NormalSnow

Aquarium

2005-04-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

The earliest known aquarists were the Sumerians, who kept fishes in artificial ponds at least 4,500 years ago; records of fish keeping also date from ancient Egypt and Assyria. The Chinese, who raised carp for food as early as 1000 BC, were probably the first to breed fish with any degree of success. Their selective breeding of ornamental goldfish was later introduced to Japan, where

Cosmos

2005-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

If one looks up on a clear night, one sees that the sky is full of stars. During the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, a faint band of light stretches from horizon to horizon, a swath of pale white cutting across a background of deepest black. For the early

Francis I

2005-04-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Duke of Brittany (from 1442), son of John V (or VI). He had his brother Gilles thrown into prison and put to death for allegedly spying for the English, with whom he warred (1449–50). The king of France intervened and expelled the English from Normandy.

Warfare In The 21st Century

2005-04-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

The war that began in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, demonstrated both the capabilities and the limitations of modern military technology. It should have come as no surprise that the U.S.-led 17-member coalition toppled the Taliban regime in only a few weeks. In conventional terms, the Taliban were a pushover; they possessed no air force, had very limited air defenses, and were an unpopular

Zoe

2005-04-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

Also called Brotherhood of Theologians in Eastern Orthodoxy, a semimonastic Greek association patterned on Western religious orders. Founded in 1907 by Eusebius Matthopoulos, Zoe (Greek: “Life”) brought together groups of more than 100 unmarried and highly disciplined members, bound by the monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; approximately half of the brothers were ordained priests, and the rest

Mollien, Gaspard-théodore

2005-03-31T01:29:00.000-08:00

Mollien reached the French colonial station of Saint-Louis, Senegal, in 1817 and in January 1818 began his expedition to discover the sources of the Sénégal, Gambia,

Berdyayev, Nikolay Aleksandrovich

2005-03-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

During his student days at Kiev

Phoenix

2005-03-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

In ancient Egypt and in classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any time, and it was very long-lived—no ancient authority gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its end approached, the phoenix

Zealand

2005-03-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Danish Sjælland largest and most populous island of Denmark, between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea, separated from Sweden by The Sound (Øresund) and from Funen (Fyn) island by the Great Belt. Zealand is divided into seven major administrative units: the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg and the amtskommuner (counties) of København, Frederiksborg, Vestsjælland, Roskilde

Henríquez Ureña, Pedro

2005-03-27T02:40:00.000-08:00

Henríquez Ureña's father, a doctor, became president of the Dominican Republic, and his mother was a poet and teacher. After finishing

Wolf Herring

2005-03-26T04:04:00.000-08:00

(Chirocentrus dorab), species of fish belonging to the family Chirocentridae (order Clupeiformes). It is exclusively marine in habitat, occurring in the Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific to Japan and eastern Australia. In contrast to other herrings, which feed on plankton, wolf herrings are carnivorous, attacking and eating other fish. Their jaws are equipped

California, U.S. colonization and acquisition

2005-03-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Secularization of the missions was sought by Spanish-Mexican settlers known as Californios when Mexico became independent of Spain in 1821. Between 1833 and 1840 the mission ranches were parceled out to political favourites by the Mexican government. The padres withdrew, and the Indians were cruelly exploited and diminished. In 1841 the first wagon train of settlers left Missouri

Imagist

2005-03-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

The Imagists wrote succinct verse of dry clarity

California, U.S. colonization and acquisition

2005-03-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

Set of multilateral trade agreements aimed at the abolition of quotas and the reduction of tariff duties among the contracting nations. When GATT was concluded by 23 countries at Geneva, in 1947 (to take effect on Jan. 1, 1948), it was considered an interim arrangement pending the formation of a United Nations agency to supersede it. When such an agency failed to emerge, GATT was amplified

Francis I

2005-03-22T00:41:00.000-08:00

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

Ancient Rome, Administration of Rome and Italy

2005-03-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

Ordinary Roman citizens who were neither senators nor equites were of lesser consequence. Although still used, the old formula senatus populusque Romanus (“the Senate and the Roman people”) had changed its meaning: in effect, its populusque Romanus portion now meant “the emperor.” The “Roman people” had become the “Italian people,” and it was embodied in the person of Augustus,

