SuddenCat: June 2004

Bottle

Although early bottles were made from such materials as gourds and animal skins, glass eventually became the major material employed.

Mason And Dixon Line

Also called Mason-Dixon Line, originally the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania in the United States. In the pre-Civil War period it was regarded, together with the Ohio River, as the dividing line between slave states south of it and free-soil states north of it. Between 1763 and 1767 the 233-mile (375-kilometre) line was surveyed along the parallel 39°43¢ by two Englishmen, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, to define

Karaganda

Oblast (province), central Kazakhstan. It lies mostly in the Kazakh Uplands in a dry steppe zone, rising gradually in elevation eastward to a maximum in the Karkaraly Mountains of 5,115 feet (1,559 m). The principal rivers, the Nura and Sarysu, are in the west, in the Musbel lowland. The climate is continental (tending to extremes) and dry, with severe winters, marked by prolonged snowstorms

Steam

Odourless, invisible gas consisting of vaporized water. It is usually interspersed with minute droplets of water, which gives it a white, cloudy appearance. In nature, steam is produced by the heating of underground water by volcanic processes and is emitted from hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, and certain types of volcanoes. Steam also can be generated on a large

Astor, Caroline Webster Schermerhorn

Caroline Schermerhorn was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and had colonial Dutch aristocracy on both sides of her family tree. Her marriage to William Astor, son of William Backhouse

Coiter, Volcher

Coiter also spelled Coyter, or Koyter physician who established the study of comparative osteology and first described cerebrospinal meningitis. Through a grant from Groningen he studied in Italy and France and was a pupil of Fallopius, Eustachius, Arantius, and Rondelet. He became city physician of Nürnberg (1569) and later entered military service as field surgeon to Johann Casimir, the

Consonance And Dissonance

In music, the impression of stability and repose (consonance) in relation to the impression of tension or clash (dissonance) experienced by a listener when certain combinations of tones or notes are sounded together. In certain musical styles, movement to and from consonance and dissonance gives shape and a sense of direction, for example, through increases and decreases

Epistemology, Commonsense philosophy, logical positivism, and naturalized epistemology

Three of the most notable achievements of analytic philosophy are commonsense philosophy, logical positivism, and naturalized epistemology. G.E. Moore (1873–1958) made a defense of what he called the commonsense view of the world. According to Moore, virtually everybody knows certain propositions to be true, such as that the Earth exists, that it is very old, and that other persons

Bowerman, Bill

American coach, inventor, and entrepreneur who while serving (1949–72) as coach of the track team at the University of Oregon led teams to four National Collegiate Athletic Association titles (1962, 1964, 1965, and 1970) and coached 24 NCAA individual champions; in his quest to give his runners an edge, Bowerman experimented with creating a lighter outsole and fashioned the modern-day “waffle” running

Benedek, Ludwig August, Ritter Von

Benedek entered the Austrian Army in 1822, distinguishing himself in Galicia

Ariosto, Ludovico

Ariosto's father, Count Niccolò, was commander of the citadel at Reggio Emilia. When Ludovico was 10, the family

Sea Walnut

Any member of a common genus (Mnemiopsis) of gelatinous, planktonic marine invertebrates of the class Tentaculata (phylum Ctenophora). The sea walnut resembles the sea gooseberry morphologically, but as in many ctenophores the body is prolonged into eight lobes. Full-grown individuals may be as long as 15 cm (6 inches). They lead a wholly planktonic existence and are found

Sara Buri

Also spelled Saraburi, town, central Thailand, northeast of Bangkok. Sara Buri (locally called Pak Phrieo) is on the south bank of the Pa Sak River. Its economy is based on textile, metalworking, food-manufacturing, clothing, and woodworking industries. The Phra Buddha Bat shrine in the town contains a footprint of Buddha and is the scene of a yearly festival. Sara Buri is linked to Bangkok, 60 miles

Low-temperature Phenomena, Specific heat and thermal conductivity

When a small amount of heat is put into a system, some of the energy is used to increase the lattice vibrations (an amount that is the

Roman Numeral

Any of the symbols used in a system of numerical notation based on the ancient Roman system. The symbols are I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, standing, respectively, for 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 in the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. A symbol placed after another of equal or greater value adds its value—e.g., II = 2 and LX = 60. A symbol placed before one of greater value subtracts its value—e.g., IV = 4, XL = 40, and CD = 400.

