AngryScrew

Estate Agent London

2006-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Robert Irving Burns specialise in London Commercial and Residential property services, including estate agent london and estate agent central london. Their centrally located ground floor offices, minutes from Oxford Circus offer an ideal marketing base for your property.

Yacht

2005-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sailboat races are held over two kinds of courses: point-to-point and closed. Most ocean racing is point-to-point, as in transoceanic races, global circumnavigation, the Bermuda Race (q.v.; first raced in 1906 from Newport to Bermuda), and the Transpacific Race (q.v.; first raced in 1906 from California to Hawaii). Such offshore races as the America's Cup and the Fastnet Cup (qq.v.) are closed

Ghaziabad

2005-04-03T04:13:00.000-07:00

Formerly Ghaziuddinnagar, town, administrative headquarters of Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. Founded in 1740, it is located on the Grand Trunk Road 12 mi (19 km) east of New Delhi. Modern Ghaziabad is a rapidly developing industrial town. Many workers commute daily to New Delhi, where goods produced in Ghaziabad are also marketed. Manufacturing and processing industries include vegetable

Gyoda

2005-04-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

City, Saitama ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, lying on the alluvial plain between the Tone and the Ara rivers. The site was settled in ancient times, and Oshi Castle was constructed there in 1490. During the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) the manufacture of tabi (socks) was introduced into Gyoda. This industry grew steadily until the end of World War II, when it was gradually replaced by clothing

Celadon

2005-04-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Chinese, Korean, Siamese, and Japanese stoneware decorated with green glazes. To create this ware, artisans apply a wash of slip (liquefied clay), which contains a high proportion of iron, to the body of the stoneware before glazing. The iron interacts with the glaze during the firing and colours it one of various shades of green. First made in China, a wide demand led to the

Switzerland, Police and armed forces

2005-04-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Police authority is generally exercised by the cantons, but larger cities also maintain municipal police forces. A small federal police corps enforces special federal laws concerning such crimes as treason and forgery (mainly in collaboration with cantonal police). However, there is growing support for enlarging the role of the federal police, particularly

Uwajima

2005-03-31T19:23:00.000-08:00

City, Ehime ken (prefecture), Shikoku, Japan. It faces the Bungo Channel between the Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Uwajima developed as a castle town in the late 16th century. Connected by rail to major ports on the Inland Sea in 1945, it became the transport hub of southwestern Shikoku. The port is an active fishing centre; associated industries produce ships, processed foods,

Baseball

2005-03-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

Cuba defeated

Narmada River

2005-03-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Also called Narbada , or Nerbudda river in central India, rising in the Maikala Range in east-central Madhya Pradesh state. Following a tortuous course through the hills of Mandla, it enters the structural trough between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges at Marble Rocks Gorge and then flows westward across Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states, entering the Gulf of Cambay through an estuary 13 miles (21 km) wide,

Tequila

2005-03-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

Distilled liquor, usually clear in colour and unaged, that is made from the fermented juice of the Mexican agave plant, specifically several varieties of Agave tequilana Weber. Tequila contains 40–50 percent alcohol (80–100 U.S. proof). The beverage, which was developed soon after the Spaniards introduced distillation to Mexico, is named for the town of Tequila in the Mexican state

Earth, Measurement of gravitational acceleration

2005-03-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

For the study of the shape of the geoid or of large-scale structures in the Earth, values of g are required with a precision of one milligal or better. This implies a measurement accurate to one part in 106 of g itself. For more local studies, as in the use of gravity measurements for geophysical petroleum and mineral prospecting and for the study of the tidal variation of g at

New Clean Government Party

2005-03-28T20:01:00.000-08:00

After the 1962 elections to the upper house of the Japanese Diet, Soka-gakkai members held 15 seats and replaced the Democratic Socialist Party as the party or group with the third largest representation. In 1964 the Clean Government Party, or Komeito, was founded; and in July

