James Webb Space Telescope Historic Launch

Not since Hubble has a space telescope created so much excitement. The James Webb space telescope went up into space on 25 December 2021 carried by an Ariane 5 rocket in Kourou, French Guiana (a land almost 99% covered in rainforest. and at 83.534 square kilometres, is the largest outermost region of the EU). The strategy to build a space base in French Guiana was the idea of Charles de Gaulle, President of France from 1959 to 1969, partly to stimulate economic growth in the region.

What is a dichroic material?

 A dichroic material causes visible light to be split up into different wavelengths, that manifest as colours.

Bill Gilbert on Magnetism (De Magnete)

William Gilbert was an English physicist and physician (for a few years he was the physician of Elizabeth I) and also a natural philosopher.  In 1600 he published a book on magnets called De Magnete. He was born in the historic English market town of Colchester in Essex and studied medicine at St John's College, Cambridge.  His experiments concluded that the Earth is magnetic and this was the reason compasses point North and he further argued that iron was at the centre of the Earth. Francis Bacon, philosopher and former Lord Chancellor, attacked Gilbert's conclusions on magnets arguing he had "built a ship out of a shell".

What is RTPCR?

RTPCR stands for Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction. 

The RT part which refers to "reverse transcription" of RNA to DNA is used to quantify viral RNA in research and clinical settings.

The PCR technique is all about "amplifying" a DNA sample (using an enzyme called DNA polymerase) so as to create a large enough quantity to study it in detail. It was invented in 1983 by an American biochemist called Kary Mullis, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.

"Amplifying" DNA samples is also of use in forensics and study of ancient DNA (aDNA) samples.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro (henceforth MK) is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the tallest mountain in Africa at a height of 5,895m above sea level. At one point it was part of German East Africa (Deutsch Ostafrika). MK lies in Kilimanjaro National Park. The name Tanzania came from the two states that formed it, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. It is geographically south of Uganda.

The New Jersey Palisades

The New Jersey Palisades, also known as the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the Hudson River.

Hornbeam

The hornbeam is a deciduous tree. Its leaves become golden orange in the autumn. Leaves are oval with pointed tips.

New South Wales

New South Wales is an Australian state on its Eastern coast. Its capital is Sydney, Australia's most populous city, and known for its world-famous harbour. It was founded in 1788 as a British penal colony.

Sir Edward Coke

Sir Edward Coke was a famous English barrister educated at Trinity College Cambridge. He is famous for authoring the Insitutes.

Gresham and Berisford's House in Blackfriars

Semayne's case relates to the home. The famous quote of Coke originates in this case.

The American Dialect Society

The American Dialect Society, or ADS,  founded in 1889, has an annual WOTY (word of the year) nomination. Its annual meeting is in early January. Its quarterly publication is American Speech.

What is ricotta cheese?

Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese. Whey is a "by-product" of cheesemaking containing roughly 50% of the remaining milk solids. Rather than waste it you can actually other cheeses.  Norwegian brunost, or brown cheese, is an example of this.

What is "al dente"?

"Al dente" means "to the tooth". It is used to describe pasta cooked so it is "firm to bite". This is in contrast to overcooked pasta which has no resistance to biting at all.

What is an "op-ed"?

 "Op-ed" stands for "opposite the editorial page".

Where did Darwin, Australia, get its name from?

Darwin is the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, in the sparsely populated central northern region of Australia, covering 1.3m square kilometres.

What is the "Justice Department"?

The "Justice Department" in an American context refers to the US Department of Justice, also known as the "DOJ". It was formed in 1870 during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant.