Curio Cabinet
- By Date
- By Type
December 11, 2019
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1 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. A few brief reports about international science and technology from Mexico to Tanzania, including...
with 60-Second ScienceToday's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. A few brief reports about international science and technology from Mexico to Tanzania, including...
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FREEBiology Daily Curio #1956Free1 CQ
It turns out our DNA isn't so fixed after all. Earlier this month, an IT worker in the Washoe County Sheriff's Department in Reno, Nevada, announced that his semen only contained the DNA of German man. The IT worker, Chris Long, had received a bone marrow transplant from the German four years ago. In the procedure, enfeebled blood is swapped out for healthy blood—but DNA is also traded as a byproduct. A coworker of Long's, Renee Romero, knew of the DNA transference from some criminal cases she'd previously encountered. She encouraged Long to get his lips and cheeks swabbed for DNA before and after the marrow treatment, to gauge its effects. Sure enough, Long contained two sets of DNA: his own and the German's, particularly in his reproductive cells.
Long has become what scientists call a genetic chimera. This refers to people with two or more sets of DNA. The term is derived from the hybrid beast of Greek mythology: a combination of a lion head, goat body, and serpent tail. Fraternal twins can become genetic chimeras in the womb. But other cases usually involve medical transplants. Romero was no stranger to this concept. During her career, she'd encountered cases where chimerism threw off criminal investigations. Sexual assault, for instance, could be attributed to a transplant recipient when their donor was guilty. In an actual case, a woman's report of a sexual assault by a single attacker was doubted when a conflicting genetic forensics test showed two men. The second strain of male DNA actually came from her own body, thanks to her marrow donor. Criminal investigators like Romero worry this sort of chimerism is landing innocent people in jail. Or, on the other hand, allowing criminals to dodge prosecution. The phenomenon draws to mind futuristic criminals using marrow transplants to escape authorities. This will test our forensics techniques down the line. As for Long, his new DNA should hardly impede his life. He already had two kids before his procedure, and doctors are attributing the build-up of his donor's reproductive DNA to a subsequent vasectomy. Which means transplant recipients, male or female, shouldn't worry about their children carrying a stranger's DNA. Well, unless of course… anyways, you get the picture!
Image credit & copyright: Getty
It turns out our DNA isn't so fixed after all. Earlier this month, an IT worker in the Washoe County Sheriff's Department in Reno, Nevada, announced that his semen only contained the DNA of German man. The IT worker, Chris Long, had received a bone marrow transplant from the German four years ago. In the procedure, enfeebled blood is swapped out for healthy blood—but DNA is also traded as a byproduct. A coworker of Long's, Renee Romero, knew of the DNA transference from some criminal cases she'd previously encountered. She encouraged Long to get his lips and cheeks swabbed for DNA before and after the marrow treatment, to gauge its effects. Sure enough, Long contained two sets of DNA: his own and the German's, particularly in his reproductive cells.
Long has become what scientists call a genetic chimera. This refers to people with two or more sets of DNA. The term is derived from the hybrid beast of Greek mythology: a combination of a lion head, goat body, and serpent tail. Fraternal twins can become genetic chimeras in the womb. But other cases usually involve medical transplants. Romero was no stranger to this concept. During her career, she'd encountered cases where chimerism threw off criminal investigations. Sexual assault, for instance, could be attributed to a transplant recipient when their donor was guilty. In an actual case, a woman's report of a sexual assault by a single attacker was doubted when a conflicting genetic forensics test showed two men. The second strain of male DNA actually came from her own body, thanks to her marrow donor. Criminal investigators like Romero worry this sort of chimerism is landing innocent people in jail. Or, on the other hand, allowing criminals to dodge prosecution. The phenomenon draws to mind futuristic criminals using marrow transplants to escape authorities. This will test our forensics techniques down the line. As for Long, his new DNA should hardly impede his life. He already had two kids before his procedure, and doctors are attributing the build-up of his donor's reproductive DNA to a subsequent vasectomy. Which means transplant recipients, male or female, shouldn't worry about their children carrying a stranger's DNA. Well, unless of course… anyways, you get the picture!
Image credit & copyright: Getty
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service… Widespread power cuts wallop businesses in South Africa. Nintendo launches Switch in China with Tencent’s help. Plus, what the ar...
From the BBC World Service… Widespread power cuts wallop businesses in South Africa. Nintendo launches Switch in China with Tencent’s help. Plus, what the ar...
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3 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree2 CQ
With Brexit complicating imports, this anglophile shop and Berlin institution might be forced to look elsewhere to stock its shelves.
with PRI's The WorldWith Brexit complicating imports, this anglophile shop and Berlin institution might be forced to look elsewhere to stock its shelves.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Sure, the Beatles were one of the first viral boy bands in pop music. But the Jackson 5 perfected the formula on their first single I Want You Back from their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, released 50 years ago this month. In spite of their album title, the quintet came to the attention of Motown CEO Berry Gordy by way of singer Gladys Knight, not Ross. During the summer of '69, with major label support, the Jacksons recorded tracks at Motown studios in Detroit alongside the best studio band in the business (the Funk Brothers) and an ace team of songwriters and producers. But those songs proved too subdued and lacked the pop sensibilities Motown was famous for, leading Gordy to scrap them for a new session in Los Angeles. I Want You Back grew out of those sessions as an undeniably catchy tune that highlighted the Funk Brothers' rhythmic breakdowns, the Jacksons' call-and-response harmonies, and the star of the show: the charismatically vocal Michael Jackson. When Gordy first met the Jacksons, he promised them three #1 hits, yet I Want You Back was the first of a consecutive four. Those were certainly numbers the Jackson 5 could get behind, especially after reciting their ABCs!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Fandom.com
Sure, the Beatles were one of the first viral boy bands in pop music. But the Jackson 5 perfected the formula on their first single I Want You Back from their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, released 50 years ago this month. In spite of their album title, the quintet came to the attention of Motown CEO Berry Gordy by way of singer Gladys Knight, not Ross. During the summer of '69, with major label support, the Jacksons recorded tracks at Motown studios in Detroit alongside the best studio band in the business (the Funk Brothers) and an ace team of songwriters and producers. But those songs proved too subdued and lacked the pop sensibilities Motown was famous for, leading Gordy to scrap them for a new session in Los Angeles. I Want You Back grew out of those sessions as an undeniably catchy tune that highlighted the Funk Brothers' rhythmic breakdowns, the Jacksons' call-and-response harmonies, and the star of the show: the charismatically vocal Michael Jackson. When Gordy first met the Jacksons, he promised them three #1 hits, yet I Want You Back was the first of a consecutive four. Those were certainly numbers the Jackson 5 could get behind, especially after reciting their ABCs!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Fandom.com
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< 1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Tyranny of Moths. By Gerald Vizenor.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Tyranny of Moths. By Gerald Vizenor.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : March 2, 2017
laconic \luh-KAH-nik\ adjective
Definition
: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of se...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : March 2, 2017
laconic \luh-KAH-nik\ adjective
Definition
: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of se...
