CheapFowl

Iamb

2005-04-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Metrical foot consisting of one short syllable (as in classical verse) or one unstressed syllable (as in English verse) followed by one long or stressed syllable, as in the word {breve}be|cause¢ . Considered by the ancient Greeks to approximate the natural rhythm of speech, iambic metres were used extensively for dramatic dialogue, invective, satire, and fables. Also suited

Sea Pen

2005-04-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

The central stalk of the animal consists of a lower part, the peduncle, which anchors the colony in mud or sand, and

Altiplano

2005-04-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

English High Plateau , also called Puna region of southeastern Peru and western Bolivia. The Altiplano originates northwest of Lake Titicaca in southern Peru and extends about 600 miles (965 km) southeast to the southwestern corner of Bolivia. It is a series of intermontane basins lying at about 12,000 feet (3,650 m) above sea level. Lake Titicaca occupies the northernmost basin; to the south are Lake Poopó and the Coipasa and

Finland, Ethnic and linguistic composition

2005-04-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

It appears that the ancestors of the Sami were present in Finland by about 7000 BC. As other groups began to enter the area some 3,000 years later, the proto-Sami probably retreated northward. Archaeological remains suggest that this second wave of settlers came from or had contact with what was to become Russia and also Scandinavia and central Europe. Peoples of Uralic (specifically

Epistle

2005-04-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

In literature there are two basic traditions of verse epistles, one derived from Horace's Epistles and the other from Ovid's Epistulae heroidum (better known as Heroides). The tradition based on Horace addresses moral and philosophical themes and has been the most popular

Chancre

2005-04-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Typical skin lesion of the primary stage of infectious syphilis, usually appearing on the penis, labia, cervix, or anorectal region. (Because in women the chancre often occurs internally, it may go unnoticed.) The lesion often occurs in combination with a painless swelling of the regional lymph nodes, and together these symptoms are the major characteristics of syphilis

Aerospace Industry, Maintenance

2005-03-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

The maintenance support provided by aerospace-industry firms is applied primarily to corporate, commercial, and military aircraft. Light-plane maintenance is generally handled by local fixed-base operators, which are not considered part of the aerospace industrial complex. Launch vehicles and unmanned spacecraft, although maintained throughout their prelaunch

Japanese Cedar

2005-03-29T01:30:00.000-08:00

The Japanese

Colegate, Isabel

2005-03-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

At the age of 19 Colegate began working as an assistant to literary agent Anthony Blond; when Blond became a publisher, one of the first books he brought out was Colgate's first novel, The Blackmailer (1958). Her next novel, A Man of Power (1960), portrays a newly rich businessman

Wright Flyer Of 1903

2005-03-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

First powered airplane to demonstrate sustained flight under the full control of the pilot. Designed and built by Wilbur and Orville Wright in Dayton, Ohio, it was assembled in the autumn of 1903 at a camp at the base of the Kill Devil Hills, near Kitty Hawk, a village on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. After a first attempt failed on December 14, the machine was flown four times

Over-the-counter Market

2005-03-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Trading in stocks and bonds that does not take place on stock exchanges; such trading is most significant in the United States, where requirements for listing stocks on the exchanges are quite strict. It is often called the “off-board market,” and sometimes the “unlisted market,” though the latter term is misleading because some securities so traded are listed on an exchange.

Muwatallis

2005-03-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

Muwatallis was the son and successor of Mursilis II. Although Muwatallis' accession was unmarred by the customary flurry of revolts among the Hittite vassal states, a struggle with resurgent Egypt for the domination of Syria became imminent after Egypt reconquered Palestine and made the Orontes River

Ascaris

2005-03-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Any of a genus of worms (order Ascaridida, class Nematoda) that are parasitic in the intestines of various terrestrial animals, chiefly herbivores. They are typically large worms characterized by a mouth surrounded by three lips. The species Ascaris lumbricoides is probably the most familiar parasite in humans. An almost identical worm, often called A. suum, occurs

