SpecialNet

Baba Taher

2005-04-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

Most of his life is clouded in mystery. He probably lived in Hamadan. His nickname, 'Aryan (the Naked), suggests that he was a wandering dervish, or mystic. Legend tells that the poet, an illiterate woodcutter, attended lectures at a religious college, where he was ridiculed

Pace University

2005-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Private, coeducational institution of higher learning with campuses in New York City, Pleasantville, and White Plains, New York, U.S. The university includes Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, Lienhard School of Nursing, and schools of Education, Law, and Computer Science and Information Systems. In addition to undergraduate studies, the

Zodiacal Light

2005-04-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

Band of light in the night sky, thought to be sunlight reflected from meteoroids concentrated in the plane of the zodiac, or ecliptic. The light is seen in the west after twilight and in the east before dawn, being easily visible in the tropics where the ecliptic is approximately vertical. In mid-northern latitudes it is best seen in the evening in February and March

Sadhu And Swami

2005-04-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Also spelled saddhu and swamy, Sanskrit sadhu and svamin, in India, religious or holy men. Sadhu signifies any religious ascetic or holy man. The class of sadhus includes not only genuine saints of many faiths but also men (and occasionally women) who have left their homes in order to concentrate on physical and spiritual disciplines, as well as hermits, magicians, and fortune-tellers, some of dubious religious intent. Swami

Aromatic Compound

2005-04-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Any of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecular structure includes one or more planar rings of atoms joined by covalent bonds of two different kinds. The term aromatic was first applied about 1860 to a group of hydrocarbons isolated from coal tar and distinguished by their odours, which are much stronger than those of other groups of hydrocarbons; in chemistry,

Triforium

2005-04-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

In architecture, space in a church above the nave arcade, below the clerestory, and extending over the vaults, or ceilings, of the side aisles. The term is sometimes applied to any second-floor gallery opening onto a higher nave by means of arcades or colonnades, like the galleries in many ancient Roman basilicas or Byzantine churches. The triforium became an integral

Earth Sciences, Knowledge of Earth history

2005-03-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

The occurrence of seashells embedded in the hard rocks of high mountains aroused the curiosity of early naturalists and eventually set off a controversy on the origin of fossils that continued through the 17th century. Xenophanes of Colophon (flourished c. 560 BC) was credited by later writers with observing that seashells occur “in the midst of earth and in mountains.” He

Gauss, Carl Friedrich

2005-03-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Gauss was the only child of poor parents.

Tiger Snake

2005-03-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

This common serpent, most numerous in swampy places in southern regions, is variable in colour but often has brown-and-yellow

Huckleberry

2005-03-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

Small, fruit-bearing, branching shrub of the genus Gaylussacia (family Ericaceae), resembling in habit the English bilberry (Vaccinium), to which it is closely allied. The huckleberry bears fleshy fruit with 10 nutlike seeds, differing in this respect from the blueberry. The common huckleberry of the northern United States is G. baccata, also called black, or high-bush, huckleberry.

Macdowell, Edward (alexander)

2005-03-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

MacDowell first studied in New York with Teresa Carreño and then at the Conservatoire (1876–78) in Paris. In 1878 he went to Germany to study composition

Dasa

2005-03-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Also spelled dasyu member of an aboriginal people in India encountered and embattled by the invading Aryans (c. 1500 BC). They were described by the Aryans as a dark-skinned, harsh-spoken people who worshiped the phallus. This allusion has persuaded many scholars that worship of the linga, the Hindu religious symbol, originated with them; it may, however, have referred to their sexual practices.

Stewart, Payne William

2005-03-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

American golfer who during a 19-year career captured 18 professional tournaments, notably the Professional Golfers' Association 1989 title and the 1991 and 1999 U.S. Open titles as well as a stunning comeback victory as part of the 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup squad; he was instantly recognizable on the golf course wearing his trademark knickers and tam-o'-shanter. He was killed in a plane crash (b. Jan. 30, 1957, Springfield,

Zacapú

2005-03-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

In full Zacapú De Mier, city, north-central Michoacán estado (“state”), west-central Mexico. It is in the Sierra de Nahuatzén, 6,500 feet (1,980 m) above sea level and west of Morelia, the state capital. Agriculture and livestock raising are the principal sources of income, the main crops being wheat, beans, and especially corn (maize). The remains of several Tarascan Indian buildings are nearby. The Heroica

