What was the Dreyfus affair? The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal in France in 1894 that revealed the injustice and antisemitism in the French government at the time. The whole affair centered around Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army officer. He was born in 1859 and joined the French army at the age of […]
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How does the Netherlands reclaim land from the sea? They build a dike and then pump out the water. Before we look at how they do it, I thought it would be interesting to learn why Holland is called the Netherlands. Most of you probably know this, but I didn’t. The Netherlands is the official
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What is the Roche limit? The Roche limit is the minimum distance that one planetary body can approach another planetary body without being torn to pieces. The Roche limit is named after Edouard Roche, the French astronomer who first calculated it in 1848. He came up with his theory while he was studying the rings
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Why was the Erie Canal important? The Erie Canal was important because it connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. This cut down shipping time and costs, and it unlocked the American Midwest. The Erie Canal is 584 km long. It runs from the Hudson River in New York State to Lake Erie. The
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When did castles stop using moats? Castles stopped using moats in the 16th century, and the whole design of castles changed to reflect new technology in warfare. If you have ever visited the ruins of an old castle, you probably noticed that you need to cross a bridge to get into it. The bridge spans
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What is a magnetar? A magnetar is a neutron star that is the size of a city but is one of the strongest magnetic objects in the universe. Many planets and stars have a magnetic field. Our Earth has a magnetic field that is produced by the spinning liquid metal in the outer core. The
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Why don’t spiders get stuck in their own webs? Spiders don’t get stuck because not all of the web is sticky, they know where to put their feet, and their feet are adapted for walking on silk. There may also be chemical help from their legs, but that part is still not completely proven. Spiders
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Why doesn’t the US control the Panama Canal anymore? The US doesn’t control the Panama Canal at the moment. It is owned and operated by the country of Panama. The US owned it until 1999. The Panama Canal is an 82 km long waterway that cuts through the narrowest part of Panama and connects the
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How did a gardener build the Crystal Palace? Joseph Paxton was head gardener for William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, and an expert in greenhouses and large glass structures. When all other designs for the Crystal Palace were rejected, he submitted his own, which was chosen. The Crystal Palace was an enormous cast-iron and plate
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What causes a drought? At its simplest, a drought happens when an area has less water than it normally needs, often because of a lack of precipitation. Some droughts are meteorological, meaning there is not enough rain. Some are agricultural, meaning the soil is too dry for crops. Some are hydrological, meaning rivers, lakes, reservoirs,
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