Kahane, Meir

2005-03-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

The grandson and son of rabbis, Kahane joined a paramilitary, right-wing youth movement in 1946. He earned a B.A. from Brooklyn College (1954), an L.L.B. from New York Law School (1956), and an M.A. in international affairs from New York University (1957) and was ordained an

Levi, Carlo

2005-03-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

Levi was a painter and a practicing physician when he was exiled (1935–36) to the southern district of Lucania for anti-Fascist activities. His

Chafer

2005-03-27T01:50:00.000-08:00

Any of several beetles of the insect subfamily Melolonthinae (family Scarabaeidae, order Coleoptera). The leaf chafers (Macrodactylus) eat foliage; the grub feeds underground on plant roots. The adult female deposits her eggs in the soil, and the larvae live underground for several years. They pupate in the fall, but the adults remain underground until the following

Shield Fern

2005-03-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

Also called wood fern any member of the fern genus Dryopteris, in the family Aspleniaceae. The genus has about 150 species with worldwide distribution, and it is placed in the family Aspidiaceae in some classification systems. Shield ferns are medium-sized woodland plants with bright-green, leathery leaves that are several times divided. They have numerous round spore clusters (sori) attached

Gahn, Johan Gottlieb

2005-03-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

Swedish mineralogist and crystallographer who discovered manganese in 1774. His failure to win fame may be related to the fact that he published little. He saved the notes, papers, and letters of his friend Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who discovered chlorine, but not his own. His essays on the balance and use of the blowpipe in analysis

Pithom

2005-03-24T04:30:00.000-08:00

Egyptian Per-Atum , or Per Tum (“Estate of Atum”) , probably modern Tall al-Maskhutah ancient Egyptian city located near Ismailia in al-Isma'iliyah muhafazah (governorate). Mentioned in the Bible (Exodus 1:11) as one of the treasure cities built for the pharaoh by the Hebrews, it was known to have been enlarged by the Ramesside pharaohs, especially by Ramses II (reigned 1279–13 BC), in whose reign the Exodus of the Hebrews may have taken place. The site has yielded sphinxes and

Bulgaris, Eugenius

2005-03-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Having studied philosophy and theology at the University of Padua, Italy, a centre of Greek culture, Bulgaris

Mammal, Reproduction

2005-03-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

In reproductively mature female mammals an interaction of hormones from the pituitary gland and the ovaries produces a phenomenon known as the estrous cycle. Estrus, or “heat,” typically coincides with ovulation, and during this time the female is receptive to the male. Estrus is preceded by proestrus, during which ovarian follicles mature under the influence of

Arabian Sea

2005-03-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

To medieval Arabs the Arabian Sea was known as the Sea of India or as part of the “Great Sea,” from which smaller gulfs such as the Sea of Faris (Persian Gulf) or Sea of Kolzum (Red Sea) were distinguished. From about the 8th or 9th century onward, Arab and Persian seafarers learned to use the surface currents propelled by the summer and winter monsoon winds. Detailed navigational

Croatia, Flag Of

2005-03-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Croatia was under Hungarian rule in the mid-19th century, but Croatian nationalists attempted to revolt in 1848, at which time they chose a flag to symbolize their cause. The red-white-blue colours of the flag were inspired by the flag of imperial Russia, which was an opponent of Austria-Hungary and hence a potential Croatian ally. Although Croatians were unable to establish

Wyndham, Sir William, 3rd Baronet

2005-03-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

A member of Parliament (1710–40), Wyndham was appointed secretary of war in 1712, chancellor of the Exchequer in 1713, and head of the Treasury in 1714, all at Bolingbroke's behest. He was privy to Bolingbroke's intrigues with James Edward, the Old Pretender,

Wali Allah, Shah

2005-03-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

Wali Allah received a traditional Islamic education from his father and is said to have memorized the Qur'an at the age of seven. In 1732 he made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and he then remained in the Hejaz (now in Saudi Arabia) to

