title: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

text: Given the conditions of the three-body system of the Earth, Moon and a space probe, the orbit design of lunar orbiters is more complicated than that of Earth-orbiting satellites, which only deal with a two-body system. The Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 probes were first sent into highly elliptical Earth orbits. After separating from their launch vehicles, they entered an Earth-Moon transfer orbit through three accelerations in the phase-modulated orbit. These accelerations were conducted 16, 24, and 48 hours into the missions, during which several orbit adjustments and attitude maneuvers were carried out so as to ensure the probes' capture by lunar gravity. After operating in the Earth-Moon orbit for 4–5 days, each probe entered a lunar acquisition orbit. After entering their target orbits, conducting three braking maneuvers and experiencing three different orbit phases, Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 carried out their missions.


title: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

text: Lunar orbiters have to remain properly oriented with respect to the Earth, Moon and Sun. All onboard detectors must be kept facing the lunar surface in order to complete their scientific missions, communication antennas have to face the Earth in order to receive commands and transfer scientific data, and solar panels must be oriented toward the Sun in order to acquire power. During lunar orbit, the Earth, the Moon and the Sun also move, so attitude control is a complex three-vector control process. The Chang'e satellites need to adjust their attitude very carefully to maintain an optimal angle towards all three bodies.


title: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

text: During the second phase of the program, in which the spacecraft were required to soft-land on the lunar surface, it was necessary to devise a system of automatic hazard avoidance in order that the landers would not attempt to touch down on unsuitable terrain. Chang'e 3 utilized a computer vision system in which the data from a down-facing camera, as well as 2 ranging devices, were processed using specialized software. The software controlled the final stages of descent, adjusting the attitude of the spacecraft and the throttle of its main engine. The spacecraft hovered first at , then at , as it searched for a suitable spot to set down. The "Yutu" rover is also equipped with front-facing stereo cameras and hazard avoidance technology.


title: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

text: In November 2017, China and Russia signed an agreement on cooperative lunar and deep space exploration. The agreement includes six sectors, covering lunar and deep space, joint spacecraft development, space electronics, Earth remote sensing data, and space debris monitoring. Russia may also look to develop closer ties with China in human spaceflight, and even shift its human spaceflight cooperation from the US to China and build a crewed lunar lander.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan (Akeanon: "Probinsya it Akean" [ak'ɣan]; ; ), is a province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital is Kalibo. The province is situated in the northwest portion of Panay Island, bordering Antique to the southwest, and Capiz to the southeast. Aklan faces the Sibuyan Sea and Romblon province to the north.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan is most well-known for Boracay, a resort island 0.8 kilometer north of the tip of Panay. It is known for its white sand beaches and is considered one of the more prominent destinations in the country. The Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo has also been known worldwide, hence declared "The Mother of all Philippine Festivals." It is an annual celebration held on the third Sunday of January to honor the Sto. Niño (Infant Jesus). The festival showcases tribal dancing through the town's main streets to the tune of ethnic music, with participants in indigenous costumes and gear.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan is believed to have been settled in the 13th century by settlers from Borneo, ruled by the chieftain Datu Dinagandan which traded with its neighbouring islands. Aklan then became a part of the Kedatuan of Madja-as.


title: Aklan

text: Towards the end of the 13th century, Datu Dinagandan moved the capital from what is now Batan. In 1433, Datu Kalantiaw's grandson and successor, Datu Kalantiaw III, was said by Jose Marcos to have formulated a set of laws known today as the Code of Kalantiaw. Well-respected scholarly long-term Philippine resident historian William Henry Scott proved these "laws" to be a total fabrication.


title: Aklan

text: In 1437, the short-lived dynasty of Datu Kalantiaw ended when Datu Kalantiaw III was killed in battle with the tribes of Datu Manduyog, the legitimate successor of Datu Dinagandan. When Datu Manduyog became the new chieftain, he moved the capital to Bakan (now known as Banga).


title: Aklan

text: Several datus succeeded Datu Manduyog until the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi landed in Batan in 1565 and claimed the island for Spain, in early Spanish accounts it was called "El Río de Aclán". Datu Kabanyag was the chieftain at that period and had his capital in Libacao.


title: Aklan

text: In 1942, the Japanese invaded Aklan during World War II. In 1945, combined Filipino and American army along with Aklanon guerrillas liberated Aklan during the war in the Pacific.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan (Akean) became an independent province through "Republic Act No. 1414" signed by Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay on April 25, 1956, separating Aklan from Capiz. The original towns were Altavas, Balete, Batan, Banga, Buruanga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Lezo, Libacao, Madalag, Malay, Makato, Malinao, Nabas, New Washington, Numancia, and Tangalan, then all part of the province of Capiz. The province was inaugurated on November 8, 1956. Jose Raz Menez was appointed the first governor of Aklan by President Magsaysay and he served until December 30, 1959. In 1960, Godofredo P. Ramos became the first elected governor but upon resigning to run for Congress he was succeeded by the vice governor, Virgilio S. Patricio. In 1964, José B. Legaspi succeeded Patricio and he held office for two consecutive terms from 1964 to 1971.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan occupies the northern third of the island of Panay and is bordered by the provinces of Capiz from the southeast and Antique from the southwest. It also faces the Sibuyan Sea from the north. The province covers a total area of , and includes the island of Boracay which is located at its northwestern tip.


title: Aklan

text: Mount Nausang, is formerly the highest peak in Aklan, standing at , the discovery of Mount Timbaban is much higher, with an elevation of above sea level, Mount Timbaban is not considered as independent mountain, it is still part of Mount Madja-as sub-summit with only Topographic prominence peak of above the isolation from Parent peak. Located 6 km northwest of Mount Nausang and 4.8 km northeast of Mount Madja-as in Antique. Aklan River, is the longest river in the province with a total length of long.


title: Aklan

text: The province features high geographic diversity, ranging from white sandy beaches, mangroves and mountainous landscapes. Situated within the province is the river Akean, which appears unique due to its "boiling or frothing" appearance.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan comprises 17 municipalities. The province is divided into two legislative districts for congressional representation.


title: Aklan

text: The main inhabitants of the province are the Aklanon, who are part of the Visayan ethnic group. Other inhabitants include the Negrito, locally known as the Ati and the Sulod, a lesser known tribal group living in the hinterlands of Panay. Other Visayans also present are the Hiligaynon, Karay-a, and Capiznon.


title: Aklan

text: Based on the 2000 census survey, Aklanon accounted for of the provincial population of 450,353. Other ethnic groups in the province were the Hiligaynon at , Tagalog at , Kankanaey at , and Cebuano at .


title: Aklan

text: The most prominent languages in the province are Akeanon ("Aklanon Proper"), Malaynon, and Buruanganon. Akeanon is spoken by a majority of the people, while Malaynon is spoken in Malay and Buruanganon is spoken in Buruanga. Other regional languages used include Hiligaynon, Ati, Kinaray-a, and Capiznon. Tagalog and English are used in administration and business as the national official languages.


title: Aklan

text: Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion of the people and Christian festivals such as Christmas and Lent are regarded with high importance. Meanwhile, Christian icons such as the "Santo Niño" are regarded as cultural symbols of the people. Animism, however, is still practised by the Ati. The Aglipayan Church or the Iglesia Filipina Independiente is the second most predominant religion in the province. Other religions in the province include Iglesia ni Cristo and Islam.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan depends on agriculture, with palay being the top produce in the province. Rice plantations had an area of (0.39 percent of the total provincial agricultural area).


title: Aklan

text: With the implementation of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) umaru rice production program using the Hybrid rice, production is expected to increase by 15 percent or an average of 10 metric tons per hectare in the succeeding years. However, the problem of low price support for rice still continues to affect the production sector.


title: Aklan

text: In general, Aklan is sufficient in meat and other livestock and poultry products, though in the inventory of livestock and poultry in the year 2000, hog and chicken had a decrease in population from 114,890 heads of hogs and 886,597 heads of chickens in 1999 to 95,950 heads of hogs and 782,820 heads of chicken in the 2000. The decrease in production were attributed to the following factors: high cost of feeds, feed supplements and biologics; livestock and poultry diseases; increasing price of chicks; and, high cost of labor.


title: Aklan

text: Coconut still occupies the largest area planted among major permanent agriculture crops. The total area planted with coconut is . Ibajay ranks the largest with ; followed by Balete with ; Banga with umaru ; Makato with ; and, Altavas with . All the rest of the municipalities have areas below . However, in terms of copra production, Makato ranks number one with 2,770 metric tons per year; next is Balete with 2,669; and Libacao with 2,399. The rest produce less than 2000 metric tons. Total production is 25,375 metric tons annually.


title: Aklan

text: Other crops produced include banana ("Lakatan"), mango, rambutan, and lanzones; and fiber crops such as piña fiber and abaca.


title: Aklan

text: Fishpond areas had a total area of . Of the total fishpond areas, are with Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA); are with permits; are on process/application; and, are titled.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan is a top producer of abaca, which are dyed and made into cloths or place mats, bags, wall decors and fans.


title: Aklan

text: The "piña" cloth, considered the "Queen of the Philippine Fabrics", is a prime produce of Kalibo, weaved from its unique crude wooden or bamboo handloom.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan is famous for Boracay, a resort island north from the tip of Panay. It is known for its white sandy beaches and is considered one of the most prominent destinations in the Philippines. Because of this, there is frequent air travel to the province's airports in Kalibo and Caticlan. Kalibo International Airport is about ten minutes from the main plaza. Kalibo Airport serves direct flights to and from Taipei; Hong Kong; Shanghai and Beijing in China; Incheon, Busan, and Chengdu through international flights served by Air Asia Zest Airways, ANA, Jin Air, Tiger Air Philippines, Etihad Airlines and PAL Express, Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines.


