GreyScissors

Price

2005-04-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

It follows from the definition just stated that prices perform an economic function of major significance. So long as they are not artificially controlled, prices provide an economic

Taliban

2005-04-05T04:42:00.000-07:00

Persian Taleban (“Students”) , also spelled Taleban ultraconservative political and religious faction that emerged in Afghanistan in the mid 1990s following the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the collapse of Afghanistan's communist regime, and the subsequent breakdown in civil order. The faction took its name from its membership, which consisted largely of students trained in madrasahs (Islamic religious schools)

Anthony Of Padua, Saint

2005-04-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Anthony also spelled Antony , Italian Sant'Antonio da Padova , original name Fernando Franciscan friar, doctor of the church, and patron of the poor. Baptized Ferdinand, he joined the Augustinian canons (1210) and probably became a priest. In 1220 he joined the Franciscan order, hoping to preach to the Saracens and be martyred. Instead, he taught theology at Bologna, Italy, and at Montpellier,

Wilson, Edith

2005-04-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

A leader in Washington society for more than half a century, Edith Wilson owes her place in history to the few short years she served as first lady. Although controversial, she made no important changes in the role of the president's wife—except to show more clearly than any of her predecessors that the way the first lady guards her husband's health and well-being can become a matter of national interest.

Insurance, Warranties

2005-04-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

Examples of expressed warranties are the FC&S warranty and the strike,

Murdoch, Rupert

2005-04-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

In full Keith Rupert Murdoch Australian-born newspaper publisher and media entrepreneur, founder and head of the global media holding company the News Corporation Ltd., which governed News Limited (Australia), News International (U.K.), and News America Holdings Inc. (U.S.). Murdoch's corporate interests centred on newspaper, magazine, book, and electronic publishing;

Wright, Mickey

2005-04-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Wright had begun playing golf by age 12. In 1952 she won the U.S. Golfing Association junior girls' championship. She attended Stanford University for one year before deciding to devote full time to golf. She was the 1954 World Amateur champion and also was

Bloembergen, Nicolaas

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

Dutch-born American physicist, corecipient with Arthur Leonard Schawlow of the United States and Kai Manne Börje Siegbahn of Sweden (qq.v.) of the 1981 Nobel Prize for Physics for their revolutionary spectroscopic studies of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. Bloembergen made a pioneering use of lasers in these

Carpathian Mountains, Physiography

2005-03-31T15:41:00.000-08:00

Generally speaking, the Carpathians have been divided into the Western and the Eastern Carpathians, the latter also called—probably more accurately—the Southeastern Carpathians. There are marked differences between these parts. The Western Carpathians show a clearly marked zoning in geologic structure and relief forms, and the highest elevations occur in

Priesthood

2005-03-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

The function of the priest as the mediator and maintainer of the equilibrium between the sacred and the profane in human society, and as the stabilizer of the social structures and the cultic organizations, determines the various criteria for holding the priestly office. In preliterate society the functions are accomplished by ritual experts who are trained

Aelred Of Rievaulx, Saint

2005-03-29T03:19:00.000-08:00

Of noble birth, Aelred was reared at the court of King David I of Scotland, whose life story he later wrote and for whom he was royal steward. He entered the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx

Egypt, The Tulunid dynasty (868905)

2005-03-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

Though short-lived, the Tulunid dynasty succeeded in restoring a measure of Egypt's ancient glory. For the first time since the pharaohs, Egypt became virtually autonomous and the bulk of its revenues remained within its borders. What is more, Egypt became the centre of a small empire when Ibn Tulun conquered Syria in 878–879. These developments were paralleled in other provinces

Motion Picture, History Of The, Great Britain

2005-03-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

In Great Britain the post-World War II cinema was even more literary than in France, relying heavily on the adaptation of classics in the work of such directors as Laurence Olivier (Henry V, 1944; Hamlet, 1948; Richard III, 1955), David Lean (Great Expectations, 1946; Oliver Twist, 1948), and Anthony Asquith (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1952). Even less-conventional films had literary sources (Carol

