was. Or maybe a lot of college students never got around to doing the assigned reading, and wrote their essays based purely on Walden’s title.
[Image description: Henry David Thoreau] Credit & copyright:
B. D. Maxham, National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia Commons, Image cropped for size, Public Domain
August 8, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 8, 2022
crepuscular \krih-PUHSS-kyuh-ler\ adjective
What It Means
Crepuscular means "of, relating to, or resembling twilight." It...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 8, 2022
crepuscular \krih-PUHSS-kyuh-ler\ adjective
What It Means
Crepuscular means "of, relating to, or resembling twilight." It...
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ JOLTS report is out, and it indicates that the labor market may be in the early stages of cooling off. We talk about what the...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ JOLTS report is out, and it indicates that the labor market may be in the early stages of cooling off. We talk about what the...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Nature is sometimes as strange as it is beautiful. American artist William Thon's Pine Trees shows a group of trees in ink and watercolor. The trees spread out their spindly limbs against a white and gray backdrop interspersed with dramatic smudges of bright yellow light and dark shadows. Splotched ink in the lower foreground hints at vegetation. Thon was mostly self-taught, with brief stints at the Art Students League and the American Academy of Rome. Although he started doing oil paintings in a realistic style, he developed his own unique sensibilities as he experimented with watercolors. In between his art studies, he also worked as a designer of window displays and even tried his hand at treasure hunting before eventually settling down in Maine to paint its coastal and forest landscapes. Even “conventional” artists don’t always stick to convention.
Pine Trees, William Thon (1906-2000), 1955, Watercolor and ink on paper, 22.125 x 30 in. (56.3 x 76.3 cm),Smithsonian American Art Museum
Below: Another of Thon’s paintings, Twilight in Rome.
Nature is sometimes as strange as it is beautiful. American artist William Thon's Pine Trees shows a group of trees in ink and watercolor. The trees spread out their spindly limbs against a white and gray backdrop interspersed with dramatic smudges of bright yellow light and dark shadows. Splotched ink in the lower foreground hints at vegetation. Thon was mostly self-taught, with brief stints at the Art Students League and the American Academy of Rome. Although he started doing oil paintings in a realistic style, he developed his own unique sensibilities as he experimented with watercolors. In between his art studies, he also worked as a designer of window displays and even tried his hand at treasure hunting before eventually settling down in Maine to paint its coastal and forest landscapes. Even “conventional” artists don’t always stick to convention.
Pine Trees, William Thon (1906-2000), 1955, Watercolor and ink on paper, 22.125 x 30 in. (56.3 x 76.3 cm),Smithsonian American Art Museum
Below: Another of Thon’s paintings, Twilight in Rome.
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FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2491Free1 CQ
You might need a COVID booster shot soon, but at least no one is trying to convince you to eat human flesh to maintain your health. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, you likely wouldn’t have been so lucky. For centuries, the mummified remains of ancient Egyptians and other cadavers were a preferred cure-all. People with aches and pains could venture to the apothecary for some ground up skull. For frequent headaches, physicians would sometimes prescribe a course of mumia, a medicine made from ground up mummies. But some ailments were thought to require something a little fresher. If a patient were suspected of having a blood disease weakening their body, they might be given fresh human blood, sometimes straight from the donor.
One would think that eating human flesh would be taboo in Europe, so how did consuming mummies catch on? Medicinal cannibalism was popular throughout Europe largely due to the belief that “like cures like.” If something was wrong with a person’s body, Europeans believed that the vital essence of another body could cure it. The practice goes as far back as the time of ancient Rome, when it was believed that the blood of a slain gladiator contained his essence, and could heal or revitalize those who consumed it. There were skeptics, of course, but the practice was popular enough and mummies in high enough demand that entire industries were formed to create mummy forgeries. These fake mummies were usually made from the bodies of executed convicts, while the executions themselves were a reliable source of fresh blood for those who lacked money to purchase medicine. In fact, the last case of a witness attempting to gather blood from a recent execution occurred in Germany in 1908. Medicinal cannibalism largely fell out of fashion around the 18th century, but the use of human remains lingered in the fringes of medicine and beyond for a while after. We’ll just stick to ibuprofen, thanks!
