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tesseract What is a tesseract? A tesseract, also called a hypercube, is a geometric shape that is the four-dimensional equivalent of a three-dimensional cube. Who introduced the tesseract? British mathematician Charles Howard Hinton introduced the tesseract in his books A New Era of Thought (1888) and The... -
Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order What is the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order? It is a proposed state and an enclave in Tirana, Albania, that would serve as the seat of the Bektashi order of Sufi Islam. It would be modeled after Vatican City. How large would the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order be? The state would cover... -
New Hollywood What was the New Hollywood movement? The New Hollywood movement was an American film movement roughly from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s that emphasized director-driven creativity and experimentation, marking a shift from the old studio system. What are the key features of New Hollywood films?... -
The Martian Chronicles The Martian Chronicles, collection of interconnected short stories by Ray Bradbury that relate the history of the colonization of Mars by humans. Published in 1950, it is also an allegory of the arrival of Europeans in the Americas and explores many of the issues important to Americans in the 1940s... -
Naked Lunch Naked Lunch, seminal novel by American experimental writer William S. Burroughs. Excerpts from Naked Lunch first appeared in the magazine Chicago Review in 1958. When an issue of the magazine containing further excerpts was withdrawn from publication in 1959, a new literary magazine, Big Table,... -
Document storage: How to safely reduce paper clutter in your house Decluttering can bring a feeling of order to your home and your daily life, whether it involves donating old clothes, toys, books, or household goods. But what about all the paper clutter? If you have boxes of old checks or utility bills in your basement or attic, it may be time to toss them.... -
Cryptocurrency futures: A new way to ride the crypto wave, with some old-school trading twists Crypto traders might consider themselves light-years removed from their boisterous, brawling ancestors who bought and sold futures contracts on old-school commodities like crude oil, gold, and soybeans in the trading pits of yore. But nowadays, they actually share a common strand of DNA, in the... -
harissa What is harissa? Harissa is a spicy North African paste made from dried chili peppers, olive oil, salt, and other seasonings. It is used in various dishes and as a condiment. Where did harissa originate? Harissa originated in Tunisia and is widely used throughout the Maghreb region. What are some... -
recess appointment What is a recess appointment? A recess appointment is a temporary appointment, made by the U.S. president during a Senate recess, to a vacant office whose nominees require Senate approval, as outlined in Article II, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution. Why were recess appointments originally... -
Sturgill Simpson Which musicians influenced Sturgill Simpson’s early interest in music? Sturgill Simpson was influenced by classic country artists such as Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins, as well as blues, rock, and soul musicians such as John Mayall, Jimi Hendrix, and Otis Redding. Is Sturgill Simpson an outlaw... -
Yogi Adityanath Yogi Adityanath is a Hindu monk and Indian political leader. He is a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the only politician to have served two full consecutive terms as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, a key electoral state. He is also the mahant, or head priest, of the... -
Susan La Flesche Picotte Who was Susan La Flesche Picotte? Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first Native American to earn a medical degree in the United States. She dedicated herself to the care of the Omaha tribal community. Where did Susan La Flesche Picotte pursue her medical education? Susan La Flesche Picotte attended... -
Bluesky Bluesky is a social media app where users post short messages of up to 300 characters, known as microblogging (similar to a tweet). Bluesky started in 2019 as a project within Twitter, led by then-CEO Jack Dorsey, that was intended to give users more control over how their content was shared and... -
history of Lebanon Who were the ancient settlers of Lebanon? The ancient settlers of Lebanon were the Phoenicians, the inhabitants of cities like Tyre, Byblos, and Sidon. How did the religious diversity in Lebanon develop? Lebanon’s religious diversity developed from its mountainous terrain offering refuge to... -
Centralized vs. decentralized crypto exchanges—which should you choose? Are you buying, selling, or trading cryptocurrencies? You’re probably using a cryptocurrency exchange to complete your transactions. These exchanges are either centralized or decentralized—a core design choice that affects almost every part of your trading experience. Decentralized exchanges—like... -
Flag and pennant patterns: When a trend hits the pause button Even when a stock, cryptocurrency, commodity, or other security is clearly trending in one direction, it may occasionally reverse course for several periods before resuming the prevailing trend. This price action creates patterns called flags and pennants, which technical analysts use to spot a... -
