Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, July 23, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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coppice
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Interrogative Pronouns and Reported QuestionsInterrogative pronouns can appear in the middle of reported questions. Reported questions are actually a form of declarative sentences using reported speech, which is what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence (AI), the use of computers to model the behavioral aspects of human reasoning and learning, has captured global interest for years. Cybernetics, one area of AI study, is the analysis of the communication and control processes of biological organisms and their relationship to mechanical and electrical systems; advances in this area could lead to “thinking” robots. In science fiction, AI is often portrayed attempting to overthrow human authority. What is "the Singularity"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Man Causes a Sensation by Jumping off Brooklyn Bridge—Or Not (1886)The iconic Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883. Three years later, a New Yorker named Steve Brodie claimed to have survived a jump off the span, and newspapers eagerly reported the stunt, allegedly done as part of a bet. Vaulted to sudden fame, Brodie embarked on a successful stage career and opened the popular Bowery Tavern. "To pull a Brodie" even became a slang term for doing something flamboyant and dangerous, but Brodie's dubious claim about his leap was later disputed. What really happened? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Babcock (1900)Prior to his death in 2010, at age 109, Babcock was Canada's last known surviving veteran of World War I. He joined the army at 15 by lying about his age. When he was discovered to be too young for combat, he was given labor jobs and was later transferred to England, where he continued his training in the Young Soldiers Battalion. Because he never actually fought on the front lines, he was uncomfortable with his fame as a veteran. At what age did Babcock finally earn his high school diploma? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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on Carey Street— euphemism Bankrupt; in severe or crippling debt. Named for the street in London where the bankruptcy court for the United Kingdom was at one time located. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Haile Selassie's Birthday (2018)Haile Selassie I (1892-1975), emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, was born Tafari Makonnen; he became Prince (or Ras) Tafari in 1916. Among the Jamaicans known as Rastafarians, Selassie was believed to be the Messiah, and Ethiopia was identified with heaven. Ethiopians still celebrate Haile Selassie's birthday. During the years of his reign as emperor, Selassie would stand on the balcony of his palace in Addis Ababa and greet the thousands of well-wishers who gathered there on his birthday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: mentionoojah, ooja-ka-piv, oojiboo - An oojah or ooja-ka-piv or oojiboo is "a thing whose name one forgets, does not know, or prefers not to mention." More... apophasis - Mentioning a subject by saying one is not going to mention it. More... infandous - Describing something too horrible to mention. More... mention - Its etymological notion is "reminding," from Latin mentio, "remembrance." More... | |
| In the News | |
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Yes, Men Gain Weight When They Become Dads, Study ConfirmsDad bod is real. Science says so. Men who become fathers experience weight gain and an increase in body mass index, a measurement of body fat based on height and weight, according to a new, large-scale study that tracked more than 10,000 men over a ... More... | |