Curio Cabinet
- By Date
- By Type
May 31, 2024
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: The U.S. needs to stop interfering in the affairs of Taiwan — that was the verdict of China’s defense minister, Admiral Dong Jun,...
From the BBC World Service: The U.S. needs to stop interfering in the affairs of Taiwan — that was the verdict of China’s defense minister, Admiral Dong Jun,...
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 31, 2024\FOIST\ verb
What It Means
Foist, which is almost always used with on or upon, is used when someone forces anot...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 31, 2024\FOIST\ verb
What It Means
Foist, which is almost always used with on or upon, is used when someone forces anot...
-
FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree1 CQ
Summer is the real soup season! While most soup is best eaten in the fall and winter, summer is the perfect time to enjoy a heaping bowl of gazpacho; after all, it’s served cold! This ancient dish has been enjoyed in Spain for centuries, and has especially strong ties to Andalusia, a region along the country’s southern coast.
Unlike soups with thin, water broths, Gazpacho is made from raw, puréed vegetables, the most important of which are tomatoes, which give the dish its signature red-to-orange color. The tomatoes are usually blended with cucumbers, onions, peppers, olive oil, garlic, and water. Traditionally, this was done with a mortar and pestle, but blenders make things a lot easier today. The soup is then seasoned sparingly with salt, cumin, and sometimes paprika. While gazpacho can be chilled in just minutes today, traditionally it was left for a day or more in earthenware containers, which cooled it via evaporation. After it’s chilled, gazpacho is usually topped with fresh, chopped onions, tomatoes, and greens for even more flavor. The result is a cool, refreshing, vegetable-smoothie-like dish bursting with all the flavors of a summer salad, but in soup form.
Surprisingly, the first version of gazpacho wasn’t served cold, nor did it contain any tomatoes. That’s because tomatoes weren’t brought to Europe until the 16th century, but gazpacho dates all the way back to the 7th century. In Al-Andalus, an Islamic region once located in the Iberian Peninsula, sopa de ajo was a common soup made by pounding bread, garlic, vinegar, salt, and olive oil together. The soup is still eaten in Spain today, but it is thought to be the ancestor of modern gazpacho, since the arrival of tomatoes and peppers prompted some cooks to add the new ingredients to their beloved sopa de ajo and serve it cold for a fresh twist. Today, gazpacho can be ordered in restaurants all over the world, but is especially popular near where it originated, in modern Seville, Andalusia’s biggest city. ¡Buen provecho!
[Image description: A bowl of orange gazpacho topped with olives, tomatoes, and greens.] Credit & copyright: Benoît Prieur (1975–), Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Summer is the real soup season! While most soup is best eaten in the fall and winter, summer is the perfect time to enjoy a heaping bowl of gazpacho; after all, it’s served cold! This ancient dish has been enjoyed in Spain for centuries, and has especially strong ties to Andalusia, a region along the country’s southern coast.
Unlike soups with thin, water broths, Gazpacho is made from raw, puréed vegetables, the most important of which are tomatoes, which give the dish its signature red-to-orange color. The tomatoes are usually blended with cucumbers, onions, peppers, olive oil, garlic, and water. Traditionally, this was done with a mortar and pestle, but blenders make things a lot easier today. The soup is then seasoned sparingly with salt, cumin, and sometimes paprika. While gazpacho can be chilled in just minutes today, traditionally it was left for a day or more in earthenware containers, which cooled it via evaporation. After it’s chilled, gazpacho is usually topped with fresh, chopped onions, tomatoes, and greens for even more flavor. The result is a cool, refreshing, vegetable-smoothie-like dish bursting with all the flavors of a summer salad, but in soup form.
Surprisingly, the first version of gazpacho wasn’t served cold, nor did it contain any tomatoes. That’s because tomatoes weren’t brought to Europe until the 16th century, but gazpacho dates all the way back to the 7th century. In Al-Andalus, an Islamic region once located in the Iberian Peninsula, sopa de ajo was a common soup made by pounding bread, garlic, vinegar, salt, and olive oil together. The soup is still eaten in Spain today, but it is thought to be the ancestor of modern gazpacho, since the arrival of tomatoes and peppers prompted some cooks to add the new ingredients to their beloved sopa de ajo and serve it cold for a fresh twist. Today, gazpacho can be ordered in restaurants all over the world, but is especially popular near where it originated, in modern Seville, Andalusia’s biggest city. ¡Buen provecho!
[Image description: A bowl of orange gazpacho topped with olives, tomatoes, and greens.] Credit & copyright: Benoît Prieur (1975–), Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
May 30, 2024
-
9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Iceland is once again witnessing the raw power of nature as a volcano erupts about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, impacting tra...
From the BBC World Service: Iceland is once again witnessing the raw power of nature as a volcano erupts about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, impacting tra...
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 30, 2024\DYE-nuh-stee\ noun
What It Means
Dynasty refers to a group (such as a team, family, etc.) that is very powerfu...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 30, 2024\DYE-nuh-stee\ noun
What It Means
Dynasty refers to a group (such as a team, family, etc.) that is very powerfu...
