ParallelHook

Estate Agent Fitzrovia

2006-10-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

Robert Irving Burns specialise in London Commercial and Residential property services. They are a specialist in estate agent fitzrovia, amongst other London areas such as Soho and Oxford Circus.

Alimony

2005-03-30T01:36:00.000-08:00

In divorce law, compensation owed by one spouse to the other for financial support after divorce. Alimony aims at support of the one spouse, not punishment of the other. In some places, the term means simply a property settlement irrespective of future support. Alimony has traditionally been granted from husbands to wives but has occasionally been granted from wives

Athena

2005-03-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Athene in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva (q.v.). She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. Yet the Greek economy, unlike that

Teaching Machine

2005-03-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

There are many types of teaching machines. In general, they all work on the same method, which is to present a question, have the user indicate the answer, and then provide the user with the correct answer. Some machines may be extremely simple, such as test sheets or books so programmed that

Waccho

2005-03-27T00:10:00.000-08:00

Waccho assassinated his uncle Tato and usurped the throne about 510, ruling for 30 years. Tato's son and grandson took refuge with the king of a neighbouring people, the Gepidae, making several fruitless attempts to

Dehra Dun

2005-03-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

City, capital of Uttaranchal state, northern India. It lies in the Himalayan foothills at an elevation of 2,200 feet (670 metres). Dehra Dun was founded in 1699, when the heretical Sikh Guru Ram Rai, driven out of the Punjab, built a temple there. During the 18th century the area succumbed to successive invaders, the last of whom were the Gurkhas. When the Gurkha War ended in 1816, the area was ceded to

Bülow, Hans (guido), Freiherr Von (baron Of)

2005-03-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

As a child Bülow studied piano under Friedrich Wieck, father

Fabry's Disease

2005-03-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Angiokeratoma Corporis Diffusum, sex-linked hereditary disease in which a deficiency in the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A results in abnormal deposits of a glycosphingolipid (ceramide trihexoside) in the blood vessels. These deposits in turn produce heart and kidney disturbances resulting in a marked reduction in life expectancy. Distinctive clusters of dark red granules in the skin on the

Resources, Allocation Of

2005-03-23T03:41:00.000-08:00

In free-enterprise

Micronesia

2005-03-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

To the west of the Federated States

Wankel Engine

2005-03-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

Type of internal-combustion rotary engine distinguished by an orbiting triangular rotor that functions as a piston. See gasoline engine.

Nabu-rimanni

2005-03-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Naburianos, Naburiannuos, Naburiannu, or Naburimannu the earliest Babylonian astronomer known by name, who devised the so-called System A, a group of ephemerides, or tables, giving the positions of the Moon, Sun, and planets at any given moment. Based on centuries of observation, these tables were nonetheless somewhat crude and were superseded about a century later by Kidinnu's System B, a refined mathematical

Buxton

2005-03-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

Town, High Peak borough, administrative and historic county of Derbyshire, England, encircled by (but excluded from) the Peak District National Park. Standing between 1,000 and 1,100 feet (305 and 335 metres) above sea level, Buxton is the highest market town in England. The mineral waters have long been famous; they were used by the Romans, who called the place Aquae Arnemetiae. The baths

Plunket, Saint Oliver

2005-03-18T23:36:00.000-08:00

Plunket was educated and ordained in Rome, serving there as professor of theology at the College of Propaganda Fide and as the representative of the Irish bishops at the Holy See. Appointed

Animals, The

2005-03-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Five-piece rock group from northeastern England whose driving sound influenced Bob Dylan's decision, in 1965, to begin working with musicians playing electric instruments. The principal members were Eric Burdon (b. May 11, 1941, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, Eng.), Alan Price (b. April 19, 1942, Fatfield, Durham), Hilton Valentine (b. May 21, 1943, North Shields, Tyne and Wear), Chas Chandler (byname of Bryan

Asher

2005-03-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

One of the 12 tribes of Israel that in biblical times constituted the people of Israel who later became the Jewish people. The tribe was named after the younger of two sons born to Jacob (also called Israel) and Zilpah, the maidservant of Jacob's first wife, Leah. After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, Joshua assigned territory to each of the 12 tribes. The

