ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
All planets in our solar system follow an elliptical path. This path is known as an orbit. Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is an ellipse. The Earth's orbit takes about 365 days, this is also called a year. This means that in 365 days (a year) the Earth has gone around the Sun. From this we can find that the orbital speed of the Earth is about through space. The closest distance Earth is to the Sun, or perihelion, is and the farthest or aphelion is . It takes light (or any other electromagnetic radiation) just over eight minutes to travel from Sun to Earth. This averages out to a typical distance of 150 million kilometers. The seasonal changes on Earth are because of the 23.44° axial tilt of its rotation and slightly elliptical path around the Sun. The orbit varies over long periods of time according to the Milankovitch cycles. These cycles are one of the main causes of climate change. This diagram shows a very exaggerated shape of Earth's orbit; the actual orbit is almost circular.
Penelope is a woman from the Greek mythology. She is the wife of Odysseus of Ithaca and mother of Telemachus. She became a symbol for the faithful wife. When her husband Odysseus was on his long journey home, many people thought he was dead. Because of this, many suitors came who wanted to marry Penelope, because then they would own her land and wealth, and become king of Ithaca. Penelope thinks of several tricks so that she does not have to marry one of the suitors. One trick is that she tells the suitors that she will first weave a cloth for the funeral of Odysseus' father, and when she was finished she would marry one of the suitors. But every night she undoes her weaving again, so that she never finishes it. When Odysseus finally comes back after twenty years, he and his son Telemachos kill the suitors.
Anemia (U.S. spelling) or anaemia is the most common blood disorder. It is caused by not having enough red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood. Types (and causes) of anemia according to size of red blood cells. Microcytic anemia. Microcytic anemia develops when red blood cells are smaller than usual because they don’t contain enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen to different parts of the body. Normocytic anemia. Normocytic anemia occurs when the number of red blood cells is lower than normal, and those cells contain less hemoglobin than they should. This type of anemia is often caused by an underlying chronic condition. Treatment for normocytic anemia typically involves addressing the underlying illness. Macrocytic anemia. Macrocytic anemia is a blood condition where the bone marrow produces unusually large red blood cells. These oversized cells lack the necessary nutrients to function properly. While macrocytic anemia itself is not a severe condition, it can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. Dimorphic anemia. Dimorphic anemia includes two types of anemia at the same time. For example, macrocytic hypochromic, due to hookworm infestation leading to not enough of both iron and vitamin B12 or folic acid or following a blood transfusion.
Memphis is the second-most populous city in the state of Tennessee. The city has a large port on the Mississippi River. It is also well known for blues music and barbecue. The city is also home to FedEx, a leading company that ships packages around the world. Memphis is also known for being the home of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley.  Memphis is named for Memphis, Egypt, an ancient capital city of Egypt. History. The future area of Memphis was first settled by the Mississippian culture before it was discovered by French and Spanish explorers.  The United States took the land from Spain in 1797, and Andrew Jackson implemented the Indian Removal Act that facilitated the expulsion of the Cherokee from the area, making it available to white settlers. The city was established in 1819. Until the American Civil War, Memphis was a hub of cotton and slave trade. Brutal riots of angry whites against black people took place in 1866, in which 46 African Americans were killed. Yellow fever struck the city in the 1870s, killing a lot of people. The city recovered, and its population more than doubled.  The Memphis sanitation strikes was one of the key movements in the Civil Rights Movement. Musicians such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King influenced the city's identity as the birthplace of rock and roll. Geography. Memphis is located east of the Mississippi River. The Wolf River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, crosses the city. Its metropolitan area extends into Arkansas and Mississippi. Government. , Paul Young is the mayor of Memphis. Sports. A few professional sports teams are located in Memphis. The Memphis Grizzlies are a basketball team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the FedExForum. The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League that plays at AutoZone Park.
Dari (Persian: دَرِیْ; "Fārsī-ye Darī") is a dialect of the Persian language. It is the Persian language as spoken in Afghanistan. It is the second official language of Afghanistan, and is widely used by the government and most media agencies. It is mainly spoken by the Tajiks and other minority groups. A small minority also exists in parts of Pakistan closest to these named regions. It is sometimes called Farsi. People in Afghanistan and Iran who speak Persian can understand each other. The name Dari was given to the Persian language at a very early date. Historically, Dari was the court language of the Sassanids.
