Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 2, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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enkindle
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| Article of the Day | |
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 Fresnel LensA Fresnel lens is a thin optical lens that has the properties of much thicker and heavier lenses. It consists of concentric rings of segmental lenses that bend and magnify light rays, creating a single, concentrated beam of light. This design allows the lens to capture more oblique light from a light source than conventional lenses, making its beam visible across greater distances. The light from the first Fresnel lens, placed in a lighthouse in 1823, could be seen from how far away? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The "Trial of the Century" Begins (1935)Bruno Hauptmann, a German immigrant to the US, was convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., the young son of famed pilot Charles Lindbergh. Hauptmann had been found with part of the ransom money, but the case against him has since come under scrutiny. It has been alleged that some of the evidence used to convict him was planted and that false testimony was given at the trial. What was discovered in 1985 that shed new light on the case? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Isaac Asimov (1920)Asimov was an exceptionally prolific Russian-American author who achieved great success with his science-fiction and popular science books. Along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the "Big Three" science-fiction authors of his era. Though best known for his scientific works, Asimov wrote on a diverse range of subjects, including the Bible and Shakespeare, penning more than 400 volumes in all. What robot-related term did he coin in the course of his writings? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Folklore, legends, myths, and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous, and manifestly unreal.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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farmer's tan— A tan line or sunburn on the neck and lower arms that results from wearing a T-shirt during prolonged sun exposure and that is clearly demarcated from the pale skin of the chest and upper arms that remained covered. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cape Town Minstrels' Carnival (2023)The Annual Minstrels' Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa, was inspired by the animated singing and dancing of African-American musicians and singers of the United States. Bands are organized during the year, money is raised to purchase the materials needed for their costumes, and on Second New Year (January 2), and the week or so that follows, the bands take over the city, displaying their costumes and performing their music in the streets. This roisterous carnival is offset by string bands, the members of which are decorously dressed and parade with great dignity. More... | |