-
FREEEngineering Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
This isn’t a job for your average blacksmith. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an electron-beam 3D-printer capable of creating defect-free tungsten components, potentially revolutionizing the ways that the material could be used. Tungsten is a useful material that’s tricky to work with. It has the highest melting point of any metal at 6177 degrees Fahrenheit and is one of the hardest materials around—both great qualities for components that need to withstand extreme environments. Unfortunately, they also make the metal a nightmare to work into shape. Plus, the harder something is, the more brittle it is, so in its pure form, tungsten can shatter under stress. In the past, these issues made complex tungsten components practically impossible to manufacture, but ORNL’s electron-beam 3D-printer completely bypasses the material’s shortcomings. Like other 3D printers, the electron-beam 3D-printer creates the components layer by layer, but with some additional measures. First, a vacuum environment is created in order to prevent contaminants and to prevent the electron-beam from losing energy to gas molecules. Then, a layer of tungsten dust is laid down, and the printer’s beam is directed into the shapes required for the component. The result is a piece of tungsten without any defects from contaminants or welds. The ability to create such complex components out of tungsten might contribute to the development of more viable fusion reactors, which can produce plasma as hot as 180 million degrees Fahrenheit. That would really make this metal a hot commodity.
This isn’t a job for your average blacksmith. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an electron-beam 3D-printer capable of creating defect-free tungsten components, potentially revolutionizing the ways that the material could be used. Tungsten is a useful material that’s tricky to work with. It has the highest melting point of any metal at 6177 degrees Fahrenheit and is one of the hardest materials around—both great qualities for components that need to withstand extreme environments. Unfortunately, they also make the metal a nightmare to work into shape. Plus, the harder something is, the more brittle it is, so in its pure form, tungsten can shatter under stress. In the past, these issues made complex tungsten components practically impossible to manufacture, but ORNL’s electron-beam 3D-printer completely bypasses the material’s shortcomings. Like other 3D printers, the electron-beam 3D-printer creates the components layer by layer, but with some additional measures. First, a vacuum environment is created in order to prevent contaminants and to prevent the electron-beam from losing energy to gas molecules. Then, a layer of tungsten dust is laid down, and the printer’s beam is directed into the shapes required for the component. The result is a piece of tungsten without any defects from contaminants or welds. The ability to create such complex components out of tungsten might contribute to the development of more viable fusion reactors, which can produce plasma as hot as 180 million degrees Fahrenheit. That would really make this metal a hot commodity.
-
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2882Free1 CQ
Pious maiden or violent heretic? Muddled by time and shrouded in legend, much has been said—true or not—about the life and death of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake on this day in 1431. Born in the town of Domrémy, France, in 1412, Jeanne d’Arc (known in English as Joan of Arc) grew up a devoted Catholic in a bitterly divided country. At the time, France was engaged in the Hundred Years’ War against England and divided into two factions: Armagnacs, who supported Prince Charles VII as sovereign, and the Burgundians, who supported England’s Henry VI. In 1429, Jeanne supposedly showed up to Prince Charles VII’s court in Chinon Castle claiming to have been sent by the Christian god to help him become king and defeat the Burgundians and the English. Some later accounts state that she recognized the prince even though he was wearing a disguise, which lent credibility to her claims of divine influence. Such unverifiable stories make up much of what we know about Jeanne today, since few detailed historical accounts were actually written during her lifetime. What we do know is that, despite being a young girl with no military training, Jeanne convinced the prince to allow her to lead the French army to an unlikely victory in the French city of Orléans. She did, indeed, see Charles VII crowned King of France. Unfortunately, she was captured by enemy forces not long after, during the Siege of Compiègne.
During her imprisonment, which lasted over a year, Jeanne went on to claim that she had been hearing voices since the age of 13. When pressed for details, she claimed the archangel Michael spoke to her in French, and that other divine figures appeared to her dressed in royal garb. While these voices and visions went on to be considered miracles by some, at the time of the trial her descriptions were considered heresy, and she was sentenced to burn at the stake. Detailed notes made during her questioning and trial are some of the most accurate surviving records from her life. However, fanciful stories of her execution abound, with one tale claiming that a dove flew from the fire upon her death. Another story held that her heart remained unscathed by the flames. These later accounts might have been retroactive efforts to restore Jeanne’s reputation and, through her, bolster the legitimacy of Charles VII’s claim to the throne after the Armagnacs defeated the Burgundians. Regardless of which stories about her are true, what we know for certain is that she was canonized as a saint in 1920, and that she is considered the Patron Saint of France to this day. The thought of a peasant girl leading an army is impressive and romantic, no matter what century you’re from.
