For example, if a woman says in her will that her house is to be given "to the children of her children when they graduate from college" this would not be enforced by a court. It would not be enforced because one (or more) of her children's children might not graduate from college until 21 years after everyone who was alive at the time of the woman's death has died.
The purpose of the rule is to prevent property from being tied up for "perpetuity" (a very long time). The courts (and many people in society) do not want to hold property to see who will receive it after a complicated set of rules from the gift-giver. First, this would result in a waste of the courts' time and resources. Second, it would be a waste of the property that is being given through the gift. If a gift in a will violates the Rule against Perpetuities, the court will simply strike that gift and transfer the subject of the gift as if the will had not mentioned it.
However, many countries and states have changed this rule, and it does not apply at all, or in a changed way, in those countries and states.
Polypeptide
A polypeptide is a string or linear chain of amino acids linked together. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. A single polypeptide chain might make up the entire primary structure of a simple protein; more complex proteins are formed when two or more polypeptides link together. Each protein is a polymer of amino acids.
Polypeptides are made when mRNA is translated, a process involving ribosomes, tRNA and amino acids.
Solipsism
Solipsism ( ) is the view that a person has no reason to believe anything exists except their own mind. It is a philosophical position that first appeared in ancient philosophy. It mainly means to reject or doubt that other people exist. "" and "" are the Latin words for "alone" and "self", which is where the word "solipsism" comes from. Some kinds of solipsism say that everything outside a person's own mind (including other people) is only imaginary. Other kinds of solipsism instead say that nothing outside a person's own mind is certain.
To only reject that the physical world exists is not solipsism. Solipsism also rejects or doubts that other people exist. As an epistemological position, it is the concept that nothing but one's own mind can be "certain" to exist. The existence of other minds, in this position, is considered a possibility, but not a certainty. Including time, which does not stop just because there would be nobody being to experience it (which is probably going to happen in the end of the universe when there would be simply nothing)
SS Nomadic
SS "Nomadic" is a steamship of the White Star Line, launched on 25 April 1911 in Belfast. She was built as a tender to the liners RMS "Olympic" and RMS "Titanic", and is the last remaining boat built for the White Star Line still afloat.
The keel of "Nomadic" was laid down in the Harland and Wolff shipyards, Belfast in 1910 (yard number 422). She was launched on 25 April 1911 and delivered to the White Star Line on the 27 May. The ship was 67 meters (220 ft) long and 11.3 meters (37 ft) wide, with a gross tonnage of 1,273 tons. She had two three-bladed screws, propelling her to a maximum speed of 12 knots.
With her sister ship SS "Traffic", "Nomadic" was used as a tender for "Titanic" and "Olympic" at Cherbourg in France. This meant she would ferry the passengers from Cherbourg to "Titanic" "Olympic" as they were too big to fit into the port at Cherbourg.
"Nomadic" was fitted with a luxurious interior and was used for the first and second class passengers, whilst "Traffic" served the third class travellers.
During World War I "Nomadic" saw service in carrying American troops at Brest (France).
In 1927, she was sold to Compagnie Cherbourghoise de Transbordement and then sold again to the Société Cherbourghoise de Remorquage et de Sauvetage in 1934. Then under the name "Ingenieur Minard", she again served as troop ship in World War II.
After the war she continued tendering Cunard White Star (White Star Lines and "Cunard" merged in 1934) ships until November 1968. She then served RMS "Queen Elizabeth" for the last time.
In 1974, "Nomadic" was bought by a private individual and converted into a restaurant on the Seine in Paris, where she remained docked and semi-abandoned after the closure of the restaurant, until she was moved to the port of Le Havre in 2003.
A public appeal for donations to return "Nomadic" to the Harland and Wolff shipyard for restoration was organised by Belfast Industrial Heritage (BIH), a non-profit organisation in Northern Ireland in collaboration with enthusiasts through the SaveNomadic.com Appeal.
On 26 January 2006, SS "Nomadic" was purchased at auction in Paris by the Department for Social Development, part of the Northern Ireland Office. She cost £171,320 (the reserve price being £165,000).
SS "Nomadic" left Le Havre to return to Belfast on 12 July, and arrived back close to where she was built on 18 July 2006. The vessel was welcomed back by the Social Development Minister David Hanson MP and the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Belfast, Councillor Ruth Patterson and a number of well wishers. The "Nomadic" arrived "piggy backed" on a marine transportation barge, which had been contracted from Anchor Marine Transportation Limited.
A study by Belfast City Council has estimated the cost of restoring "Nomadic" at £7 million. Belfast Harbour Commissioners have agreed to provide a temporary berth for the ship, and a charitable trust to co-ordinate fundraising for the restoration has been set up.
Now that the vessel is on the United Kingdom's National Register of Historic Vessels, the project should qualify for a National Lottery grant application, which should greatly enhance existing funds of £60,000 from a public appeal and £100,000 from Belfast City Council.
The Nomadic Appeal Public Website has now founded the Nomadic Preservation Society.
On her return to Belfast, SS "Nomadic" was moored at Queen's Quay just outside the Odyssey Arena in Belfast and opened with a temporary exhibition. In late 2008 the ship was closed to the public and moved to Barnett's Dock for internal maintenance. It is expected she will soon enter Hamilton Graving Dock for drydocking and complete restoration.
In January 2009, the company Frazer-Nash has been appointed to manage the Conservation Management Plan. The level of restoration will then be decided.
It is planned that the restoration of SS "Nomadic" will be completed in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of "Titanic" in 2012.
Dipstick
A dipstick is a tool which can be dipped into liquid to measure how much of it there is, or to test it for things.
A testing dipstick is usually made of paper or cardboard. It contains substances which change colour when something is found in a liquid.
Measuring dipsticks show the amount of liquid in a container. These containers are usually hard to access. Measuring dipsticks are used by inserting and removing the stick and then checking how much of the stick is covered by the liquid. The oil level dipstick is an example of a measuring dipstick found on most internal combustion engines.
Elliptic curve
An elliptic curve is a plane cubic curve that does not have any sharp turns.
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, also called the Stealth Bomber, is an American strategic bomber. It has a lot of stealth technology, and it is designed to get through many anti-aircraft defenses. It can drop both conventional and nuclear weapons. Two people fly the bomber, and it can drop up to 80 -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen B83 nuclear bombs.
The bomber began being designed as the "Advanced Technology Bomber" (ATB) during the Carter administration. The designing of the ATB continued during the Reagan administration. The bomber was designed and is made by Northrop Grumman, with help from Boeing. Each aircraft cost US$737 million (in 1997 dollars).