Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 20, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Article of the Day | |
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 OlfactionThe organs of smell are confined to a small area in the roof of the nasal cavity. Olfactory cells are stimulated when certain molecules reach them, and nerve fibers extend from these receptor cells to the olfactory bulb in the human brain. Smell is one of our most subtle senses, amplifying the sense of taste and detecting tens of thousands of distinct scents. Odor information is easily stored in long-term memory and has strong connections to emotional memory. Why might this be? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Oil Rig Accidentally Drains Lake Peigneur (1980)When Leonce Viator, Jr., set out in his boat for a day of fishing on Louisiana's Lake Peigneur, he never imagined he would end up fighting for his life. But that is exactly what happened after an oil rig on the lake's surface accidentally bored through the roof of a salt mine beneath it. Like a bathtub whose plug has been pulled, the lake began draining into the mine, creating a whirlpool that sucked in not just water but barges, trees, and acres of surrounding land. What happened to Viator? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alistair Cooke (1908)Cooke was a British-American journalist and broadcaster. To British audiences, he was famous for his lively and insightful interpretations of American life and culture. His weekly Letter from America, which aired for 58 years, was one of the longest-running programs in radio. To American television audiences, he was the epitome of the elegant English gentleman, hosting public television's Masterpiece Theater for 20 years. After he died, his bones were stolen and used for what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Towns are excrescences, gray fluxions, where men, hurrying to find one another, have lost themselves.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Opening of the Underground Caves Day (2020)The end of World War II is marked annually by the people of Butaritari Island (northern islands of the independent republic of Kiribati). Each year, they open the caves that were built to shelter them during WWII. Accompanied by a celebration, the event takes place on the anniversary of the day the caves initially were opened after the war ended in 1945. The event's main activities take place in Ukiangang village on Butaritari Island, featuring singing, dancing, feasting, and indoor and outdoor games. More... | |