recursal/SuperWikiNEXT-32B huggingface dataset:
An illustration from *Libro de los juegos*, Alfonso X of Castile, showing Christian vs Muslim
Page from the 14th century Persian manuscript *A treatise on chess*
**Chatrang**, or **Shatranj**, was the name given to the early game of chess when it travelled to Persia and then to the Arab world.

In Sassanid Persia around 600 the name became **Chatrang** and the rules were developed further, and players started calling *Shāh!* (Persian for 'King') when threatening the opponent's king, and *Shāh māt!* (Persian for 'the king is finished') when the king could not escape from attack. These exclamations persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands.

The game was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names; in Arabic "māt" or "māta" مَاتَ means "died", "is dead". In Arabic, the game became **Shatranj**. In all other languages, the name of the game is derived either from *shatranj* or from *shah*.

One interesting fact is that the Arabs divided their game into the same three stages which we do today: opening, middlegame and endgame.p234

Tabiyat
-------

At the start of a game, the Arabic masters took a number of moves before the pieces were in contact with the other side.

"The result of this was that... the final position of the opening was the important one to memorise. Hence in almost all older Muslim chess-works we find... a collection of type-positions, each with its own distinctive name. [These] are recommended to the player as models for his imitation. Diagrams of these type-positions were a regular feature of Arabic chess-works down to the 17th century. These positions were called ta'biya (plural: ta'biyat or ta'abi)... which may be translated as *battle-array*".p234-5
The following table provides a glimpse of the changes in the names and character of chess pieces, as they passed from one culture to another, from India through Persia to Europe:p221

**Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and European names for chessmen**| Sanskrit | Persian | Arabic | English | Spanish | French |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Raja (King) | Shah | Shah | King | Rey | Roi |
| Mantri (Minister) | Vazir/Vizir | Wazir/Firzān | Queen | Reina | Reine |
| Hasty/Gajah (elephant) | Pil | Al-Fil | Bishop | Alfil | Fou |
| Ashva (horse) | Asp | Fars/Hisan | Knight | Caballo | Cavalier |
| Ratha (chariot) | Rukh | Rukh | Rook | Torre | Tour |
| Padati (footsoldier) | Piadeh | Baidaq | Pawn | Peón | Pion |
**Norbert Brainin** (March 12, 1923 in Vienna – April 10 2005 in London) was the first violinist of the Amadeus Quartet, one of the world's most famous string quartets.

Because of Brainin's Jewish origin, he was driven out of Vienna after Hitler's Anschluss of 1938, as were the violinist Siegmund Nissel and violist Peter Schidlof. Brainin and Schidlof met in a British internment camp. Like many Jewish refugees who came to the UK for safety, they became "aliens" and were kept in confinement.

Brainin was made free after a few months, but Schidlof stayed in the camp, where he met Nissel. Finally Schidlof and Nissel were freed, and the three of them were able to study with violin teacher Max Rostal, who taught them free of charge. It was through Rostal that they met cellist Martin Lovett, and in 1947 they formed the Brainin Quartet, which was renamed the Amadeus Quartet in 1948.

The Amadeus was one of the best-known quartets of the 20th Century, and its members were given many honours, including: 

* The Order of the British Empire, presented by the Queen.
* Doctorates from the Universities of London, York, and Caracas.
* The highest of all German awards, the Grand Cross of Merit.
* The Austrian Cross of Honour for Arts and Sciences.

The quartet stopped playing together in 1987 after Schidlof died, because the others thought that no other violist would fit in to the group so well. Norbert Brainin continued to perform as a soloist, often performing with pianist Günter Ludwig.

His instruments included the "Rode" Guarnerius del Gesu of 1734, the "Chaconne" Stradivarius of 1725 and the "Gibson" Stradivarius of 1713.

Other websites
--------------

* Martin Lovett remembering Norbert Brainin Archived 2013-04-26 at Archive.today
**Port-de-Paix** (Kréyòl: *Pòdepè* or *Pòdpè*; in English means "Peace Port") is a city and the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haiti on the Atlantic coast.

The city is close to the mouth of the river Trois-Rivières, one of the most important river in Haiti. It has a population of 115,000 (2003 census), with 25,000 living in the city.

Christopher Columbus came to this region on 15 December 1492 and he gave it the name *Valle del Paraíso* or *Valparaiso* (Spanish for "Paradise Valley") because he found that this was a very beautiful valley.

A ferry operates between the town and Tortuga Island (La Tortue) situated just across the water.

The town was founded in 1665 by French buccaneers (a kind of pirates in the Caribbean) from Tortuga Island when they had to leave the island. In 1676 the town saw the first black slave revolt; its leader was *Padre Jean* (also *Padrejean* and *Pedro Juan*) and who was killed by buccaneers in 1679 in the mountains close to Port-de-Paix.

The area saw great success during the 19th century and Port-de-Paix was an important port; from here, bananas and coffee were sent to other countries. In 1902 the town was almost entirely destroyed by fire.