Arishima Takeo

2005-03-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Arishima was the eldest son of a talented and aristocratic family; his younger brothers included the painter Arishima Ikuma and the novelist Satomi Ton. He went to the Peers School, where he was chosen as a companion to the crown prince. He went

Dardanus

2005-03-20T20:48:00.000-08:00

According to tradition, having slain his brother Iasius, or Iasion, Dardanus fled from Arcadia across the sea to Samothrace. When that island was visited by a flood, he crossed over to

Refractory

2005-03-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

Material not deformed or damaged by high temperatures, used to make crucibles, incinerators, insulation, and furnaces, particularly metallurgical furnaces. Refractories are produced in several forms: molded bricks of various shapes (see firebrick); bulk granular materials; plastic mixtures consisting of moistened aggregate that are rammed into place; castables

Gulbransson, Olaf

2005-03-19T23:16:00.000-08:00

Gulbransson studied at the Royal Norwegian Drawing School and worked for several Norwegian newspapers. After a visit to Paris in 1900, he returned to Oslo,

Great Bahama Bank

2005-03-18T23:52:00.000-08:00

Large shoal off The Bahamas, separated from Little Bahama Bank (north) by Northwest Providence Channel. Its shallow waters extend southeast from Miami, across the Straits of Florida, in a broad curve about 330 miles (530 km) long, between Cuba and Andros Island. The edge of the bank drops off precipitously into great depths. The marine life is abundant and varied, making it a prized

Ovary

2005-03-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

In zoology, female reproductive organ in which sex cells (eggs or ova) are produced. The usually paired ovaries of female vertebrates produce both the sex cells and the hormones necessary for reproduction. In some invertebrate groups such as coelenterates, formation of ovaries is associated with the seasons. Many invertebrates

Toombs, Robert A(ugustus)

2005-03-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Born into a wealthy planter family, Toombs entered and withdrew from the University of Georgia before

Aguascalientes

2005-03-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

State, central Mexico. One of the country's smallest states (2,112 square miles [5,471 square km]), it occupies part of the central plateau between 3,300 and 10,000 feet (1,000 and 3,000 metres) above sea level, extending from two spurs of the Sierra Madre eastward and southward to rolling fertile plains. It is well watered and has a mild climate with light rainfall. The name, from the Spanish for “hot waters,” stems

Turfan Depression

2005-03-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

The basin lies between

The Rodent That Acts Like A Hippo

2005-03-16T03:31:00.000-08:00

Although the animals that live in rainforests on different continents can differ significantly, the environments they live in are very similar. These environments, therefore, exert similar pressures on the evolution of the animals living in each. As a result, unrelated species may be similar in many ways. This phenomenon is called convergent evolution, or convergence

Naevius, Gnaeus

2005-03-16T02:16:00.000-08:00

Second of a triad of early Latin epic poets and dramatists, between Livius Andronicus and Ennius. He was the originator of historical plays (fabulae praetextae) that were based on Roman historical or legendary figures and events. The titles of two praetextae are known, Romulus and Clastidium, the latter celebrating the

Arecidae, The leaf

2005-03-16T01:36:00.000-08:00

Leaf structure is different and distinctive in each of the six families of the subclass. In Acoraceae both the leaves and the scapes are ensiform (sword-shaped). Leaves in Araceae usually have a basal sheath, a petiole, and a flat blade. The blade is lanceolate to broadly ovate or rarely linear or strap-shaped. The base of the blade may be heart-shaped (cordate), arrowhead-shaped

Ogier The Dane

2005-03-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

French Ogier De Danemarche , Danish Holger Danske an important character in the French medieval epic poems called chansons de geste. His story is told in a cycle of these poems known as Geste de Doon de Mayence, which deals with the wars of the feudal barons against the emperor Charlemagne. The character of Ogier has a historical prototype in Autcharius, a follower of Carloman, Charlemagne's younger brother, whose

Genesis

2005-03-14T03:16:00.000-08:00

Hebrew Bereshit (“In the Beginning”), the first book of the Old Testament. Its name derives from the opening words: “In the beginning . . . .” Genesis narrates the primeval history of the world (chapters 1–11) and the patriarchal history of the Israelite people (chapters 12–50). The primeval history includes the familiar stories of the Creation, the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower

Potrerillos

2005-03-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Mining area, Atacama región, northern Chile. The open-pit copper mine lies in the Andean Atacama Desert, 9,440 feet (2,877 m) above sea level and 75 miles (120 km) inland from the port of Chañaral, to which it is linked by rail. Although the deposits are smaller and the ores of poorer quality than at Chuquicamata, the mine and smelter at Potrerillos contribute a substantial portion of Chile's

Babenberg, House Of

2005-03-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Austrian ruling house in the 10th–13th century. Leopold I of Babenberg became margrave of Austria in 976. The Babenbergs' power was modest, however, until the 12th century, when they came to dominate the Austrian nobility. With the death of Duke Frederick II in 1246, the male line of the Babenbergs ended, and the family's power declined rapidly.

Agustín, José

2005-03-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

Agustín was educated at National Autonomous University of Mexico and at Centro Mexicano de Escritores. He was a leader of Onda, a youth movement sympathetic to rock music and drug culture, and

Razor-billed Auk

2005-03-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Razorbill (Alca torda), black and white seabird of the North Atlantic, bearing a sharp, heavy, compressed beak. About 40 cm (16 inches) long, it is the largest living member of the auk family, Alcidae (order Charadriiformes), and the nearest kin to the extinct great auk (q.v.). Razor-billed auks are deep divers, feeding on fish (including shellfish). They breed along North Atlantic coasts; some migrate

Holmes, Sherlock

2005-03-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Fictional character created by the Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The prototype for the modern mastermind detective, Holmes first appeared in Conan Doyle's

Fock, Jeno

2005-03-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hungarian politician (b. May 17, 1916, Budapest, Austria-Hungary—d. May 23, 2001, Budapest, Hung.), was a moderate communist who tried to institute economic reforms while serving as Hungarian deputy prime minister (1961–67) and prime minister (1967–75). His efforts were blocked by the Soviet Union, however, and he was pushed out of office in 1975. Fock continued to criticize General Secretary Janos Kadar's hard-line

Peter, Apocalypse Of

2005-03-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Revelation To Peter, pseudepigraphal (noncanonical and unauthentic) Christian writing dating from the first half of the 2nd century AD. The unknown author, who claimed to be Peter the Apostle, relied on the canonical Gospels and on Revelation to John to construct a conversation between himself and Jesus regarding events at the end of the world. Unlike Revelation to John, however, the Apocalypse

China, Literature and scholarship

2005-03-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

As was the case with much of the painting, Ming poetry and belles lettres were deliberately composed “after the fashion of” earlier masters, and groups of writers and critics earnestly argued about the merits of different T'ang and Sung exemplars. No Ming practitioner of traditional poetry has won special esteem, though Ming literati churned out poetry in prodigious

Paul-boncour, Joseph

2005-03-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

After receiving a degree in law from the University of Paris, Paul-Boncour practiced law, organized the legal council of the Bourses du Travail (syndicalist workers'

Ray, Jean

2005-03-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

De Kremer worked as a city employee, from 1910 to 1919, before working as a journalist (1919–40). He began to publish fiction in 1925, with the short-story collection, Les Contes du whisky (1925; “Whisky's

Hei Tiki

2005-03-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Small neck pendant in the form of a human fetus, used by the Maori of New Zealand as a fertility symbol. Usually carved of green nephrite or a jadelike stone called pounamu that is found along the western coast of the South Island, hei tikis normally are worn only by women. The object is believed to possess magical powers that increase as it is passed on from generation

Ray, Jean

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

India's second largest trade union federation after the Indian National Trade Union Congress. The AITUC was formed by the Indian National Congress (the central organ of the independence movement) in 1920 to represent India at the International Labour Organisation of the League of Nations. During the 1920s British communists, in trying to organize trade unions, gained control

Mughal Dynasty

2005-03-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Mogul , Arabic Mongol Muslim dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. The Mughal dynasty was notable for about two centuries of effective rule over much of India, for the ability of its rulers, who through seven generations maintained a record of unusual talent, and for its administrative organization. A further distinction was the attempt of the

Ruways, Ar-

2005-03-06T01:16:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Ruweis, or Ru'ays, site of a giant industrial complex, Abu Dhabi emirate, United Arab Emirates. It lies along the Persian Gulf about 140 miles (220 km) west of Abu Dhabi, the national capital. Ar-Ruways has natural-gas-processing plants under the control of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Ar-Ruways has a small airport and is linked by road with Abu Dhabi city and Jabal az-Zannah.