December 10, 2019
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FREERelationships Daily Curio #1955Free1 CQ
Think humans are the only species that keeps pets? Think again. Shown above is the burrowing tarantula Xenesthis immanis and a dotted humming frog, Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata. I know what it looks like: an oblivious croaker about to become an arachnid snack. But be at ease: the little guy is safe. This is because the spider is guarding the frog, and vice versa. It's an instance of what ecologists call mutualism: when two species cooperatively benefit from each other's company. Since the frog—one of 570 species of narrow-mouthed frogs called microhylids—has toxic skin, it's practically inedible. The spider recognizes this trait thanks to faint chemical notes in the air. So instead of gobbling the amphibian up, the spider eagerly welcomes it into its den with eight open arms. Why? Because the frog feeds on ants and other small pests, which are drawn to the spider's discarded scraps of prey. Ants don't just scavenge the leftovers; when they're done, they go for the spider's nearby sack of eggs or hatching babies. The spider can't defend its brood since it's too big. Enter the frog. Ribbiting with delight, it gulps down all the encroaching ants near the nest. In return, the hulking spider wards off snakes and other predators which would eat the frog. It's a strange pair of roomies: a glutinous frog subletting from a murderous spider. Still, it works out. Another example of animal mutualism is emperor shrimp saddling up on sea cucumbers, worms, and nudibranchs like cowboys. Then there are meat ants, which corral leafhoppers like cows, to milk them for their sweet resin-poop. Okay, so that last, um, interesting one sounds more like ranching than pet-owning. Still, you get the picture. Just keep all this in mind as you're shopping for holiday gifts; you don't want to forget to buy something special for Fido and Kitty, do you? After all, that might make you a worse pet-owner than a spider!
Image credit & copyright: Emanuele Biggi
Think humans are the only species that keeps pets? Think again. Shown above is the burrowing tarantula Xenesthis immanis and a dotted humming frog, Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata. I know what it looks like: an oblivious croaker about to become an arachnid snack. But be at ease: the little guy is safe. This is because the spider is guarding the frog, and vice versa. It's an instance of what ecologists call mutualism: when two species cooperatively benefit from each other's company. Since the frog—one of 570 species of narrow-mouthed frogs called microhylids—has toxic skin, it's practically inedible. The spider recognizes this trait thanks to faint chemical notes in the air. So instead of gobbling the amphibian up, the spider eagerly welcomes it into its den with eight open arms. Why? Because the frog feeds on ants and other small pests, which are drawn to the spider's discarded scraps of prey. Ants don't just scavenge the leftovers; when they're done, they go for the spider's nearby sack of eggs or hatching babies. The spider can't defend its brood since it's too big. Enter the frog. Ribbiting with delight, it gulps down all the encroaching ants near the nest. In return, the hulking spider wards off snakes and other predators which would eat the frog. It's a strange pair of roomies: a glutinous frog subletting from a murderous spider. Still, it works out. Another example of animal mutualism is emperor shrimp saddling up on sea cucumbers, worms, and nudibranchs like cowboys. Then there are meat ants, which corral leafhoppers like cows, to milk them for their sweet resin-poop. Okay, so that last, um, interesting one sounds more like ranching than pet-owning. Still, you get the picture. Just keep all this in mind as you're shopping for holiday gifts; you don't want to forget to buy something special for Fido and Kitty, do you? After all, that might make you a worse pet-owner than a spider!
Image credit & copyright: Emanuele Biggi
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3 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Minute Earth.
with Minute EarthToday's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Minute Earth.
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Jobs numbers were still strong in November. Plus, AI’s powers of prediction could cost some jobs on Wall Street, but it’s ultimately a good thing, say experts.
Jobs numbers were still strong in November. Plus, AI’s powers of prediction could cost some jobs on Wall Street, but it’s ultimately a good thing, say experts.
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5 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
One Uighur American activist says a House bill focused on human rights will bring hope to people like his mother, who was detained in China for 15 months.
with PRI's The WorldOne Uighur American activist says a House bill focused on human rights will bring hope to people like his mother, who was detained in China for 15 months.
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
Brr, this gives new meaning to weathering winter! This snow-covered Tungus (or Indigenous Siberian) man is part of a LensCulture feature on the series Out of the Way by Russian photographer Elena Ansova. Her project highlights life in a remote settlement in Northern Russia where the Tungus people live. In the photo, an older Tungus man seems unconcerned at the snow collecting on his face and beard. The image is an example of the fortitude displayed by the 100-or-so people who also call his village their home. There, electricity is only available during mornings and evenings, food must be grown in sealed greenhouses, and hunting elk is a matter of survival. What inspired Anosova to travel to such a place where temperatures can fall as low as -67 degrees Fahrenheit? Family ties. Her own ancestors helped found the settlement around 300 years ago, and practically everyone living there now is a distant relative. Out of the Way is an extraordinary series which shows getting back to one's roots can be worth braving the cold.
Below: More from Elena Anosova's Out of the Way series.
