A Brief History On January 2, 1921, Czech playwright Karel Čapek premiered his classic play, R.U.R. in Hradec Králové, in what was then the First Czechoslovak Republic. The most important legacy of this famous play is the coining of the word, “Robot.” As used in the play, “robot” does not really mean the mechanical gizmo we think of today. Digging Deeper Prior to R.U.R., people used words such as “android” and “automaton” to describe what we think of as robots, but in the actual play, the “robots” were not the metal men the name evokes, but more along the line…
Read More
A Brief History Today, January 1, 2024, I, Dr. Zar, wish all of my family, friends, colleagues, students, and subscribers who are celebrating a birthday in 2024 the happiest of birthdays as well as a happy new year! Digging Deeper As I toast the new year with my sparkling non-alcoholic grape drink, please know that in my thoughts I am wishing the best for all of us this year! Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What are you most looking forward to in 2024? If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please…
A Brief History On January 1, 2024, we have some highly recommended resolutions that people really need to adopt to make the world a better place. What suggestions do you have? Digging Deeper Average Americans: Learn something new every day, maybe a new word or new historical fact. Baby Boomers: Stop worrying and love computers! Learn how to use new technology to your advantage. Everybody: Remind yourself to treat others as you wish to be treated. Hoarders: Get rid of any clothes or shoes you have not worn in the past couple years. Give these items to charity. Older people:…
A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on December 31st. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On December 31, 192 AD, Roman Emperor Commodus was assassinated by his own inner circle, setting the stage for The Year of the Five Emperors in 193. On December 31, 192, Roman Emperor Commodus was assassinated, one of many Roman emperors that met an untimely end. On December 31, 1695, a tax on windows went into effect in England, which resulted in many people…
A Brief History On December 31, 2023, we take a look back on those notable people that died this year. Due to the limited nature of a “short” video or article, we have to omit many fine folks and only list the losses we feel the most. Feel free to mention anyone you believe needs mention. (This list is as of December 29th and will be updated after January 1st.) Digging Deeper Burt Bacharach, composer, age 94. Bob Barker, Price is Right TV host, age 99. Maryanne Trump Barry, Federal judge and sister of Donald Trump, age 86. Jeff Beck,…