Iliocostalis Muscle

2005-03-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

Any of the deep muscles of the back that, as part of the erector spinae (sacrospinalis) muscle group, aid in extension (bending backward), lateral flexion (bending to the side), and rotation of the spinal column. The iliocostalis group consists of a lower part (iliocostalis lumborum) that extends from the ilium (upper part of the hipbone) to the lower ribs, a middle part (iliocostalis

Owo

2005-03-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

Town, Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria, at the southern edge of the Yoruba Hills (elevation 1,130 feet [344 m]) and at the intersection of roads from Akure, Kabba, Benin City, and Siluko. A major collecting point for cocoa, it also serves as a market centre (yams, cassava, corn [maize], rice, palm oil and kernels, pumpkins, okra). Cotton and teak are cultivated in the surrounding area, which was

Belize, Daily life

2005-03-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

The social class of the people—whether they are poor or middle class—affects whether they will have such amenities as a car or television and influences as well whether their children will complete secondary school. Belizeans who have television watch mostly foreign programs, such as Mexican soap operas and North American sports; and the music they listen to largely

Gonad

2005-03-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

The gonads in some lower invertebrate groups (e.g., hydrozoans) are temporary organs; in higher forms they are permanent. In some invertebrates, such as oligochaete worms and leeches, both

Pendulum

2005-03-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

Body suspended from a fixed point so that it can swing back and forth under the influence of gravity. Pendulums are used to regulate the movement of clocks because the interval of time for each complete oscillation, called the period, is constant. The scientist Galileo first noted (c. 1583) the constancy of a pendulum's period by comparing the movement of a swinging lamp in

Eastern Orthodoxy, Attempts at ecclesiastical union and theological renaissance

2005-03-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

In 1261 the Nicaean emperor Michael Palaeologus recaptured Constantinople from the Latins, and an Orthodox patriarch again occupied the see in Hagia Sophia. From 1261 to 1453 the Palaeologan dynasty presided over an empire that was embattled from every side, torn apart by civil wars, and gradually shrinking to the very limits of the imperial city itself. The church, meanwhile,

Epidaurus

2005-03-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

In ancient Greece, important commercial centre on the eastern coast of the Argolid in the northeastern Peloponnese; it is famed for its 4th-century-BC temple of Asclepius, the god of healing. Excavations of the sacred precinct reveal that it contained temples to Asclepius and Artemis, a theatre, stadium, gymnasiums, baths, a tholos, a hospital, and an abaton, an area where

Ramanuja

2005-03-21T19:24:00.000-08:00

Ramanuja's chief contribution to philosophy was his emphasis that discursive thought is necessary in man's search for the ultimate verities, that the phenomenal world is real and provides real knowledge, and that the exigencies of daily life are not detrimental or even contrary to the life of the spirit. In this emphasis he is the antithesis of Sankara, of whom he was sharply

Yamanashi

2005-03-21T01:39:00.000-08:00

Yamanashi

Warthog

2005-03-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

(Phacochoerus aethiopicus), member of the pig family, Suidae (order Artiodactyla), found in open and lightly forested areas of Africa. The warthog is a sparsely haired, large-headed, blackish or brown animal standing about 76 centimetres (30 inches) at the shoulder. It has a coarse mane extending from the neck to the middle of the back, and it has a long,

Benue-congo Languages

2005-03-19T02:03:00.000-08:00

The 60 Cross River languages are situated around the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria and westward toward the Niger Delta. The largest of these languages is Ibibio, which together with its written cousin, Efik, has some 3,500,000 speakers. Other languages with more than 100,000 speakers are Anang, Khana, Ogbia, Loko, Mbembe, Obolo, and Gokana.

Heinlein, Robert A(nson)

2005-03-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1929 and serving in the Navy for five years, Heinlein pursued graduate studies in physics and mathematics at the University of California at

Metz

2005-03-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

Metz derives its name from the Mediomatrici, a Gallic tribe who made it their capital. It was

Amphibole, Regional metamorphic rocks

2005-03-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Many different amphiboles may be contained in regional metamorphic rocks. Commonly several amphiboles may coexist with one another in the same sample, depending on the bulk chemistry of the rock and on the pressure and temperature of metamorphism. The amphiboles typically occur with plagioclase feldspar, quartz, and biotite, as well as with chlorite and oxide