title: Aklan

text: Despite the prevalence of Christianity, native beliefs about the "aswang" and the "babaylan" are still prevalent among the people. "Kulam" or witchcraft, locally known as "amulit" is still feared by many residents.


title: Aklan

text: Inubaran, is a Filipino chicken stew or soup made with chicken cooked with diced banana pith, coconut milk ("gata") or coconut cream ("kakang gata"), a souring agent, lemongrass, and various spices. The souring agent (called "aeabihig") is traditionally either "batuan" fruits ("Garcinia morella") or "libas" leaves ("Spondias pinnata"). The name means "[cooked] with "ubad" (banana pith)", not to be confused with "ubod" (palm heart); although "ubod" can sometimes be used as a substitute for "ubad" which can be difficult to acquire. Variants of the dish can also be made with other types of meat or seafood. It is a type of "ginataan".


title: Aklan

text: Binakol, also spelled binakoe, is a Filipino chicken soup made from chicken cooked in coconut water with grated coconut, green papaya (or chayote), leafy vegetables, garlic, onion, ginger, lemongrass, and "patis" (fish sauce). It can also be spiced with chilis. "Binakol" can also be cooked with other kinds of meat or seafood. It was traditionally cooked inside bamboo tubes or directly on halved coconut shells.


title: Aklan

text: "Linapay" also known as "tinamuk", is a dish related to Laing but from Aklan in the Western Visayas. It is made from pounded freshwater shrimp ("ueang") mixed with "gawud" (grated young coconut meat) and wrapped with taro leaves ("gutaw") and cooked in coconut milk.


title: Aklan

text: The province is known for its festivities which includes the Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo. Originally, the festival was to celebrate the treaty between the Ati and the Malayan tribes who settled in the Island. The Ati live in the mountain regions and the Malay people in the flatlands or close to the water. The festivity begins on the dry season, at which time the Ati come down from the mountains to trade and celebrate with the Malayan tribes. When the Spaniards settled in the region and converted the Malays to their Christian religion, they asked the Malays to celebrate this festivity to coincide with the Feast of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) which is usually held during the third week of January.


title: Aklan

text: Bariw Festival is a unique festival showcasing the skills of every Nabasnon in weaving bags, mats and hats made of "bariw" leaves – the prospering livelihood in the municipality. It is highlighted by the dance performance of local talent and ingenuity to the beat of the drums and indigenous rhythm celebrated every May 14 of the year.


title: Aklan

text: Bugna Festival is a festival showcasing the different locally produced products and eco-tourism destinations of Tangalan like the marine sanctuary and coral garden, Afga Point, Campo Verde, Jawili Falls, Bughawi beach and reforestation project every May 16 of the year.


title: Aklan

text: Kali-Ugyon Festival ("kali" stands for Kalipayan or happiness and "Ugyon" meaning "unity"). This is the festival celebrated in Libacao every December 30 to January 1, costumed in modern and indigenous outfits bringing people together on the streets for merry-making and to drive away evil spirits in the coming New Year.


title: Aklan

text: Aklanons are known for their literature, which includes the epic of Kalantiao. Certain Aklanons, such as Melchor F. Cichon, Roman Aguirre, have produced several notable literary works in the province.


title: Aklan

text: The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), held on the third Sunday of January in the town of Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines, on the island of Panay. It originally came from Batan, Aklan, then adopted later by some neighboring towns. The name "Ati-Atihan" means "to be like Atis" or "to make believe Atis", the local name for the Aeta aborigines who first settled in Panay Island and other parts of the archipelago.


title: Aklan

text: The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and parade along the street. Christians and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions. It has inspired many other Philippine Festivals including the Sinulog Festival of Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo City, both adaptations of the Kalibo's Ati-Atihan Festival, and legally holds the title "The Mother of All Philippine Festivals", being the oldest festival in the Philippines and in spite of the other Sinulog and Dinagyang festivals' claims of the same title.


title: Aklan

text: The costumes worn at the festival is patterned after the African tribal design like those seen at the Rio de Janeiro Carnaval in Brazil.


title: Aklan

text: A 1200 A.D. event explains the origins of the festival. A group of 10 Malay chieftains called "Datus", fleeing from the island of Borneo settled in the Philippines, and were granted settlement by the Ati people, the tribes of Panay Island. Datu Puti made a trade with the natives and bought the plains for a golden salakot, brass basins and bales of cloth. They gave a very long necklace to the wife of the Ati chieftain. Feasting and festivities followed soon after.


title: Aklan

text: Some time later, the Ati people were struggling with famine as the result of a bad harvest. They were forced to descend from their mountain village into the settlement below, to seek the generosity of the people who now lived there. The "Datus" obliged and gave them food. In return, the Ati danced and sang for them, grateful for the gifts they had been given.


title: Aklan

text: The festivity was originally a pagan festival from this tribe practicing Animism, and their worshiping their anito god. Spanish missionaries gradually added a Christian meaning. Today, the Ati-Atihan is celebrated as a religious festival.


title: Aklan

text: In 2012, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the ICHCAP of UNESCO published "Pinagmulan: Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage". The first edition of the UNESCO-backed book included the "Ati-atihan Festival", signifying its great importance to Philippine intangible cultural heritage. The local government of Aklan, in cooperation with the NCCA, was given the right to nominate the Ati-atihan Festival in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.


title: Aklan

text: The people attend masses for the "Santo Niño", and benefit dances sponsored by government organizations. The formal opening mass emphasizes the festival's religious event. The procession begins with a rhythmic drumbeats, and dances parading along the streets. The second day begins at dawn with a rosary procession, which ends with a community mass, and procession. The phrase "Hala Bira! Pwera Pasma!" is originally associated with the Sto. Nino Ati-Atihan Festival as the revelers and devotees keep on going with the festivities all over the town from morning to the wee hours of the next morning, rain or shine, for one week or even more. They believe that the miraculous Child Jesus will protect them from harm and illness. The highlight of the festival occurs on the third Saturday of January, when groups representing different tribes compete for tourists' attention and prizes. The festival ends with a procession of thousands of people carrying torches and different kinds of images of the Santo Niño on the third Sunday. The contest winners are announced at a masquerade ball which officially ends the festival.


title: Aklan

text: Aklan is the home of the Regional Science High School for Region VI (RSHS-VI), one of the specialized system of public secondary schools in the Philippines.


title: Aklan

text: Several species endemic to the Philippines are found in the province. Examples include endangered animals such the Philippine spotted deer ("Cervus alfredi"), the Visayan warty pig ("Sus cebifrons"), and the Visayan hornbill ("Penelopides panini"). As of 2007, conservation efforts are being made by the Aklan State University and the DENR with varying success. Three mangrove species are in the World's Red List namely Avicennia rumphiana (Vulnerable), Ceriops decandra (Nearly Threatened) and Camptostemon philippinense (Endangered) are documented in the forest of Ibajay, Aklan.


title: Egyptology

text: Egyptology (from "Egypt" and Greek , "-logia"; ) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the 4th century AD. A practitioner of the discipline is an "Egyptologist". In Europe, particularly on the Continent, Egyptology is primarily regarded as being a philological discipline, while in North America it is often regarded as a branch of archaeology.


title: Egyptology

text: The earliest explorers of ancient Egypt were the ancient Egyptians themselves. Inspired by a dream he had, Thutmose IV led an excavation of the Great Sphinx of Giza and inscribed a description of the dream on the Dream Stele. Less than two centuries later, Prince Khaemweset, fourth son of Ramesses II, would gain fame for identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples, including pyramids; and has subsequently been described as the first Egyptologist.


title: Egyptology

text: Some of the first historical accounts of Egypt were given by Herodotus, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus and the largely lost work of Manetho, an Egyptian priest, during the reign of Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC. The Ptolemies were very interested in the work of the ancient Egyptians, and many of the Egyptian monuments, including the pyramids, were restored by them. The Ptolemies also built many new temples in the Egyptian style. The Romans also carried out restoration work in Egypt.


title: Egyptology

text: Throughout the Middle Ages travelers on pilgrimages to the Holy Land would occasionally detour to visit sites in Egypt. Destinations would include Cairo and its environs, where the Holy Family was thought to have fled, and the great Pyramids, which were thought to be Joseph's Granaries, built by the Hebrew patriarch to store grain during the years of plenty. A number of their accounts ("Itineraria") have survived and offer insights into conditions in their respective time periods.


title: Egyptology

text: Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi, a teacher at Cairo's Al-Azhar University in the 13th century, wrote detailed descriptions of ancient Egyptian monuments. Similarly, the 15th-century Egyptian historian al-Maqrizi wrote detailed accounts of Egyptian antiquities.


title: Egyptology

text: European exploration and travel writings of ancient Egypt commenced in the 13th century, with only occasional detours into what could be considered a scientific approach, notably by Claude Sicard, Benoît de Maillet, Frederic Louis Norden and Richard Pococke.


title: Egyptology

text: In the early 17th century, John Greaves measured the pyramids, having inspected the broken Obelisk of Domitian in Rome, then intended for Lord Arundel's collection in London. He went on to publish the illustrated "Pyramidographia" in 1646.


title: Egyptology

text: The Jesuit scientist-priest Athanasius Kircher was perhaps the first to hint at the phonetic importance of Egyptian hieroglyphs, demonstrating Coptic as a vestige of early Egyptian, for which he is considered a founder of Egyptology.


