FrequentGlass

Crabbe, George

2005-04-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Crabbe grew up in the impoverished seacoast village of Aldeburgh and was apprenticed to a surgeon at 14. Hating his mean surroundings and unsuccessful occupation, he abandoned both in 1780 and went to London. In 1781 he wrote a

Shackleton, Sir Ernest Henry

2005-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Educated at Dulwich College (1887–90), Shackleton entered the mercantile marine service in 1890 and became a sublieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1901. He joined Captain Robert Falcon Scott's British National Antarctic (Discovery) Expedition (1901–04) as third

Actinium Series

2005-04-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Set of unstable heavy nuclei constituting one of the four radioactive series (q.v.).

Ear, Human, Hearing tests

2005-04-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Before the development of electroacoustic equipment for generating and measuring sound, the available tests of hearing gave approximate answers at best. A person's hearing could be specified in terms of the ability to distinguish the ticking of a watch or the clicking of coins or the distance at which conversational speech or a whispered voice could be understood.

Aubrey, John

2005-04-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

Antiquarian and writer, best known for his vivid, intimate, and sometimes acid biographical sketches of his contemporaries. Educated at Oxford at Trinity College, he studied law in London at the Middle Temple. He early displayed his interest in antiquities by calling attention to the prehistoric stones at Avebury,

Adab

2005-04-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Modern Bismayah ancient Sumerian city located south of Nippur (modern Niffer or Nuffar), Iraq. Excavations (1903–04) carried out by the American archaeologist Edgar James Banks revealed buildings dating from as early as the prehistoric period and as late as the reign of Ur-Nammu (reigned 2112–2095 BC). Adab was an important Sumerian centre only up to about 2000. The Sumerian king list ascribed to the city one

Korolyov

2005-03-31T19:24:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Korolev , formerly (1938–96) Kaliningrad city, Moscow oblast (province), Central federal district, western Russia. It lies just northeast of the city of Moscow. The area, known as Kalininsky, developed after 1928 as an industrial satellite, particularly for weapons manufacture, and dormitory town of the capital. It achieved city status and was renamed Kaliningrad in 1938. In 1996 the city was renamed in honour of the scientist

Neosho River

2005-03-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

It has a drainage area of 12,660 square miles (32,789 square km), and flow at its mouth varies from 133,000 cubic feet (3,800 cubic m) per second to as little as 35 cubic feet (1 cubic m). In Kansas,

Esquimalt

2005-03-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

District municipality and western suburb of metropolitan Victoria, southwestern British Columbia, Canada, at the southeastern end of Vancouver Island, on Juan de Fuca Strait. The name means “place of gradually shoaling waters” in the local Indian language. Its harbour was visited (1790) by Manuel Quimper of the Spanish navy, who called it Puerto de Cordova to honour the

Wandering Jew

2005-03-30T02:37:00.000-08:00

In horticulture, any of several popular houseplants in the family Commelinaceae. See spiderwort; Zebrina.

Ibn Al-athir

2005-03-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Ibn al-Athir spent a scholarly life in Mosul, but often visited Baghdad. He was for a time with Saladin's army in Syria and later lived in Aleppo and Damascus. His chief work was a history of the world, al-Kamil fi at-tarikh (“The Complete History”), starting with

General Strike

2005-03-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

The idea of a general strike, as a deliberate part of the tactics of collective bargaining, apparently began in Great Britain

Nagaland, The land

2005-03-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

Nearly all of Nagaland is mountainous. In the north, the Naga Hills rise abruptly from the Brahmaputra valley to about 2,000 feet (610 metres) and then increase in elevation toward the southeast to more than 6,000 feet. The mountains merge with the Patkai Range along the Myanmar border, reaching a maximum height of 12,552 feet (3,826 metres) at Mount Saramati. The region is deeply dissected by rivers:

Irish Sea

2005-03-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Irish Muir Éireann arm of the North Atlantic Ocean that separates Ireland from Great Britain. The Irish Sea is bounded by Scotland on the north, England on the east, Wales on the south, and Ireland on the west. The sea is connected with the Atlantic by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland and by St. George's Channel between the southeastern tip of Ireland and southwestern

Eritrea, Natural resources

2005-03-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

The area of cultivation is limited by climate and the uneven surface of the plateau, so that,

Haraszthy De Mokcsa, Agoston

2005-03-25T03:05:00.000-08:00

The son of a landowner, Haraszthy immigrated to the United States in 1840. He went to the upper Midwest and founded what is now Sauk City, Wis. In 1849 he journeyed with his family to San Diego, Calif., where he

Anderson, Maxie

2005-03-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

Anderson entered the Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, Mo., at the age of eight and throughout his schooling worked summers with his father,

Yamoussoukro Basilica

2005-03-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

In full Our Lady Of Peace Of Yamoussoukro Basilica, Roman Catholic basilica in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, that is the largest Christian church in the world. The basilica's rapid construction in 1986–89 was paid for by Côte d'Ivoire's president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, and the building is situated in his birthplace, the city of Yamoussoukro. The basilica's form is roughly based on that of Saint Peter's in Rome, with a dome surmounting

Afanasev, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

2005-03-22T05:05:00.000-08:00

Afanasev studied law at Moscow University. His early work included a study of Russian satirical journals of the late 18th century (1859) and commentaries on contemporary Russian literature. During the period

Indiana University

2005-03-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

State system of higher education consisting of the campuses in Bloomington (main), Gary (known as Northwest), South Bend, Kokomo, New Albany (known as Southeast), and Richmond (known as East), as well as schools operated in cooperation with Purdue University at Fort Wayne (known as Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne) and at Indianapolis (known as Indiana

Cabinet

2005-03-21T05:04:00.000-08:00

Washington's habit of calling regular and frequent cabinet meetings began a tradition that has been followed by every succeeding president. But it is important to remember that the cabinet exists solely to help the president carry out his functions as the nation's chief executive. He is virtually free to use it or not to use it as he pleases. Presidents have thus varied greatly in their use of the cabinet. Ordinarily, all members of a cabinet are of the same political party. Attendance at U.S. cabinet meetings is not restricted exclusively to those department heads that are of cabinet rank. Cabinet appointments are for the duration of the administration, but the president may dismiss any member at his own pleasure, without approval of the Senate.

Chrestien, Florent

2005-03-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

The son of Guillaume Chrestien, an eminent physician and writer on physiology, he became a pupil of Henri Estienne, the Hellenist, at an early age. Later, he was appointed tutor to Henry of Navarre, afterward Henry IV of France, who made him his librarian.

Lighthouse, Rectangular and drum lenses

2005-03-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

In 1828 Augustin Fresnel of France produced the first apparatus using the refracting properties of glass, now known as the dioptric system. On a lens panel he surrounded a central bull's-eye lens with a series of concentric glass prismatic rings. The panel collected light emitted by the lamp over a wide horizontal angle and also the light that would otherwise escape to

Perched Rock

2005-03-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Mushroom Rock, or Pedestal Rock, boulder balanced on a pinnacle rock, another boulder, or in some other precarious position. Some perched rocks form in place, as where rainwash (and in some cases wind) has removed fine material from around the boulder. Others may be transported by tectonic forces (involved in deformation of the Earth's crust) or by ice (such as erratics, or glacier transports) and let down

Santorio Santorio

2005-03-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

Santorio was a graduate of the University of Padua (M.D., 1582), where he later became professor of medical

Wigglesworth, Michael

2005-03-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Wigglesworth emigrated to America in 1638 with his family and settled in New Haven. In 1651 he graduated from Harvard College, where he was a tutor and a fellow from 1652 to 1654 and again from 1697 to 1705. He preached at Charlestown, Mass., in 1653–54 and was pastor at