Port-de-Paix is also the chief town of an arrondissement (a part of a department) of the same name. The arondissement consists of four communes (like municipalities): Port-de-Paix, Bassin Bleu, Chansolme and Tortuga Island.

Media
-----

Le Novateur

### Radio

* Radio 4VTS FM
* Radio Balade FM
* Radio Cascade FM a Chamsolme
* Radio Etincelle
* Radio Melodie FM
* Radio New Star
* Radio Planete FM
* Radio Sonic
* Radio Television du Nord-Ouest
* Radio Universelle
* Voix de la Paix
**Shelley Winters** (**Shirley Schrift** August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American movie actress who appeared in many blockbuster movies such as *Place in the Sun*, *The Big Knife*, *Lolita*, *The Night of the Hunter*, *Alfie*, and *The Poseidon Adventure*. Her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006. Winters won Academy Awards for her acting in *The Diary of Anne Frank* and *A Patch of Blue*.

Early life
----------

Winters was born on August 18, 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri to Rose (née Winter) and to Jonas Schrift. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York City. She was educated at The New School.

Career
------

Winters' career began in 1943 in the movie *There's Something About a Soldier* and since then she appeared in over 100 movies, such as; *Escape in the Fog*, *New Orleans*, *The Greatest Story Ever Told*, *Flap*, *Black Journal*, *Fanny Hill*, *Jury Duty*, and her final movie *A-List*.

### Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Film |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1951 | Best Actress in a Leading Role, nominated | *A Place in the Sun* |
| 1959 | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, won | *The Diary of Anne Frank* |
| 1965 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role, won | *A Patch of Blue* |
| 1972 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role, nominated | *The Poseidon Adventure* |

Winters has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1992.

Personal life
-------------

Winters was married to Paul Meyer from 1937 until they divorced in 1948. Later she married Vittorio Gassman from 1949 until they divorced in 1954. Thirdly she married Anthony Franciosa from 1957 until they divorced in 1960. Lastly she married Gerry DeFord from 2006 until her death in 2006. Winters only had one child with Grassman.

### Death

Winters died on January 14, 2006 in at a hospital in Beverly Hills, California home from heart failure, she was 85 years old. Five days later, her ex-husband Anthony Franciosa died from a stroke.

Other websites
--------------


Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: ***Shelley Winters***

 Media related to Shelley Winters at Wikimedia Commons

* Shelley Winters at the Internet Broadway Database
* Shelley Winters on IMDb
* Shelley Winters at the TCM Movie Database
Cooked mussels
**Shellfish** is a culinary term for some aquatic invertebrates used as food: molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. It is not a scientific term, and its use may vary from place to place.

Both saltwater and freshwater invertebrates are considered shellfish. Molluscs commonly used as food include the clam, mussel, oyster, winkle, and scallop.

Some crustaceans commonly eaten are the shrimp, prawn, lobster, crayfish, and crab.

Echinoderms are not eaten as commonly as molluscs and crustaceans. In Asia, sea cucumber and sea urchins are eaten.

Edible cephalopods such as squid, octopus, and cuttlefish and terrestrial snails, though all molluscs, are sometimes considered to be shellfish and sometimes not.

The term *finfish* is sometimes used to distinguish ordinary (vertebrate) fish from shellfish.

Jewish and Islamic dietary laws forbid the eating of shellfish (those that live on the land, and in the water).

In Japanese cuisine, chefs often use shellfish and their roe. Sushi and sashimi feature both raw and cooked shellfish.

Related pages
-------------

* Seafood

Other websites
--------------


Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/article on:
 ***Shellfish***

* Shellfish News Archived 2006-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
* Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine at Rutgers University
* Shellfish Gallery Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain
* Shellfish Facts Archived 2007-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
* University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections -- Freshwater and Marine Image Bank -- Shellfish[*permanent dead link*] An ongoing digital collection of images related to shellfish.
**Pierre Monteux** (born Paris, 4 April 1875; died Hancock, Maine, 14 July 1964) was a French-born conductor who later became an American citizen. He was one of the great conductors of his time.

Life
----

Monteux was born in Paris and started to learn the violin when he was six. When he was nine he learned at the Paris Conservatoire. When he was twelve he conducted an orchestra in Paris with the pianist Alfred Cortot as soloist. He played in orchestras, and was the principal of the viola section in the first performance of Debussy’s opera *Pelléas et Mélisande*. He started to conduct some of the concerts in the series Concerts Colonne.

Monteux also played his viola in chamber music. He played a string quartet by Brahms with the composer in the audience.

Monteux soon became famous as a conductor. He conducted the orchestra for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, conducting the first performances of Stravinskys '*Petrouchka*, *Rite of Spring* as well as Ravel’s *Daphnis et Chloé* and Debussy’s *Jeux*. These were some of the greatest ballets of the 20th century.

In 1916 Monteux went to the USA and conducted the French operas at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1920 he moved to Boston, conducting many new works by Debussy, Chausson, Darius Milhaud and others. In 1924 he became assistant conductor at the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam. He started the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris in 1929, and also a school for conducting, the École Monteux, in Paris. Later he continued this teaching in his American home in Maine. Neville Marriner and André Previn were two of his pupils.

In 1936 he became conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He stayed with this orchestra until 1952. He made this orchestra internationally famous. In 1942 he became an American citizen. In the 1950s he often conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Monteux continued to conduct until shortly before his death at the age of 89. In 1961 he was appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for 25 years, although he did not live long enough to fulfil this. He conducted this orchestra in 1963 in a performance of the *Rite of Spring*, fifty years after he had conducted the first performance.

Monteux’s conducting
--------------------

Monteux always prepared his work very carefully. He was not a conductor who liked to show off. He rehearsed his orchestras thoroughly, and conducted with small gestures. Although he made gramophone recordings, he did not like recordings. He preferred concerts with a live audience. He received many honours, including the Légion d’honneur and the Knight of the Order of Oranje Nassau.
***Proton Bus Simulator*** is a bus simulator game developed by Marcos Elias Picão for Microsoft Windows and Android. It is powered by Unity and was released in 2017. Another version, from the same series, is titled *Proton Bus Road*, coach bus version, in 2018. In September 2021, it was downloaded 1 million times.

Gameplay
--------

The game features four maps, including Aricanduva, representing a large urban cluster. As this is the first map, it is proposed to have more errors and less rendered areas. Aricanduva includes high traffic vehicles and many noble neighborhoods. In addition to this map, there are areas such as Uipe (industrial city region), Fiktivdorf based on European cities and the Longeee rural map.

The game does not have licensed vehicles, but it has similar versions and vehicle mod support.

As of April 2021, the game was still in testing, with the publicly available beta.

Updates
-------

Version v246 brought a fictional map of the Europe, Fiktivdorf, and downloadable changes only for the authors, as well as fixes for PC and Android. Then the v247 version brought another Uipe map, a mountain chain map.

After v251, users will be able to create or place a map mods, to facilitate the addition of vehicles in the game, and consolidate the unique ones.

Version v255/257 brought free support for cheap computer booklets, which made it easier to change the direction of the bus later. V258 support for the Aricanduva HD card has arrived, only for powerful PCs.

Other websites
--------------

* Official website (in Brazilian Portuguese)
Potassium iodate
**Potassium iodate** is a chemical compound. Its chemical formula is KIO3. It has potassium and iodate ions in it.

Properties
----------

Potassium iodate is a white solid. It is a strong oxidizing agent. It is similar to potassium bromate and potassium chlorate. It reacts violently with many reducing agents.

Preparation
-----------

Potassium iodate is made by reacting iodic acid with potassium hydroxide or by reacting iodine with potassium hydroxide. This second reaction makes the iodide and the iodate.

Uses
----

Potassium iodate is used to add iodine to salt. It is better than potassium iodide because it does not oxidize to iodine and evaporate like potassium iodide does. It is sometimes used in flour just like potassium bromate. 

It is also used for radiation protection. A nuclear explosion can make radioactive iodine, which goes into the thyroid and can make cancer. Eating potassium iodate makes the thyroid full of nonradioactive iodine and prevents radioactive iodine from going in. It lasts longer than potassium iodide.

Related pages
-------------

* Potassium periodate
* Periodic acid
* Hypoiodous acid
**Past tense** is a verb form which is marked by time (tense). 

The past tense is used for actions in a time which has already happened. In order to explain and understand past tense, it is useful to imagine time as a line on which the past, the present tense and the future tense are positioned.

Words in English have several tenses, including many common past tenses. The two that are used the most are the **simple past tense** and the **perfect tense**

Simple past tense
-----------------

The simple past tense is used for action in past time. It usually uses for story telling or there is in narrative and recount text.

Different verbs change in different ways to make the past tense. The most common way is by ending with *ed" or we usually says REGULAR VERB.*
Many other verbs are *irregular*, this means that there is no pattern and no easy way to know how the verb changes. 

If we want to make a past sentence, here are the formula:

~Verbal sentence~

(+) S + V2 (past verb) 

(- ) S + did not / didn't + V1 (present verb)

(?) Did + S + V1 (present verb)

~ Nominal sentence~

(+) S + to be ( was / were) + Noun/adjective/adverb

(- ) S + to be (was / were) + not +Noun/adjective/adverb

(?) To be (was / were) + Noun/adjective/adverb

Example: 
(+) I went to bandung last week

(- ) I did not go to bandung last week

(? ) did you go to bandung last week?

(+) she was happy this morning

(- ) she was not happy this morning

(?) Was she happy this morning?

Past tense classified into four types
-------------------------------------

1. Past Indefinite Tense
2. Past Progressive Tense
3. Past Perfect Tense
4. Past Perfect Progressive Tense

Perfect tense
-------------

The Perfect is about *completion*: actions which are completed. The tense refers to a period in the past. In English the Perfect is made by have + -ed or variations of that form.

