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Baba Mondi Who is Baba Mondi? Baba Mondi, born Edmond Brahimaj, is the eighth leader of the Bektashi order of Sufi mystics headquartered in Tirana, Albania. He has been the Albanian Dedebaba (head father) of the order since 2011. What is the Bektashi order? The Bektashi order is a branch of Sufi mysticism... -
Devin Booker What is Devin Booker’s position and team in the NBA? Devin Booker is a shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. What notable achievement did Devin Booker accomplish at age 20? At age 20, Devin Booker scored 70 points in a single game, becoming the sixth and youngest player in NBA history to... -
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, first published work by British writer Jeanette Winterson, published in 1985. This short semi-autobiographical novel is an unconventional coming-of-age story, and it won the Whitbread Award for best first novel. The life of the main character (whose name is also... -
peacock spider What are peacock spiders known for? Peacock spiders are known for the colorful, intricate mating dance and display of the males. Where are peacock spiders found? Peacock spiders are primarily found in semiarid and temperate regions throughout southern Australia, including deserts, sand dunes,... -
Kevin James What is Kevin James best known for? Kevin James is best known for playing Doug Heffernan in the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and the title character in the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop and its sequel. What was Kevin James’s early career aspiration? James’s early aspirations revolved around sports.... -
Adam Schiff Is Adam Schiff a senator or congressman? Adam Schiff is both a senator and a congressman. In 2024 he began representing California in the U.S. Senate. Since the Senate is one of the two bodies that make up Congress, Schiff is also a congressman. What role did Adam Schiff play in Donald Trump’s... -
logistic function What is the logistic function used for? The logistic function describes growth rates of quantities, such as populations, over time. It is used in such fields as biology, sociology, agriculture, and economics. Who developed the logistic function? Belgian mathematician Pierre-François Verhulst... -
Seawolf-class submarine What is the Seawolf-class submarine known for? The Seawolf-class submarine is known for its speed and advanced weapons and for being extremely quiet underwater. Why was the Seawolf class designed? The Seawolf class was designed in the 1980s to replace the Los Angeles-class attack submarines and...
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cell differentiation What is cell differentiation? Cell differentiation is the process by which an immature cell develops into a specialized cell type with a distinct structure and function. Why is cell differentiation important in multicellular organisms? Cell differentiation is crucial for development, as it results...
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M.G. Ramachandran M.G. Ramachandran was an Indian actor and politician who was chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 to 1987, with a brief interregnum from February 17 to June 9, 1980, when Tamil Nadu came under President’s Rule and the central government assumed control of the state. Popularly known as MGR, he was... -
fry bread What is fry bread made of? Fry bread is generally made with flour, water, salt, and sometimes baking powder, and it is deep-fried in cooking oil, shortening, or lard. What historical event led to the creation of fry bread? The creation of fry bread dates to the 1860s, when the U.S. government...
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Rahul Dravid Rahul Dravid is a former Indian international cricketer considered by many to have been one of the greatest batters in the history of the game. During his career he was also a wicketkeeper and an occasional bowler. Nicknamed “the Wall,” Dravid scored 24,208 international runs in his career and was...
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ketoconazole What types of fungi does ketoconazole target? Ketoconazole primarily targets yeasts such as Candida and dermatophytes such as Trichophyton and Microsporum. It also is effective against some dimorphic fungi and molds, including Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis. How does...
