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trivia_qa_1505023	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is a Fata Morgana?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "THE FATA MORGANA THE FATA MORGANA Tarot Services / A fata morgana is a witch and it is also a type of mirage along the horizon of the sea: an interdimensional gas leak. This site is an intersection of poetics and spells. I share what I know and what I'm learning.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505024	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is the highest mountain in the U.K.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Ben Nevis, the Tallest Mountain in the U.K., Just Got a Little Taller \| The Weather Channel Ben Nevis, the Tallest Mountain in the U.K., Just Got a Little Taller By Andrew MacFarlane Mar 22 2016 12:15 PM EDT weather.com Despite battling rain, sleet and snow, the Ordnance Survey, Britain’s national mapping agency, has found that the U.K.’s tallest mountain has grown a bit taller. Ben Nevis, the country’s tallest mountain, has a new official height of 4,412 feet (1,345 meters), a full three feet taller than the previous measurement , according to a recent release by the Ordnance Survey. The difference comes from the accuracy that’s achieved by using modern technologies, like GPS, rather than the surveying methods used when recording the last official measurement in 1949. Enlarge Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest mountain, now stands at 4,412 feet after a recent survey. (Santiago Fajardo/Flickr) \"Initially, I thought, 'Well, it's just a number', but then I took a look at the map and thought, 'Oh my, I've just raised the height of the tallest mountain in Britain ',\" the Ordnance Survey’s Geodetic Consultant Mark Greaves, who was the first to view the increased height, told BBC News. \"And then of course your next reaction is to check and double-check. I had to make sure we'd got it absolutely right,\" he said. The new height is already being published on the survey’s new Landranger paper maps and digital maps , according to a separate Ordnance Survey entry. Conditions weren’t exactly ideal for the trip, but that carried no weight on the survey's outcome, said Angus Hemmings. (More: Great Barrier Reef Coral Bleaching Reaches 'Severe' Level ) “It was raining, sleeting and snowing at the summit, but harsh weather doesn’t affect our equipment or readings,” said Hemmings, a field surveyor. “What it did do though, was give me a greater sense of respect for the 1949 surveyors. Each day they hauled 200lbs of equipment up Ben Nevis and its surrounding mountains.” Hemmings added that the crew had to wait until night, because strong lights had to be cast from the trig pillars onto other mountains to collect their data. “It took the surveyors 20 nights, because they only had three clear nights in that period to get it right,” Hemmings said. “Their effort and accuracy is remarkable.” MORE ON WEATHER.COM: The World's Highest Mountain—Mount Everest 1 of 13", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505025	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In biochemistry the suffix '-ose' usually denotes what common sort of substance?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Amylase enzyme protease enzyme cellulase enzyme lipase enzyme breakdown starch protein fiber fat oil Activity and Stability of Enzymes? How Are Enzymes Named? One researcher reports treating grain, sorghum or barley with the enzyme \"gumase\" while another reports the same with the enzyme \"beta-glucanase\" When methodologies are examined, it is discovered that both of these preparations are the same product. Unfortunately, this apparent contradiction in terms happens often. Enzymes have been named by several methods and this fact has been known to cause confusion in their classification. For example, common or \"trivial\" names of enzymes, generally contain a prefix representing the name of the substance or substrate upon which they act or affect, followed by the suffix \"ase\". The \"ase\" simply denotes or identifies that the substance is an enzyme. Examples of this system of nomenclature includes the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of proteins into their component amino acids, the name of this enzyme is \"protease\" or \"proteinase\". Another example is the enzyme that accelerates the breakdown of the two components of starch into sugars. The components of starch are known as \"amylose\" and \"amylo-pectin\", thus, the enzyme helping to break them down is called \"amylase\". Confusion may exist, however, when older names of enzymes are used. Included in these older terms are ficin, pepsin, bromelin and trypsin, which are older trivial names of individual types of protease preparations, the enzymes that accelerate digestion of proteins. There are also many sub- classes of enzymes. Amylases are a prime example; subclasses of amylase include: alpha-amylase, beta-amylase, and gluco-amylase, to name a few. All these enzymes do is accelerate the digestion of starch and are broadly classified as amylases, but their actions are all slightly different in nature. To help sort this out, the International Union of Biochemistry in 1961 proposed a system for enzymes' classification and naming which is finding acceptance mainly in this discussion. One example of this system, however, is the term: \"alpha 1, 4-glucan glucanohydrolase\" which is a name for alpha-amylase. All these systems of nomenclature may become confusing to someone who has use for only a few types of enzymes or uses them for industrial or agricultural purposes. Therefore, the use of the more widely known terms such as \"amylase\" and \"protease\" are more or less universally in these fields. It should be remembered, however, that there are many types of enzymes that fit into these broad categories that may be more or less suitable for specific agriculturally related application. The final selection for a specific application should be made only after consulting a knowledgeable individual well versed in the technical aspects of the particular enzyme requirements and applicable characteristics.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505026	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The one-act comic opera ‘Bastien und Bastienne’ was the first by which composer aged 12?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Bastien und Bastienne : K. 50 (46b) ; a one act comic opera. (Musical LP, 1976) [WorldCat.org] The E-mail message field is required. Please enter the message. E-mail Message: I thought you might be interested in this item at http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5982066 Title: Bastien und Bastienne : K. 50 (46b) ; a one act comic opera. Author: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Edith Mathis; Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö; Walter Berry; Leopold Hager; Mozarteum-Orchester, Publisher: [Villingen, Germany] : [Köln, Germany] : MPS ; BASF [New York, N.Y.] : Audiofidelity Enterprises, [1976] [1976] ℗1976 OCLC:5982066 The ReCaptcha terms you entered were incorrect. Please try to match the 2 words shown in the window, or try the audio version.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505027	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Originating in French, from the French word for bicycle and the Greek word for course, what is a track cycling arena called?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "2012 Summer Olympics - National Geographic Society 2012 Summer Olympics Women's gymnastics is usually the most-watched sport of the Summer Olympics. Photograph by Kieran Doherty, MyShot Get Set Find resources, ideas, and opportunities to help you make the most of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Register for free here . It Takes a Village Within walking distance of many of London's Olympic venues, an athletes' village will house approximately 17,000 competitors and officials. Along with residential apartments, there will be shops and restaurants, as well as medical, media, and leisure facilities. The tradition in London is to build homes around open spaces, communal squares, courtyards, and water features. The athletes village will follow this tradition of planning. When the 2012 games end, the village will be transformed into 2,800 new homes, including 1,379 that are deemed affordable. By Kimberly Dumke Friday, February 10, 2012 The ancient Olympic Games began in Olympia, Greece, in 776 BCE. The goals of the games were to honor the god Zeus, showcase the athletic skill of competitors, and promote good relations among Greek cities. At first, there was just one event—a footrace for men—and the games lasted only one day. Over the years, the games grew to several events, lasted five days, and included athletes from distant Greek colonies. No women were allowed to compete, and married women were not even allowed into the stadium as spectator s. The games were usually held every four years—a period of time that came to be known as an olympiad—until 393 CE. The modern Olympic Games were created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. The first modern Olympics took place in Athens, Greece, in 1896, with 241 male athletes from 14 countries competing. Since then, the games have been held every four years—except in 1940 and 1944, when they were canceled because of World War II—in a different place around the world. They have continued to add sports and participants. Women first competed at the 1900 games in Paris, France. In 1924, the first Winter Olympic games, featuring sports on snow and ice, were held in Chamonix, France. The Paralympic Games , for athletes with a physical disability, first took place in 1960 in Rome, Italy. The first Youth Olympics , for athletes between the ages of 14 and 18, was held in Singapore in 2010. The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London, England, from July 27 to August 12. London also hosted the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. More than 9 million spectators will watch more than 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries. Athletes will compete in 26 sports. Some sports have multiple disciplines. For example, the sport of gymnastics includes three disciplines: artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline. The games will feature a total of 38 disciplines, with multiple events for individuals and/or teams. Aquatics Aquatics includes the disciplines of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. Diving (Venue: Aquatics Centre, London) In the 18th century, gymnasts in Germany and Sweden began performing tumbling routines into water. That led to the development of competitive diving . The Olympic debut of men’s diving was in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri. Women’s diving was introduced at the 1912 games in Stockholm, Sweden. Today, diving competitions are favorites among spectators. The events feature a springboard, which is 3 meters (9.84 feet) high, or a fixed platform, which is 10 meters (32.8 feet) high. Individual divers and duos for synchronized events receive scores up to 10 from a panel of judges. Swimming (Venue: Aquatics Centre and Hyde Park, London) Competitive swimming as a sport began in Europe around 1800. Swimming has been featured in all modern Olympic Games since they began in 1896. Originally, the races were held in open water, such as lakes. Rules were formalized in 1908. That year’s London games featured the first Olympic swimming competition held in a pool. Women first competed at the 1912 games. Today, there are 34 medal events. Four strokes are used in Olympic", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505028	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"Which delta blues musician wrote \"\"Love in Vain\"\", \"\"Cross Road Blues\"\", and \"\"Rambling on My Mind\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Robert Johnson - Delta Blues Legend - Amazon.com Music Available from these sellers . Editorial Reviews Many have dubbed Johnson the father of modern rock and roll. Of all early bluesmen, Robert Johnson can be considered one of the more prolific. Although he did not live long enough to become as popular as many of the other earlier blues artists, his music has influenced a number of musicians who dramatically changed music history. Rajon. 2005. Track Listings", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505029	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who was the mother of Achilles in Greek mythology?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Achilles - Ancient History - HISTORY.com Google Achilles: Early Life Like most mythological heroes, Achilles had a complicated family tree. His father was Peleus, the mortal king of the Myrmidons–a people who, according to legend, were extraordinarily fearless and skilled soldiers. His mother was Thetis, a Nereid. Did You Know? Today, we use the phrase “Achilles heel” to describe a powerful person’s fatal weakness. According to myths and stories composed long after the Iliad, Thetis was extraordinarily concerned about her baby son’s mortality. She did everything she could to make him immortal: She burned him over a fire every night, then dressed his wounds with ambrosial ointment; and she dunked him into the River Styx, whose waters were said to confer the invulnerability of the gods. However, she gripped him tightly by the foot as she dipped him into the river–so tightly that the water never touched his heel. As a result, Achilles was invulnerable everywhere but there. When he was 9 years old, a seer predicted that Achilles would die heroically in battle against the Trojans. When she heard about this, Thetis disguised him as a girl and sent him to live on the Aegean island of Skyros. To be a great warrior was Achilles’ fate, however, and he soon left Skyros and joined the Greek army. In a last-ditch effort to save her son’s life, Thetis asked the divine blacksmith Hephaestus to make a sword and shield that would keep him safe. The armor that Hephaestus produced for Achilles did not make him immortal, but it was distinctive enough to be recognized by friend and foe alike. When Homer wrote the Iliad in about 720 BCE, however, readers and listeners would not have known any of this. They only knew that Achilles was a great hero, that he had superhuman strength and courage and that he was supremely handsome. Homer painted a more nuanced picture: In addition to these qualities, his Achilles was vengeful and quick to anger and could be petulant when he did not get his way. He was also deeply loyal and would sacrifice anything for his friends and family. Achilles: The Trojan War According to legend, the Trojan War began when the god-king Zeus decided to reduce Earth’s mortal population by arranging a war between the Greeks (Homer calls them the Achaeans) and the Trojans. He did this by meddling in their political and emotional affairs. At Achilles’ parents’ wedding banquet, Zeus invited the prince of Troy, a young man named Paris, to judge a beauty contest between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. Each of the goddesses offered Paris a bribe in exchange for his vote. Aphrodite’s was the most alluring: She promised to give the young prince the most beautiful wife in the world. Unfortunately, the wife in question–Helen, the daughter of Zeus–was already married to someone else: Menelaus, the king of Sparta . At Aphrodite’s urging, Paris went to Sparta, won Helen’s heart and took her (along with all of Menelaus’ money) back to Troy. Menelaus vowed revenge. He assembled an army of Greece’s greatest warriors, including Achilles and his Myrmidons, and set off to conquer Troy and get his wife back. In Homer’s telling, this war lasted for 10 bloody years. Achilles: The Illiad When the Iliad begins, the Trojan War has been going on for nine years. Achilles, the poem’s protagonist, has led one battle after another. He has met with great success–in fact, he is undefeated in battle–but the war itself has reached a stalemate. Homer’s story focuses on a different conflict, however: the internecine quarrel between his hero and Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean armies and Menelaus’ brother. In a battle that took place before the poem begins, Agamemnon had taken as a concubine a young Trojan woman named Chryseis. Chryseis’ father, a priest of the god Apollo, tried to buy his daughter’s freedom, but Agamemnon mocked his entreaties and refused to release the girl. Enraged, Apollo punished the Greek armies by sending a plague to kill the soldiers one by one. As his ranks thinned, Agamemnon finally agreed to allow Chryseis to return to her", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505030	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is the occupation of Silas Marner, in the book by George Eliot?