Hines, Gregory

2005-03-18T02:24:00.000-08:00

By the age of four, Hines and his older brother Maurice were taking tap lessons with renowned dancer and choreographer Henry Le Tang. The brothers soon formed the Hines Kids, a song-and-dance

Responsorial Singing

2005-03-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Style of singing in which a leader alternates with a chorus. Responsorial singing is found in the folk music of many cultures—e.g., American Indian, African, and African American. One example from the rural United States is the lining out of hymns in churches: a leader sings a hymn line, which is then repeated by the congregation. Responsorial singing of the psalms was practiced

Durazno

2005-03-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

In full San Pedro De Durazno, city, central Uruguay, on the Yi River. Long part of an unclaimed area between Spanish and Portuguese territories, Durazno was not formally founded until 1821, when José Fructuoso Rivera established a settlement called San Pedro de Durazno, a name concocted from Dom Pedro de Alcântara, prince regent of Brazil, and durazno (“peach tree”), for the local fruit trees. During the

Rhynchocephalia

2005-03-16T04:25:00.000-08:00

Reptilian order that arose in the Triassic and Jurassic periods (225,000,000 to 136,000,000 years ago) and survives today as the tuatara (q.v.) of New Zealand.

Abbeville

2005-03-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Town, Somme département, Picardy région, northern France, near the mouth of the canalized Somme, northwest of Amiens. Stone Age artifacts unearthed by Boucher de Crèvecoeur de Perthes in 1844 attesting to early occupation of the site are displayed at the Musée Boucher-de-Perthes. The town originated as Abbatis Villa, a 9th-century dependency of the abbots of Saint-Riquier,

Sibiu

2005-03-15T04:38:00.000-08:00

Judet (county), central Romania. The Transylvanian Alps (Southern Carpathians), including the Sebes, Lotru, and Fagaras ranges, rise in the southern portion of the county. Settlement areas are in intermontane valleys. Sibiu (q.v.) city, a cultural and industrial centre, is the county capital. Metal products, chemicals, and machinery are manufactured in Sibiu, Medias, Avrig, Copsa

Valdivia, Pedro De

2005-03-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

Valdivia served with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders before being sent to South America in 1534. During the Peruvian civil war (1538), he fought with Francisco Pizarro against Diego de Almagro. For the Chilean

Congé D'élire

2005-03-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

English permission to elect formal message conveying the English sovereign's permission for the dean and chapter of the cathedral of a vacant bishopric to proceed in regular chapter to a new election. Before the Norman Conquest (1066) it was the king's prerogative to appoint bishops to vacant sees. This came to be contested by the popes, though the sovereign usually was able to secure the appointment

Osheroff, Douglas D.

2005-03-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Osheroff received a bachelor's degree (1967) from the California Institute of Technology and a doctorate (1973) from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He was a graduate student

Nabis

2005-03-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

Group of artists who, through their widely diverse activities, were a major influence on the art produced in France during the late 19th century. Preaching that a work of art is the end product and visual expression of an artist's synthesis of nature into personal aesthetic metaphors and symbols, they paved the way for the early 20th-century development of abstract and

Local Group

2005-03-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

In astronomy, the group of more than 20 galaxies to which the Milky Way Galaxy belongs. About half are elliptical galaxies, with the remainder being of the spiral or irregular type. As in other clusters of galaxies, members are probably kept from separating by their mutual gravitational attraction. The Milky Way system is near one end of the volume of space occupied by

Biblical Literature, The Book of Enoch

2005-03-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

Another book that was written during the period of the apocalyptic movement in which the Dead Sea sect came into existence is the Book of Enoch, or I Enoch. It was completely preserved in an Ethiopic translation from Greek, and large parts from the beginning and end of the Greek version have been published from two papyri. Aramaic fragments of many parts of the book

Devil Ray

2005-03-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

Also called Manta Ray, any of several genera of marine rays comprising the family Mobulidae (class Selachii). Flattened, and wider than they are long, devil rays have fleshy, enlarged pectoral fins that look like wings; extensions of these fins, looking like devils' horns, project as the cephalic fins from the front of the head. Devil rays have long, whiplike tails provided, in some species, with

Padjelanta National Park

2005-03-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

Park in Norrbotten län (county), northwestern Sweden, adjoining Norway (west) and Sarek National Park (east). It is the largest of the Swedish national parks and one of the largest parks in Europe, with an area of 776 square miles (2,010 square km). It was established in 1962. Padjelanta National Park contains several lakes, the largest of which are Virihaure, Vastenjaure, and Salojaure, as

Osheroff, Douglas D.