Felix Iii (or Ii), Saint

2005-03-22T07:23:00.000-08:00

Pope from 483 to 492. He succeeded St. Simplicius on March 13. Felix excommunicated Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople, in 484 for publishing with the emperor Zeno a document called the Henotikon, which appeared to favour Monophysitism, a doctrine that had been denounced at the Council of Chalcedon (451). The excommunication created the 35-year Acacian

Heinemann, William

2005-03-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Heinemann studied music in England and Germany but decided instead to become

East Greenland Current

2005-03-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Cold flow of water originating in the Arctic Ocean and flowing southward and southwestward along the east coast of Greenland. See Greenland Current.

Alkaline-earth Metal

2005-03-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Prior to the 19th century, substances that were nonmetallic, insoluble in water, and unchanged by fire were known as earths. Those earths, like lime, that resembled the alkalies (soda ash and

World War I, The U.S. entry into the war

2005-03-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

After the rupture of diplomatic relations with Germany on Feb. 3, 1917, events pushed the United States inexorably along the road to war. Using his authority as commander in chief, Wilson on March 9 ordered the arming of American merchant ships so that they could defend themselves against U-boat attacks. German submarines sank three U.S. merchant ships during March 16–18 with heavy

Argentina, The Gran Chaco

2005-03-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

The western Gran Chaco has growths of thorn forest dominated by algaroba (carob trees) in the drier and often saline zones. Quebracho trees (a source of tannin) are present, but not to the extent that they are farther east. No plants survive in areas with finer salt at the surface. Coarse bunchgrasses are common in the dry steppe, which also supports dense scrub forests

Condensation Reaction

2005-03-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of organic reactions in which two molecules combine, usually in the presence of a catalyst, with elimination of water or some other simple molecule. The combination of two identical molecules is known as self-condensation. Aldehydes, ketones, esters, alkynes (acetylenes), and amines are among several organic compounds that combine with each other and,

Yuga

2005-03-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

In Hindu cosmology, an age of mankind. Each yuga is progressively shorter than the preceding one, corresponding to a decline in the moral and physical state of humanity. Four such yugas (called Krta, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali after throws of an Indian game of dice) make up the mahayuga (“great yuga”), and 2,000 mahayugas make up the basic cosmic cycle, the kalpa. The first yuga (Krta) was an age

Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan

2005-03-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

Born into an aristocratic family, Ghalib passed his youth in luxury. Subsequently, he was granted a small pension by the British government but had to struggle against penury and hardships. Recognition finally came in 1850, when

Rub' Al-khali

2005-03-15T03:17:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ar-Rab' al-Khali (Arabic: “Empty Quarter”) vast desert in the southern Arabian Peninsula, covering about 250,000 square miles (650,000 square km) in a structural basin lying mainly in southeastern Saudi Arabia, with lesser portions in Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest area of continuous sand in the world. It occupies more than one-quarter of Saudi Arabia. The topography is varied. In the west the elevation

Rub' Al-khali

2005-03-14T16:18:00.000-08:00

ALS affects the motor neurons—i.e., those neurons that control muscular movements.

Disorderly Conduct

2005-03-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

Disorderly conduct may take the form of directly disturbing the peace, as when one intentionally disrupts a public meeting or awakens a sleeping community. Less directly, it includes

San Andrés Tuxtla

2005-03-14T02:32:00.000-08:00

Formerly Los Tuxtlas, city, southeastern Veracruz estado (“state”), south-central Mexico. It lies on the slopes of San Martín volcano, along the Tuxtla River, at an elevation of 1,181 feet (360 m) above sea level. The town was founded by Ixtlecos Indians in 1664, after the eruption of the volcano, and was made a city in 1893. Corn (maize), high-quality tobacco, sugarcane, and fruits all flourish in the hot, rainy climate, but

Maupin, Armistead

2005-03-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

Maupin was reared in North Carolina. He showed an early interest in film and theatre. His adolescent years were complicated by his growing awareness of his homosexuality. Graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1966, Maupin worked for a time under the future senator Jesse Helms