Grunion

2005-03-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

Also called California Grunion (species Leuresthes tenuis), small Pacific fish of the family Atherinidae (order Atheriniformes). The species is found in the Pacific Ocean along the western coast of the United States. A unique feature of the grunion's breeding biology results in its spawning on particular nights during the warm months when tides are highest. The eggs are actually laid in the sand

Arpino

2005-03-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Arpino originated as a stronghold of the Volsci, who entered the area during the 5th century BC. During the 4th century BC it was held for a time by the Samnites, and it was finally conquered by the Romans in 305 BC, and the Roman general Gaius Marius was

Argentina, National consolidation, 185280

2005-03-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

General Urquiza called a constitutional convention that met in Santa Fe in 1852. Buenos Aires refused to participate, but the convention adopted a constitution for the whole country that went into effect on May 25, 1853. Buenos Aires recoiled from the new confederation, the first elected president of which was Urquiza and the first capital of which was Paraná. The porteño dissidence

Parturition, Lacerations of the perineum, vulva, and vagina

2005-03-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

Vaginal lacerations usually make themselves known by profuse bleeding after delivery of the baby. Not all extensive lacerations cause bleeding, however, and a large tear in the vaginal wall may not be discovered until the health-care provider inspects the vagina after the placenta is delivered. There is no difficulty in diagnosing lacerations near the external

Rachmaninoff, Sergey

2005-03-17T04:16:00.000-08:00

Rachmaninoff's music, although written mostly in the 20th century, remains firmly entrenched in the 19th-century musical idiom. He was, in effect, the final expression of the tradition embodied by Tchaikovsky—a melodist of Romantic dimensions still writing in an era of explosive change and experimentation.

Dehon, Léon-gustave

2005-03-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

Educated at the Sorbonne, Dehon was ordained priest in 1868 at Rome. After attending the first Vatican Council

Cystine

2005-03-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

A crystalline, sulfur-containing amino acid that is formed from two molecules of the amino acid cysteine. Cystine can be converted to cysteine by reduction (in this case, the addition of hydrogen). Discovered in 1810, cystine was not recognized as a component of proteins until 1899, when it was isolated from animal horn. Cystine is particularly abundant in skeletal and connective

Bahrain, Settlement patterns

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

The majority of the population now dwells in towns, but in the north and northwest of the main island, where irrigation has long been carried out using artesian water, there are numerous small villages and isolated dwellings where horticulture is the way of life. This area has an aspect of great fertility, which contrasts starkly with the bare desert appearance of

Loch (of Drylaw), Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron

2005-03-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

A career soldier, Loch began his service in India (1844–53) and fought in the Crimean War (1853–56) and in the second and third China wars (1857–58 and 1860). After 1860 he held civil appointments. From

Venezuela, Gulf Of

2005-03-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

Spanish Golfo De Venezuela, inlet of the Caribbean Sea in Venezuela and Colombia, extending 75 miles (120 km) north-south and reaching a maximum east-west width of 150 miles (240 km). It is bounded by the Guajira Peninsula on the west and by the Paraguaná Peninsula on the east and is connected with Lake Maracaibo to the south through Tablazo Bay and a channel 35 feet (11 m) deep near the city of Maracaibo. The gulf is surrounded

Ben Barka, Mehdi

2005-03-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ben Barka, the son of a Moroccan policeman, taught mathematics

Hoffmann, Josef

2005-03-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Hoffman studied under Otto Wagner in Vienna and in 1899 joined in the founding of the Vienna Sezession, which, although influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, was more modernist than Wagner's approach. Beginning

Sendak, Maurice (bernard)

2005-03-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

Sendak was the son of Polish immigrants and received his formal art training at the Art Students' League in New York City. While attending school he drew backgrounds for All-American Comics and did window displays for a toy store. The first children's books he illustrated were Marcel

Aichbühl

2005-03-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

Site of a Middle Neolithic settlement (end of the 3rd millennium BC) on the shores of Lake Feder (Federsee) in southeastern Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. Foundations of 25 rectangular buildings arranged in an irregular row along the shoreline were uncovered in the peat wetland by R. Schmidt in 1930. Approximately 20 of the buildings were two-room houses averaging