2005-03-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

Spanish Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo international organization founded in 1959 by 20 governments in North and South America to finance economic and social development in the Western Hemisphere. The largest charter subscribers were Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. Subscribers now include nearly 30 countries in North and South America and more than 15 countries in Europe, as well

Kecskemét

2005-03-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Town and seat, Bács-Kiskun megye (county), central Hungary. Long established as a centre for handicrafts and cattle raising, it has also grown in importance for its viticulture, vegetables, and fruit. It is surrounded by flat sandy farmland, often referred to as “the orchard of Hungary.” The locality provides as much as 25 percent of the country's fruit, notably apricots, and

Biblical Literature, Papyri

2005-03-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

The earliest New Testament manuscript witnesses (2nd–8th centuries) are papyri mainly found preserved in fragments in the dry sands of Egypt. Only in the latter decades of the 20th century have the relatively recently discovered New Testament papyri been published. Of those cataloged to date, there are about 76 New Testament manuscripts with fragments of various parts

Poynting, John Henry

2005-03-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

He was a professor of physics at Mason Science College (later the University of Birmingham) from 1880 until his death. In papers published in 1884–85, he showed that the flow of energy

Cachoeiro De Itapemirim

2005-03-09T02:56:00.000-08:00

City, southern Espírito Santo estado (“state”), eastern Brazil. It lies along the Itapemirim River, at 95 feet (29 m) above sea level and about 30 miles (48 km) inland from the Atlantic coast. It was given city status in 1889. Cachoeiro de Itapemirim is a manufacturing centre and serves a livestock-raising region. It lies on the main highway and railroad linking Vitória, the state capital (70 miles

Turkey, Government

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

Following a period of authoritarian, one-party rule under the first president of the republic, Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk; 1923–38), and his successor, Ismet Inönü (1938–50), multiparty democracy was instituted in 1950. Parliamentary democracy has for the most part remained in force since that date, although it has been interrupted by brief periods of military government at times when civilian

Feline Distemper

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

Also called Panleukopenia, or Infectious Enteritis, viral disease of cats, kittens two to six months old being most susceptible. About 3 to 10 days after exposure to the disease, infected kittens cough and sneeze, have running eyes and nose, are feverish, lose their appetites, vomit, and have diarrhea. The number of white cells in the blood drops severely. The disease rarely lasts more than a week, but the mortality rate is high.

Itbay

2005-03-07T04:56:00.000-08:00

Also called 'atbay, mountainous region of southeastern Egypt and the northeastern part of The Sudan, paralleling the Red Sea. It lies largely south of Egypt's administrative boundary with The Sudan and separates the coastal lowland of the Red Sea from the Nile River valley. The north-south–trending mountain chains in the Itbay region are called the Red Sea Hills.

åland Islands

2005-03-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

Swedish Åland Skärgård, Finnish Ahvenanmaa, archipelago comprising Ahvenanmaan autonomous kunta (commune), southwestern Finland. The islands lie at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, 25 miles (40 km) east of the Swedish coast, at the eastern edge of the Åland Sea. The archipelago has a land area of 590 square miles (1,527 square km) and consists of about 35 inhabited islands, 6,500 uninhabited islands, and many rocky reefs. The bedrock

Fernández De Moratín, Leandro

2005-03-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

The son of the poet and playwright Nicolás Fernández de Moratín, he was an apologist of the French Encyclopaedists, a translator of Molière and William Shakespeare, and a satirist of contemporary society. The two predominant

Racine, Jean

2005-03-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

Racine was born into a provincial family of minor administrators. His mother died 13 months after he was born, and his father died two years later. His paternal grandparents took him in, and when his grandmother, Marie des Moulins, became a widow, she brought Racine, then age nine, with her to the convent of Port-Royal des Champs near Paris. Since a group of devout scholars and

Cleopatra's Needle

2005-03-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Either of two monumental Egyptian obelisks. See obelisk.