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When trade policy turns contentious: Tariffs, currency devaluation, and other trade barriers If you’ve ever studied economics or listened to a group of economists speak, you know how hard it is to get universal agreement. But one thing they generally agree on is that international trade, when structured properly, benefits all parties. Any barrier to free trade tends to shrink the overall... -
Digital tokens: 8 types of crypto coins Utility tokens, stablecoins, meme coins, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are just some of the digital tokens in existence. As blockchain projects and cryptocurrency tokens continue to multiply, the variety of digital tokens is similarly increasing. These eight types of digital tokens illustrate the... -
giant huntsman spider Giant huntsman spider, (Heteropoda maxima), massive cave-dwelling spider, sporting the largest leg span of any known spider. The giant huntsman spider was first formally discovered in a cave in Laos by German arachnologist Peter Jäger in 2001. It is not considered dangerous to humans. As is the... -
What you need to know about annuity surrender charges A deferred annuity offers a way to save for the future while building cash value over time. Premiums paid into the annuity grow to provide a predictable income stream during retirement, offering financial security for those looking to lock in stable payments later in life. But accessing your funds... -
Hrithik Roshan What challenges did Hrithik Roshan face in his childhood? Hrithik Roshan faced such challenges as having an extra thumb, stuttering, and having a severe back problem. He overcame these issues, becoming a successful actor. Which film franchise is Hrithik Roshan known for? Hrithik Roshan is known for... -
common yellowthroat How large is the common yellowthroat’s geographic range? The breeding range of the common yellowthroat is among the largest of any North American warbler. It extends from southern Alaska east across the breadth of Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, and south throughout all of the contiguous... -
Nayanthara Nayanthara is a leading Indian actress known mainly for her work in the South India film industry. She has starred in more than 75 movies in the Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages, and she made her Hindi film debut in 2023. One of the highest-paid Indian actresses in the 21st century,... -
28 Notable Women Cricketers Cricket has been played by all-women teams since at least 1745, when an inter-village game between Bramley and Hambleton was recorded in England. Despite the early start, over the years, women’s cricket has lagged behind the men’s game because of a combination of sexism and poor organizational... -
tesseract What is a tesseract? A tesseract, also called a hypercube, is a geometric shape that is the four-dimensional equivalent of a three-dimensional cube. Who introduced the tesseract? British mathematician Charles Howard Hinton introduced the tesseract in his books A New Era of Thought (1888) and The...
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Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order What is the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order? It is a proposed state and an enclave in Tirana, Albania, that would serve as the seat of the Bektashi order of Sufi Islam. It would be modeled after Vatican City. How large would the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order be? The state would cover... -
New Hollywood What was the New Hollywood movement? The New Hollywood movement was an American film movement roughly from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s that emphasized director-driven creativity and experimentation, marking a shift from the old studio system. What are the key features of New Hollywood films?... -
The Martian Chronicles The Martian Chronicles, collection of interconnected short stories by Ray Bradbury that relate the history of the colonization of Mars by humans. Published in 1950, it is also an allegory of the arrival of Europeans in the Americas and explores many of the issues important to Americans in the 1940s... -
Naked Lunch Naked Lunch, seminal novel by American experimental writer William S. Burroughs. Excerpts from Naked Lunch first appeared in the magazine Chicago Review in 1958. When an issue of the magazine containing further excerpts was withdrawn from publication in 1959, a new literary magazine, Big Table,... -
Document storage: How to safely reduce paper clutter in your house Decluttering can bring a feeling of order to your home and your daily life, whether it involves donating old clothes, toys, books, or household goods. But what about all the paper clutter? If you have boxes of old checks or utility bills in your basement or attic, it may be time to toss them.... -
Cryptocurrency futures: A new way to ride the crypto wave, with some old-school trading twists Crypto traders might consider themselves light-years removed from their boisterous, brawling ancestors who bought and sold futures contracts on old-school commodities like crude oil, gold, and soybeans in the trading pits of yore. But nowadays, they actually share a common strand of DNA, in the... -
harissa What is harissa? Harissa is a spicy North African paste made from dried chili peppers, olive oil, salt, and other seasonings. It is used in various dishes and as a condiment. Where did harissa originate? Harissa originated in Tunisia and is widely used throughout the Maghreb region. What are some... -
