When the curtain rose on Act 2 of a premiere of The Daughter of the Regiment by Donizetti in 2016, a tiny woman was barely visible in a large dome chair with her back to the audience. Suddenly, she swiveled around, and there was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. When her character asked whether another woman… Continue Reading In what opera did Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg make her debut?
In international law, condominium refers to territory that is governed by multiple sovereign powers who formally share duties without necessarily dividing the area into national zones. Pheasant Island (Konpantzia) is an uninhabited landmass on the Bidasoa River separating France and Spain. Stewardship of this 1.69-acre island alternates every six months: it falls under Spanish rule… Continue Reading What island is the world’s smallest “condominium?”
Having gained legions of fans through their television show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the troupe ventured into film. Traditional financiers were wary, but Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and other artists, along with their record companies, provided much of the funding for the low-budget film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. (How low budget?… Continue Reading What classic comedy film was funded by rock groups?
Soldiers can act as valets for officers, cleaning uniforms, running errands, and scrounging for any personal items their officer might need. They might end up swiping things from enlisted men and women so that higher ups have whatever they want/need. New recruits are sometimes referred to as “dog faces” (think “dog tags” and “pup tents”).… Continue Reading Should you worry about dog robbers?
Nurturing Gratitude is the Soul Matters theme for the month of November. One must be grateful for the bitter as well as the sweet, for that helps us to grow. Hear now Prem & Sangita as they sing Thank You.
While it’s true that having blood taken from your body does literally make you lighter, watching movies about vampires burns calories. The heart rate and metabolic rate increase during scary movies, leading to an increase in calorie expenditure. Movies with jump scares are the most effective. In a test with 10 horror films (this study… Continue Reading Can vampires help you lose weight?
The November Share the Plate recipient is Chester Eastside, which provides invaluable programs for children and adults providing resources to improve outcomes for the entire community. Their initiatives help kids defy the odds by meeting basic human needs through food and clothing distributions while also providing a safe environment for education and skill development. Share… Continue Reading Chester Eastside
You know that feeling you get when you’re being stared at? Out of the corner of your eye, even outside your field of vision, you can just tell someone is checking you out? It’s not ESP. It’s closer to having an eye on the back of your head. Our gaze detection system, aided by the… Continue Reading How is it that you know when someone is watching you?
Autumn is the time to gather the harvest. For squirrels, that means finding the nuts they have hidden away for the winter. Part of their hippocampus increases in size when the weather turns cold. Depending on the study, it may be due to new neurons or “seasonal plasticity.” This helps them remember where they squirreled… Continue Reading Whose brain gets bigger in the fall?