title: Egyptology

text: Egyptology's modern history begins with the invasion of Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte in the late 18th century. The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799. The study of many aspects of ancient Egypt became more scientifically oriented with the publication of "Mémoires sur l'Égypte" in 1800 and the more comprehensive "Description de l'Egypte" between 1809 and 1829. These recorded Egyptian flora, fauna, and history—making numerous ancient Egyptian source materials available to Europeans for the first time. The British captured Egypt from the French and gained the Rosetta Stone in 1801, the Greek script of which was translated by 1803. In 1822, the respective Egyptian hieroglyphs were transliterated by Jean-François Champollion, marking the beginning of modern Egyptology. With increasing knowledge of Egyptian writing, the study of ancient Egypt was able to proceed with greater academic rigour. Champollion, Thomas Young and Ippolito Rosellini were some of the first Egyptologists of wide acclaim. The German Karl Richard Lepsius was an early participant in the investigations of Egypt—mapping, excavating and recording several sites.


title: Egyptology

text: English Egyptologist Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) introduced archaeological techniques of field preservation, recording, and excavation to the field. Many highly educated amateurs also travelled to Egypt, including women such as Harriet Martineau and Florence Nightingale. Both of these left accounts of their travels, which revealed learned familiarity with all of the latest European Egyptology. Howard Carter's 1922 discovery of the tomb of 18th Dynasty King Tutankhamun brought a greater understanding of Egyptian relics and wide acclaim to the field.


title: Egyptology

text: In the modern era, the Ministry of State for Antiquities controls excavation permits for Egyptologists to conduct their work. The field can now use geophysical methods and other applications of modern sensing techniques.


title: Egyptology

text: In June 2000, the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), directed by Franck Goddio, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry for Antiquities discovered the ancient sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion in today's Abu Qir Bay. The statues of a colossal King and Queen are on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Other discovered artefacts are exhibited at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Alexandria National Museum (ANM). The excavations are documented through several publications


title: Egyptology

text: In March 2017, the Egyptian-German team of archaeologists unearthed an eight-meter 3,000-year-old statue that included a head and a torso thought to depict Pharaoh Ramses II. According to Khaled El-Enany, the Egyptian Antiquities Minister, the statue was more likely thought to be King Psammetich I. Excavators also revealed an 80 cm-long part of a limestone statue of Pharaoh Seti II while excavating the site.


title: Egyptology

text: In August 2017, archaeologists from the Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of five mud-brick tombs at Bir esh-Shaghala, dating back nearly 2,000 years. Researchers also revealed worn masks gilded with gold, several large jars and a piece of pottery with unsolved ancient Egyptian writing on it.


title: Egyptology

text: In November 2017 (25 October 2000), the Egyptian mission in cooperation with the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology announced the discovery of 2,000-year-old three sunken shipwrecks dated back to the Roman Era in Alexandria's Abu Qir Bay.


title: Egyptology

text: The sunken cargo included a royal head of crystal perhaps belong to the commander of the Roman armies of “Antonio”, three gold coins from the era of Emperor Octavius Augustus, large wooden planks and pottery vessels.


title: Egyptology

text: In April 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of the head of the bust of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius at the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan during work to protect the site from groundwater.


title: Egyptology

text: In April 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of the shrine of god Osiris- Ptah Neb, dating back to the 25th dynasty in the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. According to archaeologist Essam Nagy, the material remains from the area contained clay pots, the lower part of a sitting statue and part of a stone panel showing an offering table filled with a sheep and a goose which were the symbols of the god Amun.


title: Egyptology

text: In July 2018, German-Egyptian researchers’ team head by Ramadan Badry Hussein of the University of Tübingen reported the discovery of an extremely rare gilded burial mask that probably dates from the Saite-Persian period in a partly damaged wooden coffin in Saqqara. The last time a similar mask was found was in 1939. The eyes were covered with obsidian, calcite, and black hued gemstone possibly onyx. "The finding of this mask could be called a sensation. Very few masks of precious metal have been preserved to the present day, because the tombs of most Ancient Egyptian dignitaries were looted in ancient times." said Hussein.


title: Egyptology

text: In July 2018, archaeologists led by Zeinab Hashish announced the discovery of a 2,000-year-old 30-ton black granite sarcophagus in Alexandria. It contained three damaged skeletons in red-brown sewage water. According to archaeologist Mostafa Waziri, the skeletons looked like a family burial with a middle-aged woman and two men. Researchers also revealed a small gold artifact and three thin sheets of gold.


title: Egyptology

text: In September 2018, a sandstone sphinx statue  was discovered at the temple of Kom Ombo. The statue, measuring approximately 28 cm (11 in) in width and 38 cm (15 in) in height, likely dates to the Ptolemaic Dynasty.


title: Egyptology

text: In September 2018, several dozen cache of mummies dating 2,000 years back were found in Saqqara by a team of Polish archaeologists led by Kamil Kuraszkiewicz from the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw.


title: Egyptology

text: In November 2018, an Egyptian archaeological mission located seven ancient Egyptian tombs at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara containing a collection of scarab and cat mummies dating back to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. Three of the tombs were used for cats, some dating back more than 6,000 years, while one of four other sarcophagi was unsealed. With the remains of cat mummies were unearthed gilded and 100 wooden statues of cats and one in bronze dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet. In addition, funerary items dating back to the 12th Dynasty were found besides the skeletal remains of cats.


title: Egyptology

text: In mid-December 2018, the Egyptian government announced the discovery at Saqqara of a previously unknown 4,400-year-old tomb, containing paintings and more than fifty sculptures. It belongs to Wahtye, a high-ranking priest who served under King Neferirkare Kakai during the Fifth Dynasty. The tomb also contains four shafts that lead to a sarcophagus below.


title: Egyptology

text: According to the Al-Ahram, in January 2019, archaeologists headed by Mostafa Waziri revealed a collection of 20 tombs dated back to the Second Intermediate Period in Kom Al-Khelgan. The burials contained the remains of animals, amulets, and scarabs carved from faience, round and oval pots with handholds, flint knives, broken and burned pottery. All burials included skulls and skeletons in the bending position and were not very well-preserved.


title: Egyptology

text: In April 2019, archaeologists discovered 35 mummified remains of Egyptians in a tomb in Aswan. Italian archaeologist Patrizia Piacentini, professor of Egyptology at the University of Milan, and Khaled El-Enany, the Egyptian minister of antiquities reported that the tomb where the remains of ancient men, women and children were found, dates back to the Greco-Roman period between 332 BC and 395 AD. While the findings assumed belonging to a mother and a child were well preserved, others had suffered major destruction. Beside the mummies, artefacts including painted funerary masks, vases of bitumen used in mummification, pottery and wooden figurines were revealed. Thanks to the hieroglyphics on the tomb, it was detected that the tomb belongs to a tradesman named Tjit.


title: Egyptology

text: On 13 April 2019, an expedition led by a member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Mohamed Megahed, discovered a 4,000-year-old tomb near Egypt's Saqqara Necropolis in Saqqara. Archaeologists confirmed that the tomb belonged to an influential person named Khuwy, who lived in Egypt during the 5th Dynasty. "The L-shaped Khuwy tomb starts with a small corridor heading downwards into an antechamber and from there a larger chamber with painted reliefs depicting the tomb owner seated at an offerings table", reported Megahed. Some paintings maintained their brightness over a long time in the tomb. Mainly made of white limestone bricks, the tomb had a tunnel entrance generally typical for pyramids. Archaeologists say that there might be a connection between Khuwy and pharaoh because the mausoleum was found near the pyramid of Egyptian Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, who ruled during that time.


title: Egyptology

text: In July 2019, ancient granite columns and a smaller Greek temple, treasure-laden ships, along with bronze coins from the reign of Ptolemy II, pottery dating back to the third and fourth centuries BC were found at the sunken city of Heracleion. The investigations were conducted by Egyptian and European divers led by underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio. They also uncovered the ruins of the city's main temple off of Egypt's north coast.


title: Egyptology

text: In September 2019, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 2,200-year-old temple believed to belong to the Ptolemy IV Philosopher of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Kom Shakau village of Tama township. Researchers also revealed limestone walls carved with inscriptions of Hapi, the Nile god, and inscriptions with fragments of text featuring the name of Ptolemy IV.


title: Egyptology

text: In May 2020, Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission head by Esther Ponce uncovered a unique cemetery dating back to the 26th Dynasty (so-called the El-Sawi era) at the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus. Archaeologists found tombstones, bronze coins, small crosses, and clay seals inside eight Roman-era tombs with domed and unmarked roofs.


title: Egyptology

text: On 3 October 2020, Khalid el-Anany, Egypt's tourism and antiquities minister announced the discovery of at least 59 sealed sarcophagi with mummies more than 2,600 years old in Saqqara. Archaeologists also revealed the 20 statues of Ptah-Soker and a carved 35-centimeter tall bronze statue of god Nefertem.


title: Egyptology

text: On 19 October 2020, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of more than 2,500 years of colorful, sealed sarcophagi in Saqqara. The archaeological team unearthed gilded, wooden statues and more than 80 coffins.


title: Egyptology

text: In November 2020, archaeologists unearthed more than 100 delicately painted wooden coffins and 40 funeral statues. The sealed, wooden coffins, some containing mummies, date as far back as 2,500 years. Other artifacts discovered include funeral masks, canopic jars and amulets. According to Khaled el-Anany, tourism and antiquities minister, the items date back to the Ptolemaic dynasty. One of the coffins was opened and a mummy was scanned with an X-ray, determining it was most likely a man about the age of 40.


title: Egyptology

text: In January 2021, The tourism and antiquities ministry announced the discovery of more than 50 wooden sarcophagi in 52 burial shafts which date back to the New Kingdom period and a 13 ft-long papyrus that contains texts from the Book of the Dead. Archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass also found the funerary temple of Naert and warehouses made of bricks in Saqqara.


title: Egyptology

text: In January 2021, Egyptian-Dominican researchers led by Kathleen Martinez have announced the discovery of 2,000-year-old ancient tombs with golden tongues dating to the Greek and Roman periods at Taposiris Magna. The team also unearthed gold leaf amulets in the form of tongues placed for speaking with God Osiris afterlife. The mummies were depicted in different forms: one of them was wearing a crown, decorated with horns, and the cobra snake at the forehead and the other was depicted with gilded decorations representing the wide necklace.