Durfort Family

2005-03-13T01:30:00.000-08:00

The family, which can be traced back to the 11th century, claims as a member Guy Aldonce I de Durfort (1605–65), Marquis de Duras, who raised three famous sons: Jacques Henri I (1625–1704), marshal of France (1675) and Duke de Duras (1689); Guy Aldonce II (1630–1702), marshal of France (1676) and Duke de Quintin (1691); and Louis (1638–1709), who went to England and became 2nd Earl of Feversham

Conner, Mount

2005-03-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

Most easterly of central Australia's giant tors, or monoliths, which include Ayers Rock (called Uluru by the region's Aborigines) and the Olga Rocks rising above the desert plain southeast of Lake Amadeus in southwestern Northern Territory. Mount Conner is flat-topped and horseshoe-shaped and reaches to 2,500 feet (760 m) above sea level; its lower 500 feet (150 m) are covered by a talus

Spallation

2005-03-12T03:52:00.000-08:00

High-energy nuclear reaction in which a target nucleus struck by an incident (bombarding) particle of energy greater than about 50 million electron volts (MeV) ejects numerous lighter particles and becomes a product nucleus correspondingly lighter than the original nucleus. The light ejected particles may be neutrons, protons, or various composite particles equivalent

enoa, August

2005-03-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Introducing the historical novel to Croatian literature, Šenoa contributed to the growing sense of national identity among the Croatian people.

Avon, River

2005-03-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Also called Upper Avon or Warwickshire Avon river, eastern tributary of the River Severn that rises near Naseby in central England and flows generally southwestward for 96 miles (154 km) through the counties of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The river shares the name Avon (derived from a Celtic word meaning “river”) with several other rivers in Great Britain, including the Avon

Memory Abnormality

2005-03-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Disorders of memory must have been known to the ancients and are mentioned in several early medical texts, but it was not until the closing decades of the 19th century that serious attempts were made to analyze them or to seek their explanation in terms of brain disturbances. Of the early attempts, the most influential

Biblical Literature, The Ascension of Isaiah

2005-03-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

According to the Lives of the Prophets, Jeremiah was stoned to death and Isaiah was sawn asunder. These two legends are reflected in two originally Jewish works. The Ascension of Isaiah, in which the martyrdom of Isaiah is narrated, is as a whole extant only in Ethiopic, translated from a Greek original, which itself is also known from fragments. The book contains important

Portugal

2005-03-09T04:03:00.000-08:00

Officially Portuguese Republic, Portuguese Portugal, or República Portuguesa, country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is bordered on the east and north by Spain and on the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean. Occupying about 16 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has a total area of 35,672 square miles (92,389 square km). Despite its small size, the country displays a great diversity of geographic features;

Anthony Of Tagrit

2005-03-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Originally from Tagrit, near Latakia, Syria, Anthony belonged to the part of the Eastern Syriac Church called the Jacobites, which had separated from the authority of the Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople in the 6th century.

Bka'-brgyud-pa

2005-03-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kagyupa (Tibetan: “Transmitted Word”), third largest Buddhist sect in Tibet. Its members are followers of the 11th-century teacher Mar-pa, who distinguished himself as a translator of Buddhist texts while continuing to live the life of a householder. Mar-pa studied in India under the master yogin (spiritual adept, or ascetic) Naropa, and the school stresses the more severe practices

Shigatse

2005-03-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Chinese (Wade-Giles) Jih-k'a-tse , Pinyin Xigazê city in the south-central part of the Tibet autonomous ch'ü (region), China. Situated on a well-defended height (elevation 12,800 feet [3,900 m]) overlooking the confluence of two rivers in one of the most fertile valley areas of Tibet, it is the traditional capital of the area known as Hou-tsang on the Nepal border. It was formerly a small town near one of the largest monasteries in Tibet,

