ViolentKnife

Chiastolite

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

A variety of the mineral andalusite (q.v.).

Mind, Philosophy Of

2005-03-16T21:57:00.000-08:00

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,

Devon

2005-03-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

Administrative, geographic, and historic county of England, forming part of the Southwest Peninsula of Great Britain and bounded on the west by Cornwall and on the east by Dorset and Somerset. The administrative, geographic, and historic counties cover slightly different areas. The historic county comprises the entire geographic county, as well as a small area

Ch'eng Hao And Ch'eng I

2005-03-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Ch'eng I also spelled (Wade–Giles romanization) Ch'eng Yi, Pinyin Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers who developed Neo-Confucianism into an organized school of philosophy. Although their philosophies are usually considered together, their ideas developed in divergent directions. Ch'eng Hao influenced the Idealist school of Neo-Confucianism, while Ch'eng I influenced the development of the Rationalist school. Ch'eng

Ectomorph

2005-03-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

A human physical type (somatotype) tending toward linearity, as determined by the physique classification system developed by the American psychologist W.H. Sheldon. Although classification by the Sheldon system is not absolute, a person is classed as an ectomorph if ectomorphy predominates over endomorphy and mesomorphy in his body build. The extreme ectomorph

Einstein, Alfred

2005-03-08T00:31:00.000-08:00

Einstein was born into a family of scholars (Albert Einstein was his cousin), and, as a young man, studied law for a year before completing his doctorate (1903) in musicology and composition at the University of Munich. As the first editor (1918–33) of the Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft (“Journal

Offenburg

2005-03-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

City, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany, in the Kinzig River Valley, at the western edge of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). First mentioned in 1101, it was founded by the Zähringen margraves on the site of a Roman settlement and was an imperial free city from 1289 to 1802. In 1846–49 it was a centre of the revolutionary movement in Baden. Gothic and Baroque buildings and remains

P'eng-hu Islands

2005-03-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

P'eng-hu also spelled Penghu , Chinese (Wade-Giles) P'eng-hu Ch'ün-tao , or P'eng-hu Lieh-tao conventional Pescadores archipelago and hsien (county) of Taiwan, consisting of about 64 small islands, approximately 30 miles (50 km) west of the coast of Taiwan, from which it is separated by the P'eng-hu Channel. Of volcanic origin, many of the islands consist of weathered basalt, and they are surrounded by coral reefs. The islands are low-lying, most rising only about 100–130 feet (30–40 m) above sea level. The highest

Powys

2005-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

County of east-central Wales, bordering on England. Powys county is by far the largest in Wales. It covers a rugged landscape of valleys and mountains, including most of Brecon Beacons National Park, and it encompasses the entire historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire, and the southern edge of the historic county of Denbighshire

Coast Mountains

2005-02-28T04:17:00.000-08:00

Segment of the Pacific mountain system (q.v.) of western North America. The range extends southeastward through western British Columbia, Can., for about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from just north of the border with Yukon Territory, Can., along the border of the panhandle of Alaska, U.S., to the Fraser River. Many peaks exceed 11,000 feet (3,400 m), including Monarch Mountain and Mounts Munday, Tiedemann, and

Tabor, Mount

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

Hebrew Har Tavor, Arabic Jabal At-tur, historic elevation of northern Israel, in Lower Galilee near the edge of the Plain of Esdraelon ('Emeq Yizre'el). Though comparatively low (1,929 feet [588 m]), it dominates the level landscape around it, leading to the biblical expression “like Tabor among the mountains” (Jeremiah 46:18). It is first mentioned in the 13th century BC in Egyptian inscriptions of the pharaoh Ramses II. Its chief Old

Biblical Literature, Impulse toward canonization from heretical movements

2005-02-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Gnosticism (a religious system with influence both on Judaism and Christianity) tended to foster speculation, cutting loose from historical revelation. In defense the orthodox churches stressed the apostolic tradition by focussing on Gospels and letters from apostolic lives and distinguished them from Gnostic writings, such as the Gospel of Truth (mentioned

Cartwright, Alexander Joy

2005-02-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

A surveyor by profession, Cartwright was one of the founders of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, an organization of amateur players in New York City. He was chairman of a club committee that prepared a set of baseball rules, which were adopted in September