Kash Patel Who is Kash Patel? Kash Patel is an American lawyer and government official selected by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as director of the FBI in his second administration. Patel held several posts during Trump’s first term and is known for claiming the existence of a “deep state” in the U.S.... -
Gukesh Dommaraju Gukesh Dommaraju is an Indian chess grandmaster and the current world chess champion. Gukesh, considered a chess prodigy, beat incumbent world champion Ding Liren in December 2024, winning the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE; International Chess Federation) World Chess Championship by a... -
Twyfelfontein What is Twyfelfontein known for? Twyfelfontein, in Namibia, is known for its large collection of rock art, with more than 2,000 engravings (known as petroglyphs) and paintings. What animals are commonly depicted in the rock art at Twyfelfontein? The rock art primarily depicts animals such as... -
Perplexity AI Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine that uses large language models (LLMs) to provide direct answers to search queries, complete with source citations. Its development company, Perplexity AI, Inc., was founded in August 2022 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Through its... -
American Women Quarters Program List On December 31, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which allowed for the minting of quarter dollar coins celebrating prominent American women. It was signed into law on January 13, 2021. The program the act created was called the American Women... -
Sharon Stone After more than a decade playing small but noteworthy roles in action thrillers and comedies, American actress Sharon Stone became a bona fide movie star and a major sex symbol in the early 1990s. The film that propelled her to stardom is also her best known, the erotic thriller Basic Instinct... -
Mama Cax Mama Cax was a Haitian American advocate for people with disabilities and a model with a rising career. She is perhaps best known for challenging the fashion industry’s standards by modeling with her crutches and making her prosthetic leg visible. Cax was born Cacsmy Brutus in Brooklyn, New York,... -
Love in a Cold Climate Love in a Cold Climate, novel written by English author Nancy Mitford and published in 1949. Love in a Cold Climate, a comedy of manners, is set in roughly the same time and place as Mitford’s earlier novel The Pursuit of Love (1945) and delves into British aristocratic society between the two... -
Moderna, Inc. Moderna, Inc. is a biotechnology company specializing in messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines and is best known for developing one of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use. The drugmaker researches treatments for infectious diseases, cancer, and rare genetic disorders, and is exploring... -
Like Water for Chocolate Like Water for Chocolate, magical realist debut novel by by Mexican author and screenwriter Laura Esquivel. First published in 1989, it became a bestseller in Mexico, and it was both filmed and published in English in 1992. Like Water for Chocolate takes place on a ranch owned by the widowed Mama... -
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani Who is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani? Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, also known as Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa, is a militant Islamist and leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that toppled Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad in 2024. What was Jolani’s connection to al-Qaeda? Jolani was once a... -
harpy eagle Where does the harpy eagle live? The harpy eagle lives in lowland tropical forests in the Americas. Most of the harpy eagle population can be found in the Amazon Basin in South America; however, the species can also be found in pockets of habitat throughout Central America and northern South... -
Bhairava Who is Bhairava in Hinduism? Bhairava is a fearsome Hindu deity closely associated with Shiva, who is worshipped in various Tantric traditions and within Shaivism as a protector from demonic forces. What is the significance of Bhairava in Tantric practices? In Tantric practices Bhairava is... -
D.A.R.E. What is the purpose of the D.A.R.E. program? D.A.R.E. aims to prevent drug use among students by helping them to develop decision-making and communication skills. Who started the D.A.R.E. program and when? The D.A.R.E. program was started in 1983 by the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department... -
Ashton Kutcher What role made Ashton Kutcher famous? Ashton Kutcher first garnered fame for playing Michael Kelso in the hit sitcom That ’70s Show (1998–2006). Does Ashton Kutcher have children? Ashton Kutcher married Mila Kunis in 2015, and they have two children. From 2005 to 2013 Kutcher was married to Demi... -
legal personhood What is legal personhood? Legal personhood is a concept in Western law that allows a person, corporation, or other entity to engage in the legal system, own property, be sued by or sue others, and agree to contracts. It has existed since the time of ancient Roman law. How has legal personhood... -
sex trafficking Sex trafficking, form of human trafficking that involves the use of fraud, force, or coercion to persuade or compel victims to engage in commercial sex for the profit of the trafficker. Although victims are often transported across national borders, sex trafficking, under U.S. and international...