Image credit & copyright: Elena Anosova
Brr, this gives new meaning to weathering winter! This snow-covered Tungus (or Indigenous Siberian) man is part of a LensCulture feature on the series Out of the Way by Russian photographer Elena Ansova. Her project highlights life in a remote settlement in Northern Russia where the Tungus people live. In the photo, an older Tungus man seems unconcerned at the snow collecting on his face and beard. The image is an example of the fortitude displayed by the 100-or-so people who also call his village their home. There, electricity is only available during mornings and evenings, food must be grown in sealed greenhouses, and hunting elk is a matter of survival. What inspired Anosova to travel to such a place where temperatures can fall as low as -67 degrees Fahrenheit? Family ties. Her own ancestors helped found the settlement around 300 years ago, and practically everyone living there now is a distant relative. Out of the Way is an extraordinary series which shows getting back to one's roots can be worth braving the cold.
Below: More from Elena Anosova's Out of the Way series.
Image credit & copyright: Elena Anosova
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1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: The Boom and After the Boom. By Alice Lyons.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: The Boom and After the Boom. By Alice Lyons.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : March 1, 2017
exponent \ik-SPOH-nunt\ noun
Definition
1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indica...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : March 1, 2017
exponent \ik-SPOH-nunt\ noun
Definition
1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indica...
December 9, 2019
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1 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Ground penetrating radar can detect tiny density differences that lead to images of ancient footp...
with 60-Second ScienceToday's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Ground penetrating radar can detect tiny density differences that lead to images of ancient footp...
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Uber releases a report on sexual assault on its rides. The Labor Department’s updated jobs numbers point towards recession. Plus, how to value the world’s bi...
Uber releases a report on sexual assault on its rides. The Labor Department’s updated jobs numbers point towards recession. Plus, how to value the world’s bi...
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4 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
In the aftermath of protests in Iran, authorities acknowledged that protesters were shot dead. Marco Werman speaks with the deputy director at the Center for...
with PRI's The WorldIn the aftermath of protests in Iran, authorities acknowledged that protesters were shot dead. Marco Werman speaks with the deputy director at the Center for...
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #1954Free1 CQ
Before you turn to the same-old deviled egg recipe, consider a strange twist for the upcoming holidays. "Double-yolkers" are fittingly-nicknamed eggs that contain just that: two yolks. They're incredibly rare. Among usual hens, they're a one in a thousand occurrence. A double-yolked egg is formed when a bird, typically a young one with an immature reproductive system, ovulates twice in rapid succession. The first egg is slow-moving and the second fast enough to catch up in the oviduct, or avian fallopian tube. Rare as they are, the worth of double-yolkers depends on the corner of the world they were laid in. Westerners have historically pitched them, to avoid the excess protein and cholesterol. Supermarkets, in their pursuit of uniformity, also toss them aside. Then there're the double-yolker superstitions. Wiccan tradition says they're good fortune. Meanwhile, the eggs signify doom in ancient Norse mythology. China, in particular, has prized these eggs since at least the sixth century. Duck breeders in the city of Gaoyou, China, raise fowl to to produce green-white double-yolkers roughly two-10 percent of the time. In China, the eggy twofers promise good fortune and fetch eight-times the price of normal eggs. In this industry, the doubles are sorted from the singles in a process called candling. Conveyor belts are backlit with lights that reveal the eggs' embryos. Then the eggs are brined in salt water to be eaten with buns or tea. Double-yolkers are steadily becoming popular in the West, partially due to these recipes. This comes with ethical concerns. These unique eggs rarely hatch, but if they do, the ducklings and chicks are deformed or conjoined. Commercial eggs are rarely given the chance to emerge, but breeding fowl to produce twofers greatly increases the likelihood. If you're a yolk-lover and want to taste them guilt-free, plenty of farms offer these eggs as a rare byproduct to their usual output. Regardless, I can't promise your family won't begrudge you for all that delicious cholesterol!
Image credit & copyright: Brad Leone
Before you turn to the same-old deviled egg recipe, consider a strange twist for the upcoming holidays. "Double-yolkers" are fittingly-nicknamed eggs that contain just that: two yolks. They're incredibly rare. Among usual hens, they're a one in a thousand occurrence. A double-yolked egg is formed when a bird, typically a young one with an immature reproductive system, ovulates twice in rapid succession. The first egg is slow-moving and the second fast enough to catch up in the oviduct, or avian fallopian tube. Rare as they are, the worth of double-yolkers depends on the corner of the world they were laid in. Westerners have historically pitched them, to avoid the excess protein and cholesterol. Supermarkets, in their pursuit of uniformity, also toss them aside. Then there're the double-yolker superstitions. Wiccan tradition says they're good fortune. Meanwhile, the eggs signify doom in ancient Norse mythology. China, in particular, has prized these eggs since at least the sixth century. Duck breeders in the city of Gaoyou, China, raise fowl to to produce green-white double-yolkers roughly two-10 percent of the time. In China, the eggy twofers promise good fortune and fetch eight-times the price of normal eggs. In this industry, the doubles are sorted from the singles in a process called candling. Conveyor belts are backlit with lights that reveal the eggs' embryos. Then the eggs are brined in salt water to be eaten with buns or tea. Double-yolkers are steadily becoming popular in the West, partially due to these recipes. This comes with ethical concerns. These unique eggs rarely hatch, but if they do, the ducklings and chicks are deformed or conjoined. Commercial eggs are rarely given the chance to emerge, but breeding fowl to produce twofers greatly increases the likelihood. If you're a yolk-lover and want to taste them guilt-free, plenty of farms offer these eggs as a rare byproduct to their usual output. Regardless, I can't promise your family won't begrudge you for all that delicious cholesterol!