Qamishli, Al-

2005-02-20T23:17:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Qamishliye, town in northeastern Syria. It lies along the Turkish border. The border divides the Syrian town of Al-Qamishli from the Turkish town of Nusaybin. The town was founded in 1926 as a station on the Taurus railway. Its mixed population increased with influxes of Armenian, Assyrian Christian, and Kurdish refugees from Turkey and Iraq. The town also has Sunnite Muslims, Syriac-speaking

Vtol Airplane

2005-02-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

The first operational VTOL jet aircraft was the British Royal Air Force Harrier; its jet engines are

Uraninite

2005-02-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

The element uranium was discovered by

Yogyakarta

2005-02-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

In the 7th century the locality formed part of the Buddhist kingdom of Sailendras, which was contemporaneous with the Srivijaya empire of Palembang (Sumatra). It was probably included in

Arras

2005-02-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

Town, capital of Pas-de-Calais département, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, former capital of Artois, northern France, on the Scarpe River, southwest of Lille. Of Gallo-Roman origin, it was the chief town (Nemetacum or Nemetocenna) of the Atrebates, one of the last Gallic peoples to surrender to Caesar. The woollen industry dates from the 4th century. The Middle Ages was a period

Dubna

2005-02-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

City, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia. The city lies along the Volga River where it is joined by the Moscow Canal (completed 1937). Dubna is a new city, incorporated in 1956; in 1960 it absorbed the town of Ivankovo on the opposite bank. It is one of several planned “science cities,” its existence depending on the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, which employs scientists from

Aretaeus Of Cappadocia

2005-02-09T02:40:00.000-08:00

Greek physician from Cappadocia who practiced in Rome and Alexandria, led a revival of Hippocrates' teachings, and is thought to have ranked second only to the father of medicine himself in the application of keen observation and ethics to the art. In principle he adhered to the pneumatic school of medicine, which believed that health was maintained by

Cereal Processing, Pasta products

2005-02-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Alimentary pastes include such products as macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli, and noodles. Such products are often called pastas. Italy is regarded as the place of origin of macaroni products, and annual consumption in that country is as high as 30–35 kilograms (65–75 pounds) per person. Annual consumption is about 6.3 kilograms in France, 3.7 in the United States, and only 0.4 kilogram in the

Aeschylus

2005-02-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

One of a trilogy of unconnected tragedies presented in 472 BC, Persians (Greek Persai) is unique among surviving tragedies in that it dramatizes recent history rather than events from the distant age of mythical heroes. The play treats the decisive repulse of the Persians from Greece in 480, in particular their defeat at the Battle of Salamis. The play is set in the Persian capital,

Carnivore, Importance of carnivora

2005-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

There is probably no other group of animals more familiar to man than mammals belonging to the order Carnivora. The more popular domesticated pets of man, the dog and the cat, are both derived from wild members of this order. The majority of luxurious natural furs (ermine, mink, sable, otter) worn by women of fashion, as well as the furs of utility used by primitive man, come

Jackson Hole National Monument

2005-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

Fertile mountain valley and wildlife reserve mostly in Grand Teton National Park (q.v.), northwestern Wyoming, U.S.

Leaf-nosed Bat

2005-01-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

Any of the bats belonging to the families Phyllostomatidae and Hipposideridae (qq.v.).

Tagalog

2005-01-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Largest cultural-linguistic group in the Philippines. They form the dominant population in the city of Manila; in all provinces bordering Manila Bay except Pampanga; in Nueva Ecija to the north; and in Batangas, Laguna, Marinduque, Mindoro, and Quezon to the south. Tagalog is an Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language like the other Philippine languages. The mother

Fibrin

2005-01-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

An insoluble protein that is produced in response to bleeding and is the major component of the blood clot. Fibrin is a tough protein substance that is arranged in long fibrous chains; it is formed from fibrinogen, a soluble protein that is produced by the liver and found in blood plasma. When tissue damage results in bleeding, fibrinogen is converted at the wound into

