Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, October 27, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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variola
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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InfinitivesAn infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. It is "unmarked" (not conjugated for tense or person), and it is preceded by the particle "to." What is a split infinitive? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Roof, the Roof, the Roof (of My Mouth) Is on Fire!The burning sensation that engulfs your mouth when you eat a chili pepper is caused by the extremely pungent compound capsaicin. In 1912, Wilber Lincoln Scoville devised a system for ranking the relative spiciness of different peppers based on the degree of dilution necessary for a panel of taste testers to no longer feel the "heat" when sipping a pepper extract. The higher a pepper's measurement in Scoville units, the hotter it is. What are some of the world's hottest peppers? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Michael Servetus Is Burned at the Stake (1553)When his views were condemned by theologians of the Reformation as well as those of the Catholic Church, Servetus, a Spanish theologian, assumed a new name and began studying medicine. He became known for his ability in dissection and had unusual success as a physician, even serving—confidentially—the archbishop of Vienne. Arrested for the publication of a religious work, he escaped but was seized again, tried, and burned at the stake. He was the first European to make what medical discovery? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466?)Considered the greatest European scholar of the 16th century, Erasmus was a Dutch priest and leading humanist of the Renaissance era. After his ordination in the early 1490s, Erasmus traveled throughout Europe and became acquainted with many scholars, including Thomas More. A prolific writer, he was noted for his editions of classical works as well as the first Greek edition of the New Testament. Who placed all of Erasmus's works on a list of prohibited books? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A jest's prosperity lies in the ear of him that hears it, Never in the tongue of him that makes it.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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golden goose— A person, thing, or organization that is or has the potential to earn a lot of money for a long period of time. Taken from a folk tale of a goose that would lay a golden egg once a day, but was killed by its owner because he wanted all of its gold at once. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Turkmenistan Independence Day (2023)This national holiday commemorates Turkmenistan's independence from the U.S.S.R. on October 27, 1991. Turkmenistan and other republics were gradually able to establish their own autonomous states due to the relaxation of Soviet rule influenced by the policy of perestroika. When the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, their independence was assured. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: observercamera lucida - An optical device consisting of an attachment that enables an observer to view simultaneously the image and a drawing surface for sketching it. More... horoscope - Comes from Greek hora, "hour, time," and skopos, "observer." More... obverse - Its first meaning was "turned towards or facing the observer." More... zenith, nadir - Zenith derived from Arabic samt ar-ras, "the way or road above one's head"; zenith technically is the point directly above the observer and nadir is the point directly below. More... | |