recess appointment What is a recess appointment? A recess appointment is a temporary appointment, made by the U.S. president during a Senate recess, to a vacant office whose nominees require Senate approval, as outlined in Article II, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution. Why were recess appointments originally... -
Sturgill Simpson Which musicians influenced Sturgill Simpson’s early interest in music? Sturgill Simpson was influenced by classic country artists such as Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins, as well as blues, rock, and soul musicians such as John Mayall, Jimi Hendrix, and Otis Redding. Is Sturgill Simpson an outlaw... -
Yogi Adityanath Yogi Adityanath is a Hindu monk and Indian political leader. He is a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the only politician to have served two full consecutive terms as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, a key electoral state. He is also the mahant, or head priest, of the... -
Susan La Flesche Picotte Who was Susan La Flesche Picotte? Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first Native American to earn a medical degree in the United States. She dedicated herself to the care of the Omaha tribal community. Where did Susan La Flesche Picotte pursue her medical education? Susan La Flesche Picotte attended... -
Bluesky Bluesky is a social media app where users post short messages of up to 300 characters, known as microblogging (similar to a tweet). Bluesky started in 2019 as a project within Twitter, led by then-CEO Jack Dorsey, that was intended to give users more control over how their content was shared and... -
history of Lebanon Who were the ancient settlers of Lebanon? The ancient settlers of Lebanon were the Phoenicians, the inhabitants of cities like Tyre, Byblos, and Sidon. How did the religious diversity in Lebanon develop? Lebanon’s religious diversity developed from its mountainous terrain offering refuge to... -
Centralized vs. decentralized crypto exchanges—which should you choose? Are you buying, selling, or trading cryptocurrencies? You’re probably using a cryptocurrency exchange to complete your transactions. These exchanges are either centralized or decentralized—a core design choice that affects almost every part of your trading experience. Decentralized exchanges—like... -
Flag and pennant patterns: When a trend hits the pause button Even when a stock, cryptocurrency, commodity, or other security is clearly trending in one direction, it may occasionally reverse course for several periods before resuming the prevailing trend. This price action creates patterns called flags and pennants, which technical analysts use to spot a... -
Kash Patel Who is Kash Patel? Kash Patel is an American lawyer and government official selected by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as director of the FBI in his second administration. Patel held several posts during Trump’s first term and is known for claiming the existence of a “deep state” in the U.S.... -
Gukesh Dommaraju Gukesh Dommaraju is an Indian chess grandmaster and the current world chess champion. Gukesh, considered a chess prodigy, beat incumbent world champion Ding Liren in December 2024, winning the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE; International Chess Federation) World Chess Championship by a... -
Twyfelfontein What is Twyfelfontein known for? Twyfelfontein, in Namibia, is known for its large collection of rock art, with more than 2,000 engravings (known as petroglyphs) and paintings. What animals are commonly depicted in the rock art at Twyfelfontein? The rock art primarily depicts animals such as... -
Perplexity AI Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine that uses large language models (LLMs) to provide direct answers to search queries, complete with source citations. Its development company, Perplexity AI, Inc., was founded in August 2022 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Through its... -
American Women Quarters Program List On December 31, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which allowed for the minting of quarter dollar coins celebrating prominent American women. It was signed into law on January 13, 2021. The program the act created was called the American Women... -
Sharon Stone After more than a decade playing small but noteworthy roles in action thrillers and comedies, American actress Sharon Stone became a bona fide movie star and a major sex symbol in the early 1990s. The film that propelled her to stardom is also her best known, the erotic thriller Basic Instinct... -
Mama Cax Mama Cax was a Haitian American advocate for people with disabilities and a model with a rising career. She is perhaps best known for challenging the fashion industry’s standards by modeling with her crutches and making her prosthetic leg visible. Cax was born Cacsmy Brutus in Brooklyn, New York,... -
Love in a Cold Climate Love in a Cold Climate, novel written by English author Nancy Mitford and published in 1949. Love in a Cold Climate, a comedy of manners, is set in roughly the same time and place as Mitford’s earlier novel The Pursuit of Love (1945) and delves into British aristocratic society between the two... -
Moderna, Inc. Moderna, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines and is best known for developing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use. The drugmaker researches treatments for infectious diseases, cancer, and rare genetic disorders, and is exploring... -