Lermontov, Mikhail

2005-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Only 26 years old when he died, Lermontov had proved his worth as a brilliant and gifted poet-thinker, prose writer, and playwright, the successor of Pushkin, and an exponent of the best traditions of Russian literature. His youthful lyric poetry is filled with a passionate craving for freedom and contains calls to battle, agonizing reflections on how to apply his strengths

Paulinus, Saint

2005-01-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

In 601 Paulinus was sent with St. Mellitus (later first bishop of London) and St. Justus (later first bishop of Rochester) to England by Pope St. Gregory I the Great to assist Archbishop

Vai

2005-01-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

Vai behaviour in all aspects of life is strongly influenced by secret societies

Ibrahim Al-haqilani

2005-01-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

Ordained a deacon, Ibrahim taught Arabic and Syriac first at Pisa, then in Rome, and in 1628 he published a Syriac grammar. In 1640 he began collaborating on the Le Jay Polyglot Bible, publishing the Book of Ruth in Arabic,

Celestine Iii

2005-01-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

He was Peter Abélard's student and friend, and he carried out many important legations in Germany, Spain, and Portugal; St. Thomas Becket considered him his most reliable friend at the Roman Curia. He had been cardinal deacon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Italy, for 47 years when, on March 30, 1191, at the age of 85, he was elected as the first

Basanite

2005-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

In basanites and tephrites, the plagioclase occurs as large, single crystals (phenocrysts). The feldspathoid (nepheline)

Hupeh, Relief

2005-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Almost all of Hupeh Province lies immediately north of the Yangtze River. Hupeh is bounded on the north by the eastern extension of the axis of the Tsinling, T'ung-pai, and Ta-pieh mountains. In the southeast the Mu-fu Mountains divide the province from Kiangsi. Along its central southern border there is no clear physical divide apart from the Yangtze itself: a lake-studded

Texas, Annexation and statehood

2005-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

As early as 1836, Texans had voted for annexation by the United States, but the proposition was rejected by the Jackson and Van Buren administrations. Great Britain favoured continued independence for Texas in order to block further westward expansion of the United States, but this attitude only helped to swing Americans toward annexation. Annexation was approved

Ryazan

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

Also spelled Riazan, or R'azan ', city and administrative centre of Ryazan oblast (province), western Russia. It lies along the Oka River on the site of the ancient town of Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky, about 120 miles (193 km) southeast of Moscow. The original Ryazan, first recorded in 1095, lay downstream at the Pronya confluence. The seat of the early principality of Ryazan, it was destroyed in 1237 by the Mongols; only the ruins

Slavery, Legal relationships between slave owners

2005-01-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

There was more uniformity across systems regarding legal relationships between slave owners. All societies had provisions for the recovery of runaways, and most imposed sanctions on owners who stole others' slaves (a capital offense in some systems) or helped them to flee. There also were relatively uniform laws about passing slaves from one generation to

Fukien, Settlement patterns

2005-01-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

About one-fifth of Fukien's population lives in cities and towns, the rest in rural areas. Population densities are lowest in the mountain uplands, increase in the river valleys, and are highest on the coastal plains and estuaries near Amoy, Ch'üan-chou, and Fu-chou.

Offal

2005-01-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

Also called Variety Meats, any of various nonmuscular parts of the carcasses of beef and veal, mutton and lamb, and pork, which are either consumed directly as food or used in the production of other foods. Variety meats have been a part of the human diet since the invention of cooking, which rendered the otherwise indigestible animal parts edible. In nutritional terms, several variety meats

Conditioning

2004-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

In physiology, a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement (providing a natural stimulus or reward for the desired response). The history of this concept shows its dependence upon experimental techniques for the study of reflexes. Physiologists in Russia, England, and the

Wicklow Mountains

2004-12-26T02:21:00.000-08:00

Extensive mountain range in County Wicklow, Ireland, forming part of the Leinster Chain. The mountain area comprises a vast anticline (upwarp of rock strata), with granite exposed at the centre, and also slates and sandstones. Igneous intrusions form the Little Sugar Loaf (1,123 ft [342 m]) and the Great Sugar Loaf (1,654 ft [504 m]). The main summits of the range rise over 2,000 ft and consist of smoothly

Aethelbald

2004-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

King of Wessex (from 855/856), the son of Aethelwulf, with whom he led the West Saxons to victory against the Danes at Aclea (851). He reportedly rebelled against his father either before (855) or on the latter's return from Rome in 856 and deprived him of Wessex, which he ruled until his death. On his father's death in 858 he married his stepmother, Judith.