Eberhard I

2005-03-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

Eberhard expanded his territories and in 1482 established primogeniture and settled the succession to his holdings. The towns of Stuttgart and Tübingen received charters, and Eberhard reformed

Basil, Colonel W. De

2005-03-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Original name Vasily Grigorievich Voskresensky Russian impresario who in 1932 became codirector with René Blum of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He lost the celebrated premier danseur Léonide Massine and several other dancers to Blum, who, with a U.S. sponsoring agency (World Art), reorganized the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo with Massine as director. De Basil then formed a

G.c.

2005-03-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

The George Cross, a British decoration for bravery. See George Cross.

Onsager, Lars

2005-03-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

His early work in statistical mechanics attracted the attention of the Dutch chemist Peter Debye, under whose direction Onsager studied at the Federal Institute

Catalonia

2005-03-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

Spanish Cataluña , Catalan Catalunya comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) and historic region of Spain encompassing the northeastern Spanish provincias of Gerona, Barcelona, Tarragona, and Lérida and established by the statute of autonomy of Dec. 18, 1979. The autonomous community of Catalonia, which has an area of 12,328 square miles (31,930 square km), is the richest and most highly industrialized part of Spain. The

Molecular Biology

2005-03-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Field of science concerned with studying the chemical structures and processes of biological phenomena at the molecular level. Of growing importance since the 1940s, molecular biology developed out of the related fields of biochemistry, genetics, and biophysics. The discipline is particularly concerned with the study of proteins, nucleic acids, and enzymes—i.e., the

Hinton, Milt

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

Hinton grew up in Chicago, where he began playing bass in high school and then worked with jazz bands in the early to mid-1930s, most notably with violinist Eddie

Business Finance, Term loans

2005-03-01T05:41:00.000-08:00

A term loan is a business credit with a maturity of more than 1 year but less than 15 years. Usually the term loan is retired by systematic repayments (amortization payments) over its life. It may be secured by a chattel mortgage on equipment, but larger, stronger companies are able to borrow on an unsecured basis. Commercial banks and life insurance companies are the principal

Stephen

2005-02-28T05:05:00.000-08:00

Stephen was the third son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres, and Adela, daughter of King William I the Conqueror. He was reared by his uncle, King Henry I, and received vast lands in England, Normandy, and the county of Boulogne.

Djibouti

2005-02-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

Officially Republic of Djibouti, French République de Djibouti, Arabic Jumhuriyah Jibuti, formerly (until 1977) French Territory of the Afars and Issas, strategically located nation on the northeast coast of the Horn of Africa. It is situated on the Strait of Mandeb, which lies to the east and separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. Small in size (8,950 square miles [23,200 square kilometres]), Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and southwest, and Somalia to the south. The Gulf of Tadjoura, which opens

Pacific Islands, Plant and animal life

2005-02-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Most island vegetations reveal Asian ancestries stemming from Indonesia and New Guinea. Generic variety declines eastward across the Pacific, providing evidence that seeds and fruits carried by ocean currents, birds, winds, and island voyagers encountered mounting obstacles to acceptance. The easternmost islands were host to limited plant dispersal movement

Celebes Black Ape

2005-02-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Also called Celebes Crested Macaque (species Cynopithecus niger), arboreal monkey of the family Cercopithecidae, found on Celebes, Bacan, and nearby islands. The Celebes black ape is a stump-tailed monkey with overhanging brows, a hairless black face, and a long, flat muzzle. It is about the size of a baboon (55–65 cm [22–26 inches] long without the tail [1 to 2 cm]) and is covered with dark brown or black fur. The male, especially,

