FutureChess

Molay, Jacques De

2005-04-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Molay entered the order in 1265, fought in Syria, and after 1291 was at Cyprus.

Dana, Charles A.

2005-04-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

In 1839 Dana entered Harvard College, but poor health and lack of money forced him to leave in 1841. From 1841 to 1846 he lived at the utopian Brook Farm community, where he was one of the trustees, but, when his ideals for social change were unfulfilled,

Arabia, Northern Arabia

2005-04-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Wadi As-Sirhan, a depression rather than a true wadi, is about 200 miles long and 1,000 feet below the adjacent plateau. Northeast of Wadi As-Sirhan are wide lava fields and chert plains belonging to the southern part of Al-Hamad, the Syrian Desert. The basin containing An-Nafud is rimmed on the north by escarpments, down the northern slope of which run the 'Anizah Wadis (the wadis of the

Andalusia

2005-04-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

Spanish Andalucía comunidad autónoma (“autonomous community”) and historical region of Spain, encompassing the provincias of Huelva, Cádiz, Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada, and Almería. The comunidad autónoma was established by the statute of autonomy of 1981. The southernmost region of Spain, Andalusia is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean on the

Ob River

2005-04-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

The Ob River is described in broad geographic surveys of North Asia that provide information on physical features and on economic, social, and cultural conditions: Paul E. Lydolph, Geography of the U.S.S.R., 5th ed. (1990); Michael T. Florinsky (ed.), McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union (1961), with short articles on the individual rivers; M.F. Grin, et al., Soviet Union: A Geographical Survey, ed. by S.V. Kalesnik and V.F. Pavlenko (1976; originally published in Russian, 1972); and Great Rivers of the World (1984), published by the National Geographic Society. M.I. L'vovich, Reki SSSR (1971), is a well-known work treating the hydrologic characteristics of the main rivers of the former U.S.S.R. Lev Konstantinovich Davydov, Gidrografiia SSSR, vol. 2, Gidrografiia raionov (1955), provides detailed studies of regional hydrology and hydrography. G.V. Voropaev and A.B. Avakian (eds.), Vodokhranilishcha i ikh vozdeistvie na okruzhaiushchuiu sredu (1986), examines the influence of water reservoirs on the environment. Robert Paul Jourdan, “Siberia's Empire Road: The River Ob,” National Geographic, 149(2):145–181 (February 1986), describes the life of the peoples of the area, the environment, and the economic situation. Useful discussions of landscape evolution, the extent of glaciation, and long-term climate change in this region include Mikhail G. Grosswald, “Late-Weichselian Ice Sheets in Arctic and Pacific Siberia,” Quaternary International, 45-46(1):3–18 (1998), and Valery Astakhov “The Last Ice Sheet of the Kara Sea: Terrestrial Constraints on its Age,” Quaternary International, 45-46(1):19–28 (1998).

Ayacucho, Battle Of

2005-03-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

(Dec. 9, 1824), in the Latin-American wars of independence, revolutionary victory over royalists on the high plateau near Ayacucho, Peru. It freed Peru and ensured the independence of the nascent South American republics from Spain. The revolutionary forces, numbering about 6,000 men—among them Venezuelans, Colombians, Argentines, and Chileans, as well as Peruvians—were under the

Flores Sea

2005-03-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Bahasa Indonesia Laut Flores portion of the western South Pacific Ocean, bounded on the north by the island of Celebes (Sulawesi) and on the south by the Lesser Sunda Islands of Flores and Sumbawa. Occupying a total surface area of 93,000 sq mi (240,000 sq km), it opens northwest through Makassar Strait to the Celebes Sea, west to the Java Sea, and east to the Banda Sea. Teluk (gulf of) Bone cuts deeply into the Celebes coast.

