Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 6, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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perfidious
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Aspects of the Past TenseWe use different aspects with verbs in the past tense to describe exactly how an event is structured in relation to a point in time in the past. When is the past perfect continuous used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Isolation TanksIn 1954, John C. Lilly developed the isolation tank to test the effects of sensory deprivation. Such tanks are intended to completely deprive the brain of any external stimulation; they are lightless, soundproof, and filled with warm saltwater to promote flotation and reduce skin sensation. Isolation tanks are now used for meditation, relaxation, and in alternative medicine. A therapeutic session typically lasts an hour, and it is reportedly common to experience what during the first 40 minutes? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Voters Reject Proposal to Establish Australia as a Republic (1999)The British began settling Australia in 1788, and before long, the entire continent was a British dependency. Over the years, Britain's role in Australian government has been progressively restricted, yet Australians remain reluctant to entirely cut ties, as evidenced by the 1999 referendum in which voters rejected a plan to establish Australia as a republic and replace the British monarch as head of state with a president elected by parliament. What other measure did they strike down? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Naismith (1861)While teaching physical education in 1891, Naismith was tasked with creating a safe and inexpensive indoor sport to occupy his students during the Massachusetts winter. His game involved throwing a soccer ball through suspended half-bushel peach baskets, hence the name "basketball"—though "Naismith Ball" was briefly considered before the inventor rejected it. The game took off on campus and quickly spread across the US and around the globe. What other sports invention is credited to Naismith? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 So, let us not be blind to our differences—but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved.John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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shaken up— Greatly startled, shocked, or upset. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gustavus Adolphus Day (2018)Swedish King Gustav II was killed during the Thirty Years' War while leading a cavalry charge at the Battle of Lützen on November 6, 1632, turning a tactical victory into a national tragedy for the Swedes. The anniversary of his death is observed throughout Sweden with patriotic demonstrations, particularly in Skansen, Stockholm's outdoor museum. Enormous bonfires are built on Reindeer Mountain and processions of students carry lighted torches through the museum grounds. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: silenceobmutescence, obmutescent - Obmutescence is the act of becoming mute or silent—usually a stubborn, willful act; if you are inclined to silence, you are obmutescent. More... oyez - Meaning a call for silence and attention, it descends from Anglo-Norman oyez/oiez, "to hear" or "hear ye." More... silential - Describing something performed in silence. More... omerta - The code of silence in the Mafia, from the Italian word for "humility." More... | |
| In the News | |
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Virtual Doctor Visits Offer Convenience, Lower CostsWhen you're coming down with a cold, there are a few items you typically reach for to start feeling better: cough drops, herbal tea, maybe an over-the-counter medication. For most of us, though, a smartphone wouldn't top that list. But that may change as health ... More... | |