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naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign In an attempt to knock Germany’s ally, Turkey, out of World War I and to open a supply route across the Black Sea to Russia’s large but poorly equipped armies, Britain and France carried out a naval attack on the Dardanelles Straits en route to the Turkish capital of Constantinople that began on... -
Battle of Monterrey Battle of Monterrey, an engagement of the Mexican-American War that was fought on September 20–24, 1846. On May 13, the United States formally declared war on Mexico. Unaware of this, on May 18 Major General Zachary Taylor crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, after defeating the Mexicans at Palo... -
Piper Alpha disaster Piper Alpha disaster, explosion and sinking of the Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea on July 6, 1988. The disaster killed 167 people and remains the world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster. It also resulted in financial losses of some $6.4 billion (in 2024 dollars). The discovery of North... -
Battle of Nanjing Battle of Nanjing, Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga or Coxinga, was the most loyal supporter of the final claimant to the throne of the Ming dynasty after it had been replaced by the Manchu Qing dynasty. He led a series of campaigns that culminated in an unsuccessful attempt to capture... -
Brusilov Offensive Brusilov Offensive, the largest Russian assault during World War I, and one of the deadliest in history. It occurred from June 4 to August 10, 1916. Following several stinging defeats, including the Battle of Tannenberg, the Russians found a capable commander, General Aleksey Brusilov. Leading the... -
Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden, Allied pursuit of Nazi Germany’s forces across France, and a failed strategic airborne attempt to advance into Germany by way of Holland during World War II, from September 17 to 27, 1944, during World War II. Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery persuaded the Supreme... -
Sack of Constantinople The diversion of the Fourth Crusade from the Holy Land to attack, capture, and pillage the Byzantine city of Constantinople in April 1204 divided and dissipated the efforts of the Christians to maintain the war against the Muslims. It is widely regarded as a shocking betrayal of principles out of... -
Siege of Edessa The fall of the crusader city of Edessa to Seljuq Muslim troops after a siege carried out from November 28 to December 24, 1144, was the spark that ignited the Second Crusade. The victory entrenched Zangī as leader of the Muslims in the Holy Land, a mantle that would be taken up by his son Nūr... -
Battle of Portland In the First Anglo-Dutch War, Maarten Tromp was reinstalled as commander of the Dutch fleet after the Battle of Kentish Knock. Tromp’s heroic demonstration of fighting skill at the three-day Battle of Portland—which was fought from February 28 to March 2, 1653—could not disguise the inferiority of... -
Bechdel test What is the Bechdel test? The Bechdel test evaluates the presence and dimensionality of women in fictional media, requiring at least two women to talk to each other about a topic other than men. Who inspired the Bechdel test? The Bechdel test was inspired by Alison Bechdel’s friend Liz Wallace,... -
Schoolhouse Rock! What is Schoolhouse Rock!? Schoolhouse Rock! is an American television series of three-minute musical cartoons with educational lyrics created to teach children concepts in mathematics, grammar, science, history, civics, and economics. When did Schoolhouse Rock! originally air? Schoolhouse Rock!... -
Battle of Ponta Delgada Fought on July 26, 1582, off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was a Spanish victory that ended Portuguese resistance to the takeover of their country by Spain’s king Philip II. It inspired the Spanish with a confidence in their naval power that led directly to the Armada... -
Battle of Philippi The climactic battle in the war that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 bce, Philippi saw the final destruction of those who favored the old Republican constitution of Rome. It was a brutal killing match with much confusion and little generalship on either side. Caesar loyalists Mark... -
Most Popular Baby Names in the U.S. What were the most popular baby names during the decade you were born? If it was the 1980s or ’90s, Jessica and Michael were number one. Are you named Jacob or Emily? Those names were the winners in the 2000s. What about the most popular names of the last century? Since 1924, Mary has taken the... -
bile acid Bile acid, any of a group of substances derived from cholesterol that play essential roles in the digestion and absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Bile acids are synthesized in the liver and are secreted into the bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small... -
Candlestick patterns: Charting your trading strategy Japanese candlestick patterns are a cornerstone of technical analysis that offers traders an intuitive way to interpret price action and market sentiment. These visually compelling tools remain a vital resource for modern traders who seek to identify trends, reversals, and continuations in stocks,... -
Brewing up volatility: Why and how triple witching days can shake up markets Halloween comes just once a year, but Wall Street types don’t mind a good scare more often—in the form of a financial market phenomenon known as triple witching. It happens on a certain date every quarter, and even though everyone knows it’s coming, triple witching can shake up the markets. So it’s... -
Siege of Lucknow What was the Siege of Lucknow? The Siege of Lucknow was an assault on the British Residency in Lucknow from May 25 to November 27, 1857. It was eventually ended by British troops. The siege was one of several attacks on British forces in cities in northern India during the rebellion of 1857, when... -
Tyla What is Tyla’s music style called? Tyla’s music style is called “popiano,” a mix of pop with amapiano, a South African dance music genre. How did Tyla gain international recognition? Tyla gained international recognition when the video for her 2023 single “Water” went viral on social media. What... -
Prabowo Subianto What is Prabowo Subianto’s background? Prabowo Subianto is a former Indonesian army general and businessman, born on October 17, 1951, in Jakarta. He was born to a wealthy and politically well-connected family as the third of four children. What was Prabowo’s role in the Indonesian military?... -
