Historical
How wheellock weapons worked
Early firearms worked by the direct application of heat to gunpowder, an operation that was clearly fraught with danger, especially as this took place a few inches in front of the gunman’s face. The earliest such weapons used the “matchlock” system, in which the heat was supplied by a naked flame in the form of a smouldering piece of cord brought into direct contact with gunpowder in an open pan, a process that was not only dangerous but unreliable. The way forward was to use friction as the heat source, and the first method to do so was the wheellock, which was used on weapons from around 1550 to 1650, although weapons from both before and after these dates can be found.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
Radiance: The Brilliant Career of Marie Curie. Top Story - May 2021.
AN AILING François Mitterrand, in the final weeks of his last term as French president, finally made amends for centuries of Gallic sexism. At an April 1995 ceremony in the Panthéon, the great monument to French national heroes, he enshrined the ashes of Marie Curie — the first woman to be so honoured for her achievements.
By Wilson da Silva5 years ago in FYI
GENERATIONAL RIPPLES OF HATE:
Introduction: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering is seemingly the new societal norm the world over. With the entire human race on edge out of fear of an unseen destructive force in our midst, it seems illogical to not be concerned (even if only a little). Every race and nationality have seen its own plethora of challenges. From genetic pre-dispositions to underlying health conditions that lead to an increased susceptibility to a novel new enemy, everyone has suffered in some capacity. Some have been worse off than others, however, and still are exploring their own depths for survival. Whether that be mentally, physically, or economically, the struggle is apparent. Socio-economic status, healthcare infrastructure stability, social class (caste), and even the color of your skin has been analyzed through scientific research. psychological analysis, and sociological input. This has proven that over this past year and a half (depending on global location). Reactance theory and racism has shown us the worst of us all. While those that stepped up when they were needed to go that extra mile have highlighted the best. But what began as an inevitable horror of phylogenetic morphology (the strain varied and changed) of a SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) strain, has evolved into a resurgence of something much more devious. A resurgence of hate against the general population, but specifically crimes against those of Asian Ancestry (BBC America, 2021). Violence against Asian Americans (AA) is not a new phenomenon, it is however making a comeback. Unfortunately, due to ignorance and undereducated masses so are the numbers on Pacific Islanders (PI) statistics. The number of race specific attacks, be them physical or verbal, are on the rise owing to a lack of understanding by those who identify them as ‘Asian’ (Porterfield, 2021). Mostly falling under the category of ignorance of other cultures that is unfortunately an American sociological cliché when viewed through the eyes of the rest of the worlds preconceived notions of the ‘socially ignorant American’. This rise in hate and violence against any group of people, to me, is a problem that needs to be handled quickly, and decisively.
By Stanli McCallum5 years ago in FYI
Lewis and Clark's contribution to American English
Lewis and Clark were two explorers who were sent by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the interior and west of the North American continent. Inadvertently, they also made important contributions to the development of American English.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
How matchlock weapons worked
In the centuries before the invention of the percussion cap, which came into use in the 1830s and 1840s, small arms had to be fired by the cumbersome (and often dangerous) means of igniting a primer charge of gunpowder in the weapon’s “pan”, which then ignited the main charge in the barrel. The earliest means of achieving this was the matchlock.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
President Lincoln
There is no reason for this story other than I stumbled on a small tidbit of information that I never knew- President Abraham Lincoln is enshrined in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. According to Historians, Abraham Lincoln has only one confirmed loss in nearly 300 wrestling matches. Bill Green, a store owner from New Salem, Illinois, once stated that "[Lincoln] can outrun, outlift, outwrestle and throw day any man in Sangamon Country." This statement came after he proved his worthiness by beating multiple opponents in just one day. Not only was he a fantastic wrestler, but it seems that he was a bit of a trash talker. It recorded that he once cried into a crowd of on-lookers- "I'm the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns." President Lincoln now holds an "Outstanding American" honor in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
By Rose Loren Geer-Robbins5 years ago in FYI
Places associated with Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey, the “Nine Days Queen” had a very short life, being executed on 12th February 1554 at the age of 16. Her life was a sheltered one, in that she spent most of her childhood being educated and she did not travel much. The number of places that are associated with her, and which can be visited today, is therefore limited.
By John Welford5 years ago in FYI
The Prideful Color of Purple
Mystic piper that slides on through. The life of space swirls like a blender of a banana. smoothie. Working through life and making its struggle. The prideful color of purple bursts into amazement. For a time, the color purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic. With such variety the soul of the color can bring as much if not more inner peace within oneself.
By The Kind Quill5 years ago in FYI