Breadfruit

2005-03-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

Fruit of either of two closely related trees belonging to the family Moraceae. One of these, Artocarpus communis, also called A. incisa or A. altilis, provides a staple food of the South Pacific. The tree grows 12 to 18 metres (40 to 60 feet) high and has large, oval, glossy green leaves, three- to nine-lobed toward the apex. Male and female flowers are borne in separate

Annelid, Digestive system

2005-03-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

The polychaete digestive system is generally a straight tube; a mouth leads into an esophagus, which is followed by the intestine and the anus. Some free-moving forms have a proboscis that can be thrust forward by being turned inside out—that is, the proboscis is eversible. In oligochaetes such as the earthworm, the mouth opens into a muscular pharynx, which opens to

Görres, Joseph Von

2005-03-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Görres was sympathetic to the ideals of the French Revolution and published a republican journal, Das rote Blatt (“The Red Page”; renamed Rübezahl), in 1799. After an unsuccessful visit to Paris in 1799 as a political

Anatolia, Early Bronze Age

2005-03-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

The period following the Chalcolithic in Anatolia is generally referred to as the Bronze Age. In its earlier phases the predominant metal was in fact pure copper, but the older term Copper Age created confusion and has been discarded. Archaeological convention divides the Bronze Age into three subphases: early, middle, and late. The beginning of the Bronze Age, in

Teapot Dome Scandal

2005-03-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

Also called the Oil Reserves, or Elk Hills, Scandal, in American history, scandal of the early 1920s surrounding the secret leasing of federal oil reserves by the secretary of the interior, Albert B. Fall. After President Warren G. Harding transferred supervision of the naval oil reserve lands from the navy to the Department of the Interior in 1921, Fall secretly granted to Harry F. Sinclair of the Mammoth Oil Company exclusive

Sicard, Roch-ambroise Cucurron, Abbé

2005-03-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

From 1786 to 1789, Sicard, an abbé, was principal of a Bordeaux school for deaf-mutes. He then succeeded Abbé de l'Epée in Paris. Although he long supported teaching deaf-mutes through sign language, Sicard turned to the oral method toward the end of his long career.

Schaff, Philip

2005-03-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Schaff was educated at the universities of Tübingen, Halle, and Berlin and was made a lecturer in 1842 at Berlin, where his interest in church history was aroused

Shiels, Robert

2005-03-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

Moving to London, where he was a printer, Shiels was employed by Samuel Johnson as an amanuensis on the Dictionary of the English Language. When this work was completed, Shiels, with others, began the compilation of a five-volume The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland, to the Time of Dean

Orzeszkowa, Eliza

2005-03-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

Née Eliza Pawlowska Polish novelist and a leading writer of the Positivist period (the Polish Positivists took their name from Auguste Comte's philosophy but were themselves mainly utilitarians). Questions of education, independence, and marriage in Orzeszkowa's works were eventually overshadowed by issues such

Afar

2005-03-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

Amharic Adal, Arabic Denakil, a people of the Horn of Africa who speak Saho, a language of the Eastern Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic (formerly Hamito-Semitic) family. They live in northeastern Ethiopia and in Djibouti, where, with the Issas, they are the dominant people. It is thought that the Afars were the first of the present inhabitants of Ethiopia to elaborate their pastoral life into full-scale

Rushcliffe

2005-03-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

Borough (district), administrative and historic county of Nottinghamshire, central England, immediately southeast of the city of Nottingham. Rushcliffe is a rural agricultural area of open, rolling uplands (wolds) and flat plains. The wolds in the south rise to 200–300 feet (60–90 metres) in elevation and are an extension of higher areas in the adjacent county of Leicestershire.