Cariboo Road

2005-03-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Wagon trail that was constructed (1862–65) in the Fraser River valley, in southern British Columbia, Canada, to serve the Cariboo gold rush. The trail extended more than 400 miles (644 km) from Yale, at the head of steamboat navigation on the Fraser River, through Ashcroft, to Barkerville in the Cariboo Mountains. The project was regarded as an engineering triumph because of the precipitous

Floor Exercise

2005-03-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Gymnastics event in which movements are performed on the floor in an area 12 metres (40 feet) square. This area is covered by some type of cloth or mat, usually with some cushioning. No other apparatus is used. Men's routines are 50 to 70 seconds in duration. The type of exercise required is a series of movements combining elements of flexibility, strength, jumps, holding of poses, and

Sha-shih

2005-03-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Sha-shih was a large city in the state of Ch'u from the 6th century BC onward. The Ch'in dynasty (221–206 BC) and their successors,

Aramaic Alphabet

2005-03-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

The Aramaic language and script were used as a lingua franca over all of the Middle

Malvaceae

2005-03-04T04:15:00.000-08:00

The mallow family, a large group of flowering plants, in the order Malvales, containing about 95 genera of herbs, shrubs, and trees. Representatives occur in all except the coldest parts of the world but are most numerous in the tropics. Economically, the most important member of the family is cotton (q.v.; Gossypium). Several species of Hibiscus produce fibres that are of lesser

Aeschylus

2005-03-03T03:44:00.000-08:00

This is the first and only surviving play of a trilogy probably put on in 463. It was long believed by scholars that Suppliants (Greek Hiketides; Latin Supplices) was one of Aeschylus' earliest plays because of its archaic structure; its chorus, representing the daughters of Danaus (the Danaïds), takes the leading role in the action. But there is now evidence that the trilogy

Fabricius, Johann Albert

2005-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

In 1689, after two years at the University of Leipzig, Fabricius graduated as master of philosophy and published anonymously his Decas decadum, Sive plagiariorum et pseudonymorum centuria, a survey of 100 writers accused of plagiarism or literary mystification. In 1694 he became librarian

Wryneck

2005-03-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

Either of two species of birds that constitute the subfamily Jynginae of the woodpecker family (Picidae) but may be separated as the family Jyngidae. Wrynecks are gray-brown birds of open woods and brushlands, named for their habit of twisting their necks snakily when alarmed. They flick up ants from the ground or insects from trees with their long tongues, and they

Cumali, Necati

2005-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

At the age of 18 Cumali began publishing poetry. After graduating from what is now Ankara (Turkey) University in 1941, he held a variety of jobs and practiced law from

Sudbury

2005-03-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

Town (“parish”), Babergh district, administrative and historic county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour. An important wool town during the Middle Ages, it has many half-timbered houses and three Perpendicular-style churches. Sudbury was first incorporated in 1554. As the worsted industry declined, silk weaving and coconut matting were introduced. Milling and brewing

Poland, Flag Of

2005-03-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

The first recorded use of the coat of arms of Poland, a white eagle on a red shield, dates from the 13th century. The reason for the choice of colours is not known, but it may simply have been a desire to make a clear contrast to the arms of the neighbouring Holy Roman Empire (a black eagle on a golden shield). The early flags of Poland were armorial: the arms were transformed directly

L'engle, Madeleine

2005-02-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

L'Engle attended boarding schools in Europe and the United States and graduated with honours from Smith College (B.A., 1941). She pursued a career in the theatre before

Mercosur

2005-02-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Spanish acronym of Common Market of the South (“Mercado Común del Sur”) , Portuguese Mercado Comum do Sul (Mercosul) South American regional economic organization. Mercosur grew out of earlier efforts to integrate the economies of Latin America through the Latin American Free Trade Association (1960) and its successor, the Latin American Integration Association (1980). In 1985 Argentina and Brazil signed the Declaration of Iguaçu, which created a bilateral commission to promote the integration

Aeolian Harp

2005-02-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

(from Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds), stringed musical instrument played by the wind. It is made of a wooden sound box about 3 feet by 5 inches by 3 inches (1 m by 13 cm by 8 cm) that is loosely strung with 10 or 12 gut strings. These strings are all of the same length but vary in thickness and hence in elasticity. The strings are all tuned to the same pitch. In the wind they vibrate in aliquot