Image credit & copyright: Brad Leone
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Mature Age
Artist: Camille Claudel (1864 -1943)
Created: 1893
Medium: bronze sculpture
Dimensions: 51.57 x 76.77 x 30.7 in (131 x 195 x 78 cm)
Current location: Rodin Museum, Paris, France
Behind every great man is a tangled mess left in his wake. At least, that's one interpretation of the bronze sculpture Mature Age by French artist Camille Claudel, a companion in art and love of Auguste Rodin. Critics often see the patina figures as autobiographical representations: Claudel is the young woman pleading on her knees as Rodin is led away by his older wife. Claudel—who passed away on December 8, 1684—often had difficulties securing patronage for her work because of the sensual nature of her pieces, though Rodin himself was said to have reacted angrily upon seeing the Mature Age, and may have complained to the French ministry of fine arts to cancel funding she had received from them. Jealous, maybe? Of course, in spite of sabotaging some of her work and taking credit for others, Rodin, as a dominant male figure in the art world, was hardly the center of Claudel's universe. Other interpretations of Mature Age reflect on the allegorical nature of aging and loss among the three figures. Maybe we should change the phrase to "in front of every great woman lies an unforeseeable set of difficult circumstances"?
Image credit & copyright: Rodin Museum
Title: Mature Age
Artist: Camille Claudel (1864 -1943)
Created: 1893
Medium: bronze sculpture
Dimensions: 51.57 x 76.77 x 30.7 in (131 x 195 x 78 cm)
Current location: Rodin Museum, Paris, France
Behind every great man is a tangled mess left in his wake. At least, that's one interpretation of the bronze sculpture Mature Age by French artist Camille Claudel, a companion in art and love of Auguste Rodin. Critics often see the patina figures as autobiographical representations: Claudel is the young woman pleading on her knees as Rodin is led away by his older wife. Claudel—who passed away on December 8, 1684—often had difficulties securing patronage for her work because of the sensual nature of her pieces, though Rodin himself was said to have reacted angrily upon seeing the Mature Age, and may have complained to the French ministry of fine arts to cancel funding she had received from them. Jealous, maybe? Of course, in spite of sabotaging some of her work and taking credit for others, Rodin, as a dominant male figure in the art world, was hardly the center of Claudel's universe. Other interpretations of Mature Age reflect on the allegorical nature of aging and loss among the three figures. Maybe we should change the phrase to "in front of every great woman lies an unforeseeable set of difficult circumstances"?
Image credit & copyright: Rodin Museum
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1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Mapping the Genome. By Michael Symmons Roberts.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Mapping the Genome. By Michael Symmons Roberts.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 28, 2017
genuflect \JEN-yuh-flekt\ verb
Definition
1 a : to bend the knee
b : to touch the knee to the floor or ground especia...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 28, 2017
genuflect \JEN-yuh-flekt\ verb
Definition
1 a : to bend the knee
b : to touch the knee to the floor or ground especia...
December 8, 2019
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3 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Engines of Our Ingenuity. Episode: 2341 Richard Wagner conceives a sound, then invents an instrument to create it. ...
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Engines of Our Ingenuity. Episode: 2341 Richard Wagner conceives a sound, then invents an instrument to create it. ...
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service… German industrial output suffers its biggest contraction in a decade. There’s optimism over an OPEC oil deal. Plus, how African s...
From the BBC World Service… German industrial output suffers its biggest contraction in a decade. There’s optimism over an OPEC oil deal. Plus, how African s...
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5 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron underlined sharp discord among NATO members ahead of the alliance's 70th anniversary celebrati...
with PRI's The WorldUS President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron underlined sharp discord among NATO members ahead of the alliance's 70th anniversary celebrati...
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FREEPolitical Science PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
The rise and fall of Rome's greatest orator.
As rivals like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony vied for despotic control over the Late Roman Republic, one man defended democracy: polymath Marcus Tullius Cicero, who, unlike Caesar, was not born of the ruling class. The statesman and philosopher used his powerful speeches and writings to advocate for the Roman Republic, even as tyrannical forces closed in on him.
Born in 106 B.C.E. in Arpinum (now central Italy), Cicero was named "chickpea" in Latin, and likely came from an ancestor who was a farmer. His family was part of the equestrian order, just below the ruling senators and above the common plebeians. It was unusual for an equestrian to rise in the ranks of society, but Cicero was no ordinary person. He extensively read the works of philosophers and traveled to Greece to hone his rhetoric. After marrying into a wealthy family at the age of 27, he rose quickly through the ranks of government, becoming a quaestor (treasurer), praetor (magistrate), and finally the highest political office: consul, in 63 B.C.E. at the age of 43. He was the youngest man of common lineage to ever attain the position.
In spite of the respect he commanded among Romans for his writings, wisdom, and unparalleled oration, Cicero's rise to the top was constantly challenged. In the same year he became consul, he uncovered a plot to overthrow the Roman Republic and thwarted an assassination attempt on his life, both devised by Senator Catiline. The anti-Republic First Triumvirate—comprised of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus—preyed on Cicero when he executed Catiline's co-conspirators without trial. An abuse of power, they called the action: one worthy of death in its own right. Cicero realized that each of the Triumvirate were out to seize as much individualized power over the Republic as they could. He retreated from public life to work on his writings.
Political alliances remained tumultuous for the rest of Cicero's life. Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire, and power was consolidated amongst a few power-hungry leaders. Upon hearing of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E., Cicero supported the actions of Brutus and the other assassins, making an enemy of Mark Antony, Caesar's surviving war general. In 43 B.C.E., Cicero delivered some 14 speeches called the Philippics to the Roman senate, in which he decried Antony's tyranny and praised the values of liberty. In a last desperate attempt to thwart Antony, Cicero aligned himself with Caesar's rightful heir and Antony's antagonist, Octavian. In a series of events that would spell Cicero's demise, Octavian and Antony reconciled and joined forces with Lepidus to create the Second Triumvirate. Antony sought revenge against Cicero, and in December of 43 B.C.E., the great Roman orator was caught by centurions leaving his villa at Formiae. His head and hands were cut off and delivered to Mark Antony, where they were later displayed at the Rostra platform in the Roman Forum.
