Browsing: Nature

A Brief History On September 6, 1803, pioneering atomic theorist John Dalton of England first assigned symbols to represent atoms of various elements.  Dalton, born into a Quaker family, is well known among scholars and scientists for his work but has little of the fame and popular recognition accorded many other better known scientists.  Although atomic theory is the field of science most associated with Dalton, he also studied and reported on many other areas of scientific inquiry. Digging Deeper Dalton was born into a poor family in 1766, and although he did receive an education from his father and…

A Brief History On September 1, 2018, men across the world get revenge on women for living longer and getting better car insurance deals, by celebrating World Beard Day!  Next time some woman tells you, “I can do anything better than you!” you tell that feisty female, “Oh yeah?  Let’s have a beard growing contest.”  (Unfortunately, some women can actually grow a beard, especially with hormone treatment, so be careful who you challenge.)  Although we have not had a bearded President for many years, and the fact that Russia once instituted a tax on beards in order to discourage their…

A Brief History On August 25, 1823, mountain man and fur trapper Hugh Glass was attacked by a Grizzly Bear while on a fur taking and exploring expedition in what is now South Dakota.  The terrible injuries Glass suffered and his fierce determination to live have been recalled for history by not 1, but 2 major motion pictures, Man in the Wilderness (1971) and The Revenant (2015).  We have previously discussed this famous incident in our article, “10 Incredible Tales of Survival.”  Today we will discuss 10 cases of animal attacks on human beings that are famous or infamous, either…

A Brief History On August 1, 1993, the Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 came to its peak. Was this disaster the worst flood of the Mississippi River since European colonization of North America? The answer is a solid “maybe.” Different parameters for measuring how “bad” a flood is can leave the subject of which flood is the “worst” open to debate. In some ways, the Great Flood of 1993 can be considered the worst Mississippi River flood in US History. Digging Deeper Big floods often cause big damage, both in dollar amounts and in environmental impact. Washed…

A Brief History On June 19, 2016, the young star Hollywood actor Anton Yelchin died horribly when he was hit by his own car in his own driveway. The 27 year old actor had exited his 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee while on his sloped driveway. The unmanned Jeep rolled back, pinning the unfortunate Yelchin against a brick pillar, squishing the actor to death. We have frequently examined the many ways that people die, with articles such as “10 More Idiotic Ways to Die,” “10 Horrible Ways to Die,” “Kings Die Young in Stupid Ways,” “10 People Who were the First…