Switzerland, Animal life

2005-03-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

The animal life of Switzerland is mainly Alpine, but a mixture of species familiar to southern and north-central Europe is also found. Animal life is protected, except during a brief annual hunting season. The Alpine tourists may observe marmots, which live in the high meadows, and the chamois. Large herds of the round ibex, which had died out in the Swiss Alps and has since

Jack The Ripper

2005-03-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

All but one of Jack the Ripper's victims were killed while soliciting customers on the street. In each instance the victim's throat was cut, and the body was usually

Astyanax

2005-03-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

In Greek legend, prince, son of the Trojan prince Hector and his wife Andromache; he was also known as Scamandrius, after the River Scamander, near Troy. After the fall of Troy he was hurled from the battlements of the city by the Greek warrior Neoptolemus. According to medieval legend, however, he survived the war, established the kingdom of Messina in Sicily, and founded

Tuan Ch'i-jui

2005-03-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

A student of military science in Germany, Tuan became President Yüan Shih-k'ai's minister of war following the Chinese Republican Revolution of 1911. Shortly before Yüan's death in 1916, Tuan became premier, and he kept the post in the new government. He restored the provisional

Nova Scotia, Education

2005-03-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

The nondenominational system of compulsory, free public education, dating from the mid-19th century, consolidated the many rural school districts into fewer, larger, and more efficient districts during the 1970s. Considerable emphasis is placed on commercial and vocational training at the secondary as well as the college level. Dalhousie University (founded 1818) in Halifax

Carlini, Armando

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

Educated at

Hoover Dam

2005-03-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

Formerly called Boulder Dam, dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River, at the Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. Constructed between 1930 and 1936 and originally named Boulder Dam, it was renamed in 1947 to honour President Herbert Hoover. Hoover Dam is the highest concrete arch dam in the United States. It impounds Lake Mead, which extends for 115 miles (185 km) upstream and is one of the largest manmade lakes in the world. The dam

East African Rift System

2005-03-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

The system consists of two branches. The main branch, the Eastern Rift Valley (often called the Great Rift Valley, or Rift Valley), extends along the entire length

Abs, Hermann Josef

2005-03-22T03:45:00.000-08:00

German banker (b. Oct. 15, 1901, Bonn, Germany--d. Feb. 5, 1994, Bad Soden, Germany), was a dominant figure in the West German "economic miracle" following World War II, most notably in his role as deputy supervisory board chairman (1948-57) of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (Credit Institute for Reconstruction) and then as spokesman for the managing board (1957-67), chairman of the supervisory board (1967-76), and honorary

Macapagal, Diosdado

2005-03-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

Philippine politician who was president of the country from 1961 until his defeat by Ferdinand Marcos in 1965; during his term Macapagal instituted land reform policies, but they were largely ineffectual (b. Sept. 28, 1910--d. April 21, 1997).

Avidius Cassius, Gaius

2005-03-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

The son of a high civil servant of the emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138), Avidius directed operations in Rome's war against the Parthians (161–165). In 164–165 Avidius advanced into Mesopotamia and then sacked Ctesiphon, Parthia's capital, and Seleucia—both located in present-day central Iraq. Soon he was made commander of all Roman military

Graded School

2005-03-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Also called grade school an elementary or secondary school in which the instructional program is divided into school years, known as grades or forms. At the end of each academic year, pupils move from one grade to the next higher in a group, with only an occasional outstanding achiever allowed to “skip” a grade, or advance beyond his fellows to a still higher grade. The practice of grading began

Koechlin, Charles

2005-03-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Influenced by Jules Massenet, Gabriel Fauré, and André Gédalge, under whom he studied, Koechlin experimented with the techniques of polytonality (the use of two or

Ovum

2005-03-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

The outer surface of each ovary is covered by a layer of cells (germinal epithelium); these surround the immature egg cells, which are present in the ovaries from the time of

France, History Of, The parceling up of the kingdom

2005-03-18T04:44:00.000-08:00

Internal struggles resulted in the emergence of new political configurations. At the time of the partitions of 561 and 567, new political geographic units began to appear within Gaul. Austrasia was created from the Rhine, Moselle, and Meuse districts, which had formerly been the kingdom of Reims, and the areas east of the Rhône conquered by Theodoric and his son Theodebert;