Portugal, Pre-Roman, Roman, Germanic, and Muslim periods

2005-03-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

The earliest human remains found in Portugal are Neanderthal-type bones from Furninhas. A distinct culture first emerges in the Mesolithic middens of the lower Tagus valley, dated about 5500 BC. Neolithic cultures entered from Andalusia. There are varied types of beehive huts and passage graves: agriculture, pottery, and the working of soft metals followed by the same

Aesthetics

2005-03-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

Many attempts have been made to develop a specifically Marxist aesthetics, one that would incorporate the Marxian theory of history and class consciousness and the critique of bourgeois ideology, so as to generate principles of analysis and evaluation and show the place of art in the theory and practice of revolution. William Morris in En-gland and Georgy V. Plekhanov

Alabama, Plant and animal life

2005-03-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

The warm climate of Alabama has nurtured a rich plant cover, including more than 125 tree varieties. Most of the thick forests are in the north and northeast. Pine trees predominate, and live oaks are also found statewide, lending grace to the streets of the older towns and cities. Sweet gum and black walnut are also common, while the colourful red cedar is most abundant in

Ady, Endre

2005-03-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Ady was born into an impoverished but noble family. On leaving school he studied law for a time, but in 1899 he published an insignificant volume of verse, Versek, and from 1900 until his death he worked as a journalist. In 1903 he published another volume of poetry,

Heilbrun, Carolyn

2005-03-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Heilbrun attended Wellesley (Massachusetts) College (B.A., 1947) and Columbia University in New York City (M.A., 1951; Ph.D., 1959) and in 1960 joined the faculty of Columbia, where she taught until 1992. Among her scholarly

Ughelli

2005-03-14T03:05:00.000-08:00

Town, Delta state, southern Nigeria. Ughelli lies in the western Niger River delta east of Warri. Originally an agricultural-trade centre (cassava, plantains, sugarcane, palm oil and kernels) for the Urhobo (Isoko) people, it has also developed industries producing sheet glass, glass bottles, and natural gas. Petroleum deposits were discovered in the vicinity, and since

Gujarat, Education

2005-03-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

Primary schools for all children between the ages of 7 and 11 have been opened in nearly all villages with 500 or more inhabitants. Special schools are run for tribal children and for the teaching of arts and crafts. There are many secondary schools, as well as nine universities and a large number of institutions for higher education. Technical education is provided by engineering

Skien

2005-03-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

Town and seat of Telemark fylke (county), southern Norway, on the Skienselva (river). Originally the site of a monastery, the town, founded in 1110, is one of the oldest in Norway; it was incorporated in 1346. An industrial centre and port, Skien's lumber and mining concerns began the development of the area in the mid-1600s. The ore has been exhausted, but the town has important foundries and

Ocean

2005-03-12T03:47:00.000-08:00

The first major undersea survey was undertaken during the 1870s, but it was not until the last half of the 20th century that scientists began to learn what lies beneath the ocean surface in any detail. It has been determined that the ocean basins, which hold the vast quantity of water that covers nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface, have an average depth of almost four

Davies, Robertson

2005-03-12T02:27:00.000-08:00

Educated in England at the University of Oxford, Davies had training in acting, directing, and stage management as a member of the Old Vic Repertory Company. He edited the Peterborough Examiner (1942–63), a newspaper owned

Raman Effect

2005-03-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules. The phenomenon is named for Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who discovered it in 1928. When a beam of light traverses a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a small fraction of the light emerges in directions other than that of the incident (incoming) beam. Most of

Kikuyu

2005-03-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Kikuyu moved into their modern territory from the northeast in the 17th–19th

Silhak

2005-03-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

The Silhak school attacked Neo-Confucianism, particularly its formalism and concern with ritual. Members of the

Qatar

2005-03-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Officially State of Qatar , Arabic Dawlat Qatar independent emirate on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. It occupies a small desert peninsula that extends from the larger Arabian Peninsula north of eastern Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It has an area of 4,416 square miles (11,437 square km), the total including a number of nearby small islands and the Hawar Islands (which are also claimed by Bahrain) in the Persian

China, Incipient Neolithic

2005-03-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Study of the historical reduction of the size of human teeth suggests that the first human beings to eat cooked food did so in South China. The southern sites of Hsien-jen-tung in Kiangsi and Tseng-p'i-yen in Kwangsi have yielded artifacts from the 10th to the 7th millennium BC that include low-fired, cord-marked sherds with some incised decoration and mostly chipped stone