[Image description: A brown ovular box with the inscription "MUMIÆ" and inventory number 218. From the pharmacists collection of Museums für Hamburgische Geschichte in Germany. ] Credit & copyright: Christoph Braun, Wikimedia Commons, Public DomainYou might need a COVID booster shot soon, but at least no one is trying to convince you to eat human flesh to maintain your health. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, you likely wouldn’t have been so lucky. For centuries, the mummified remains of ancient Egyptians and other cadavers were a preferred cure-all. People with aches and pains could venture to the apothecary for some ground up skull. For frequent headaches, physicians would sometimes prescribe a course of mumia, a medicine made from ground up mummies. But some ailments were thought to require something a little fresher. If a patient were suspected of having a blood disease weakening their body, they might be given fresh human blood, sometimes straight from the donor.
One would think that eating human flesh would be taboo in Europe, so how did consuming mummies catch on? Medicinal cannibalism was popular throughout Europe largely due to the belief that “like cures like.” If something was wrong with a person’s body, Europeans believed that the vital essence of another body could cure it. The practice goes as far back as the time of ancient Rome, when it was believed that the blood of a slain gladiator contained his essence, and could heal or revitalize those who consumed it. There were skeptics, of course, but the practice was popular enough and mummies in high enough demand that entire industries were formed to create mummy forgeries. These fake mummies were usually made from the bodies of executed convicts, while the executions themselves were a reliable source of fresh blood for those who lacked money to purchase medicine. In fact, the last case of a witness attempting to gather blood from a recent execution occurred in Germany in 1908. Medicinal cannibalism largely fell out of fashion around the 18th century, but the use of human remains lingered in the fringes of medicine and beyond for a while after. We’ll just stick to ibuprofen, thanks!
[Image description: A brown ovular box with the inscription "MUMIÆ" and inventory number 218. From the pharmacists collection of Museums für Hamburgische Geschichte in Germany. ] Credit & copyright: Christoph Braun, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
August 7, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 7, 2022
eminently \EM-uh-nunt-lee\ adverb
What It Means
Eminently is used as a synonym of very and means “to a high degree.”
// ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 7, 2022
eminently \EM-uh-nunt-lee\ adverb
What It Means
Eminently is used as a synonym of very and means “to a high degree.”
// ...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
The CHIPS and Science Act puts aside tens of billions of dollars in funding for the National Science Foundation, the nation’s government research agency. We ...
The CHIPS and Science Act puts aside tens of billions of dollars in funding for the National Science Foundation, the nation’s government research agency. We ...
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FREEHumanities PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
This summer, don’t hit the rapids without your jacket! For such a simple device, the life jacket or personal floatation device (PFD) has an impressive record of saving lives. Yet, when one tries to pinpoint an exact inventor, patent, or even invention-date for life jackets, the waters get a bit murky. That’s partly because humans have been using floatation devices for as long as we’ve relied on water—in other words, since before recorded history. The first PFD’s weren’t jackets, but rather inflated animal skins or bladders that fishermen held onto while wading in streams, lakes, or the ocean. Such devices were used by many cultures all over the world. In coastal European countries like Norway, fishermen would sometimes tie blocks of buoyant wood or cork to their arms while working.
The beginnings of the modern life jacket date back to the early 19th century. In 1802, Abraham Bosquet, of the British Royal Navy, wrote a letter to his superiors suggesting that ships be outfitted with canvas jackets filled with cork shavings. A life jacket made from cork was even made available for sale to the general public in 1804, in the popular British periodical The Sporting Magazine. A company called Bather’s soon began producing a popular model of life jacket known as the “Companion” made from cork sheets. But the need for life jackets didn’t become widely apparent until the 1850s, when metal boats began replacing their wooden predecessors. After all, when metal ships sank, their wreckage didn’t provide much floating debris for sailors to cling to until help arrived.
Even though life jackets existed before his time, many people credit the invention of the modern life jacket, which fits over the head and is strapped around the chest, to Vice Admiral John Ross Ward of the Royal Navy. When he was just a Captain, Ward served as the Inspector of Lifeboats at the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Knowing how dangerous it was for rescue crews to work from lifeboats in choppy seas, Ward created a life vest in 1854 with a shape we would recognize today, though it was made from cork.