Congo

2005-03-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Congo's many ethnic groups and regions have developed a mosaic of traditional arts, including painting, sculpture, music, and dance. There has been a tendency to classify sculpture and carving according to the styles of the areas from which they originate. The South-West Group is represented by the Kongo people and is known for stone and nail-studded statues; the Yaka,

Qabbani, Nizar

2005-03-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Syrian poet and diplomat (b. March 21, 1923, Damascus, Syria--d. April 30, 1998, London, Eng.), was one of the most widely read Arab poets of the 20th century. Written in simple but eloquent language, his verses, some of which were set to music, won him the hearts of countless Arabic speakers throughout the Middle East and Africa. Qabbani, who was born into a middle-class merchant family, was also the

Shaker Furniture

2005-03-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

Furniture designed for the religious colonies of Shakers founded in America in the last quarter of the 18th century, characterized by austerity of decoration and truth to materials. Deeply dedicated to ideals of communal living and asceticism, the Shakers designed and constructed furniture that reflected their belief that to make a thing well was in itself an

Vilar, Jean

2005-03-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Vilar trained as an actor and stage manager, then toured with an acting company throughout France. In 1943 he began his career as a director with a season in a small Paris theatre. Invited to direct the first

Arrau, Claudio

2005-03-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

After studying privately in Santiago for two years, Arrau went to Berlin, where he studied with Martin Krause, a pupil of Franz Liszt, from 1912 to 1918. His serious career began with a recital in Berlin in 1914, and during the next decade he toured

Mckenzie, Robert (trelford)

2005-03-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Canadian-born British political scientist and television commentator on electoral politics. In the latter role, McKenzie popularized to the British public the word psephology (the study of votes) and the idea of “swing” votes, using a device he called a “swingometer” to show the shifting fortunes of the major parties during the announcement

Poland, History Of, The Saxons

2005-03-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

The “Saxon Era” lasted for more than 60 years and marked the lowest point in Polish history. Research since the 1980s has somewhat corrected the largely negative picture of Augustus II and Augustus III by stressing the context in which they operated: anarchic political life dominated by factions of struggling oligarchs and open to meddling by the neighbouring powers.

Dahlia

2005-03-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

About six of the species in the Dahlia genus have been bred for cultivation as ornamental flowers. Wild species of dahlias

Cronin, A.j.

2005-03-11T02:48:00.000-08:00

Cronin was educated at the University of Glasgow and served as a surgeon in the Royal Navy during World War I. He practiced in South Wales (1921–24) and then, as medical inspector of mines, investigated

Fraser Island

2005-03-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Also called Great Sandy Island, island off the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, separated from the mainland and the port of Maryborough by Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Strait. About 75 miles (120 km) long, it has an area of 625 square miles (1,620 square km). Sand hills rise to nearly 800 feet (250 m), and there are many freshwater lakes stocked with fish. The southwestern part of the island is a tourist resort. Part of Fraser

Liechtenstein

2005-03-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

In late October the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, ruled that Prince Hans Adam

Trianon, Treaty Of

2005-03-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

The Allies' presentation of their terms for peace with Hungary was delayed first by their reluctance to treat with Béla Kun's communist regime in that country and subsequently by the obvious

Disarmament

2005-03-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

In international relations, any of four distinct conceptions: (1) the penal destruction or reduction of the armament of a country defeated in war (the provision under the Versailles Treaty [1919] for the disarmament of Germany and its allies is an example of this conception of disarmament); (2) bilateral disarmament agreements applying to specific geographic areas (naval

Korean Language

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

Language spoken by more than 72 million people, of whom 45 million live in South Korea and 24 million in North Korea. There are more than 2 million speakers in China, more than 700,000 in the United States, and somewhat fewer in Japan. More than 200,000 Koreans live in Kazakstan and Uzbekistan. Korean is the official language of both South Korea (Republic of Korea) and North Korea (Democratic People's

Polanyi, John C.