Like Water for Chocolate Like Water for Chocolate, magical realist debut novel by by Mexican author and screenwriter Laura Esquivel. First published in 1989, it became a bestseller in Mexico, and it was both filmed and published in English in 1992. Like Water for Chocolate takes place on a ranch owned by the widowed Mama... -
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani Who is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani? Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, also known as Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa, is a militant Islamist and leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that toppled Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad in 2024. What was Jolani’s connection to al-Qaeda? Jolani was once a... -
harpy eagle Where does the harpy eagle live? The harpy eagle lives in lowland tropical forests in the Americas. Most of the harpy eagle population can be found in the Amazon Basin in South America; however, the species can also be found in pockets of habitat throughout Central America and northern South... -
Bhairava Who is Bhairava in Hinduism? Bhairava is a fearsome Hindu deity closely associated with Shiva, who is worshipped in various Tantric traditions and within Shaivism as a protector from demonic forces. What is the significance of Bhairava in Tantric practices? In Tantric practices Bhairava is... -
D.A.R.E. What is the purpose of the D.A.R.E. program? D.A.R.E. aims to prevent drug use among students by helping them to develop decision-making and communication skills. Who started the D.A.R.E. program and when? The D.A.R.E. program was started in 1983 by the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department... -
Ashton Kutcher What role made Ashton Kutcher famous? Ashton Kutcher first garnered fame for playing Michael Kelso in the hit sitcom That ’70s Show (1998–2006). Does Ashton Kutcher have children? Ashton Kutcher married Mila Kunis in 2015, and they have two children. From 2005 to 2013 Kutcher was married to Demi... -
legal personhood What is legal personhood? Legal personhood is a concept in Western law that allows a person, corporation, or other entity to engage in the legal system, own property, be sued by or sue others, and agree to contracts. It has existed since the time of ancient Roman law. How has legal personhood... -
sex trafficking Sex trafficking, form of human trafficking that involves the use of fraud, force, or coercion to persuade or compel victims to engage in commercial sex for the profit of the trafficker. Although victims are often transported across national borders, sex trafficking, under U.S. and international...
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naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign In an attempt to knock Germany’s ally, Turkey, out of World War I and to open a supply route across the Black Sea to Russia’s large but poorly equipped armies, Britain and France carried out a naval attack on the Dardanelles Straits en route to the Turkish capital of Constantinople that began on... -
Battle of Monterrey Battle of Monterrey, an engagement of the Mexican-American War that was fought on September 20–24, 1846. On May 13, the United States formally declared war on Mexico. Unaware of this, on May 18 Major General Zachary Taylor crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, after defeating the Mexicans at Palo... -
Piper Alpha disaster Piper Alpha disaster, explosion and sinking of the Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea on July 6, 1988. The disaster killed 167 people and remains the world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster. It also resulted in financial losses of some $6.4 billion (in 2024 dollars). The discovery of North... -
Battle of Nanjing Battle of Nanjing, Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga or Coxinga, was the most loyal supporter of the final claimant to the throne of the Ming dynasty after it had been replaced by the Manchu Qing dynasty. He led a series of campaigns that culminated in an unsuccessful attempt to capture... -
Brusilov Offensive Brusilov Offensive, the largest Russian assault during World War I, and one of the deadliest in history. It occurred from June 4 to August 10, 1916. Following several stinging defeats, including the Battle of Tannenberg, the Russians found a capable commander, General Aleksey Brusilov. Leading the... -
Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden, Allied pursuit of Nazi Germany’s forces across France, and a failed strategic airborne attempt to advance into Germany by way of Holland during World War II, from September 17 to 27, 1944, during World War II. Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery persuaded the Supreme... -
Sack of Constantinople The diversion of the Fourth Crusade from the Holy Land to attack, capture, and pillage the Byzantine city of Constantinople in April 1204 divided and dissipated the efforts of the Christians to maintain the war against the Muslims. It is widely regarded as a shocking betrayal of principles out of... -
Siege of Edessa The fall of the crusader city of Edessa to Seljuq Muslim troops after a siege carried out from November 28 to December 24, 1144, was the spark that ignited the Second Crusade. The victory entrenched Zangī as leader of the Muslims in the Holy Land, a mantle that would be taken up by his son Nūr... -
Battle of Portland In the First Anglo-Dutch War, Maarten Tromp was reinstalled as commander of the Dutch fleet after the Battle of Kentish Knock. Tromp’s heroic demonstration of fighting skill at the three-day Battle of Portland—which was fought from February 28 to March 2, 1653—could not disguise the inferiority of... -