Mauretania

2005-03-12T02:07:00.000-08:00

Transatlantic passenger liner of the Cunard Line, called the “Grand Old Lady of the Atlantic.” It was launched in 1906 and made its maiden voyage in 1907; thereafter, it held the Atlantic Blue Riband for speed until 1929, challenged only by its sister ship, the Lusitania (sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915). During World War I the Mauretania worked as a transport and hospital ship. During

Scandinavian Literature, The mythological lays

2005-03-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Mythological lays about the Norse gods made up the first half of the Poetic Edda. It is unlikely that any of these originated outside Norway, Iceland, and Norse colonies in the British Isles. The Völuspá (“Sibyl's Prophecy”) was a striking poem on the history of the world of gods, men, and monsters, from the beginning until the “twilight of the gods.” Many passages in the poem are

Tree Ear

2005-03-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Chinese Mu Erh, also called Wood Ear, or Black Fungus, any of several edible mushrooms of the genus Auricularia that are popular in Chinese cuisine, especially that of Sichuan (Szechwan) province. Tree ears grow wild on and are cultivated on the bark of trees. They are gathered for use in a fresh state and are dried for storage. Dried tree ears resemble gray-black flakes of ash; when reconstituted the mushrooms expand into

Merchant Guild

2005-03-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

A European medieval association composed of traders interested in international commerce. The privileged fraternity formed by the merchants of Tiel in Gelderland (in present-day Netherlands) about 1020 is the first undoubted precursor of the merchant guilds, and the statutes of a similar body at St. Omer, France, actually use the term gilda mercatoria before the end

Amtrak

2005-03-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

Formally National Railroad Passenger Corporation federally supported corporation that operates nearly all intercity passenger trains in the United States. It was established by Congress in 1970 and assumed control of passenger service from the nation's private rail companies the following year. Virtually all railways, with the exception of a small handful, signed contracts with Amtrak. The corporation pays the

Braconid

2005-03-09T21:02:00.000-08:00

Many species are valuable in the control

Epidote-amphibolite Facies

2005-03-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

One of the major divisions of the mineral-facies classification of metamorphic rocks, the rocks of which form under moderate temperature and pressure conditions (250°–400° C [500°–750° F] and up to 1 or 2 kilobars [1 kilobar equals about 15,000 pounds per square inch]). This facies grades into the greenschist facies under less intense metamorphic conditions and into the amphibolite facies with

Nicholas Iii

2005-03-09T01:31:00.000-08:00

As emperor

Babuyan Islands

2005-03-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

Island group of the Philippines that is a northerly extension of the Philippine archipelago. The Babuyan Islands lie in the Luzon Strait, south of the Batan Islands and Balintang Channel. They lie 20 miles (32 km) north of Luzon across the Babuyan Channel. With a total area of 230 square miles (600 square km), they comprise 24 volcanic-coralline islands, the chief of which are Babuyan,

Aigues-mortes

2005-03-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Town, Gard département, Languedoc-Roussillon région, southeastern France, southwest of Nîmes, on the Canal du Rhône à Sète, with its own 3.5-mile (6-km) canal to the Gulf of Lion. Its name comes from aquae mortuae, the “dead waters” of the surrounding saline delta marshland. Built by Louis IX as the embarkation port for his two Crusades (seventh, 1248; eighth, 1270), the little town is enclosed

Fisher, Bud

2005-03-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

After attending the University of Chicago, Fisher worked as a journalist in San Francisco, where for the San Francisco Chronicle he originated “Mr. Mutt” in 1907. Soon he added Jeff, the short one of the pair and usually the loser in their encounters. Originally a sports cartoonist,

Francis I

2005-03-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

The son of Ferdinand I and Maria Carolina, Francis at first inclined toward liberalism. After the introduction of the constitution of 1812, which provided for a bicameral government along British lines, he was appointed vicario, or regent, of Naples. Francis sympathized with the Carbonari uprising of 1820; he opposed the decision

Earth, Earthquakes

2005-03-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

Most Earth scientists believe that virtually all naturally produced earthquakes occur as a result of movements along faults. The reason that the majority of such earthquakes occur along plate boundaries is that most faults lie along those boundaries.

