In Search of "Leningrad State University"

The university now known as "Saint Petersburg State University" was known in the Soviet period as "Leningrad State University" from 1924-91. Leningrad was the former name of Saint Petersburg.

Law and Poetry Intertwined

Sir John Davies (SJ) was both an Elizabethan lawyer and poet.

His poetry brought him into contact with Good Queen Bess (Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth I, born in Greenwich) whose reign became known as the Elizabethan Era.

Where is Tirupati?

Tirupati is in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (south east part of India). There are trains from Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Who was Andrew Marvell?

Andrew Marvell was the poet behind Bermudas.

"Where the remote Bermudas ride
In th' ocean's bosom unespy'd".

He was a contemporary and friend of John Milton.

What, perchance, is a prelate?

A prelate is an ecclesiastical dignitary such as a bishop. The term is historical. Ecclesiastical means pertaining to the Christian Church or its clergy (body of people ordained for religious duties).

Espaliered Fruit Trees

Espaliered fruit trees are a decorative way to grow apples and pears, by growing them flat on a fence. Peaches and pomegranates are other options for the "espalier" approach.

What is the Difference between Mild Steel and Carbon Steel?

Mild steel is a type of carbon steel (with a very low carbon percentage compared to other carbon steels). Mild steel is more ductile and malleable than many carbon steels.

Where is Bosa?

Bosa is a town in Sardinia. It was believed to have been founded by the Phoenicians and subsequently came under Roman rule. It was then under the aegis of the Malaspina family before falling to the House of Aragon. It is now in Sardinia, Italy, the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily.

Museum Speelkok Presents Self-Playing Musical Instruments

The Museum Speelkok in Utrecht boasts an array of self-playing musical instruments, including musical clocks, boxes and street organs, whose genesis goes back to 16th Century Netherlands. Utrecht (pronounced YOO-trecht) is the fourth largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. "Plan je bezoek" (plan your visit) now! Don't forget to check the "Openigstijden" (visiting hours) before you visit (this should be 10am to 5pm normally, "maandag t/m zondag", "elke dag" (daily)). The Vanderbilts, once America's richest family, originated from Utrecht.

What is a Sessile Animal?

A sessile animal is fixed in one place. Corals are a prime example. They "take root" on the ocean floor.

Fibreboards of Different Densities

Medium-density fibreboard is an "engineered" wood product or "man made wood" - where wood fibres (possibly broken down using a defibrator) are then combined with a wax and resin binder. It is stronger than other engineered woods like plywood and particle board. High-density fibreboard contains much more highly compressed wood fibres. Masonite (patented by William H Mason in 1924) is a form of high-density fibreboard.

Yes, Brick is a Form of Ceramic

The word ceramic derives from Ancient Greek "keramikos" (potter's, pottery).  Examples are earthenware, porcelain and brick.

Polyester Resin

Polyester resin is a low cost and waterproof material.

Afrikaans

Afrikaans, spoken in Southern Africa (mainly South Africa and Namibia), is a language derived from Dutch brought to the Cape in the 17th Century by Protestant settlers. It is spoken by about 14% of  South Africa's population (the most widely spoken language is Zulu at 23%). The ISO language code for Afrikaans is AF (ISO-639-1).

Fiberglass (US) or Fibreglass (UK)

Fiberglass is a material also known as "glass reinforced plastic" i.e. plastic reinforced with glass fiber (extremely fine fibers of glass). It is cheaper and more flexible than carbon fiber. Fiberglass is manufactured using pultrusion.

Edgbaston

Edgbaston is home to Warwickshire CCC.  The first Test Match at Edgbaston was England versus Australia in 1902 which was drawn due to rain.

What is the ICC?

The ICC is the International Cricket Council, the global governing body of cricket. It was founded in 1909 to set the rules and regulations to govern international matches, and was named initially the Imperial Cricket Conference. It took on its current name in 1989.  Initial members were England, Australia and South Africa, with the West Indies, India and New Zealand elected as full members in 1926. South Africa exited in 1961 after leaving the Commonwealth.

What is Free Word?

Free Word is an arts organisation focused on the "power and politics of words". It is also a home for organisations interested in who gets to speak and be heard in society. It is based in London's Clerkenwell (named after an actual well where mystery plays were performed in the Middle Ages).

Advertising executive Tim Duffy is Chair of Free Word and has personal interests in political history and literature. Writers and broadcasters, news presenters and think-tank founders are also represented on the Board of Free Word.

Edamame Beans

Edamame beans refers to a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod  found in East Asian cuisine. The first written reference to the word was in the 13th Century. It is rich in folate (needed to metabolise amino acids) and Vitamin K (found in green leafy vegetables also).

What is the national epic of Poland?