Agonism

2004-12-23T03:41:00.000-08:00

Ethologists believe that the most general and probably

Miner, Myrtilla

2004-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

Miner was educated at the Clover Street Seminary in Rochester, New York (1840-44), and taught at various schools, including the Newton Female Institute (1846-47) in Whitesville,

Calcitonin

2004-12-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Thyrocalcitonin, a protein hormone secreted in humans and other mammals by parafollicular cells in the thyroid gland, and in birds, fishes, and other nonmammalian vertebrates by cells of the ultimobranchial bodies, which are discrete calcitonin-secreting glands. Calcitonin lowers the concentration of calcium in the blood when it rises above the normal value. It has the opposite

Earth Sciences, Weather forecasting

2004-12-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Efforts at incorporating numerical data on weather into mathematical formulas that could then be used for forecasting were initiated early in the century at the Norwegian Geophysical Institute. Vilhelm Bjerknes and his associates at Bergen succeeded in devising equations relating the measurable components of weather, but their complexity precluded the

Theatre, Western, Native traditions

2004-12-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

In spite of the lack of originality shown by dramatists, there were in Italy a number of native comic traditions that helped to shape the style of Roman comedy. The Fescennine verses (fescennia locatio) were bawdy, improvised exchanges sung by clowns at local harvest festivals and marriage ceremonies. These are thought to have combined with a tradition of performances

North Germanic Languages

2004-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Also called Scandinavian languages group of Germanic languages consisting of modern standard Danish, Swedish, Norwegian (Dano-Norwegian and New Norwegian), Icelandic, and Faroese. These languages are usually divided into East Scandinavian (Danish and Swedish) and West Scandinavian (Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese) groups.

Degree

2004-12-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

The hierarchy of degrees dates back to the universities of 13th-century Europe, which had faculties organized into guilds. Members of the faculties were licensed to teach, and degrees were in effect the professional

Hojo Yasutoki

2004-12-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

The office of shogun originated with Minamoto Yoritomo in 1185, but after his death in 1199 Yasutoki's grandfather,

Rocky Mountain Trench

2004-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Geological depression extending north-northwest for about 900 miles (1,400 km) from western Montana, U.S., south of Flathead Lake, through British Columbia, Can., to the headwaters of the Yukon River. The trench parallels the steep western face of the Rockies, separating them from the older western ranges. Its rugged floor, which is 2–10 miles (3–16 km) wide and 2,000–3,000 feet (600–900 m) above sea level, forms a natural

Peter The Hermit

2004-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Peter reputedly visited the Holy

Nicephorus I

2004-11-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Nicephorus became a high financial official under the empress Irene, and, when a revolution deposed Irene in 802, he was proclaimed emperor. In the following year he crushed a rebellion by Bardanes Turcus,

Malakoff

2004-11-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

Town, Hauts-de-Seine département, Paris région, north-central France. A southwestern industrial suburb of Paris, it has an electrical-engineering school and manufactures electrical equipment, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and precision instruments. The town was created in 1883 and was named for the fortress of Malakhov at Sevastopol, which was captured by the French

Byzantine Greek Language

2004-11-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

An archaic style of Greek that served as the language of administration and of most writing during the period of the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman, Empire until the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. During the Byzantine period the spoken language continued to develop without the archaizing tendencies of the written language. Byzantine Greek is still the liturgical

Wake Island

2004-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Formerly Halcyon Island, or Helsion Island, an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) west of Honolulu. An unincorporated territory of the United States, it comprises three low-lying coral islets (Wilkes, Peale, and Wake) that rise to 21 feet (6 m) and occupy a total land area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 square km). Linked by causeways, they lie in a crescent configuration on a reef (4.5 miles [7.2 km] long and 2 miles [3.2 km] wide) surrounding a lagoon.