Levi Strauss & Co.

2005-03-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

The company traces its origin to Levi Strauss (1829–1902), a Bavarian immigrant who arrived in San

Theatre, Western

2005-03-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

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.

Computers, Early computer enthusiasts

2005-03-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Though the young engineering executives at Intel could sense the ground shifting upon the introduction of their new microprocessors, the leading computer manufacturers did not. It should not have taken a visionary to observe the trend of cheaper, faster, and more powerful devices. Nevertheless, even after the invention of the microprocessor, few could imagine

Italian Literature

2005-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

The body of written works produced in the Italian language that had its beginnings in the 13th century. Until that time nearly all literary work composed in the Middle Ages was written in Latin. Moreover, it was predominantly practical in nature and produced by writers trained in ecclesiastical schools. Literature in Italian developed later than literature in French

Sundanese

2005-03-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

Historically they were first recorded under the Indo-Javanese Brahmanical states

Amorphous Solid, Vapour condensation techniques

2005-03-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

In the gold-silicon system of Figure 5, at compositions far from the cusp, glasses cannot be formed by melt quenching—even by the rapid splat-quench technique of

Disasters

2005-03-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

February 3, Near

Karakum Desert

2005-03-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Kara-Kum , Turkmen Garagum or Gara Gum (“Black Sand”) , Russian Karakumy great sandy region in Central Asia. It occupies about 70 percent of the area of Turkmenistan. Another, smaller desert in Kazakhstan near the Aral Sea is called the Aral Karakum.

Adam, Robert

2005-03-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

As a designer of furniture, too, Adam played a leading role and was prolific, turning his hand to everything from organ cases and sedan chairs to saltcellars and door fittings. The furniture style he evolved, popularized by the cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite, was always meant to harmonize with the rest of the home. It is one of the outstanding features of an Adam interior

Zanuck, Darryl F.

2005-02-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Abandoned by his parents at age 13, Zanuck joined the U.S. Army and fought in Belgium during World War I. He worked as a steelworker, garment factory foreman, and a professional boxer while pursuing his career as a

Ribosome

2005-02-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Tiny particle that is present in large numbers in all living cells and which is the site of protein synthesis. Ribosomes are tiny granules that occur both as free particles within cells and as particles attached to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum. A ribosome measures about 200 angstroms in diameter and consists of about 40 percent protein and 60 percent RNA

Baiae

2005-02-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

Italian Baia ancient city of Campania, Italy, located on the west coast of the Gulf of Puteoli (Pozzuoli) and lying 10 miles (16 km) west of Naples and 2 1/2 miles (4 km) from Cumae, of which it was a dependency. According to tradition, Baiae was named after Baios, the helmsman of Ulysses. In 178 BC the city is mentioned as Aquae Cumanae, because of its curative sulfur springs. Baiae's mild climate, thermal springs,

Bd

2005-02-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Abbreviation of Bonner Durchmusterung (q.v.), an astronomical catalog.