Tall Za'tar

2005-03-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Also called Zaátar, former Palestinian refugee camp, Jabal Lubnan muhafazah (governorate), central Lebanon, north of Beirut, near Nabay. The camp was the last large Muslim outpost in the midst of the predominantly Christian inhabited area of north Lebanon and had a population estimated at 15,000 in the mid-1970s. During the Lebanese civil war (that began in the spring of 1975) between Muslims and Christians,

Macaque

2005-03-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

(Macaca), any of about 12 species of gregarious, diurnal monkeys, belonging to the family Cercopithecidae, found primarily in Asia. Macaques are robust animals with arms and legs of about the same length. Their fur is generally a shade of brown or blackish and their muzzles, like those of baboons, are doglike but are rounded in profile and bear the nostrils

Killanin (of Galway), Michael Morris, 3rd Baron

2005-03-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

British-born Irish journalist, film producer, author, and sports administrator (b. July 30, 1914, London, Eng.—d. April 25, 1999, Dublin, Ire.), served as president (1972–80) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during a turbulent period marked by boycotts and international disputes. He inherited the title of Baron Killanin when his uncle died in 1927, and he attended the Sorbonne (1932) in Paris and Magdalene

Francis Joseph

2005-03-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Although he had been raised to be a soldier and wore a uniform all his life, Francis Joseph was no more a strategist than he was a statesman. He made up for this deficiency by the careful study of documents, by an extraordinarily retentive memory, and by being a shrewd judge of character. Invariably well informed and familiar with the reports of his envoys, he was to his

Van Kleeck, Mary Abby

2005-03-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Van Kleeck, the daughter of a minister, received her bachelor's degree from Smith College in 1904 and joined the College Settlements Association, where she began her

Meloria

2005-03-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Rocky islet in the Ligurian Sea, off the coast of Tuscany, north central Italy, opposite Livorno. Meloria is known as the site of two 13th-century naval battles, both features of the long-standing rivalry between Pisa and Genoa. In the first battle (1241) the fleets of the Holy Roman emperor Frederick II and of Pisa attacked a Genoese squadron and captured the English, French, and

Canary

2005-03-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

(species Serinus canaria), popular cage bird of the family Carduelidae (order Passeriformes). It owes its coloration and sustained vocal powers to 400 years of selective breeding by humans. Varieties called rollers trill almost continuously, the notes running together; choppers have a loud trill of distinct notes. Well-known breeds include Hartz Mountain, Norwich, and

Arab Monetary Fund

2005-03-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

Arabic As-sanduq Al-mali Al-'arabi, fund that aims to assist its participants, nearly all of the members of the Arab League, by developing their capital markets, balancing payment difficulties, and helping with foreign-exchange rates. Established in April 1976, the agreement entered into force in February 1977. During its annual meeting, the board of governors of the fund formulates policy aimed at integrating

Sorcery

2005-03-04T04:15:00.000-08:00

The practice of malevolent magic, derived from casting lots as a means of divining the future in the ancient Mediterranean world. Some scholars distinguish sorcery from witchcraft by noting that it is learned rather than intrinsic. Other scholars, noting that modern witches claim to learn their craft, suggest that sorcery's intent is always evil and that of witchcraft

Mitchell, Charles E(dwin)

2005-03-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

Mitchell took his first job with the Western Electric Company in Chicago and became the president's assistant in 1903. Three years later he left the firm and became assistant to the president at The Trust Company of America in New York City, a position he held for five years.

Mind, Philosophy Of

2005-03-03T03:01:00.000-08:00

One attribute that sharply distinguishes man from the rest of nature is his highly developed capacity for thought, feeling, and deliberate action. Here and there in other animals, rudiments,

Gandak River

2005-03-02T01:36:00.000-08:00

Also called Narayani River, river in central Nepal and northern India. It is formed by the union of the Kali and Trisuli rivers, which rise in the Great Himalaya Range in Nepal; from this junction to the Indian border the river is called the Narayani. It flows southwest into India and then turns southeast along the Uttar Pradesh–Bihar state border and across the Gangetic Plain. It enters the Ganges River

Alunogen

2005-03-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

A sulfate mineral formed by sulfate solutions that attack aluminous minerals; alunogen is hydrated aluminum sulfate, formulated Al2(SO4)3×18H2O. It typically occurs as an efflorescence or crevice filling in pyrite-containing coal formations, shales, or slates, as well as in the gossan (weathered capping) of sulfide ore deposits and in volcanic fumarole deposits. In older