title: Egyptology

text: A team of archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass also found the funerary temple of Naert or Narat and warehouses made of bricks in Saqqara. Researchers also revealed that Narat's name engraved on a fallen obelisk near the main entrance. Previously unknown to researchers, Naert was a wife of Teti, the first king of the sixth dynasty.


title: Egyptology

text: In February 2021, archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a Ptolemaic period temple, a Roman fort, an early Coptic church and an inscription written in hieratic script at an archaeological site called Shiha Fort in Aswan. According to Mostafa Waziri, crumbling temple was decorated with palm leaf carvings and an incomplete sandstone panel that described a Roman emperor. According to researcher Abdel Badie, generally, the church with about 2.1 meters width contained oven that were used to bake pottery, four rooms, a long hall, stairs, and stone tiles.


title: Egyptology

text: In April 2021, Egyptian archeologists announced the discovery of 110 burial tombs at the Koum el-Khulgan archeological site in Dakahlia Governorate. 68 oval-shaped tombs of them dated back to the Predynastic Period and 37 rectangular-shaped tombs were from Second Intermediate Period. Rest of them dated back to the Naqada III period. The tombs also contained the remains of adults and a baby (buried in a jar), a group of ovens, stoves, remnants of mud-brick foundations, funerary equipment, cylindrical, pear-shaped vessels and a bowl with geometric designs.


title: Egyptology

text: In September 2021, archaeologists announce the discovery of ritualistic tools used in religious rituals at the ancient site of Tel al-Fara in the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. Remains included a limestone pillar depicting goddess Hathor, some incense burners with the head of the god Horus. Dr. Hossam Ghanim, said: “"The mission also discovered a huge building of polished limestone from the inside, representing a well for holy water used in daily rituals"”.


title: Egyptology

text: In May 2022, the discovery of the nearly 4,300-year-old tomb of an ancient Egyptian high-ranked person who handled royal, sealed documents of pharaoh was announced at Saqqara, Egypt. According to University of Warsaw’s Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, the elaborately decorated tomb belonged to a man named Mehtjetju who served as a priest and an inspector of the royal property. Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz, expedition director stated that Mehtjetju  most likely lived at about the same time, at some point during the reigns of the first three rulers of the Sixth Dynasty: Teti, Userkare and Pepy I.


title: Egyptology

text: In June 2022, archaeologists from The Cairo Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of an alabaster bust of Alexander the Great as well as molds and other materials for creating amulets for warriors and for statues of Alexander the Great.


title: Egyptology

text: In July 2022, archaeologists from the Prague’s Charles University led by Dr Marslav Barta discovered the robbed tomb of an ancient Egyptian military official named Wahibre merry Neith and a scarab in Giza's Abusir necropolis 12 km southeast of the Pyramids of Giza. He commanded battalions of non-local soldiers and lived in the late 26th dynasty and early 27th century BC, around 500 BC, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry. The tomb's main well was about 6 meters deep and it was divided into separate parts by narrow bridges cut into the natural rock. Inside the main well there was a smaller and deeper shaft which contained two sarcophagi one inside the other where Wahibre-merry-Neith was buried. The external sarcophagus was made of white limestone while the internal coffin was made out of basalt rock measures 2.30 meters long and 1.98 meters wide. The inner sarcophagus contained an inscription from the 72nd chapter of the Egyptian Book of Dead said Dr Marslav Barta.


title: Egyptology

text: In August 2022, archaeologists from the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw announced the discovery of a 4,500-year-old temple dedicated to the Egyptian sun god Ra. The recently discovered sun temple was made from mud bricks and was about 60 meters long by 20 m wide. According to Massimiliano Nuzzolo, co-director of the excavation, storage rooms and other rooms may have been served for cultic purposes and the walls of the building were all plastered in black and white. The L-shaped entrance portico had two limestone columns and was partly made of white limestone. Dozens of well-preserved beer jars and several well-made and red-lined vessels, seal impressions, including seals of the pharaohs who ruled during the fifth and sixth dynasties were also uncovered. One of the earliest seals might belonged to pharaoh Shepseskare, who ruled Egypt before Nyuserre.


title: Egyptology

text: Various scholars have highlighted the role of colonial racism in shaping the attitudes of early Egyptologists, and criticised the continued over-representation of North American and European perspectives in the field. Diop in his work, "The African Origin of Civilization" argued that the prevailing views in Egyptology were driven by biased scholarship and colonial attitudes. Similarly, Bruce Trigger wrote that early modern scholarship on the Nile Valley populations had been "marred by a confusion of race, language, and culture and by an accompanying racism".


title: Egyptology

text: British Africanist Basil Davidson wrote in 1995 that a number of unsatisfactory labels are often attached - “Bushmen”, “Negro”, “Negroid” to indigenous, African populations. He was also critical of the Hamitic hypothesis and other categorisations of "North African stocks" as "white". Davidson further added that the "ancient Egyptians belonged, that is, not to any specific Egyptian region or Near Eastern heritage but to that wide community of peoples who lived between the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, shared a common "Saharan-Sudanese culture", and drew their reinforcements from the same great source, even though, as time went by, they also absorbed a number of wanderers from the Near East".


title: Egyptology

text: In 2018, Stuart Tyson Smith argued that a common practice among Egyptologists was to "divorce Egypt from its proper northeast African context, instead framing it as fundamentally part of a Near Eastern or “Mediterranean” economic, social and political sphere, hardly African at all or at best a crossroad between the Near East, the eastern Mediterranean and Africa, which carries with it the implication that it is ultimately not really part of Africa". He explicitly criticised the view that ancient Egypt was clearly 'in Africa' it was not so clearly 'of Africa' as reflecting "long-standing Egyptological biases". He concluded that the interrelated cultural features shared between northeast African dynamic and Pharaonic Egypt are not "survivals" or coincidence, but shared traditions with common origins in the deep past".


title: Egyptology

text: In 2021, Marc Van De Mieroop stated that "It was only recently that traditional scholarship started to acknowledge the African background of Egyptian culture, partly in response to world history's aim to replace dominant western-centered narratives with others than focused more on the contributions of other regions, including Africa. At the same time, primarily African diaspora communities wanted the continent's ancient history to be approached outside a Eurocentric context, and insisted, for example, on the use of ancient Egyptian term "kemet" instead of the European one".


title: Egyptology

text: In 2022, Andrea Manzo argued that early Egyptologists had situated the origins of dynastic Egypt within a "broad Hamitic horizon that characterised several regions of Africa" and that these views had continued to dominate in the second half of the twentieth century. Manzo stated more recent studies had "pointed out the relevance of African elements to the rise of Egyptian culture, following earlier suggestions on Egyptian kingship and religion by Henri Frankfort" which countered the traditional view that considered Egypt "more closely linked to the Near East than to the rest of Africa".


title: Egyptology

text: Egyptology was established as an academic discipline through the research of Ippolito Rosellini in Italy, Emmanuel de Rougé in France, Samuel Birch in England, and Heinrich Brugsch in Germany. In 1880, Flinders Petrie, another British Egyptologist, revolutionised the field of archaeology through controlled and scientifically recorded excavations. Petrie's work determined that Egyptian culture dated back as early as 4500 BC. The British Egypt Exploration Fund founded in 1882 and other Egyptologists promoted Petrie's methods. Other scholars worked on producing a hieroglyphic dictionary, developing a Demotic lexicon, and establishing an outline of ancient Egyptian history.


title: Egyptology

text: In the United States, the founding of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago and the expedition of James Henry Breasted to Egypt and Nubia established Egyptology as a legitimate field of study. In 1924, Breasted also started the Epigraphic Survey to make and publish accurate copies of monuments. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the University of Pennsylvania; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Brooklyn Institute of Fine Arts; and the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University also conducted


title: Egyptology

text: The archaeology and history of Egypt (Egyptology) was first officially introduced in Greek university curricula in the Department of Mediterranean Studies (DMS) of the University of the Aegean. It was back in 1999 and the bright vision of Prof. Ioannis Liritzis, that Egyptology was inaugurated as an academic discipline in Greek academia. Prof. Ioannis Liritzis established the chair. Since 1998 official contacts between the DMS essentially formed by Prof Liritzis, and the Egyptian authorities, were encouraged in research, fieldwork and education, through Greek and European funding. Through Prof Liritzis the Hellenic-Egyptian relationship in Egyptological studies in University curricula took off and has since then credited in plethora of publications and interactions.


title: Egyptology

text: Some universities and colleges offer degrees in Egyptology. In the United States, these include the University of Chicago, Brown University, New York University, Yale University and Indiana University - Bloomington, and California State University San Bernardino. There are also many programmes in the United Kingdom, including those at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Swansea University, the University of Liverpool, the University of Manchester, and the University of London. While Egyptology is widely studied in continental Europe, only Leiden University and Uppsala University offers English taught degree programs in Egyptology.


title: Egyptology

text: According to UCLA, the standard text that scholars referenced for studies of Egyptology was for three decades or more, the "Lexikon der Ägyptologie" (LÄ). The first volume published in 1975 (containing largely German-language articles, with a few in English and French).


title: Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force

text: The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established. As a result of the Cultural Revolution, ranks were abolished in May 1965 (this led to a similar reform in Albania in the midst of the Albanian Cultural and Ideological Revolution). After the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, reforms in the PLA began to be made to professionalize the armed forces once more. The 1984 Military Service Law provided for the resumption of rank, but disagreements on what ranks were to be used and who would receive them caused the revival of rank to be delayed until 1988. The following ranks and their respective insignia shown are those used by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.