West Bengal

2005-03-07T05:04:00.000-08:00

State of India. It is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bounded on the north by Bhutan and the state of Sikkim, on the east by Bangladesh, on the northeast by the state of Assam, on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on the southwest by the state of Orissa, on the northwest by Nepal, and on the west by the state of Bihar. Its area is 34,267 square miles (88,752 square kilometres). Although

Ashburnham, John

2005-03-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

The son of Sir John Ashburnham (d. 1620), he began a career at court under the patronage of a prominent kinsman, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. He was treasurer of the Royal army during the first Civil War and commissioner in the Uxbridge negotiations (1644) before escaping abroad, to

Lurçat, Jean

2005-03-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Although his first tapestries were executed and exhibited in 1917, it was not until 1936 that Lurçat turned from being primarily a painter to designing tapestries. In 1939 he and the painters

Tributyl Phosphate

2005-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

An organic liquid solvent used in the extraction of uranium and plutonium salts from reactor effluents, as a solvent for nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate, and as a heat-exchange medium. A phosphorus-containing compound with molecular formula (C4H9)3PO4, it is prepared by reaction of phosphorus oxychloride with butyl alcohol. Tributyl phosphate is corrosive to

Intention

2005-03-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

(Latin: intentio), in scholastic logic and psychology, a concept used to describe a mode of being or relation. In knowing, the mind is said to “intend” or “tend toward” its object, and a thing as known, or in the knowing mind, has “intentional being.” Intention may mean either the mind knowing or the knowledge itself, analogous to the use of perception for the act of perceiving or for

Novocherkassk

2005-03-05T03:27:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Novocerkassk, city, Rostov oblast (province), southwestern Russia. It lies at the confluence of the Tuzlov and the Aksay rivers. The original 16th-century town of Starocherkasskaya stood along the Don River, but it was frequently inundated and was moved to its present site in 1805. Novocherkassk long served as the capital of the Don Cossack region and was a centre of opposition to the Bolsheviks

Mademoiselle

2005-03-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

As an honorific title in the French royal court, it came to be used (without the adjunction of a proper name) to refer to or address the daughter of the king's eldest living brother, who was himself called monsieur. The first to be called mademoiselle was

Toponymy

2005-03-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Taxonomic study of place-names, based on etymological, historical, and geographical information. A place-name is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. A habitation name denotes a locality that is peopled

Fields, Dame Gracie

2005-03-03T02:55:00.000-08:00

In music halls from childhood, Fields gained fame playing the role of Sally Perkins in a touring revue called Mr. Tower of London (1918–25). She became tremendously popular in Great Britain with an act composed of low-comedy songs, such as “The Biggest Aspidistra in the World,” and sentimental ballads,

Gwanda

2005-03-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

Town, southern Zimbabwe. Gwanda was founded in 1900, and its name derives from that of a nearby hill known as Jahunda. It is located on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road and the railway that runs south to West Nicholson. The town is the chief centre for southwestern Zimbabwe's cattle district and also trades in agricultural produce. There are gold, asbestos, and chrome mines in

Bohr, Aage N.

2005-03-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Bohr was educated at the University of Copenhagen, where he received his doctorate in 1954. During the 1940s he worked as assistant to his father, Niels Bohr (1922 Nobel physics laureate),

Salghurid Dynasty

2005-03-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

The Salghurids were one of the several dynasties of atabegs (notables who acted as guardians and tutors of infant Seljuq princes) who were deputized to govern Iranian provinces on behalf of Seljuq kings. The Salghurids in origin belonged to the Salor

Romanus Iii Argyrus

2005-03-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

He was an undistinguished Byzantine patrician, who was compelled by the dying emperor, Constantine VIII, to marry his daughter Zoe and to become his successor. Romanus showed great eagerness to make his mark as a ruler but was mostly unfortunate in his enterprises; and in his endeavour to relieve the pressure of taxation he disorganized

H Ii Region

2005-02-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Hii Region, in astronomy, interstellar matter consisting of ionized hydrogen atoms. Such regions occur as hot, ionized gaseous clouds, sometimes called emission nebulae. The energy that is responsible for ionizing and heating the hydrogen in an emission nebula comes from a central star that has a surface temperature in excess of 20,000 K. The density of these clouds normally ranges

Gonda

2005-02-27T03:32:00.000-08:00

The area in which Gonda is situated is drained by the Rapti and other Ghaghara tributaries and

Orange

2005-02-26T21:34:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1852) of Orange county, southeastern Texas, U.S. It lies at the Louisiana state line. Orange is a deepwater port on the Sabine River, which has been canalized to connect with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It is linked to Beaumont and Port Arthur by the tall Rainbow Bridge (1938), built to allow passage of the tallest ship of its time; with Beaumont and Port Arthur, Orange forms

Peralta, Pedro De

2005-02-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

Peralta arrived in Mexico City during the winter of 1608–09 following his university studies in Spain. In March 1609 the viceroy of Mexico appointed him to the post of governor of New Mexico; and, from April to October of that year, Peralta organized an expedition to that province. He

Baseball

2005-02-26T01:43:00.000-08:00

The Yakult Swallows of the Central League, which had won two Japan Series in the previous four seasons, defeated the Seibu Lions of the Pacific League four games to one in the 1997 postseason championship series. After a one-game-to-one tie in the two games played at the Lions' stadium in Tokorozawa, the Swallows swept the three-game series at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, their home

Peralta, Pedro De

2005-02-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Thomas E. Watson,

Christianity, The tendency toward asceticism

2005-02-25T04:17:00.000-08:00

The proponents of an ascetic theology demanded exclusiveness of devotion by faithful Christians to Christ and deduced from it the demand of celibacy. This is found in arguments for the monastic life and in the Roman Catholic view of the priesthood. The radical-ascetic interpretation stands in constant tension with the positive understanding of Christian marriage.

Aladdin

2005-02-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Arabic 'ala' Ad-din, hero of one of the best known stories in The Thousand and One Nights. The son of a deceased Chinese tailor and his poor widow, Aladdin is a lazy, careless boy who meets an African magician claiming to be his uncle. The magician brings Aladdin to the mouth of a cave and bids him enter and bring out a wonderful lamp that is inside, giving him a magic ring for his safety in the meantime.

Uruguay, Flag Of

2005-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

As part of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (formed in 1816), the Banda Oriental—which would eventually become the country known as Uruguay—was originally under the blue-white-blue horizontally striped flag raised by General Manuel Belgrano in 1812. However, like many other Argentine provinces, Uruguay developed a flag of its own. The earliest example, dating from

Murdoch, (keith) Rupert

2005-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

In 1998 one of the most talked-about conflicts in baseball took place off the field and in the boardroom. Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch revealed in late 1997 that he planned to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record-high price of $350 million. Despite the protest of media giant and Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, a longtime critic of Murdoch, on March 19, 1998, the sale was approved

Quiché

2005-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Department, northwestern Guatemala, bounded on the north by Mexico. The 3,235 sq mi (8,378 sq km) of the department extend from the valley of the upper Río Motagua across the Sierra de Chuacús and the Altos (mountains) Cuchumatanes to the lowlands of the Río Lacantum, at the Mexican border. Most of the inhabitants, many of whom are Maya Indians, are farmers, raising livestock, corn (maize),

Mauermayer, Gisela

2005-02-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Mauermayer began participating in track-and-field competitions at the age of 13. By 1930 she was competing internationally, and in 1934 she won the first women's pentathlon, at the Women's

Rabin, Yitzhak

2005-02-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Robert Slater, Rabin of Israel: Warrior for Peace (1996), is a biography.

Scandinavian Literature, Norwegian and Icelandic literature

2005-02-22T02:44:00.000-08:00

The roots of Norwegian literature reach back more than 1,000 years and become inextricably intertwined with early Icelandic literature. Although a large part of this early literature was composed either in Iceland or elsewhere in Scandinavia by Icelanders, the Norwegian element in it is considerable and indisputable, even though this cannot always be isolated

Iberian

2005-02-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

Spanish Ibero one of a prehistoric people of southern and eastern Spain who later gave their name to the whole peninsula. The waves of migrating Celtic peoples from the 8th to 6th century BC onward settled heavily in northern and central Spain, penetrated Portugal and Galicia, but left the indigenous Bronze Age Iberian people of the south and east intact. Greek geographers give the

Fischer, Bobby

2005-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Fischer learned the moves of chess

Bracket

2005-02-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

In architecture, device of wood, stone, or metal that projects from or overhangs a wall to carry a weight. It may also serve as a ledge to support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of volutes, or scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They are sometimes entirely ornamental. Among the types of bracket are the corbel and the console

Proctor

2005-02-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

The word is still used sometimes in the United States to

Earth, Temperature distribution

2005-02-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

The temperature distribution through the Earth is mainly constrained by the seismological observations of which regions are solid and which are liquid—i.e., which regions transmit shear waves and which do not (Figures 15 and 17 ). Thus, the average temperature in the solid crust and mantle must be lower than the melting point of rocks that make up these regions. Similarly,

Juárez

2005-02-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

The city's historic buildings include the Guadalupe mission

Kardelj, Edvard

2005-02-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

The son of a railroad worker, Kardelj graduated from the Ljubljana Teachers' College. From the age of 16 he was a member of the outlawed Communist

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

2005-02-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Typhus-like disease first described in the Rocky Mountain section of the United States, caused by a specific microorganism (Rickettsia rickettsii) and transmitted to man by ticks. It is identical with a disease known as São Paulo fever in Brazil and with the spotted fever of Colombia. Discovery of the microbe of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in 1906 by H.T. Ricketts led to

Pietro Da Cortona,

2005-02-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

Pietro studied in Rome from about 1612 under the minor Florentine painters Andrea Commodi and Baccio Ciarpi and was influenced by antique sculpture and the work of Raphael. The most important of his earliest paintings were three frescoes

Dai Hyakkajiten

2005-02-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

It was first published from 1931 to 1935 in 28 volumes, with four supplements published in 1939–52, and was reissued in 15 volumes (1951–53). In 1955–63, a successor encyclopaedia, the Sekai dai hyakkajiten (“World Encyclopaedia”), was published in 33 volumes containing approximately 70,000 articles signed by specialists;

Acatalasia

2005-02-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Rare hereditary metabolic disorder caused by lack of the organic catalyst or enzyme called catalase. Although a deficiency of catalase activity is noted in many tissues of the body, including the red blood cells, bone marrow, liver, and skin, only about half of the affected persons have symptoms, which consist of recurrent infections of the gums and associated oral

Arts, East Asian, Textiles

2005-02-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

Silk weaving became a major industry and one of China's chief exports in the Han dynasty. The caravan route across Central Asia, known as the Silk Road, took Chinese silk to Syria and on to Rome. In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle mentions sericulture on the island of Cos (Kos), but the art was evidently lost and reintroduced into Byzantium from China in the

Death Valley

2005-02-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

For several decades after its christening in 1849 by a hapless party of emigrants who endured intense suffering while crossing it, Death Valley was little known except to the Indians of the area and to prospectors searching the surrounding mountains. The first scientific notice of the valley seems to have been a brief note published in 1868 by a California state geologist.

Conservative Force

2005-02-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

In physics, any force, such as the gravitational force between the Earth and another mass, whose work is determined only by the final displacement of the object acted upon. The total work done by a conservative force is independent of the path resulting in a given displacement and is equal to zero when the path is a closed loop. Stored energy, or potential energy, can be

Spring

2005-02-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

In hydrology, opening at or near the surface of the Earth for the discharge of water from underground sources. A spring is a natural discharge point of subterranean water at the surface of the ground or directly into the bed of a stream, lake, or sea. Water that emerges at the surface without a perceptible current is called a seep. Wells are holes excavated to bring water