The national epic of Poland is called Pan Tadeusz (Sir Thaddeus) and is written by Adam Mickiewicz. It was first published in June 1834. It is written in so-called Polish alexandrines which has emphasis place on the sixth and twelfth syllables.

Trent Bridge

Trent Bridge is a cricket ground in Nottinghamshire close to the river Trent and the city of Nottingham. It dates back to the 1830s. It is located in the town of West Bridgford.

Dual aspect

Dual aspect refers to a flat or other habitation with openable windows on two sides, allowing views in more than one direction and more natural ventilation and daylight.

Electronics World

How does one keep up to date with the latest in electronics? Try:

EE Times

TOL

Waste in Space

Space debris traditionally refers to natural debris in the solar system - from asteroids, meteoroids and comets - but has come to include all kinds of "space waste" - old satellites and spent rockets, especially those within Earth orbit.

Meditation

Deep breathing can be a great aid to achieving mental alertness.  This raises blood oxygen and lowers blood pressure, aiding mental performance and energy. Put one hand on your belly to ensure abdominal breathing.

Where is Monmouthshire?

Monmouthshire is a county in South Eastern Wales. Henry V (also known as Henry of Monmouth) was born at Monmouth Castle in Monmouthshire and is famed for his victory at the Battle of Agincourt in October 1415.

Want to Know the Dimensions of Cars?

Look no further than Automobile Dimension!

Piano Solos of Chopin

Polish composer Frederic Chopin was born and grew up in Warsaw combining talent and professional technique.  Although focused on piano solos, he also wrote two piano concertos (where the piano player is supported by a large orchestra). The earliest piano concertos were composed in London in the 18th Century.

Renaming New York

Liberty Street in New York, the street on which the Federal Reserve Bank is based on, was originally called Crown Street. When did it change? 1793. What changed it? The American Revolution, which concluded in 1783. "No taxation without representation" was the revolutionary motto.

Browse the Human Genome

You can browse the human genome with the Genome Browser hosted at the University of Santa Cruz. International mirror sites are hosted at the University Bielefeld in Germany and RIKEN Yokohama (a hub of three life science research centers). A version of the software can be installed with VirtualBox.

What is a Flying Stovepipe?

A "flying stovepipe" is another name for a ramjet - a form of jet engine that uses forward motion to compress air without an axial or centrifugal compressor.

Ajwain

Ajwain, also known as "bishop's weed" or "carom", is a herb in the Apiaceae family. It has seed like fruits with a bitter and pungent taste (the term "carom seeds" is a misnomer, it is more accurately "carom fruit"). It is cultivated mainly in India and Iran, with Rajasthan being a major producer. It is used in Ayurveda for stomach disorders.

20 Years of the SIB - Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics

The SIB celebrates 20 years. SIB provides HPC facilities to Switzerland's life scientists. SIB's locations are spreads across various competence centres in Switzerland including Vital-IT in Quartier Sorge in Lausanne as well as UNIL (University of Lausanne). Another location is sciCORE at the University of Basel (Switzerland's oldest university) which has strategic focus in Life Sciences and Nanosciences.

Who was Alexander Hamilton?

Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington. 

He was born in Nevis, in the then British West Indies.  

He founded America's financial system as well as the New York Post. 

On the finance side, he founded the Bank of North America, the US' first de facto central bank (opened in Philadelphia in 1782). Loans from France and the Netherlands were used to shore up the assets underlying the paper currency.

Articulated Vehicles

An articulated vehicle has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint e.g. certain buses, train cars and lorries fit the bill. The genesis of the word comes from Latin articulus (or joint). Articulated tug barges are similar analogues in the shipping world.

Heroons

The ancient Greeks and Romans built heroons, or shrines, dedicated to their heros.  The plural of heroon is heroa. The earliest known heroons are from the Bronze Age.

Kolkata

Kolkata, or Calcutta, is nestled on the banks of the Hooghly River, and is the principal commercial town in East India. The port was constructed by the British East India Company.

Designated Survivor (First Season 2016)

Designated Survivor is a political thriller created by screenwriter, producer and novelist David Guggenheim and first aired on ABC. UK London-born Canadian Kiefer Sutherland stars as Thomas Kirkman, an American politician nominated "designated survivor".

Jefe de Jefes - Los Tigres del Norte

Los Tigres del Norte is a norteno group (a genre of Mexican music related to polka and corridos - the polka being a Czech dance originating in Bohemia, and corridos, which are narrative songs or ballads - originating from the rural areas). 

Soy el JDJ senores
me respetan a todos niveles
y mi nombre y mi fotografia
nunca van a mira en papeles
por que a mi el periodista me quiere
y si no mi amistad se la pierde

Los Tigres are based in San Jose, California with roots in the Mocorito municipality of Sinaloa (one of the 32 Federal entities of Mexico).

Translations:

nombre - name

nunca - never

van - go

a - to

mira - look

amistad - friendship