Counterpoint is the art of composing music by combining different parts (voices) in a way that sounds nice. Music composed like this is called contrapuntal. If the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle little star" is played on the piano and then some chords are added, this is harmony, not counterpoint. Instead, if the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle little star" was played while another melody was played, this would be considered counterpoint. A different way of playing it would be to start the tune with the right hand. Then, in the second bar (measure), as the fifth note is played, the left hand starts to play the tune an octave lower. This works well for a time, but in the fifth bar (on the word “Up” in the right hand part) it starts to get dissonant (sounding unpleasant), so changes need to made to the left hand to make it sound nicer. This way of writing with a particular number of parts (in this case: two) is called "contrapuntal music". In that example the left hand imitated the right hand at first. This is called imitation. If the second part had continued to imitate all the way through the piece it would have been a canon. But “Twinkle, twinkle” does not work well as a canon. One famous canon is by Thomas Tallis. A canon that can be repeated is called a round. This is all contrapuntal music. Counterpoint does not have to have imitation, although it often does. The important thing is that each part (i.e. each voice) is equally important. It is not one part singing the tune and the rest just accompanying. Counterpoint does not have to be one note against one note. There can be two or more notes in one part against one in the other e.g. crotchets (quarter notes) in one part and quavers (eighth notes) in another. There is a whole system for this called “species”. Counterpoint can be varied by inverting it, i.e. putting the top part at the bottom. When music is written so that the parts can be swapped round it
Guided by Voices (often called GBV) is an American indie band. Guided by Voices is very famous for making many albums. They were active between 1986 and 2004. The band reunited in 2010 but broke up again in 2014. In 2016 they reunited for a second time. The band had many members who only stayed for a while. Robert Pollard is the most important member. Before becoming a full-time musical artist, he was a teacher at an elementary school. While he was teaching, he created lots of music for the band. Robert is a solo artist today. He is a great fan of rock music. His music, and the music of Guided by Voices, is inspired by the famous British band The Beatles and different music styles like post-British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic, prog-rock, as well as punk and post-punk. Guided by Voices Day. In 2004, during the band's last concert tour before breaking up, many cities around the United States picked a day to be "Guided by Voices Day" in that city. Some of them are:
Eugenics is a social and political philosophy. It tries to influence the way people choose to mate and raise children and to control who is able to have children, with the aim of improving the human species according to subjective definitions. Eugenics rests on some basic ideas. The first is that, in genetics, what is true of animals is also true of man. The characteristics of animals are passed on from one generation to the next in heredity, including mental characteristics. For example, the behaviour and mental characteristics of different breeds of dog differ, and all modern breeds are greatly changed from wolves. The breeding and genetics of farm animals show that if the parents of the next generation are chosen, then that affects what offspring are born.  "Negative eugenics" aims to cut out traits that lead to suffering, by limiting people with the traits from reproducing. "Positive eugenics" aims to produce more healthy and intelligent humans, by persuading people with those traits to have more children.p85 In the past, many ways were proposed for doing this, and even today eugenics means different things to different people. The idea of eugenics is controversial, because in the past it was sometimes used to justify discrimination and injustice against people who were thought to be genetically unhealthy or inferior. Francis Galton. Modern eugenics was first invented in 1865 by Sir Francis Galton, a British scientist who was the cousin of Charles Darwin. Galton believed that intelligence and talent were hereditary and were passed from parent to their children. Based on this, he thought that people could be bred to be smarter, just like animals were bred to be larger or smaller. Galton thought the best way to do this was to learn more about heredity, and also to tell people that they should only marry people who were smart and strong. Galton chose the name "Eugenics" because it was very similar to the Greek word for "well born".  Galton developed the idea of eugenics throughout his life. He understood the two types of eugenics, positive and negative eugenics. One problem, which critics brought up, is the difficulty of agreeing on who is a healthy person
Sterilisation (which some people spell sterilization) is a process that makes animals or humans unable to reproduce. Sterilisation completely stops people from having children most of the time. Sterilisation often is done for a way of birth control, or for people to go "childfree". But it has often been done against the will of a person. This is called "compulsory sterilisation".
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (, "Kérberos"; Latin: "Cerberus") is the monstrous, multi-headed dog that guards the entrance to the Underworld, preventing the souls of the dead from leaving.  Often called the "hound of Hades", Cerberus was one of the numerous offspring of the monsters Typhon and Echidna; he is usually depicted as having three heads, along with a serpent for a tail.