Thea Bowman In 1989 Thea Bowman was a keynote speaker at a semiannual conference of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. The topic of her address, on what it means to be Black and Catholic, drew upon her experience as a convert to Roman Catholicism and as the only Black American member of her religious congregation,... -
Broadcom Inc. Broadcom Inc., like many computer chipmakers, has benefited from the increasing use and demand for artificial intelligence (AI) tools and programs. From its roots in Hewlett-Packard’s labs to its dominance in semiconductors and software for corporate customers, Broadcom has both influenced and been... -
BYD Co. Ltd. BYD Co. Ltd. is a Chinese company that develops and manufactures rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), rail transit systems, and other new energy technologies. It was founded by Wang Chuanfu in 1995 as the Shenzhen BYD Battery Co. Ltd. and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. BYD—an... -
Five Great Political Comebacks Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has been heralded as one of the greatest political comebacks of all time. He’s in good company: Richard Nixon, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, and Vladimir Lenin could all compete for that title. Trump’s ignominy is fairly straightforward. He... -
American goldfinch Where can American goldfinches be found? American goldfinches have a vast geographic range. They can be found throughout the contiguous United States and southern Canada, along Mexico’s Gulf coast, in The Bahamas, and on other Caribbean islands. They are adaptable birds that nest in trees and... -
gingerbread Who is credited with inventing the gingerbread man? Queen Elizabeth I is credited with inventing the gingerbread man by instructing her bakers to create gingerbread biscuits resembling visiting dignitaries. How did gingerbread houses become popular? Gingerbread houses became popular after the... -
Stephen Miller Who is Stephen Miller? Stephen Miller is a prominent figure in conservative politics who has worked closely with Donald Trump. He served as senior policy adviser in Trump’s first presidential term (2017–21), and he will be deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser in Trump’s... -
Shannon Sharpe What teams did Shannon Sharpe win Super Bowl rings with? Shannon Sharpe won Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos (1997 and 1998) and the Baltimore Ravens (2001). How did Shannon Sharpe’s grandmother influence him? Shannon Sharpe’s maternal grandmother, Mary Viola Washington Porter, instilled a... -
Battle of Lund Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 following war between the two countries, Denmark was forced to cede territory to Sweden. Two decades later, when Sweden joined France in war against Austria and Holland in the Dutch War, Denmark seized the opportunity to reclaim its lost land. After... -
Battle of Minorca In 1756, an Anglo-French conflict called the French and Indian War, which began in North America without a declaration of war, spread to Europe and became part of the Seven Years’ War.The Battle of Minorca, in the Balearic Islands off Spain, was the first sea battle. France’s victory at Minorca on... -
arak Arak, triple-distilled alcoholic beverage traditionally made in the Levant region from white grapes of the Obaideh (Obeidy) or Merwah varieties and anise seeds. It belongs to a class of anise-flavored liquors known as anisettes, which also includes ouzo, raki, and sambuca. Ingredients such as... -
Understanding annuities: Should you buy one? An annuity is an insurance contract that guarantees regular payouts based on how much you’ve paid or accumulated over time. Annuities provide stable income, making them especially attractive in retirement, but they aren’t suitable for everyone. Fees and complex terms can reduce an annuity’s value,... -
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)? HTS is a militant Islamist group in Syria that emerged during the Syrian Civil War and became one of the dominant rebel groups. It was largely confined to Idlib governorate until 2024 when it advanced on the Syrian government, whose position had been weakened by... -
Walter Netsch Walter Netsch was an American architect whose geometrically complex buildings, designed according to his own “field theory,” have attracted both admiration and controversy. He was affiliated with the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) for most of his career, working on such notable... -
Carl Hiaasen From 1985 to 2021 Carl Hiaasen wrote a popular syndicated opinion column for The Miami Herald. Hiaasen’s acerbic, often humorous columns tackled both Florida-specific and national issues. A lifelong Florida resident and fierce defender of the state’s natural ecosystems, he is known for exposing and... -
Udham Singh Udham Singh was an Indian political activist who fought against the British raj in India and sought revenge for the 1919 massacre of civilians by the British army at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the Punjab province (now Punjab state). Singh assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, who was the... -
July’s People July’s People, alternate history novel written by South African author Nadine Gordimer and published in 1981. Set in an imaginary near future in which the apartheid system (still a decade from being abolished when the book was written) has come to a sudden and violent end, July’s People explores... -
Interview with the Vampire Interview with the Vampire, debut novel by American Gothic fiction author Anne Rice, published in 1976. She was the first writer of popular fiction who created vampires who could be related to and who were protagonists in their story. Though not all critics appreciated Interview with the Vampire,... -
Bella Ramsey Bella Ramsey is an English actor with a penchant for portraying strong-willed young women. Ramsey is best known for their breakout roles in Game of Thrones (2016–19) and The Last of Us (2023– ). About age four Ramsey began taking acting classes at a Stagecoach Performing Arts school in... -
parallel cousin What is a parallel cousin? A parallel cousin is the child of one’s father’s brother or mother’s sister. A patrilateral parallel cousin is from the father’s side of the family, whereas a matrilateral parallel cousin is from the mother’s side. How does a parallel cousin differ from a cross-cousin? A... -
sigmoid function What is the sigmoid function? The sigmoid function, also known as the standard logistic function, is a mathematical function that graphs as an S-shaped curve. It is represented by the equation σ(x) = 1/(1 + e−x). How does the sigmoid function behave for large values of x? For large negative values...