2005-03-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

Born to an expatriate Hungarian family, Polanyi was reared in England and attended Manchester University (Ph.D., 1952; D.Sc., 1964). He accepted a research position with the National Research Council

Chatsworth

2005-03-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

Estate near Rowsley, Derbyshire Dales district, administrative and historic county of Derbyshire, England, containing the principal seat of the English dukes of Devonshire. Chatsworth House itself stands near the left bank of the River Derwent. Construction of the original building began in 1553, but, after suffering occupation by both parties to the English Civil

Hardenberg, Karl August, Fürst Von (prince Of)

2005-03-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Also called (until 1814) Freiherr (baron) von Hardenberg Prussian statesman and administrator, who preserved the integrity of the Prussian state during the Napoleonic Wars. Domestically he was able to continue the reforms introduced by Karl, Freiherr vom Stein; in foreign affairs he exchanged Prussia's alliance with France for an alliance with Russia in 1813, and in 1814–15 he represented

Anderson, Marian

2005-03-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

U.S. singer (b. Feb. 27, 1897, Philadelphia, Pa.--d. April 8, 1993, Portland, Ore.), maintained a quiet dignity while transcending the racial and cultural barriers imposed on her artistry and used her rich contralto voice brilliantly to interpret the works of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Verdi, and Richard Strauss as well as spirituals. Though Anderson's birth certificate stated that

China, Conflicts within the international alliance

2005-03-03T02:52:00.000-08:00

China's alliance with the United States and Great Britain was marked by deep conflict. Great Britain gave highest priority to the defeat of its main enemy, Germany. The U.S. Navy in the Pacific had been seriously weakened by the Japanese air attack at Pearl Harbor and required many months to rebuild. During the winter of 1941–42 the grand strategy of the United States and Great

Mental Disorder, Affective disorders

2005-03-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Depression is characterized by a sad or hopeless mood, pessimistic thinking, a loss of enjoyment and interest in one's usual activities and pastimes, reduced energy and vitality,

Huntsville

2005-03-02T01:47:00.000-08:00

City, seat (1808) of Madison county, northern Alabama, U.S. It is situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains near the Tennessee River, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Birmingham. It was originally called Twickenham by planter Leroy Pope for the home of his kinsman, Alexander Pope, the English poet. It was incorporated in 1811 and was renamed for John Hunt of Virginia, a Revolutionary

Akhenaton

2005-03-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Akhnaton , or Ikhnaton , also called Amenhotep Iv , or Neferkheperure Amenhotep , Greek Amenophis king of Egypt (1353–36 BC) of the 18th dynasty, who established a new monotheistic cult of Aton (hence his assumed name, Akhenaton, meaning “One Useful to Aton”).

Art And Architecture, Oceanic, Australia

2005-02-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

The Australian continent is liberally dotted with thousands of rock-art sites. They include rock shelters, outcrops of rock, and surface sheets of rock and are decorated with painted, pecked, or engraved figurative and nonfigurative forms in a wealth of styles. These are the main testimonials to the prehistoric art of the Aborigines; the only portable works from

Chafee, Zechariah, Jr.

2005-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

From 1916 until he retired 40 years later, Chafee was a professor

Apple

2005-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Fruit of the genus Malus (about 25 species) belonging to the family Rosaceae, the most widely cultivated tree fruit. The apple is one of the pome (fleshy) fruits, in which the ripened ovary and surrounding tissue both become fleshy and edible. The apple flower of most varieties requires cross-pollination for fertilization. Apples at harvest, though varying widely

Utrecht School

2005-02-26T15:39:00.000-08:00

Principally a group of three Dutch painters—Dirck van Baburen (c. 1590–1624), Gerrit van Honthorst (1590–1656; see photograph), and Hendrik Terbrugghen (1588–1629)—who went to Rome and fell fully under the pervasive influence of Caravaggio's art before returning to Utrecht. Although none of them ever actually met Caravaggio (d. 1610), each had access to his paintings, knew his former patrons, and was influenced