France, History Of, Charles VI

2005-03-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Charles VI (ruled 1380–1422) was a minor when he succeeded his father. His uncles, each possessed of the ambition and resources to pursue independent policies, assumed control of the government. Duke Louis of Anjou soon removed himself from influence by seeking the throne of Naples; Jean, Duke de Berry, received the lieutenancy of Languedoc, by then virtually an appanage; and it

Rubinstein, Anton

2005-03-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

In 1835 Rubinstein's father opened a small factory in Moscow, and there in the same year his brother Nikolay was born. Both boys were taught piano, first by their mother and then by Aleksandr Villoing. Anton gave his

Sibylline Oracles

2005-03-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

Collection of oracular prophecies in which Jewish or Christian doctrines were allegedly confirmed by a sibyl (legendary Greek prophetess); the prophecies were actually the work of certain Jewish and Christian writers from about 150 BC to about AD 180 and are not to be confused with the Sibylline Books, a much earlier collection of sibylline prophecies (see Sibyl). In the Oracles

San Francisco Bay

2005-03-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

Large, nearly landlocked bay indenting western California, U.S. It is a drowned river valley, paralleling the coastline, and is connected with the Pacific Ocean by a strait called the Golden Gate, which is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge (see photograph). San Francisco Bay is 60 miles (97 km) long and 3 to 12 miles (5 to 19 km) wide and is one of the world's finest natural harbours. Treasure,

Vanadzor

2005-03-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Formerly (until 1935) Karaklis or (1935–93) Kirovakan city, northern Armenia. It lies at the confluence of the Pambak, Tandzut, and Vanadzoriget rivers. In 1826 the villages of Bolshoy and Maly Karaklis were merged into the town of Karaklis. Construction of the Tiflis-Karaklis-Alexandropol railway at the end of the 19th century speeded the town's development. In 1935 the name of Karaklis was officially changed to Kirovakan to

Vytautas The Great

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

Vytautas was the son of Kestutis, who for years had waged a struggle with his brother Algirdas

Albacete

2005-03-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

Capital of Albacete provincia, Castile-La Mancha comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”), southeast-central Spain. Albacete is located in the historic La Mancha region, on the Don Juan River at its juncture with the María Cristina Canal. Of Moorish origin (Arabic: Al-Basit), it was the scene of two battles between Christians and Moors, in 1145 and 1146. Refounded in 1365 as Albacete, it

Elimelech Of Lizhensk

2005-03-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Elimelech was a disciple of Tov Baer, one of the early Hasidic leaders, and after Baer's death he settled in Lizhensk, which subsequently became an important Hasidic centre. Elimelech emphasized the importance of the leader (zaddik, meaning “righteous

Angus, Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl Of, Earl Of Morton

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

During the regency of his uncle, the Earl of Morton, he rose rapidly to power. He became privy councillor

Ariano Irpino

2005-03-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

Town, Avellino provincia, Campania regione, southern Italy. It is situated on a rocky eminence in the Apennines, east of Benevento, in a fertile district that has often been devastated by earthquakes. There is a castle of Norman origin and a 16th-century cathedral in Ariano Irpino. Cave dwellings can still be seen in the vicinity. Cement, pottery, and textiles are manufactured

Aria

2005-03-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

Solo song with instrumental accompaniment, an important element of opera but also found extensively in cantatas and oratorios. The term originated in Italy in the 16th century and first gained currency after 1602, when Giulio Caccini published Le nuove musiche (The New Music), a collection of solo songs with continuo (usually cello and harpsichord) accompaniment. Caccini

Extraterritoriality

2005-03-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

Also called Exterritoriality, or Diplomatic Immunity, in international law, the immunities enjoyed by foreign states or international organizations and their official representatives from the jurisdiction of the country in which they are present. Extraterritoriality extends to foreign states or international organizations as entities and to their heads, legations, troops in passage, war vessels, mission premises,

Technicolor

2005-03-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

(trademark), motion-picture process using dye-transfer techniques to produce a colour print. The Technicolor process, perfected in 1932, originally used a beam-splitting optical cube, in combination with the camera lens, to expose three black-and-white films. The light beam was split into three parts as it entered the camera, one beam favouring the red portion of the spectrum,

Einstein, Albert

2005-03-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

German-American physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. In the first 15 years of the 20th century, Einstein—recognized in his own time as one of the most creative intellects in human