Tunnels And Underground Excavations, Basic tunneling system

2005-03-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Tunnels are generally grouped in four broad categories, depending on the material through which they pass: soft ground, consisting of soil and very weak rock; hard rock; soft rock, such as shale, chalk, and friable sandstone; and subaqueous. While these four broad types of ground condition require very different methods of excavation and ground support, nearly all tunneling

Bukavu

2005-03-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1966) Costermansville city, eastern Congo (Kinshasa), central Africa, on a peninsula extending into Lake Kivu. It is a commercial and industrial centre, a lake port, and a tourist city with road access northwest to Kisangani, southwest to Kasai, south to Lubumbashi and Katanga province, and to East Africa. There is also air transport to other Congolese cities and to Burundi. The region is known

Santa-clara

2005-03-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

Cape situated on the Atlantic coast of northwestern Gabon, Africa. Extending south from the larger peninsula that separates the Gabon estuary from Corisco Bay, the cape juts into the mouth of the estuary. Santa-Clara is located 12 miles (20 km) north of Libreville and just north of Owendo, one of Gabon's major ports. Like Cape Esterias, still farther north, Santa-Clara has fine

China, Phase three: approaching crisis (194445)

2005-03-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

China was in crisis in 1944. Japan faced increasing pressure in the Pacific and threats to its supply bases and communications lines in China as well as to nearby shipping. Its response was twofold—first, to attack from Burma toward Assam to cut the supply lines or capture the airfields at the western end of the Hump, and, second, to capture the railway system in China from

Korsakoff Syndrome

2005-03-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

Also called Korsakoff psychosis , or Korsakoff disease neurological disorder characterized by severe amnesia (memory loss). Many cases result from severe chronic alcoholism, while others are due to a variety of brain disorders, severe head injury, or a thiamine deficiency. Patients with Korsakoff syndrome typically are unable to remember events in the recent or even the immediate past, and some can store information

Kadesh

2005-03-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

Kadesh is mentioned for the first time in Egyptian sources when Thutmose III (1479–1426 BC) defeated a Syrian insurrection under the leadership of the prince of Kadesh at Megiddo in Palestine. Kadesh remained an outpost of Egyptian

Gwynn, Tony

2005-03-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Gwynn attended San Diego (California) State University on a basketball scholarship, where he set a school record for assists as the team's point guard. He also excelled at baseball and was drafted in 1981 by

Gandhi, Indira

2005-03-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

She was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India. She attended Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal, and the University of Oxford, and in 1942 she married Feroze

Necker, Suzanne

2005-03-04T02:57:00.000-08:00

Née Curchod Swiss wife of the French finance minister under Louis XVI, Jacques Necker; mother of Madame de Staël; and mistress of a brilliant Parisian salon. At first she was engaged to the English historian Edward Gibbon, but his father broke off the match. In 1764 she married Necker, then a banker, and encouraged him in his political career.

Asbestos

2005-03-03T05:37:00.000-08:00

Any of several minerals that readily separate into long, flexible fibres. Chrysotile, the fibrous form of the mineral serpentine, is the best-known type and accounts for about 95 percent of all asbestos in commercial use. It is a hydrous magnesium silicate with the chemical composition of Mg3Si2O5(OH)4. The other types all belong to the amphibole group of minerals and include

Handsome Lake Cult

2005-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Also called Longhouse Religion , or Gai'wiio (Seneca: “Good Message”) longest-established prophet movement in North America. Its founder was Ganioda'yo (q.v.), a Seneca chief whose name meant “Handsome Lake”; his heavenly revelations received in trance in 1799 rapidly transformed both himself and the demoralized Seneca. Their Christian beliefs, which came primarily from Quaker contacts, included a personal creator-ruler, a devil, heaven, hell,

Romanus

2005-03-01T03:36:00.000-08:00

Romanus was a cardinal when elected pope in August amidst the chaotic aftermath of Pope Stephen VI's murder. For exhuming and desecrating Pope Formosus' corpse and annulling his pontificate in the “Cadaver Synod,” Stephen had been imprisoned and probably strangled by Formosus' supporters,

Cromwell, Thomas, Earl Of Essex, Baron Cromwell Of Okeham

2005-03-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

Principal adviser (1532–40) to England's Henry VIII, chiefly responsible for establishing the Reformation in England, for the dissolution of the monasteries, and for strengthening the royal administration. At the instigation of his enemies he was eventually arrested for heresy and treason and executed.