* Present perfect refers to a time which begins in the past and continues to the present. Examples: *I **have lived** in Dover since my birth*. *She **has discovered** it*. *She **has done** it now! We **have seen** the movies since 2011*
* Past perfect, or pluperfect, refers to an action before another action in the past. Examples: *She **had not been** home since her parents divorced*. *I **had discovered** that he had taken my key*. She **had begged** for the job before the interview.
* Present continuous progressive perfect: *She **has been discovering** that grammar is not so easy as she thought*... They **have** **been lecturing** all day long
* Past continuous progressive perfect: *They **had been finding** it difficult*.
* Future perfect refers to an event before a future event. Examples: *She **will have finished** her report for the next board meeting.* *By now she **will have discovered** the key.*
* Future continuous progressive perfect: *I'm sure she **will have been looking** for that. It **will have been** **raining** before we get to the party*

  

Verb endings: **-ed** = finished; **-ing** = continuing
**Room temperature** does not have an exact scientific definition. It means a temperature that is normal in rooms used by human beings.

Human comfort and health
------------------------

A comfortable room temperature depends on individual needs and other factors. According to the West Midlands Public Health Observatory (UK), 21 °C (70 °F) is the recommended living room temperature, and 18 °C (64 °F) is a good bedroom temperature.

However, in hotter countries such as those near the equator room temperature can be as high as 30 °C (86 °F).

Room Temperature is the temperature that is comfortable and normal to be in.

Science
-------

For scientific work, room temperature is taken to be in the range 20 to 25 °C (68–77 °F; 293–298 K; 528–537 °R) with an average of 23 °C (73 °F; 296 K; 533 °R). Scientists use kelvins (K) for temperature. The Rankine (°R) unit is no longer used.

Condition for physical experiments
----------------------------------

The progress and results of many scientific and industrial processes can sometimes depend on the temperature of the surroundings of the equipment. For example, a measurement of the charge of the electron does not depend upon the temperature of the test equipment. In this case, if scientists mention temperature at all, they usually only mention "room temperature", which means that what is being measured has not been cooled or heated.
"Gopher" redirects here. For other uses, see Gopher (disambiguation).
The **pocket gophers** are burrowing rodents of the family **Geomyidae**. These are the "true" gophers. Several ground squirrels of the family Sciuridae are often called gophers as well. They are not true gophers,though. The name "pocket gopher" on its own is used for a number of subspecies of the family. Pocket gophers, despite being largely a pest, are a symbol of the U.S. state of Minnesota, sometimes called "the Gopher State".

Distribution
------------

Pocket gophers are widely distributed in North America, extending into Central America.

Appearance
----------

Gophers are heavily built, and most are moderately large. They usually weigh a few hundred grams. A few species reach weights approaching 1 kg. Most gophers have brown fur which often closely matches the color of the soil in which they live. Their most characteristic feature is their large cheek pouches. The *pocket* in their name comes from these pouches. These pouches are fur-lined, and can be turned inside out. They extend from the side of the mouth well back onto the shoulders. They have small eyes and a short, hairy tail which they use to feel around tunnels when they walk backwards.

Behavior
--------

All pocket gophers are burrowers. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting food back to their burrows. Gophers can collect large hoards. Their presence is unambiguously announced by the appearance of mounds of fresh dirt about 20 cm in diameter. These mounds will often appear in vegetable gardens, lawns, or farms, as gophers like moist soil. They also enjoy feeding on vegetables. For this reason, some species are considered agricultural pests. They may also damage trees in forests. Although they will attempt to flee when threatened, they may attack other animals, including cats and humans, and can inflict serious bites with their long, sharp teeth.

Classification
--------------

There has been much debate among taxonomists about which races of pocket gopher should be recognised as full species. There are about 37 species in six genera.

Other websites
--------------

* Article on the Animal Diversity Web site Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
* eNature flashcard with image (southeastern pocket gopher) Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
* eNature flashcard with image (western pocket gopher) Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
***Oviraptor*** is a genus of dinosaur that is today Mongolia. *Oviraptor* was a relatively large-brained dinosaur which cared for its eggs. In 1924, an *Oviraptor* fossil was found on top of some eggs, and some thought that it had been eating the eggs. Others thought that the fossilized *Oviraptor* was probably a parent of the eggs in the nest, and not an egg thief.

*Oviraptor* lived in the Upper Cretaceous period, about 75 million years ago. Only one definite specimen is known (with associated eggs), from Mongolia, though a possible second specimen (also with eggs) comes from the northeast region of Inner Mongolia, China.

*Oviraptor* is usually drawn with a distinctive crest, similar to that of the cassowary. However, re-examination of several oviraptorids show that this well-known, tall-crested species may actually belong to a relative of *Oviraptor*, the genus *Citipati*. It is likely that *Oviraptor* did have a crest, but its exact size and shape are unknown due to crushing in the skull of the only recognized specimen.

Judging by its relatives, *Oviraptor* probably had feathers. It had a toothless beak, but its feeding habits are unknown. The only *Oviraptor* fossil preserved the remains of a lizard in the region of its stomach cavity, implying that the species was at least partially carnivorous.