By the early 1900s, kapok, a lightweight fiber made from the fruit of the kapok tree, had replaced cork as the go-to material for life jackets. Soft jackets filled with kapok were more comfortable than cork and easier to put on. As naval battles broke out in World War I, militaries sought to improve their life jackets’ designs. Realizing the importance of life jackets to war-time success, many militaries continued making improvements even after the war ended, in 1918. In 1928, another supposed life jacket inventor took center stage: American merchant and fishing enthusiast Peter Markus. Markus knew that most fishermen refused to wear cork or even kapok life jackets because of how bulky they were. So, he decided to work with a naturally buoyant substance that had no bulk at all—air. In 1928, Markus patented his first design for an inflatable life jacket. It was made from rubberized cloth and could be inflated via two cords attached to cartridges of carbon dioxide. When the cords were pulled, the vest inflated within moments, making it particularly useful in emergency situations. The jackets were also easy to store when deflated. When World War II broke out in 1939, the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force distributed Markus’s life jackets to servicemen. Among soldiers, the jackets earned the raunchy nickname “Mae West” because they supposedly mimicked the Hollywood actress’s curves when inflated.
Inflatable life jackets are still used today, most notably on commercial airplanes in case of emergency, but most modern life jackets use plastic foam to float. Thermoplastic Polyurethane is one of the most common foams used today, and is usually covered by a vest made from nylon or polyester. Life jackets are usually bright orange or yellow, allowing them to be spotted from long distances, and many even include strips of reflective material for night time use. Their only drawback? Modern foam jackets definitely won’t help you look like Mae West.
[Image description: Yellow-and-orange life jackets hang from hooks at a beach, with people in the background.] Credit & copyright: distelAPPArath, PixabayThis summer, don’t hit the rapids without your jacket! For such a simple device, the life jacket or personal floatation device (PFD) has an impressive record of saving lives. Yet, when one tries to pinpoint an exact inventor, patent, or even invention-date for life jackets, the waters get a bit murky. That’s partly because humans have been using floatation devices for as long as we’ve relied on water—in other words, since before recorded history. The first PFD’s weren’t jackets, but rather inflated animal skins or bladders that fishermen held onto while wading in streams, lakes, or the ocean. Such devices were used by many cultures all over the world. In coastal European countries like Norway, fishermen would sometimes tie blocks of buoyant wood or cork to their arms while working.
The beginnings of the modern life jacket date back to the early 19th century. In 1802, Abraham Bosquet, of the British Royal Navy, wrote a letter to his superiors suggesting that ships be outfitted with canvas jackets filled with cork shavings. A life jacket made from cork was even made available for sale to the general public in 1804, in the popular British periodical The Sporting Magazine. A company called Bather’s soon began producing a popular model of life jacket known as the “Companion” made from cork sheets. But the need for life jackets didn’t become widely apparent until the 1850s, when metal boats began replacing their wooden predecessors. After all, when metal ships sank, their wreckage didn’t provide much floating debris for sailors to cling to until help arrived.
Even though life jackets existed before his time, many people credit the invention of the modern life jacket, which fits over the head and is strapped around the chest, to Vice Admiral John Ross Ward of the Royal Navy. When he was just a Captain, Ward served as the Inspector of Lifeboats at the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Knowing how dangerous it was for rescue crews to work from lifeboats in choppy seas, Ward created a life vest in 1854 with a shape we would recognize today, though it was made from cork.
By the early 1900s, kapok, a lightweight fiber made from the fruit of the kapok tree, had replaced cork as the go-to material for life jackets. Soft jackets filled with kapok were more comfortable than cork and easier to put on. As naval battles broke out in World War I, militaries sought to improve their life jackets’ designs. Realizing the importance of life jackets to war-time success, many militaries continued making improvements even after the war ended, in 1918. In 1928, another supposed life jacket inventor took center stage: American merchant and fishing enthusiast Peter Markus. Markus knew that most fishermen refused to wear cork or even kapok life jackets because of how bulky they were. So, he decided to work with a naturally buoyant substance that had no bulk at all—air. In 1928, Markus patented his first design for an inflatable life jacket. It was made from rubberized cloth and could be inflated via two cords attached to cartridges of carbon dioxide. When the cords were pulled, the vest inflated within moments, making it particularly useful in emergency situations. The jackets were also easy to store when deflated. When World War II broke out in 1939, the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force distributed Markus’s life jackets to servicemen. Among soldiers, the jackets earned the raunchy nickname “Mae West” because they supposedly mimicked the Hollywood actress’s curves when inflated.
