Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, November 9, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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honorable
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Brain in a VatFor millennia, philosophers have grappled with various versions of the "brain-in-a-vat" scenario. A thought experiment, it raises questions about the individual’s ability to know anything, since a brain suspended in a vat of life-sustaining liquid and connected to a computer that provides it with electrical impulses identical to those the brain normally receives would never be able to determine whether it is in a skull or a vat. What popular film trilogy is loosely based on this concept? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Napoleon Bonaparte Leads the Coup of 18 Brumaire (1799)The Coup of 18 Brumaire, widely considered the effective end of the French Revolution, made way for the despotism of Napoleon. Planned by French statesmen Emmanuel Sieyès and Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, the coup allowed Napoleon to overthrow the weakened government of the Directory and replace it with the Consulate. The Consulate's executive branch consisted of three consuls, but Napoleon—as first consul—wielded all real power and soon became emperor. What is 18 Brumaire? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hermann Weyl (1885)A contemporary and onetime colleague of Albert Einstein, Hermann Weyl was a German mathematician whose work on the topics of space, time, matter, philosophy, and symmetry, to name a few, has earned him consideration as one of the most influential 20th-century mathematicians. His research advanced not only the field of mathematics but of theoretical physics as well. While teaching at a Zurich university, Weyl is alleged to have had an affair with the wife of what noted theoretical physicist? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To seek to extinguish anger utterly is but a bravery of the Stoics.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a shiver down (one's) spine— A shudder felt down one's back, due to either fear, anticipation, nervousness, or excitement. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Birthday of Muhammad Iqbal (2022)In Pakistan, November 9 is a national holiday to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a famous Pakistani poet and philosopher. Iqbal was born in the city of Sialkot in the Punjab province of Pakistan on November 9, 1877. On this day, a number of functions are held to honor the great poet. Many educational institutions sponsor programs that showcase his life and achievements. In addition to the main function at Iqbal's tomb, the National Museum of Pakistan in Karachi exhibits Iqbal's personal belongings, including his costumes, books, and publications. More... | |