Shensi, Industry

2005-02-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

The major industrial area in Shensi is that centred around Sian. Principal industries in this area include cotton and other textiles, electrical equipment, engineering and chemical manufacturing, and iron and steel production. There are minor centres of industry at Pao-chi and at Shih-ch'üan in the Han Valley, near An-k'ang, and Yao-hsien, near T'ung-ch'uan, has a large and

Hadrian's Wall

2005-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

Lippmann, Gabriel

2005-02-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Though born of French parents in Luxembourg, Lippmann grew up in Paris

Sports Medicine

2005-02-25T04:50:00.000-08:00

There are

Roman Catholicism, History Of, The reign of Leo XIII (18781903)

2005-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Although Leo XIII was no less conservative in his theological inclinations than his predecessor, his positive appreciation of the church's opportunities in modern society gave his pontificate a significantly different cast from that of Pius. On issues of church doctrine and discipline his administration was a strict one. It was during his reign that the Modernist

Burgh Family

2005-02-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Originally Burgo, also spelled Bourke, Burke, a historic Anglo-Irish family associated with Connaught. Its founder was William de Burgo, of a knightly family from eastern England; he and his descendants were granted much of Connaught in the late 12th century, and his grandson Walter was also granted Ulster. Although Walter's great-grandson, William, left no male heir, his kinsmen succeeded in holding the bulk of the

China, Cultural developments

2005-02-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

The Han emperors and governments posed as having a temporal dispensation that had received the blessing of Heaven together with its instructions to spread the benefits of a cultured life as widely as possible. By a cultured life the Chinese had in mind a clear distinction between their own settled agriculture and the delights of the cities, as opposed to the rough

Vesalius, Andreas

2005-02-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

(Latin), Flemish Andries Van Wesel Renaissance Flemish physician who revolutionized the study of biology and the practice of medicine by his careful description of the anatomy of the human body. Basing his observations on dissections he made himself, he wrote and

Azariah, The Prayer Of

2005-02-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

The Prayer of Azariah and the accompanying Song of the Three Young Men form part of chapter three and embellish the story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, three young Jewish men who were bound and

Heinemann, William

2005-02-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Heinemann studied music in England and Germany but decided instead to become

Nagaland, The economy

2005-02-22T23:07:00.000-08:00

Agriculture employs about 90 percent of the population. Rice, corn (maize), small millets, pulses (legumes such as peas and beans), oilseeds, fibres, sugarcane, potato, and tobacco are the principal crops. Nagaland, however, still has to depend on imports of food from neighbouring states. The widespread practice of jhum has led to soil erosion and loss of soil fertility. Only the

Biblical Literature, Swiss versions

2005-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Four parts of Luther's version were reprinted in the Swyzerdeutsch dialect in Zürich in 1524–25. The Prophets and Apocrypha appeared in 1529. A year later, the first Swiss Bible was issued with the Prophets and Apocrypha independently translated. The Swiss Bible underwent frequent revision between 1660 and 1882. A fresh translation from the original languages was made between 1907 and 1931.

Eilhart Von Oberg

2005-02-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

German poet important in the history of the court epic and the development of the Tristan and Isolde story in Romance literature. Eilhart was a member of a Brunswick family mentioned in the records of Henry III of Saxony. His epic, Tristrant und Isalde, a laboured version of an Old French source now lost, dates from the last quarter of the 12th century. Uncertainty

Seton, Saint Elizabeth Ann

2005-02-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Bayley was the daughter of a distinguished physician. She devoted a good deal of time to working among the poor, and in 1797 she joined Isabella

Epistemology, Our knowledge of the external world

2005-02-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

Most people have noticed that vision can play tricks on them. A straight stick put in water looks bent to them, but they know it is not; railroad tracks are seen to be converging in the distance, yet one knows that they are not; the wheels of wagons on a movie screen appear to be going backward, but one knows that they are not; and the pages of English-language books reflected

Beas River

2005-02-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Bias , ancient (Greek) Hyphasis , Sanskrit Vipasa river in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab states, northwestern India. It is one of the five rivers that give the Punjab (“Five Rivers”) its name. It rises at an elevation of 14,308 feet (4,361 m) in the Rohtang Pass in the Punjab Himalayas, in central Himachal Pradesh. From there it flows south through the Kulu valley, receiving tributaries from the flanking mountains, and then turns west to flow

Macdonald, Ross

2005-02-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Though born in California, Millar spent almost all his youth in Canada. He studied at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Institute (near Toronto), the University