Inflatable life jackets are still used today, most notably on commercial airplanes in case of emergency, but most modern life jackets use plastic foam to float. Thermoplastic Polyurethane is one of the most common foams used today, and is usually covered by a vest made from nylon or polyester. Life jackets are usually bright orange or yellow, allowing them to be spotted from long distances, and many even include strips of reflective material for night time use. Their only drawback? Modern foam jackets definitely won’t help you look like Mae West.
[Image description: Yellow-and-orange life jackets hang from hooks at a beach, with people in the background.] Credit & copyright: distelAPPArath, Pixabay
August 6, 2022
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, according to the latest jobs report, far outpacing expectations. We dig into what that means amid high inflation...
The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, according to the latest jobs report, far outpacing expectations. We dig into what that means amid high inflation...
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FREEBasketball Daily CurioFree1 CQ
If legends never die, this man will live on forever. 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell recently passed away at the age of 88. After joining the Boston Celtics in the 1956 NBA Draft, he went on to become one of basketball’s greatests during his 13 years with the team. While playing for the Celtics, Russell led the team to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning 11 of them—8 of them consecutively, a record that stands to this day. Beyond the court, Russell was active in the Civil Rights movement, and was present during Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1961, Russell, along with other Black players from the Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks, boycotted an exhibition match in Lexington, Kentucky after fellow players were denied service at a local diner due to their race. Then, in 1966, Russell made history by becoming the first Black head coach in sports while still playing for the Celtics for two seasons. After leaving the Celtics, he pursued a career in broadcasting and remained a vocal advocate for racial equality. In 2009, he was honored by the NBA when they renamed the Finals MVP award after him. The next year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama for his activism. Few other athletes leave such a legacy both on and off the court.
[Image description: NBA player Bill Russell dribbles a basketball in front of a green background, wearing his white-and-green Celtics uniform.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
If legends never die, this man will live on forever. 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell recently passed away at the age of 88. After joining the Boston Celtics in the 1956 NBA Draft, he went on to become one of basketball’s greatests during his 13 years with the team. While playing for the Celtics, Russell led the team to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning 11 of them—8 of them consecutively, a record that stands to this day. Beyond the court, Russell was active in the Civil Rights movement, and was present during Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1961, Russell, along with other Black players from the Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks, boycotted an exhibition match in Lexington, Kentucky after fellow players were denied service at a local diner due to their race. Then, in 1966, Russell made history by becoming the first Black head coach in sports while still playing for the Celtics for two seasons. After leaving the Celtics, he pursued a career in broadcasting and remained a vocal advocate for racial equality. In 2009, he was honored by the NBA when they renamed the Finals MVP award after him. The next year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama for his activism. Few other athletes leave such a legacy both on and off the court.
[Image description: NBA player Bill Russell dribbles a basketball in front of a green background, wearing his white-and-green Celtics uniform.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
August 5, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The Chinese Foreign Ministry described Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an “egregious provocation” and that it ignored China’s...
From the BBC World Service: The Chinese Foreign Ministry described Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an “egregious provocation” and that it ignored China’s...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 5, 2022
heartstring \HAHRT-string\ noun
What It Means
Heartstring is used, usually in the plural, to refer to someone's deepest e...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 5, 2022
heartstring \HAHRT-string\ noun
What It Means
Heartstring is used, usually in the plural, to refer to someone's deepest e...
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FREEComposition Photo CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business. We've heard of taking a boat out fishing before, but these lobster farmers are next level. Lobster Farm by photographer Pham Huy Trung, a finalist in the 2018 Drone Awards, shows lobster fishing off of the Hòn Yến coast in Phú Yên Province, Vietnam. Out of thousands of submissions each year, the prize showcases some of the best aerial and drone photos around the world. Aerial photography has been around at least since the 1860s when James Wallace Black photographed Boston from a 2,000-foot elevation. Getting a direct overhead shot like Trung's flattens vertical dimensions and allowing for bright colors and textures, like those of the neon netting and baskets in the deep blue water, to really pop. What does the future hold for drone photography? We're not sure, but we bet drones will keep mapping places in unimaginable ways!
Below: more past winners from the Drone Awards, including When the muddy river meets the ocean by Joao Galamba, Bear and Salmon by Roie Galitz, and Sidewalk by Guilherme Pupo.