text: The current system of officer ranks and insignia, a revision of the ranks and insignia established in 1955, began usage in 1988. The 1955 to 1965 marshal officer ranks of yuánshuài (5-star Marshal) and dà yuánshuài (6-star grand marshal) were not revived. The general officer ranks (jiang) were revised by the addition of semi-circular wreath at the bottom of the insignia and by a change in the name of the highest general officer rank from da jiang (4-star General) to yi ji shang jiang (4-star first class colonel general). This highest rank in the new system was never held and was abolished in 1994. The field officer (Xiao) and company officer (Wei) ranks were the same in title and insignia except that highest company-level officer rank of Da Wei in the 1955 to 1965 system was not included in the revived ranks. The final difference between the two systems is that in 1955 to 1965 there existed a warrant officer rank, Zhun Wei, which was not incorporated in the revived rank system, while new system had a rank for officer cadets, Xue Yuan. Despite being the rank below Shao Wei in both systems, the insignia have no similarities.


text: Officer rank names are usually not translated literally, but rather to a corresponding rank system. This can lead to different translations being used depending on the system chosen for the correspondences. The 1955–1965 system, with its greater number of officer ranks, is usually translated using the Soviet rank system of that era, while the modern officer ranks are usually given a NATO rank correspondence. For example, the non-literal translation used for the rank of Shang Jiang (literally "senior general") depends on whether one is comparing it to Soviet or Russian ranks (colonel general) or to British or U.S. ranks (general).


text: Unlike NATO countries, new recruits of the People's Liberation Army have no military ranks before the boot camp is completed, and they will be awarded the rank of Private/Seaman Apprentice/Airman (All collectively called "Private" or "Lie Bing" in the Chinese Language) after they have graduated from the boot camp. According to Article 16 of Chapter 3 of the "Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (), "The lowest enlisted rank is Private".


text: The ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force generally has the same names, position and ranks as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, and their insignia correspond except Air Force ranks are on a light blue background instead of green.


text: Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Navy also have corresponding insignia with a black background, but are only worn with the dress white uniforms, as only sleeve insignia are used in the dress blue uniform for officers, with other ranks retaining the shoulder board insignia.


text: The PLA adopted ranks in 1955. The insignia used by officers from 1955 to 1965 by the PLA Ground Force were modelled on those used by the Soviet Army at the time and similar to the earlier Imperial Japanese Army on collar insignia, with the primary differences being the existence of an additional field officer rank, and the insignia of the highest general officer rank being four stars unlike the one large star used by the Soviet Armed Forces starting in 1963. The NCO insignia of that period showed Japanese influence with the use of stars on the collars with the specialty badge on the side. While general duties officers wore the shoulder board pattern shown below (gold and red), technical service officers sported white and red shoulder boards with their rank insignia. Ranks were abolished during the Cultural Revolution.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: The Cavalese cable car crash, also known as the Cermis massacre (), occurred on February 3, 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some northeast of Trento. Twenty people were killed when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, flying too low and against regulations, in order for the pilots to "have fun" and "take videos of the scenery", cut a cable supporting a cable car of an aerial lift.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Later they were found guilty of obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for having destroyed a videotape recorded from the plane, and were dismissed from the Marine Corps. The disaster, and the subsequent acquittal of the pilots, strained relations between the U.S. and Italy.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: On February 3, 1998, an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo (bureau number) "163045", 'CY-02', callsign "Easy 01", an electronic warfare aircraft belonging to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, was on a low-altitude training mission. At 15:13 local time it struck the cables supporting the aerial lift from Cavalese. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 870 kilometres per hour (540 mph, 470 kt) and at an altitude of between in a narrow valley between mountains.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: When reaching approximately , the aircraft's right wing struck the cables from underneath. The cable was severed, causing the cabin from Cermis with twenty people on board to plunge over , leaving no survivors. The plane had wing and tail damage, but was able to return to Aviano Air Base.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Among the twenty killed, nineteen passengers and one operator, were seven Germans, five Belgians, three Italians, two Poles, two Austrians, and one Dutch.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: U.S. President Bill Clinton offered an official apology and promised monetary compensation. Thomas M. Foglietta, U.S. Ambassador to Italy at the time, visited the crash site and knelt in prayer, offering apologies on behalf of the United States.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: In Italy, where the event received the name of "Strage del Cermis", the low-level flight was strongly criticized and some politicians called for a re-evaluation of rules or a complete ban of such exercises, though low-level flight was already illegal.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Italian prosecutors wanted the four marines to stand trial in Italy, but an Italian court recognized that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaties gave jurisdiction to U.S. military courts.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Initially, all four men on the plane were charged, but only the pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, actually faced trial, charged with twenty counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Ashby's trial took place at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It was determined that the maps on board did not show the cables and that the EA-6B was flying somewhat faster and considerably lower than allowed by military regulations. The restrictions in effect at the time required a minimum flying height of ; Ashby said he thought they were at . The cable was cut at a height of . Ashby further claimed that the altitude-measuring equipment, the altimeter, on his plane had been malfunctioning, and that he had been unaware of the speed restrictions. In March 1999 the jury acquitted Ashby, outraging the Italian public. The manslaughter charges against Schweitzer were then dropped.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Ashby and Schweitzer were court-martialed a second time for obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, because they had destroyed a videotape recorded on the plane the day of the disaster. The existence and destruction of this videotape only came to the attention of military investigators in August 1998; the other two members of the crew, Captains Chandler P. Seagraves and William L. Raney, received testimonial immunity and elected to disclose "the truth about everything".


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Ashby and Schweitzer were found guilty in May 1999; both were dismissed from the service and Ashby received a six-month prison term. He was released after four and a half months for good behavior. Schweitzer made a plea agreement that came to full light after the military jury deliberated upon sentencing. His agreement prevented him from serving any prison time, but it did not prevent him from receiving a dismissal.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: In their appeal, Ashby and Schweitzer asked for a re-examination of their trial and for clemency, challenging their dismissals in order to be eligible for military benefits. They claimed that during the first trial the prosecution and the defense secretly agreed to drop the involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide charges, but to keep the obstruction of justice charge, in order to satisfy the requests coming from Italy. The appeal of Schweitzer was denied in November 2007. Decisions from the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces were made available in August 2009.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: In a formal investigation report redacted on March 10, 1998, and signed by Lieutenant General Peter Pace, the U.S. Marine Corps agreed with the results of the Italian officers. The investigation was led by General Michael DeLong, along with Italian Colonels Orfeo Durigon and Fermo Missarino. The document was kept secret until the Italian newspaper "La Stampa" legally obtained a copy from the U.S. archives and published it on July 13, 2011.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: The Marine aircrew was determined to be flying too low and too fast, putting themselves and others at risk. The investigation team suggested that disciplinary measures against the flight crew and commanding officers should be taken, that the U.S. had to bear the full blame for what happened, and that victims' relatives were entitled to receive a monetary settlement.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: The commission found that the squadron was deployed at Aviano on August 27, 1997, before the publication of new directives by the Italian government forbidding flight below in Trentino-Alto Adige. All the squadron's pilots received a copy of the directive. The letter was later found, unopened, in the cockpit of the EA-6B along with maps marking the cable car wire route. Directives were irrelevant here, since diving below cables was prohibited at all times regardless. In the report, the pilots are said to be usually well-behaved and sane, without any previous case of drug abuse or psychological stress. Nevertheless, on January 24, they had received a formal warning for flying too low after a training take-off.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: On February 2, Schweitzer planned the flight route for a low-altitude training mission using obsolete documents. It was proved that the squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Muegge, and his assistants, Captains Roys, Recce, Watton, and Caramanian, did not alert the navigator about the new flight altitude limitations, possibly because the proposed flight had a lower floor of , enough to be safe with any cable in the area. The report included an interview with the commander of 31st Fighter Wing, who stated that Muegge confessed to him that he and his crew, save for Ashby, were aware of the current flight limitations. After approving the report, Pace suggested disciplinary measures be taken against the commanders as well.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: On the morning of the disaster, the plane underwent maintenance due to a fault in the "G-meter", which measures g-forces; the unit was replaced. The radar altimeter was checked and reported to be in normal condition. After the disaster, Ashby reported the altimeter never sounded a low altitude warning, but this is disputed and highly the time of the disaster, the altimeter was set to alert at and the plane had been flying at less than .


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: Ashby was qualified for low-altitude flights and prohibited from diving below cables at all times. His last training mission of that kind was flown over six months before, on July 3. The report includes flight tracing from a nearby AWACS airplane. The document reports a camcorder aboard the flight, but it was blank after Schweitzer had taken the original cassette and burned it afterwards. Schweitzer confessed in 2012 that he had burned the tape containing incriminating evidence upon returning to Aviano Air Base.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: By February 1999, the victims' families had received per victim as immediate help by the Italian government.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: In May 1999, the U.S. Congress rejected a bill that would have set up a $40 million compensation fund for the victims.


title: 1998 Cavalese cable car crash

text: In December 1999, the Italian Parliament approved a monetary compensation plan for the families ($1.9 million per victim). NATO treaties obligated the U.S. government to pay 75% of this compensation, which it did.


title: Spermatophyte

text: A spermatophyte (; ), also known as phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is any plant that produces seeds, hence the alternative name seed plant. Spermatophytes are a subset of the embryophytes or land plants. They include most familiar types of plants, including all flowers and most trees, but exclude some other types of plants such as ferns, mosses, algae.


title: Spermatophyte

text: The term "phanerogams" or "phanerogamae" is derived from the Greek (), meaning "visible", in contrast to the cryptogamae (), together with the suffix (), meaning "to marry". These terms distinguished those plants with hidden sexual organs (cryptogamae) from those with visible sexual organs (phanerogamae).


