Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 10, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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agonistic
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Artificial HeartA synthetic heart remains one of the long-sought holy grails of modern medicine. Although the heart is conceptually simple—it is, in essence, a muscle that acts as a pump—it contains subtleties that defy straightforward reproduction. Though artificial hearts have been successfully implanted, they are suitable only as temporary replacements in patients awaiting transplants; no device has yet been developed for total replacement of the heart. What is the longest an artificial heart has been used? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Mary Anderson Patents the Windshield Wiper (1903)Today we take for granted the fact that we are able to flip a switch and clear our windshields of precipitation or debris, but this was not always the case. Early drivers were forced to manually clear their windshields of snow, rain, dirt, and the like, that is, until Mary Anderson invented the first effective windshield wiper system. It was not long before windshield wipers were standard equipment on American cars. What inspired Anderson to invent a windshield-clearing device? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433)Charles the Bold was the last of the great dukes of Burgundy. An opponent of Louis XI of France, Charles sought independence for Burgundy and had great success casting off French rule, extending Burgundy's possessions and building a centralized government until he was defeated and killed in battle against the Swiss. Prior to his death, he arranged for his daughter to marry the son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. How did this pairing affect the course of European history? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Infatuated, half through conceit, half through love of my art, I achieve the impossible working as no one else ever works.Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Martinsfest (2018)Martin's Festival in Germany honors both St. Martin of Tours and Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation. In Düsseldorf, a man dressed as St. Martin rides through the streets followed by hundreds of children. Many carry lanterns made from hollowed-out pumpkins. In Erfurt, where Martin Luther attended the university, there is a procession of children carrying lanterns. With their lanterns the children form the "Luther rose," or the escutcheon of Martin Luther. More... | |