Antarctica, Plant and animal life

2005-02-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

Eric Hosking and Bryan Sage, Antarctic Wildlife (1982), is an authoritative discussion of the fauna of Antarctica. Biology of the Antarctic Seas (irregular), contains technical accounts of Antarctic sea life; a more popular summary is Robert C. Murphy, “The Oceanic Life of the Antarctic,” Scientific American, 207(3):186–194 (September 1962). Technical accounts of terrestrial life are in J. Linsley Gressitt (ed.), Entomology of Antarctica (1967); and S.W. Greene et al., Terrestrial Life of Antarctica (1967); a nontechnical review is provided by George A. Llano, “The Terrestrial Life of the Antarctic,” Scientific American, 207(3):212–218 (September 1962). Oliver L. Austin, Jr. (ed.), Antarctic Bird Studies (1968), is a technical publication; whereas John Sparks and Tony Soper, Penguins, 2nd ed. (1987), comprehensively but nontechnically describes the characteristic flightless birds of subantarctic and Antarctic coasts. George Gaylord Simpson, Penguins: Past and Present, Here and There (1976), is an authoritative, popularly written account of penguins and their fossil record. David G. Campbell, The Crystal Desert (1992), evocatively portrays the natural history of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

Athamas

2005-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, king of the prehistoric Minyans in the ancient Boeotian city of Orchomenus. His first wife was Nephele, a cloud goddess. But later Athamas became enamoured of Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, and neglected Nephele, who disappeared in anger. Athamas and Ino incurred the wrath of the goddess Hera because Ino had nursed the god Dionysus (q.v.). Athamas went mad

Orange

2005-02-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of small trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae and their nearly round fruits, which have leathery and oily rinds and edible, juicy inner flesh. The species of orange most important commercially are the China orange, also called the sweet, or common, orange; the mandarin orange, some varieties of which are called tangerine

Earthflow

2005-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Sheet or stream of soil and rock material saturated with water and flowing downslope under the pull of gravity; it represents the intermediate stage between creep and mudflow. Earthflows usually begin in a large basin on the upper part of a slope where debris and weathered material accumulate; the movement, usually set off by heavy rainfall, may be relatively slow

Ear, Human, Vestibule

2005-02-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

The two membranous sacs of the vestibule, the utricle and the saccule, are known as the otolith organs (Figure 4). Because they respond to gravitational forces, they are also called gravity receptors. Each sac has on its inner surface a single patch of sensory cells called a macula, which is about 2 millimetres (0.08 inch) in diameter and which monitors the position of the head

Masoud, Ahmad Shah

2005-02-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Afghan resistance leader and politician (b. 1953, Bazarak, Afg.—death reported on Sept. 15, 2001, Takhar, Afg.), was a military leader in the Afghan mujahideen, first against the Soviets and the Soviet-backed Afghan government (1978–89) and then against the Taliban (from 1992). Masoud, an ethnic Tajik, studied engineering before the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and then moved to Pakistan for military

Computers, COBOL

2005-02-24T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hale, George Ellery

2005-02-24T01:36:00.000-08:00

American astronomer known for his development of important astronomical instruments, including the Hale telescope (completed 1948), a 200-inch reflecting telescope at the California Institute of Technology's Palomar Mountain Observatory near Pasadena. He is known also for his researches in solar physics, particularly his discovery

Czetwertynski Family

2005-02-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

Also called Swietopelk-Czetwertynski Polish princely family descended from the Kievan grand prince Svyatopolk II Izyaslavich (d. 1113) of the house of Rurik. Among its prominent members was Antoni Czetwertynski (1748–94), the castellan of Przemysl and last leader of the pro-Russian Confederation of Targowica that opposed the Polish constitution of 1791; he was finally hanged as a traitor to Poland during Tadeusz Kosciuszko's

Insurance, Settlement options

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

The death proceeds or cash values of insurance may be settled in various ways. The insured may take the cash value and lapse the policy. A beneficiary may take a lump sum settlement of the face amount upon the death of the insured. The beneficiary may, instead, elect to receive the proceeds over a given number of years or in some fixed amount, such as $100 a month, for as long as