Erivan (Iravan/Irevan) is the "capital" and "largest" city of nowadays "Armenia" with a population of about one million people (in 2024). It is one of the "oldest" cities in the world.  The name Erevan is often linked to Irevan (Iravan/Ravan), so some scholars suggest it could also be tied to Azerbaijani-Turkic influences. The region's history involved various Turkic peoples, and some interpretations of the name relate to Turkic roots or terms from Persian-Arabic culture during later periods of influence.  Irevan mate. The climate of Irevan is continental, with dry, hot summers and cold, snowy and short winters. The temperature in August can reach 40°C (104°F), while January may be as cold as -15 °C (5 °F). The amount of precipitation is small, about 350 mm (14 in) per year. Culture. As a centre of Armenian culture, Irevan is the site of Yerevan State University (1919), the Armenian Academy of Sciences, a historical museum, an opera house, a music conservatory and several technical institutes. The Matenadaran archives hold a rich collection of valuable ancient Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, Hebrew, Roman and Persian manuscripts. Yerevan has several large public libraries, a number of museums and theaters, botanical gardens and zoos. It is also at the heart of an extensive rail network and is a major trading centre for agricultural products. In addition, industries in the city produce metals, machine tools, electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles and food products. Two major tourist attractions are the Opera House, the ruins of an Urartu fortress and a Roman fortress. The Armenia Marriott Hotel is in the heart of the city at Republic Square (also known as Hraparak). Metro. The Irevan Metro is a rapid transit system that serves the capital city. Its interior resembles that of western former Soviet nations with chandeliers hanging  from the corridors. The metro stations had most of their names changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Independence of the
Smallpox was a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate. It no longer exists as an epidemic disease. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977. The World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980 (said there was no more). It was caused by a virus. There are two different species of viruses that can cause the disease. They are "Variola major" and "Variola minor". Some people also call smallpox Variola, from the Latin work for "spotted" which is also the viruses' scientific name. Only humans can get this disease, but it probably came from a virus which infected animals. "Variola major" killed between 20% and 40% of those who got it. "Variola minor" killed only about 1%. Many people who survived become blind because of the damage the virus did to the eyes. During the first half of the 20th century, between 300 million and 500 million people died of this disease. Even in 1967, about 15 million people caught the disease, and about two million people died of it, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The first vaccine for smallpox used the results of cowpox infections. It was invented by Edward Jenner. It was used to stop people from getting smallpox. The word "vaccine" came from "vaccina", the Latin word for cow, because cowpox was used. The WHO (World Health Organisation) vaccinated people all over the world. In 1980, the WHO said the disease no longer existed, and no one would ever get sick from it again. Live copies of smallpox are kept in maximum-security laboratories around the world to make sure the disease can never infect people again. Some people believe that smallpox could be used as an agent for purposely infecting enemies in a war. Today, most people no longer receive a smallpox shot.
Ancient China is one of the world's oldest civilizations.  Prehistory means the history of a time before any written record. In such cases, it is very difficult to tell anything definite about the prehistory of China or any other country. Even then, historians believe some facts about the China of that period. About a few million years ago Homo erectus, an early human species, lived in China. Later, about 65,000 years ago, modern human beings Homo sapiens reached China from Africa. For food, they hunted wild animals. They also began to pick and gather fruits, eventually resulting in the Chinese learning to farm by 5000 BC. They had started cultivating rice and possibly other types of grains. By 2500 BC, the Bronze Age had come to China. A ruling class with kings and queens had come into society. Some scholars think that about 4000 years ago, the Xia dynasty ruled China. Yu(Da Yu) was the first ruler of this dynasty. There are few credible sources about Yu (who could have been legendary), his time, and other rulers of the Xia dynasty. Shang dynasty. Most Chinese historians of that time think that one dynasty came after another but it is possible that two dynasties were ruling in different parts of China at the same time. Therefore, some scholars think that Xia dynasty and Shang Dynasty may have ruled at the same time, but in different areas of China. There are written records of the history of China which date from 1500 BC in the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). Turtle shells with writing like ancient Chinese writing from the Shang Dynasty () have been carbon dated to about 1500 BC. Scholars believe that present-day Henan was the ninth and last capital of kings of the Shang Dynasty. This began what we call the Chinese civilization. Ancient China fought wars and Civil wars and was also sometimes conquered by other people. Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. The written history of China can be found as early as the Sh
Shaka kaSenzangakhona (sometimes spelled Tshaka, Tchaka or Chaka; ca. 1787 – ca. 22 September 1828) was the most important leader of the Zulu Empire. He joined the Zulu tribal groups together into the beginnings of a nation. This Zulu nation ruled a large area of southern Africa, between the Phongolo and Mzimkhulu rivers. His leadership and his energy make him one of the greatest Zulu chieftains. He has been called a military genius for his changes and new ideas. However, there were also brutal and cruel things that happened when he was in charge.  Zulu leader. Shaka maintained a good relationship with the Europeans in Africa, including the Colonial leaders. He was disliked by other Africans, including his own people, who hated his constant wars.  Ten years of warfare placed incredible strains on the Zulu nation. Shaka, unstable and worried about being replaced by an heir, finally snapped into madness after the death of his mother in 1828. He imposed a year of celibacy on his people. He killed anyone who did not show enough sadness at the death of his mother. He was killed within the year by his half-brother, Dingane, who succeeded him as ruler.  Even though he created brutal conditions for his subjects, he created the powerful Zulu Kingdom.