Pacific Islands, Changing administrations

2005-03-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

Two United Nations trust territories were the first to achieve sovereignty as independent nations—Western Samoa (now Samoa) in 1962 and Nauru in 1968. The first continued to rely on New Zealand in foreign affairs, while Nauru ended its trusteeship ties with Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. New Zealand, a Commonwealth member with a self-conscious Maori Polynesian

Andaman Islands

2005-02-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

Island group, Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory, India, in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. The Andamans constitute one of the two major groups of islands in the union territory. They include more than 300 islands (26 inhabited), with a land area of 2,474 square miles (6,408 square km). The three major islands are North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman (closely

China, Taoism

2005-02-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

Under the Chin dynasty several popular Taoist sects had flourished in northern China, and Genghis Khan had apparently been impressed by the Taoist patriarch Ch'ang-ch'un. In 1223 Genghis Khan granted to Ch'ang-ch'un and his followers full exemption from taxes and other duties demanded by the government; this was the first of a series of edicts granting special privileges

Jackdaw

2005-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Also called Daw (species Corvus monedula), crowlike black bird with gray nape and pearly eyes of the family Corvidae (q.v.; order Passeriformes). Jackdaws, which are 33 cm (13 inches) long, breed in colonies in tree holes, cliffs, and tall buildings: their flocks fly in formation around the site. They lay four to six light, greenish blue eggs that are spotted and blotched. The bird's

Wolof Empire

2005-02-26T23:32:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ouolof (fl. 14th–16th century), state that dominated what is now inland Senegal during the early period of European contact with West Africa. Founded soon after 1200, the Wolof state was ruled by a king, or burba, whose duties were both political and religious. During the 14th century, it began to develop satellite states, of which the most important was Cayor. During the 15th century Wolof was

Eleanor Of Aquitaine

2005-02-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

Eleanor was the daughter and heiress of William X, duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers, who possessed one of the largest domains in France—larger,

West Chester

2005-02-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Borough (town), seat (1786) of Chester county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. It lies 27 miles (43 km) west of Philadelphia. Settlement began in the early 1700s, and Turk's Head Inn was established there in 1761; but the town's growth was delayed by a prolonged dispute with Chester (now in Delaware county) over the permanent location of the county seat. During the American Revolution, the Battle

Biblical Literature, The King James (Authorized) Version

2005-02-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

A conference of churchmen in 1604 became noteworthy

Berdichevsky, Micah Joseph

2005-02-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Pseudonym Micah Joseph Bin Gorion author of works in Hebrew, German, and Yiddish. His impassioned writings, perhaps more than those of any other Jewish author, bear poignant witness to the “rent in the heart” of 19th-century Jews torn between tradition and assimilation. He was also the author of enduring reconstructions of Jewish

Lipscomb, William Nunn, Jr.

2005-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

Lipscomb graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1941 and earned his Ph.D. in 1946 from the California Institute of Technology. He worked as a physical chemist in the Office

Sillanpää, Frans Eemil

2005-02-24T00:03:00.000-08:00

The son of a peasant farmer, Sillanpää began studying natural science but in 1913 returned to the country, married, and began to write. His first short stories were published in journals in 1915. From 1924 to 1927 he worked for a publishing company in Porvoo. A new creative

Triglyceride

2005-02-23T23:54:00.000-08:00

Any one of an important group of naturally occurring lipids (fat-soluble components of living cells). Triglycerides are esters in which three molecules of one or more different fatty acids are linked to the alcohol glycerol; they are named according to the fatty acid components; e.g., tristearin contains three molecules of stearic acid, and oleodistearin, one of oleic

Arendt, Hannah

2005-02-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Arendt grew up in her native Hannover, Germany, and in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). She attended the universities of Marburg, Freiburg, and Heidelberg (from which she received

Great Rye Island

2005-02-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

Slovak Vel'ký Zitný Ostrov riverine island, Západní Slovensko kraj (region), Slovakia. The island lies southeast of Bratislava, between the Little Danube and Váh rivers to the north and the Danube to the south. It is composed of rich alluvial sediments deposited by the Danube in the Little Alföld, which is a plain shared by Hungary and Slovakia. Like Little Schütt Island (Szigetköz) on the Hungarian

Insurance, Government regulation

2005-02-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

The insurance business is subject to extensive government regulation in all countries. In European countries insurance regulation is a mixture of central and local controls. In Germany central authority over insurance regulation is provided by the Federal Insurance Supervisory Authority (BAV), which exercises tight control of premiums, reserves, and investments

