The history of electricity goes back more than two thousand years, to the time the Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing fur on amber caused an attraction between the two. By the 17th century, many electricity-related discoveries had been made, such as the invention of an early electrostatic generator, the differentiation between positive and negative currents, [...]

Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is found in high levels in the skeletal and heart muscles of humans, as well as in white blood cells, and the central nervous system. It is also found in some plants, such as seaweed, fungi and bacteria. Taurine is a main ingredient in bile and aids in [...]

Computer aided manufacturing is commonly linked to computer aided design (CAD) systems. The resulting integrated CAD/CAM system then takes the computer-generated design and feeds it directly into the manufacturing system. The design is then converted into multiple computer-controlled processes, such as drilling or turning. One advantage of computer aided manufacturing is that it can be [...]

In the case of a plastic bottle made from petroleum, the oil must be extracted before being shipped to a processing facility and then distilled to separate out the various hydrocarbons it contains. Oil extraction is performed all over the world in a variety of locations, and it has a number of environmental impacts. In [...]

Little is known about the identity of the Poe Toaster. The figure is male, clad in black and carries a silver-tipped cane. He always shows up in the early morning hours of the Edgar Allan Poe anniversary, and always performs the same ritual. While this has been observed on numerous occasions, the Poe Toaster is [...]

A colloquialism can relate to words, expressions or phrases that aren’t used in most formal written speech, though this can vary. They may also be called slang terms, though they aren’t necessarily slang in a negative sense. It often isn’t rude to utter a colloquialism. These words or terms may be specific to a region, [...]

Cell division is the process that cells go through in order to divide. Cells may divide for several reasons, and there are two types of cell division depending on the purpose. The cell division associated with sexual reproduction is one type, called meiosis. The other type, the cell division associated with growth and cell replacement [...]

After a grave rubbing is complete, the paper is removed and often sprayed with a fixative to prevent the design from smearing. Most people also like to make notes about the headstone the rubbing is from, including details about the cemetery it is in and the date. The finished rubbing can be displayed as a [...]

Many different patents were used to create various fire hydrant types. Wooden outer encasements were used before the more familiar cast iron fire hydrant cover commonly seen today. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) regulates the design of fire hydrants in the United States to meet fire district standards. Dry barrel and wet barrel are [...]

Many different patents were used to create various fire hydrant types. Wooden outer encasements were used before the more familiar cast iron fire hydrant cover commonly seen today. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) regulates the design of fire hydrants in the United States to meet fire district standards. Dry barrel and wet barrel are [...]