Relatives
---------

In 1976, Barsbold put six more brooding (nest sitting) specimens into the genus *Oviraptor*, but these were later reclassified in the new genus *Conchoraptor*. Another specimen, IGN 100/42, is perhaps the most famous, owing to its well-preserved complete skull and large size. This specimen was referred to the genus *Oviraptor* by Barsbold in 1981, and was presented as *Oviraptor* in popular magazines and scientific studies. However, this specimen, with its distinctive tall, cassowary-like crest, was re-examined by the scientists who described the nesting oviraptorids, and found to resemble them more closely than the original specimens of *Oviraptor*. For this reason, they removed IGN 100/42 from the genus *Oviraptor*, suggesting it was a species of *Citipati*.
A map of Podolia within Ukraine.
**Podolia**, also known as **Podilia**, is a region in Ukraine that's located south of Volhynia, north of both Moldova and Bukovina, and northwest of the Dniester River. It was a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (where it had the highest population density) until the late 18th century, when it was split between Austria and Russia due to the partitions of Poland. Even afterwards, the Polish nobility continued to dominate Podolia while the peasants there were mostly Ukrainians. By the end of the 19th century, Ukrainian nationalism began spreading to Podolia. The towns of western Podolia failed to become large cities because they were overshadowed by Lviv. During the Russian Civil War, Poland, Ukraine, the White Russians, and the Bolsheviks all competed for Podolia. In the end, Podolia got divided between Poland, who got western Podolia, and the Soviet Union, who got eastern Podolia. This situation existed until World War II, when the Soviet Union conquered all of Podolia. Due to World War II, the Holocaust, and later emigration, the Jewish and Polish populations of Podolia significantly decreased. After the end of World War II, the Russian population in Podolia increased significantly. Even today, Podolia is one of the most agricultural and least industrialized parts of Ukraine.
The **New Aspiration Party** (*Phak Khwam Wang Mai Thai: พรรคความหวังใหม่*) is a political party in Thailand. The party was founded in 1990 by General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh after his retirement as Commander-In-Chief of the Royal Thai Army. This party won the elections of 1996 and formed a coalition government with Chavalit as Prime Minister. The onset of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 diminished the electorate's confidence in the government, and Chavalit was forced to resign.

Discredited as a result of the economic crisis, Chavalit formed a coalition with the populist Thai Rak Thai Party led by Thaksin Shinawatra to take part in the 2001 elections. Shortly after the election, the majority of the New Aspiration Party merged with Thai Rak Thai and Chavalit became the Deputy Prime Minister in Thaksin's cabinet.

After the election in 2001,Thaksin Shinawatra the leader of Thai Rak Thai Party, became prime minister. The New Aspiration Party has joined the government. Shortly thereafter. The New Aspiration Partywas merged with the Thai Rak Thai Party. Mostly to join Thai Rak Thai party (the governing party) with Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh except Chalerm Yubamrung who return to be the Leader of the Mass Party Chingchai Mongcoltam decided to continue the New Aspiration Party and Lieutenant Colonel  Thita Rangsitpol Manitkul,WRTA Member of the Parliament and Deputy Secretary of the party. Offset to the Democrats. (Opposition Party) remains the only MPs moving from the opposition party government. During her tenure as a member of the House of Representatives

In the legislative elections on July 3, 2011, the party won 0.08% of the popular vote and no seats in the House of Representatives.
The original oujia board created in 1891
The **Ouija** (pronounced wee-jee or wee-jah) is a game board supposedly used to talk to the dead. It is designed to be a fun activity based on self-deception. They are also called "spirit boards" or "talking boards. It is a flat board with the numbers 0-9 and all the letters of the alphabet. It has the words "yes" and "no" at the top with the word "goodbye" on the bottom. The board uses a planchette, which is a small wooden plank in the shape of an upside down heart. It has a glass circle (or plain hole) in the top. The player asks a question. Then one or more players guide the planchette to the letters or numbers to spell out a message. However, Scientists know the game is based on the ideomotor effect. A participant believes they are not controlling the message, that it comes from ghosts or spirits. It can seem very mysterious. But anyone can test a Ouija board by blindfolding or hiding the board from the ones moving the planchette. What usually results is gibberish and no message.

Other websites
--------------

* Do You Believe? | Brain Games; National Geographic
* The Truth About Ouija Boards / How to make your own!:YouTube
* How Ouija Boards Work; HowStuffWorks
Life restoration of *Mesosaurus*.
Location of *Mesosaurus* remains shown in blue.
***Mesosaurus*** is an extinct marine reptile from the early Permian of southern Africa and South America. It was one of the first known marine reptiles, and had many adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. 

It is sometimes considered an anapsid, but there is some disagreement about that. It is described by Benton as a 'parareptile', that is, a sauropsid.

Palaeobiology
-------------

*Mesosaurus* was one of the first reptiles to return to the water after early tetrapods came to land in the later Devonian.

