Tritium (H) is the most stable radioisotope of hydrogen. That is, of all radioactive isotopes of hydrogen, tritium is the least radioactive. It has a proton and 2 neutrons in its nucleus. Tritium decays through beta minus decay and changes to helium-3. It has a half-life of 12.32 years.
Tritium is formed naturally by the interaction between the gases in the upper atmosphere and cosmic rays. It is also created during nuclear weapons tests. Tritium and deuterium is used in D-T nuclear fusion in stars to give out a lot of energy.
Crimea
Crimea, (Russian: Крым), (Ukrainian: Крим) sometimes also called The Crimea, is a peninsula in the Black Sea. The peninsula separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov. Crimea has a surface of . It is about by . About 2.4 million people live there.
The Ottoman Empire had the peninsula for a long time. In the 18th century the Russian Empire took control. The Crimean War was fought here.
Crimea was part of Russia until the Soviet Union gave it to Ukraine in 1954. Ukraine gave it a limited self-rule as an "autonomous republic". The seat of the government is Simferopol, which is also the biggest city. Other major cities are Sevastopol and Kerch.
In March, 2014, after a series of protests in Ukraine the previous month, Russian troops took control of Crimea. A referendum was held, in which over 95% of voters voted to join the Russian Federation. The Crimean parliament quickly proclaimed independence from Ukraine and on March 18, became the Republic of Crimea, a federal subject of Russia.
However, Ukraine and most other countries in the world continue to recognize that Crimea is part of Ukraine. On March 24, Russia was kicked out of the G8 (which became the G7), and on March 27, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 68/262, which says that the referendum was invalid and Crimea belongs to Ukraine. In later months, many countries including the United States and the European Union started economic sanctions to prevent Russians and their goods from entering their countries.
Redback spider
The redback spider is a venomous spider that lives in Australia. The female is larger than the male. The female's body is about 1 centimetre long and the male's body is about 3 millimetres long. The adult female spider is usually black and usually has a red stripe on its back. The female likes to live in warm sheltered places and makes a web to catch insects and other small creatures.
The spider's bite can be very painful and dangerous to people, because it can inject a venom through its fangs. An antivenom injection is available, which can help to restore the health of people who have become very ill after being bitten by the spider.
Pow-wow (folk magic)
A pow-wow is a ceremony practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is used to cure animals of sickness. It is mainly made up of Christian folk religion and early European beliefs.
Vastu shastra
Vastu shastra is known as the "science of buildings". It was used to build Hindu buildings (architecture), mostly Hindu places of worship (temples).
People who believe in Vaastu shastra think that the universe is made of five things:
Alice Liddell
Alice Pleasance Liddell (4 May 1852 – 16 November 1934) was a child friend of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. She inspired his two books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking-Glass" (1871). Dodgson wrote the two books using the pen name, Lewis Carroll.
Alice was born in Westminster, London, one of ten children of Henry Liddell and his wife Lorina. Her father was Dean of Christ Church college in Oxford. Dodgson was a mathematics don, a Fellow at the college. He was 24 years old when he met Alice on 25 April 1856. He was an expert photographer, and took a number of photographs of her.
Alice and her sisters Edith and Lorina took little trips with Dodgson. They had boating parties and other outdoor adventures. Dodgson told stories on these trips. He started the story of Alice in Wonderland during a boat trip on the Thames on 4 July 1862. In 1864, his trips with the girls were brought to an end by their mother. It is not known why.
Alice grew up a refined young woman. She married Reginald Hargreaves in Westminster Abbey in 1880. The couple lived in a country house in Hampshire. Alice was a very capable person. She managed many servants. She arranged balls and parties. She had three sons. Two were killed in World War I. Her husband never overcame this loss. He died in 1926.
Mrs. Hargreaves sold some of her "Alice" memorabilia through Sotheby's. This sale included the original "Alice" manuscript. It had been the gift of Dodgson. It was bought by an American. It was returned to the United Kingdom during World War II. It now is in the British Museum. Alice died in 1934 in Westerham, Kent. She was cremated and buried in the Hargreaves family plot in Hampshire.
Nazi mysticism
Nazi mysticism is a commonly held belief that Hitler and the Nazi Party practiced the occult. This idea has been part of popular culture since 1959.
There are many documentaries made about this belief.
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy is a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner. The philosophy teaches that through inner development a person can better know the spiritual world.
"Anthropos" is a Greek word that means "human being". "Sophos" means "wise". Steiner believed every human being had the wisdom to understand the mysteries of existence. He left the German Theosophical Society in 1912 trading divine wisdom for human wisdom.
Anthroposophy does not have a rigid set of beliefs. It is said to be a philosophy of freedom. Each person connects to the world through an individual path.
The path to wisdom is based on research. The research leads to knowledge. This is similar to teachings of Thomas Aquinas. Anthroposophy is different in that it pursues knowledge of science, the arts and spirituality all together.
The philosophy also teaches respect of other humans. It encourages support of others in their interest and learning of the spiritual world. To support this, Steiner created The Anthroposophical Society in 1923. It is now called the General Anthroposophical Society. The society has groups and national societies in over 75 countries.
Venom
Venom is a kind of poison used by animals. It is made in an animal's body. It is injected into the body of another animal by a bite or sting. Animals that use venom include some kinds of insects, fish, reptiles, and even mammals.
Some animals use venom to kill another animal that they are going to eat. One animal that does that is the rattlesnake. Some animals use venom to protect themselves. Some animals that do that are bees, ants and stingrays. Some animals use venom for both of these things.
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a special kind of speech in a play. In a soliloquy, the character speaks to themselves. Other characters of the play are not aware of what is said. That way, the character can share certain thoughts or feelings with the audience.
There are many famous soliloquies in Shakespeare's plays such as the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in "Hamlet", the "Is this a dagger" and the "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquies in "Macbeth", and the "Bottom's Dream" soliloquy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Plays changed towards realism in the 18th century. Soliloquies became less common in plays.
Somniloquy
Somniloquy is a sleep disorder. People with the condition often talk during their sleep.
Aurornis
Aurornis is a genus of dinobird from later Jurassic or the Lower Cretaceous. It lived in what is now China. "Aurornis xui" may be the most basal ("primitive") bird species known to date. Aurornis was discovered in 2013. The animal may predate the famous "Archaeopteryx lithographica", the earliest bird, by about 10 million years.