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Silas Marner - George Eliot - Google Books Silas Marner 0 Reviews https://books.google.com/books/about/Silas_Marner.html?id=mIuFveQreYEC Although the shortest of George Eliot's novels, Silas Marner is one of her most admired and loved works. It tells the sad story of the unjustly exiled Silas Marner - a handloom linen weaver of Raveloe in the agricultural heartland of England - and how he is restored to life by the unlikely means of the orphan child Eppie. From inside the book What people are saying - Write a review We haven't found any reviews in the usual places. Contents 1 other sections not shown Common terms and phrases AA/P AARON WINTHROP accept Acclaim Books Adam Bede AGA\\NST betrayal by William Bray brother Dunstan Cass boys Chapel and Evangelism character in Silas Chorus Church of England claim Eppie Classics Illustrated daugh daughter death dogs Dolly Winthrop Dunstan Cass ELIOT Silas Marner Fate father fox hunt GEORGE ELIOT Silas George Henry Lewes Godfrey and Nancy Godfrey Cass Godfrey's gold gone gressive High Church idea Lantern Yard lives Low Church Marian Marner finds Marner take place Marner's cabin marriage marry Nancy Mary Anne Evans MASTER GODFREY ment Middlemarch Molly Farren moral mother munity Nancy Lammeter novel past Priscilla Lammeter Rainbow Raveloe community Raveloe's Red House religion ried righteous Robert Evans Sally Oates Silas and Eppie Silas Marner takes social Squire Cass Stories by Poe story of Silas stranger tained things title Squire town unknown robber Westminster Review wife Wildfire William Dane woman Young Mary Anne About the author (1997) George Eliot was born Mary Ann Evans on a Warwickshire farm in England, where she spent almost all of her early life. She received a modest local education and was particularly influenced by one of her teachers, an extremely religious woman whom the novelist would later use as a model for various characters. Eliot read extensively, and was particularly drawn to the romantic poets and German literature. In 1849, after the death of her father, she went to London and became assistant editor of the Westminster Review, a radical magazine. She soon began publishing sketches of country life in London magazines. At about his time Eliot began her lifelong relationship with George Henry Lewes. A married man, Lewes could not marry Eliot, but they lived together until Lewes's death. Eliot's sketches were well received, and soon after she followed with her first novel, Adam Bede (1859). She took the pen name \"George Eliot\" because she believed the public would take a male author more seriously. Like all of Eliot's best work, The Mill on the Floss (1860), is based in large part on her own life and her relationship with her brother. In it she begins to explore male-female relations and the way people's personalities determine their relationships with others. She returns to this theme in Silas Mariner (1861), in which she examines the changes brought about in life and personality of a miser through the love of a little girl. In 1863, Eliot published Romola. Set against the political intrigue of Florence, Italy, of the 1490's, the book chronicles the spiritual journey of a passionate young woman. Eliot's greatest achievement is almost certainly Middlemarch (1871). Here she paints her most detailed picture of English country life, and explores most deeply the frustrations of an intelligent woman with no outlet for her aspirations. This novel is now regarded as one of the major works of the Victorian era and one of the greatest works of fiction in English. Eliot's last work was Daniel Deronda. In that work, Daniel, the adopted son of an aristocratic Englishman, gradually becomes interested in Jewish culture and then discovers his own Jewish heritage. He eventually goes to live in Palestine. Because of the way in which she explored character and extended the range of subject matter to include simple country life, Eliot is now considered to be a major figure in the development of the novel.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505031	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which BAFTA nominated British detective drama series is set in Hastings during World War Two?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "www.XpatDvd.com British TV Drama Grantchester SERIES 1: It is 1953 and Sidney Chambers [James Norton] is vicar of the seemingly quiet village of Grantchester. Or at least, it has been quiet, right up until murder came to town. Pushed into a dangerous world of lies, betrayal and murder, Sidney quickly finds that his natural instincts and curiosity help him excel in his new position as 'Detective'. Joining Sidney in his journey through a dark and dangerous new world, is the affable Detective Inspector Geordie Keating [Robson Green], the naive, well-meaning curate Leonard Finch [Al Weaver], his austere and constantly disapproving housekeeper Mrs Maguire [Tessa Peake-Jones]; and the witty, high-society Amanda [Morven Christie]. SERIES 2: Still unresolved from last season is Sidney's love life. Handsome, worldly-wise, and virtuous, he should be an ideal catch. And at least one very promising female companion turns up in the new series. But will Sidney scare her away with his unconventional taste for jazz, blood-splattered crime scenes, and a married woman? The new season's cases include a shocking charge of sexual assault that turns into a homicide investigation implicating a pillar of the community; an apparent suicide from the college spire that takes on Cold War overtones: a confession to murder in which the alleged victim is still very much alive; a haunted stable with links to the Holocaust and more. Peaky Blinders Peaky Blinders is an epic gangster drama set in the lawless streets of post-war Birmingham on the cusp of the 1920s. Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Inception) stars as Thomas Shelby, the controller one of the city's most feared and successful criminal organisations, the Peaky Blinders, known for their practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps. But Shelby's ambitions go beyond running the streets. Crime pays, but business pays better. Featuring a specular cast that includes Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Helen McCrory (Skyfall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Paul Anderson (Legend), Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) and Tom Hardy (The Revenant, Mad Max). Britain's best drama, The Independent, Unmissable, The Daily Mail Hinterland A crime drama set in Aberystwyth, Wales, where troubled DCI Tom Mathias solves murders while searching for redemption. For catch-up, here is how Season One kicked off: having just left the Met in London, DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington: Poldark, Stella) is now in Aberystwyth where he is called to the scene of a brutal attack at an isolated chalet in the sand dunes. The victims body is found near the site of the old childrens home that she ran for many years Season Two kicks off with a feature length episode: DCI Mathias future hangs in the balance, he is forced to return to the front line after an arson attack in a feuding community of failing farms and he has to juggle the current investigation while rehabilitating his reputation. Other storylines include the murder of a local dignitary and barrister, a bus driver is shot dead on an isolated mountainside, a body is found in a lake and a burnt body is found on the dunes. The Tunnel The Tunnel (French: Tunnel) is a British-French crime drama television series, adapted from the 2011 Danish/Swedish crime series The Bridge (Broen/Bron). The Tunnel began broadcast on 16 October 2013 on Sky Atlantic in the UK, and on 11 November 2013 on Canal+ in France. The series stars Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy as British and French police detectives Karl Roebuck and Elise Wassermann, respectively. Scott & Bailey This moving and exciting drama series follows the lives of Janet Scott and Rachel Bailey Detective Constables in a Manchester Major Incident Team led by the formidable DCI Gill Murray. Though dedicated to cracking their challenging cases, Scott and Bailey also have home lives away from the force, fraught with personal dramas, decisions and life-changing consequences. Series 1 As they take on testing and horrific cases including the murder of", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505032	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Gotham City is associated with which fictional superhero?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Gotham City \| Batman Wiki \| Fandom powered by Wikia Locale: Gotham County Gotham City is the home of Batman . Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 (Winter 1940). Contents [ show ] History In Swamp Thing #53, Alan Moore writes a fictional history for Gotham City that other writers have generally followed. According to Moore's tale, a Norwegian mercenary founded Gotham City in 1635 and the British later took it over. To an extent, this mirrors the history of many American cities that changed hands over the course of time. During the American Revolutionary War, Gotham City was the site of a major battle and rumors held it to be the site of various occult rites. Shadowpact #5 by Bill Willingham expands upon Gotham's occult heritage by depicting a being who has slept for 40,000 years beneath the land upon which Gotham City was built. Strega, the being's servant, says that the \"dark and often cursed character\" of the city was influenced by the being who now uses the name \"Doctor Gotham.\" Many storylines have added more events to Gotham's history, and at the same time affecting the city and its people greatly. Perhaps the greatest in impact was a long set of serial storylines, which started with Ra's Al Ghul releasing a debilitating virus called the \"Clench\" during the \" Contagion \" storyline. As that arc wrapped the city was beginning to recover only to suffer an earthquake described as being 7.6 on the Richter Scale in \" Cataclysm \". This resulted in the federal government cutting Gotham off from the rest of the United States in \" No Man's Land .\" This trio of storylines allowed writers the freedom to redefine the nature and mood of the city. The result suggested a harder city with a more resilient, resourceful, and cynical populace; a more dramatic and varied architecture; and more writing possibilities by attributing new locales to the rebuilding of the city. Name and New York City connection Before Detective Comics #48, Batman's adventures were said to happen in New York City . Gotham is known to be architecturally modeled after New York City, but with exaggerated elements of the styles and derives its name from a sobriquet for that real world city, first popularized by the author Washington Irving in his satirical work Salmagundi (1807). Prior to that the term \"Gotham\" had been used to refer to places with foolish inhabitants since as early as the mid-15th century. The existence of Gotham, Nottinghamshire in the DC Universe was acknowledged in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #206 (and again in 52 #27), although the connection between two names within the DCU has not been fully explained. In a story titled 'Cityscape' in Batman Chronicles #6 it is revealed that Gotham was initially built for the purpose of housing the criminally insane, and Robin reads a journal that tells of how Gotham got its name; \"I even have a name for it. We could call it 'Gotham' after a village in England - where, according to common belief, all are bereft of their wits. The name \"Gotham City\" is generally associated with Batman and DC Comics, although it also appears in the first Mr. Scarlet story by France Herron and Jack Kirby from Wow Comics #1. Kirby historian Greg Theakston notes that this was published December 13, 1940, shortly before Detective Comics #48 was published. Atmosphere In terms of atmosphere, Batman writer and editor Dennis O'Neil has said that, figuratively, \"Batman's Gotham City is Manhattan below Fourteenth Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November.\" [1] Gotham City's atmosphere took on a lighter tone in the comics of the 1950s and part of the 1960s, similar to the tone of Batman stories of that era. However, by the early 1970s the tone of the city, as well as that of the stories, had become grittier. In recent decades, the portrayal of Gotham has been as a dark and foreboding place rife with crime, grime, and corruption. Architecture Gotham skyline by night. Different artists have depicted Gotham in different ways. But they often base their interpretati", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505033	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which prolific author created a men-only dining group called The Black Widowers for a series of mystery stories?