[Image description: A sketch of Joan of Arc, wearing armor on horseback amidst her army.] Credit & copyright: Ernest Meissonier
(French, 1815–1891). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.358, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, public domain.Pious maiden or violent heretic? Muddled by time and shrouded in legend, much has been said—true or not—about the life and death of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake on this day in 1431. Born in the town of Domrémy, France, in 1412, Jeanne d’Arc (known in English as Joan of Arc) grew up a devoted Catholic in a bitterly divided country. At the time, France was engaged in the Hundred Years’ War against England and divided into two factions: Armagnacs, who supported Prince Charles VII as sovereign, and the Burgundians, who supported England’s Henry VI. In 1429, Jeanne supposedly showed up to Prince Charles VII’s court in Chinon Castle claiming to have been sent by the Christian god to help him become king and defeat the Burgundians and the English. Some later accounts state that she recognized the prince even though he was wearing a disguise, which lent credibility to her claims of divine influence. Such unverifiable stories make up much of what we know about Jeanne today, since few detailed historical accounts were actually written during her lifetime. What we do know is that, despite being a young girl with no military training, Jeanne convinced the prince to allow her to lead the French army to an unlikely victory in the French city of Orléans. She did, indeed, see Charles VII crowned King of France. Unfortunately, she was captured by enemy forces not long after, during the Siege of Compiègne.
During her imprisonment, which lasted over a year, Jeanne went on to claim that she had been hearing voices since the age of 13. When pressed for details, she claimed the archangel Michael spoke to her in French, and that other divine figures appeared to her dressed in royal garb. While these voices and visions went on to be considered miracles by some, at the time of the trial her descriptions were considered heresy, and she was sentenced to burn at the stake. Detailed notes made during her questioning and trial are some of the most accurate surviving records from her life. However, fanciful stories of her execution abound, with one tale claiming that a dove flew from the fire upon her death. Another story held that her heart remained unscathed by the flames. These later accounts might have been retroactive efforts to restore Jeanne’s reputation and, through her, bolster the legitimacy of Charles VII’s claim to the throne after the Armagnacs defeated the Burgundians. Regardless of which stories about her are true, what we know for certain is that she was canonized as a saint in 1920, and that she is considered the Patron Saint of France to this day. The thought of a peasant girl leading an army is impressive and romantic, no matter what century you’re from.
[Image description: A sketch of Joan of Arc, wearing armor on horseback amidst her army.] Credit & copyright: Ernest Meissonier
(French, 1815–1891). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.358, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, public domain.
May 29, 2024
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
When you buy a stock, your brokerage has to go out and buy it for you. It sometimes doesn’t happen immediately and can take up to two days. As part of a push...
When you buy a stock, your brokerage has to go out and buy it for you. It sometimes doesn’t happen immediately and can take up to two days. As part of a push...
-
3 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 29, 2024\ub-STREP-uh-rus\ adjective
What It Means
Obstreperous is a formal word that describes people or things that st...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 29, 2024\ub-STREP-uh-rus\ adjective
What It Means
Obstreperous is a formal word that describes people or things that st...
-
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2881Free1 CQ
They say that a suit makes a man, and the proverb was apparently as true in the Bronze Age as it is now. Although full suits of steel plate armor are usually associated with medieval knights, the Mycenaeans of the ancient Mediterranean had their own version made of bronze. Theirs didn’t look as sleek as their later counterparts, but researchers have proven they were possibly just as protective and functional. The Mycenaean civilization existed in the Late Bronze Age and formed the basis of what would become the ancient Greek civilization. They dominated the Aegean for centuries between 1700 and 1100 BCE, and spoke the oldest form of Greek on record. Being so ancient, it might be hard to imagine that they could have had full plate armor, the type of military technology that wouldn’t be seen in Europe until millennia later. Indeed, the Mycenaean version made of bronze doesn’t closely resemble the suits of armor that came later.
In 1960, a complete set of armor was discovered in Dendra, Greece, and looked so cumbersome that many doubted its practicality as an instrument of war. Instead of the sleek plates of steel, intricate joints, and hinges that allowed medieval suits of armor to act as a second skin for knights and men-at-arms, the Mycenaean suit had a wide silhouette and pointed helmet, making its wearer look more like an ancient traffic cone than a fearsome warrior. But the battlefield isn’t a runway, and researchers at the University of Thessaly in Greece believed that the armor had more than ceremonial value, so they set out to test its durability by creating a replica of the 15-piece suit. They then had volunteers from the Hellenic Army (Greece’s military) conduct choreographed military exercises in a climate-controlled room that mimicked the ancient climate of the region. Wielding a cruciform sword, the volunteers spent 11 hours in the simulated environment. What they found was that, despite its relatively crude and bulky appearance, the armor was perfectly suitable for extended physical activity, provided excellent protection, and even allowed its wearer a full range of motion. These findings suggest that the Mycenaeans, who arrived in the region and established dominance quickly, might have done so using armors much like the one found in Dendra. Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a soldier by their armor.
[Image description: An ancient archeological site in Mycenae, Argolis, Greece, with stone ruins and walls under a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: George E. Koronaios, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law.They say that a suit makes a man, and the proverb was apparently as true in the Bronze Age as it is now. Although full suits of steel plate armor are usually associated with medieval knights, the Mycenaeans of the ancient Mediterranean had their own version made of bronze. Theirs didn’t look as sleek as their later counterparts, but researchers have proven they were possibly just as protective and functional. The Mycenaean civilization existed in the Late Bronze Age and formed the basis of what would become the ancient Greek civilization. They dominated the Aegean for centuries between 1700 and 1100 BCE, and spoke the oldest form of Greek on record. Being so ancient, it might be hard to imagine that they could have had full plate armor, the type of military technology that wouldn’t be seen in Europe until millennia later. Indeed, the Mycenaean version made of bronze doesn’t closely resemble the suits of armor that came later.