Tunnels And Underground Excavations, Environmental control

In all but the shortest tunnels, control of the environment is essential to provide safe working conditions. Ventilation is vital, both to provide fresh air and to remove explosive gases such as methane and noxious gases, including blast fumes. While the problem is reduced by using diesel engines with exhaust scrubbers and by selecting only low-fume explosives

Moseley Braun, Carol

Carol Moseley attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (B.A., 1969) and received a law degree from the University of Chicago (1972). She married Michael Braun in 1973 (divorced 1986) and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney before her election to the Illinois

Wu-t'ung-ch'iao

Pinyin Wutongqiao, town in south-central Szechwan sheng (province), China. Situated between Lo-shan and I-pin on the Min River, Wu-t'ung-ch'iao was formerly a minor market town and briefly achieved status as a municipality from 1952 to 1958. It is chiefly noted as a major salt-producing area, the salt being drawn as brine from wells of medium depth. Barium and calcium chloride are also produced. Woolens,

Andrew I

Having accompanied his father, Yury Dolgoruky, on his conquest of Kiev, Andrew refused to remain in the ancient capital of Rus and returned

Fuji, Mount

Japanese Fuji-san , also called Fujiyama , or Fuji No Yama highest mountain in Japan, rising to 12,388 feet (3,776 metres) near the Pacific coast in Yamanashi and Shizuoka ken (prefectures), central Honshu, about 60 miles (100 km) west of Tokyo. It is a volcano that has been dormant since its last eruption in 1707 but is still generally classified as active by geologists. The mountain's name, of Ainu origin, means “everlasting life.” Mount Fuji, with its graceful

Vitaceae

The grape family of flowering plants, in the buckthorn order (Rhamnales), comprising 12 genera of woody plants, most of them tendril-bearing vines. The largest genus, which is pantropic in distribution, is Cissus, containing about 350 species. Vitis, with about 60 to 70 species, is the one genus in the family of great economic importance; it includes the European wine grape (V.

Bridges, Robert (seymour)

From 1869 until 1882 Bridges

Tyrrell, Lake

Shallow, salt-crusted depression of 70 sq mi (180 sq km), in the Mallee district, northwestern Victoria, Australia, 195 mi (314 km) northwest of Melbourne. Usually dry, it is occasionally fed by Tyrrell Creek. An extraction plant at Sea Lake, a town on the lake's south shore, harvests the salt deposits. The lake was visited (1838) by Edward Eyre, who was seeking new grazing lands, and was named after

Germanic Religion And Mythology, Worship

Sacrifice often was conducted in the open or in groves and forests. The human sacrifice to the tribal god of the Semnones, described by Tacitus, took place in a sacred grove; other examples of sacred groves include the one in which Nerthus usually resides. Tacitus does, however, mention temples in Germany, though they were probably few. Old English laws mention fenced

Biblical Literature, Coptic versions

The spread of Christianity among the non-Greek speaking peasant communities of Egypt necessitated the translation of the Scriptures into the native tongue (Coptic). These versions may be considered to be wholly Christian in origin and largely based on the Greek Bible. They also display certain affinities with the Old Latin. Nothing certain is known about the Coptic

Sarazen, Gene

Born to impoverished Italian immigrants, Sarazen began caddying when he was eight.

Pyrophyllite

Very soft, pale-coloured silicate mineral, hydrated aluminum silicate, Al2(OH)2 Si4O10, that is the main constituent of some schistose rocks. The most extensive commercial deposits are in North Carolina, but pyrophyllite is also mined in California, Canada, and South Africa. Talclike foliated masses occur in the Urals, in Switzerland, and in other localities. For detailed

Doris

The alleged mother country of the Dorian conquerors of the Peloponnese. It was a small district in central Greece, lying between Mounts Oeta (modern Oiti) and Parnassus and consisting of a narrow valley nowhere exceeding 4 miles (6 km) in breadth, with only four small townships. Doris had some importance because it commanded the road from Heraclea in Trachis to Amphissa,

Murad, Ferid

Murad

Ashburton, John Dunning, 1st Baron

English jurist and politician who defended the radical John Wilkes against charges of seditious and obscene libel (1763–64) and who is also important as the author of a resolution in Parliament (April 6, 1780) condemning George III for his support of Lord North's government despite the unpopularity of its policies during