It was around 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length, with webbed feet, a streamlined body, and a long tail that may have supported a fin. It probably propelled itself through the water with its long hind legs and flexible tail. Its body was also flexible and could easily move sideways, but it had heavily thickened ribs, which would have prevented it from twisting its body. Specimens show it was viviparous, bearing live young.

*Mesosaurus* had a small skull with long jaws. The nostrils were located at the top, allowing the creature to breathe with only the upper side of its head breaking the surface. Its teeth were suitable for catching small nektonic prey such as crustaceans.

Distribution
------------

*Mesosaurus* was significant in providing evidence for the theory of continental drift, because its remains were found in southern Africa and eastern South America, two far away places. As *Mesosaurus* was a coastal animal, and therefore could not have crossed the Atlantic Ocean, this distribution indicated that the two continents used to be joined together.
Statue of Liberty with its famous blue-green patina
A **patina** is a coating of various chemical compounds such as oxides or carbonates formed on the surface of metal or other material. Often this is due to exposure to weather. The word "patina" comes from the Latin word meaning "shallow dish". For many works of art the patina adds to its value. In many cases, the artist wanted the work to acquire a patina over time.

Natural patina
--------------

A patina layer takes many years to develop under natural weathering. Buildings in damp climates will develop patina layers faster than ones in dry areas. The facades of many buildings are made of copper, brass or bronze, for example. These will produce different colors after natural weathering.
Copper takes on a natural green or blue-green patina. Bronze takes on a brown color. Early civilizations used bronze extensively. The Bronze Age is named for it. In the United States, bronze was rarely used in buildings before the American Civil War. Marble, especially white marble, was used in classical Greek and Roman statues. It takes on a light golden patina over time.

Often, antique and well-used firearms will develop a patina on the steel after the bluing, parkerizing, or other finish has worn off. Firearms in this condition are generally considered more valuable than ones that have been re-blued or parkerized. The patina protects the firearm from the more damaging rust that would occur if the patina were polished off. Rust is sometimes valued as a patina. Examples are rat rods, custom cars and meant to look like early 1940s hot rods. They glorify rusted hot rods that have an almost cartoonish appearance. Some are actually rusted metal while others have a faux (false) finish intended to look like rust.

Faux patinas
------------

Copper items, lamps, fixtures and outdoor projects can be made to look weathered by use of paints or chemicals. For example, a 50/50 mix of ammonia and white vinegar will give copper an aged patina. Architects and craftspeople use copper sulfate on copper items to make them look old. Patina Green is another product used to give copper an instant aged look. Woodworkers and wood finishers mix their own wood stains. This is to match finishes on wood furniture to the same color, tone and patina of the original finish.

Other websites
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* Metallic Finishes & Effects - DIY
* Shabby Chic - Patina 1937 Ford Three-Window Archived 2014-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
Different Diatom species have hard shells with many different shapes and patterns. The shells stay even after they die, and are useful in palynology.
Palynology is the study of very small natural particles. The word literally means the "study of dust". A palynologist is someone whose job is to identify what the particles are. Samples of particles can come from the air or water or soil or rocks. They could be organic and inorganic. Micropaleontology is a related area of study; it involves very small fossils.

Methods
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A palynologist uses a microscope. They may also use chemical tests to find out what a particle is made of.

The methods used to study fossils in micropaleontology and in palynology are often different. Micropaleontology often involves breaking and dissolving rocks. Palynology often involves soil or sediment.

The main work of a palynologist is to identify each particle. Many different kinds of particles might be in the same sample. They may include:

* clay
* pollen
* algae with hard shells such as Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, golden algae
* spores from plants, fungi, or bacteria
* small seeds
* pieces of larger organisms
* tiny fossils

Uses
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A core taken from the bottom of a lake shows the layers of sediment, with the oldest layers at the bottom of the core.
A graph shows how pollen at different levels in a sediment core has varied through time.
When the palynologist knows what particles are present in a sample, they may be able to say what the temperature or environmental chemistry was like where the sample came from. They may also be able to say where the sample came from.

Palynology is used in forensic science to learn where something came from, by looking at the particles in or on it.

Palynology is also very important in the study of climate history. In bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and the ocean, sediment builds up slowly, so that the oldest sediment is at the bottom. There are ways to take a sample of the sediment that doesn't disturb the layers (either using a tube, or by freezing).

In glacial lakes, the sediment may have varves, which are two layers per year that are different colours. If there are varves, a lot of detailed information can be discovered in a core sample.


Wikimedia Commons has media related to ***Palynology***.
**Noise induced hearing loss (NHL)** is hearing loss caused by sounds that are too loud (high decibel level) and damage hearing cells in the ear. This can make noises sound quieter as well as make noise less clear, it can also cause other hearing related symptoms such as tinnitus. NHL is permanent and cannot usually be restored.

Most of the time, NHL happens after being around a lot of noise for long periods of time. Listening to loud music, city traffic or even things like a hair dryer for can damage hearing after a while. But NHL can also happen suddenly when close to an extremely loud sound. This can come from things like being close to an airplane or a gunshot.