Buddhism, Yogacara/Vijñanavada (Fa-hsiang/Hosso)

2005-02-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Yogacara (or Vijñanavada) school is traditionally ascribed to the brothers Asanga and Vasubandhu (5th century AD), to whom may be added Sthiramati (6th century). These writers were systematizers of doctrines already being taught and contained in such literature as the Lankavatara-sutra and the Mahayana-sraddhotpada-sastra (attributed to Asvaghosa but probably written in Central

Caucasian Languages, Phonology

2005-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

The sound systems of the Nakho-Dagestanian languages are diverse. There are up to five vowels (a, e, i, o, u); in some languages o is only now becoming an independent distinctive unit. Along with these cardinal vowels, in a number of languages there are also long and nasalized vowels (the Andi languages), pharyngealized vowels (in Udi), and labialized vowels (in Dido). In the Nakh

Hawk Owl

2005-02-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

The northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula) is approximately 40 cm (about 16 inches) long. Its tail is long, and its wings are short and pointed like those of a hawk. The facial disk of the northern hawk owl does not extend above the eyes, and it has no ear tufts. It feeds on small mammals, birds, and insects, hunting during

Maban Languages

2005-02-25T05:03:00.000-08:00

Group of related languages spoken in the border area of Chad, The Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The Maban languages form a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Maba (also called Bura Mabang) is the largest Maban language in terms of number of speakers (more than 250,000). Other members of the group include Karanga, Kibet, Massalat, Masalit (Massalit), Marfa, and Runga.

Gerhardsen, Einar (henry)

2005-02-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

The son of a Labour Party member, Gerhardsen joined the party during World War I and sided with its radical wing, which joined the Comintern (Third International) in 1919. After the party split from the Comintern

China, The tide begins to shift

2005-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Although government forces overran Yen-an in March 1947, the strategic initiative passed to the PLA during that year. In midsummer Liu Bocheng started moving toward the Yangtze; by late in the year the Communists had concentrated strong forces in central China. Chen Yi operated on both sides of the Lung-hai, east of K'ai-feng; Liu Bocheng was firmly established in the Ta-pieh

Shimada

2005-02-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

City, Shizuoka ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, on the lower Oi River. During the Tokugawa era (1603–1867) it was an important post town on the Tokaido (Eastern Sea Highway) because fording the river was both difficult and dangerous. Since the early 20th century the city has become a trade centre for timber from the forest-covered Akaishi Range upstream. Shimada contains several large paper

Fischer-dieskau, Dietrich

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

Fischer-Dieskau studied with Georg Walter before serving in World War II and with Hermann Weissenborn afterward. In 1947 he made his concert debut in Johannes Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem at Freiburg, and the next year

Wage And Salary

2005-02-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

The purchasing-power theory of wages involves the relation between wages and employment and the business cycle and is not, therefore, a theory of wage determination. It stresses the importance of spending through consumption and investment as an influence upon the activity of the economy. The theory gained prominence during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when

Croatian Peasant Party

2005-02-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Dominant political party in Croatia during the first half of the 20th century. Founded in 1904 by Stjepan Radic (and his brother Ante Radic), it advocated home rule for a Croatia dominated by peasants on homesteads increased by redistribution of land. The party formed the almost constant opposition to the Serbian-dominated government of Yugoslavia after the foundation

Károlyi, Mihály, Count (gróf)

2005-02-22T02:11:00.000-08:00

In full Mihaly, Count Károlyi von Nagykárolyi Hungarian statesman who before World War I desired a reorientation of Austro-Hungarian foreign policy toward friendship with states other than Germany. He also advocated concessions to Hungary's non-Magyar subjects. After the war, as president of the Hungarian Democratic Republic in 1919, Károlyi was

Gammexane

2005-02-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

Trade name for an insecticide composed of the most toxic of the isomeric forms of benzene hexachloride (q.v.).