Petén

2005-02-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

Region of northern Guatemala, bounded on the north and west by Mexico and on the east by Belize. It constitutes more than one-third of the nation's territory. Petén is a low limestone plateau, varying in elevation between 500 and 700 feet (150 and 210 m) above sea level at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula. Except for areas of savanna vegetation, the region is covered by dense tropical rain

Antiferromagnetism

2005-02-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

Type of magnetism in solids such as manganese oxide (MnO) in which adjacent ions that behave as tiny magnets (in this case manganese ions, Mn2+) spontaneously align themselves at relatively low temperatures into opposite, or antiparallel, arrangements throughout the material so that it exhibits almost no gross external magnetism. In antiferromagnetic materials,

Gray Birch

2005-02-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Grey Birch, also called Oldfield Birch, Wire Birch, or Poplar-leaved Birch (Betula populifolia), slender ornamental tree of the family Betulaceae, found in clusters on moist sites in northeastern North America. Rarely 12 m (40 feet) tall, it is covered almost to the ground with flexible branches that form a narrow, pyramidal crown. The thin, glossy, dark green, triangular leaves have long, thin stems and flutter in the wind. In one variety, the leaves are

Interferon

2005-02-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

Interferon was named for its ability to interfere with viral proliferation. The various forms of interferon are the body's most rapidly produced and important defense against viruses. Interferons can also

Jabotinsky, Vladimir

2005-02-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

Jabotinsky began his career in 1898 as a foreign correspondent, but his popularity as a journalist led to his recall to Odessa

Computers And Information Systems

2005-02-19T03:34:00.000-08:00

The saga of Microsoft Corp.'s legal troubles dominated technology news in 2000, as did the decline of the high-flying stock market that had powered the rise of dot-com companies that for the most part did not earn any money. A much different legal case pitted the music industry against a World Wide Web site called Napster, which allowed the distribution of music for free over

Pacific Islands, High oceanic islands

2005-02-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Extensive volcanic mountain ranges in the central and eastern Pacific rise abruptly from the ocean deep, their cores of dense black basalt built up from lava flows from the fractured seafloor. Where summits stand in high relief above sea level, they represent most of the islands that constitute Polynesia and Micronesia. Small to intermediate in land area, nowhere

Qarakhanid Dynasty

2005-02-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

The Qarakhanids, who belonged to the Qarluq tribal confederation, became prominent during the 9th century. With the disintegration of the Iranian Samanid dynasty, the Qarakhanids took over the Samanid territories in Transoxania. In 999 Harun (or Hasan) Bughra Khan, grandson of the paramount tribal chief of the Qarluq confederation,

Football

2005-02-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

By defeating the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 at Regina, Sask., on Nov. 19, 1995, the Baltimore Stallions became the first U.S. team to win the Grey Cup, the championship of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Quarterback Tracy Ham was the game's Most Valuable Player for Baltimore, which had won the South (U.S.) Division (SD) with a 15-3-0 won-lost-tied record. Calgary won the North Division (ND) with the same

Spanish Succession, War Of The

2005-02-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

(1701–14), conflict that arose out of the disputed succession to the throne of Spain following the death of the childless Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. In an effort to regulate the impending succession, to which there were three principal claimants, England, the Dutch Republic, and France had in October 1698 signed the First Treaty of Partition, agreeing that on the

Sung Dynasty

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

The Sung dynasty was founded when Chao K'uang-yin, the military inspector general of the Chou dynasty, last of the Five Dynasties, usurped control of the empire in a coup. Thereafter, he used his mastery of diplomatic maneuvering to persuade powerful potential

Tannenberg, Battle Of

2005-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Polish and Lithuanian forces proceeding toward

