Monthly Archives: January 2013

Personality

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Sean

personality. Article #33. Vol 9, pg 312. Simply put, a person’s personality is a description of the way that the person thinks, acts and feels. The science of personality, however, goes far beyond a simple description.  We tend to act in … Continue reading →

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Espionage

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Sean

espionage. Article #32. Vol 4, pg 561. You can make anything sound sophisticated just by using a French word for it.  Take the word “espionage”.  When we describe it as “obtaining secret information by means of secret agents or monitoring devices”, … Continue reading →

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Quinine

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Sean

quinine. Article #31. Vol 9, pg 862. Quinine, used to treat Malaria, has the distinction of being the first chemical compound to be successfully used to treat an infectious disease.  Quinine is made from the bark of the Cinchona tree and was … Continue reading →

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University College

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Sean

university college. Article #30. Vol 12, pg 186. In the British educational system, a university college is an institution that teaches college courses but does not itself award degrees to the students.  Instead, another university awards the degrees. “university college.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. … Continue reading →

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Zuiderzee

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Sean

Zuiderzee. Article #29. Vol 12, pg 940. With 20% of their country being below sea level, the Dutch have always had to fight to keep the North Sea out. In the 13th century, a large marshy area in the north part … Continue reading →

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Local Group

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Sean

Local Group. Article #28. Vol 7, pg 431. The term “local” is clearly relative.  In the context of the astronomical term “local group”, the term “local” doesn’t refer to your neighborhood, your city, country, or even your own solar system.  “Local … Continue reading →

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Felix Mottl

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Sean

Mottl, Felix. Article #27. Vol 8, pg 369. Felix Mottl (1856-1911) was a Austrian conductor, best known for conducting the operas of Richard Wagner.  He was the conductor at the Karlsruhe Opera from 1882 to 1903.  While there, he was known … Continue reading →

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Michael VIII Palaeologus (Byzantine Empire)

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Sean

Michael VIII Palaeologus (Byzantine Empire). Article #26. Vol 8, pg 93. In the grand map of history, Michael VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor from 1261-1282 is a bit of a blip. From 324-1453 AD there were 93 Byzantine emperors, so we can be forgiven … Continue reading →

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Muscat

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Sean

Muscat. Article #25. Vol. 8, pg 438. Muscat, with a metropolitan population of over 700,000, is the capital of Oman, at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula.  Muscat was a Portuguese colony from 1508 to 1650 and there are two 16th-century … Continue reading →

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Johan Henrik Kellgren

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Sean

Kellgren, Johan Henrik. Article #24. Vol 6, pg 789. Johan Henrik Kellgren (1751-1795) was a young Swedish poet with great hair, who got off to a great start when, at the age of 22, he wrote a series of erotic poems. … Continue reading →

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