In 1960, a complete set of armor was discovered in Dendra, Greece, and looked so cumbersome that many doubted its practicality as an instrument of war. Instead of the sleek plates of steel, intricate joints, and hinges that allowed medieval suits of armor to act as a second skin for knights and men-at-arms, the Mycenaean suit had a wide silhouette and pointed helmet, making its wearer look more like an ancient traffic cone than a fearsome warrior. But the battlefield isn’t a runway, and researchers at the University of Thessaly in Greece believed that the armor had more than ceremonial value, so they set out to test its durability by creating a replica of the 15-piece suit. They then had volunteers from the Hellenic Army (Greece’s military) conduct choreographed military exercises in a climate-controlled room that mimicked the ancient climate of the region. Wielding a cruciform sword, the volunteers spent 11 hours in the simulated environment. What they found was that, despite its relatively crude and bulky appearance, the armor was perfectly suitable for extended physical activity, provided excellent protection, and even allowed its wearer a full range of motion. These findings suggest that the Mycenaeans, who arrived in the region and established dominance quickly, might have done so using armors much like the one found in Dendra. Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a soldier by their armor.
[Image description: An ancient archeological site in Mycenae, Argolis, Greece, with stone ruins and walls under a blue sky.] Credit & copyright: George E. Koronaios, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. -
FREEDogs Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
The sky has gone to the dogs! Any successful business has to fill a need, but it's important to remember that needs are always changing. Case in point, BARK Air, an airline exclusively for dogs and their owners, recently made its first flight from New York to Los Angeles. While some business gurus would surely scoff at the idea of a pet-focused airline, multiple studies have shown that Americans’ attitudes on pet ownership have shifted dramatically over the past decade. In short, most Americans now see their pets as family members as opposed to possessions. This cultural change has made it harder for many people to stomach the thought of placing their precious pets in cargo—the only way to fly with large dogs on most major airlines. Enter BARK Air, an airline aiming to woo doting owners with the promise of a luxury flying experience for pets. On these flights, dogs of all sizes fly in-cabin, without being confined to carriers. Pups also receive treats and social interaction from staff—unfortunately, the pampering comes at a price. A one-way flight between New York and L.A. for one dog and one human costs $6,000, while a flight from New York to London is $8,000. Routes are also extremely limited, with New York, L.A., London, and Paris being the only current destinations. This all may seem like a risky business venture, but BARK Air is hoping that its current flights will serve as proof-of-concept, allowing prices to go down and more destinations to be added. Only time will tell if businesses like BARK Air remain boutique or become big-time.
[Image description: A brown dachshund wrapped in a blanket, sitting by a window.] Credit & copyright: Elina Volkova, PexelsThe sky has gone to the dogs! Any successful business has to fill a need, but it's important to remember that needs are always changing. Case in point, BARK Air, an airline exclusively for dogs and their owners, recently made its first flight from New York to Los Angeles. While some business gurus would surely scoff at the idea of a pet-focused airline, multiple studies have shown that Americans’ attitudes on pet ownership have shifted dramatically over the past decade. In short, most Americans now see their pets as family members as opposed to possessions. This cultural change has made it harder for many people to stomach the thought of placing their precious pets in cargo—the only way to fly with large dogs on most major airlines. Enter BARK Air, an airline aiming to woo doting owners with the promise of a luxury flying experience for pets. On these flights, dogs of all sizes fly in-cabin, without being confined to carriers. Pups also receive treats and social interaction from staff—unfortunately, the pampering comes at a price. A one-way flight between New York and L.A. for one dog and one human costs $6,000, while a flight from New York to London is $8,000. Routes are also extremely limited, with New York, L.A., London, and Paris being the only current destinations. This all may seem like a risky business venture, but BARK Air is hoping that its current flights will serve as proof-of-concept, allowing prices to go down and more destinations to be added. Only time will tell if businesses like BARK Air remain boutique or become big-time.
[Image description: A brown dachshund wrapped in a blanket, sitting by a window.] Credit & copyright: Elina Volkova, Pexels
May 28, 2024
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Soccer superstar David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chi...
From the BBC World Service: Soccer superstar David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chi...
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 28, 2024\GAD-flye\ noun
What It Means
In literal use, gadfly refers to any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 28, 2024\GAD-flye\ noun
What It Means
In literal use, gadfly refers to any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly...
-
FREEUS History Daily Curio #2880Free1 CQ
It’s never too late to shoot for the stars. Edward Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in U.S. history, was once denied the chance to go to space. Over 60 years later, he was finally able to leave the planet aboard the Blue Origin Rocket. Back in 1961, at the height of the Space Race, Dwight was hand-picked by President Kennedy to join the early astronaut program. As a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Dwight was much like the other astronaut hopefuls: a military man willing to brave daring space missions on behalf of his country. However, as a Black man in the 60s, Dwight was overlooked in favor of his white peers. As Dwight told CBS recently, “It was a wrong, but the country wasn't ready for it and that was the problem." It wasn’t until 1967 that Robert Lawrence became the first Black astronaut when he was chosen for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project, but the project was scrapped and Lawrence never got the chance to go into space. Tragically, Lawrence passed away later that year in a jet crash. Finally, in 1983, Guion Bluford became the first Black astronaut to go to space as a mission specialist aboard the Discovery.