While Cicero's political life was met with a bloody end, his legacy and writings have had far more fortunate fates. The rediscovery of his letters in the 14th century by the Italian poet Petrarch is said to have ignited the Renaissance in Europe. When the printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, the third book to be printed was Cicero's De Officiis ("On Duties"), a work he wrote in his last year of life on how to live morally. Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke and Voltaire pored over Cicero's teachings on liberty, as did the U.S. Founding Fathers like John Adams, who once said, "As all the ages of the world have not produced a greater statesman and philosopher united than Cicero, his authority should have great weight."
Image credit & copyright: Foundation for Economic Education
The rise and fall of Rome's greatest orator.
As rivals like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony vied for despotic control over the Late Roman Republic, one man defended democracy: polymath Marcus Tullius Cicero, who, unlike Caesar, was not born of the ruling class. The statesman and philosopher used his powerful speeches and writings to advocate for the Roman Republic, even as tyrannical forces closed in on him.
Born in 106 B.C.E. in Arpinum (now central Italy), Cicero was named "chickpea" in Latin, and likely came from an ancestor who was a farmer. His family was part of the equestrian order, just below the ruling senators and above the common plebeians. It was unusual for an equestrian to rise in the ranks of society, but Cicero was no ordinary person. He extensively read the works of philosophers and traveled to Greece to hone his rhetoric. After marrying into a wealthy family at the age of 27, he rose quickly through the ranks of government, becoming a quaestor (treasurer), praetor (magistrate), and finally the highest political office: consul, in 63 B.C.E. at the age of 43. He was the youngest man of common lineage to ever attain the position.
In spite of the respect he commanded among Romans for his writings, wisdom, and unparalleled oration, Cicero's rise to the top was constantly challenged. In the same year he became consul, he uncovered a plot to overthrow the Roman Republic and thwarted an assassination attempt on his life, both devised by Senator Catiline. The anti-Republic First Triumvirate—comprised of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus—preyed on Cicero when he executed Catiline's co-conspirators without trial. An abuse of power, they called the action: one worthy of death in its own right. Cicero realized that each of the Triumvirate were out to seize as much individualized power over the Republic as they could. He retreated from public life to work on his writings.
Political alliances remained tumultuous for the rest of Cicero's life. Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire, and power was consolidated amongst a few power-hungry leaders. Upon hearing of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.E., Cicero supported the actions of Brutus and the other assassins, making an enemy of Mark Antony, Caesar's surviving war general. In 43 B.C.E., Cicero delivered some 14 speeches called the Philippics to the Roman senate, in which he decried Antony's tyranny and praised the values of liberty. In a last desperate attempt to thwart Antony, Cicero aligned himself with Caesar's rightful heir and Antony's antagonist, Octavian. In a series of events that would spell Cicero's demise, Octavian and Antony reconciled and joined forces with Lepidus to create the Second Triumvirate. Antony sought revenge against Cicero, and in December of 43 B.C.E., the great Roman orator was caught by centurions leaving his villa at Formiae. His head and hands were cut off and delivered to Mark Antony, where they were later displayed at the Rostra platform in the Roman Forum.
While Cicero's political life was met with a bloody end, his legacy and writings have had far more fortunate fates. The rediscovery of his letters in the 14th century by the Italian poet Petrarch is said to have ignited the Renaissance in Europe. When the printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, the third book to be printed was Cicero's De Officiis ("On Duties"), a work he wrote in his last year of life on how to live morally. Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke and Voltaire pored over Cicero's teachings on liberty, as did the U.S. Founding Fathers like John Adams, who once said, "As all the ages of the world have not produced a greater statesman and philosopher united than Cicero, his authority should have great weight."
Image credit & copyright: Foundation for Economic Education
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1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Unromantic Love. by J. V. Cunningham.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Unromantic Love. by J. V. Cunningham.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 27, 2017
shunpike \SHUN-pyke\ noun
Definition
: a side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighwa...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 27, 2017
shunpike \SHUN-pyke\ noun
Definition
: a side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighwa...
December 7, 2019
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FREEPlay Teaser Curio #216Free1 CQ
If you don't mind, we're going to plant this teaser in the corner of your mind for the weekend. The nutrients in your brain will feed it. Your natural curiosity will shine upon it to help it grow. Just add in the water leaking into your ears in the shower, and the answer to this word riddle will spring forth like a weed. A brain weed. OK, this metaphor may have gone too far. This is a common 6-letter English word. (The original word) A vine visitor (Remove the 3rd letter) A plant you dig up, quickly (Remove the 1st letter) A flower (Remove the last letter) It can be influenced by fragrance What's the original word?
Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #216" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
If you don't mind, we're going to plant this teaser in the corner of your mind for the weekend. The nutrients in your brain will feed it. Your natural curiosity will shine upon it to help it grow. Just add in the water leaking into your ears in the shower, and the answer to this word riddle will spring forth like a weed. A brain weed. OK, this metaphor may have gone too far. This is a common 6-letter English word. (The original word) A vine visitor (Remove the 3rd letter) A plant you dig up, quickly (Remove the 1st letter) A flower (Remove the last letter) It can be influenced by fragrance What's the original word?
Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #216" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
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2 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Indigenous artists in what’s now British Columbia created pigments by cooking aquatic bacteria. C...
with 60-Second ScienceToday's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Indigenous artists in what’s now British Columbia created pigments by cooking aquatic bacteria. C...
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
November’s jobs numbers promise to be underwhelming. Kroger gets into the food delivery business. Plus, a woman deals with ailing parents as an only child.
November’s jobs numbers promise to be underwhelming. Kroger gets into the food delivery business. Plus, a woman deals with ailing parents as an only child.
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4 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
Just about everyone playing with the Boston Hurricanes has roots in China, which is no coincidence — it’s the rules. The game started in the city parks and a...
with PRI's The WorldJust about everyone playing with the Boston Hurricanes has roots in China, which is no coincidence — it’s the rules. The game started in the city parks and a...