Reproduction, Life cycles of animals

2005-03-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Invertebrate animals have a rich variety of life cycles, especially among those forms that undergo metamorphosis, a radical physical change. Butterflies, for instance, have a caterpillar stage (larva), a dormant chrysalis stage (pupa), and an adult stage (imago). One remarkable aspect of this development is that, during the transition from caterpillar to adult, most of

Trier

2005-03-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

Regierungsbezirk (administrative district), western Rhineland-Palatinate Land (state), southwestern Germany. Trier is bordered by Luxembourg and Belgium to the west, North Rhine–Westphalia Land to the north, the Regierungsbezirk of Koblenz to the east, and Saarland Land to the south. The district forms a southern portion of the larger historical region of the Rhineland

Mêlée

2005-03-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Also spelled mellay ancient and medieval game, a predecessor of modern football (soccer), in which a round or oval object, usually the inflated bladder of an animal, was kicked, punched, carried, or driven toward a goal. Its origins are not known, but, according to one British tradition, the first ball used was the head of an enemy Dane. The games were played by large numbers of people with few rules

Nordic Council Of Ministers

2005-03-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

Organization of the Nordic states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden for the purpose of consultation and cooperation on matters of common interest. The Council was established in February 1971 under an amendment to the Helsinki Convention (1962) between the Nordic countries. It consists of the ministers of state of the member countries, as well as other ministers

Haley, Margaret Angela

2005-03-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Haley attended public and convent schools and from 1876 taught in a succession of schools around Chicago. She was an early member of the Chicago Teachers' Federation, formed in March 1897, and rose quickly in the organization to become

Hope

2005-03-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

In Christian thought, one of the three theological virtues, the others being faith and charity (love). It is distinct from the latter two because it is directed exclusively toward the future, as fervent desire and confident expectation. When hope has attained its object, it ceases to be hope and becomes possession. Consequently, whereas “love never ends,” hope is confined

Locust Bird

2005-03-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Any of various African birds that eat grasshoppers and locusts, especially the black-winged pratincole (see pratincole). In India the rose-coloured starling is called locust bird.

Lancaster

2005-03-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

City, Los Angeles county, southwestern California, U.S., in the Antelope Valley at the western edge of the Mojave Desert. It began as a Scottish settlement organized by M.L. Wicks (1882), who perhaps named it for his hometown in Pennsylvania. The valley largely supported cattle ranching until the early 1900s, when water, pumped by gasoline engines, transformed it into an agricultural

Kerr, Sir John Graham

2005-03-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

Kerr's scientific education began when he was a student of medicine, but

Gospel Music

2005-03-12T02:15:00.000-08:00

The immediate impetus for gospel music seems to have been the rise of Pentecostal churches

Ocean Current

2005-03-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

The direction and form of oceanic currents is governed by a number of natural forces, including principally horizontal pressure gradient forces; forces generated by variable density of seawater, which is

Bread

2005-03-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

Baked food product made of flour or meal that is moistened, kneaded, and sometimes fermented. A major food since prehistoric times, it has been made in various forms using a variety of ingredients and methods throughout the world. The first bread was made in Neolithic times, nearly 12,000 years ago, probably of coarsely crushed grain mixed with water, with the resulting dough

Böhmer, Johann Friedrich

2005-03-11T02:03:00.000-08:00

After studying at the universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg, Böhmer journeyed to Italy, where he became interested in art history. Upon his return to Frankfurt (1822), he became an assistant librarian

Cinematography

2005-03-10T22:56:00.000-08:00

The art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects. All these concerns may involve a sizable crew on a feature film, headed by a person

Volkswagen Ag

2005-03-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a Nazi organization; and Ferdinand Porsche was brought in to design the car. Production was interrupted by World War II, and by the

Florensky, Pavel Alexandrovich

2005-03-09T02:28:00.000-08:00

In 1904 Florensky received a degree in philosophy and mathematics from Moscow University, and four years later he obtained his graduate degree from the Moscow Theological Academy, where he eventually taught. Ordained a

Rabat

2005-03-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

The history of Rabat is closely connected to that of neighbouring Salé, the site of which was first occupied by the Roman settlement of Sala (Shella). During the 10th century, Salé was established by the Zenata Berbers, who were orthodox