Yambol

2005-02-13T02:32:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Jambol town, east-central Bulgaria, on the Tundzha (Tundja) River. North of the present town are the ruins of Kabyle (or Cabyle), which originated as a Bronze Age settlement in the 2nd millennium BC and was conquered by the Macedonians under Philip II in 342–341 BC. Taken by Rome in 72 BC, Kabyle became a city in the Roman province of Thrace, governing the middle reaches of the Tundzha (ancient Tonsus)

Norfolk Island

2005-02-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Officially Territory of Norfolk Island external territory of Australia, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 1,041 miles (1,676 km) northeast of Sydney. The island, with an area of 13 square miles (35 square km), is about 5 miles (8 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide. It is volcanic in origin, and its generally rugged terrain, with a mean elevation of 360 feet (110 m) above sea level, rises to Mount Bates (1,047 feet [319 m]) and Mount Pitt (1,043 feet [318 m]). Kingston, in the south, is the

Stafford, William

2005-02-11T03:45:00.000-08:00

Stafford attended the University of Kansas (B.A., 1937; M.A., 1945) and the State University of Iowa, where he received a doctorate in 1955. A conscientious objector, he participated

Estébanez Calderón, Serafín

2005-02-10T03:25:00.000-08:00

Estébanez also spelled Estévanes, byname El Solitario one of the best-known costumbristas, Spanish writers who depicted in short articles the typical customs of the people. He moved to Madrid in 1830, where he published newspaper articles under the pseudonym El Solitario and pursued a career that combined Arabic studies, poetry, and the collecting of manuscripts. He was also influential in the

Earth

2005-02-10T02:39:00.000-08:00

Terrestrial body whose solid surface, abundant waters, and oxygen-rich atmosphere have combined to create conditions suitable for life. This article discusses the structure, composition, and properties of the solid Earth. For detailed treatment of its surface features, atmosphere, and waters, see the articles atmosphere, hydrosphere, ocean, river, lake, and continental

Aethra

2005-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Later she guarded Helen after she had been stolen from Sparta by Theseus; in retribution

Adding Machine

2005-02-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

A type of calculator (q.v.) used for performing simple arithmetical operations.

Niue

2005-02-07T23:56:00.000-08:00

Internally self-governing island state in free association with New Zealand. It is the westernmost of the Cook Islands but is administratively separate from them. Niue lies 1,340 miles (2,156 km) northeast of Auckland and 240 miles (385 km) east of Vava'u, Tonga, in the south-central Pacific. The capital is Alofi. Area 100 square miles (260 square km). Pop. (1994 est.) 2,200.

Nicaragua, Flag Of

2005-02-07T00:21:00.000-08:00

Independence for Central America was first proclaimed on September 15, 1821, but Mexico then subdued the area for two years. The flag of the newly independent United Provinces of Central America was adopted on August 21, 1823, and consisted of blue-white-blue stripes with the national coat of arms in the centre. Those arms included basically the same design elements Nicaragua uses

Turks And Caicos Islands, Cultural life

2005-02-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

Water sports—sailing, big game fishing, and, especially, scuba diving among the coral reefs—are popular and attract tourists to the islands. Radio and satellite-cable television are available. Publications include the Turks and Caicos News (weekly) and Conch News (weekly).

Switzerland, Rural communities

2005-02-06T00:38:00.000-08:00

Rural settlements predominate in the valleys. Alpine villages extending along the base of slopes are a characteristic sight. Since the extensive river diversions, made chiefly during the second half of the 19th century, many villages have expanded into valley plains, where intensive farming is carried on, as in the Seeland between Lakes Neuchâtel and Biel. The isolation

Cleon

2005-02-05T04:08:00.000-08:00

The first prominent representative of the commercial class in Athenian politics, he became leader of the Athenian democracy in 429 after the death of his political enemy, Pericles. In the Peloponnesian War he strongly advocated an offensive strategy. When Mytilene, which had revolted against Athens, fell in 427, Cleon proposed that all its citizens