Kuwait

2005-02-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

The dismissal of the Kuwaiti National Assembly in May 1999 by Emir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir as-Sabah was a milestone event. Unlike two prior dismissals, this one was carried out constitutionally. Elections were held in early July, and a new legislature was installed later that month. Nearly two-thirds of the elected legislators ran on antigovernment platforms that

Farabi, Al-

2005-02-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

Very little is known of al-Farabi's life. He was of Turkic origin and is thought to have been brought to Baghdad as a child by his father, who was probably in the Turkish bodyguard of the Caliph

Gravimetric Analysis

2005-02-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

A method of quantitative chemical analysis in which the constituent sought is converted into a substance (of known composition) that can be separated from the sample and weighed. The steps commonly followed in gravimetric analysis are (1) preparation of a solution containing a known weight of the sample, (2) separation of the desired constituent, (3) weighing the isolated

China, An intellectual revolution

2005-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

An intellectual revolution took place during the first decade of the republic, sometimes referred to as the New Culture Movement. It was led by many of the new intellectuals, who held up for critical scrutiny nearly all aspects of Chinese culture and traditional ethics. Guided by concepts of individual liberty and equality, a scientific spirit of inquiry, and a pragmatic

Widnes

2005-02-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Town in the unitary authority of Halton, historic county of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Mersey at its lowest bridging point and on the southern periphery of the Liverpool metropolitan region. The modern town is a result of 19th-century industrial expansion and is a principal centre of the British chemical industry, largely because

Conservation Law

2005-02-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

Also called Law Of Conservation, any of several principles applied in physics that state that certain physical properties (i.e., measurable quantities) do not change in the course of time within an isolated physical system. In classical physics, laws of this type govern mass, energy, momentum, and electric charge. In particle physics, other conservation laws apply to properties of subatomic particles

Chadwick, H. Munro

2005-02-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

The son of an Anglican vicar in Yorkshire, Chadwick attended Wakefield Grammar School and Clare College, Cambridge (1889–93). In 1893 he became a fellow of his

Sabi River

2005-02-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Also called Save River, river of southeastern Africa, flowing through Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The river rises as the Sabi about 50 miles (80 km) south of Harare (formerly Salisbury) and flows southeast from the Zimbabwean highveld to its confluence with the Odzi. It then turns south, drops over the Chivirira (“Place of Boiling”) Falls, and is joined by the Lundi at the Mozambique border. The river continues

Mountain, Andean-type belts

2005-02-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

At some continental margins, oceanic lithosphere is subducted. At some of these sites, the landscape is dominated by volcanoes, such as along the Cascades of western North America or in Japan, but at others, such as along much of the Andes of South America, volcanoes constitute only a small or even negligible part of the relief. At Andean-type margins, the crust is typically

Reform Judaism

2005-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

A religious movement that has modified or abandoned many traditional Jewish beliefs, laws, and practices in an effort to adapt Judaism to the changed social, political, and cultural conditions of the modern world. Reform Judaism sets itself at variance with Orthodox Judaism by challenging the binding force of ritual, laws, and customs set down in the Bible and in

Liddell, Eric

2005-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

The son of Scottish missionaries, Liddell was born in China. His family returned to Scotland when he was five years old. A gifted athlete, he excelled at rugby as well as running. He first gained national recognition by winning

Table Tennis

2005-02-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

The Chinese continued their domination of table tennis in 1996, collecting all the gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games. Liu Guoliang, the men's singles runner-up in 1995, won men's singles by besting Wang Tao of China. Deng Yaping, the women's world singles champion in 1991 and 1995, successfully defended her 1992 Olympic singles title by beating Chen Jing of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). Liu joined the

Sundbyberg

2005-02-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Town, Stockholm län (county), east-central Sweden. Sundbyberg lies on the northwestern outskirts of Stockholm. When founded in 1877, it was one of Stockholm's first residential suburbs. It was chartered in 1927 and has become an important industrial centre. The church (1909–11) is noted for its stained glass. Other imposing buildings are the large Marabou chocolate factory and the multistory