Bechdel test What is the Bechdel test? The Bechdel test evaluates the presence and dimensionality of women in fictional media, requiring at least two women to talk to each other about a topic other than men. Who inspired the Bechdel test? The Bechdel test was inspired by Alison Bechdel’s friend Liz Wallace,... -
Schoolhouse Rock! What is Schoolhouse Rock!? Schoolhouse Rock! is an American television series of three-minute musical cartoons with educational lyrics created to teach children concepts in mathematics, grammar, science, history, civics, and economics. When did Schoolhouse Rock! originally air? Schoolhouse Rock!... -
Battle of Ponta Delgada Fought on July 26, 1582, off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was a Spanish victory that ended Portuguese resistance to the takeover of their country by Spain’s king Philip II. It inspired the Spanish with a confidence in their naval power that led directly to the Armada... -
Battle of Philippi The climactic battle in the war that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 bce, Philippi saw the final destruction of those who favored the old Republican constitution of Rome. It was a brutal killing match with much confusion and little generalship on either side. Caesar loyalists Mark... -
Most Popular Baby Names in the U.S. What were the most popular baby names during the decade you were born? If it was the 1980s or ’90s, Jessica and Michael were number one. Are you named Jacob or Emily? Those names were the winners in the 2000s. What about the most popular names of the last century? Since 1924, Mary has taken the... -
bile acid Bile acid, any of a group of substances derived from cholesterol that play essential roles in the digestion and absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Bile acids are synthesized in the liver and are secreted into the bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small... -
Candlestick patterns: Charting your trading strategy Japanese candlestick patterns are a cornerstone of technical analysis that offers traders an intuitive way to interpret price action and market sentiment. These visually compelling tools remain a vital resource for modern traders who seek to identify trends, reversals, and continuations in stocks,... -
Brewing up volatility: Why and how triple witching days can shake up markets Halloween comes just once a year, but Wall Street types don’t mind a good scare more often—in the form of a financial market phenomenon known as triple witching. It happens on a certain date every quarter, and even though everyone knows it’s coming, triple witching can shake up the markets. So it’s... -
Siege of Lucknow What was the Siege of Lucknow? The Siege of Lucknow was an assault on the British Residency in Lucknow from May 25 to November 27, 1857. It was eventually ended by British troops. The siege was one of several attacks on British forces in cities in northern India during the rebellion of 1857, when... -
Tyla What is Tyla’s music style called? Tyla’s music style is called “popiano,” a mix of pop with amapiano, a South African dance music genre. How did Tyla gain international recognition? Tyla gained international recognition when the video for her 2023 single “Water” went viral on social media. What... -
Prabowo Subianto What is Prabowo Subianto’s background? Prabowo Subianto is a former Indonesian army general and businessman, born on October 17, 1951, in Jakarta. He was born to a wealthy and politically well-connected family as the third of four children. What was Prabowo’s role in the Indonesian military?... -
Thea Bowman In 1989 Thea Bowman was a keynote speaker at a semiannual conference of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. The topic of her address, on what it means to be Black and Catholic, drew upon her experience as a convert to Roman Catholicism and as the only Black American member of her religious congregation,... -
Broadcom Inc. Broadcom Inc., like many computer chipmakers, has benefited from the increasing use and demand for artificial intelligence (AI) tools and programs. From its roots in Hewlett-Packard’s labs to its dominance in semiconductors and software for corporate customers, Broadcom has both influenced and been... -
BYD Co. Ltd. BYD Co. Ltd. is a Chinese company that develops and manufactures rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), rail transit systems, and other new energy technologies. It was founded by Wang Chuanfu in 1995 as the Shenzhen BYD Battery Co. Ltd. and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. BYD—an... -
Five Great Political Comebacks Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has been heralded as one of the greatest political comebacks of all time. He’s in good company: Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, and Vladimir Lenin could all compete for that title. Trump’s ignominy is fairly straightforward. He... -
American goldfinch Where can American goldfinches be found? American goldfinches have a vast geographic range. They can be found throughout the contiguous United States and southern Canada, along Mexico’s Gulf coast, in The Bahamas, and on other Caribbean islands. They are adaptable birds that nest in trees and... -
gingerbread Who is credited with inventing the gingerbread man? Queen Elizabeth I is credited with inventing the gingerbread man by instructing her bakers to create gingerbread biscuits resembling visiting dignitaries. How did gingerbread houses become popular? Gingerbread houses became popular after the... -