While Dwight never had another chance to go on a mission, he was recognized for decades by NASA as the first Black astronaut candidate and was even honored by the agency when they sent his sculptures into space and named asteroids after him, according to an interview with PBS. Finally, in 2023, Dwight was invited to space by American aerospace company Blue Origin and offered a seat on the New Shepard. The Blue Origin rocket launched on May 19, taking 90-year-old Dwight, along with other civilian passengers, on a brief trip into space. Dwight stated after the flight, "It's more than righting a wrong. It's destiny. My heart I felt like it was going to happen one way or another."
[Image description: Wearing a suit and a blue face mask, Edward Dwight, raises his hands in celebration as he’s inducted into the U.S Space Force.] Credit & copyright: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Armando A. Schwier-Morales. This image was released by the United States Air Force with the ID 200805-F-MF529-0006. Wikimedia Commons. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.It’s never too late to shoot for the stars. Edward Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in U.S. history, was once denied the chance to go to space. Over 60 years later, he was finally able to leave the planet aboard the Blue Origin Rocket. Back in 1961, at the height of the Space Race, Dwight was hand-picked by President Kennedy to join the early astronaut program. As a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Dwight was much like the other astronaut hopefuls: a military man willing to brave daring space missions on behalf of his country. However, as a Black man in the 60s, Dwight was overlooked in favor of his white peers. As Dwight told CBS recently, “It was a wrong, but the country wasn't ready for it and that was the problem." It wasn’t until 1967 that Robert Lawrence became the first Black astronaut when he was chosen for the U.S. Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project, but the project was scrapped and Lawrence never got the chance to go into space. Tragically, Lawrence passed away later that year in a jet crash. Finally, in 1983, Guion Bluford became the first Black astronaut to go to space as a mission specialist aboard the Discovery.
While Dwight never had another chance to go on a mission, he was recognized for decades by NASA as the first Black astronaut candidate and was even honored by the agency when they sent his sculptures into space and named asteroids after him, according to an interview with PBS. Finally, in 2023, Dwight was invited to space by American aerospace company Blue Origin and offered a seat on the New Shepard. The Blue Origin rocket launched on May 19, taking 90-year-old Dwight, along with other civilian passengers, on a brief trip into space. Dwight stated after the flight, "It's more than righting a wrong. It's destiny. My heart I felt like it was going to happen one way or another."
[Image description: Wearing a suit and a blue face mask, Edward Dwight, raises his hands in celebration as he’s inducted into the U.S Space Force.] Credit & copyright: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Armando A. Schwier-Morales. This image was released by the United States Air Force with the ID 200805-F-MF529-0006. Wikimedia Commons. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States. -
FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It may be the epitome of 1980s camp today, but this song was a trendsetter in its time! On this day in 1983, Flashdance...What a Feeling was shooting up the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it would remain at number one for six weeks. With its heavy emphasis on synthesizer and soaring, dramatic vocals, it was the epitome of 80s pop. Written for the movie Flashdance, the song helped change the film landscape for the following decade. Specifically, it ushered in an age of musical non-musicals—movies that weren’t actually musicals, but were still heavily centered around music. These included films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing, both of which propelled their own signature songs to hit status. Though Flashdance...What a Feeling was written by singer Irene Cara and Keith Forsey, it was composed and produced by Giorgio Morodor, who had a habit of movie-song hit making, having also produced Danger Zone for Top Gun and Don't You (Forget About Me) for The Breakfast Club. Talk about a cinematic tastemaker!
It may be the epitome of 1980s camp today, but this song was a trendsetter in its time! On this day in 1983, Flashdance...What a Feeling was shooting up the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it would remain at number one for six weeks. With its heavy emphasis on synthesizer and soaring, dramatic vocals, it was the epitome of 80s pop. Written for the movie Flashdance, the song helped change the film landscape for the following decade. Specifically, it ushered in an age of musical non-musicals—movies that weren’t actually musicals, but were still heavily centered around music. These included films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing, both of which propelled their own signature songs to hit status. Though Flashdance...What a Feeling was written by singer Irene Cara and Keith Forsey, it was composed and produced by Giorgio Morodor, who had a habit of movie-song hit making, having also produced Danger Zone for Top Gun and Don't You (Forget About Me) for The Breakfast Club. Talk about a cinematic tastemaker!
May 27, 2024
-
2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 27, 2024\GLEEN\ verb
What It Means
To glean is to gather or collect something bit by bit, or in a gradual way. Glean ca...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 27, 2024\GLEEN\ verb
What It Means
To glean is to gather or collect something bit by bit, or in a gradual way. Glean ca...
-
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Sitting for a portrait by a master painter might seem like an honor anyone would relish, but the subject of this piece didn’t care for the finished product. Adeline Ravoux was the 13-year-old daughter of the innkeeper at the Auberge Ravoux, where Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life. The piece above is a portrait of her, a young girl in a greenish-blue dress next to white flowers. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she’s looking to the right. Van Gogh made several portraits of the innkeeper’s daughter, but Adeline herself didn’t like the paintings, believing they looked nothing like her. These portraits were among the dozens of paintings the artist made in his final days. After van Gogh shot himself in the chest in an apparent suicide attempt, Adeline witnessed the artist’s rapid decline as he succumbed to infection. The details of the last two days of van Gogh’s life were recorded by Adeline in a memoir she wrote decades later. Maybe the portraits would have been more to her liking if the artist had been in a better state.