Image credit & copyright: Pham Huy Trung, Joao Galamba, Roie Galitz, Guilherme Pupo, Drone Awards
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business. We've heard of taking a boat out fishing before, but these lobster farmers are next level. Lobster Farm by photographer Pham Huy Trung, a finalist in the 2018 Drone Awards, shows lobster fishing off of the Hòn Yến coast in Phú Yên Province, Vietnam. Out of thousands of submissions each year, the prize showcases some of the best aerial and drone photos around the world. Aerial photography has been around at least since the 1860s when James Wallace Black photographed Boston from a 2,000-foot elevation. Getting a direct overhead shot like Trung's flattens vertical dimensions and allowing for bright colors and textures, like those of the neon netting and baskets in the deep blue water, to really pop. What does the future hold for drone photography? We're not sure, but we bet drones will keep mapping places in unimaginable ways!
Below: more past winners from the Drone Awards, including When the muddy river meets the ocean by Joao Galamba, Bear and Salmon by Roie Galitz, and Sidewalk by Guilherme Pupo.
Image credit & copyright: Pham Huy Trung, Joao Galamba, Roie Galitz, Guilherme Pupo, Drone Awards
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
Waiting for the Shepherd
Eugenie Fish Glaman (1873-1956)
etching on paper
10 x 8 in. (25.3 x 20.3 cm)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Can sheep be muses? For American artist Eugenie Fish Glaman, born on this day in 1873, they certainly were! After growing up on her father's farm in Kansas, Glaman found herself unimpressed with other artists' (such as the Dutch painter Josef Israels) depiction of sheep, her favorite farm animals. Glaman thus set out to capture the fluffy flock. In Waiting for the Shepherd, a flock of around ten sheep stand loosely huddled inside a barn. Every visible sheep wears a unique expression—the one in the foreground seems wary, while those further back seem content, and one rests its head against the bar door. Glaman accomplished great detail through the medium of etching, in which ink is applied to a design on a carved metal plate, then pressed onto paper. At a time when women were not expected to be artists, and those that were were expected to adhere to certain "feminine" themes, Glaman's rugged depictions of farm life broke the mold. What baa-ter way to expand the scope of the art world?
Below: two more of Glaman's animal-focused works, Shearing Sheep and The Rest Hour.
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
Waiting for the Shepherd
Eugenie Fish Glaman (1873-1956)
etching on paper
10 x 8 in. (25.3 x 20.3 cm)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Can sheep be muses? For American artist Eugenie Fish Glaman, born on this day in 1873, they certainly were! After growing up on her father's farm in Kansas, Glaman found herself unimpressed with other artists' (such as the Dutch painter Josef Israels) depiction of sheep, her favorite farm animals. Glaman thus set out to capture the fluffy flock. In Waiting for the Shepherd, a flock of around ten sheep stand loosely huddled inside a barn. Every visible sheep wears a unique expression—the one in the foreground seems wary, while those further back seem content, and one rests its head against the bar door. Glaman accomplished great detail through the medium of etching, in which ink is applied to a design on a carved metal plate, then pressed onto paper. At a time when women were not expected to be artists, and those that were were expected to adhere to certain "feminine" themes, Glaman's rugged depictions of farm life broke the mold. What baa-ter way to expand the scope of the art world?
Below: two more of Glaman's animal-focused works, Shearing Sheep and The Rest Hour.
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FREEWorld History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
In 2016, the Baroque Valletta became the first commercial ship to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal. The massive structure is 70 feet wider and 20 feet deeper than the original. Its successful test run heralded a new era of global shipping, and elicited 10,000 sighs of relief. Workers expected a disastrous failure, so much so that the Panamanian government and its consortium of contractors tried to keep the event a secret.
From the outset, everything about the expansion project seemed questionable: the managers, the plans, the location. Construction was initiated under President Ricardo Martinelli's administration, which was plagued by corruption. (Martinelli, whose term ended in 2014, is currently the target of an extradition request from Interpol for embezzlement and spying.) Stoking the flames of suspicion, the administration selected a plan $1 billion cheaper than other proposals. To top it all off, geologists had determined in late 2007 that fault lines in Panama were more earthquake-prone than previously thought, with some spots akin to San Francisco in their risk.