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A Burial at Ornans A Burial at Ornans, influential oil painting created by French artist Gustave Courbet between 1849 and 1850. The monumental canvas (10.33 × 21.92 feet [3.15 × 6.68 meters]) depicting a funeral outside a rural village departed radically from the prevailing conventions of the art world and is now... -
Anopheles What diseases can Anopheles mosquitoes transmit? Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria, encephalitis, and lymphatic filariasis to humans and dog heartworm to dogs and other mammals. Where are Anopheles mosquitoes found? Anopheles mosquitoes are found nearly worldwide, especially in tropical and... -
Could a multiyear guaranteed annuity be part of your retirement planning? A multiyear guaranteed annuity (MYGA) works similarly to a certificate of deposit (CD), offering a fixed interest rate for a set term—although it often allows more flexibility for withdrawals. These insurance products appeal to retirees and conservative investors because of their guaranteed rates... -
And Then There Were None And Then There Were None, mystery novel by Agatha Christie published in 1939. One of the best-selling novels of all time, it remains one of Christie’s most popular works. And Then There Were None has spurred numerous adaptations across media, profoundly shaping the crime and mystery genres. Its... -
Siege of Lisbon The capture of the city of Lisbon from the Almoravid Muslims in October 1147 after a months-long siege was a by-product of the Second Crusade to the Holy Land and the only major Christian victory of that campaign. It proved to be a pivotal turning point in the history of Portugal as it mutated from... -
2024: Year in Review The year was marked by historic elections and global unrest. People in more than 60 countries—representing almost 50 percent of the world’s population—went to the polls in 2024. Voters in Mexico and the United Kingdom picked new leaders, while a former U.S. president was elected to a second term in... -
Battle of Legnica On April 9, 1241, at the Battle of Legnica, Mongol raiders in Poland routed a European army containing Christian knights from the military orders of the Teutonic Knights, the Hospitallers, and the Templars. The raiders had been sent to Poland as a diversion from the Mongolian invasion of Europe... -
The Alchemist The Alchemist, novel by Brazilian author and lyricist Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist was first published in 1988 in Portuguese as O Alquimista. It has since been translated into more than 65 languages and has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide. Its message of following one’s dreams has... -
romantic comedy What is a romantic comedy? A romantic comedy, or rom-com, is a movie genre characterized by a narrative focused on the pursuit of love, depicted in a lighthearted manner, often concluding with a happy resolution. What are some common tropes in romantic comedies? Common tropes include the meet-cute,... -
Battle of Kandahar Battle of Kandahar, decisive British victory on September 1, 1880, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80). After their defeat by Afghan forces at the Battle of Maiwand on July 27, British troops retreated and were besieged in Kandahar. Major General Sir Frederick Roberts, commanding British... -
Battle of Konya Battle of Konya, conflict fought on December 21, 1832, between the Muslim armies of Egypt and Turkey in the First Egyptian-Ottoman War. It was an important moment both in the rise of Egypt, which, under Viceroy Muhammad Ali, was modernizing its armed forces and its economy, and in the inexorable... -
Godzilla What was Godzilla originally a metaphor for? Godzilla was originally a metaphor for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. How did Godzilla’s design evolve over time? Godzilla’s design evolved from a mix of dinosaur-like and dragonlike attributes, originally standing 164 feet (50 meters)... -
BRCA mutation What are BRCA mutations? BRCA mutations are alterations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that hinder DNA repair and thereby increase cancer risk. These genes normally act as tumor suppressors, being crucial for DNA repair and maintenance of genetic integrity. Who discovered BRCA1 and BRCA2? BRCA1 was...