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Black Widowers (Literature) - TV Tropes Black Widowers You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share YMMV The Black Widowers is a fictional men-only dining club created by Isaac Asimov for a series of sixty-six mystery stories that he started writing in 1971. Most of the stories follow the same basic convention: the six club members meet once a month at a private room at the Milano restaurant in New York. Each one takes a turn to act as host for the evening and brings along a guest for the occasion. The guest may be a friend, relative or colleague from work (women are not allowed). The meal is served by the incomparable waiter Henry Jackson ï¿½ almost invariably referred to as simply Henry ï¿½ whom the regulars look upon with high regard and even consider an actual member. After the main course, the brandy is served and the host rattles his spoon on his water glass for silence. One of the other Widowers is appointed as \"griller\" and begins the questioning, most often by asking the guest to \"justify his existence\". In the course of the subsequent conversation, it always comes out that the guest has a problem, varying from personal issues to problems at work to actual crimes. The club members try to solve the problem, raising various related aspects in the course of the conversation, but are unable to come to a conclusion or resolution. In the end, it is Henry who provides the correct, and usually very simple, answer, obtained from details mentioned in the conversation. The Black Widowers were based on a literary dining club Asimov belonged to known as the Trap Door Spiders. Members of the Widowers were based on real-life Spiders, some of them famous writers in their own right: Geoffrey Avalon, a patent attorney (based on L. Sprague de Camp ) Emmanuel Rubin, a mystery novelist and acquaintance of Isaac Asimov (based on Lester del Rey ) James Drake, a chemist (based on Dr. John D. Clark) Thomas Trumbull, an expert in cryptography for the United States government (based on Gilbert Cant) Mario Gonzalo, an artist, who usually draws a portrait of the evening's guest (based on Lin Carter) Roger Halsted, a high school mathematics teacher, fond of jokes and limericks (based on Don Bensen) Tropes used in the Black Widowers stories include: Apple of Discord : In \"To The Barest,\" the late ex-Widower Ralph Ottur invokes this and alludes to the mythological example by leaving a sum of money in his will \"to the barest\" of the current Black Widowers, whatever that means ï¿½ with the additional caveat that if they are smart enough to refuse to argue, the money will go to the American Nazi Party. (For extra points, Ottur deliberately chose a lawyer named Parris as his executor.) Clock Discrepancy : In one of the Black Widowers mysteries, where a character is woken up by a phone call at a time that is actually an hour later than he thinks it is (because he hasn't yet set his clock forward for Daylight Savings Time) and thus unwittingly provides a false alibi. In another Black Widowers story, a discrepancy between 5:50 (which would exonerate the accused) and \"half past five\" (which incriminates him) is resolved in favor of the former — the witness reporting the latter was an accountant used to decimal numbers who unconsciously interpreted the digital clock display as \"five and a half\". Distracted by My Own Sexy : In \"No Smoking\", the guest is a man whose specialty is job interviews. He keeps a variety of objects on his desk, and judges people's character by how they interact with those objects. The fashion-conscious Mario Gonzalo asks how he did on his interview, and the guest replies that he never reveals his secrets, but he will mention one thing: \"There was a mirror in the room.\" Doing In the Wizard : Asimov does this in this series, especially in \"The Obvious Factor\" and \"The Haunted Cabin\". Another short story, \"The Cross of Lorraine\" features a Lawyer-Friendly Cameo of the Amazing Randi, who does this for a living. Dying Clue : In \"The Sports Page\", the guest relates the tale of a Russian spy (that is, a Ru", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505034	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Scapa Flow is situated in which part of the British Isles?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Scapa Flow: Where Britannia Ruled the Waves \| RealClearHistory now reading: Scapa Flow: Where Britannia Ruled the Waves Scapa Flow: Where Britannia Ruled the Waves Part III: Belfast - Rising From Ashes of 'The Troubles' HOY, Orkney, Scotland - The MS Caribbean Princess steamed north from Belfast, toward the North Sea and into the northernmost waters of the British Isles. We finally reached port in the Orkney Islands, the windswept and seemingly treeless archipelago just north of Scotland. Orkney is about as Viking as it is British, as it has been a crossroads and a safe haven for travelers for thousands of years. Amidst Orkney's 70 islands is Scapa Flow, a body of water that became the focal point of naval warfare in both World Wars. Throughout its history, the Royal Navy had always operated out of ports on the English Channel, but in 1904, concerned by the rapid buildup of German Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, the Admiralty decided to construct a northern base to counter a potential menace. It turned out to be a prescient decision. On May 31, 1916, the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy met the High Seas Fleet in the Battle of Jutland, the biggest and only major naval battle of the First World War. Though the battle turned out to be a draw - or maybe even a narrow German victory - it proved to be a strategic triumph for Britain. Fearing the loss of his precious fleet, Kaiser Wilhelm II forbade the High Seas Fleet from leaving its base in Wilhelmshaven, where it remained until the end of the war. These German capital ships actually made it to Scapa Flow - after the war. Following the armistice in November 1918, under the terms of German capitulation, 74 battleships, cruisers and destroyers sailed to the Royal Navy base where they were interned. The fate of the fleet was a source of contention during the Treaty of Versailles negotiations as several Allied nations wanted at least some of the ships as war booty. But before the Paris Peace Conference came to a conclusion, German admiral Ludwig von Reuter took the matter into his own hands. On the morning of June 21, 1919, with his British captors completely oblivious, he signaled to his fleet to scuttle the ships. Of the 74 ships, 52 sank to the bottom of Scapa Flow while the rest were beached and salvaged by the British. Nearly a century later, with the ships still resting in shallow water, Scapa Flow remains the largest scuba diving site in Europe. Location of German ships in display case at Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum I had to wade (OK, travel by ferry) across that same body of water even though I didn't have my scuba gear. Instead, the ferry took me from the Mainland island of Orkney to Lyness, on the island of Hoy, where the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum is located. The main building of the museum is inside what used to be an oil pumping station whereas a large oil tank has been converted into a large exhibition hall and theater, with a big screen showing a series of films on life in the Scapa Flow during World War II. At the height of the war, more than 12,000 Allied military and civilian personnel - including thousands of Americans - were stationed in the sprawling Lyness complex that included barracks, storage for 15,000 tons of oil for the fleet, ammunition depots as well as soccer fields and squash courts. A few of the buildings are still standings, but most of the area has returned to being pasture land. Scapa Flow as a naval base proved to be vulnerable in the Second World War. On Oct. 14, 1939, German submarine U-47 entered the water and sank HMS Royal Oak before making its escape. The Luftwaffe also bombed the harbor a few days later, putting the Royal Navy fleet's safety in question. Winston Churchill responded by stepping up security for the islands, beefing up coastal batteries and adding anti-aircraft guns - but most importantly erecting causeways to block the eastern approaches of Scapa Flow. These \"Churchill Barriers\" became an enormous project that required substantial labor to complete. Most of the work was done by the 1,300 Italian prisoners cap", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505035	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Benny Goodman was known as what?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Benny Goodman \| Music Hub \| Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , [1 ] who lived in the Maxwell Street neighborhood. His father was David Goodman (1873-1926), a tailor from Warsaw ; his mother was Dora Grisinsky [1 ] (1873-1964) from Kaunas , Lithuania . His parents met in Baltimore, Maryland , and moved to Chicago before Benny was born. [3 ] When Benny was 10, his father enrolled him and two of his older brothers in music lessons at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue. The next year he joined the boys club band at Jane Addams ' Hull House , where he received lessons from director James Sylvester. He also received two years of instruction from the classically trained clarinetist Franz Schoepp. [4 ] His early influences were New Orleans jazz clarinetists working in Chicago, notably Johnny Dodds , Leon Roppolo , and Jimmy Noone . [3 ] Goodman learned quickly, becoming a strong player at an early age: he was soon playing professionally in various bands. Goodman made his professional debut in 1921 at Central Park Theater in Chicago and entered Harrison High School in 1922. He joined the musicians’s union in 1923 and that summer he met Bix Beiderbecke. He attended Lewis Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology ) in 1924 as a high school sophomore, while also playing the clarinet in a dance hall band. (He was awarded an honorary LL.D. from IIT in 1968.) At age 14, he was in a band that featured the legendary Bix Beiderbecke . [5 ] When Goodman was 16, he joined one of Chicago's top bands, the Ben Pollack Orchestra, with which he made his first recordings in 1926. [3 ] He made his first record on Vocalion under his own name two years later. Goodman recorded with the regular Pollack band and smaller groups drawn from the orchestra through 1929. The side sessions produced scores of sides recorded for the various dimestore record labels under an array of group names, including Mills' Musical Clowns, Goody's Good Timers, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, Jimmy Backen's Toe Ticklers, Dixie Daisies, and Kentucky Grasshoppers. Goodman's father, David, was a working-class immigrant about whom Benny said (interview, Downbeat, February 8, 1956); \"...Pop worked in the stockyards , shoveling lard in its unrefined state. He had those boots, and he'd come home at the end of the day exhausted, stinking to high heaven, and when he walked in it made me sick. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand the idea of Pop every day standing in that stuff, shoveling it around\". On December 9, 1926, David Goodman was killed in a traffic accident. Benny had recently joined the Pollack band and was urging his father to retire, since he and his brother (Harry) were now doing well as professional musicians. According to James Lincoln Collier , \"Pop looked Benny in the eye and said, 'Benny, you take care of yourself, I'll take care of myself.'\" Collier continues: \"It was an unhappy choice. Not long afterwards, as he was stepping down from a streetcar—according to one story—he was struck by a car. He never regained consciousness and died in the hospital the next day. It was a bitter blow to the family, and it haunted Benny to the end that his father had not lived to see the success he, and some of the others, made of themselves.\" [6 ] \"Benny described his father's death as 'the saddest thing that ever happened in our family.'\" [7 ] Edit Goodman left for New York City and became a successful session musician during the late 1920s and early 1930s (mostly with Ben Pollack 's band between 1926 and 1929). A notable March 21, 1928 Victor session found Goodman alongside Glenn Miller , Tommy Dorsey , and Joe Venuti in the All-Star Orchestra, directed by Nat Shilkret . [8 ] [9 ] [10 ] He played with the nationally known bands of Ben Selvin , Red Nichols , Isham Jones (although he is not on any of Jones's records), and Ted Lewis . He recorded sides for Brunswick under the name Benny Goodman's Boys, a band that featured Glenn Miller. In 1928, Benny Goodm", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505036	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In which novel is the world divided into Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "How is the world divided in '1984'? - Quora Quora This is the world map as per 1984: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia are three totalitarian superstates, which are perpetually at war. Little known fact: Orwell got the idea for Nineteen Eighty-Four after the Tehran Conference, at which Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill discussed how the world would be divided up upon the defeat of the Axis Powers. 195 Views Get your ego out of the way. It's almost always in the way. Put others before yourself. Move towards what you love rather than away from what you fear. Make kindness a priority. Learn more. For example, if you need to make a choice between two jobs pick the one where you will learn the most. Difficult things are underrated. Difficult is awesome and satisfying. Yes, you can. Yes it's hard. Yay for ... Updated Oct 3 He’s been as good a president as the Republicans allowed him to be. If he had had a Democratic Congress he could have been brilliant, another FDR or Johnson. Considering the train wreck he inherited, yes, he has been a very good president. But most of his efforts have been to put the train back on the track rather than take it forward into the future. Written Apr 6, 2016 I once saw an obstetrician (who by the way was very skilled and caring BTW) deliver a difficult forceps delivery. There was a LOT of fluid, the baby flew out, head having been freed, landed upon the docs vary wet plastic apron, and shot towards the floor like she was on flume ride. The paediatrician- who was standing by to collect the babe- fortunately was an essential rugby player, an...", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505037	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which element has the symbol Sc?