Adeline Ravoux, Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), 1890, Oil on fabric, 19.75 x 19.87 in. (50.2 x 50.5 cm.), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Vincent Van Gogh, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.31. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, Public Domain.]Sitting for a portrait by a master painter might seem like an honor anyone would relish, but the subject of this piece didn’t care for the finished product. Adeline Ravoux was the 13-year-old daughter of the innkeeper at the Auberge Ravoux, where Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life. The piece above is a portrait of her, a young girl in a greenish-blue dress next to white flowers. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she’s looking to the right. Van Gogh made several portraits of the innkeeper’s daughter, but Adeline herself didn’t like the paintings, believing they looked nothing like her. These portraits were among the dozens of paintings the artist made in his final days. After van Gogh shot himself in the chest in an apparent suicide attempt, Adeline witnessed the artist’s rapid decline as he succumbed to infection. The details of the last two days of van Gogh’s life were recorded by Adeline in a memoir she wrote decades later. Maybe the portraits would have been more to her liking if the artist had been in a better state.
Adeline Ravoux, Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), 1890, Oil on fabric, 19.75 x 19.87 in. (50.2 x 50.5 cm.), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Vincent Van Gogh, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.31. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, Public Domain.] -
FREEWorld History Daily Curio #2879Free1 CQ
They say you shouldn’t throw stones from glass houses, but what about a giant piece of coal in a “Crystal Palace?” The Great Exhibition of 1851 was a months-long expo in London with exhibits from Britain and beyond, including a 24-ton chunk of coal, a fountain of perfume, and the very first international chess tournament, the latter of which took place on this day in 1851.
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, more commonly referred to as, simply, the Great Exhibition, was the brainchild of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers, and Commerce. With Prince Albert as an enthusiastic patron of the organization, the society sought to emulate the Paris Exposition that had taken place in 1849. However, the Parisian expo was exclusively a showcase of French goods and enterprises, while the organizers of the Great Exhibition had ambitions for a larger, international expo that would show off Britain’s industry, commerce, and culture. Planning for the event began in early 1850.
Looking to outdo their French counterparts, the first order of business was to erect a structure worthy of such an auspicious event. To that end, they held a design contest for a massive, ostentatious building that could be completed in about a year. The winning design, of course, was the building that would come to be known as the Crystal Palace. Made of a prefabricated iron skeleton with 900,000 square feet of glass as its skin, construction was completed in just nine months, just in time for the expo’s opening date of May 1, 1851. By the time it closed in October of the same year, the Great Exhibition had seen 6 million visitors pass under the glass panes of the Crystal Palace to behold some 14,000 exhibitions from around the world. Everything from the latest steam engines to textiles were showcased alongside emerging technologies like the telegraph, which had only been in limited use for a few decades by that point. As for the first international chess tournament, the winner was one Adolf Anderssen, a German school teacher. In the end, the Great Exhibition was also a commercial success, recouping its costs and even setting a trend. For the remainder of the century, other major cities would emulate the exhibition, like the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Hey, a great idea is a great idea.
[Image description: A painting of a large building, the Crystal Palace, with trees and picnickers surrounding it.] Credit & copyright: Dickinsons' comprehensive pictures of the Great Exhibition of 1851, Dickinson Brothers, 1852. Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer.They say you shouldn’t throw stones from glass houses, but what about a giant piece of coal in a “Crystal Palace?” The Great Exhibition of 1851 was a months-long expo in London with exhibits from Britain and beyond, including a 24-ton chunk of coal, a fountain of perfume, and the very first international chess tournament, the latter of which took place on this day in 1851.
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, more commonly referred to as, simply, the Great Exhibition, was the brainchild of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers, and Commerce. With Prince Albert as an enthusiastic patron of the organization, the society sought to emulate the Paris Exposition that had taken place in 1849. However, the Parisian expo was exclusively a showcase of French goods and enterprises, while the organizers of the Great Exhibition had ambitions for a larger, international expo that would show off Britain’s industry, commerce, and culture. Planning for the event began in early 1850.
Looking to outdo their French counterparts, the first order of business was to erect a structure worthy of such an auspicious event. To that end, they held a design contest for a massive, ostentatious building that could be completed in about a year. The winning design, of course, was the building that would come to be known as the Crystal Palace. Made of a prefabricated iron skeleton with 900,000 square feet of glass as its skin, construction was completed in just nine months, just in time for the expo’s opening date of May 1, 1851. By the time it closed in October of the same year, the Great Exhibition had seen 6 million visitors pass under the glass panes of the Crystal Palace to behold some 14,000 exhibitions from around the world. Everything from the latest steam engines to textiles were showcased alongside emerging technologies like the telegraph, which had only been in limited use for a few decades by that point. As for the first international chess tournament, the winner was one Adolf Anderssen, a German school teacher. In the end, the Great Exhibition was also a commercial success, recouping its costs and even setting a trend. For the remainder of the century, other major cities would emulate the exhibition, like the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Hey, a great idea is a great idea.