Mitchell, Mount

2005-02-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

Highest peak in North Carolina and in the United States east of the Mississippi River, reaching an elevation of 6,684 feet (2,037 metres). It is located in Yancey county, in the western part of the state, about 20 miles (30 km) northeast of Asheville in the Black Mountains. The peak, covered with a mantle of hardwoods, pine, spruce, and balsam, is within Mount Mitchell State Park and Pisgah National

Dacier, André

2005-02-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Dacier studied at Saumur with the Humanist Tanneguy Lefèbvre, whose daughter Anne he married in 1683. He was made keeper of the library of the Louvre and, elected to the French Academy in 1695, became

Abu Al-'atahiyah

2005-02-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Abu al-'Atahiyah (“Father of Craziness”) came from a family of mawlas, poor non-Arabs who were clients of the 'Anaza Arab tribe. The family's poverty prevented Abu al-'Atahiyah from receiving

Computers And Information Systems, E-Commerce.

2005-02-19T01:13:00.000-08:00

E-commerce continued the downward slide that had begun in early 2000. In the first half of 2001, U.S. Internet advertising revenues declined 7.8% from the same period a year earlier. The on-line ad sales decline compared with revenue growth of 78% in 2000 and marked the end of several years of substantial growth in on-line ad revenues. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade group, said the

Earth, Isostasy

2005-02-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

The general concept that higher portions of the Earth's crust are lighter and are maintained in position by correspondingly light roots beneath is very old. The quantitative description of this “compensation” of the Earth's topographic features dates from the geodetic triangulation of India in which the effect of the attraction of the Himalayas on the deflection

Chromium Processing

2005-02-18T16:04:00.000-08:00

Chromium (Cr) is a brilliant, hard, refractory metal that melts at 1,857° C (3,375° F) and boils at 2,672° C (4,842° F). In the pure state, it is resistant to ordinary corrosion, resulting in its application as an electroplated protective coating for other metals. It dissolves in nonoxidizing mineral acids but not in aqua regia or nitric acid, which passivate

Earth, The global significance of gravity anomalies

2005-02-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

The investigations of isostasy described above are statistical in approach in that they are directed toward determining depth of compensation and lithospheric thickness from large data sets without reference to individual geologic structures. On the other hand, the study of gravity is capable of extending the understanding of such major features of global

Hestia

2005-02-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

She was worshipped chiefly as goddess of the family hearth; but, as the

Austria, The early Babenberg period

2005-02-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

The first mention of a ruler in the regained territories east of the Enns is of Burchard, who probably was count (burgrave) of Regensburg. It appears that he lost his office as a result of his championship of Henry II the Quarrelsome, duke of Bavaria. In 976 his successor, Leopold I of the house of Babenberg, was installed in office. Under Leopold's rule the eastern frontier was

Cancer, Syndromes resulting from inherited defects in DNA repair mechanisms

2005-02-15T22:33:00.000-08:00

Another group of hereditary cancers comprises those that stem from inherited defects in DNA repair mechanisms. Examples include Bloom syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia, Fanconi anemia, and xeroderma pigmentosum. These syndromes are characterized by hypersensitivity to agents that damage DNA (e.g., chemicals and radiation). The failure of a cell to repair the defects

Aeolus

2005-02-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

In the works of Homer, controller of the winds and ruler of the floating island of Aeolia. In the Odyssey he gave Odysseus a favourable wind and a bag in which the unfavourable winds were confined. Odysseus' companions opened the bag; the winds escaped and drove them back to the island. Although he appears as a human in Homer, Aeolus later was described as a minor god.

Osawatomie

2005-02-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

City, Miami county, eastern Kansas, U.S. It lies along the Marais des Cygnes River at the mouth of Pottawatomie Creek; its name combines elements of the words Osage and Pottawatomie. Settled in 1854 with support of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, Osawatomie was the headquarters for John Brown's militant Free State operations in Kansas Territory and was a station on

Roberts, Richard

2005-02-14T18:49:00.000-08:00

Roberts began his career as an uneducated quarryman. He had remarkable mechanical ability, however, and worked at various times for the industrialist John Wilkinson and the inventor Henry Maudslay. He was one of the inventors of the metal planer and made

La Follette, Robert M

2005-02-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

Biographies and analyses of La Follette and the Progressive movement include Belle Case La Follette and Fola La Follette, Robert M. La Follette, June 14, 1855–June 18, 1925, 2 vol. (1953, reissued 1971); David P. Thelen, The Early Life of Robert M. La Follette, 1855–1884 (1966), and Robert M. La Follette and the Insurgent Spirit (1976, reissued 1985); Robert S. Maxwell, La Follette and the Rise of the Progressives in Wisconsin (1956, reprinted 1973); Fred Greenbaum, Robert Marion La Follette (1975); and Patrick J. Maney, “Young Bob” La Follette (1978).

