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Illinois will soon be cicada central when 2 broods converge on state in historic emergence
When his youngest daughter was born early in the summer of 2004 in Washington, D.C., John Lill and his wife could hear cicadas singing from inside the hospital.
“That’s how loud it was,” he said. “So my daughter, ...Read more
This Day in History, March 18
On March 18th, 1766, the British government repealed the Stamp Act.
Fort Lauderdale is looking at raising roads to battle rising seas
It’s a scary thought: Sea levels rising by as much as 2 feet, swallowing up land, homes and everything else not on high ground.
It could happen as soon as 2060, experts say.
Fort Lauderdale, with its overabundance of ...Read more
California unlikely to meet landmark goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
LOS ANGELES — California is poised to fail to meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals by the end of the decade unless it can triple its efforts to reduce carbon emissions statewide, according to a critical new ...Read more
Today's Word "robustious"
robustious \roh-BUHS-chuhs\ (adjective) - 1 : Boisterous; vigorous. 2 : Coarse; rough; crude.
"Four girls and four boys he had, robustious little heathens, every one of them, as he said himself." -- Marilynne Robinson, '...Read more
This & That
Inside each set of the following words, there are a pair of smaller words. By putting & between them, lo & behold, you'll make a familiar phrase. For example, "Thighbone/Swallowtail" conceals "High & Low."
1. Skyrocketing/Trolleyman
2. Thermometer/Apoplexy
3. Delaware/Bordering
4. Surprised/Trashiness
5. Throughout/Stumblebum
Nvidia backs little-known upstart in India's biggest AI bet yet
It’s a sultry March evening in the suburbs of Mumbai and a group of men hovers anxiously at the back gate of a startup called Yotta Data Services. They pace, pause and fret. It’s approaching midnight, 10 hours late, ...Read more
A thought for the day
A thought for the day: The tastes of country music fans are not limited to the narrow range defined by consultants and programmers and record company moguls. -- American singer Charley Pride
Other Notable Events for March 18
On this date in history:
In 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience against the British rulers of India.
In 1925, the worst tornado in U.S. history roared ...Read more
Notable Birthdays for March 18
Those born on this date include:
- John C. Calhoun, the first U.S. vice president to resign that office, in 1782
- Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th president of the United States, in 1837
- Russian ...Read more
Astronomy
Today is Monday, March 18, the 78th day of 2024 with 288 to follow.
The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Uranus.
Today's Word "explicate"
explicate \EK-spluh-kayt\ (transitive verb) - To explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity.
"Every day I would come home from the office to find him waiting and he would stay until dinnertime. During that time I ...Read more
Insanity Test
During a visit to a mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criteria is that defines if a patient should be institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub. Then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask the patient to empty the bathtub."
Okay, here's your test:
1. Would you use the spoon?
2. Would you use the teacup?
3. Would you use the bucket?
"Oh, I understand,"...
View full teaser and answerScientists hack weather satellite data to quantify methane leaks
Satellites sitting more than 22,200 miles above the Earth’s surface have been capturing storms and weather data for decades. Now, scientists have essentially hacked the data coming back for another purpose: spotting ...Read more
Other Notable Events for March 17
On this date in history:
In 1762, New York City staged its first parade honoring the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It was led by Irish soldiers serving in the British army...Read more
Notable Birthdays for March 17
Those born on this date include:
- German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, inventor of the gasoline-burning internal combustion engine, in 1834
- children's author/illustrator Kate Greenaway in 1846
- golf ...Read more
Today's Word "cant"
cant \KANT\ (noun) - 1 : The idioms and peculiarities of speech in any sect, class, or occupation. 2 : The use of religious phraseology without understanding or sincerity. 3 : Empty, solemn speech, implying what is not ...Read more
Composer Murder Mystery
Handel has been killed and Beethoven is on the case. He has interviewed the four suspects and their statements are shown below. Each suspect has said two sentences...one sentence of each suspect is a lie and one sentence is the truth. Help Beethoven figure out who the killer is.
Joplin: I did not kill Handel. Either Grieg is the killer or none of us is.
Grieg: I did not kill Handel. Gershwin is the killer.
Strauss...
This Day in History, March 17
On March 17th, 1941, the the National Gallery of Art was opened by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Good news for gray whales: 'Unusual Mortality Event' declared over
It was a worrisome few years for North Pacific gray whales, with hundreds washing up dead on shorelines along the West Coast leading to an estimated 30% decline in their population.
But the gray whale population, which ...Read more