Saint Bernard

2005-02-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

Working dog credited with saving the lives of some 2,500 people in 300 years of service as pathfinder and rescue dog at the hospice founded by St. Bernard of Montjoux in Great St. Bernard Pass in the Pennine Alps. Probably descended from mastifflike dogs that were introduced from Asia to Europe by the Romans, the St. Bernard appears to have been brought to the hospice in the late

Interior Design, Origins in Western antiquity

2005-02-18T01:37:00.000-08:00

Excavations in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt suggest that the earliest equivalent of furniture consisted of platforms of bricks, which served as chairs, tables, and beds, no doubt spread with textiles or animal skins. There is also good reason to think that walls were painted and, in the case of more important buildings, decorated with mural paintings. Movable furniture

Ear, Human

2005-02-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

A.J. Hudspeth, “How the Ear's Works Work,” Nature, 341(6241):397–404 (Oct. 5, 1989), gives an account of the role of hair cells in hearing. Further details are found in Lewis G. Tilney and Mary S. Tilney, “Actin Filaments, Stereocilia, and Hair Cells: How Cells Count and Measure,” Annual Review of Cell Biology, 8:257–274 (1992). As an accessible introduction to the clinical concerns of otology and audiology, John Ballantyne, M.C. Martin, and Antony Martin (eds.), Deafness, 5th ed. (1993), remains unsurpassed. For detailed, up-to-date treatments of other topics and problems considered in this section, the series Springer Handbook of Auditory Research is highly recommended, especially vol. 1, The Mammalian Auditory Pathway: Neuroanatomy, ed. by Douglas B. Webster, Arthur N. Popper, and Richard R. Fay (1992), vol. 2, The Mammalian Auditory Pathway: Neurophysiology, ed. by Arthur N. Popper and Richard R. Fay (1992), vol. 7, Clinical Aspects of Hearing, ed. by Thomas R. Van de Water, Arthur N. Popper, and Richard R. Fay (1996), and vol. 8, The Cochlea, ed. by Peter Dallos, Arthur N. Popper, and Richard R. Fay (1996). Information on the anatomy and physiology of the vestibular system and the disorders, peripheral and central, that can affect it may be found in the still-useful work by Ralph F. Naunton (ed.), The Vestibular System (1975).

Kabul

2005-02-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

Persian Kabol capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It lies along the Kabul River at an elevation of about 5,900 feet (1,800 metres) in the east-central part of the country. The nation's cultural and economic centre, the city lies in a triangular valley between the two steep Asmai and Sherdawaza mountain ranges. Roads connect it with most other areas of Afghanistan, with Uzbekistan to the north,

Alcuin

2005-02-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Anglo-Latin poet, educator, and cleric who, as head of the Palatine school established by Charlemagne at Aachen, introduced the traditions of Anglo-Saxon humanism into western Europe. He was the foremost scholar of the revival of learning known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He also made important reforms in the Roman

Mahabaleshwar

2005-02-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

Resort town, southwestern Maharashtra state, western India. It lies about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Bombay and northwest of the town of Satara at an elevation of 4,718 feet (1,438 m), in the Sahyadri Hills of the Western Ghats. The town commands an excellent view over the coastal Konkan Plain from the steep scarp slope of the hills. Recognized in ancient times as the site of the source of the Krishna

Yellow-green Algae

2005-02-15T22:04:00.000-08:00

Members of the division Xanthophyta (about 6,000 species), once classified with the green algae on the basis of similarity of body organization. The Xanthophyta are distinguished by their food reserve (oil), the quantity of b-carotene in their plastids, and motile bodies with unequal flagella. Frequently their cell walls are two overlapping halves. The

Sora

2005-02-14T21:36:00.000-08:00

Town, Frosinone provincia, Lazio (Latium) regione, south-central Italy. In ancient times the town was the scene of fighting between the Romans and the Samnites (a warlike Italic tribe) and experienced a turbulent history during the numerous wars that ravaged the Italian peninsula before Rome's rise to dominance. The town was damaged several times by earthquakes, including