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3 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree2 CQ
Poem of the Day: Totem Poem [Abandoned in a field near Yass]. by Luke Davies.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Totem Poem [Abandoned in a field near Yass]. by Luke Davies.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 26, 2017
indigenous \in-DIJ-uh-nuss\ adjective
Definition
1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occu...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 26, 2017
indigenous \in-DIJ-uh-nuss\ adjective
Definition
1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occu...
December 6, 2019
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3 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Engines of Our Ingenuity. Episode: 1789 Goethe's Farbenlehre: science and Romanticism. Today, light and color.
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by Engines of Our Ingenuity. Episode: 1789 Goethe's Farbenlehre: science and Romanticism. Today, light and color.
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6 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree4 CQ
With the recent success of the Alternative for Germany party in local elections in Germany, artists and directors are worried that freedom of expression — an...
with PRI's The WorldWith the recent success of the Alternative for Germany party in local elections in Germany, artists and directors are worried that freedom of expression — an...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Alright stop, deliberate a decision, Ice is back with a brand new conviction. Okay, so rapper Vanilla Ice makes for easy joke fodder, but the legacy of Ice Ice Baby, off the 1989 album Hooked, remains undeniable. Allegedly written by Ice, K. Kennedy, and DJ Earthquake, the track's hook samples the bassline from Queen and David Bowie's legendary song Under Pressure (1981). Ice initially denied the connection, though the original songwriters took notice when Ice became the first hip-hop record to top the Billboard Hot 100, quickly selling seven million records; in a watershed plagiarism case regarding hip-hop samples, Bowie and Queen received songwriting credit and royalties. Meanwhile, Vanilla's viral popularity spurred journalists to investigate his "gangster" background: that of Robert Van Winkle from Dallas, Texas suburbia. Lambasted as the appropriating "Elvis of rap," Vanilla was then purportedly held out a window by producer Suge Knight, who alleged Ice had been stolen from one of his associates. (Bear with us.) After strong-arming his cut, Knight used it to launch Death Row Records, which produced rap legends Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, among others. Yup—Vanilla nice.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Alright stop, deliberate a decision, Ice is back with a brand new conviction. Okay, so rapper Vanilla Ice makes for easy joke fodder, but the legacy of Ice Ice Baby, off the 1989 album Hooked, remains undeniable. Allegedly written by Ice, K. Kennedy, and DJ Earthquake, the track's hook samples the bassline from Queen and David Bowie's legendary song Under Pressure (1981). Ice initially denied the connection, though the original songwriters took notice when Ice became the first hip-hop record to top the Billboard Hot 100, quickly selling seven million records; in a watershed plagiarism case regarding hip-hop samples, Bowie and Queen received songwriting credit and royalties. Meanwhile, Vanilla's viral popularity spurred journalists to investigate his "gangster" background: that of Robert Van Winkle from Dallas, Texas suburbia. Lambasted as the appropriating "Elvis of rap," Vanilla was then purportedly held out a window by producer Suge Knight, who alleged Ice had been stolen from one of his associates. (Bear with us.) After strong-arming his cut, Knight used it to launch Death Row Records, which produced rap legends Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, among others. Yup—Vanilla nice.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images
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FREELight & Exposure Photo CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Check out Sol in the sky with diamonds! This photo, taken by Czech astrophotographer Petr Horálek, recently won the grand prize in 2019 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition. Beautiful, if not menacing, Three diamonds in the sky shows the sun and moon engaged in a hybrid eclipse. Exceedingly rare, these appear like total eclipses in some parts of the world, but annular, or incomplete in others. Luckily for Horálek, the photographer happened to be in Pakwero, Uganda, which was treated to a mixture of the two types—and also an extraordinary three-part "diamond ring" (the bright bursts of light). The term refers to when solar flares from the sun's photosphere peek out from behind the moon's shadow; the hairline band of the sun's corona, paired with a solar flare, appear like rings of fire in the sky. Three diamonds was up against some beautiful and downright captivating scenery, but the gem nevertheless ran rings around the competition!
Below: more photos from the competition, including Baby on board by Anton Sorokin, Courting Royals: two Royal Terns in courtship display by Kristian Bell, and Waxwing and Rowan berries in the snow by Alwin Hardenbol.
Image credit & copyright: Petr Horálek / Anton Sorokin / East Carolina University / Kristian Bell / Deakin University / Alwin Hardenbol / University of Eastern Finland / Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2018
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Check out Sol in the sky with diamonds! This photo, taken by Czech astrophotographer Petr Horálek, recently won the grand prize in 2019 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition. Beautiful, if not menacing, Three diamonds in the sky shows the sun and moon engaged in a hybrid eclipse. Exceedingly rare, these appear like total eclipses in some parts of the world, but annular, or incomplete in others. Luckily for Horálek, the photographer happened to be in Pakwero, Uganda, which was treated to a mixture of the two types—and also an extraordinary three-part "diamond ring" (the bright bursts of light). The term refers to when solar flares from the sun's photosphere peek out from behind the moon's shadow; the hairline band of the sun's corona, paired with a solar flare, appear like rings of fire in the sky. Three diamonds was up against some beautiful and downright captivating scenery, but the gem nevertheless ran rings around the competition!
Below: more photos from the competition, including Baby on board by Anton Sorokin, Courting Royals: two Royal Terns in courtship display by Kristian Bell, and Waxwing and Rowan berries in the snow by Alwin Hardenbol.
Image credit & copyright: Petr Horálek / Anton Sorokin / East Carolina University / Kristian Bell / Deakin University / Alwin Hardenbol / University of Eastern Finland / Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2018
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FREEAesthetic Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Title: The Sea of Ice
Artist: Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
Created: 1823
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 38 x 50 in (96.7 x 126.9 cm)
Current location: Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Brrrr! It's hard to imagine a colder and more desolate landscape than that depicted by Caspar David Friedrich in his painting, The Sea of Ice (also called The Polar Sea or The Wreck of the Hope). In this majestic work, the shattered carcass of a ship is being swallowed by the frigid sea: the heaving ice slabs and shipboards are gradually being transformed into an ice floe. In his work, Friedrich tried to infuse natural landscapes with spiritual meaning, and to contrast the grandeur and power of nature with human frailty. The sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers argued that Friedrich had created a new artistic genre: "the tragedy of landscape." Friedrich himself never traveled to the Arctic, but he was clearly influenced by William Edward Parry's polar expedition in 1819-20. Some critics say his artistic vision was also shaped by Napoleon's hubristic rise and ultimate defeat when his troops were beaten back by the Russian winter. But in the Sea of Ice, where the ice is vanquishing all signs of life, one can't help but detect echoes of Friedrich's boyhood tragedy: the loss of his brother when he fell into a frozen lake and drowned.