Carlisle, John G(riffin)

Carlisle was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1858 and practiced law in Covington before his election to a term in the state legislature (1859–61); he also served in the Kentucky state senate (1866–71) and as lieutenant

Aurochs

Also spelled Auroch (species Bos primigenius), extinct wild ox of Europe, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), from which cattle are probably descended. The aurochs survived in central Poland until 1627. The aurochs was black, stood 1.8 m (6 feet) high at the shoulder, and had spreading, forward-curving horns. Some German breeders claim that since 1945 they have re-created this race by crossing Spanish fighting

Oranges, War Of The

In April 1801, French troops arrived in Portugal, and on May 20 they were bolstered by Spanish troops under the

Hawthorn

Also called Haw, or Thornapple, any of a number of thorny shrubs or small trees of the genus Crataegus, in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the North Temperate Zone. Many species are native to North America. The hawthorn's leaves are simple, and usually toothed or lobed. The white or pink flowers, usually in clusters, are followed by small applelike, red fruits, or more rarely by blue or black

Nguyen Dynasty

After Mac Dang Dung usurped the Vietnamese throne in 1527, Nguyen Kim fought to restore a Le emperor in 1533, leaving the Mac family in power in the northern section

Shigellosis

Infectious disease that is caused by various species of Shigella bacteria and is known as bacillary dysentery. See dysentery.

Quantum Electrodynamics

(QED), quantum theory of the interactions of charged particles with the electromagnetic field. It describes mathematically not only all interactions of light with matter but also those of charged particles with one another. QED is a relativistic theory in that Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity is built into each of its equations. Because the behaviour

Ghiberti, Lorenzo

Important early Italian Renaissance sculptor, whose doors (“Gates of Paradise”; 1425–52) for the Baptistery of the cathedral of Florence are considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian art in the Quattrocento. Other works include three bronze statues for Or San Michele (1416–25) and the reliefs for Siena cathedral (1417–27). Ghiberti also wrote three

Stone Age, Ax factories and flint mines

Celts, or axes, were manufactured in factories where specially suitable rock outcrops occurred, and they were traded over great distances. Products of the factories at Graig Lwyd, Penmaenmawr, North Wales, were transported to Wiltshire and Anglesey, those of Tievebulliagh on the Antrim coast to Limerick, Kent, Aberdeen, and the Hebrides. Similarly, large nodules of

Bonde, Gustaf, Friherre

After becoming governor of the province of Södermanland (1648) and a privy councillor (1653), Bonde was chosen lord treasurer and a member of the regency council (1660). He reduced

English Literature, Other poets of the early Romantic period

Several of the lesser poets of this generation were more popular in their own time. The somewhat insipid Fourteen Sonnets (1789) of William Lisle Bowles were received with enthusiasm by Coleridge and Wordsworth. Thomas Campbell is now chiefly remembered for his patriotic lyrics such as “Ye Mariners of England” and “The Battle of Hohenlinden” (1807) and for the critical preface

Mahakala

In Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See dharmapala.

Tasmania, The postwar period

Through the next quarter-century Tasmania benefited much from Australia's general prosperity. The population passed 370,000 by 1966, and living standards approached the national norm. Premiers Robert Cosgrove (1939–58) and Eric Elliott Reece (1958–69 and 1972–75) were tough and efficient; they saved the local Labor Party from the blows it was suffering elsewhere. They sustained faith in hydroelectricity,

SuddenCat

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Mason And Dixon Line

Sunday, June 27, 2004

Karaganda

Saturday, June 26, 2004

Friday, June 25, 2004

Consonance And Dissonance

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Bowerman, Bill

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Sea Walnut

Monday, June 21, 2004

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Tunnels And Underground Excavations, Environmental control

Saturday, June 19, 2004

Friday, June 18, 2004

Thursday, June 17, 2004

Fuji, Mount

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Vitaceae

Monday, June 14, 2004

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Sarazen, Gene

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Friday, June 11, 2004

Murad, Ferid

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Aurochs

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Oranges, War Of The

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Quantum Electrodynamics

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Stone Age, Ax factories and flint mines

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Mahakala

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