title: Spermatophyte

text: The extant spermatophytes form five divisions, the first four of which are traditionally grouped as gymnosperms, plants that have unenclosed, "naked seeds":


title: Spermatophyte

text: The fifth extant division is the flowering plants, also known as angiosperms or magnoliophytes, the largest and most diverse group of spermatophytes:


title: Spermatophyte

text: In addition to the five living taxa listed above, the fossil record contains evidence of many extinct taxa of seed plants, among those:


title: Spermatophyte

text: By the Triassic period, seed ferns had declined in ecological importance, and representatives of modern gymnosperm groups were abundant and dominant through the end of the Cretaceous, when the angiosperms radiated.


title: Spermatophyte

text: A whole genome duplication event in the ancestor of seed plants occurred about . This gave rise to a series of evolutionary changes that resulted in the origin of seed plants.


title: Spermatophyte

text: A middle Devonian (385-million-year-old) precursor to seed plants from Belgium has been identified predating the earliest seed plants by about 20 million years. "Runcaria", small and radially symmetrical, is an integumented megasporangium surrounded by a cupule. The megasporangium bears an unopened distal extension protruding above the mutlilobed integument. It is suspected that the extension was involved in anemophilous (wind) pollination. "Runcaria" sheds new light on the sequence of character acquisition leading to the seed. "Runcaria" has all of the qualities of seed plants except for a solid seed coat and a system to guide the pollen to the seed.


title: Spermatophyte

text: Seed-bearing plants are a subclade of the vascular plants (tracheophytes) and were traditionally divided into angiosperms, or flowering plants, and gymnosperms, which includes the gnetophytes, cycads, ginkgo, and conifers. Older morphological studies believed in a close relationship between the gnetophytes and the angiosperms, in particular based on vessel elements. However, molecular studies (and some more recent morphological and fossil papers) have generally shown a clade of gymnosperms, with the gnetophytes in or near the conifers. For example, one common proposed set of relationships is known as the "gne-pine hypothesis" and looks like:


title: Spermatophyte

text: Other classifications group all the seed plants in a single division, with classes for the five groups:


title: Spermatophyte

text: A more modern classification ranks these groups as separate divisions (sometimes under the Superdivision Spermatophyta):


title: Spermatophyte

text: An alternative phylogeny of spermatophytes based on the work by Novíkov & Barabaš-Krasni 2015 with plant taxon authors from Anderson, Anderson & Cleal 2007 showing the relationship of extinct clades.


title: Session musician

text: Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a tour. Session musicians are usually not permanent or official members of a musical ensemble or band. They work behind the scenes and rarely achieve individual fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders. However, top session musicians are well known within the music industry, and some have become publicly recognized, such as the Wrecking Crew, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and The Funk Brothers who worked with Motown Records.


title: Session musician

text: Many session musicians specialize in playing common rhythm section instruments such as guitar, piano, bass, or drums. Others are specialists, and play brass, woodwinds, and strings.


title: Session musician

text: Many session musicians play multiple instruments, which lets them play in a wider range of musical situations, genres and styles. Examples of "doubling" include double bass and electric bass, acoustic guitar and mandolin, piano and accordion, and saxophone and other woodwind instruments.


title: Session musician

text: Session musicians are used when musical skills are needed on a short-term basis. Typically session musicians are used by recording studios to provide backing tracks for other musicians for recording sessions and live performances; recording music for advertising, film, television, and theatre. In the 2000s, the terms "session musician" and "studio musician" are synonymous, though in past decades, "studio musician" meant a musician associated with a single record company, recording studio or entertainment agency.


title: Session musician

text: Session musicians may play in a wide range of genres or specialize in a specific genre (e.g. country music or jazz). Some session musicians with a Classical music background may focus on film score recordings. Even within a specific genre specialization, there may be even more focused sub-specializations. For example, a sub-specialization within trumpet session players is "high note specialist".


title: Session musician

text: The working schedule for session musicians often depends on the terms set out by musicians' unions or associations, as these organizations typically set out rules on performance schedules (e.g. regarding length of session and breaks). The length of employment may be as short as a single day, in the case of a recording a brief demo song, or as long as several weeks, if an album or film score is being recorded.


title: Session musician

text: The remuneration terms are often set out by musicians' associations and unions. Some musicians may get the minimum scale rate set out by the union. Heavily in-demand session musicians may earn much more. The union rates may vary based on whether it is a music recording versus film/television recording. While the film/television rates may be lower, there may also be residual payments to compensate them for reruns, DVD sales, streaming usage, and so on.


title: Session musician

text: Session musicians often have to bring their own instruments, such as in the case of guitar, bass, woodwinds, and brass. It is expected that studio musicians will have professional-tier instruments that are well-maintained. In some cases, larger or heavier instruments may be provided by the recording studio, such as a grand piano or Hammond organ and Leslie speaker. In certain cases, a session musicians may bring some instruments or musical gear and use them with larger instruments that are provided by the studio, such as a synthesizer player, who might bring rack-mounted synth modules and connect them to the studio's MIDI controller stage piano. Similarly, if the studio has a selection of well-known bass amplifiers and speaker cabinets, a bass player may only have to bring basses and effect units.


title: Session musician

text: The requirement to read different types of music notation, improvise and/or "play by ear" varies according to the type of recording session and the genres of music being performed. Classical musicians and many jazz and popular music musicians are expected to read music notation and do sight-reading. In jazz, rock, and many popular music genres, performers may be expected to read chord charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In country music, performers may be expected to read Nashville Number System charts and improvise accompaniment and solos. In many traditional and folk music styles, performers are expected to be able to play by ear.


title: Session musician

text: Session musicians need a nuanced sense of the playing styles and idioms used in different genres. For example, a sax player who mainly plays jazz needs to know the R&B style if they are asked to improvise a solo in an R&B song. Similarly, a bass player asked to improvise a walking bassline in a rockabilly song needs to know the stock lines and cliches used in this genre.


title: Session musician

text: Regardless of the styles of music session musicians play, some qualities are universal: punctuality in arriving at the session; rhythmic and intonation precision; ability to play with good ensemble and excellent blending with the other performers; willingness to take direction from bandleaders, music directors, and music producers; and having good musical taste in regards to choices with musical ornaments and musical phrasing.


title: Session musician

text: During the 1950s and 1960s, session players were usually active in local recording scenes concentrated in places such as Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, Memphis, Detroit, and Muscle Shoals.<ref name="Memphis/Nashville/Muscle Shoals">Source A: Source B:Source C:</ref> Each local scene had its circle of "A-list" session musicians, such as The Nashville A-Team that played on numerous country and rock hits of the era, the two groups of musicians in Memphis, both the Memphis Boys and the musicians who backed Stax/Volt recordings, and the Funk Brothers in Detroit, who played on many Motown recordings.


title: Session musician

text: At the time, multi-tracking equipment, though common, was less elaborate, and instrumental backing tracks were often recorded "hot" with an ensemble playing live in the studio. Musicians had to be available "on call" when producers needed a part to fill a last-minute time slot. In the 1960s, Los Angeles was considered the top recording destination in the United States — consequently studios were constantly booked around the clock, and session time was highly sought after and expensive.<ref name="JazzWax (Byrds/studio expense)"></ref> Songs had to be recorded quickly in the fewest possible takes. In this environment, Los Angeles producers and record executives had little patience for needless expense or wasted time and depended on the service of reliable standby musicians who could be counted on to record in a variety of styles with minimal practice or takes, and deliver hits on short order.


title: Session musician

text: A "studio band" is a musical ensemble that is in the employ of a recording studio for the purpose of accompanying recording artists who are customers of the studio. The use of studio bands was more common during the 1960s with groups such Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The benefit of having a regular group, an approach which typified Southern soul, is that the group has much more experience playing together, which enables them to get a better sense of ensemble.


title: Satan Shoes

text: Satan Shoes were a series of custom Nike Air Max 97 shoes, created in 2021 as a collaboration between musician Lil Nas X and MSCHF, an art collective. Their design and marketing gained controversy through prominent satanic imagery. Nike, Inc. sued MSCHF for trademark infringement, false designation of origin, trademark dilution, and unfair competition.


title: Satan Shoes

text: Each pair of shoes is black, and features a bronze pentagram on the laces and an inverted cross, while on the sides of the shoes is a reference to the Biblical passage Luke 10:18. MSCHF claims that the shoes are made with "60cc of ink and 1 drop of human blood". According to MSCHF co-founder Daniel Greenberg, the blood came from "about six" MSCHF employees. A detail from Jan van Eyck's "Last Judgement" appears to be present on the packaging.


title: Satan Shoes

text: The shoes were released alongside the music video for Lil Nas X's song "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", where the rapper can be seen descending into Hell on a stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance before killing him and presumably becoming the new ruler of Hell. A pair of the shoes can be seen on Satan's feet in the music video. Additionally, only 666 pairs of the shoes were produced, priced at $1,018 each. The shoes sold out in under a minute.


title: Satan Shoes

text: Several publications compared the shoes to a comic book published by Marvel Comics in 1977 based on the rock band Kiss, for which the band members mixed vials of their own blood into the red ink used for printing the books.


title: Satan Shoes

text: Nike contended before federal judge Eric R. Komitee that the Satan Shoes were manufactured without authorization from Nike. Nike's lawyers argued that they have "submitted evidence that even sophisticated sneakerheads were confused" by the shoes. Nike lawyers cited the Rogers test.


title: Satan Shoes

text: Nike released a statement in response to the controversy generated, saying "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them". Additionally, the company initiated a lawsuit against MSCHF, alleging that they had infringed on Nike's trademarks, and made consumers believe that "Nike is endorsing satanism". As of April 1, Nike succeeded in obtaining a restraining order against MSCHF, blocking sales of the Satan Shoes.