Reform Judaism

2005-02-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

The NLC,

Baptism

2005-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

A sacrament of admission to the Christian Church. The forms and rituals of the various churches vary, but Baptism almost invariably involves the use of water and the Trinitarian invocation, “I baptize you: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The candidate may be wholly or partly immersed in water, the water may be poured over the head, or a few drops

Ob River

2005-02-16T00:23:00.000-08:00

The Ob, one of western Siberia's principal means of transportation, is navigable for about 190 days of the year on its upper reaches and for 150 on its lower. Both imports and exports are shipped along the river. Most goods are transported to and from it along the northern sea route, which stretches across the Arctic. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Irtysh at Omsk and the

Andaman And Nicobar Islands, The land

2005-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

The terrain of the Andamans is rough, with hills enclosing narrow longitudinal valleys. The highest elevation is 2,418 feet (737 metres) at Saddle Peak on North Andaman. Dense tropical forest covers the islands. No rivers and few perennial streams exist. The coral-fringed coasts of the Andamans are deeply indented, forming safe harbours and tidal creeks, often surrounded by

China, Health and welfare

2005-02-14T06:02:00.000-08:00

The Chinese government faces a mammoth task in trying to provide medical and welfare services adequate to meet the basic needs of the immense number of Chinese people whose per capita income and caloric intake are far below the world's average. The medical system, moreover, labours under the tension of whether to stress quality of care or to spread scarce medical

Biogenic Landform

2005-02-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

Any topographic feature that can be attributed to the activity of organisms. Such features are diverse in both kind and scale. Organisms contribute to the genesis of most topography involving rock weathering; they play an auxiliary role, as demonstrated by bacterial and lichen activity, the effects of root wedging, and solutional erosion made possible by humic

Skanda

2005-02-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

Also called Karttikeya, Kumara, or Subrahmanya, Hindu god of war and the first-born son of Siva (Shiva). The many legends giving the circumstances of his birth are often at variance with one another. One account is given by Kalidasa (4th and 5th centuries AD) in his epic poem Kumarasambhava (“The Birth of the War God”). The versions all generally agree that the gods wished for Skanda to be born in order to destroy the demon Taraka, who had

Earth

2005-02-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

Helical fluid motions in the Earth's electrically conducting liquid outer core have an electromagnetic dynamo effect, giving rise to the Earth's magnetic field. The Earth's sizable, hot core, along with the planet's rapid spin, probably accounts for the exceptional strength of the magnetic field of the Earth as compared with those of the other terrestrial

Dubois, Eugène

2005-02-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

Appointed lecturer in anatomy at the University of Amsterdam (1886), Dubois investigated the comparative anatomy of the larynx in vertebrates but became increasingly interested in human evolution. In 1887 he went to the East Indies

Abaza Language

2005-02-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

Language spoken primarily in the western part of the Caucasus Mountains and in northeastern Turkey. Abaza is related to Abkhaz, Adyghian, Kabardian (Circassian), and Ubykh, which constitute the Abkhazo-Adyghian, or Northwest Caucasian, language group. These languages are noted for the great number of distinctive consonants and the limited number of distinctive

Hugh Town

2005-02-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

Village and capital of the Isles of Scilly, historic county of Cornwall, England. Located on a sandy peninsula on the southwestern side of St. Mary's Island, the village has a harbour and a roadstead where large vessels can lie at anchor. Hugh Town gave shelter to Prince Charles (later Charles II) until his escape to Jersey in 1646. The economy is centred on fishing and tourism.