Mercer

2004-11-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

Algonquian-speaking Delaware Indians ceded control of the region

Metchnikoff, élie

2004-11-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

Russian in full Ilya Ilich Mechnikov Russian zoologist and microbiologist who received (with Paul Ehrlich) the 1908 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery in animals of amoeba-like cells that engulf foreign bodies such as bacteria—a phenomenon known as phagocytosis and a fundamental part of the immune

Theatre, Western

2004-11-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

For a discussion of drama as a literary form, see dramatic literature, and the articles on individual national literatures. For detailed information on the arts of theatrical performance and stagecraft, see theatre, directing, acting, and theatrical production.

Confederation, Articles Of

2004-11-11T03:14:00.000-08:00

First U.S. constitution (1781–89), which served as a bridge between the initial government by the Continental Congress of the Revolutionary period and the federal government provided under the U.S. Constitution of 1787. Because the experience of overbearing British central authority was vivid in colonial minds, the drafters of the Articles deliberately established a confederation

National Assembly

2004-11-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

French Assemblée Nationale, any of various historical French parliaments or houses of parliament. From June 17 to July 9, 1789, it was the name of the revolutionary assembly formed by representatives of the Third Estate; thereafter (until replaced by the Legislative Assembly on Sept. 30, 1791) its formal name was National Constituent Assembly (Assemblée Nationale Constituante), though popularly the shorter

Addams, Jane

2004-11-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

Addams graduated from Rockford Female Seminary in Illinois in 1881 and was granted a degree the following

4-h Club

2004-11-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

One of an organization of clubs for youth aged 10 to 21 who engage in programs of “learning by doing.” The clubs are found principally in the United States and Canada, though some 80 other nations have adopted the idea. The 4-H Club emblem is the four-leaf clover with the letter H on each leaf; the club colours are green and white. The name 4-H is suggested in the pledge:I pledgeMy Head to

Anastasius The Librarian

2004-11-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Related to an Italian bishop, Anastasius became cardinal priest of the Church of St. Marcellus, Rome, about 848, after gaining prominence as a Greek scholar. Deposed in 853 because of political activity, he stood for a short time as antipope to Benedict III (855–858). After

Lighthouse, Rectangular and drum lenses

2004-10-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

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

Beilby, Sir George Thomas

2004-10-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

After graduating from the University of

Bucareli Y Ursúa, Antonio María

2004-10-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bucareli began his military career as a soldier for Spain in Italy, where he attained

Houston, Charles Hamilton

2004-10-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

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

Holy Roman Empire

2004-10-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

German Heiliges Römisches Reich , Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium the varying complex of lands in western and central Europe ruled over first by Frankish and then by German kings for 10 centuries, from Charlemagne's coronation in 800 until the renunciation of the imperial title in 1806. (For histories of the territories governed at various times by the empire, see France, history of; Germany, history of;Italy, history of.)

Feng-shan

2004-10-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Formerly Kao-hsiung Hsien, shih (municipality) and seat of Kao-hsiung hsien (county), southwestern Taiwan, situated about 5 miles (8 km) east of Kao-hsiung shih in Taiwan's western coastal plain. Developed during a politically unsettled period of the 17th century in an interregnum dominated by the pirate Cheng Chih-lung (1604–61), the city has many Buddhist and Confucian relics. The major industries are rice and

Gabardine

2004-10-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Any of several varieties of worsted, cotton, silk, and mixed tightly woven fabrics, embodying certain features in common and chiefly made into suits and overcoats. It is a relatively strong and firm cloth, made with a twill weave, and somewhat resembling whipcord but of lighter texture. The weft, or filling, lies entirely at the back and is therefore not visible from the

Benda, Wladyslaw Theodor

2004-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Benda studied art in Kraków, Pol., and in Vienna before coming to the United States in 1899. He settled in New York City, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1911. Benda's illustrations were published in books and in a number of magazines. He is best remembered for his masks, which were used in theatre and dance performances

Hvar

2004-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Italian Lesina island in the Adriatic Sea, part of Croatia. At 116 square miles (300 square km) in area and 43 miles (69 km) in length, it is the longest island in the Adriatic. A rocky island, it reaches 2,054 feet (626 m) in elevation at Mount Sveti Nikola and is separated from the island of Brac by a narrow channel. The Mediterranean climate is favourable to the production of various fruits, honey, lavender, rosemary,

