Curiosity Aroused

The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in United States history; by the end, some 620,000 Americans lay slain on domestic battlefields. The two-day Battle of Shiloh on the banks of the Tennessee River saw more American casualties than all previous wars combined. By the end of it all, everyone was exhausted and most were ready for the conflict to be over. When did the Civil War end? April 9, 1865 is the official date.

**People have been “keeping” time for just about five or six thousand years. They have been systematically measuring time by the hour for just about two centuries. All this amounts to less than 1% of human history. ** Photo credit: Oskay Before the modern era, there was no obvious reason to doubt the utility of the sun’s rough position in the sky for knowing the ’time’ of day. And yet here we all are, minding the clock in the interest of “saving time.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between fascism and communism? Reading your 20th century history textbook, it may not be particularly obvious. In part, this is because the difference between fascism and communism is theoretical, whereas in practice, both are quite similar. Here is the breakdown of fascism vs. communism according to various criteria including central philosophy and political and social structure. Philosophy and Operating Principles In theory, communism’s operating principle is this: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

How much do you think about human trafficking? If you’re living in a First World country, probably not much. The red light district in Amsterdam. Many of the prostitutes are trafficked from Central and Eastern European countries. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Human trafficking doesn’t often touch our lives living in the suburbs—but for people in Third World countries and other parts of the world where it is more difficult to regulate human trafficking (or where authorities choose to turn a blind eye to infractions), it can be devastating.

Air pollution is a major problem in today’s world. Many of us spend every day of our lives breathing in smog without even thinking of the damage it is doing not only to our lungs, but also to the planet. Air pollutants contribute to the rise of global warming, a long-term change in the climate of the planet which will ultimately be harmful, maybe even detrimental, to life on earth.

What is deforestation? Unless you’re an ecologist, you probably don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the fate of the world’s forests, but you probably also don’t realize just how fast the forests on Earth are disappearing. Satellite images of deforestation in Eastern Bolivia (Photo credit: NASA) The rate at which trees are being felled for agriculture, manufacturing, and other reasons is quite astounding. The effects of deforestation are massive, adversely impacting biodiversity, the climate, and human life.

**At the end of World War II, American planes dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands. Six years later, four light bulbs in Idaho lit up. Their illumination was fueled by an experimental “breeder” reactor based on the infamous wartime technology used in Japan. As the world’s first generation of electricity from nuclear power, it was the beginning of an era that still persists.

Solar panels are quickly becoming one of the most popular clean-energy options on the market. A study conducted by Forbes proved solar power is the 10th fastest-growing industry in the United States. Nellis Solar Power Plant in Nevada, USA. This 140 acre installation provides 14MW of power to the nearby air force base. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Never has there been more interest in clean energy than in the last decade. With the help of new tax benefits, businesses and families are learning the lucrative side of going green.

When we use solar panels to capture the sun’s radiation, we are going out of our way to do something the earth already does everywhere around us: capture and store solar energy. In fact, about half the solar radiation that hits our planet ends up in the ground. In this sense, geothermal energy represents a secondary source of sun power. The Earth’s underground layers also harbor the heat of the distant past, beaming out from the flaming core of the planet.

It’s been called a “limitless” source of energy by advocates, and “volcano fracking” by critics - but exactly what is geothermal energy? From the Core of the Planet Diagram illustrating power generation from a hot-water hydrothermal system (Photo credit: US federal government) The term actually defines itself: “geo” refers to earth, and “thermal” means heat. A geothermal power plant extracts heat from deep within the earth. The intense heat from hot magma rises, which boils pools of water buried in crust rock.