Not that previous canal projects went off without a hitch. The first attempt, by the French in the 1880s, to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via Panama failed miserably. After nearly a decade and 20,000 fatalities, France abandoned the idea. The Americans only focused on the Panama Canal after having their own failure in Nicaragua in the 1850s. And when Colombia, which owned the Isthmus of Panama at the time, refused to lease the land, President Teddy Roosevelt lent military support to a coup for Panamanian independence.
The original Panama Canal, which was finished in 1914, was overdue for an update—no matter how messy. With more major global players and improved nautical technology, the size and scope of goods being transferred had become too big for the century-old structure to handle. What was once a feat of modern engineering risked going the way of the Erie Canal, made obsolete by more current modes of transportation.
The expansion was supposed to be finished by 2014, to coincide with the centennial of the original Panama Canal's opening. But construction logistics, money squabbles, and complications from climate change delayed the project by two years. Plus, a major snafu in the design caused a huge leak in one of the locks that was captured on camera by a worker. Even now, after the Canal's completion, doubts remain about the strength and stability of the structure—and contractors are seeking $3.4 billion in payments, some of which may be in addition to the $5 billion cost that was estimated at the outset of the project.
Still, since the Baroque Valletta made its way through the new locks last year, the Canal has stayed open. And as long as British grocery stores want Ecuadorian bananas and American factories want minerals from Rwanda, we're guessing it's going to stay that way.
[Image description: Equipment and boats on the Panama Canal] Credit & copyright: neufal54, PixabayIt's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
In 2016, the Baroque Valletta became the first commercial ship to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal. The massive structure is 70 feet wider and 20 feet deeper than the original. Its successful test run heralded a new era of global shipping, and elicited 10,000 sighs of relief. Workers expected a disastrous failure, so much so that the Panamanian government and its consortium of contractors tried to keep the event a secret.
From the outset, everything about the expansion project seemed questionable: the managers, the plans, the location. Construction was initiated under President Ricardo Martinelli's administration, which was plagued by corruption. (Martinelli, whose term ended in 2014, is currently the target of an extradition request from Interpol for embezzlement and spying.) Stoking the flames of suspicion, the administration selected a plan $1 billion cheaper than other proposals. To top it all off, geologists had determined in late 2007 that fault lines in Panama were more earthquake-prone than previously thought, with some spots akin to San Francisco in their risk.
Not that previous canal projects went off without a hitch. The first attempt, by the French in the 1880s, to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via Panama failed miserably. After nearly a decade and 20,000 fatalities, France abandoned the idea. The Americans only focused on the Panama Canal after having their own failure in Nicaragua in the 1850s. And when Colombia, which owned the Isthmus of Panama at the time, refused to lease the land, President Teddy Roosevelt lent military support to a coup for Panamanian independence.
The original Panama Canal, which was finished in 1914, was overdue for an update—no matter how messy. With more major global players and improved nautical technology, the size and scope of goods being transferred had become too big for the century-old structure to handle. What was once a feat of modern engineering risked going the way of the Erie Canal, made obsolete by more current modes of transportation.
The expansion was supposed to be finished by 2014, to coincide with the centennial of the original Panama Canal's opening. But construction logistics, money squabbles, and complications from climate change delayed the project by two years. Plus, a major snafu in the design caused a huge leak in one of the locks that was captured on camera by a worker. Even now, after the Canal's completion, doubts remain about the strength and stability of the structure—and contractors are seeking $3.4 billion in payments, some of which may be in addition to the $5 billion cost that was estimated at the outset of the project.
Still, since the Baroque Valletta made its way through the new locks last year, the Canal has stayed open. And as long as British grocery stores want Ecuadorian bananas and American factories want minerals from Rwanda, we're guessing it's going to stay that way.
[Image description: Equipment and boats on the Panama Canal] Credit & copyright: neufal54, Pixabay -
FREEWork Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
Apps are big business, and it seems there’s one for everything these days: looking up the weather, working out...farming. According to Thai startup Ricult, technology can be utilized even in professions which seem too traditional for it. The company has launched an app which they claim can produce higher crop yields and improve the lives of farmers in Thailand and Pakistan. It works by giving farmers data that can help them get the most out of each planting season. By analyzing weather patterns, the app tells farmers when they should begin planting and even gives advice about when to fertilize and harvest crops. There are also tools that allow farmers to keep records of their farms’ finances.