[Image description: A painting of a large building, the Crystal Palace, with trees and picnickers surrounding it.] Credit & copyright: Dickinsons' comprehensive pictures of the Great Exhibition of 1851, Dickinson Brothers, 1852. Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. -
9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
Writer Andrew Lipstein embarked on a quest to freak himself out about passive investments: Things like buying index funds, for instance all the companies in ...
Writer Andrew Lipstein embarked on a quest to freak himself out about passive investments: Things like buying index funds, for instance all the companies in ...
May 26, 2024
-
3 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: May 26, 2024\sim-POH-zee-um\ noun
What It Means
Symposium can refer either to a formal meeting at which experts discuss a p...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: May 26, 2024\sim-POH-zee-um\ noun
What It Means
Symposium can refer either to a formal meeting at which experts discuss a p...
-
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
The NCAA, the governing body for college sports, and the five biggest athletic conferences have agreed to a landmark $2.8 billion settlement of a class-actio...
The NCAA, the governing body for college sports, and the five biggest athletic conferences have agreed to a landmark $2.8 billion settlement of a class-actio...
-
FREELiterature PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Quality and quantity aren’t always mutually exclusive. It’s a lesson that French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac had to learn for himself, but once he did, he became one of the most renowned and prolific writers of his time. Born this month in 1799, Balzac is largely credited for setting the standard for the modern day novel.
Born May 20, 1799, in Tours, France, Balzac’s surname was originally Balssa, but the author changed it later in life because he felt that it sounded more auspicious. After he was born, Balzac was raised by a wet nurse until he was weaned, a common practice at the time. Yet nearly as soon as he returned to his parents, he was sent away to school. At the age of 16, he began working as a lawyer’s clerk, but just three years later, he left the profession to become a writer. The young author found little success in his literary endeavors, though, and had little support from his family. Along with several novels he didn’t even publish under his own name, Balzac also suffered crippling financial blows due to a series of unsuccessful business ventures that left him deep in debt. Motivated by his need to pay off his debtors (including his own mother), he dove head first into his writing. It was an unconventional start to what became a distinguished career.
It’s an understatement to say that Balzac was not a man of moderation. When he wrote, he did so ceaselessly, for hours or sometimes days. Fueled by unchecked quantities of black coffee (some sources say as many as 50 cups a day), it wasn’t unusual for the writer to churn out page after page of handwritten works, barely stopping to eat or sleep. When he wasn’t writing, Balzac made himself known in Parisian society through scandalous affairs and affectations of grandeur. Aside from changing his name to blend into high society, Balzac also indulged in luxuries beyond his means and used the coat-of-arms of an unrelated family to represent himself. These efforts were actually pretty successful, and Balzac earned notoriety for being a gregarious braggart as much as for being a writer. As for his body of work, it was informed by his intimate understanding of Parisian society. His characters are known for their complexity and distinctly French idiosyncrasies that made them seem very real in their time. Balzac was known for portraying objects and locations in such vivid detail that they almost became characters of their own. Thus, his stories had a depth and wealth of description not commonly found in other novels of his time. That’s especially true of his magnum opus, La Comédie humaine, or The Human Comedy, in English. Written between 1829 and 1848 and consisting of 91 novels and novellas, La Comédie humaine is a collection of interconnected stories that showcase every lever of Parisian society in the years between the French Revolution and the Revolution of 1848. Through this series, Balzac explores the moral and philosophical ideas that lie at the heart of the clashes between France’s social classes, covering everything from economics to romances. Unfortunately, Balzac died relatively young at the age of 51 following a brief period of illness, just a few months after his marriage to his longtime correspondent and romantic interest Ewelina Hańska. Some believe that his heart failure was the result of his lifelong, excessive coffee consumption.
Today, Balzac is remembered for popularizing the format of the novel as it exists today. Unlike many writers of his time, he favored an omniscient narrator who presented the story with a logical flow and he portrayed interesting, flawed, relatable characters. Some have even called him the “Shakespeare of the Novel” for his witty dialogue and for his part in shaping the literary format. Drink a cup of coffee in his memory if you’d like…but maybe just the one.
[Image description: An artistic depiction of a young Honore de Balzac in sepia tones.] Credit & copyright: Achille Devéria (1800–1857), Wikimedia Commons. The Museums of the City of Paris, Balzac’s House. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Quality and quantity aren’t always mutually exclusive. It’s a lesson that French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac had to learn for himself, but once he did, he became one of the most renowned and prolific writers of his time. Born this month in 1799, Balzac is largely credited for setting the standard for the modern day novel.
Born May 20, 1799, in Tours, France, Balzac’s surname was originally Balssa, but the author changed it later in life because he felt that it sounded more auspicious. After he was born, Balzac was raised by a wet nurse until he was weaned, a common practice at the time. Yet nearly as soon as he returned to his parents, he was sent away to school. At the age of 16, he began working as a lawyer’s clerk, but just three years later, he left the profession to become a writer. The young author found little success in his literary endeavors, though, and had little support from his family. Along with several novels he didn’t even publish under his own name, Balzac also suffered crippling financial blows due to a series of unsuccessful business ventures that left him deep in debt. Motivated by his need to pay off his debtors (including his own mother), he dove head first into his writing. It was an unconventional start to what became a distinguished career.