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Mahamudu Bawumia Mahamudu Bawumia is a Ghanian economist, banker, and politician affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He has been vice president of Ghana since 2017. Bawumia was a candidate in the presidential election held on December 7, 2024: he was defeated by John Mahama of the National Democratic... -
2026 FIFA World Cup Where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place? The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. How many teams will compete in the 2026 World Cup? A total of 48 teams will compete in the 2026 World Cup. How many cities will host 2026 World Cup games? World... -
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan, groundbreaking American rap collective known for its sharp lyricism, old-school rap influence, and gritty production. The group’s approach to business allowed members to pursue projects of their own and opened the doors for later hardcore rappers. Many contemporary musicians cite... -
Option straddles: Volatility, magnitude, and time (not direction) If you’re new to options trading, you probably think in terms of direction—buying a call option because you think a stock is going higher, or buying a put option if you think it’s going down. Or you might sell a covered call against a stock you own in order to target an exit price (and collect a... -
Head and shoulders pattern: Indicating a shift in market sentiment Imagine having the ability to spot a long-term market reversal as it’s unfolding. This would give you plenty of time to plan your next move—arguably, a significant edge in your investment game. Although there’s no such thing as a crystal ball in the markets, some price patterns have been,... -
Caspian seal What do Caspian seals eat? During the winter, the seals migrate to the northern Caspian Sea, where they eat mollusks and other invertebrates. During the summer, Caspian seals are concentrated in the southern Caspian Sea, where they prey primarily on kilka, which forms nearly 70 percent of their... -
Jack Parsons Jack Parsons was an American rocket scientist and chemist who made significant contributions to the development of rocket technology and missile systems and was a cofounder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and of the Aerojet Engineering... -
Dattatreya Who is Dattatreya in Hinduism? Dattatreya is an ascetic Hindu deity considered to be the paragon of yogic practice, often depicted as the incarnation of the Trimurti—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. He melds elements of Tantra with orthodox Hinduism. What is the significance of Dattatreya Jayanti?... -
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has grown from a small New York City brokerage into one of the most influential investment banks in the world. Over the decades, it has played a central role in major financial markets, advising on mergers, underwriting securities, and managing assets for... -
StockX StockX is an online marketplace and resale platform founded in 2015 as an e-commerce site for die-hard sneaker collectors (“sneakerheads”) to sell their shoes on a secondary market. Since its public launch in 2016, it has expanded to sell luxury apparel, electronics, and other collectibles. The... -
Siege of Rouen In his campaigns to capture Normandy during the Hundred Years’ War, Henry V of England besieged and took the city of Rouen. With more than 70,000 inhabitants, it was one of the most important cities in France, and its capture—carried out from July 31, 1418 to January 19, 1419—was a major success... -
Battle of Valmy Although little more than a skirmish that occurred on September 20, 1792, during the French Revolutionary Wars, Valmy was one of history’s decisive battles: a Prussian march on Paris to restore the French monarchy was halted, and the French Revolution was saved. The Prussians and their allies... -
Battle of Worcester The English Civil Wars—the long-drawn-out conflict between Royalists and their opponents across the British Isles, which had its roots in Scotland in 1639 and spread to Ireland and then England by 1642—finally came to an end at Worcester on September 3, 1651. The outcome ensured the survival of the... -
Culex What diseases can Culex mosquitoes transmit? Culex mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, avian malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and Eastern and Western equine encephalitis. Where are Culex mosquitoes found? Culex mosquitoes are found on every continent except Antarctica.... -
General Data Protection Regulation What is the GDPR? The GDPR is a European Union (EU) law surrounding data privacy and security, adopted in 2016 and effective from May 2018, that established a comprehensive framework for data protection. What are the penalties for noncompliance with the GDPR? Penalties for noncompliance can be as... -
Donnie McClurkin Who is Donnie McClurkin? Donnie McClurkin is an American gospel music singer and pastor who became famous in the early 1990s. He is one of the top-selling gospel artists of all time. What challenges did McClurkin face in his early life? McClurkin faced a tumultuous home life marked by domestic... -
enchilada What is a traditional enchilada made of? A traditional enchilada consists of a rolled corn tortilla filled with meat and other ingredients that is then covered in chili sauce and baked. What are some varieties of enchiladas? Varieties of enchiladas include enchiladas rojas, enchiladas verdes,... -
notional value In financial instruments, the notional value (also called the notional amount and the principal amount) is the total value—in dollars or another unit of currency—controlled by an instrument. Depending on the underlying asset or financial instrument, notional value may be used to assess its cost to...