Amorphous Solid

2005-02-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Solids and liquids are both forms of condensed matter; both are composed of atoms in close proximity to each other. But their properties are, of course, enormously different. While a solid material has both a well-defined

France, History Of, Regrowth of the French monarchy

2005-02-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

Thus the monarchy recovered much of the authority it had lost during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. Although its influence in Burgundy and Flanders, now united in a formidable dynastic association, had declined, its definitive recovery of Aquitaine consolidated a direct domain, again extensive enough to free the Valois from anxiety about landed resources.

Anchovy

2005-02-26T04:47:00.000-08:00

Any of numerous schooling saltwater fishes of the family Engraulidae (order Clupeiformes) related to the herring and distinguished by a large mouth, almost always extending behind the eye, and by a pointed snout. Most of the more than 100 species live in shallow tropical or warm temperate seas, where they often enter brackish water around river mouths.

Jackson, Milt

2005-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Jackson began playing the vibraphone (also called vibes or vibraharp) professionally at age 16. He attended Michigan State University and joined Dizzy Gillespie's sextet in 1945; he then worked with Gillespie's big band

Ringsaker

2005-02-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

Town, Hedmark fylke (county), southeastern Norway. It lies along the eastern shore of Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway. Situated along the main road and rail line between Oslo and Trondheim, Ringsaker lies in a rich agricultural and lumbering region. Tourism is based mainly on the scenery of the lake area, a 12th-century church, and a nearby 13th-century castle. Pop. (1989 est.) mun., 30,960.

Mosquito

2005-02-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

As a night fighter, the Mosquito downed more than 600 Luftwaffe

Carracci, Lodovico

2005-02-23T00:27:00.000-08:00

The son of a butcher, Lodovico was the older cousin of the painters Annibale and Agostino Carracci. After working under the painter Prospero

Aerospace Industry, Verification

2005-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Critical for all aerospace vehicles, once they are assembled, are the methods for ensuring the quality of the manufacturing and assembly processes. In the case of aircraft this involves extensive inspections of structural and mechanical items, including functional verification of equipment such as control surfaces and systems, landing-gear operation, avionics

Jaboticaba

2005-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

Also called jaboticabeira any of several trees of the genus Myrciaria, of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), notably M. cauliflora and M. jaboticaba, native to southeastern Brazil. The trees have been introduced to other warm regions, including western and southern North America. The name is also applied to the edible fruit of these trees. The trees do not differ greatly among the species; they are dome-shaped

Eads, James B.

2005-02-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

His writings are collected in Estill McHenry (ed.), Addresses and Papers of James B. Eads (1884). Florence L. Dorsey, Road to the Sea: The Story of James B. Eads and the Mississippi River (1947), is the standard work, a well-documented biography, based on research in technical and family papers. Louis How, James B. Eads (1900, reissued 1970), is by Eads's grandson. H.J. Hopkins, A Span of Bridges (1970), offers a good account of the building of the bridge. Quinta Scott and Howard S. Miller, The Eads Bridge (1979), includes a photographic essay.

Barada

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

Greek Chrysorrhoas, river of western Syria. It rises in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and flows southward for 52 miles (84 km) through Damascus to intermittent Lake Al-'Utaybah and its marshes. The Barada sets out peacefully on its course only to become within 20 miles a raging torrent, its volume almost doubled by the Fijah Spring (this spring has been tapped to bring drinking water to Damascus). Without

China, Economic development

2005-02-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

In the 1640s and '50s the Manchu abolished all late Ming surtaxes and granted tax exemptions to areas ravaged by war. Tax remissions were limited, however, by the urgent need for revenues to carry on the conquest of China. It was not until the 1680s, after the consolidation of military victory, that the Ch'ing began to permit tax remissions on a large scale. The permanent freezing of

Cole, Sir Henry

2005-02-19T22:39:00.000-08:00

At the age of 15 Cole started clerking for the public-records historian, and eventually he became assistant keeper of the public-records office. In 1845 the Society

Bar-le-duc

2005-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Capital of Meuse département, Lorraine région, northeastern France. It extends out along the narrow valley of the Ornain River, west of Nancy. To the northeast is the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, on the southwest the Canal des Usines. The Ornain River valley is enclosed by wooded and vine-clad hills. From the 10th century Bar was the seat of a countship, and later a duchy. The remains

Business And Industry Review, Clothing.