Hokan Languages

2005-02-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Major group, or phylum, of American Indian languages; it includes three families of Meso-American Indian languages and 14 families of North American Indian languages. The Meso-American groups are Tequistlatec (two languages in Oaxaca, Mex.), Tlapanecan (one living language in Guerrero, Mex., and an extinct one in Nicaragua), and Jicaque (spoken in Honduras). The North American

Xerox Parc

2005-02-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Xerox had invented and dominated the paper copier market since 1948, but with the accession of C. Peter McColough as president in 1966 the company began to explore options for diversifying its business. In 1969 the director of research, Jack Goldman, produced a plan to establish an “Advanced Scientific & Systems Laboratory” to develop future technologies. The laboratory was not

Alexander Of Aphrodisias

2005-02-03T22:51:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of the 2nd century, Alexander became head of the Lyceum at Athens, an academy then dominated by the syncretistic philosophy of Ammonius Saccas, who blended the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle. Alexander's commentaries were intended

Handedness

2005-02-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

A tendency to use one hand rather than the other to perform most activities; it is the usual practice to classify persons as right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous. See laterality.

Prix Renaudot

2005-02-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

French literary prize awarded to the author of an outstanding original novel published during the previous year. Named for Théophraste Renaudot (1586?–1653), who founded La Gazette (later La Gazette de France), an influential weekly newspaper, the prize was established in 1925 and first awarded in 1926. Like the Prix Goncourt, with which it competes, the Prix Renaudot is awarded annually

Aum Shinrikyo

2005-02-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

A useful introduction to the sect can be found in Ian Reader, A Poisonous Cocktail?: Aum Shinrikyo's Path to Violence (1996).

São Leopoldo

2005-02-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

São Leopoldo serves an agricultural region producing

Denkyera

2005-02-02T04:05:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Denkyira major 17th-century kingdom of the southern Akan peoples, situated in the forested hinterland of modern Ghana's southwestern coast. According to tradition, its kings migrated from the area of the northern Akan or Brong. By the end of the 17th century they had subjugated the Twifo and the Akan subjects of Axim (to the south), had taken over the rich gold-bearing districts of

CheapFowl

Iamb

Sea Pen

Altiplano

Finland, Ethnic and linguistic composition

Epistle

Chancre

Aerospace Industry, Maintenance

Japanese Cedar

Colegate, Isabel

Wright Flyer Of 1903

Over-the-counter Market

Muwatallis

Ascaris

Felix Iii (or Ii), Saint

Heinemann, William

East Greenland Current

Alkaline-earth Metal

World War I, The U.S. entry into the war

Argentina, The Gran Chaco

Condensation Reaction

Yuga

Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan

Rub' Al-khali

Rub' Al-khali

Disorderly Conduct

San Andrés Tuxtla

Maupin, Armistead

Durfort Family

Conner, Mount

Spallation

enoa, August

Avon, River

Memory Abnormality

Biblical Literature, The Ascension of Isaiah

Portugal

Anthony Of Tagrit

Bka'-brgyud-pa

Shigatse

West Bengal

Ashburnham, John

Lurçat, Jean

Tributyl Phosphate

Intention

Novocherkassk

Mademoiselle

Toponymy

Fields, Dame Gracie

Gwanda

Bohr, Aage N.

Salghurid Dynasty

Romanus Iii Argyrus

H Ii Region

Gonda

Orange

Peralta, Pedro De

Baseball

Peralta, Pedro De

Christianity, The tendency toward asceticism

Aladdin

Uruguay, Flag Of

Murdoch, (keith) Rupert

Quiché

Mauermayer, Gisela

Rabin, Yitzhak

Scandinavian Literature, Norwegian and Icelandic literature

Iberian

Fischer, Bobby

Bracket

Proctor

Earth, Temperature distribution

Juárez

Kardelj, Edvard

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Pietro Da Cortona,

Dai Hyakkajiten

Acatalasia

Arts, East Asian, Textiles

Death Valley

Conservative Force

enoa, August