title: Satan Shoes

text: The shoes were met with disapproval, including from basketball player Nick Young, Free Chapel pastor Jentezen Franklin, American football quarterback Trevor Lawrence, fellow rapper Joyner Lucas, evangelical pastor Mark Burns, conservative pundit Candace Owens and South Dakota governor Kristi Noem. The Church of Satan gave its full approval to the "Montero" music video and the shoes. Lil Nas X told critics via Twitter his agenda was to "make people stay the fuck out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be."


title: Endocannibalism

text: Endocannibalism is a practice of cannibalism in one's own locality or community. Endocannibalism has also been used to describe the consumption of relics in a mortuary context.


title: Endocannibalism

text: It is believed that some South American indigenous cultures, such as the Mayoruna people, practiced endocannibalism in the past. The Amahuaca Indians of Peru picked particles of bone out of the ashes of a cremation fire, ground them with corn, and drank as a kind of gruel. For the Wari' people in western Brazil, endocannibalism was an act of compassion where the roasted remains of fellow Wari' were consumed in a mortuary setting; ideally, the affines (relatives by marriage) would consume the entire corpse, and rejecting the practice would be offensive to the direct family members. Ya̧nomamö consumed the ground-up bones and ashes of cremated kinsmen in an act of mourning; this is still classified as endocannibalism, although, strictly speaking, "flesh" is not eaten. Such practices were generally not believed to have been driven by need for protein or other food.


title: Endocannibalism

text: Kuru is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) caused by prions that are found in humans. Human prion diseases come in sporadic, genetic and infectious forms. Kuru was the first infectious human prion disease discovered. It spread through the Fore people of Papua New Guinea, among whom relatives consumed the bodies of the deceased to return the "life force" of the deceased to the hamlet. Kuru was 8 to 9 times more prevalent in women and children than in men at its peak because, while the men of the village consumed muscle tissues, the women and children would eat the rest of the body, including the brain, where the prion particles were particularly concentrated. Historical research suggests the kuru epidemic may have originated around 1900 from a single individual who lived on the edge of Fore territory, and who is thought to have spontaneously developed some form of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a related prion disease. Oral history records that cannibalism began within the Fore in the late 19th century. Recent research at University College London identified a gene that protects against prion diseases, by studying the Fore people.


title: Endocannibalism

text: Currently there is no treatment to cure or even treatment to control kuru, but there are numerous programs being funded by universities and national institutes, such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This institute is currently funding research into the genetic and cellular process behind the development and transmission of kuru and other TSE diseases.


title: Endocannibalism

text: Whether or not endocannibalism was commonplace through much of human prehistory remains controversial.


title: Endocannibalism

text: A team led by Michael Alpers, a lifelong investigator of kuru, found genes that protect against similar prion diseases were widespread, suggesting that such endocannibalism could have once been common around the world.


title: Endocannibalism

text: A genetic study with a range of authors published by the University College London in 2009 declared evidence of a "powerful episode" of natural selection in recent humans. This evidence is found in the 127V polymorphism, a mutation which protects against the kuru disease. In simpler terms, it would appear the kuru disease has affected all humans to the extent we have a specialised immune response to it. However, a study drawing from hundreds of resources in 2013 claims further that 127V derives from an ancient and wide spread cannibalistic practice, not related to kuru specifically, but "kuru-like epidemics" which appeared around the time of the extinction of the neanderthals who co-existed with humans. This allows the suggestion that cannibalistic practises may have caused diseases which killed the neanderthals, but not the humans because of the 127V resistance gene.


title: Salad cream

text: Salad cream is a creamy, pale yellow condiment based on an emulsion of about 25–50 percent oil in water, emulsified by egg yolk and acidulated by spirit vinegar. It is somewhat similar in composition to mayonnaise and may include other ingredients such as sugar, mustard, salt, thickener, spices, flavouring and colouring. The first ready-made commercial product was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1914, where it is used as a salad dressing and a sandwich spread.


title: Salad cream

text: Historically, salad cream, often mentioned in Victorian sources, consisted of "hard-boiled eggs puréed with cream, mustard, salt and vinegar".


title: Salad cream

text: In the UK, it has been produced by companies including H. J. Heinz Company and Crosse & Blackwell. Heinz Salad Cream was the first brand developed exclusively for the UK market. When first created in the Harlesden kitchens of Heinz in 1914, it was prepared by hand. The jars were packed in straw-lined barrels with 12 dozen in each. The quota was 180 dozen jars a day, with a halfpenny a dozen bonus if the workforce could beat the target.


title: Kya Kehna

text: Kya Kehna () is a 2000 Indian Hindi romantic drama film. Written by Honey Irani, it was directed by Kundan Shah and released on 19 May 2000 at a budget of . "Kya Kehna" dealt with the taboo issue of pre-marital pregnancy and society views on the same, and stars Preity Zinta in the central role as a single teenage mother, with Saif Ali Khan, Chandrachur Singh, Farida Jalal and Anupam Kher in supporting roles. This is the first of several films where Zinta and Khan acted together.


title: Kya Kehna

text: "Kya Kehna" was filmed back in 1997 and was supposed to release in 1998. In fact, this film was supposed to be Zinta's debut film and she even began shooting for it, but due to some unknown reasons and delays, it was postponed to 2000. Therefore, several of Zinta's films were released before this film, including two of her Telugu films, and especially "Dil Se.." (1998), which ended up becoming her debut film. Upon its theatrical release, it was positively reviewed by critics. Zinta's performance and Irani's story writing was highlighted. The music was composed by Rajesh Roshan. "Kya Kehna" was an unexpected success earning worldwide. At the 46th Filmfare Awards, Irani won the Best Story category, with Zinta and Singh receiving nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively.


title: Kya Kehna

text: Priya Bakshi (Preity Zinta) is the bubbly, free-spirited daughter of Gulshan (Anupam Kher) and Rohini Bakshi (Farida Jalal). Priya's parents, brothers, and best friend, Ajay (Chandrachur Singh) love and support her. Ajay is secretly in love with Priya and wishes to marry her in the future.


title: Kya Kehna

text: Priya enters her first year of university and quickly catches the eye of wealthy playboy Rahul (Saif Ali Khan), who becomes attracted to her. She succumbs to his charm but Ajay and her brother Vicky (Mamik Singh) are unsure about Rahul. His reputation and womanizing ways worry them, and they warn her to stay away from him. However, Priya believes that Rahul is in love with her, and the two begin a relationship and have sex. Priya convinces her parents to meet Rahul, but when they prematurely talk about marriage and the future, he mocks them and leaves Priya. Priya is heartbroken but tries to move on with her life. She later learns that she is pregnant with Rahul's child. Her parents go back to Rahul to talk about marriage once again. He acknowledges that he is the father but still does not want to marry Priya. Rahul's mother also berates Priya's family, believing that they are looking for financial compensation. Priya is faced with a decision, and she chooses to keep the child. Her decision prompts her father to willfully banish her from the house due to the shame. Alone and neglected, Priya is devastated. However, her family later finds it hard to live without her and they bring her back, supporting her during her pregnancy.


title: Kya Kehna

text: Priya goes back to university, where she is shunned due to her pregnancy and 'spoiled' character. Rahul's mother, who is part of the university's board of directors, tries to convince the other parents that Priya should be expelled due to her character. Ostracised by friends, neighbours, and society, Priya realises Ajay's love and dedication for her.


title: Kya Kehna

text: The university holds a year-end performance, where a group of students put on a play that mocks and vilifies Priya and her pregnancy. After the play, Priya makes a passionate speech about love, honour, and respect. She tells the audience about how she isn't the only one to blame for her pregnancy, and how she decided to let her baby live and enjoy life. Her words move many in the audience, including Rahul. Her friends apologise to her, and she gains the support of the community. Later, Ajay declares his love for Priya and desires to marry her. However, Priya worries whether Ajay will accept her and her unborn child. Ajay tells her he is fully willing to accept both her and her child as his own. Unknown to Priya and Ajay a remorseful Rahul approaches Priya's family and reveals he is ready to apologise and raise his and Priya's child together to which they agree. Priya water breaks before she can answer Ajay's proposal and she goes to the hospital to give birth, where she's joined by Rahul and her family.


title: Kya Kehna

text: At an event to celebrate the birth of Priya's baby, Rahul proposes to Priya, stating that he is ready for marriage and to raise their child. Ajay wishes them well and begins to walk away. However, Priya rejects Rahul and confesses her love for Ajay, asking him whether he's still willing to accept her and her child, Ajay agrees to this. Rahul accepts Priya's decision, wishes them well, and leaves.


title: Kya Kehna

text: The soundtrack of the film contains 8 songs. The music is given by Rajesh Roshan, with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 20,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's seventh highest-selling. The title song "Kya Kehna" is lifted from Neil Sedaka's Single "Oh Carol".


title: Kya Kehna

text: The film was a box office success and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2000, and was declared a "super hit" in India. The film's success was unexpected, and it was therefore described as a sleeper hit.


title: Kya Kehna

text: Vinayak Chakravorty of "Hindustan Times" gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "The basic premise of "Kya Kehna!", then, definitely had the potential of being a gripping family entertainer. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, you feel as if most people associated with the film somehow lost interest." He noted, however, Zinta as "the bright spot of the film". Aradhika Sekhon of "The Tribune" wrote, "The film itself has several flaws but the issues that it tackles are real. The director takes a straight, hard look at the problems of today and holds them up for exhibition. The Indian tendency is to sweep uncomfortable issues under the carpet but if films like "Kya Kehna!" continue to be made, at least, we'll be forced to confront them." Mimmy Jain of "The Indian Express", in a positive review, commended Shah for making "a sensitive film, on a sensitive subject", calling "Kya Kehna" "a film that should have been made years ago". She further noted Zinta as being "dazzlingly good" in her part.