Turkish Bath

2005-02-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

Kind of bath that originated in the Middle East and combines exposure to warm air, then steam or hot-air immersion, massage, and finally a cold-water bath or shower. The Turkish bath typically requires movement from one room or chamber to the next. Separate wash rooms and soaking pools may be included in the bath building, as are dressing and rest rooms. The Turkish bath

Indian Philosophy, Concepts of bhedabheda

2005-02-20T03:51:00.000-08:00

Among pre-Sankara commentators on the Vedanta-sutras, Bhartrprapañca defended the thesis

Azide

2005-02-20T01:16:00.000-08:00

Any of a class of chemical compounds containing three nitrogen atoms as a group, represented as (-N3). Azides are considered as derived from hydrazoic acid (HN3), an inorganic salt such as sodium azide (NaN3), or an organic derivative in which the hydrogen atom of hydrazoic acid is replaced by a hydrocarbon group as in alkyl or aryl azide (RN3), or by an acyl (carboxylic acid) group

Antarctic Circle

2005-02-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

Parallel, or line of latitude around the Earth, at 66°30¢ S. Because the Earth's axis is inclined about 23.5° from the vertical, this parallel marks the northern limit of the area within which, for one day or more each year, at the summer and winter solstices, the Sun does not set (December 21 or 22) or rise (June 21 or 22). The length of continuous day or night increases southward from one day at the Antarctic

Abbe, Cleveland

2005-02-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

Trained as an astronomer, he was appointed director of the Cincinnati (Ohio) Observatory in 1868. His interest gradually turned to meteorology, however, and he inaugurated a public weather service that served

Jammu And Kashmir, The foothills

2005-02-19T03:49:00.000-08:00

The foothills of the Himalayas, rising from about 2,000 to 7,000 feet (600 to 2,100 metres), form outer and inner zones. The outer zone consists of sandstones, clays, silts, and conglomerates, influenced by Himalayan folding movements and eroded to form long ridges and valleys (duns). The inner zone consists of more massive sedimentary rock, including red sandstones of Miocene age (about 5.3 to

Theism

2005-02-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Theism's view of God can be clarified by contrasting it with that of deism, of pantheism, and of mysticism. Deism closely resembles theism; but for the deist, God is not involved in the world in the same personal way. He has made

Plücker, Julius

2005-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Plücker attended the universities in Heidelberg, Bonn, Berlin, and Paris. In 1829, after four years as an unsalaried lecturer, he became a professor at the University of Bonn, where

Atmospheric Sciences, Elements of cloud formation

2005-02-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

The formation of cloud droplets and cloud ice crystals occurs associated with suspended aerosols of natural and anthropogenic origin, which are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere. In the absence of such aerosols, relative humidities much greater than 100 percent with respect to a flat surface are required for water vapour to condense spontaneously into liquid

Szolnok

2005-02-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

Town and seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok megye (county), east-central Hungary, at the confluence of the Zagyva and Tisza rivers. Under the Árpád kings (c. 890–1301) Szolnok was a market town and distributing centre for rock salt from the Maramures Mountains (now in Romania). Later in the European Middle Ages it was a strategic settlement fiercely contested by Magyars and Turks. In modern

Yáñez, Agustín

2005-02-16T05:10:00.000-08:00

Born in a provincial neighbourhood of Guadalajara, Yáñez was enamoured of its traditions and values. As a young man he was a contributor

Antarctic Peninsula

2005-02-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Palmer Peninsula, Graham Land , or Tierra de O'Higgins peninsula claimed by Britain as part of the British Antarctic Territory and also claimed by Chile and Argentina. It forms an 800-mile (1,300-kilometre) northward extension of Antarctica toward the southern tip of South America. The peninsula is ice-covered and mountainous, the highest point being Mount Jackson (13,750 feet [4,191 m]). Marguerite Bay indents the west coast, and Bransfield

Appiah, Kwame Anthony

2005-02-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

Appiah was the son of Joseph Appiah, a Ghanaian-born barrister, and Peggy Cripps, daughter of the British statesman Sir Stafford

Yizkor

2005-02-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

(Hebrew: “may he [i.e., God] remember”), the opening word of memorial prayers recited for the dead by Ashkenazic (German-rite) Jews during synagogue services on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), on the eighth day of Passover (Pesah), on Shemini Atzeret (the eighth day of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles), and on the second day of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks). The prayers, recited after the reading

