27 Jan

Auschwitz Liberation 80th Anniversary

Nazi concentration and extermination camp (1940–1945) Top: Gate to Auschwitz I with its Arbeit macht frei sign (“work sets you free”) Bottom: Auschwitz II-Birkenau gatehouse. The train track, in operation from May to October 1944, led toward the gas chambers.[1] Coordinates 50°02′09″N 19°10′42″E Known for The Holocaust Location German-occupied Poland Built by IG Farben Operated by Nazi Germany and the Schutzstaffel Commandant See list Original use Army barracks Operational May 1940 – January 1945 Inmates Mainly Jews, Poles, Romani, Soviet prisoners of war Number of inmates At least 1.3 million[2] Killed At least 1.1 million[2] Liberated by Soviet Union, 27 January 1945 Notable inmates Auschwitz prisoners: Adolf Burger, Edith Eger, Anne Frank, Viktor Frankl, Imre Kertész, Maximilian Kolbe, Primo Levi, Fritz Löhner-Beda, Irène Némirovsky, Tadeusz Pietrzykowski, Witold Pilecki, Liliana Segre, Edith Stein, Simone Veil, Rudolf [...]

22 Jan

Desalination

US engineers turn salty seawater into drinking water with new cheap method The device simplifies desalination by cutting chemical use, boosting sustainability, and saving 20 cents per cubic meter. The technology turns seawater into drinking water with fewer chemicals. Researchers have developed carbon cloth electrodes that efficiently remove boron from seawater, potentially replacing costly chemicals in desalination. The electrodes remove boron from desalinated water by splitting molecules into ions. Hydroxide ions bind to boron, which adheres to positive electrodes, ensuring safer drinking water [...]

15 Jan

How much does the U.S. president make?

Being the president of the United States isn’t your typical nine-to-five job. In fact, presidents are basically on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—even when they’re on vacation. Plus, they technically have three official positions, being both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, as well as the commander in chief of the armed forces. On top of all that, the U.S. president has been seen as [...]

08 Jan

Wildfire

Wildfire burning in the Kaibab National Forest, Arizona, United States, in 2020. The Mangum Fire burned more than 70,000 acres (280 km2) of forest. A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire (in Australia), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Modern forest management often engages in prescribed burns to mitigate fire risk and promote natural forest [...]

02 Jan

Bollard

Mooring bollards, such as this one in the Hudson River, were the first type of bollard. The use of the term has since expanded. A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. In modern usage, it also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to prevent automotive vehicles from colliding with pedestrians and structures. Etymology The term is probably related to bole, meaning a tree trunk.[1][2][3] The earliest citation given by the Oxford English Dictionary (referring to a [...]

18 Dec

Christmas

Christmas Nativity scene depicted using Christmas lights Also called Noël, Nativity, Koleda, Xmas, Boro Din Observed by Christians, many non-Christians Type Christian, cultural, international Significance Commemoration of the nativity of Jesus Celebrations Gift-giving, family and other social gatherings, symbolic decoration, feasting Observances Church services Date December 25 (Western Christianity and part of the Eastern churches) January 6 (Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Evangelical Church) January 7 (O.S. December 25) (most Oriental Orthodox and part of the Eastern Orthodox churches) January 19 (O.S. January 6) (Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem) Related to Christmastide, Christmas Eve, Advent, Annunciation, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Nativity Fast, Nativity of Christ, Old Christmas, Yule, St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December [...]

11 Dec

Russia–Syria Relations

Russia–Syria relations Russia Syria Diplomatic mission Embassy of Russia, Damascus Embassy of Syria, Moscow Russia–Syria relations (Russian: Российско-сирийские отношения; Arabic: العلاقات الروسية السورية) are the bilateral relations between Russia and Syria. Russia has an embassy in Damascus and Syria has an embassy in Moscow. Russia enjoys a historically strong, stable, and friendly relationship with Syria, as it did with most countries within the Arab World up until the Arab Spring. Russia’s only Mediterranean naval base for its Black Sea Fleet is located in the Syrian port city of Tartus. Diplomatic [...]

27 Nov

January 6th U.S. Capitol Insurrection

January 6th U. S. Capitol Insurrection Part of attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election and domestic terrorism in the United States Crowd outside the Capitol during the attack (top); bear spray deployed against a line of policemen (bottom left); attackers breach a police line (bottom right) Date January 6, 2021; 3 years ago c. 12:53 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.[1] (UTC-5) Location United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., United States 38°53′23″N 77°00′33″W Caused by False claims of 2020 presidential election fraud made by Donald Trump and his allies[2][3][4] Denial of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results[2] Far-right extremism in the U.S.[5] Goals Disrupt [...]

20 Nov

Water Fluoridation

Fluoridation does not affect the appearance, taste or smell of drinking water.[1] Water fluoridation is the addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride.[2] Fluoridated water operates on tooth surfaces: in the mouth, it creates low levels of fluoride in saliva, which reduces the rate at which tooth enamel demineralizes and increases the rate at which it remineralizes in the early stages of cavities.[3] Typically a fluoridated compound is [...]

06 Nov

The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Liz Cheney: “Our nation’s democratic system functioned last night and we have a new President-elect. All Americans are bound, whether we like the outcome or not, to accept the results of our elections. We now have a special responsibility, as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, to do everything we can to support and defend our Constitution, preserve the rule of law, and ensure that our institutions hold over these coming four years. Citizens across this country, our courts, members [...]