Stephen Miller Who is Stephen Miller? Stephen Miller is a prominent figure in conservative politics who has worked closely with Donald Trump. He served as senior policy adviser in Trump’s first presidential term (2017–21), and he will be deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser in Trump’s... -
Shannon Sharpe What teams did Shannon Sharpe win Super Bowl rings with? Shannon Sharpe won Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos (1997 and 1998) and the Baltimore Ravens (2001). How did Shannon Sharpe’s grandmother influence him? Shannon Sharpe’s maternal grandmother, Mary Viola Washington Porter, instilled a... -
Battle of Lund Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 following war between the two countries, Denmark was forced to cede territory to Sweden. Two decades later, when Sweden joined France in war against Austria and Holland in the Dutch War, Denmark seized the opportunity to reclaim its lost land. After... -
Battle of Minorca In 1756, an Anglo-French conflict called the French and Indian War, which began in North America without a declaration of war, spread to Europe and became part of the Seven Years’ War.The Battle of Minorca, in the Balearic Islands off Spain, was the first sea battle. France’s victory at Minorca on... -
arak Arak, triple-distilled alcoholic beverage traditionally made in the Levant region from white grapes of the Obaideh (Obeidy) or Merwah varieties and anise seeds. It belongs to a class of anise-flavored liquors known as anisettes, which also includes ouzo, raki, and sambuca. Ingredients such as... -
Understanding annuities: Should you buy one? An annuity is an insurance contract that guarantees regular payouts based on how much you’ve paid or accumulated over time. Annuities provide stable income, making them especially attractive in retirement, but they aren’t suitable for everyone. Fees and complex terms can reduce an annuity’s value,... -
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)? HTS is a militant Islamist group in Syria that emerged during the Syrian Civil War and became one of the dominant rebel groups. It was largely confined to Idlib governorate until 2024 when it advanced on the Syrian government, whose position had been weakened by... -
Walter Netsch Walter Netsch was an American architect whose geometrically complex buildings, designed according to his own “field theory,” have attracted both admiration and controversy. He was affiliated with the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) for most of his career, working on such notable... -
Carl Hiaasen From 1985 to 2021 Carl Hiaasen wrote a popular syndicated opinion column for The Miami Herald. Hiaasen’s acerbic, often humorous columns tackled both Florida-specific and national issues. A lifelong Florida resident and fierce defender of the state’s natural ecosystems, he is known for exposing and... -
Udham Singh Udham Singh was an Indian political activist who fought against the British raj in India and sought revenge for the 1919 massacre of civilians by the British army at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the Punjab province (now Punjab state). Singh assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, who was the... -
July’s People July’s People, alternate history novel written by South African author Nadine Gordimer and published in 1981. Set in an imaginary near future in which the apartheid system (still a decade from being abolished when the book was written) has come to a sudden and violent end, July’s People explores... -
Interview with the Vampire Interview with the Vampire, debut novel by American Gothic fiction author Anne Rice, published in 1976. She was the first writer of popular fiction who created vampires who could be related to and who were protagonists in their story. Though not all critics appreciated Interview with the Vampire,... -
Bella Ramsey Bella Ramsey is an English actor with a penchant for portraying strong-willed young women. Ramsey is best known for their breakout roles in Game of Thrones (2016–19) and The Last of Us (2023– ). About age four Ramsey began taking acting classes at a Stagecoach Performing Arts school in... -
parallel cousin What is a parallel cousin? A parallel cousin is the child of one’s father’s brother or mother’s sister. A patrilateral parallel cousin is from the father’s side of the family, whereas a matrilateral parallel cousin is from the mother’s side. How does a parallel cousin differ from a cross-cousin? A... -
sigmoid function What is the sigmoid function? The sigmoid function, also known as the standard logistic function, is a mathematical function that graphs as an S-shaped curve. It is represented by the equation σ(x) = 1/(1 + e−x). How does the sigmoid function behave for large values of x? For large negative values...
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A Burial at Ornans A Burial at Ornans, influential oil painting created by French artist Gustave Courbet between 1849 and 1850. The monumental canvas (10.33 × 21.92 feet [3.15 × 6.68 meters]) depicting a funeral outside a rural village departed radically from the prevailing conventions of the art world and is now... -
Anopheles What diseases can Anopheles mosquitoes transmit? Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria, encephalitis, and lymphatic filariasis to humans and dog heartworm to dogs and other mammals. Where are Anopheles mosquitoes found? Anopheles mosquitoes are found nearly worldwide, especially in tropical and...