Theatre, Western, Shamanism

2004-10-11T00:58:00.000-07:00

A second theory proposes that theatre evolved from shamanistic rituals that manifested to the audience a supernatural presence, as opposed to giving a symbolic representation of it. In this case the shaman, as actor/priest, was able to put himself into a trance and become a medium with the other world. He was believed to travel in the spirit world or be actually possessed

Metasomatic Replacement

2004-10-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

The process of simultaneous solution and deposition whereby one mineral replaces another. It is an important process in the formation of epigenetic mineral deposits (those formed after the formation of the host rock), in the formation of high- and intermediate-temperature hydrothermal ore deposits, and in supergene sulfide enrichment (enriched by generally

Guadalupe

2004-10-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Town, Cáceres province, in the Extremadura comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), southwestern Spain. It lies on the southeastern slopes of the Guadalupe Mountains near the Guadalupejo River east of Cáceres city. The town is famous for its monastery, which had its origins as a small hermitage built in the early 14th century on the spot where a shepherd had found

Grain

2004-10-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

In metallurgy, any of the crystallites (small crystals or grains) of varying, randomly distributed, small sizes that compose a solid metal. Randomly oriented, the grains contact each other at surfaces called grain boundaries. The structure and size of the grains determine important physical properties of the solid metal. Grains of a metal ingot can be elongated and

Trident Missile

2004-10-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

American-made submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that succeeded the Poseidon and Polaris missiles in the 1980s and '90s. Under development from the late 1960s, the Trident developed into two models. The Trident I, or C-4, is 34 feet (10.4 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter. It can deliver eight independently targetable 100-kiloton nuclear warheads to a range of 4,600 miles (7,400 km). The Trident II, or D-5, is

Floral Decoration, 15th and 16th centuries

2004-10-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Floral decorations became more studied and elaborate during the Renaissance period of the 15th and 16th centuries. The revival of interest in antiquity influenced the widespread use of garlands and wreaths in Renaissance Europe, especially in Italy. They were popular for pageants and feasts as well as for decorating houses and churches, and were commonly depicted

Corbusier, Le

2004-09-29T04:32:00.000-07:00

Byname of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret internationally influential Swiss architect and city planner, whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He belonged to the first generation of the so-called International school of architecture and was their most able propagandist

Rdx

2004-09-28T04:02:00.000-07:00

Abbreviation of Research Department Explosive , formally cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine , also called cyclonite, hexogen , or T4 powerful explosive, discovered by Hans Henning of Germany in 1899 but not used until World War II, when most of the warring powers introduced it. Relatively safe and inexpensive to manufacture, RDX was produced on a large scale in the United States by a secret process developed in the United States and Canada. The name RDX was coined by the British, and this name was accepted

Arabia, History Of, The Hejaz

2004-09-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Meccan sharifs were merely the nominees of Egypt until 1840, when the Egyptians evacuated Arabia. Thereafter the sharifs were usually semiautonomous beside the Ottoman governors of the Hejaz. Improved communications after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 allowed the Ottoman Empire to send troops by sea to Arabia. An attempt to establish direct administration

House Snake

2004-09-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

The house snakes of Africa belong to the genus Boaedon, family Colubridae. They are harmless mouse- and rat-catchers. An example is B. lineatum of eastern Africa, often found in eaves or under mats; it is blackish and usually less than 90 cm (35 inches)

Ruysbroeck, Jan Van

2004-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

After holding the chaplaincy of Sainte Gudule, Brussels, from 1317 to 1343, Ruysbroeck founded the Augustinian abbey at Groenendaal, where he wrote all but the first of his works, Van den Rike der Ghelieven (The

Andrew Of Carniola

2004-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

From the scant data available on Andrew's life, it appears that he was

Triassic Period, Invertebrates

2004-09-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ammonoids were common in the Permian but suffered drastic reduction at the end of that period. Only a few genera belonging to

Productivity

2004-09-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

In principle, any input can be used in the denominator of the productivity ratio. Thus, one can speak of the productivity of land, labour,