Tasmania

2005-02-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

J.L. Davies (ed.), Atlas of Tasmania (1965), offers comprehensive map coverage with detailed commentary. The Tasmanian Year Book (biennial) is the most comprehensive single reference. C.F. Burrett and E.L. Martin (eds.), Geology and Mineral Resources of Tasmania (1989), is also useful. Margaret Stones and Winifred Curtis, The Endemic Flora of Tasmania, 6 pt. (1967–76), is a definitive study, beautifully illustrated. W.A. Townsley, The Government of Tasmania (1976), is a good political guide. The great 19th-century history is by John West, The History of Tasmania, 2 vol. (1852, reissued in 1 vol., 1971); its successor is by Lloyd Robson, A History of Tasmania, 2 vol. (1983–91), who has also written A Short History of Tasmania (1985). Outstanding historical monographs include Peter Bolger, Hobart Town (1973); Geoffrey Blainey, The Peaks of Lyell, 4th ed. (1978), on copper mining; and Marilyn Lake, A Divided Society: Tasmania During World War I (1975). P. Conrad, Down Home: Revisiting Tasmania (1988, also published as Behind the Mountain: Return to Tasmania, 1989), is an account by an intellectual aghast at the oddities of his native spot.

Yamato Takeru

2005-02-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

The legendary son of the legendary 12th emperor Keiko, Yamato Takeru was supposedly responsible for expanding the territory of the Yamato court. His story appears in the chronicles Kojiki (completed in 712) and Nihon Shoki (“Japanese Chronicles”; completed in 720). In the stories, he subdued two uncouth Kumaso warriors

D.b.e.

2005-02-12T01:54:00.000-08:00

Dame commander of the British Empire, member of the second highest class of a British order of knighthood. See British Empire, The Most Excellent Order of the.

Irish Sea

2005-02-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

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

Akimov, Nikolay Pavlovich

2005-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Scenic designer and producer, known for the diversity of his bold experiments in stage design and dramatic interpretation—most especially for his cynical reinterpretation of Hamlet (1932), in which the king's ghost was represented as a fiction cunningly devised by Hamlet,

Typhoon

2005-02-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Conceived as a replacement for Hawker Aircraft's Hurricane, the Typhoon was a low-wing monoplane designed to a January 1938 specification. Powered by a liquid-cooled, 24-cylinder, 2,200-horsepower Napier Sabre engine, it first flew in early 1940. Intended to be an interceptor, the Typhoon was the first

Earth Sciences, Probes, satellites, and data transmission

2005-02-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

In the 1920s the radio replaced the telegraph and telephone as the principal instrument for transmitting weather data. By 1936 the radio meteorgraph (radiosonde) was developed, with capabilities of

Chapman, Frank M(ichler)

2005-02-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

A self-taught ornithologist, Chapman was appointed assistant curator of ornithology and mammalogy (1888–1908) and curator of ornithology (1908–42) at the American

Catapult

2005-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Mechanism for forcefully propelling stones, spears, or other projectiles, in use since ancient times. The Romans used the word ballista to designate an engine used to hurl stones and catapulta for one that shot arrows and darts, although the larger catapults mounted a single long arm, which hurled stones and other objects. Nearly all catapults employed in ancient

Jewel Cave National Monument

2005-02-06T03:14:00.000-08:00

The caverns consist of a series of chambers joined by narrow passages. They are noted for their jewel-like calcite crystals, including nailhead and dogtooth spar, which are found throughout the

Yang Chu

2005-02-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

Pinyin Yang Zhu one of the early Taoist philosophers. Yang has been infamous in Chinese history for what was thought to be his extreme hedonism. This characterization of Yang was fostered by the great Confucian philosopher Mencius (c. 371–289 BC), the second Sage (after Confucius) of China, who condemned Yang Chu for upholding the principle of “each for himself.” According to Mencius,

Water Buffalo

2005-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

(Bubalus bubalis), also called Indian Buffalo, a ruminant mammal of the ox family (Bovidae). The water buffalo was domesticated in Asia from earliest recorded times. Large and massively built, the animal stands 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 feet) or more at the shoulder, reaches a length of 2.4–2.8 m, and weighs about 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds). It has a dull black or dark gray body with little hair and huge horns, which may measure