Image credit & copyright: WikiArt
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Title: The Sea of Ice
Artist: Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
Created: 1823
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 38 x 50 in (96.7 x 126.9 cm)
Current location: Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Brrrr! It's hard to imagine a colder and more desolate landscape than that depicted by Caspar David Friedrich in his painting, The Sea of Ice (also called The Polar Sea or The Wreck of the Hope). In this majestic work, the shattered carcass of a ship is being swallowed by the frigid sea: the heaving ice slabs and shipboards are gradually being transformed into an ice floe. In his work, Friedrich tried to infuse natural landscapes with spiritual meaning, and to contrast the grandeur and power of nature with human frailty. The sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers argued that Friedrich had created a new artistic genre: "the tragedy of landscape." Friedrich himself never traveled to the Arctic, but he was clearly influenced by William Edward Parry's polar expedition in 1819-20. Some critics say his artistic vision was also shaped by Napoleon's hubristic rise and ultimate defeat when his troops were beaten back by the Russian winter. But in the Sea of Ice, where the ice is vanquishing all signs of life, one can't help but detect echoes of Friedrich's boyhood tragedy: the loss of his brother when he fell into a frozen lake and drowned.
Image credit & copyright: WikiArt
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FREEPlay Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Normally an icy runway is a very bad thing. Unless ice is the runway. That's the case in Alton Bay, New Hampshire. For a few months each winter, they turn their frozen Lake Winnipesaukee into an airstrip. It's the United State’s only all-ice runway. Far from scaring pilots away, amateur pilots from across the country fly in to give it a try! The runway is created by local volunteers, who plow snow from the lake almost constantly once the ice is deemed strong enough by the FAA. When the weather is nicer, Alton Bay is used for landing seaplanes. The bay typically lands about 50 seaplanes in warmer months, but in the 22 days the ice runway operated this winter, 366 planes landed. The freshly plowed ice provides a surprising amount of traction because of the snow on the ice. Still it takes pilot skill, as evidenced by the attached video of a plane struggling to land on Alton's strip. Click below to see that and a great photo of the runway in operation.
Below: Alton Bay Ice Runway on one of the few days each year it is in operation.
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Normally an icy runway is a very bad thing. Unless ice is the runway. That's the case in Alton Bay, New Hampshire. For a few months each winter, they turn their frozen Lake Winnipesaukee into an airstrip. It's the United State’s only all-ice runway. Far from scaring pilots away, amateur pilots from across the country fly in to give it a try! The runway is created by local volunteers, who plow snow from the lake almost constantly once the ice is deemed strong enough by the FAA. When the weather is nicer, Alton Bay is used for landing seaplanes. The bay typically lands about 50 seaplanes in warmer months, but in the 22 days the ice runway operated this winter, 366 planes landed. The freshly plowed ice provides a surprising amount of traction because of the snow on the ice. Still it takes pilot skill, as evidenced by the attached video of a plane struggling to land on Alton's strip. Click below to see that and a great photo of the runway in operation.
Below: Alton Bay Ice Runway on one of the few days each year it is in operation.
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Trump reimposes steel and aluminium tariffs on Brazil and Argentina. NATO turns 70, and some world leaders say the alliance is needed now more than ever. You...
Trump reimposes steel and aluminium tariffs on Brazil and Argentina. NATO turns 70, and some world leaders say the alliance is needed now more than ever. You...
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6 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree4 CQ
Poem of the Day: The Operation. By Anne Sexton.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: The Operation. By Anne Sexton.
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 25, 2017
hoary \HOR-ee\ adjective
Definition
1 : gray or white with or as if with age
2 : extremely old : ancient
Examples
T...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 25, 2017
hoary \HOR-ee\ adjective
Definition
1 : gray or white with or as if with age
2 : extremely old : ancient
Examples
T...
December 5, 2019
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2 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Today's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Recycled wastewater can be cleaner than bottled water, but people still avoid drinking it because...
with 60-Second ScienceToday's Nerdy Curio is brought to you by 60-Second Science. Recycled wastewater can be cleaner than bottled water, but people still avoid drinking it because...
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4 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
More than four million Venezuelans have fled their country’s economic and political crisis in the last five years, most to neighboring nations such as Colomb...
with PRI's The WorldMore than four million Venezuelans have fled their country’s economic and political crisis in the last five years, most to neighboring nations such as Colomb...
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #1953Free1 CQ
Sometimes, royalty is not all it's cracked up to be. Last month, a journalist named Ellen Barry debunked a claim to an Indian throne by Ali Raza, or Cyrus, the supposed heir to the Nawab of Oudh. Cyrus' bizarre story begins with his mother, Begum Wilayat. She was a strong-willed woman who lost her sanity after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, her subsequent escape to Pakistan, and the later the loss of her husband. Begum missed India. So much so that the widow started believing she was royalty. She ended up slapping the Prime Minister of Pakistan and got herself locked in a mental hospital for six months. When she was released, she smuggled her young son and daughter into India, where she camped in the First Class Waiting Room of the Delhi railway station. Among her were a retinue of servants, beautiful Persian artifacts, and a dozen ferocious dogs. She squatted there for nearly a decade, decrying British colonialism and the deceit of the Indian government, while also demanding her royalty be reinstated.