2005-02-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

In 1995 the apparel industry continued its slump as consumers directed discretionary income toward the purchase of cars and home-related and electronic products. Both Martha Stewart (see BIOGRAPHIES), who was held responsible for the "Martha Stewartization" of America, and the aging of the baby-boom generation were cited as reasons for the shift. Also, women--who continued

Alvarez, Luis W.

2005-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Alvarez studied physics at the University of Chicago (B.S.,

Suffren De Saint-tropez, Pierre André De

2005-02-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

A Knight of Malta, Suffren de Saint-Tropez served under Admiral C.H. d'Estaing in America and was sent to assist French military operations in India in 1781. In a remarkable series of engagements with British Admiral

France, History Of, The influence of Rousseau

2005-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Regarding the cultural transformations of 18th-century France, it would be difficult to overestimate the crystallizing and revolutionary impact of Rousseau's vision of the world. His thought changed conceptions both of man's private and public spheres. According to Rousseau the self becomes empowered in private union with the beloved other, as portrayed in his

Vaccine

2005-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

A vaccine can confer active immunity against a specific harmful agent by stimulating the immune system to attack the agent. Once stimulated by a vaccine, the antibody-producing cells, called B lymphocytes,

Aquinas, Thomas, Saint, Philosophical treatises

2005-02-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

De ente et essentia (before 1256; On Being and Essence, 1949); Contra impugnantes Dei cultum et religionem (1256; An Apology for the Religious Orders, 1902); De regno (De regimine principum) ad regem Cypri (1266; On Kingship, 1949); De perfectione vitae spiritualis (1269–70); De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas (1270; The Unicity of the Intellect, 1946); De aeternitate mundi contra murmurantes (1270–72); De substantiis separatis, seu de angelorum natura (undated; Treatise on Separate Substances, 1959).

Camargo Society

2005-02-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Group credited with keeping ballet alive in England during the early 1930s. Named after Marie Camargo, the noted 18th-century ballerina, the society was formed in 1930 by Philip J.S. Richardson, the editor of Dancing Times, the critic Arnold Haskell, and other patrons to stimulate interest in creating a national ballet. For the next three years the group annually commissioned

Tegal

2005-02-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Kotamadya (municipality) and port Jawa Tengah provinsi (“province”), central Java, Indonesia, located on the Java Sea about 160 miles (257 km) east-southeast of Jakarta. Roads and railway link it with Cirebon on the west, Semarang on the east, and Kroya and Yogyakarta on the south and southeast. Its population is mostly Javanese, and Islam is the dominant religion. Tegal is a centre for

Petralona Skull

2005-02-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

The skull has a large brow and a slanting forehead, and, from the structure of the face, the jaw is estimated to have been larger

Houston, Charles Hamilton

2005-02-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Houston graduated as one of six valedictorians from Amherst College (B.A., 1915). After teaching for two years at Howard University in Washington, D.C., he enlisted

Strain

2005-02-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

In physical sciences and engineering, number that describes relative deformation or change in shape and size of elastic, plastic, and fluid materials under applied forces. The deformation, expressed by strain, arises throughout the material as the particles (molecules, atoms, ions) of which the material is composed are slightly displaced from their normal

61 Cygni

2005-02-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

First star whose distance from Earth (about 11 light-years) was measured (by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel in 1838). The star is a visual binary the components of which revolve around each other in a period of about 650 years. They are of fifth and sixth magnitudes. Regular variations in the motion of the brighter component may indicate the presence of an invisible companion with about