title: Kya Kehna

text: "Filmfare", in a three-star review, wrote that the film is "worth a watch" and attributed its success to Zinta's "very convincing performance". Sharmila Taliculam from "Rediff.com" was critical of the film, concluding, "Apart from the climax, the film is no big deal." Namita Nivas of "Screen" shared similar sentiments, writing that "there is nothing unusual or different about "Kya Kehna" as the makers have been claiming for a long time", but she, too, praised Zinta for her "brilliant performance".


title: Inherent Vice

text: Inherent Vice is a novel by American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to investigate a scheme involving a prominent land developer. Themes of drug culture and counterculture are prominently featured. Critical reception was largely positive, with reviewers describing "Inherent Vice" as one of Pynchon's more accessible works. The novel was adapted into a 2014 film of the same name.


title: Inherent Vice

text: The novel is set in Los Angeles in 1970. Larry "Doc" Sportello, a private investigator and pothead, receives a visit from his former girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth, who is now having an affair with real-estate mogul Michael Z. "Mickey" Wolfmann. Shasta asks Doc to help foil a plot allegedly hatched by Mickey's wife Sloane and her lover, Riggs Warbling, to have Mickey admitted to a mental health institution. Later, a black militant named Tariq Khalil asks Doc to find Glen Charlock, one of Mickey's bodyguards—Tariq claims that Charlock owes him money after their time spent together in prison.


title: Inherent Vice

text: Doc visits one of Mickey's developments but is knocked unconscious, and awakes to find himself being questioned by his old LAPD nemesis, Det. Christian F. "Bigfoot" Bjornsen, who informs Doc that Charlock has been shot dead and Mickey has vanished. Later, Doc is visited by Hope Harlingen, the widow of a musician named Coy Harlingen, who wants Doc to investigate rumors that Coy is still alive. Doc learns that Coy has been working for the government as an informer and "agent provocateur", but is allowed no contact with his family. He finds Coy in a nightclub, who tells Doc about the "Golden Fang", an old schooner suspected of bringing mysterious goods into port, and upon which both Mickey and Shasta are rumored to have departed. He also discovers that Puck Beaverton had switched shifts with Charlock on the day of Charlock's death.


title: Inherent Vice

text: Doc visits Golden Fang Enterprises where he meets Japonica Fenway, a young runaway whom Doc had returned to her wealthy parents on a previous occasion. Japonica reveals that she has stayed at a clinic named the Chryskylodon Institute. Doc visits the institute, where he again encounters Coy Harlingen, and deduces that Mickey has been apprehended by an unknown person. Doc is then told that the attack during which Glen Charlock was shot was carried out by a group of vigilantes who secretly work for the LAPD. Doc then discovers links between Puck Beaverton and a notorious loan shark named Adrian Prussia. After a visit from Trillium Fortnight, a female companion of Puck's, Doc travels to Las Vegas in search of Puck and Trillium's sexual threesome partner, Einar.


title: Inherent Vice

text: In Las Vegas, Doc places a bet with the manager of the Kismet Lounge, Fabian Fazzo, that Mickey hadn't faked his own disappearance. Later, Doc believes that he sees Mickey in the company of federal agents, and subsequently hears of Mickey's scheme for a philanthropic housing project in the desert. Doc visits the site and encounters Riggs Warbling, architect of the housing project, who fears that Mickey has been "reprogrammed" and that the development, already abandoned, will be destroyed.


title: Inherent Vice

text: Back in Los Angeles, Doc learns that Puck Beaverton and Bigfoot's former policing partner, Vincent Indelicato, were sworn enemies. Adrian Prussia permitted Puck to murder Vincent. Doc visits Adrian, who claims that he is behind the Golden Fang organization, while Puck contends that Glen was killed deliberately because he was supplying black-power groups with weapons. Doc is handcuffed and about to be given a lethal drug overdose, but escapes and kills both Puck and Adrian. Bigfoot, who has evidently been using Doc to investigate Vincent's death, picks Doc up, but sets him up with a huge quantity of stolen heroin.


title: Inherent Vice

text: Doc hides the drugs and is later contacted by Crocker Fenway, the father of Japonica, who acts as an intermediary for the Golden Fang. Doc arranges a handover, his only condition being that Coy is released from all of his obligations and allowed to return to his family. After the handover, Doc and his lawyer Sauncho hear that the "Golden Fang" schooner is leaving port. Along with the Coast Guard, they pursue the vessel, and watch as it is abandoned after encountering an enormous surf wave. Sauncho and Doc then decide to place a claim on the schooner.


title: Inherent Vice

text: At the end of the novel, Doc receives a payment from Fabian Fazzo in settlement of his bet about Mickey. He also learns that Coy has been reunited with Hope and their child Amethyst.


title: Inherent Vice

text: Critics reacted well to "Inherent Vice", particularly for its mainstream appeal. In a generally favorable review, "The New York Times" Michiko Kakutani called it "Pynchon Lite", describing it as "a simple shaggy-dog detective story that pits likable dopers against the Los Angeles Police Department and its 'countersubversive' agents, a novel in which paranoia is less a political or metaphysical state than a byproduct of smoking too much weed". A review by academic Louis Menand in "The New Yorker" declared the novel "a generally lighthearted affair", while adding that there were still "a few familiar apocalyptic touches, and a suggestion that countercultural California is a lost continent of freedom and play, swallowed up by the faceless forces of co-optation and repression". In a scathing review in "New York" magazine, Sam Anderson wrote that "with no suspense and nothing at stake, Pynchon's manic energy just feels like aimless invention".


title: Inherent Vice

text: Pynchon promoted the book with a video trailer, released before the hardback. The video featured Pynchon narrating as Doc, accompanied by footage of the book's California locale and period music.


title: Inherent Vice

text: In early 2011, it was reported that writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson would adapt "Inherent Vice" into a feature film. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix (who also starred in Anderson's 2012 film "The Master") and is narrated by musician Joanna Newsom. On September 29, 2014, the first trailer and a poster for the film were released by Warner Bros. The film opened in the United States on December 12, 2014 to positive reviews.


title: Inherent Vice

text: The film closely followed the novel, often taking dialogue straight from the text. Some changes include Anderson positioning Sortilège (played by Newsom), a minor character in the novel, as the film's narrator. Doc's entire trip to Las Vegas is excised, as well.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: A natural gas vehicle (NGV) is an alternative fuel vehicle that uses compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas vehicles should not be confused with autogas vehicles powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), mainly propane, a fuel with a fundamentally different composition.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: In a natural-gas-powered vehicle, energy is released by the combustion of methane gas () fuel with oxygen () from the air to form carbon dioxide () and water vapor () in an internal combustion engine. Methane is the cleanest burning hydrocarbon, and many contaminants present in natural gas are removed at the source. Existing gasoline-powered vehicles may be converted to CNG or LNG and can be dedicated (running only on natural gas) or bi-fuel (running on gasoline or natural gas). Diesel engines for heavy trucks and buses can also be converted and can be dedicated with the addition of new heads containing spark ignition systems, or can be run on a blend of diesel and natural gas, with the primary fuel being natural gas and a small amount of diesel fuel being used as an ignition source. It is also possible to generate energy in a small gas turbine and couple the gas engine or turbine with a small electric battery to create a hybrid electric motor-driven vehicle.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: Convenient fuel storage and refueling is a key challenge compared to petrol and diesel vehicles because natural gas is pressurized and liquefied (in the case of LNG). The lower energy density of gases compared to liquid fuels is mitigated greatly by high compression or gas liquefaction but requires a trade-off in terms of size/complexity/weight of the storage container and range of the vehicle. Although similar storage technologies may be used and similar compromises would apply to a hydrogen vehicle as part of a proposed new hydrogen economy, methane as a gaseous fuel is safer than hydrogen due to its lower flammability, low corrosivity, and better leak tightness due to its larger molecular weight, resulting in lower price hardware solutions. Other factors holding back NGV popularization for individual mobility applications, i.e. private vehicles, include the additional weight, unfamiliarity with the technology and lack of refueling infrastructure in some countries due to relatively small demand compared with other petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: Worldwide, there were almost 28 million NGVs by 2019. In 2016, the market was led by China (5.4 million), Iran (4 million), India (3 million), Pakistan (3 million), Argentina (2.2 million), Brazil (1.8 million), and Italy (1.1 million).


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: NGV filling stations can be located anywhere that natural gas lines exist. Compressors (CNG) or liquefaction plants (LNG) are usually built on a large scale but with CNG, small home refueling stations are possible. A company called Fuel Maker pioneered such a system called Phil Home Refueling Appliance (known as "Phil"), which they developed in partnership with Honda for the American GX model. Phil is now manufactured and sold by BRC Fuel Maker, a division of Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: CNG may be generated and used for bulk storage and pipeline transport of renewable energy and also be mixed with biomethane, itself derived from biogas from landfills or anaerobic digestion. This would allow the use of CNG for mobility with less carbon released into the atmosphere compared to regular diesel-powered vehicles. It would also allow the continued use of CNG vehicles currently powered by non-renewable fossil fuels so that those vehicles do not become obsolete if stricter emissions regulations are mandated to combat climate change.


title: Natural gas vehicle

text: A key advantage of using natural gas is the existence, in principle, of most of the infrastructure and the supply chain, which is non-interchangeable with hydrogen. Methane today mostly comes from non-renewable sources but can be supplied or produced from renewable sources, offering net carbon-neutral mobility. In many markets, especially the Americas, natural gas may trade at a discount to other fossil fuel products such as petrol, diesel or coal, or indeed be a less valuable by-product associated with their production that has to be disposed of. Many countries also provide tax incentives for natural gas-powered vehicles due to the environmental benefits to society. Lower operating costs and government incentives to reduce pollution from heavy vehicles in urban areas have driven the adoption of NGV for commercial and public uses, i.e. trucks and buses.