Kirkcudbrightshire

2005-02-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

Also called Kirkcudbright or East Galloway historic county, southwestern Scotland. It lies entirely within Dumfries and Galloway council area. Kirkcudbrightshire forms the eastern portion of the historic province of Galloway. It encompasses the shores of the Solway Firth and Irish Sea between the Rivers Nith and Cree and extends inland across an undulating landscape of hills and valleys, rising in the

India, Nationalism in the Muslim community

2005-02-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

While the Congress was calling for swaraj in Calcutta, the Muslim League held its first meeting in Dacca. Though the Muslim quarter of India's population lagged behind the Hindu majority in uniting to articulate nationalist political demands, Islam had, since the founding of the Delhi sultanate in 1206, provided Indian Muslims with sufficient doctrinal mortar to unite

Abell, A.s.

2005-02-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Abell left school at the age of 14 to become a clerk in a store dealing in West Indian wares. He had hoped to become a printer, and in 1822 he was taken on as an apprentice by the Providence

Lancaster, Joseph

2005-02-13T05:04:00.000-08:00

British-born educator who developed the system of mass education known as the Lancasterian method, a monitorial, or “mutual,” approach in which brighter or more proficient children were used to teach other children under the direction of an adult. In the early 19th century the system, as developed by Lancaster, Andrew Bell, and Jean-Baptiste

Puerto Real

2005-02-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ancient (Latin) Portus Gaditanus town, Cádiz provincia, Andalusia comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), southern Spain. It is on the north shore of the inner arm of the Bay of Cádiz and lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Cádiz. Known to the Romans, it was probably the most ancient trading station on the Bay of Cádiz and took its modern name (meaning “royal port”) when rebuilt in 1488 by the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and

Babylonian Talmud

2005-02-12T02:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Talmud Bavli one of two compilations of Jewish religious teachings and commentary that was transmitted orally for centuries prior to its compilation by Jewish scholars in Babylon about the 5th century AD. The other such compilation, produced in Palestine, is called the Palestinian Talmud, or Talmud Yerushalmi. See Talmud.

Tie-dyeing

2005-02-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

Method of dyeing by hand in which coloured patterns are produced in the fabric by gathering together many small portions of material and tying them tightly with string before immersing the cloth in the dyebath. The dye fails to penetrate the tied sections. After drying, the fabric is untied to reveal irregular circles, dots, and stripes. Varicoloured patterns may

Mountain

2005-02-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

Most mountains and mountain ranges are parts of mountain belts that have formed where two lithospheric plates have converged and where, in most cases, they continue to converge. In effect, many mountain belts mark the boundaries of lithospheric plates, and these boundaries in turn intersect other such boundaries. Consequently, there exist very long mountain systems

Furniture, Fabrics

2005-02-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

The use of fabrics in furnishing rooms is closely bound up with the need for heating. In the primitively heated rooms of the Middle Ages, textiles were used to keep out cold and drafts. In 12th- and 13th-century churches, painted textile drapery can still be discerned beneath the picture friezes. In rather cold churches, just as in poorly heated homes, loosely hung textile

Germanic Religion And Mythology, Minor Aesir

2005-02-10T03:50:00.000-08:00

A number of minor deities are also ranked among the Aesir. The god Heimdall (Heimdal[l]r) is particularly interesting, but rather enigmatic. His antagonism with Loki, with whom he struggles for the possession of the Brísingamen necklace, results in their killing each other in the Ragnarök, according to Snorri. Heimdall is of mysterious origin: he is the son of nine mothers,

Caryophyllales, Distribution

2005-02-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

The most striking single ecological feature in the order is the dominance of the Chenopodiaceae in alkaline situations and the prominence of succulent Aizoaceae in the deserts of southern Africa. The other members of the order occur in any of several types of habitat, but in general none is conspicuous. Even the Aizoaceae in the southern African deserts are not