Wyoming Massacre

2005-02-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

In early June, Colonel John Butler led a force of 1,000 loyalists and Iroquois allies against the 5,000 inhabitants of the valley—mostly American women and children gathered at Forty Fort. About

Adams, John

2005-02-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

The election of 1800 again pitted Adams against Jefferson. Adams ran ahead of the Federalist candidates for Congress, who were swept from office in a Republican landslide. However, thanks to the deft maneuvering of Aaron Burr, all 12 of New York's electoral votes went to Jefferson, giving the tandem of Jefferson and Burr the electoral victory (73–65). Jefferson was eventually elected president by the House of Representatives, which chose him over Burr on the 36th ballot. In his last weeks in office, Adams made several Federalist appointments to the judiciary, including John Marshall as chief justice of the United States. These “midnight judges” offended Jefferson, who resented the encroachment on his own presidential prerogatives. Adams, the first president to reside in the presidential mansion (later called the White House) in Washington, D.C., was also the first—and one of the very few—presidents not to attend the inauguration of his successor. On March 4, 1801, he was already on the road back to Quincy.

Clanconnell, Turlough Luineach O'neill, Earl Of

2005-02-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Making professions of loyalty to Elizabeth I of England, he sought to strengthen his position by alliance with the O'Donnells, MacDonnells, and MacQuillans. When his conduct gave rise to suspicions, an expedition under the Earl of Essex was sent against him, which met

Cat, Domestic

2005-02-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Also called house cat, (species Felis catus), domesticated member of the family Felidae, order Carnivora. Like all felids, domestic cats, the smallest members of the family, are characterized by supple, low-slung bodies, finely molded heads, long tails that aid in balance, and specialized teeth and claws that adapt them admirably to a life of active hunting. Domestic cats possess other features

Malakula

2005-02-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Malekula, French Mallicolo, second largest island (781 square miles [2,023 square km]) of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it is 55 miles (90 km) long by 23 miles (37 km) wide and lies 20 miles (32 km) south of Espiritu Santo, across the Malo (Bougainville) Strait. Its central mountain range rises to Mount Penot, 2,884 feet (879 m). Harbours on the fertile eastern coast include Port Stanley, Bushman's Bay (former British

Cohenite

2005-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

The mineral iron and nickel carbide [(Fe,Ni)3C] that occurs as an accessory constituent of several iron meteorites, of all coarse octahedrites containing 7 percent or less nickel, and of at least one stony meteorite, an enstatite chondrite. Cohenite closely resembles the meteoritic mineral schreibersite, and it may be more common in meteorites than is supposed. When

David, Star Of

2005-02-10T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hebrew Magen David (“Shield of David”), Magen also spelled Mogen, Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star. It appears on synagogues, Jewish tombstones, and the flag of the State of Israel. The symbol—which historically was not limited to use by Jews—originated in antiquity, when, side by side with the five-pointed star, it served as a magical sign or as a decoration. In the Middle Ages

Axelrod, Julius

2005-02-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

American biochemist and pharmacologist who, along with the British biophysicist Sir Bernard Katz and the Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1970. Axelrod's contribution was his identification of an enzyme that degrades chemical neurotransmitters within the nervous system after they are

Ear, Human

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

Hearing is the process by which the ear transforms sound vibrations in the external environment into nerve impulses that are conveyed to the brain, where they are interpreted as sounds. Sounds are produced when vibrating objects, such as the plucked string of a guitar, produce pressure pulses of vibrating air molecules, better known as sound waves. The ear can distinguish

Music, Western, Solo and ensemble instruments

2005-02-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

The four major vehicles for instrumental music of the period were the lute, the organ, stringed keyboard instruments, and instrumental ensembles. Most popular by far was the lute, which could produce the major elements of instrumental style except for long, sustained tones. Noteworthy composers of lute music included Luis Milán in Spain, Arnold Schlick in Germany,