Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
When theoretical cosmologists speak of GUTs and TOEs, they’re not talking about anatomy. GUT is an acronym for Grand Unified Theory and TOE stands for Theory of Everything. These are just two fun facts in the fascinating book The End of...
If a married couple moves because one spouse is relocated for work, is it correct to say the other spouse is following them? A listener wonders about the implications of the term “follow,” and how that dynamic works in today’s day...
Why do subdivisions and office complexes have names invoking landscapes and animals that don’t exist there? A Fort Wayne, Indiana, listener got to wondering about this after passing the “Bay View Apartments” in her hometown: there’s not...
wireline adj.— «It will let your computer take advantage of information and services on different kinds of networks, in different brands of computers, on both wireline and wireless media, all over the world.» —“General Magic Inc...
waterbug n.— «When a player (usually a guard) possesses extreme quickness, he is sometimes referred to as a “waterbug.”» —“A microscopic view into the playoffs” by Matt Stroup NBCSports.com Apr. 27, 2007...