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Siege of Adrianople Siege of Adrianople, Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey) was one of the largest cities in the Ottoman Empire. When the Bulgarians captured the city after laying siege to it from November 3, 1912, to March 26, 1913, during the First Balkan War, it seemed they would become the predominant power in the... -
Massacre at Béziers Massacre at Béziers, the first major battle in the Albigensian Crusade called in 1209 by Pope Innocent III against the Cathars, a religious sect. The French city of Béziers, a Cathar stronghold located in what is called la France profonde, “deep France,” was burned down on July 21–22, 1209, and... -
Battle of the Yalu River Battle of the Yalu River, large naval engagement and decisive Japanese victory in the Yellow Sea on September 17, 1894, during the First Sino-Japanese War. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Japan and China put major resources into creating modern navies of armored steamships with guns... -
Battle of Pylos In the Peloponnesian War, Athens, Sparta, and their respective allies contested supremacy in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Sparta was usually stronger on land and Athens at sea. At Pylos in July 425 bce, an Athenian naval success led to the surrender of a Spartan land force, an almost... -
Tulsi Gabbard For what cabinet position did Donald Trump select Tulsi Gabbard? Tulsi Gabbard was picked by Donald Trump in 2024 to serve as director of national intelligence (DNI) in his second administration. If approved by the Senate, she will oversee 18 intelligence agencies. What did Tulsi Gabbard do in the... -
Essential Elements of Music All genres of music rest upon a foundation of essential elements—building blocks that give structure, expression, and meaning to a musical piece. Each element contributes uniquely to a work, and together each element helps to create an overall experience that enables music to convey emotions, tell... -
Siege of Rhodes Led by Süleyman the Magnificent, the Siege of Rhodes in June–December 1522 was the second attempt by the Ottoman Empire to defeat the Knights Hospitaller and take control of Rhodes. Control of the Greek island would consolidate Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean. Selim I had vastly... -
Siege of Busanjin In Japan’s Age of Warring States, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had reunited Japan by 1591, but in 1592 he ordered an invasion of Ming China to be carried out through Korea. The Koreans resisted, and a fierce war began. Busan, Korea’s most important port, was the first gain by the Japanese invaders, who... -
Siege of Damascus The defeat of the Second Crusade at Damascus on July 23–28, 1148, ensured that the Christian crusader states in the Holy Land would remain on the defensive for the foreseeable future. With no hope of expanding their territorial holdings after that loss, Christians in the region were confined to... -
Battle of Preston The last important siege of a city in England, the Battle of Preston pitted the British army of the Hanoverian King George I against a Jacobite army attempting to restore Stuart rule over England, Scotland, and Ireland in the person of Prince James, son of the deposed King James II. It unfolded... -
Siege of Ostend The Spanish struggle to wrest the port of Ostend, the last Protestant settlement in Flanders, from the hands of the Dutch lasted more than three years, from July 1601 to September 1604. It was the bloodiest battle of the Eighty Years’ War. Such was its length and violence that the Siege of Ostend... -
Battle of Prague The armies of 18th-century Europe have often been described as unimaginative, slow-moving, and inflexible. The French seizure of Prague during the War of the Austrian Succession, on November 25–26, 1741, defies these stereotypes; it was an operation using speed and stealth to achieve success with... -
Lemon v. Kurtzman What was the main ruling in Lemon v. Kurtzman? The Supreme Court ruled that state funding for nonpublic and nonsecular schools in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. What is the Lemon test? The Lemon test is a three-prong test to determine if a...
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Aapravasi Ghat What is Aapravasi Ghat? Aapravasi Ghat was an immigration depot in Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. It was used in the 19th and early 20th centuries by the British government for processing newly arrived indentured laborers, mainly from India. It was the first such site established by the... -
precision and recall What do precision and recall measure in machine learning? Precision measures the correctness of positive identifications, and recall measures the completeness of capturing relevant observations. How is precision calculated? Precision is calculated by dividing the number of true positives (TP) by...