Iturbide, Agustín De

2004-09-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Like many young men of the upper classes in Spanish America, Iturbide entered the army, becoming an officer in

Xie Jun

2004-09-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

At the age of six Xie began to play Chinese chess, and by the age of 10 she had become the girls' champion of Beijing. At the urging of government authorities, she soon began playing Western chess. Despite indifferent training opportunities, Xie

Carlisle Commission

2004-09-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

Also called Peace Commission Of 1778, during U.S. War of Independence, group of British negotiators sent in 1778, to effect a reconciliation with the 13 insurgent colonies by a belated offer of self-rule within the empire. Shocked by the British defeat at Saratoga (concluded Oct. 17, 1777) and fearful of French recognition of American independence, Prime Minister Lord North induced Parliament to repeal (February 1778) such

Kafue River

2004-09-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

River rising on the Congo (Kinshasa)–Zambia border. It meanders generally southward until it turns west near the Lukanga Swamp (which it drains). The river then flows south and finally east through the Kafue Flats and Kafue Gorge to join the Zambezi River near Chirundu, Zimbabwe, after a course of 600 miles (960 km). One of Zambia's major rivers, its waters are used for irrigation.

France, History Of, The second revolution

2004-09-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

The insurrection of Aug. 10, 1792, did not of course stop the Prussian advance on the capital. As enthusiastic contingents of volunteers left for the front, fear of counterrevolutionary plots gripped the capital. Journalists like Jean-Paul Marat pointed to the prisons bursting with vagrants and criminals as well as refractory clergy and royalists and asked what would

Bone Conduction

2004-09-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

The conduction of sound through the bones of the skull. Two types of bone conduction are recognized. In compressional bone conduction, high-pitched sounds cause the segments of the skull to vibrate individually. The vibrations, by compressing the bony case of the inner ear, stimulate the sensory cells that are involved in perceiving sound waves in the air. In inertial

Obbligato

2004-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

(Italian: “obligatory”), in music, essential but subordinate instrumental part. For example, in an 18th-century aria with trumpet obbligato, the trumpet part, although serving as accompaniment to the voice, may be as brilliant in its writing as that of the voice itself. The term obbligato accompaniment has a more specialized meaning in some 18th-century music (see accompaniment

Buzkashi

2004-08-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Buzkashi has two main forms: the traditional, grassroots game, known as tudabaray (Persian [Dari]: “coming out of the crowd”), and the modern government-sponsored version, qarajay (“black place”). Both feature mounted

Nephrosclerosis

2004-08-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hardening of the walls of the small arteries and arterioles (small arteries that convey blood from arteries to the even smaller capillaries) of the kidney. This condition is caused by hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension can be present in a person for 20 to 30 years without evidence of kidney involvement; such persons usually die of other effects of hypertension

Ambato

2004-08-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

City, central Ecuador. It lies along the Ambato River in an intermontane basin near the northeastern foot of Mount Chimborazo, at an elevation of about 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. It was the scene of a decisive victory in 1821 by Antonio José de Sucre, lieutenant of the liberator Simón Bolívar, against the Spanish during the wars for Latin-American independence. Ambato has frequently

Radar, Transmitter power and antenna size

2004-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

The maximum range of a radar system depends in large part on the average power of its transmitter and the physical size of its antenna. (In technical terms, this is the power-aperture product.) There are practical limits to each. As noted before, some radar systems have an average power of roughly one megawatt. Phased-array radars about 100 feet in diameter are not uncommon;

Kschessinska, Mathilde

2004-08-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

Kschessinska also spelled Kshessinska, Russian in full Mathilda-maria Feliksovna Kshesinskaya prima ballerina assoluta of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the first Russian dancer to master 32 consecutive fouettés en tournant (“whipped turns” done in place and on one leg), a feat previously performed only by Italian dancers and considered in that era the supreme achievement in dance

Hope Diamond

2004-08-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Sapphire-blue gemstone from India, one of the largest blue diamonds known. It is thought to have been cut from a 112-carat stone brought to France by the jewel trader Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and purchased by Louis XIV in 1668 as part of the French crown jewels. This stone, later called the French Blue, was recut into a 67-carat heart in 1673 and disappeared after the crown-jewel robbery