Signs of NHL
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Hearing is a very important sense. It can be hard to notice hearing loss, especially if it happens over time instead of suddenly. Even if it is hard for a person experiencing it to notice, it will still have a large effect on their life.

Not being able to hear a conversation when there is a lot of noise around is usually a good sign of hearing loss. Other people may sound like they are speaking softly or their speech may not be clear. Both of these can be signs of NHL. Similarly, having to ask people to repeat themselves and having to try very hard to hear people speak are also signs.

Apart from not being able to hear very well when talking to other people, there are other signs of NHL such as tinnitus as well as some other diseases and medication.

Preventing NHL
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Since NHL causes permanent damage, knowing the signs and causes of it and preventing it early is the only way to keep hearing healthy. 

* Lowering the volume of sound is a good way to start. Even though controlling the level of sound heard is not always possible, when listening to music or watching movies it can be done and will keep hearing from being damaged.
* If controlling the level of sound is not possible then avoiding being around loud sound for a long time will help too. This is because the level of sound is not the only thing that is important for hearing loss, how long this loud sound is present is important as well.
* If none of the above methods to prevent hearing loss are possible, then using earplugs or earmuffs is a must. This will reduce the sound that is able to reach and cause damage to the ears. This is useful for people who work in places that are loud such as a construction site.

Treatment
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Although NHL is permanent and most of the time cannot be cured, there are ways to manage it.

The most common thing to do is use hearing aids. Hearing aids can help with hearing loss by making sound louder and speech clearer. They can also be customised by audiologists to suit almost any lifestyle and to suit the specific needs of different people.
The **Palácio Quitandinha** (Portuguese for "Quitandinha Palace") is a historic former luxury resort hotel, casino and convention center in Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1947, the Palácio Quitandinha was the site of the Rio Treaty, attended by United States President Harry Truman.

The hotel was, for many years, probably the second most famous hotel of the country, after the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro, which is only about 65 km from Petrópolis. The scenic artificial lake in front of the hotel, loosely resembling the shape of Brazil, was built as a source of water in the event of a fire.

 

Interior of the restaurant
Famous guests who stayed at the hotel included Errol Flynn, Orson Welles, Lana Turner, Henry Fonda, Maurice Chevalier, Greta Garbo, Carmen Miranda, Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, politicians like Eva Perón and president Getúlio Vargas of Brazil and king Carol II of Romania.

The hotel eventually closed in 1962 and its rooms were sold as private residences in 1963.

Gallery
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Other websites
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* Media related to Palácio Quitandinha at Wikimedia Commons
* Casinos in Brazil - Photos, Videos and Facts About Quitandinha Palace Casino (in Portuguese)
* Living in Quitandinha (in Portuguese)

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Diagram showing how Mercury's orbital period and rotational period are locked in a 3:2 resonance.
**Orbital resonance** is a resonance of two orbiting bodies exerting a regular, periodic gravitational effect on each other. Their orbital periods may be related by a ratio of two small integers. It is caused by the changing gravitational forces of bodies which go round each other. The stability of the Solar System was first investigated by Laplace, and there is still much that is not known about it.

As a satellite goes round a planet or two stars go round each other, the gravitational forces can change, sometimes hugely. This is partly because orbits are usually ellipses, not circular, and so the forces change accordingly. Also, the planets and stars are usually not spherical. They spin, and vary in their degree of oblateness. This also changes the forces on an orbiting body.

In particular, the forces may be unstable, so the smaller partner may change until the forces are stable (do not change with time). Satellites often end up with one face towards their planet, because that is the most stable position (tidal locking).

There are other stability effects. Gaps in Saturn's rings are caused by the particles shifting into more stable positions. In the rings of Saturn, the Cassini Division is a gap between the inner B Ring and the outer A Ring. It was cleared by a 2:1 resonance with the moon Mimas. Jupiter makes similar Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt.

There is a stability ratio for Neptune and Pluto: the 2:3 ratio means Pluto completes two orbits in the time it takes Neptune to complete three.

The area of mechanics which is used for these studies is called celestial mechanics.
**Shibuya Crossing**, or **Shibuya Scramble Crossing**, is a popular scramble crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. The statue of Hachikō, between the station and the intersection, is a very common meeting place and almost always crowded.

Shibuya Crossing（2018）
This intersection is frequently called "the most busiest pedestrian intersection in the world" and there is almost no loss of foot traffic at midnight or early morning. Road traffic jams rarely occur here even during rush hours.

According to the Shibuya Center Street in 2016, the number of pedestrians crossing the intersection was as much as 3,000 per green light (every 2 minutes). A 2014 flow measurement survey by the Shibuya Redevelopment Association estimated 260,000 pedestrians per day on week days, and 390,000 pedestrians on non-working days. Others estimate as much as 500,000 people on the busiest days. The 2012 SOTO Outdoor Media Survey estimated 1.5 million pedestrians per week.
The **Polyphaga** is the largest and most diverse suborder of beetles. The name is got from two Greek words: *poly*-, meaning 'many', and *phagein*, meaning 'to eat', so the suborder is called the "eaters of many things". Polyphaga has 144 families in 16 superfamilies, and shows an enormous variety of specialization and adaptation. It has over 315,000 described species, about 90% of all beetle species so far discovered.