Nizam Shahi Dynasty

2005-03-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

The Nizam Shahi dynasty was engaged in constant

Hojo Tokimune

2005-03-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

Tokimune was 17 when he assumed the office of regent in 1268, the year that the Mongol conqueror of China, Kublai Khan, sent a message demanding that

Raabe, Wilhelm

2005-03-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

After leaving school in Wolfenbüttel in 1849, Raabe was apprenticed for four years to a Magdeburg book dealer, during which time he read widely. Although he attended lectures at Berlin University, the important product of his time

Palar River

2005-03-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

The flow of the Palar is irregular, with considerable variations from year to year. Although it generally does not flood,

Istihsan

2005-03-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

(Arabic: “to approve,” or “to sanction”), among Muslim theologians, the use of one's own judgment to determine the best solution to a religious problem that cannot be solved by citing sacred texts. This approach to religious problems found special application as Islam spread to new lands and encountered new environments. Proponents of istihsan believe Muhammad sanctioned

Hippo

2005-03-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hippo, later called Hippo Regius, located near the modern town of Annaba (formerly Bône) in Algeria, was probably first settled by Carthaginians in the 4th century BC. It later became the home of Numidian rulers. Under Roman control it was first made a municipium (a community that exercised partial rights of Roman citizenship)

Spanish North Africa

2005-03-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

Five small areas, in special relationship with the Spanish government, on and off the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. They are Alhucemas, Ceuta, the Chafarinas Islands, Melilla (qq.v.), and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, with a combined area of about 12 square miles (31 square km). Ceuta is administered as part of Cádiz province, the rest as part of Málaga province.

Trachoma

2005-03-05T01:49:00.000-08:00

Chronic inflammatory disease of the eye caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, a bacterium-like microorganism that grows only within tissue cells of the infected host. The conjunctiva becomes thickened and roughened, and deformation may result. Extension of inflammation to the cornea occurs in varying degree; resultant scarring can lead to corneal opacity and blindness.

Spangenberg, August Gottlieb

2005-03-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

As a law student at Jena, Spangenberg was converted in 1722 to Pietism, a religious movement emphasizing biblical study, morality, and Christian living, and he began

Turishcheva, Lyudmila Ivanovna

2005-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Turishcheva graduated from the Rostov Pedagogical Institute in 1974. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, she won a gold medal as a team member in the combined exercises, as she also did at the 1972 Games in Munich and the 1976 Games in Montreal. She won a gold medal for individual

Yes

2005-03-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

British progressive rock band known for its extended compositions and virtuoso musicianship. Its principal members were Jon Anderson (b. Oct. 25, 1944, Accrington, Lancashire, Eng.), Chris Squire (b. March 4, 1948, London, Eng.), Steve Howe (b. April 8, 1947, London), Rick Wakeman (b. May 18, 1949, London), and Alan White (b. June 14, 1949, Pelton, Durham, Eng.). Other members included Bill Bruford (b. May 17, 1949, Sevenoaks, Kent, Eng.), Patrick

Guadalcanal

2005-03-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Largest island of the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. With an area of some 2,047 square miles (5,302 square km), it is of volcanic origin with a mountainous spine (Kavo Range) that culminates in Mount Makarakomburu (8,028 feet [2,447 m]), the highest point in the country. Many short, rapid streams, including the Mataniko, Lunga, and Tenaru, tumble from the wooded mountains to the coast,

Pacific Islands, Regional cooperation

2005-03-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

The average Pacific island state is too small and limited in human and natural resources to function well on the world stage and has sought the advantages of joint action through regional cooperation among governments, churches, educational institutions, businesses, workers' unions, and cultural organizations. Over 200 regional bodies operate in the Pacific Islands.