Eventually, the frustrated Indian government bequeathed her the Malcha Mahal palace in 1985. This "palace" was no more than a run-down hunting lodge from the 14-century, built in a dense jungle. There, among jackals and spiders, the family lived in seclusion. Begum's two children, newly known as Prince Cyrus and Princess Sakina (shown above), addressed her only as "Her Royal Highness." They were such snobs, they refused to associate with their "commoner" neighbors. Then, in 1997, Begam allegedly crushed diamonds and pearls into a liquid poison and drank it: a final protest against Britain and India's treachery. After her death, Cyrus and Sakina lived alone. The servants abandoned them. Then Sakina died, and Cyrus buried her himself. All that remained was Cyrus, who lived as a conceited hermit in the jungle, convinced of his superiority. He died of a fever fairly recently—nobody knows exactly when—and journalists tracked some of his letters to an address in Bradford, England. It turns out Begum had a third and eldest son there, named Shahid, who escaped his mother's epic fantasy. He spent his life working in England to finance his family's shenanigans. Shahid lived a happy life and died holding his wife's hand. Meanwhile, Cyrus and Sakina were spared the soul-crushing reality of their fake lineage—a 40-year lie turned Indian legend. Sakina once said, "Ordinariness is not just a crime, it is a sin." If there's anything I've taken away from this strange tale, it's that ordinariness can be a real blessing!
Image credit & copyright: Barry Bearak/NYT
Sometimes, royalty is not all it's cracked up to be. Last month, a journalist named Ellen Barry debunked a claim to an Indian throne by Ali Raza, or Cyrus, the supposed heir to the Nawab of Oudh. Cyrus' bizarre story begins with his mother, Begum Wilayat. She was a strong-willed woman who lost her sanity after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, her subsequent escape to Pakistan, and the later the loss of her husband. Begum missed India. So much so that the widow started believing she was royalty. She ended up slapping the Prime Minister of Pakistan and got herself locked in a mental hospital for six months. When she was released, she smuggled her young son and daughter into India, where she camped in the First Class Waiting Room of the Delhi railway station. Among her were a retinue of servants, beautiful Persian artifacts, and a dozen ferocious dogs. She squatted there for nearly a decade, decrying British colonialism and the deceit of the Indian government, while also demanding her royalty be reinstated.
Eventually, the frustrated Indian government bequeathed her the Malcha Mahal palace in 1985. This "palace" was no more than a run-down hunting lodge from the 14-century, built in a dense jungle. There, among jackals and spiders, the family lived in seclusion. Begum's two children, newly known as Prince Cyrus and Princess Sakina (shown above), addressed her only as "Her Royal Highness." They were such snobs, they refused to associate with their "commoner" neighbors. Then, in 1997, Begam allegedly crushed diamonds and pearls into a liquid poison and drank it: a final protest against Britain and India's treachery. After her death, Cyrus and Sakina lived alone. The servants abandoned them. Then Sakina died, and Cyrus buried her himself. All that remained was Cyrus, who lived as a conceited hermit in the jungle, convinced of his superiority. He died of a fever fairly recently—nobody knows exactly when—and journalists tracked some of his letters to an address in Bradford, England. It turns out Begum had a third and eldest son there, named Shahid, who escaped his mother's epic fantasy. He spent his life working in England to finance his family's shenanigans. Shahid lived a happy life and died holding his wife's hand. Meanwhile, Cyrus and Sakina were spared the soul-crushing reality of their fake lineage—a 40-year lie turned Indian legend. Sakina once said, "Ordinariness is not just a crime, it is a sin." If there's anything I've taken away from this strange tale, it's that ordinariness can be a real blessing!
Image credit & copyright: Barry Bearak/NYT
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2 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree2 CQ
Poem of the Day: A Locked House. By W. D. Snodgrass.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: A Locked House. By W. D. Snodgrass.
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
The FDA weighs in on the safety of CBD. Charities fear an even bigger drop in giving this year. Plus, how realistic is the prospect of wiping out student debt?
The FDA weighs in on the safety of CBD. Charities fear an even bigger drop in giving this year. Plus, how realistic is the prospect of wiping out student debt?
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
Whatever lies at the end of this vibrant, red path of fallen pine needles is surely something magical. Path in the Woods by American photographer Eliot Porter, born December 6, 1901, is just one example of his dedication to capturing nature in living color. During the 1940s, when most serious photographers still worked in black and white, Porter became known for his color photographs of landscapes, trees, and birds. In Path in the Woods, color plays the vital role of making a bare pine forest seem warm and inviting, beckoning the viewer to explore vivid reds, greens, and browns. Porter certainly did his fair share of wilderness exploration: he not only captured images of America's disappearing wilderness, but also the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, and East Africa. His widely-published work was a powerful tool in promoting conservation, particularly of wild birds. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1941 to photograph several threatened avian species, which led to his famous Birds in Color series. The latter was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art two years later. It goes to show that the power of color photography was no pigment of Porter's imagination!
Below: more of Porter's nature photos.
Image credit & copyright: Eliot Porter
Whatever lies at the end of this vibrant, red path of fallen pine needles is surely something magical. Path in the Woods by American photographer Eliot Porter, born December 6, 1901, is just one example of his dedication to capturing nature in living color. During the 1940s, when most serious photographers still worked in black and white, Porter became known for his color photographs of landscapes, trees, and birds. In Path in the Woods, color plays the vital role of making a bare pine forest seem warm and inviting, beckoning the viewer to explore vivid reds, greens, and browns. Porter certainly did his fair share of wilderness exploration: he not only captured images of America's disappearing wilderness, but also the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, and East Africa. His widely-published work was a powerful tool in promoting conservation, particularly of wild birds. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1941 to photograph several threatened avian species, which led to his famous Birds in Color series. The latter was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art two years later. It goes to show that the power of color photography was no pigment of Porter's imagination!
Below: more of Porter's nature photos.
Image credit & copyright: Eliot Porter
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : February 24, 2017
kudos \KOO-dahss\ noun
Definition
1 : fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement : prestige
2 : praise give...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : February 24, 2017
kudos \KOO-dahss\ noun
Definition
1 : fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement : prestige
2 : praise give...