It’s an understatement to say that Balzac was not a man of moderation. When he wrote, he did so ceaselessly, for hours or sometimes days. Fueled by unchecked quantities of black coffee (some sources say as many as 50 cups a day), it wasn’t unusual for the writer to churn out page after page of handwritten works, barely stopping to eat or sleep. When he wasn’t writing, Balzac made himself known in Parisian society through scandalous affairs and affectations of grandeur. Aside from changing his name to blend into high society, Balzac also indulged in luxuries beyond his means and used the coat-of-arms of an unrelated family to represent himself. These efforts were actually pretty successful, and Balzac earned notoriety for being a gregarious braggart as much as for being a writer. As for his body of work, it was informed by his intimate understanding of Parisian society. His characters are known for their complexity and distinctly French idiosyncrasies that made them seem very real in their time. Balzac was known for portraying objects and locations in such vivid detail that they almost became characters of their own. Thus, his stories had a depth and wealth of description not commonly found in other novels of his time. That’s especially true of his magnum opus, La Comédie humaine, or The Human Comedy, in English. Written between 1829 and 1848 and consisting of 91 novels and novellas, La Comédie humaine is a collection of interconnected stories that showcase every lever of Parisian society in the years between the French Revolution and the Revolution of 1848. Through this series, Balzac explores the moral and philosophical ideas that lie at the heart of the clashes between France’s social classes, covering everything from economics to romances. Unfortunately, Balzac died relatively young at the age of 51 following a brief period of illness, just a few months after his marriage to his longtime correspondent and romantic interest Ewelina Hańska. Some believe that his heart failure was the result of his lifelong, excessive coffee consumption.
Today, Balzac is remembered for popularizing the format of the novel as it exists today. Unlike many writers of his time, he favored an omniscient narrator who presented the story with a logical flow and he portrayed interesting, flawed, relatable characters. Some have even called him the “Shakespeare of the Novel” for his witty dialogue and for his part in shaping the literary format. Drink a cup of coffee in his memory if you’d like…but maybe just the one.
[Image description: An artistic depiction of a young Honore de Balzac in sepia tones.] Credit & copyright: Achille Devéria (1800–1857), Wikimedia Commons. The Museums of the City of Paris, Balzac’s House. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
May 25, 2024
-
9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
The Justice Department is suing Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, saying that it violated antitrust law. Live Nation controls at least 80% of ...
The Justice Department is suing Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, saying that it violated antitrust law. Live Nation controls at least 80% of ...
-
FREESoccer Sporty CurioFree1 CQ
Soccer fans can be notoriously rowdy, but this was a very different, tragic ball game. Almost exactly 60 years ago, over 300 people died in what would come to be known as the Estadio Nacional disaster. On May 24, 1964, the Peruvian and Argentine national teams met at Peru’s national stadium, the Estadio Nacional in Lima. It was sure to be a contentious match, as the game was part of a qualifying round for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The match started with the stadium’s 53,000 seats filled to capacity, and the game went on without either team scoring a goal for most of the match. Then, with just six minutes remaining, Argentina took the lead. With tensions understandably high, the Peruvian team managed to score a goal of their own to tie the game, or so they would have, had Uruguayan referee Ángel Eduardo Pazos not disallowed the goal due to a foul. At first, just two spectators stormed the field, but they were quickly and brutally stopped by the police. Enraged by the referee’s call and further stoked by the violent police reaction to the two spectators, the rest of the stadium began to riot. First, the massive crowd made its way down to the pitch, then the violence spread into the streets. Officially, the death toll was recorded as 328, mostly due to asphyxiation from a crowd crush, but that number may not account for those shot by police during the riot. One thing’s for certain: even one death at what should be a fun event is way too many.
Soccer fans can be notoriously rowdy, but this was a very different, tragic ball game. Almost exactly 60 years ago, over 300 people died in what would come to be known as the Estadio Nacional disaster. On May 24, 1964, the Peruvian and Argentine national teams met at Peru’s national stadium, the Estadio Nacional in Lima. It was sure to be a contentious match, as the game was part of a qualifying round for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The match started with the stadium’s 53,000 seats filled to capacity, and the game went on without either team scoring a goal for most of the match. Then, with just six minutes remaining, Argentina took the lead. With tensions understandably high, the Peruvian team managed to score a goal of their own to tie the game, or so they would have, had Uruguayan referee Ángel Eduardo Pazos not disallowed the goal due to a foul. At first, just two spectators stormed the field, but they were quickly and brutally stopped by the police. Enraged by the referee’s call and further stoked by the violent police reaction to the two spectators, the rest of the stadium began to riot. First, the massive crowd made its way down to the pitch, then the violence spread into the streets. Officially, the death toll was recorded as 328, mostly due to asphyxiation from a crowd crush, but that number may not account for those shot by police during the riot. One thing’s for certain: even one death at what should be a fun event is way too many.