Alexander Ii

2005-03-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Alexander came to the throne on the death of his father, William I (the Lion; reigned 1165–1214). When the English barons rebelled against King John (reigned 1199–1216) in 1215, Alexander sided

Quincy Plan

2005-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Also called Quincy Method, experimental, progressive, child-centred approach to education introduced in 1875 in Quincy, Mass., U.S., by superintendent of schools Francis W. Parker. Parker eliminated the rigid formalities of traditional school routine, arranged interrelated subjects around a central core, and emphasized socialized activities and creative self-expression. The curriculum included

Radha Soami Satsang

2005-03-01T00:16:00.000-08:00

Also called Radhasvami Satsang, esoteric religious sect of India that has followers among both Hindus and Sikhs. The sect was founded in 1861 by Siva Dayal Saheb (also called Sivdayal), a Hindu banker of Agra, who believed that human beings could perfect their highest capabilities only through repetition of the sabd (“sound”), or nam (“name”), of the Lord. Radha soami signifies the union of the soul with God, the name of God,

åbo, Treaty Of

2005-02-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

(1743), peace settlement that concluded the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–43 by obliging Sweden to cede a strip of southern Finland to Russia and to become temporarily dependent on Russia. As a result of the Great Northern War (Treaty of Nystad, 1721), Sweden had lost Estonia, Livonia, Ingria, and part of Karelia to Russia. In 1741 Sweden reached a secret understanding (through French mediators) with

August

2005-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Eighth month of the Gregorian calendar. See month and the accompanying Table.

Poldi Pezzoli, Museo

2005-02-27T02:52:00.000-08:00

(Italian: Poldi Pezzoli Museum), in Milan, museum in the former private house of G.G. Poldi-Pezzoli, housing fine examples of arms and armour from the 14th to the 17th centuries. There are also antique tapestries. The staircase is decorated with landscapes by Alessandro Magnasco. One room is devoted to works by Bernardino Luini and the Lombard school of painters. Other notable

Mahananda River

2005-02-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

River in northern India and Bangladesh. It rises in the Darjeeling Hills in extreme northern West Bengal state. The river flows south through a rich agricultural area in Bihar state, enters West Bengal state, flows past Ingraj Bazar, and then continues southeastward into Bangladesh to join the Ganges River after a 225-mile (360-kilometre) course. The Mahananda forms in its upper

New Castile

2005-02-26T00:27:00.000-08:00

Spanish Castilla La Nueva, historic provincial region, central upland Spain. It generally includes the area of the Moorish kingdom of Toledo annexed to the former kingdom of Castile in the 11th century AD. In modern Spanish geographic usage, New Castile as an administrative region included the provinces of Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Madrid, and Toledo. Its area was 27,940 square miles (72,363 square km).

G.c.m.g.

2005-02-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

Knight grand cross, or dame grand cross, of St. Michael and St. George, member of the highest rank of a British order of knighthood. See Saint Michael and Saint George, The Most Distinguished Order of.

Biblical Literature, Nahum

2005-02-25T03:48:00.000-08:00

He begins with the

Thames, River

2005-02-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

Ancient Tamesis or Tamesa , also called (in Oxford, England) River Isis chief river of southern England. Rising in the Cotswold Hills, its basin covers an area of approximately 5,500 square miles (14,250 square km). The traditional source at Thames Head, which is dry for much of the year, is marked by a stone in a field 356 feet (108.5 metres) above sea level and 3 miles (5 km) southwest of the town of Cirencester. Some think a tributary, the River Churn, has a better claim to

Mitaka

2005-02-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

City, Tokyo to (metropolis), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the western border of Tokyo city. The city developed from settlements in the rice paddies of the Musashino plateau during the Tokugawa period (1603–1867). It served as a hawking field, and its name is Japanese for “three hawks.” The Mitaka station on the Chuo Line (railway) was opened in 1931, and industry subsequently developed there. Mitaka's

Orange Walk

2005-02-23T23:41:00.000-08:00

Town, northwestern Belize, situated on the left (west) bank of the New River. Established in early colonial times, it was pillaged by hostile Indians in 1872. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it conducted a thriving trade in mahogany. The town declined after demand for mahogany lessened. Sugarcane and citrus fruit cultivation and rum distilling are the main economic

Kamehameha Ii

2005-02-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

In 1820 he admitted the first company of missionaries (from New England), who, within two years, had learned the language, reduced it to writing, and printed the first textbook. Kamehameha resisted conversion to Christianity, allegedly because he refused to give up four of his five wives as well as rum