In an interview with CNBC, Ricult co-founder Aukrit Unahalekhaka explained, “In the past two years, we have worked a lot with the central banks and many research institutions. We have shown that our technology has increased the farmers’ income by at least 50%, as a baseline.” These results have helped Ricult build trust with farmers who aren’t used to employing technology in their work, and news of the app has spread by word of mouth. Today, around 400,000 farmers in Thailand have signed up for the app. Farmers pay no fee to download or use it. Instead, Ricult makes its income from software licensing and through commissions on transactions conducted through its software. The fact that the app is free makes it even more attractive to farmers, and Ricult is growing as a result. According to Unahalekhaka, the company should be profitable by next year. It goes to show that businesses can find opportunities to thrive in practically any field— even a literal one.
[Image description: A farmer works in a rice field in Thailand ] Credit & copyright: DEZALB, PixabayIt's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business.
Apps are big business, and it seems there’s one for everything these days: looking up the weather, working out...farming. According to Thai startup Ricult, technology can be utilized even in professions which seem too traditional for it. The company has launched an app which they claim can produce higher crop yields and improve the lives of farmers in Thailand and Pakistan. It works by giving farmers data that can help them get the most out of each planting season. By analyzing weather patterns, the app tells farmers when they should begin planting and even gives advice about when to fertilize and harvest crops. There are also tools that allow farmers to keep records of their farms’ finances.
In an interview with CNBC, Ricult co-founder Aukrit Unahalekhaka explained, “In the past two years, we have worked a lot with the central banks and many research institutions. We have shown that our technology has increased the farmers’ income by at least 50%, as a baseline.” These results have helped Ricult build trust with farmers who aren’t used to employing technology in their work, and news of the app has spread by word of mouth. Today, around 400,000 farmers in Thailand have signed up for the app. Farmers pay no fee to download or use it. Instead, Ricult makes its income from software licensing and through commissions on transactions conducted through its software. The fact that the app is free makes it even more attractive to farmers, and Ricult is growing as a result. According to Unahalekhaka, the company should be profitable by next year. It goes to show that businesses can find opportunities to thrive in practically any field— even a literal one.
[Image description: A farmer works in a rice field in Thailand ] Credit & copyright: DEZALB, Pixabay -
FREEWork Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business. Starbucks isn't just a $15 billion coffee company and a global symbol of wealth. With more than 19,000 locations in 60+ countries, it's essentially a real estate company. So much so that it appears to create rising home prices in neighborhoods where it places stores. According to data collected between 1997 and 2014, U.S. homes within 1/4 mile of a Starbucks gained 96% in value. Properties not near a Starbucks gained 65% in value. And Starbucks seems to create these rising home values, rather that just following the gentrified masses. To determine this, the researchers studied the similar effect of Dunkin’ Donuts stores. Homes within 1/4 mile of a Dunkin’ Donuts only appreciated 80%, half way between the national average and the Starbucks neighborhoods. So either the placement of a Starbucks in a new neighborhood causes housing prices to rise; or the people at Starbucks corporate who determine the locations of their new stores can actually predict economic growth by neighborhood, unlike executives at Dunkin' Donuts. Actually, both seem pretty likely.
Credit & copyright: Pexels, PixabayIt's Flashback Friday! In honor of Work Like a Dog Day, enjoy these curios all about work and business. Starbucks isn't just a $15 billion coffee company and a global symbol of wealth. With more than 19,000 locations in 60+ countries, it's essentially a real estate company. So much so that it appears to create rising home prices in neighborhoods where it places stores. According to data collected between 1997 and 2014, U.S. homes within 1/4 mile of a Starbucks gained 96% in value. Properties not near a Starbucks gained 65% in value. And Starbucks seems to create these rising home values, rather that just following the gentrified masses. To determine this, the researchers studied the similar effect of Dunkin’ Donuts stores. Homes within 1/4 mile of a Dunkin’ Donuts only appreciated 80%, half way between the national average and the Starbucks neighborhoods. So either the placement of a Starbucks in a new neighborhood causes housing prices to rise; or the people at Starbucks corporate who determine the locations of their new stores can actually predict economic growth by neighborhood, unlike executives at Dunkin' Donuts. Actually, both seem pretty likely.
Credit & copyright: Pexels, Pixabay