Conner, Mount

2005-02-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

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

Aunis

2005-02-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Ancient province (pays) of western France, corresponding to the northern part of the modern département of Charente-Maritime with the southern part of Deux-Sèvres. Subjected, from the 10th century on, to the counts of Poitiers, Aunis shared the political fortunes of neighbouring Poitou. In the pre-Revolutionary period it constituted, together with the islands of Ré

Lowin, John

2005-02-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Lowin was the son of a carpenter. He worked as a goldsmith's apprentice for eight years and then joined the Earl of Worcester's Men as an actor in 1602. By 1603 he was a member of the King's Men. He is known to have specialized in the roles of comic soldiers as well as downright villains.

Tragedy

2005-02-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

The origins of the tragic form are Greek, as are those of the term itself, meaning “goat-song” and possibly referring originally to the sacrifice of a

Neosho River

2005-02-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

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,

China, Reformist and revolutionist movements at the end of the dynasty

2005-02-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

Sun Yat-sen, a commoner with no background of Confucian orthodoxy, educated in Western-style schools in Hawaii and Hong Kong, went to Tientsin in 1894 to meet Li Hung-chang and present a reform program, but he was refused an interview. This event supposedly caused his antidynastic attitude. Soon he went to Hawaii, where he founded an anti-Manchu fraternity called the Hsing-chung

English Literature, Secular prose

2005-01-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

Secular compositions and translations in prose also came into prominence in the last quarter of the 14th century, though their stylistic accomplishment does not always match that of the religious tradition. Chaucer's “Tale of Melibeus” and his two astronomical translations, the Treatise on the Astrolabe and the Equatorie of the Planetis, were relatively modest

An Lu-shan

2005-01-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

Pinyin An Lushan , original name (Wade-Giles romanization) K'ang , imperial name Hsiung Wu , canonized name Yen La Wang Chinese general of Iranian and Turkish descent who, as leader of a rebellion in AD 755, proclaimed himself emperor and unsuccessfully attempted to found a dynasty to replace the T'ang dynasty. Despite its failure, the rebellion precipitated far-reaching social and economic change.

Sacheverell, Henry

2005-01-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

Early in the reign of Queen Anne

Lopez, Barry

2005-01-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1966; M.A.T., 1968), Lopez briefly

Leverkusen

2005-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

City, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), west-central Germany, on the Rhine River at the mouth of the Wupper River, in the Dhünn valley just north of Cologne. Formed in 1930 by the union of the villages of Schlebusch, Rheindorf, and Steinbüchel with the town of Wiesdorf, it is well served by highway and rail and is the site of the Bayer Works (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and photographic

Guadalcanal, Battle Of

2005-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

(August 1942–February 1943), series of World War II land and sea clashes between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific. Japanese troops had landed on Guadalcanal on July 6, 1942, and had begun constructing an airfield there. On August 7, in the Allies' first major offensive in the Pacific, 6,000 U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal

Karagöz

2005-01-25T23:39:00.000-08:00

(Turkish: “Black Eyes,” or “Gypsy”), type of Turkish shadow play, named for its stock hero, Karagöz. The comically risqué plays are improvised from scenarios for local audiences in private homes, coffee shops, public squares, and innyards. The Karagöz play apparently was highly developed in Turkey by the 16th century and was adapted in Greece and North Africa. In the 20th century,

Ashton-warner, Sylvia (constance)

2005-01-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

Married name Sylvia Henderson New Zealand educator and writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In the field of education, she became known for her innovative work in adapting traditional British teaching methods to the special needs of Maori children. Her aim was peace and communication between two radically different cultures, and most of her writing,

Tibet, Agriculture and forestry

2005-01-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

The staple crops are barley, wheat, and pulses; other important crops include millet, buckwheat, rgya-bra (a grain similar to buckwheat), beans, hemp, and mustard. Butter from the yak (large, long-haired ox) or the mdzo-mo (a crossbreed of the yak and the cow) is the main dairy product. The diet is supplemented by a variety of garden vegetables. Some rice is raised in the southeast.