Decorative Art

2005-02-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Any of those arts that are concerned chiefly with the design and decoration of objects that are chiefly prized for their utility, rather than for their purely aesthetic qualities. Ceramics, glassware, basketry, jewelry, metalware, furniture, textiles, clothing, and other such goods are the objects most commonly associated with the decorative arts. Many decorative

Arnaud, Henri

2005-02-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

After studying theology in Switzerland, Arnaud returned to Piedmont and established himself as pastor at Torre Pellice (1685), where he

Terborch, Gerard

2005-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Terborch's father had been an artist and had visited Rome but from 1621 was employed as a tax collector. Surviving drawings made by the young Terborch

Daedalus

2005-02-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

(Greek: “Skillfully Wrought”), mythical Greek architect and sculptor, who was said to have built, among other things, the paradigmatic Labyrinth for King Minos of Crete. Daedalus fell out of favour with Minos and was imprisoned; he fashioned wings of wax and feathers for himself and for his son Icarus and escaped to Sicily. Icarus, however, flew too near the Sun, and his wings

Atar

2005-02-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Town, west-central Mauritania. It is an oasis and a caravan stopping point and lies on a road leading southwest to Nouakchott, the national capital. The oasis produces dates and grains and supports cattle, sheep, and goat grazing. Atar is the site of an airstrip; it also has a school for traditional weaving, and it is an important source of rugs. Pop. (1977) 16,326; (1988) 21,366.

Adams, Marian

2005-02-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Marian Hooper was the youngest of three children of Boston Brahmins. When her mother died, about five years after Marian was born, the children were cared for by their father, who took great pains over their education. After her marriage to the historian

Apple

2005-02-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

Fruit of the genus Malus (about 25 species) belonging to the family Rosaceae, the most widely cultivated tree fruit. The apple is one of the pome (fleshy) fruits, in which the ripened ovary and surrounding tissue both become fleshy and edible. The apple flower of most varieties requires cross-pollination for fertilization. Apples at harvest, though varying widely

Space Exploration

2005-02-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Germany's ROSAT, carrying an X-ray telescope,

Free Jazz

2005-02-17T02:48:00.000-08:00

The main characteristic of free jazz is that there are no rules. Musicians do not adhere to a fixed harmonic structure (predetermined chord progressions) as they improvise; instead, they modulate (i.e., change keys) at will. Free

Sankt Gallen

2005-02-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

French Saint-gall, canton, northeastern Switzerland, bounded north by Lake Constance (Bodensee); east by the Rhine Valley, which separates it from the Austrian Vorarlberg Bundesland (federal state) and from Liechtenstein; south by the cantons of Graubünden, Glarus, and Schwyz; west by the canton of Zürich; and northwest by the canton of Thurgau. Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden and Appenzell Inner-Rhoden

Cosmic Ray

2005-02-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

A high-speed particle—either an atomic nucleus or an electron—that travels throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, including the solar system. Some of these particles originate from the Sun, but most come from sources outside the solar system and are known as galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). Cosmic-ray particles that arrive at the top of the Earth's atmosphere are termed primaries;

Diagnosis, Percussion

2005-02-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

Percussion is a diagnostic procedure used to determine the density of a part by tapping the surface with short, sharp blows and evaluating the resulting sounds. In the abdomen it can be used to detect fluid (ascites), a gaseous distention of the intestine as occurs in bowel obstruction, or an enlargement of the liver. It is used most often to evaluate the chest. Percussion

Petasos

2005-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

A hat used for traveling, the petasos was made of felt or straw and had a chin strap, so that when not in use it could be hung down the back. The winged hat of the god Hermes (or Mercury) was also called a petasos.

Race, Transforming race into species

2005-02-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

One of those whose direct experience of African slaves and assessment of them was given great weight was Edward Long (1734–1813), a former plantation owner and jurist in Jamaica. In a book entitled The History of Jamaica (1774), Long asserted that “the Negro” was “void of genius” and “incapable” of civilization; indeed, he was so far inferior as to constitute a separate species of mankind. Long's

North America, 600 to 250 million years ago

2005-02-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

Following continental breakup, lithospheric cooling caused the rifted margins to subside, which—combined with a concomitant global rise in sea level—resulted in extensive flooding of continental shelves. A sheet of sandstone was deposited as the shoreline was pushed far into the continental interior. As sources of sand retreated, the then-equatorial continent

Haeckel, Ernst

2005-02-14T00:49:00.000-08:00

In full Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel German zoologist and evolutionist who was a strong proponent of Darwinism and who proposed new notions of the evolutionary descent of man.