A halo is a ring of light that surrounds an object. Also, in much religious art, it may be seen surrounding the heads of saintly people such as Jesus. It is believed by some Hindus that the halo shown around the heads of holy people is a depiction of their "activated" crown chakra. Halos are visual phenomena that appear near or around the Sun or Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street lights. There are many types of optical halos, but they are mostly caused by ice crystals in certain types of clouds. The shape of the crystals changes the type of halo seen. Light is reflected by the ice and may split into colors, similar to the rainbow.
The underworld is the place in Greek mythology where people go when they die. The underworld is controlled by Hades, one of the three main gods. The underworld's gates are guarded by the three-headed dog, Cerberus. The underworld was surrounded by five rivers. The Acheron was the river of woe, the Cocytus was the river of lamentation, the Phlegethon the river of fire, the Styx, the river of the unbreakable oath by which the gods took their vows, and the Lethe the river of forgetfulness. When entering the underworld, Charon would take those with gold coins to the underworld. Not everyone could enter, because not everyone had golden coins to pay the fare.  Three judges, by the names of Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus, would then decide where you would go. People that lived normal lives would go to The Fields of Asphodel. People who did horrible things would go the Fields of Punishment, also known as Tartarus. Heroes would go to The Fields of Elysium. If you were put into Elysium, you could choose to be reborn or stay. If you went to Elysium three times, then you went to the Isle of the Blessed. This was like the ultimate heaven. Tartaros () was another place in the underworld, where immortal enemies of the current Twelve Olympians are eternally punished, for example Kronos and the other Titans. Tartaros overlaps with the fields of punishment. In the fields of punishment, you get punished depending how bad your crime is.
The Mughal Empire (, ),Also called Hindustan historically was a Muslim empire, in South Asia which existed from 1526 to 1858. When it was biggest it ruled most of the Indian subcontinent, including what is now Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Between 1526 and 1707, it contributed to 24% of the world's GDP. It was the world's largest economy and was known for its architecture.  The Mughal emperors were Mongols in origin. Though they later settled in India and became Indianized, They ruled for India and expanded the boundaries of Hindustan (India). Babur of the Timurid dynasty founded the Mughal Empire (and Mughal dynasty) in 1526 and ruled until 1530. He was followed by Humayun (1530–1540) and (1555–1556), Akbar (1556–1605), Jahangir (1605–1627), Shah Jahan (1628–1658), and Aurangzeb (1658–1707) and several other minor rulers until Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1837–1857). After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire became weak. It continued until 1857–58. By that time, South Asia had become under the British Raj. The Mughal Empire was established by Muslim rulers who came from the present-day Uzbekistan after defeating the Delhi sultanate. The Mughal rule in India saw the region into a united Indian state. which was administered under a single ruler. This hadn't happened since the Delhi Sultanate, Guptas and Mauryans. During the Mughal period, art and architecture became important. Empire expansion. The Mughal Empire reached across much of the Indian subcontinent during period of Aurangzeb. By the death of Akbar, the third Mughal ruler, the Mughal Empire extended from Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal and southward to what is now Gujarat state and the northern Deccan region of India.
The British Raj was a colony of the British Empire from 1858 to 1947 in Indian Subcontinent. "Raj" is a word in Sanskrit that means "rule" and so "British Raj" means rule of the British Empire. The area of the colony is now in India, Pakistan, Bangladeshand Myanmar. The "British Raj" was officially called India or the Indian Empire  The term "British Raj" is used for the direct British rule over areas that had been conquered by the British in the Subcontinent. It also included the independent princely states. These areas were governed by their own traditional rulers although they were under the overall authority of the British crown. An estimated 165 million people may have died as a result of British colonial policies from 1880 to 1920. This number is larger than the death toll from both World War I and World War II, including The Holocaust. Myanmar or Burma became its own British colony in 1937. The colony of Aden came under the same government from 1858 to 1937, as were British Somaliland (now part of Somalia) from 1884 to 1898 and Singapore from 1858 to 1867. British rule ended on 15 August 1947. The borders between India and Pakistan came into effect on the 18 August. Many people died during the Partition of India. Jammu and Kashmir, like the other princely states, had not been under direct British rule. India and Pakistan went to war over the area, which is now divided between them. The 1861 census showed that the British population in the subcontinent was 125,945. Only 41,862 of them were civilians as compared with 84,083 European officers and men of the Army. In 1880, the standing Indian Army consisted of 66,000 British soldiers, 130,000 natives, and 350,000 soldiers in the princely armies.