Classification
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There are 5 infraorders:

* Bostrichiformia — including furniture beetles and skin beetles.
* Cucujiformia — includes lady beetles, longhorn beetles, weevils, checkered beetles and leaf beetles.
* Elateriformia — includes click beetles and fireflies
* Scarabaeiformia — includes scarab beetles and stag beetles.
* Staphyliniformia — includes rove beetles and water scavenger beetles.

The infraorder Cucujiformia includes most phytophagous [plant-eating] beetles. Adoption of a plant-eating lifestyle promoted speciation and diversity in beetles, with Cucujiformia, especially weevils, forming a major radiation. Much of this adaptive radiation has taken place at the same time as the evolution of the flowering plants. "99% of phytophagous beetles feed on flowering plants".p399
A game of pato in Monte Hermoso, Argentina.
**Pato** is a game played on horseback. It adds ideas from polo and basketball. It is the national sport of Argentina.

**Pato** is Spanish for "duck". The early games used a live duck inside a basket instead of a ball. Pato has been written about since 1610. The playing field would often go between neighboring ranches. The first team to reach its own ranch house with the duck was the winner.

Pato was banned several times during its history. This was due to the violence—not only to the duck; many gauchos were trampled underfoot. Some lost their lives in knife fights started in the heat of the game. In 1796, a Catholic priest said that pato players who died this way should not get Christian burial. Laws saying people could not play pato were common in the 19th century.

During the 1930s, pato had rules added by ranch owner Alberto del Castillo Posse. He made a set of rules based on modern polo. President Juan Perón made pato Argentina's national game in 1953.

Gameplay
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A player picking up the ball
In modern pato, two four-member teams ride on horses. They try to get a ball which has six handles. They score by throwing the ball through a ring that is vertical. The rings have a 100 cm (3.3 ft) diameter. They are on 240 cm (7.9 ft) high poles. A closed net, going up for 140 cm (4.6 ft), holds the ball after goals are scored.

The winner is the team with most goals scored after the time is done. Game time is six 8-minute "periods".

The field is: length 180 to 220 m (196.9 to 240.6 yd), width 80 to 90 m (87 to 98 yd). The ball is made of leather, with an inflated rubber chamber and six leather handles. Its diameter is 40 cm (15.7 in) handle-to-handle. The weight is 1050 to 1250 g (2.3 to 2.8 lbs).

The player that has control of the **pato** (i.e. holds the ball by a handle) must ride with his right arm outstretched. He offers the pato so rival players have a chance of tugging the pato and stealing it. Not holding his arm out while riding with the pato is an offense called **negada** (refusal).

During the tug itself, or **cinchada**, both players must stand on the stirrups and not sit on the saddle. The hand not tugging must hold the reins. The tug is usually the most exciting part of the game.

Pato is similar to the game of horseball played in France, Portugal, and other countries.

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For the town in Pennsylvania, see Palmyra, Pennsylvania. For the island, see Palmyra Atoll.

**Palmyra** was an ancient Arabian city in central Syria. It is in an oasis 215 kilometres (134 miles) northeast of Damascus, and 180 km (110 mi) southwest of the Euphrates.

History
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It was an important city in ancient times. It had long been a place for travellers to stop when crossing the Syrian Desert. The city was founded some time during the 2nd millennium BC. It became abandoned around 1929. The site was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.

The Semitic name of the city is **Tadmur** (Arabic: تدمر). In Aramaic, it means "a city that cannot be defeated". The earliest written reference to the city by this name is on Babylonian tablets found in Mari. It is still known as Tadmur in Arabic.

The people of Palmyra worshipped many gods and goddesses from Mesopotamia, Syria, Arabia and Greece. They built a series of temples and large monuments containing funerary art, or art representing the dead. Palmyrans originally spoke Aramaic, but later began speaking Greek. 

The area was later made a part of the Roman Empire. The city was important because of the "silk commerce" from Rome toward the China region in eastern Asia. Between the years 260 and 273, Odaenathus and his wife Zenobia used Palmyra as the capital of the Palmyrene Empire. This period of Roman history is called the Crisis of the Third Century.

By the time of the Muslim conquests, a few Arab tribes were living in Palmyra.

The city lost its importance after the 16th century. It was fully abandoned by 1929, during the Ottoman Empire. There is a new town of the same name nearby to the south of the ruins.

During the Syrian Civil War in 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) destroyed large parts of the ancient city. It was recaptured by the Syrian Army in 2017.

Bibliography
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to ***Palmyra***.

* Burns, Ross (1999). *Monuments of Syria*. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. pp. 162–175.
* Isaac, Benjamin (2000). *The Limits of Empire - the Roman Army in the East* (revised ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Other websites
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* Palmyra, with photos and detailed information