Annatto

2005-01-23T22:43:00.000-08:00

(Bixa orellana), tree native to the New World tropics and the only species of the family Bixaceae. Annatto grows up to 9 m (30 feet) tall and has rose-pink flowers about 5 cm (2 inches) wide and ovalish leaves about 8 to 18 cm long. The brown seed pods, about 5 cm long, yield a reddish or yellowish powder that is used in a dye for butter, cheese, and oleomargarine. The plant is cultivated in tropical

Holiness Movement

2005-01-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

The movement

Devers, Gail

2005-01-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

Devers began running in high school. Later, at the University of California at Los Angeles, she won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 100-metre dash in 1988 and set an American record of 12.61 sec in the 100-metre hurdles, which she held or shared

Ear Disease, Eczema

2005-01-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Eczema of the skin of the outer ear, like eczema elsewhere, is an itching, scaling redness, sometimes with weeping of the affected skin. It is often the result of an allergy to a food or substance such as hair spray that comes in contact with the skin. The best treatment is discovery and avoidance of the allergen. Cortisone ointment applied topically may temporarily relieve

Annan, Kofi

2005-01-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Annan, whose father was governor of Asante province and a hereditary paramount chief of the Fante people, studied at the University of Science

Russell, Pee Wee

2005-01-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Reluctantly trained in violin as a child, Russell also tried piano and drums before settling on the clarinet, on which he became a distinctive stylist. Russell developed a quirky, chance-taking style that employed a generally plaintive tone punctuated by growls, squeaks, and breathy mutterings.

Gypsisol

2005-01-20T04:26:00.000-08:00

One of the 30 soil groups in the classification system of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Gypsisols are characterized by a subsurface layer of gypsum (a hydrated calcium sulfate) accumulated by the precipitation of calcium and sulfate from downward percolating waters in the soil profile. With intensive management, irrigated crops can be grown on these

Carter, Jimmy

2005-01-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

At the conclusion of the president's term, the Carters returned to their hometown. Rosalynn, who had taken an active role as first lady—not only acting as an adviser to the president but also attending cabinet meetings when the subjects under consideration were of interest to her—joined her husband in establishing the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, which included a presidential library and museum. Carter served as a sort of diplomat without portfolio in various conflicts in a number of countries—including Nicaragua (where he successfully promoted the return of the Miskito Indians to their homeland), Panama (where he observed and reported illegal voting procedures), and Ethiopia (where he attempted to mediate a settlement with the Eritrean People's Liberation Force). He was particularly active in this role in 1994, negotiating with North Korea to end nuclear weapons development there, with Haiti to effect a peaceful transfer of power, and with Bosnian Serbs and Muslims to broker a short-lived cease-fire. His efforts on behalf of international peace and his highly visible participation in building homes for the poor through Habitat for Humanity established in the public mind a much more favourable image of Carter than had been the case during his presidency. After leaving office, Carter also became a prolific author, writing on a variety of topics, including his presidency, the Middle East, and his Christian faith. He also wrote a collection of poetry.

Chattanooga, Battle Of

2005-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

(November 23–25, 1863), in the American Civil War, a decisive engagement fought at Chattanooga on the Tennessee River in late November 1863, which contributed significantly to victory for the North. Chattanooga had strategic importance as a vital railroad junction for the Confederacy. In September 1863 a Federal army led by General William S. Rosecrans was besieged there by a Southern

Earth

2005-01-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

The Earth's outermost rigid, rocky layer is called the lithosphere. It is broken, like a slightly cracked eggshell, into about a dozen separate rigid blocks, or plates. There are two types of plates, oceanic and continental. An example of an oceanic plate is the Pacific Plate, which extends from the East Pacific Rise to the deep-ocean trenches bordering the western part

Saxony

2005-01-19T01:56:00.000-08:00

German Sachsen , French Saxe any of several major territories in German history. It has been applied: (1) before AD 1180, to an extensive far-north German region including Holstein but lying mainly west and southwest of the estuary and lower course of the Elbe River; (2) between 1180 and 1423, to two much smaller and widely separated areas, one on the right (east) bank of the lower Elbe southeast of Holstein, the other on the