Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, November 1, 2021)Word of the Day | |||||||
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Article of the Day | |
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HermaphroditismA hermaphrodite is an animal or plant that has both male and female reproductive systems. The term derives from Greek mythology—Hermes and Aphrodite's son Hermaphroditus possessed physical traits of both sexes after fusing with a nymph. Hermaphroditism is quite common in flowering plants and in invertebrates like snails. "Hermaphrodite" has also been used to describe humans with both male and female genital tissues but is now considered misleading and stigmatizing. What term is preferred? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Arecibo Observatory Opens (1963)Located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory is the site of the world's largest single-aperture telescope. The telescope dish, built into a natural limestone bowl, measures an astonishing 1,000 feet (305 m) in diameter. It is used in radar studies of comets and asteroids, as well as in radio astronomy, to detect and analyze radio waves from space. In what year was the Arecibo message, an attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life, transmitted from the radio telescope? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Alfred Wegener (1880)Though known during his lifetime for his achievements in meteorology and as a pioneer of polar research, Wegener is today primarily remembered for positing the first detailed theory of continental drift. According to Wegener, the present continents were originally one large landmass that gradually separated and drifted apart. His evidence included the jigsaw lineup of certain continents and paleontological similarities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. What did he call this supercontinent? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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Brains are at a discount in the married state. There is no demand for them, no appreciation even. Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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bon viveur— A connoisseur of food and wine. Primarily heard in UK. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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National Author's Day (2022)The idea of setting aside a day to celebrate American authors came from Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement (Illinois) Women's Club in 1928. In 1949, the day was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sue Cole, McPherson's granddaughter, was largely responsible for promoting the observation of National Author's Day after her grandmother's death in 1968. She urged people to write a note to their favorite author on this day to "brighten up the sometimes lonely business of being a writer." More... |