Handgun

2005-02-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

Any firearm small enough to be held in one hand when fired. It usually fires a single projectile or bullet, and additional ammunition may be available in a revolving mechanism or magazine. Handguns may be used for target shooting, hunting small game, or personal self-defense. Automatic handguns are illegal in many countries, and private ownership of any handgun is

Colonialism, Western, Axis Powers

2005-02-09T05:22:00.000-08:00

In the 1930s an aggressive new colonialism developed on the part of the Axis Powers, which developed a new colonial doctrine (“living space” in German geopolitics, the “empire” in Italian Fascist ideology, the “co-prosperity sphere” in Japan) aiming at the repartition of the world's colonial areas, justified by the supposed racial superiority, higher birth rates, and greater

Tachinid Fly

2005-02-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Tachinids are of great importance in the

Ryle, Gilbert

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

Ryle gained first-class honours at Queen's College, Oxford, and became a lecturer at Christ Church College in 1924. Throughout his career, which remained centred at Oxford, he attempted—as Waynflete professor of metaphysical

Arwad, Jazirat

2005-02-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

Greek Arados , Phoenician Arvad island in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coastal town of Tartus. Originally settled by the Phoenicians in the early 2nd millennium BC, it formed an excellent base for their commercial operations, into both the Orontes Valley and the hinterland as far as the Euphrates, and also to Egypt. Arwadian soldiers fought against the Egyptians at the Battle of Kadesh (c. 1299 BC). From

Ironbridge

2005-02-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Also spelled Iron-bridge, structure that is generally considered the first cast-iron bridge, spanning the River Severn at Ironbridge, near Coalbrookdale, in Shropshire, England. It is now a British national monument. The bridge's semicircular arch spans 100.5 feet (30.6 m) and has five arch ribs, each cast in two halves. Designed by Abraham Darby or Thomas Pritchard, the bridge was erected by Darby in 1777–79. (A similar

Middle East, Ancient

2005-02-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

History of the region from prehistoric times to the rise of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and other areas.

Locoweed

2005-02-05T23:36:00.000-08:00

Any of several species of poisonous plants of the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis, in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to the prairies of north central and western North America. Locoweeds pose a danger to livestock, horses, and other grazing animals, because they contain a toxin that affects muscle control, producing frenzied behaviour, impaired vision,

Actinomycosis

2005-02-04T14:51:00.001-08:00

Joule-thomson Effect

2005-02-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

The change in temperature that accompanies expansion of a gas without production of work or transfer of heat. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, all real gases except hydrogen and helium cool upon such expansion; this phenomenon often is utilized in liquefying gases. Hydrogen and helium cool upon expansion only if their initial temperatures are very low.

Pénicaud Family

2005-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

French enamelers active in Limoges during the 16th century, considered to be among the finest such craftsmen of their time. They were noted for their work in grisaille enamel, monochromatically painted enamel work intended to look like sculpture. Nardon Pénicaud (c. 1470–c. 1542), the first recorded member of the family, worked in the French Gothic style, but his brother or son, Jean

Polevskoy

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

City, Sverdlovsk oblast (province), western Russia, located near the Chusovaya River in the mid-Urals. Founded in 1724 in connection with copper mining, it was called Polevskoy Zavod until 1928; it became a city in 1942. Copper is still mined and refined there; ferrous metallurgy, hoisting and transport equipment production, and a chemical industry based on Siberian fluorspar are

Polish Literature, The literature of Socialist Realism

2005-02-01T04:29:00.000-08:00

During 1949–55, the only officially acceptable literature conformed to the Soviet version of Socialist Realism, and those who wrote it followed the dictates of the Communist Party. A new type of hero was created—the ordinary man or woman actively engaged in “productive” work. Those elements in the social scene that served to present an idea of revolutionary progress were

Thun Und Hohenstein, Leo, Count (graf) Von

2005-01-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

Pro-Czech Austrian statesman and administrator who improved the educational establishments of the Austrian Empire, sought to resolve the antagonisms between Czechs and Germans in Bohemia, and favoured the conversion of the Habsburg monarchy into a federal

Polish Literature, The literature of Socialist Realism

2005-01-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

Judicial organ established in 1959 that is charged with supervising the enforcement of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950; commonly known as the European Convention on Human Rights), which was drawn up by the Council of Europe. The convention obligates signatories to guarantee various civil and political freedoms, including

Gagern, Friedrich (ludwig Balduin Karl Moritz), Freiherr Von (baron Of)