Automobile Racing

2005-02-14T04:58:00.000-08:00

The stunning success of Nigel Mansell, 1992 Formula One champion, in his first year in U.S. IndyCar competition highlighted a year in which virtuosity and tragedy shared centre stage. The 40-year-old Englishman, driving a Lola-Ford Cosworth for Newman-Haas Racing, edged 1993 Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi for the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) championship. Mansell

Cronus

2005-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Cronos, or Kronos , in ancient Greek religion, male deity who was worshiped by the pre-Hellenic population of Greece but probably was not widely worshiped by the Greeks themselves; he was later identified with the Roman god Saturn. Cronus' functions were connected with agriculture; in Attica his festival, the Kronia, celebrated the harvest and resembled the Saturnalia. In art he was

Fremont

2005-02-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

City, Alameda county, California, U.S., on the southeast shore of San Francisco Bay (there spanned by the Dumbarton Bridge), on the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct. Site of Mission San José de Guadalupe (founded in 1797), the city, named for John C. Frémont, the Western explorer, was formed in 1956 through the amalgamation of five communities—Centerville, Irvington, Niles, Mission San José, and Warm

Crailsheim

2005-02-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

City, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. It lies along the Jagst River, about 45 miles (70 km) northeast of Stuttgart. A Frankish settlement in the 6th and 7th centuries, it was chartered in 1320 and passed to the Hohenzollerns in 1399 and to Württemberg in 1810. Most of the old city with its historic buildings was destroyed in World War II, but the Romanesque church of St. John

Furniture, Japan

2005-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Thin

Zinc Processing, Casting alloys

2005-02-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

The major consumption of cast-zinc alloys is in products formed by pressure die-casting. This is a highly automated process in which molten alloy is injected under pressure into a steel die, where rapid solidification takes place. High production rates can be achieved, and the resulting components have good dimensional stability and surface quality. Also, they

Metal Point

2005-02-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

Descendant of the stylus of classical times and ancestor of the modern pencil, a small, sharpened metal rod used for drawing precise compositions on paper or parchment. The metal could be lead, silver, copper, or gold, but silverpoint was the most common choice because it is the most suited to permanent drawing, its stroke adhering unerasably. The silverpoint was of

Religion

2005-02-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

Theological justifications for violence were attempted on several fronts in 1994, even while new ground was broken in ecumenical and interfaith relations. (For figures on Adherents of All Religions by Continent, see Table I; for Adherents in the U.S., see Table II.)Scholarly works on the life of Jesus and on the status of homosexuality in the early church drew attention and

Wilder, Gene

2005-02-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

As a youth in Milwaukee, Wilder was a student of the renowned acting instructor Herman Gottlieb, and in 1955 he graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in theatre. In 1961 he joined the Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied under Lee

Hokinson, Helen

2005-02-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hokinson attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and began a career

China, Resumption of fighting

2005-02-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Each side seemed convinced that it could win by war what it could not achieve by negotiation—dominance over the other. Despite the efforts of Chinese moderates and General Marshall, fighting resumed in July in Manchuria, and in North China the Nationalists attempted massive drives in Kiangsu and Shantung to break the Communist grip on the railways. The Communists

Burbank, Luther

2005-02-09T04:17:00.000-08:00

Reared on a farm, Burbank received little more than a high

Port Angeles

2005-02-09T03:25:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1890) of Clallam county, northwestern Washington, U.S., on Juan de Fuca Strait, linked by ferry to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 18 miles (29 km) north across the strait. Located at the base of Ediz Hook (a 3.5-mile- [5.6-km-] long, curving sand bar), the site was visited in 1791 by the Spanish explorer Francisco Eliza, who named the harbour Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles. Permanently

Württemberg

2005-02-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Former German state, successively a countship, a duchy, a kingdom, and a republic before its partition after World War II. Its territory approximated the central and eastern areas of present-day Baden-Württemberg (q.v.) Land (state), of Germany. For the last period of its separate existence, Württemberg was bounded northeast and east by Bavaria, southeast by Bavaria and

Elijah

2005-02-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Elias, or Elia, Hebrew Eliyyahu Hebrew prophet who ranks with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being corrupted by the nature worship of Baal. Elijah's name means “Yahweh is my God” and is spelled Elias in some versions of the Bible. The story of his prophetic career in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah is told in 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 1–2 in the Old Testament.