Términos Lagoon

2005-02-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

Spanish Laguna De Términos, lagoon in southwestern Campeche state, at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula, eastern Mexico. An inlet of the Bay of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico, it measures 45 mi (72 km) east–west and 12 to 15 mi north–south. Long, narrow Carmen Island stretches across its entrance. The lagoon is fed by the Palizada and Candelaria rivers. Shrimp, fish, and turtles are taken from Términos, and crocodiles

Frederick I

2005-02-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

He was the second son of Frederick V, burgrave of Nürnberg. After his father's death, in 1398, he obtained Ansbach and, in 1420, on the death of his elder brother John, the principality of Bayreuth. In 1410 Sigismund, younger son of

Novalis

2005-02-12T03:31:00.000-08:00

Novalis was born into a family of Protestant Lower Saxon nobility and took his pseudonym from “de Novali,” a name his family had formerly used. Young Novalis studied law at the University of Jena

China, The court's relations with the bureaucracy

2005-02-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

Kao-tsung set the style for all subsequent Nan Sung emperors. The first two emperors in the Pei Sung, both strong militarists, had towered above the relatively modest bureaucracy they had created; most of their successors had found little difficulty in maintaining a balance in the bureaucracy. The circumstances under which the Nan Sung came into being, however, were

Biblical Literature, Samuel: the rise and significance of David

2005-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

The next section contains the account of Saul's fall from power and David's rise to the position of king over all Israel. Samuel, still a charismatic and political power of great consequence, received from Yahweh the message that he was to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new ruler. Because he feared reprisal from Saul, Samuel went to Bethlehem (whose elders had the same fears)

Turin

2005-02-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Italian Torino, Latin Augusta Taurinorum, city, capital of Torino provincia and of Piemonte (Piedmont) regione, northwestern Italy, on the Po River, near its junction with the Sangone, the Dora Riparia, and the Stura di Lanzo. The original settlement of Taurisia, founded by the Taurini, was partly destroyed by the Carthaginian invader Hannibal in 218 BC. It later became a Roman military colony, known successively as

Deventer

2005-02-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Gemeente (commune), Overijssel provincie, east-central Netherlands, on the IJssel River at the west end of the Overijssel Canal. Deventer developed in the 8th century around a chapel established by St. Lebuinus. During the Middle Ages it prospered as a member of the Hanseatic League, had a monopoly of the dried-cod trade, and was noted for its five annual fairs. It became

Anatolia

2005-02-09T04:09:00.000-08:00

This article discusses the history and cultures of ancient Anatolia beginning

Mughal Painting

2005-02-08T17:43:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Mogul, style of painting, confined mainly to book illustration and the production of individual miniatures, that evolved in India during the reigns of the Mughal emperors (16th–18th century). In its initial phases it showed some indebtedness to the Safavid school of Persian painting but rapidly moved away from Persian ideals. Probably the earliest example of Mughal painting

Shields, Carol

2005-02-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Shields grew up in the United States and in 1957 graduated from Hanover College in Indiana. That same year she married and moved to Canada. After taking a course in creative

Augustine, Saint, Early writings

2005-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Moderns enamoured of Augustine from the narrative in the Confessions have given much emphasis to his short, attractive early works, several of which mirror the style and manner of Ciceronian dialogues with a new, Platonized Christian content: Contra academicos (386; Against the Academics), De ordine (386; On Providence), De beata vita (386; On the Blessed Life), and Soliloquia (386/387; Soliloquies

Italy, The end of the Roman world

2005-02-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Eastern emperors in Constantinople regarded themselves as the legitimate rulers of the West, including Italy, after 476; both Odoacer and, for a time, Theoderic had recognized them, and they had strong links with the Roman Senate. In 533–534 Belisarius, general for the Eastern emperor, Justinian (527–565), conquered Vandal Africa; Amalasuntha's death was the necessary excuse to invade

Antiferromagnetism

2005-02-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

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,