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Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is a legacy American financial institution founded in 1935 and headquartered in New York City. The company’s creation resulted from the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act, which required banks to separate their commercial banking and investment banking operations. Among those affected... -
The Truman Show What is the main plot of The Truman Show? The Truman Show is about Truman Burbank, an ordinary man who discovers that his entire life is a reality TV show, with everyone around him being actors and his world being a giant set. Who directed The Truman Show, and who starred as Truman? The Truman Show... -
Battle of Sluys In 1337 Edward III of England laid claim to the French throne, thus starting the lengthy series of conflicts known as the Hundred Years’ War. The first major contact between the two sides was the Battle of Sluys, a naval battle fought off the coast of Flanders on June 24, 1340. England’s victory... -
Siege of Syracuse The peace of Nicias of 421 bce did not end the Peloponnesian War. Within a few years, new Athenian leaders were looking for conquests among Sparta’s allies on Sicily, an important source of grain supplies for the Spartan confederation. Athens sent a massive expeditionary force to attack Syracuse,... -
Battle of Texel Battle of Texel, the last engagement of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, fought on August 21, 1673, between the Dutch navy and a combined British and French armada. It demonstrated the indomitable fighting spirit of the Dutch fleet, which was led by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, and the fiery temperament of... -
Qingming Festival What is the Qingming Festival? The Qingming Festival is a Chinese festival for honoring ancestors. It is celebrated on the 15th day after the spring equinox, usually in early April. What activities are associated with the Qingming Festival? The main activity is cleaning or sweeping ancestral tombs.... -
geek What is the origin of the word geek? The word geek is believed to have derived from the Dutch word gek or the Low or Middle German word geck, both of which meant “fool.” How did the word geek become associated with technology? By the 1980s geek described someone more interested in technology than... -
My So-Called Life My So-Called Life, critically acclaimed television series about 15-year-old Angela Chase (played by Claire Danes) as she attends the fictional Liberty High School in an invented suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most episodes are narrated by the teenager, often unreliably, as she deals with... -
Civil Rights Act of 1866 In early January 1866 U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lyman Trumbull from Illinois introduced the first federal civil rights bill in American history, as part of a Republican legislative program designed to shore up the objectives of the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill (passed in March 1865) and implement... -
Second Cabinet of Donald Trump On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump will be inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States. His administration has to fill some 4,000 posts, which include members of the cabinet. While the president has some discretion in determining what posts are part of the cabinet, its core... -
First French Empire First French Empire, historical empire established on May 18, 1804, with the creation of Napoleon I as “emperor of the French.” The Napoleonic empire persisted until the restoration of Louis XVIII on May 3, 1814. It enjoyed a brief resurrection during the Hundred Days (March 20, 1815–July 8, 1815)... -
Padmanabhaswamy Temple What is the Padmanabhaswamy Temple known for? The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is known for its extraordinary wealth, including treasures estimated to be worth $22 billion, and its dedication to the Hindu god Vishnu. Who rebuilt the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the 18th century? Martanda Varma, king of... -
major figures in Roman mythology Major figures in Roman mythology, the significant characters—including gods and goddesses as well as heroes and other legendary figures—of Roman religion from ancient times until its eventual eclipse by Christianity. The beginnings of Roman mythology come from the traditions of peoples from the... -
State and local taxes you paid: Are they tax deductible? Government services like roads, schools, and social programs don’t come free. To fund these necessities, federal, state, and local governments rely on taxes. Whether it’s income, property, or sales taxes, you and everyone else must contribute their share. Because you pay taxes at the state and... -
Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah is an Indian international cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he is considered to be one of the best fast bowlers in the world and has more than 400 international wickets. He captained India in the Test match against England in July 2022 and was named the vice captain of the Test... -
How to recover lost cryptocurrency—and how to keep it safe Cryptocurrency scams are constantly evolving and growing more sophisticated, but you can take preventive measures to avoid ever becoming a victim. And if your crypto is stolen, there are ways to recover it. Whether your goal is to recover your crypto or ensure that you never lose any, you need to... -
Bret Easton Ellis After his debut in 1985 with the novel Less Than Zero, American writer Bret Easton Ellis was declared by many critics as the “voice of a generation.” Ellis’s darkly sardonic first novel captured the jaded nihilism of the emerging Generation X, and he soon became famous as a member of the so-called... -
Philippine eagle Where do Philippine eagles live? Philippine eagles inhabit mountainous rainforests on the Philippine islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao (the last of which supports most of the birds). Their habitat spans dipterocarp forests—which are composed of large resinous, economically valuable... -
Battle of Freiburg The struggle for the German city of Freiburg, fought over three days in August 1644 between French and Bavarian-imperial armies, was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Thirty Years’ War. Although the French suffered heavier casualties, they forced a retreat and went on to gain mastery... -
Battle of Trincomalee Battle of Trincomalee, savage naval battle that occurred on September 3, 1782, during the Anglo-French War (1778–83). It was fought off the coast of Trincomalee, northeastern Sri Lanka, famous throughout history as one of the finest ports in the world. In 1778, France took the side of the Americans... -
Battle of Saipan Battle of Saipan, capture of the island of Saipan during World War II by U.S. Marine and Army units from June 15 to July 9, 1944, in a campaign called Operation Forager. The U.S. was then able to use Saipan as a strategic base from which to attack Japan—and particularly Tokyo—directly with...