2005-01-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hans Christoph von Gagern's eldest son, a German soldier and administrator, and military commander of several Dutch provinces, who served as chief of staff during the wars against the Belgian rebels opposing Dutch rule. Returning to Germany, he led the fight against the republican revolutionaries in Baden in

Teague, Walter Dorwin

2005-01-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

After study at the Art Students League of New York (1903–07) and four years with an advertising agency, Teague became a successful free-lance advertising designer. Increasingly, his clients sought his advice for product

France, History Of, Later Capetians

2005-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Louis IX was succeeded by his son, Philip III (ruled 1270–85); his grandson, Philip IV the Fair (ruled 1285–1314); and three great-grandsons, Louis X (ruled 1314–16), Philip V (ruled 1316–22), and Charles IV (ruled 1322–28). The greatest of these last Capetian reigns was that of Philip IV. Worldly and ambitious, yet pious and intelligent, he was less accommodating than his forebears and more devoted to his power than to his reputation.

Penang

2005-01-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Also called Penang Island , Malay Pinang, or Pulau Pinang island of Malaysia, lying off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaya, from which it is separated by a strait whose smallest width is 2.5 miles (4 km). Its area is about 113 square miles (293 square km). Penang Island is roughly oval, with a granitic, mountainous interior (highest point 2,428 feet [740 m]) and narrow coastal plains, most extensive in the northeast, where Malaysia's chief port, George

Fin De Siècle

2005-01-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Of, relating to, characteristic of, or resembling the late 19th-century literary and artistic climate of sophistication, escapism, extreme aestheticism, world-weariness, and fashionable despair. When used in reference to literature, the term essentially describes the movement inaugurated by the Decadent poets of France and the movement called Aestheticism in

Epistemology, The other-minds problem

2005-01-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

The second problem also involves seeing but in a somewhat unusual way. It deals with that which one cannot see, namely the mind of another. Suppose a woman is scheduled to have an operation on her right knee and her surgeon tells her that when she wakes up she will feel a sharp pain in her knee. When she wakes up, she does feel the pain the surgeon alluded to. He can hear her groaning

Ouvéa Island

2005-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

French Île Uvéa , also called Urea or Uea northernmost of the Loyalty Islands, an island group within the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Ouvéa is a crescent-shaped atoll, 30 miles (50 km) long and 4.5 miles (7 km) wide, with a total area of 51 square miles (132 square km). The most fertile of the group, it is wooded and exports copra. Faiaué (Fayaoué), on the southeast coast, is the chief village and

Schaffner, Jakob

2005-01-25T06:39:00.000-08:00

Schaffner was orphaned at an early age. He described his life in four autobiographical

Aleut

2005-01-25T01:11:00.000-08:00

The Aleuts hunted seals, sea otters, whales,

Cardiovascular System, Conducting system of the heart

2005-01-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Both the atrioventricular node, with an intrinsic beat of 40–60 beats per minute, and the Purkinje fibres, with an intrinsic beat of 15–40 beats per minute, are self-stimulating and capable of rhythmic contraction, but at a rate slower than that of the sinoatrial node, which possesses an intrinsic capacity to beat 72 times per minute. Therefore, since recovery time is faster in the

Gate

2005-01-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

In hydraulic engineering, movable barrier for controlling the passage of fluid through a channel or sluice. River and canal locks have a pair of gates at each end. When closed, the gates meet at an obtuse angle that points upstream in order to resist the water pressure. When opened, they swing into recesses in the walls of the lock. Gates also regulate the outflow of water

Squire, Sir J(ohn) C(ollings)

2005-01-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

Squire was educated at Blundell's School and at St. John's College, Cambridge University. He was appointed literary editor of the New Statesman in 1913, and acting editor in 1917. From 1919 to 1934 he was editor of the London

Tetrameter

2005-01-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Line of poetic verse that consists of four metrical feet. In English versification, the feet are usually iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, as in the word {breve}be|cause¢ ), trochees (a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one, as in the word ti¢|ger),{breve} or a combination of the two. Iambic tetrameter is, next to iambic pentameter, the most common