Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 15, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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transliterate
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| Article of the Day | |
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 HibernationIn winter, when temperatures dip below freezing and food supplies dwindle, some animals enter hibernation—an inactive state in which metabolism nearly stops, body temperature drops, and heart rate may slow to one or two beats a minute. Though the exact stimulus that triggers hibernation is unknown, infusing an extract from the blood of a hibernating animal into an active potential hibernator has been shown to induce hibernation, indicating that the cause may be blood-borne. What is estivation? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 King Macbeth Is Killed (1057)Macbeth was originally a governor and military commander under Scottish King Duncan I, whose ancestors had seized power from the ancestors of Macbeth's wife. Macbeth ascended to the throne by killing Duncan in battle in 1040 and ruled Scotland for the next 18 years. In 1057, Macbeth was mortally wounded at the Battle of Lumphanan by Duncan's son Malcolm. Malcolm was crowned king the following year. Is Shakespeare's famous tragedy about Macbeth historically accurate? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Walter Scott (1771)Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott is widely regarded as both the inventor of the historical novel and one of the genre's greatest writers. His extremely popular "Waverley" series consists of more than two dozen romances of Scottish life. The first, published in 1814, was an immediate success, yet Scott continued to write anonymously until 1827. In 1825, his business nearly failed. By what means did he attempt to stave off bankruptcy, eventually achieving financial solvency after his own death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Better than man doth woman understand children, but man is more childish than woman.Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Elvis International Tribute Week (2020)This week-long event pays tribute to rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. The tribute takes place in Memphis, Tennessee, largely at Graceland, his 15,000-square-foot mansion that is now his gravesite, museum, and a rock and roll shrine. A candlelight vigil is held on the evening of Aug. 15 at Graceland, when thousands of Elvis's fans pour through the gates and walk to the gravesite. Other events include a Nostalgia Concert by those who worked with Presley; a Sock Hop Ball, in which Elvis songs and other classics of the 1950s and 1960s are played; and an art exhibit and contest. More... | |