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Scandium - Element information, properties and uses \| Periodic Table Chemistry in its element: scandium (Promo) You're listening to Chemistry in its element brought to you by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry. (End promo) This week, an element whose existence had been expected, Here's David Linsay. David Lindsay Scandium, atomic number 21. It is the first of the transition metals, and its discovery is entwined with that of vertical neighbours yttrium and lanthanum. The Swedish island of Resarö, near Stockholm, became a hotbed of elemental discovery in the late eighteenth, and early nineteenth, centuries. A quarry near the village of Ytterby yielded two different mineral ores, from which the seventeen so-called \"rare earth\" elements were eventually identified, those being scandium, yttrium and the fifteen lanthanide elements. In 1788, a Lieutenant Arrhenius found an unusual black rock near the town of Ytterby. He passed this on to the famous Finnish scientist Johan Gadolin, and the story of the discovery of the rare earths began. In 1879, Lars Nilson, isolated the oxide of a new metal element from the minerals gadolinite and euxenite. Nilson was a student of the legendary Jacob Berzelius, himself discoverer of many elements. Nilson named this oxide scandia, after Scandinavia. The discovery of this element was especially notable, as, seven years previously, Mendeleev had used his periodic table to predict the existence of ten as yet unknown elements, and for four of these, he predicted in great detail the properties they should have. One of these four, Mendeleev predicted, should have properties very similar to boron, and he named this element \"ekaboron\", meaning \"like boron\". The metal of this new oxide, scandia, was indeed found to have similar properties to this \"ekaboron\", thus demonstrating the power of Mendeleev's construction. For example, Mendeleev predicted the element's molecular weight would be 44 and that it would form one oxide with formula Eb2O3; scandium has molecular weight 45, and forms scandium oxide, Sc2O3. Some of Mendeleev's predictions were even more detailed. He predicted that the carbonate of ekaboron would not be soluble in water, which scandium carbonate is not. He even made a prediction related to the discovery of the element - that it would not be discovered spectroscopically. Indeed, scandium produces no spectroscopic lines, so could not be identified by this method of analysis. However, it was another Swedish chemist, Per Theodor Cleve, who was also working on the rare earths, who noticed the similarity between Nilson's new element, and the ekaboron predicted by Mendeleev. Despite the discovery of the oxide of this new element, it would take almost another sixty years until pure, elemental scandium was prepared, being made by electrolysis of scandium chloride in the presence of lithium and potassium, at high temperature. Scandium is the first of the transition metals. Many of the transition metals exhibit a very rich and varied chemistry, due to the fact that they can exist in a wide variety of oxidation states. Scandium, however, is limited to the plus three oxidation state, meaning its chemistry is not quite as diverse as some of its transition metal counterparts. Scandium is very much a late starter compared to many of the other elements, due to its relatively low occurrence and the difficulty in obtaining it from its ores. For example, it wasn't until the 1960s when the first pound, or 450 grams, of high purity scandium was obtained. Compounds of scandium find use in organic chemistry. Like many of the lanthanides, the trifluoromethansulfonate, or triflate, of scandium finds use as a so-called Lewis acid, accepting a pair of electrons from a suitable organic molecule, and activating the organic molecule to take part in highly efficient and selective chemical reactions. Scandium is also the source of artificial natural light. This might sound like a contradiction, but when scandium iodide is added in very small amounts to mercury vapour lamps, it produces l", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505038	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; If you suffered from gymnophobia what would your fear be?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Do You Suffer From Gymnophobia? Do You Suffer From Gymnophobia? Gymnophobia the fear of seeing naked or seeing others naked. Enter your name and email address below to instantly receive your first Phobia Secrets Revealed lesson in about 5 minutes. Your Name: Your Email: Note: I greatly respect your privacy and will never sell or share your email address with anyone. You may unsubscribe anytime. But even if you are affected by this phobia, not necessarily you will refuse to be seen naked by everyone and anyone. It is an uncomfortable fear that pushes the person into feelings of profound embarrassment and mental harassment. Gymnophobia From A Comprehensive Perspective At first instance, Gymnophobia may seem a very irrational fear, but those suffering from the phobia can explain that it rises from a feeling of physical inadequacy. The fear also stem from a certain incident where the victim was disclosed in front of the others that must have sparked a feeling of awkwardness in the mind. This leaves a persistent mark of stress and anxiety, which burgeon into phobia in the later stage. So, if you are suffering from this type of phobia, then it is best advised to seek help immediately to expel the gripping fear from the mind. However, some cases are exceptional where such fear arrives only in dreams. But dreams take a toll on the real lives, with its growing intensity. If you are gymnophobics, then it may so happen that you may fear a situation where you are amidst a public crowd, when you suddenly realize that that you are completely naked. It is not unnatural that you may be intensely anxious of sexuality and be reluctant to get into intimate situation with any one. Gymnophobics are sensitive about circumstances where they fear about negligible things like taking a shower in the bathroom or changing clothes in front of people. You will possibly live in a morbid fear throughout your life, unless you have the will power to overcome it. Reasons Giving Rise To Gymnophobia This type of phobia is basically caused by the unconscious mind as the protective mechanism. The present situation is always linked to some past event at some point in your life when you must have confronted an event linking to emotional trauma and nudity. Remember that, the original catalyst is a real-life scare and the fear haunts the rest of life. Some kind of movies and TV programs may also trigger this kind of situation. But at the end of it all, the phobia does not erupt abruptly but with reasons from the past. The Symptoms The symptoms include rapid breath, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, feelings of dread and irregular heart beat. But different people feel the fear in their own way and this depends upon their past stories and happenings. How To Cure Gymnophobia NLP is a sure fire treatment for gymnophobia. NLP refers to finding a link to your mental codes. Over years, NLP has been tried on many patients and it has proved to be very effective. What is best about NLP is that, it uses the power of imagination to reprogram your fear reaction to bring a perpetual solution to your problem. Secluded from talk-therapy, medication and cognitive behavior therapy, NLP is successful in eliminating negative thoughts and ideas from the mind. My established Phobia Release Program teaches these well-established self help NLP techniques that are proven and effective in treating gymnophobia. Tired of Tiptoeing Around Your Fears? Cure Your Phobia In Just 10 Minutes A Day, Guaranteed! Whatever your phobia, regardless of how long you have suffered from it, despite the dreadful life limitations you have endured because of your fear, your phobia can be cured.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505039	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which breakfast cereal was invented by Henry Perky in 1893?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Foodista \| Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Food News \| Shredded Wheat Shredded Wheat Photo: flickr user minor9th About Shredded Wheat is a breakfast cereal made from whole wheat. It was invented by Henry Perky of Denver, Colorado in 1893. For over 100 years, they are still made with 100%% whole grain wheat. Shredded Wheat is rich in dietary fibers, carbohydrates, and protein. Information Other names: None Translations: Sasmalcinātas Kvieši, Gabaliukai Kviečiai, Măcinate de grâu, Isjeckan Pšenica, Mì sợi, Pszenica rozdrobnione, Tarwe Shredded, कटा हुआ गेहूं, Desfiado trigo, Shredded пшеницы, Κανταϊφι, مزقوا القمح, 났습니다 밀, Drcené pšenice, Ginutay-gutay Wheat, 小麦丝, El blat triturat, Razrezane Pšenica, Drvené pšenice, Shredded Grano, דגני חיטה, Strimlad Vete, Пшеница исјецкан, 千切り小麦, Strimlet Hvede, Makulert Wheat, El trigo triturado, Shredded пшениці, Silputtu Vehnä, Shredded пшеница Physical Description Shredded wheat are usually small square/rectangular chunks of the product. Generally are plain and of the same color shredded wheat would normally be. You can get versions of this product in frosted or filled form as well. Colors: Tan/Brown", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505040	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; 'The Modern Prometheus' was the subtitle of which 19th century novel?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus? Essay - 1367 Words Please sign up to read full document. Text Preview FRANKENSTEIN, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS? In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel \"Frankenstein\", Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, \"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to \"conquer the unknown\" - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans\". This assertion is discussed by first describing the Promethean connection. Thereafter, the two forms of the myth, Prometheus the fire-stealer and Prometheus the life-giver are reviewed in the context of Shelly's use of the myth in her novel and their relationship to the main theme. Finally, the character of Frankenstein as a modern Prometheus of the scientific age is discussed in the context of English Romantic literature. This \"Promethean longing\" mentioned by Hundle, is the connection between Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. They both seek to gain knowledge of the unknown. Victor Frankenstein's obsession with occult scientific knowledge results in the destruction of his family and friends, whilst Walton, the narrator of the story, causes many deaths by his obsessive journey to the North Pole. Shelly's use of the Prometheus myth combines the two versions of the legend, Prometheus the \"fire-stealer\" and Prometheus the \"life-giver\". According to the Ancient Greeks, in the first version of the myth, the Titan, Prometheus, in rebellion against Zeus, took fire from the sun and gave it to humankind to warm them and enable them to make tools and weapons, thereby allowing them to rise above other animals. Zeus was incensed by Prometheus' disobedience, and as punishment, ordered Prometheus chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten by eagles each day and restored each night so that his torment could be prolonged for eternity. The second, Roman version of the myth, comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses, which, according to Newey (1993), Mary Shelly read in 1815. In this version Prometheus was the Creator who made man from clay and breathed life into him. This relates directly to the quotation on the title page of Shelly's book. \"Did I request thee Maker, from my clay to mould me man. Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me? Although a quotation from Milton's \"Paradise Lost\" the plaintive cries of Frankenstein's neglected, in-human progeny can be heard in these words. In relation to the first version of the Promethean myth, there are several fire-like analogies in Shelly's novel. Frankenstein's Monster discovered that fire can be both a necessity for survival, when he was alone in the mountains, and a means of revenge and destruction, when he set fire to the De Laceys' hut. Shelley hints that her character Victor Frankenstein, uses \"fire\" in the form of electricity to animate his Monster, this can be seen in the passage where Victor relates to Walton part of his inspiration for the creation of life: \"I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak . . . and so soon as the dazzling light vanished the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. . . . I eagerly inquired of my father the nature and origin of thunder and lightning. He replied, \"Electricity.\" (page 23). Similarly, when he is ready to impart life into his creation \"I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless form\". (page 34). In the early 19th Century, when Mary Shelley was writing Frankenstein, electricity was a new and wondrous science. Science and industry were making gigantic strides and Shelly mistrusted these advances seeing in them something inhuman and that there were areas of knowledge best left alone (Hindle, 1994). The characters of Walter and Frankenstein show the two paths that the pursuit of the unknown can take one leads to... Please sign", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505041	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The TV series 'Heartbeat' was largely set in which fictitious Yorkshire village?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Heartbeat - the TV series Heartbeat - the TV series ? Heartbeat is a long-running and highly popular TV series produced originally by Yorkshire Television, and subsequently by ITV, in the UK: since its first screening on Friday 10th April 1992, the show ran to over 350 hour-long episodes, in 18 series, of which the last was broadcast on Sunday 12th September 2010. According to the cutting from from Woman magazine, sent to Nicholas Rhea by a fan, Heartbeat placed it in the top ten most watched programmes of the decade. And it all began with Nicholas Rhea's books. Heartbeat Constable novels by Nicholas Rhea. The stories feature an English policeman in a rural village in North Yorkshire during the 1960's, although cast changes and story developments have resulted in group of village characters sharing the attention with the local village bobby. The Heartbeat title refers to an English bobby 'on the beat', the medical stories that are woven into each episode, and the way each programme puts a finger on the pulse of the rural community of Aidensfield. Heartbeat The last episode of Heartbeat was broadcast Sunday 12 September 2010, but despite the passage of time the much-loved series is not forgotten - in the UK and around the world. In the summer of 2016 it appeared in a new form - for the first time ever, Heartbeat came to the stage, starring members of the TV cast. With use of video footage and a clever set, this touring production recreated the atmosphere of the 1960s rural Yorkshire settings. David Stockwell, Gina Ward, PC Geoff Younger and a number of other of the most popular characters starred in the two-hour live stage production with a brand-new script. The show toured the UK between April and July 2016: see the archived schedule here . Heartbeat Although there have been no new episode of Heartbeat since September 2010, the show is still much loved, in the UK and around the world - and of course that includes Yorkshire! In April 2014, Nicholas Rhea was delighted to find Heartbeat magazine. It came in at no. 65, a few positions above rhubarb! Top of the poll was, of course, Yorkshire pudding. Heartbeat Special Another book from Nicholas Rhea is something rather different: a lavishly illustrated book about the making of Heartbeat . It includes input from the makers and stars of the show, as well as the author's own unique inside information. It is published by Mortons of Horncastle , and can be ordered from them via its own dedicated web site , now only available in a digital edition, where you can also see some of its many pictures, and read extracts from the text. Heartbeat For a long time, although we received many enquiries about whether Heartbeat is available on DVD, Nicholas Rhea could only point out that this up to ITV, not him! (He explains that among the things which make Heartbeat so special are the use of original sixties records, and the frequent appearances of guest stars. Both of these factors would involve ITV in obtaining clearances before they could authorise DVDs of the series - something that could not have been foreseen when the original contracts were drawn up, long before DVDs were invented.) But in September 2010, Network DVD released a boxed set of three DVDs, containing the whole first series - ten episodes of classic Heartbeat . This first series sees Nick and his doctor wife Kate (Niamh Cusack) settling in Aidensfield, having left the bustle of London behind. As villagers' initial suspicion gives way to acceptance, the couple become increasingly involved, both professionally and personally, in the daily life of the rural community. Bill Maynard also stars as the irrepressible Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, with guest appearances from, among others, Philip Glenister, Annette Crosbie, Eleanor Bron, John Duttine and Elizabeth Spriggs. Once the ice was broken, the party just went on. Sixteen series are now available on DVD, not to mention two series of related hospital drama, The Royal . Caution: the disks are in Region 2 / PAL format; this means that it may not be compatible with DVD players outsi", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505042	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; One of the most hydrating foods to eat is the cucumber, which contains what percentage of water? 