Tocqueville, Alexis De

2005-02-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Revolution of 1848 brought about a new political situation for France and for Tocqueville. Having decried apathy as the chief danger for France, Tocqueville recognized even before the revolution that France was faced with a politically awakened working class that might well propel French politics into socialist and revolutionary channels. Tocqueville considered

Jacob, Max

2005-02-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

Jacob departed his native Brittany in 1894 to go to Paris, where he lived in extreme poverty but eventually became an important

Fibrous Dysplasia

2005-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Also called Mccune-Albright syndrome rare congenital developmental disorder beginning in childhood, characterized by cyst formation and replacement of solid, calcified bone with fibrous tissue, often only on one side of the body, in the long bones and pelvis. Other signs include unilateral (one-sided) enlargement of the bones of the face and base of the skull, café au lait (pale brown) spots on the skin, and

Absolutism

2005-02-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

The political doctrine and practice of unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch. The essence of such a system is that the ruling power is not subject to regularized challenge or check by any other agency, be it judicial, legislative, religious, economic, or electoral. Louis XIV, who ruled France during the late 17th

Plateau

2005-02-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Although plateaus stand at higher elevation than surrounding

Gharbiyah, Al-

2005-02-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

Muhafazah (governorate) in the middle Nile Delta, Lower Egypt, bounded on the east and west by the Damietta and the Rosetta branches of the Nile, on the north by Kafr ash-Shaykh muhafazah, and by al-Minufiyah muhafazah to the south. Its area is 750 square miles (1,942 square km); the muhafazah's capital has been at the cultural centre and transportation node of Tanta (q.v.) since 1836. An administrative unit named

Aylesbury Vale

2005-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

District in the northern part of the administrative and historic county of Buckinghamshire, southern England. The name comes from the rich clay Vale of Aylesbury, which is situated between the ridges of the Cotswolds and the Chiltern Hills. The district includes both Aylesbury and Buckingham, 16 miles (26 km) farther north, and their surrounding rural countryside. Area

Davenport

2005-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

In modern usage, a large upholstered settee, but in the 18th century a compact desk having deep drawers on the right side and dummy drawer fronts on the left side. The sloping top of the davenport concealed a fitted well, the front of which protruded beyond the drawers and was supported by a pair of columns on a base, or plinth. The back of the writing area was normally flat

Wyspianski, Stanislaw

2005-02-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

Wyspianski's early education included classical literature and fine arts. In 1890 he received a grant enabling him

Trace Element

2005-02-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Also called Micronutrient, in biology, any chemical element required by living organisms in minute amounts, usually as part of a vital enzyme, a cell-produced catalytic protein. Exact needs vary among species, but commonly required plant micronutrients include copper, boron, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum. Animals also require manganese, iodine, and cobalt. Lack of a necessary plant micronutrient

Monticello

2005-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Unlike most great mansions of the period,

Cagayan De Oro

2005-02-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

City, northern Mindanao, Philippines. It lies along the Cagayan River near the head of Macajalar Bay. After its establishment as a mission station in the 17th century, it was fortified by the Spaniards. Cagayan de Oro was chartered as a city in 1950 and has become the transportation and commercial hub of northern Mindanao. Its international airport is a major stopover for

Cooper, Gary

2005-02-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

The son of a Montana Supreme Court justice, Cooper left Grinnell College, Iowa, in 1924 and went to Hollywood, where he earned a living

Cincinnati

2005-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

City, seat of Hamilton county, southwestern Ohio, U.S. It lies along the Ohio River (bridged) opposite Covington and Newport, Kentucky, 15 miles (24 km) east of the Indiana border. Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, after Cleveland and Columbus. Picturesquely situated between the Little Miami and Great Miami rivers at their influx into the Ohio, it is encircled by hills rising

Acacian Schism

2005-02-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

With the support of the Byzantine emperor Zeno, Acacius in 482 drew up an edict, the Henotikon (Greek: “Edict of Union”), by which he attempted to secure unity between orthodox Christians

C.h.

2005-02-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

Companion of honour, member of a British honorary society. See Companions of Honour, Order of the.