76%, 86% or 96%?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Eat These 9 Foods to Keep Your Skin Hydrated \| Bauer Nutrition March 29, 2016 Eat These 9 Foods to Keep Your Skin Hydrated If you want healthy, vibrant skin, you have to work on it. One way to ensure your skin is in tip top condition is to keep it moisturized from the inside out. This means eating the right foods to keep your body hydrated. Here are nine water packed fruits and vegetables to add to your everyday meal plans that will help keep your skin hydrated. Cucumbers Cucumbers contain more water than any other solid food. With a 96% water content ratio, they are great for staying hydrated during the summer months. They’re good alone or in a salad, and pretty easy to find in most grocery stores. If a salad is too boring for you, try making cucumber sandwiches. Celery Celery has a water content of just over 94%. Each stalk contains about 6 calories and is full of fiber to help you feel fuller longer. If you’re not into eating it plain, add some peanut butter to celery. It’s also tasty with cream cheese or sour cream. Some people even like to pair celery with cheese. Tomatoes Tomatoes are a great addition to your diet any time of the year, and they’re the perfect food to eat when you’re looking to keep hydrated. They contain 94% water, and come in a few different varieties. Most people just plop them into a salad, but there are tons of ways to incorporate tomatoes into your diet. They’re also a thirst quenching, stand alone treat. Watermelon Watermelon is 92% water, and one of the most refreshing fruits you could eat. It’s also packed with potassium, and vitamins A,B, and C. On a hot summer day a cold slice of watermelon can quickly hydrate you and keep you feeling full. It even tastes good at room temperature. Grapefruit Both tangy and sweet, who doesn’t love grapefruit? It’s packed full of vitamin C, and contains about 88% water, so you’ll get the hydration you need from it. There are some other helpful benefits to eating grapefruit too. It helps burn fat, lower cholesterol ,and boosts your metabolism. Apples Apples aren’t just full of water (about 87%), but they’re also a good source of fiber. The water content is in the meat of the apple, and most of the fiber is in the skin. This means that it’s best to eat your apples unpeeled to get the maximum benefits. If you don’t like them plain, try dipping them in a bit of caramel or chocolate. Spinach If you love spinach salads, then you’ll be glad to know that you’re doing yourself a big favor by eating them. Spinach contains about 92% water, and is loaded with vitamins and nutrients including vitamins A, B6, and vitamin K. Spinach also contains zinc, potassium and iron. Strawberries Whether you blend them into a smoothie or prefer to eat them raw, juicy strawberries are great for keeping your skin hydrated. With a 92% water content rate, they make a perfect on-the-go snack. Other benefits of strawberries include their high levels of vitamin C and cancer fighting properties. Cauliflower When it comes to hydrating foods, most people wouldn’t think about cauliflower. Perhaps because it’s not the main ingredient in most everyday dishes, or because it’s just not a popular vegetable. But don’t let the popularity contest deter you. Cauliflower contains 92% water, and has some great health benefits to go along with it – it’s been known to help lower cholesterol, and help fight cancer. Part of keeping your skin hydrated from inside includes eating foods that contain a good amount of water. These are just a few fruits and vegetables to add to your diet, but there are plenty more that fit the bill and promote beautiful, glowing skin.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505043	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"Which TV series intro said, \"\"Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "RETURN WITH US NOW TO THE THRILLING DAYS OF YESTERYEAR! CLAYTON MOORE AS THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN! Click on the above button to hear \"Hi Yo Silver, Away\"", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505044	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which instrument did Larry Mullen Jr play in the band U2 ?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Larry Mullen, Jr.: Biography from @U2 Born: October 31, 1961 Instrument: Drums Lawrence Joseph Mullen was born and raised in Artane, located the north side of Dublin, at 60 Rosemount Avenue. He had to add the \"Junior\" to the end of his name to distinguish himself from his father, Larry Mullen, Sr. As Larry's career blossomed, so did his tax bills and his father was the unlucky recipient of them in the early 1980s. Before U2, Larry's previous gigs included playing drums for the Post Office Workers Union Band, and, for three weeks, the Artane Boys Band. Some of his earliest gigs included the St. Patrick's Day Parade on O'Connell Street, the bandstand on St. Stephen's Green, and the pier in Dun Laoghaire. Larry's music career started when he began taking piano lessons when he was 8 years old. He did not fancy the notion of studying the piano scales or learning music theory, so he gave up the piano and began drumming in 1971. He started taking classes with Ireland's best-known drummer, Joe Bonnie. When Bonnie died a year later, his daughter Monica continued teaching Larry. However, Larry has said that his drumming style is \"unteachable\" and that spirit and instinct are what guides his technique. He has said that he just wanted to \"physically hit the thing,\" in regard to the drums, so lessons where he couldn't just play were not his cup of tea, so to speak. Larry did return to the piano when he played keyboards on \"Yahweh\" during the Vertigo tour. His sister, Cecilia, bought him his first drum-kit in 1973 for £17. He placed a notice at the infamous Mount Temple Comprehensive School in the fall of 1976, and on September 25, 1976, the band auditions began in his kitchen in Artane. Although everyone knows the band as U2, Larry claims that the band's name is really \"The Larry Mullen Band.\" Growing up, Larry considered his life to be \"pretty normal for a while.\" However, Larry's oldest sister, Mary, died in 1973. Five years later, his mother, Maureen, died in a road traffic accident in November 1978. He says in U2 by U2, \"In some ways, both events defined the kind of person I've become. My mother's death certainly catapulted me in the band's direction.\" Larry left school in 1978 after passing his Intermediate Certificate exams. Larry said he was offered an opportunity to complete his Leaving Certificate exams, but chose not to as the economy was not doing very well at the time and jobs were difficult to find. While the band was still trying to score a record deal in 1978, Larry worked at Seiscom Delta in the purchasing department for a year. Had he stayed at Seiscom, his career path would have been computer programming for Seiscom's geology department. In the early days of U2, Larry had to miss some gigs and photo shoots because of the job at Seiscom. For the photo sessions he could not make, friend-of-the-band Derek \"Guggi\" Rowen stepped in as he resembled Larry to a degree. For the gigs, Larry arranged a stand-in named Eugene from a north Dublin rock band called Stryder. When Larry became injured on the job, running over his toe with his motorbike, Eric Briggs filled in for him on the drums. Bono says in U2 by U2 that there was a period of time where the other three band members almost kicked Larry out of the band because they were not sure how serious he was. Ironically, during the band's first recording session, a CBS record executive suggested that Larry needed to be fired because of his inability to keep tempo. Also during the early days, Bono spoke to Larry about a local Christian-based fellowship group. Prior to that, Larry grew up with a traditional Catholic background, even serving as an altar boy in church. Larry, Bono and", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505045	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What was the nationality of the 2000 Olympic swimmer nicknamed Eric the Eel?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jun 6, 2010 PLEASE GIVE THUMBS UP, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE Eric Moussambani, a swimmer from Equatorial Guinea(Nicknamed \"Eric The Eel\") at the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games. He swam 100m freestyle, on his own, in the first heat in a time of 1:52 .72. He set a new personal best and Equatoguinean national record. WHAT A LEGEND! :D Category", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505046	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"The Walt Disney animated 1949 feature \"\"The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad\"\" is based on \"\"The Wind in the Willows\"\" by Kenneth Grahame and which other work?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - 必应 Sign in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 animated package film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film consists of two segments – the first is based on the 1908 children's novel The Wind in the Willows by British author Kenneth Grahame, and the second is based on the 1820 short story \"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,\" called Ichabod Crane in the film, by American author Washington Irving. The film is the 11th Walt Disney theatrical animated feature and is the last of the studio's package film era of the 1940s, following Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time. Beginning i ... (展开) n 1955, the two portions of the film were separated, and televised as part of the Disneyland television series. They were later marketed and sold separately on home video. 关于The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad，网友们最关心的问题 1 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Segments As the film's animated segments are based on literary works, they are both introduced in live-action scenes set in a library as a framing device. The first segment is introduced and narrated by Basil Rathbone, and the second segment is introduced and narrated by Bing Crosby. Decca Records issued an album called Ichabod - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow featuring Crosby in 1949 to tie in with the release of the film. The Wind in the Willows This segment is based on The Wind in the Willows (1908) by Kenneth Grahame. The story is set in and around London c. 1908 between 11 August and 1 January. The protagonist J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. is introduced as an \"incurable adventurer\" who \"never counted the cost\". Although he is the wealthy proprietor of the Toad Hall estate, Toad's adventures and \"positive mania for fads\" have brought him to the brink of bankruptcy. As a last resort, Toad's friend Angus MacBadger volunteers as Toad's bookkeeper to help Toad keep his estate which is a source of pride in the community. One day, MacBadger asks Toad's friends Ratty (a water rat) and Moley (a mole) to persuade Toad to give up his latest mania of recklessly driving about the countryside in a horse and cart, which could accumulate a great deal of financial liability in damaged property. Ratty and Moley confront Toad, but cannot change his mind. Toad then sees a motor car for the first time and becomes entranced by the new machine, taken over by \"motor-mania.\\ To cure Toad's new mania, Ratty and Moley put Toad under house arrest. But Toad escapes and is later arrested and charged with car theft. At his trial, Toad represents himself and calls his horse Cyril Proudbottom as his first witness. Cyril testifies that the car which Toad was accused of stealing had already been stolen by a gang of weasels. Toad had entered a tavern where the car was parked and offered to buy the car from the weasels. However, since Toad had no money, he instead offered to trade Toad Hall for the car. Toad then calls the bartender Mr. Winky as a witness to the agreement; however, when told by Toad to tell the court what actually happened, Winky falsely testifies that Toad had tried to sell him the stolen car. Toad is found guilty on the spot and sentenced to twenty years in the Tower of London. Toad's friends make every effort to appeal his case, but with no success. That Christmas Eve, Cyril visits Toad in disguise as his grandmother and helps him escape by giving him a disguise of his own. Meanwhile, MacBadger discovers that Winky is the leader of the weasel gang, and that they have indeed taken over Toad Hall; Winky himself is in possession of the deed. Knowing that the deed bearing Toad and Winky's signature would prove Toad's innocence, the four friends sneak into Toad Hall and take the document after a grueling chase around the estate. The film then ends with Toad regaining his house while it implied Winkie and his minions have been arrested and imprisoned. As McBadger, Ratty and Mole celebrate the New Year with a toast to Toad, who", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505047	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which rider won gold in both the Equestrian individual and team events? She shares her surname with the male Oscar winner for the film The Artist", "role": "user" }, { "content": "2012 things to remember the London Olympics by - Part 1, 1 to 1108 \| The Independent Olympic News 2012 things to remember the London Olympics by - Part 1, 1 to 1108 Drama, passion, joy, tears, hope... the Olympics have brought us so much, it's hard to accept that they're over. This 2,012-point compendium of memories, moments, facts, figures, trivia and triumphs may help you hold on to some of the excitement of a 17-day party that changed Britain Tuesday 14 August 2012 08:53 BST Click to follow 2012 things to remember the London Olympics by - Part 1, 1 to 1108 1/15 2/15 42. The announcement that the Games will be held in London brings 30,000 to celebrate in Trafalgar Square AFP 3/15 131. With 500 days to go, a ‘countdown clock’ is unveiled in Trafalgar Square. It breaks down the next day Getty Images 4/15 210. The average age is 37.5 years, but the oldest torchbearer is 101-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh 5/15 336. “The most rock ‘n’ roll opening ceremony ever?” Asks a Chinese journalist PA 6/15 284. The opening ceremony features 40 sheep, 12 horses, three cows, two goats, and a sheep dog AFP 7/15 317. Flagbearer Chris Hoy leads the rest of Team GB in the Opening Ceremony, “The athletes” parade takes 1hr 40min. Jason Alden 8/15 538. Bradley Wiggins becomes Britain’s most decorated Olympian before being displaced by Chris Hoy days later EPA 9/15 583. Gemma Gibbons, who lost her mother to caner, earns a stunning silver in the under-78kg judo. At the moment of victory she looks to the heavens and mouths, “I love you, mum” Reuters 10/15 599. Chris Hoy wins his fifth career gold in the team sprint. He says it is his most memorable medal and pays tribute to the crowd: “the whole atmosphere – it gives you goosebumps” EPA 11/15 677. The oddly dressed man who rides the motorised bicycle that leads the keirin for the early laps is Peter Deary, a 65-year-old coach at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester Reuters 12/15 964. Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu becomes the oldest Olympian for over a century. At 71, he says he will not compete in Rio – but not because he is too old, because his horse is Getty Images 13/15 1031. Jessica Ennis, fresh from her success in the women’s heptathlon, is a guest of honour at a small Stone Roses gig with fellow Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins Getty Images 14/15 1,033. Brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee finish first and third in the triathlon, adding to Yorkshire’s impressive haul of seven golds, two silvers and three bronze medals PA 15/15 1,105. Robert Harting rips off his shirt, performs a lap of honour and embarks on some impromptu hurdling, much to the delight of the spectators – if not the officials Reuters THE OVERVIEW 1 The London 2012 Summer Olympic Games were the most ambitious logistical exerc ise ever undertaken in the UK in peacetime. 2 Combined with the Paralympic Games, which begin on 29 August, the Olympics have brought more than 14,000 athletes to the UK, along with 21,000 members of the media, and around 800,000 spectators. 3 Twenty-six Olympic sports have been contested, in 34 venues. 4 Athletes from 204 nations have taken part - as well as a handful competing under the flag of the International Olympic Committee. 5 The UN recognises only 192 nations. 6 Around £9bn of public money has been spent on the Games, primarily on building venues and providing security and policing. 7 A further £2bn has been raised privately by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Locog), through sponsorship and ticket sales, merchandising and media rights. This covers the actual running of the Games. 8 Of the 10,500 athletes competing in the main Olympics, 4,688 were women and 5,802 were men. 9 Great Britain, which was the only team to compete in all 26 sports, contributed 542 athletes: 280 men and 262 women. 10 Some four billion people around the world are reported to have seen at least a moment of the Games on television. 11 This figure includes 90 per cent of the UK population. 12 In addition, several million Britons are assumed to have been among the 8.8m people w", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505048	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The mojito is a traditional cocktail that originated in which country", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Cocktails Around the World : Origin of World's Famous Cocktails and Drinks : Travel Channel Turkey: Raki Turkey: Raki Known as the national drink of Turkey , raki — pronounced “raka” — can be found at most large-scale liquor stores in the US. The trick to making the drink correctly? Use 1 part raki and 2 parts ice-cold water. Because the anise oils in the raki emulsify when mixed with water, the clear liquids combine to form a white beverage known as Lion’s Milk. It’s named that because Turks believe that raki gives you the strength of a lion. 960 1280 Known as the national drink of Turkey , raki — pronounced “raka” — can be found at most large-scale liquor stores in the US. The trick to making the drink correctly? Use 1 part raki and 2 parts ice-cold water. Because the anise oils in the raki emulsify when mixed with water, the clear liquids combine to form a white beverage known as Lion’s Milk. It’s named that because Turks believe that raki gives you the strength of a lion. Russia: Vodka Russia: Vodka According to legend, a monk named Isidore -- from Chudov Monastery inside the Moscow Kremlin -- made the first Russian vodka. Since then, Russian vodka producers like Smirnoff, Stolichnaya and Russian Standard have become popular among vodka connoisseurs. This spirit is traditionally drunk neat, but it is also commonly used in cocktails like the vodka martini, Bloody Mary, Sex on the Beach, Screwdriver and White Russian. 960 1280 According to legend, a monk named Isidore -- from Chudov Monastery inside the Moscow Kremlin -- made the first Russian vodka. Since then, Russian vodka producers like Smirnoff, Stolichnaya and Russian Standard have become popular among vodka connoisseurs. This spirit is traditionally drunk neat, but it is also commonly used in cocktails like the vodka martini, Bloody Mary, Sex on the Beach, Screwdriver and White Russian. Thinkstock Peru: Pisco Sour Peru: Pisco Sour Chile and Peru both claim the Pisco Sour as their national drink, but the cocktail originated in Lima, Peru. American bartender Victor Vaughn Morris invented and then served the first Pisco Sour at the counter of Morris’ Bar in the early 1920s. This concoction is usually made with bourbon or whiskey, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. 960 1280 Chile and Peru both claim the Pisco Sour as their national drink, but the cocktail originated in Lima, Peru. American bartender Victor Vaughn Morris invented and then served the first Pisco Sour at the counter of Morris’ Bar in the early 1920s. This concoction is usually made with bourbon or whiskey, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. Thinkstock Japan: Sake Japan: Sake With its origin dating back to the 3rd century, sake is the beverage of choice in Japan. Sake is made from fermented rice. Undiluted, it contains 18 to 20% ABV (alcohol by volume). That’s double the amount of alcohol found in most beer. So sip slowly -- and savor its taste. 960 1280 With its origin dating back to the 3rd century, sake is the beverage of choice in Japan. Sake is made from fermented rice. Undiluted, it contains 18 to 20% ABV (alcohol by volume). That’s double the amount of alcohol found in most beer. So sip slowly -- and savor its taste. Thinkstock Mexico: Tequila Mexico: Tequila Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, located in the city of Tequila, in Jalisco, Mexico. And if you didn’t know already, Mexico has claimed the exclusive international right to the word “tequila,” which allows the country to take legal action against countries who manufacture the distilled blue agave spirits. Mexico’s national drink is the Paloma -- made by mixing tequila with a grapefruit-flavored soda, a lime wedge, and served in a glass rimmed with salt. Tequila is also mixed to make cocktails like the margarita, Tequila Sunrise, Matador and Tequila Slammer. 960 1280 Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, located in the city of Tequila, in Jalisco, Mexico. And if you didn’t know already, Mexico has claimed the exclusive international right to the word “tequila,” which allows the country to take legal action agains", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505049	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Chandrika Kumaratunga was the first female President of which Asian country from 1994 to 2005?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Biography - Chandrika Kumaratunga Lynda Chalker UK Minister for Overseas Development 1989-97 A long-serving Member of the British Parliament, Lynda Chalker served as Minister for Overseas Development, and Minister for Africa and the Commonwealth for over 11 years. She is also a Founder Trustee of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa. READ FULL BIO President of the Confederation of Switzerland 2003 & 2008 Pascal Couchepin twice served as President of the Swiss Federal Council (President of the Confederation). During his eleven years in government, he served as Minister of the Economy and then Minister of Home Affairs, covering social welfare, science and education. READ FULL BIO US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 1981-89 As US Assistant Secretary of State, Chester Crocker led the diplomacy that produced the peace treaties signed by Angola, Cuba, and South Africa in 1988. These agreements resulted in Namibia’s independence and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Southern Africa. He chaired the US Institute of Peace Board from 1992 to 2004. READ FULL BIO Marzuki Darusman Attorney General, Indonesia 1999- 2001 A veteran human rights campaigner, Marzuki Darusman was Attorney General under Indonesia’s first democratically elected government and pursued the prosecution of many cases of corruption, mass murder, and human rights abuses that symbolized the inequities of the three-decade rule of Suharto. READ FULL BIO Member of the US House of Representatives 1979-1987 Majority Leader of the US Senate One of the longest serving Senate Democratic leaders in US history and the only one to serve twice as both Majority and Minority Leader, Tom Daschle helped to navigate the Senate through some of its most historic economic and national security challenges. READ FULL BIO Alvaro de Soto UN Under-Secretary-General 1999-2007 During his 25 years at the UN, Alvaro de Soto mediated the 1992 peace accords ending the 10-year war in El Salvador; prepared the first-ever comprehensive plan for a settlement in Cyprus in 2004; and was the chief Middle East envoy from 2005 to 2007. READ FULL BIO Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency 1997-2009 Vice President, Egypt 2013 Mohamed ElBaradei is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1997 to 2009 and as Vice President of Egypt on an acting basis in 2013. He and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. READ FULL BIO Foreign Minister, Côte d'Ivoire 1990-99 Secretary General, OAU 2001 Chairman, AU Commission 2002-3 A long-serving diplomat, Amara Essy served his country as Foreign Minister before his appointment as Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and then Chairman of the Commission of the African Union (AU). READ FULL BIO Gareth Evans Foreign Minister of Australia 1988–96 Gareth Evans was a Cabinet Minister in Australian Labor governments for thirteen years, including Foreign Minister 1988-96, and President of the International Crisis Group from 2000-2009. He has played prominent international roles on nuclear issues and developoing the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ principle. READ FULL BIO Vicente Fox President, Mexico 2000-06 As President of Mexico, Vicente Fox took steps to improve the Mexican economy through banking reforms, tackling crime and corruption and improving trade relations with the US. He also sought to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration while working to strengthen the rights of Mexico’s indigenous peoples. READ FULL BIO Louise Fréchette UN Deputy Secretary General 1998-2006 A long-time Canadian diplomat, Louise Fréchette became the first Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for eight years. During this time she assisted the Secretary-General in the full range of his responsibilities. READ FULL BIO Enrique Iglesias Foreign Minister of Uruguay 1985-1988 A former Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Enrique Iglesias also served as the President of the Inter-American Development Bank for 17 years, during which time", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505050	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who wrote the classic thriller The Thirty-Nine Steps?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The 39 Steps to writing a perfect thriller by author John Buchan's grandson \| Daily Mail Online comments Even now, almost 100 years after it was first published, the story retains a modernity that is little short of astonishing 'The 39 Steps, in its language, its settings, its nods to contemporary technology and its characterisation, belongs firmly to the 20th century,' said John Buchan's grandson, Toby On a late-summer’s day in 1914, a man walks with his small daughter down a rickety flight of wooden steps leading to a private beach from a house on the clifftop. The girl, just turned six, is improving her counting by determinedly calling out the number of each step. ‘Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-NINE!’ she says in triumph as they step off onto the sand. Thus Alice Buchan gave the title to her father’s, my grandfather’s, new novel, little knowing that it would prove to be one of the most enduring adventure stories ever to be published. John Buchan wrote The 39 Steps in a few weeks towards the end of 1914, while staying with his wife and children at Broadstairs in Kent, in a house on the cliffs overlooking Stone Bay. (The house is still there; indeed, anyone wishing to re-enact the novel’s finale may rent it as a holiday let.) While there, he became ill with the duodenal problems that plagued him all his life, and which had prevented him from joining the Army, Britain having declared war against Germany on August 4 that year. Two major elements among these facts – the clifftop setting and the coming of war – infuse what has come to be widely regarded as the first modern spy thriller. Buchan posted the manuscript to Blackwood & Sons in Edinburgh, publisher not only of books but of the famous literary magazine that bore its name. ‘It has amused me to write, but whether it will amuse you to read is another matter,’ he wrote. He need not have fretted. Blackwood’s accepted it at once and published it in the magazine, in serial form and pseudonymously, between July and September 1915, and as a book under Buchan’s name in October. It was an immediate success – and more than that, it has become a classic of its kind. Today, the principal charges levelled against the novel are that it is dated, and that it relies too heavily upon improbable circumstances or coincidences. Yet I would argue that even now, almost 100 years after it was first published, the story retains a modernity that is little short of astonishing. Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, released in 1935, is an extremely well-made comedy thriller that's widely and deservedly admired I am reminded of its place in our collective narrative by a cartoon I clipped from a newspaper a few years ago and pinned to my office wall. It shows a boy of about eight, standing in front of his parents. He is wearing a tweed Norfolk jacket, a tie, breeches, chequered shooting stockings and what are no doubt stout brogues. Eyes closed as in serious thought, he is drawing on a pipe clamped between his teeth, the bowl of which he’s holding in his left hand. In his right, half wedged beneath his arm, he holds a copy of The 39 Steps. Anxiously, his mother is saying to her husband, ‘Why doesn’t he read Harry Potter, like other kids?’ Why indeed? True, The 39 Steps isn’t read by the young (or old) in anything like the numbers that JK Rowling’s marvellous creation attracts, but it’s still in print nearly 100 years after its first publication; indeed, it has never been out of print, something that isn’t true of the works of, for instance, Jane Austen. John Buchan has quite often been called ‘the last Victorian’, but I have always found this a somewhat lazy description, especially when applied to his writing. He was, of course, a Victorian by birth and upbringing, but he was not stuck in the past. The storyline of The 39 Steps makes free use of the technology of its age: cars and a motorbike, radio and the telephone, a fleeting reference to a semi-automatic pistol and even a monoplane, at a time when all these were rarities – new-fangled, almost certainly dangerous and, to many, ar", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505051	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In which modern day country would you have found the majority of the Hittite Empire?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Hittites, The - Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! Menu $0.00 0 items Hittites, The The Hittites were the dark descendants of Heth, the second son of Canaan, youngest son of Ham . In the Book of Genesis, they are declared to be one of the 12 Canaanite nations dwelling inside or close to Canaan from the time of Abraham up to Ezra’s era. They lived in the Promised Land to the Israelites. That’s why God commanded the Israelites to eradicate them. But they were not destroyed and still dwell in southern Palestine and around Jerusalem with the Hebrews. The Hittite empire flourished and were shown on the Biblical Timeline chart starting from 2300 BC to about 1100 BC The Great Hittite Empire The Hittite Empire is mentioned over and over in the Bible as one of the most powerful empires in the ancient times. Scholars used to question the accuracy of the Bible saying that such a big Hittite Empire was only hearsay since it was nowhere to be found. They considered the Hittites a small group of people living in the hills of Canaan together with Abraham . [This article continues after a message from the authors] These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Together Unique Circular Format – see more in less space. Learn facts that you can’t learn just from reading the Bible Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church … Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! > Hittite Kingdoms This was until the discovery showing the center of this great civilization, Hattusa – which was then followed by unearthing the treaty of Kadesh in Egypt establishing the Hittite capital, Hattusa and Heliopolis. And other important proofs such as remnants, tablets, documents, and successful excavations soon revealed the truth about the existence of this great empire. The Capital City, Hattusa Hattusa, the capital city of the amazing Hittite Empire, was excavated inside the circle of Kizil River situated close to the Boğazkale, Turkey. It was surrounded by forest that supplied enough wood for building and maintaining a large city.. The land around it was suitable for agriculture, and the hill lands could support pasture animals. The small rivers around the area supplied enough water for the people. But since these rivers are not appropriate for big ships, transportation in and out of the city was mainly by land. On top of the city was a rock used to shield the metropolis. Archaeologists today tried to reconstruct a small area of the walls with the same materials and techniques used by the Hittites to have a glimpse of how Hattusa looked in its glory days. Excavations showed that the city was almost deserted when it was attacked and burned. Parts of the Bible that mention Hittites: Genesis 23:5, 7, 10, 16, 18. Hittites as the sons of Heth. Genesis 15:20. Hittites as one of Abram’s descendants. Genesis 15:18-21. The Lord made a covenant with Abram giving the land from the river of Egypt to the great river the Euphrates to Abram and his descendants that includes Hittites. Deuteronomy 20:17, 7:1, Joshua 3:10. The Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy the Hittites along with the other children of Canaan. Numbers 13:29, Joshua 11:1. The Hittites are living in the “hill country”. Genesis 23:8-19. Abraham bought the field of Ephron the Hittite located in Machpelah and buried his wife, Sara, in the cave facing Mamre. Genesis 25:8-9. Abraham died and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, which he bought from the son of Zohar the Hittite, Ephron. Judges 3:5. The Israelites lived among the locals that included the Hittites. Genesis 27:46. Rebekah objected to Jacob marrying a Hittite woman. 2 Chronicles 1:17. Imported chariots and horses were given to the kings of the Hittites. 2 Kings 7:6, 1 Kings 10:29. Hittites have their own kingdoms and were hired by the king of Israel, along with the Egyptian kingdoms to fight against the Syrians. Joshua 11:1-2. Hittites allied with Kin", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505052	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who plays the part of JMW Turner in the 2014 film 'Mr Turner'?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Cannes 2014: Mr Turner review – Timothy Spall dazzles as artist JMW Turner \| Film \| The Guardian Share on Messenger Close What a glorious film this is, richly and immediately enjoyable, hitting its satisfying stride straight away. It's funny and visually immaculate; it combines domestic intimacy with an epic sweep and has a lyrical, mysterious quality that perfumes every scene, whether tragic or comic. Mike Leigh has made a period biographical drama before: Topsy-Turvy (1999), about the rewarding but tense association of Gilbert and Sullivan and their own rewarding but tense association with the theatre-going public. Now he made another utterly confident excursion into the past and into the occult arcana of Englishness and Victoriana: a study of the final years of the painter JMW Turner, played with relish and sympathy by Timothy Spall. In the past, I and others have commented that Leigh's dialogue in his contemporary movies has an exaggerated, vaudevillian, neo-Dickensian quality. Now he has actually made a Dickensian movie – accompanied, perhaps, by a shrewdly distanced critical sensibility with something of Peter Ackroyd. There are wives and daughters and fallen women and poignantly ailing fathers and sea journeys and huge marshy landscapes, although it is sexually explicit in a way foreign to Dickens. (His Turner is a regular visitor to Margate, not too far from Broadstairs, where Dickens was to be found, but there is no record of a meeting, and none invented fictionally here. He comments, sourly, that Thackeray has taken a dislike to one of his canvases.) The painter is a harrumphing eccentric, with a handsome establishment in London, who enjoys the freedom that wealth and success has gained him, a freedom to roam and a freedom to speak his mind to simpering critics and saucer-eyed buyers. He is utterly confident, exchanging banter with lesser, prissier contemporaries at the Royal Academy, tolerant of an envious failure who begs him for a loan. Turner has the mutton chops and bulging eyes of a Toby jug, or perhaps like the pig's head that we see him eating – accepting another slice of cheek, his own being full and wobbly. He grunts and growls with occasional Chewbacca whinnies; he huffs like a mill owner, or like one of those steam engines of the Victorian age whose encroaching modernity makes Turner so uncomfortable. Occasionally, he will spit at the canvas, and mix it up with the paint because his gluey sputum has exactly the consistency he needs: a mannerism that shows off perfectly his forthright, uninhibited, primitive approach – almost a kind of English art brut. But his unconventionally visionary, cloudy canvases are making him a marginal figure in the artistic establishment and a figure of fun for the general public. Turner is shown to be desperately lonely, needing the company and touch of women – but culpably irresponsible in failing to acknowledge his past liaisons and children. Ruth Sheen plays his ex-lover Sarah Danby, who upbraids him over his indifference to his daughters. Turner prefers to live the life of a bohemian bachelor, sexually exploiting his housekeeper, Hannah (Dorothy Atkinson) and then becoming obsessed with his Margate seaside landlady Mrs Booth (Marion Bailey) for whom he conceives a great, uxorious love. There is a brilliant scene in which Turner engages a prostitute, inspects her semi-nudity and then proceeds to sketch her, bursting into unexplained tears when she artlessly reveals how young she is. Does he just want her for artistic purposes? Is the business of sketching a voyeuristic refinement of sexual pleasure – or is something even more strange going on? As the artist's health declines, Spall's great bearlike Turner becomes a big, vulnerable toddler, and it is unbearably sad. Paul Jesson gives a lovely performance as Turner's beloved elderly widowed father, who is content to live with him as his manservant and factotum, and has relapsed into what Turner shrewdly identifies as the false persona of a \"dunce\" – despite the fact that he taught Turner to read and write. Joshua McGuir", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505053	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck were pretenders to the English throne during the reign of which King?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Tudor and Stuart Britain HOME Henry VII and the Pretenders Posted on September 12, 2011, from Athens, Alabama Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Just laughing and gay like a clown I seem to be what I'm not you see I'm wearing my heart like a crown The Platters We don�t use the term �pretender� in American political discourse very much and we definitely don�t use it in the sense that people living under a system of hereditary monarchy used the term. In the monarchial governments of the past, a pretender was someone who aspired to an office or the throne, usually under false pretenses. Under a system of hereditary monarchy, power normally was passed on as an inheritance to a son or some other member of the family of the ruling dynasty. Occasionally someone would seize the throne through force, which is exactly what Henry VII did to gain the English throne in 1485. But whenever people made such power grabs, they quickly attempted to justify their actions through some sort of appeal to hereditary succession. In Henry VII�s case, he did that by appealing to his Lancastrian roots and his descent from Edward III, which he bolstered by marrying Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of the deceased Edward IV. But he still faced challenges from Yorkist claimants. Adding to Henry VII�s problems with challengers was the appearance of a couple of impostors who claimed to be important members of the York dynasty with strong claims to the throne. Now you might ask, didn�t anyone realize that these two pretenders were not the people whom they claimed to be? Yes, some members of the York family and their close associates were in a good position to know that these two young men were fakes. But to Yorkist plotters, the facts didn�t matter, and they encouraged the impostors in the hope of overthrowing the hated Henry VII. Without Photos or TV Talking Heads, What's an Englishman to Believe? Otherwise, most people of that era never got a close look at their rulers. Londoners had greater opportunities to see monarchs, but in large parts of the realm, the common people never saw their king and his family in the flesh. They also did not see photographs of monarchs or get to watch them on television. Those kinds of ready popular imagery lay over 400 years in the future. So, anybody who showed up looking and acting sufficiently royal would have been given credence. If you looked like a king, dressed like a king, and acted like a king, you must be a king. The English were not alone in granting some credibility to impostors claiming the throne. The phenomenon of pretenders was even more common and more successful in seventeenth-century Russia. It has occurred throughout history in many parts of the globe. Keep in mind, impostors pretending to a throne also benefit from people wanting to believe. Many people in my lifetime were reluctant to accept the finality of pop music king Elvis Presley�s death, giving rise to frequent reports of Elvis sightings for many years after his demise -- a situation most likely aggravated by the proliferation of Elvis imitators. The same phenomenon occurred after the death of the singer Jim Morrison, although (so far) I have heard no reports of Michael Jackson sightings. From King Sebastian to President Kennedy. . . . When someone famous or important dies prematurely, a spirit of anxious denial is sure to arise. Stories circulated almost immediately that President John F. Kennedy had not died from his wounds at Dallas. These stories represent societal delusions with deep roots. For example, when King Sebastian of Portugal died at the Battle of Al Kazar al Kebir, rumors of his survival and claims of sightings followed in Portugal for several years. The delusion even had a name, Sebastianismo. Another case involved Edward VI of England, who death as a young man in 1553 led to tales that he had not really died. These kinds of rumors were often tinged with political undertones and sinister motives. The people who supported Henry VII�s rival pretenders didn�t float false rumors of Richard III�s survival,", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505054	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What colour is the flesh of a lychee?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Lychee Morton, J. 1987. Lychee. p. 249259. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL. Lychee Other Uses The lychee is the most renowned of a group of edible fruits of the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is botanically designated Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Nephelium litchi Cambess) and widely known as litchi and regionally as lichi, lichee, laichi, leechee or lychee. Professor G. Weidman Groff, an influential authority of the recent past, urged the adoption of the latter as approximating the pronunciation of the local name in Canton, China, the leading center of lychee production. I am giving it preference here because the spelling best indicates the desired pronunciation and helps to standardize English usage. Spanish and Portuguese-speaking people call the fruit lechia; the French, litchi, or, in French-speaking Haiti, quenepe chinois, distinguishing it from the quenepe, genip or mamoncillo of the West Indies, Melicoccus bijugatus, q.v. The German word is litschi. Plate XXXII: LYCHEE, Litchi chinensis Description The lychee tree is handsome, dense, round-topped, slow-growing, 30 to 100 ft (9-30 m) high and equally broad. Its evergreen leaves, 5 to 8 in (12.5-20 cm) long, are pinnate, having 4 to 8 alternate, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, abruptly pointed, leaflets, somewhat leathery, smooth, glossy, dark-green on the upper surface and grayish-green beneath, and 2 to 3 in (5-7.5 cm) long. The tiny petalless, greenish-white to yellowish flowers are borne in terminal clusters to 30 in (75 cm) long. Showy fruits, in loose, pendent clusters of 2 to 30 are usually strawberry-red, sometimes rose, pinkish or amber, and some types tinged with green. Most are aromatic, oval, heart-shaped or nearly round, about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long; have a thin, leathery, rough or minutely warty skin, flexible and easily peeled when fresh. Immediately beneath the skin of some varieties is a small amount of clear, delicious juice. The glossy, succulent, thick, translucent-white to grayish or pinkish fleshy aril which usually separates readily from the seed, suggests a large, luscious grape. The flavor of the flesh is subacid and distinctive. There is much variation in the size and form of the seed. Normally, it is oblong, up to 3/4 in (20 mm) long, hard, with a shiny, dark-brown coat and is white internally. Through faulty pollination, many fruits have shrunken, only partially developed seeds (called \"chicken tongue\") and such fruits are prized because of the greater proportion of flesh. In a few days, the fruit naturally dehydrates, the skin turns brown and brittle and the flesh becomes dry, shriveled, dark-brown and raisin-like, richer and somewhat musky in flavor. Because of the firmness of the shell of the dried fruits, they came to be nicknamed \"lychee, or litchi, nuts\" by the uninitiated and this erroneous name has led to much misunderstanding of the nature of this highly desirable fruit. It is definitely not a \"nut\", and the seed is inedible. Origin and Distribution The lychee is native to low elevations of the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in southern China, where it flourishes especially along rivers and near the seacoast. It has a long and illustrious history having been praised and pictured in Chinese literature from the earliest known record in 1059 A.D. Cultivation spread over the years through neighboring areas of southeastern Asia and offshore islands. Late in the 17th Century, it was carried to Burma and, 100 years later, to India. It arrived in the West Indies in 1775, was being planted in greenhouses in England and France early in the 19th Century, and Europeans took it to the East Indies. It reached Hawaii in 1873, and Florida in 1883, and was conveyed from Florida to California in 1897. It first fruited at Santa Barbara in 1914. In the 1920's, China's annual crop was 30 million lbs (13.6 million kg). In 1937 (before WW II) the crop of Fukien Province alone was over 35 million lbs (16 million kg). In time, India became second to China in lychee production, t", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505055	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Orchestral conductor Leopold Stokowski was born in 1882 in which capital city?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Leopold Stokowski Biography Leopold Stokowski Biography A Brief Biography of the Eventful Career of Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski was born April 18, 1882 in Marylebone, an area of north-central London, as shown in the copy of his birth certificate below. His parents were Kopernick Stokowski (1862-1924) and Annie-Marion Moore. Kopernick Stokowski was a carpenter and cabinet maker who had also been born in Marylebone, London of a Polish father and Scottish mother, so Leopold Stokowski's father was half Scots 19. Leopold Stokowski's mother Annie-Marion was of Irish lineage. Kopernick and Annie-Marion Stokowski later had two other children: Lydia Stokowski Fanshawe (1883-1911) 19 and Percy James Stokowski (1890-1978). Beginning in about 18961, Leopold Stokowski and his brother Percy sang in the choir of St Marylebone Church, as shown in the photograph, below. Choir of St. Marylebone Church circa 1898, Leopold Stokowski seated front row right Leopold Stokowski was admitted to the Royal College of Music on January 6, 1896. At the age of thirteen, he became one of the youngest person to have been admitted to the College up to that time 1. Stokowski entrance to RCM in January, 1896 at age 13 (thanks to Edward Johnson for this image) Stokowski's further musical progression was marked by his election at age 16 to membership in the Royal College of Organists on June 25, 1898. Stokowski the Organist In about 1898, Stokowski became Assistant Organist to Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941) at The Temple Church, London. In 1900, Stokowski formed the choir of St Mary the Virgin Anglican church, Charing Cross Road, and also played the organ. Then, from 1902 to 1905, Stokowski was organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican Church, Piccadilly, London, whose building had been designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Stokowski Goes to New York From this position as organist and choirmaster at St. James's Anglican Church, Piccadilly, in 1905, Stokowski was recruited to become organist at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City, at Madison Avenue and 44th Street (the previous church to the present one at Park Avenue and 50th Street) 10. He developed a musical reputation in New York, and met a number of leading personalities, including his future wife, Olga Samaroff (1882-1948), who was born Lucy Mary Olga Agnes Hickenlooper in Texas. Stokowski also performed a number of transcriptions of orchestral works from Tchaikovsky symphonies, from ancient composers such as Byrd and Palestrina, and from operas by various composers, including Wagner, as shown in the 1907 advertisement, below. March, 1907 Advertisement for a Leopold Stokowski organ concert at St. Bartholomew's Church But Stokowski was apparently determined to direct an orchestra or an orchestral group, and he became restless. In 1908, he resigned his organist position and in the Spring of that year, he and Olga sailed for Europe, with Stokowski determined to find a new start 2. Stokowski's Beginnings as an Orchestra Conductor In spite of Stokowski's lack of experience, never having conducted a professional symphony orchestra, within one year he had been appointed conductor or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the beginning of his stellar career. How could such a remarkable transformation come about ? This is described by Abram Chasins in his biography Leopold Stokowski - A Profile 3. Chasins states that Olga Samaroff had met by chance Bettie Holmes, president of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Association Board of Directors. Olga Samaroff had played frequently in Cincinnati and knew the Cincinnati leaders both from her professional activities and from family connections. Cincinnati was looking for a conductor to lead the symphony orchestra which they had just re-established. Olga Samaroff suggested Leopold Stokowski. This led to Stokowski being interviewed by the Cincinnati the Board on April 22, 1909. Stokowski's First Orchestral", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505056	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"What sort of art work is the \"\"Venus de Milo\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Hellenistic Art (3rd-1st centuries BC) Author(s): Marie-Bénédicte Astier This graceful statue of a goddess has intrigued and fascinated since its discovery on the island of Melos in 1820. Is it Aphrodite, who was often portrayed half-naked, or the sea goddess Amphitrite, who was venerated on Milo? The statue reflects sculptural research during the late Hellenistic Period: classical in essence, with innovatory features such as the spiral composition, the positioning in space, and the fall of the drapery over the hips. The discovery of a mutilated masterpiece The Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820 on the island of Melos (Milo in modern Greek) in the south-western Cyclades. The Marquis de Rivière presented it to Louis XVIII, who donated it to the Louvre the following year. The statue won instant and lasting fame. Essentially two blocks of marble, it is comprised of several parts which were sculpted separately (bust, legs, left arm and foot) then fixed with vertical pegs, a technique which was fairly common in the Greek world (especially in the Cyclades, where this work was produced around 100 BC). The goddess originally wore metal jewelry — bracelet, earrings, and headband — of which only the fixation holes remain. The marble may have been embellished with (now faded) polychromy. The arms were never found. A mysterious goddess with neither name nor attributes The goddess is shrouded in mystery, her attitude a persistent enigma. The missing pieces of marble and absence of attributes made the restoration and identification of the statue difficult. A whole range of positions have been suggested: leaning against a pillar, resting her elbow on Ares' shoulder, or holding a variety of attributes. According to whether she held a bow or an amphora, she was Artemis or a Danaid. She is popularly thought to represent Aphrodite, because of her half-nakedness and her sensual, feminine curves. She may have held an apple — an allusion to the Judgement of Paris — a crown, a shield, or a mirror in which she admired her reflection. However she might also be the sea goddess Amphitrite, who was venerated on the island of Milo. A Hellenistic creation: a blend of classical tradition and innovation The statue has sometimes been thought to be a replica, freely inspired by an original from the late 4th century BC, because of its resemblance to the Aphrodite of Capua (Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples) — a similar style Roman work, copy of a Greek original. The Venus de Milo certainly revives the classical tradition, but would appear to be a classicizing re-creation dating from the late 2nd century BC. The goddess's air of aloofness, the harmony of her face and her impassivity are stamped with the aesthetics of the 5th century BC; the hairstyle and delicate modeling of the flesh evoke the works of 4th-century sculptor Praxiteles. However, the sculpture reflects innovations that appeared during the Hellenistic period, between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. The spiral composition, the positioning of the figure in three-dimensional space, and the small-breasted, elongated body are characteristic of this period. The goddess is arrested in time, holding her legs together as the drapery slides over her hips. Her nudity contrasts with the effects of light and shade of the finely-detailed drapery. Bibliography Laugier (L.), « La Vénus de Milo », Feuillet pédagogique du Musée du Louvre, 3, n°50, Paris, 2001. D’après l’antique, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2000, p. 432-433, p. 441, n° 235. Ridgway (B. S.), Hellenistic Sculpture, II, 2000, p. 167-171, ill. 21, fig. 5. Hamiaux (M.), Les sculptures grecques, II, Paris, 1998, p. 41-44, n° 52. Havelock (C. M.), The Aphrodite of Knidos and Her Successors, A Historical Review of the female Nude in Greek Art, University of Michigan, 1995, p. 93-98, fig. 13. Haskell (Fr.), Penny (N.), Pour l’amour de l’art antique : la statuaire gréco-romaine et le goût européen 1500-1900, Paris, 1988, p. 363-365, n° 178, fig. (éd. anglaise, Taste and the antique : the lure of classical sculpture 1500-1900, New Haven, 1981). Pasquier (A", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505057	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; When did homosexuality between consenting adults cease to be illegal in England and Wales?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Male Homosexuality in Britain the Hidden History Male Homosexuality in Britain the Hidden History View More Male homosexuality in Britain: The hidden history This paper investigates the coverage of male homo¬sexuality by the British press. It concentrates on three periods of significance to homosexuals: the Wolfenden Committee on pros¬titution and homosexuality of 1954-7, the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, and the separate emergence of gay civil rights and the Aids crisis in the 1970s and 1980s. A survey of the press across six decades con¬cludes that all newspapers had the tendency to ig¬nore homosexuals. Such coverage as there was iden¬tifies homosexuals as either inverts or perverts. This not only taught non-homosexuals to view homosexu¬als as a social menace, but also had the potential to teach homosexuals themselves of their own worthlessness. The paper demonstrates that newspapers as¬sume that everyone is heterosexual and this is the only natural, normal, decent way to be. Throughout the six decades there is an almost total lack of recog¬nition of the gay viewpoint and experience. News¬papers discourage homosexuality as a political move¬ment and frame all discussion in terms of morality rather than politics. Paper delivered at Association of Journalism Education, Journalism the First Draft of History conference, London, UK, May2000. At the time of writing Richard Rooney was Principal Lecturer and Head of the Journalism Department, Liverpool, John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. Copyright: Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC) Male homosexuality in Britain: The hiddenhistory Richard Rooney, Liverpool John Moores University This paper investigates the coverage of male homo-sexuality by the British press. It concentrates on three periods of significance to homosexuals: the Wolfenden Committee on pros-titution and homosexuality of 1954-7, the SexualOffences Act of 1967, and the separate emergence of gay civil rights and the Aids crisis in the 1970sand 1980s. A survey of the press across six decades con-cludes that all newspapers had the tendency to ig-nore homosexuals. Such coverage as there was iden-tifies homosexuals as either inverts or perverts. Thisnot only taught non-homosexuals to view homosexualsas a social menace, but also had the potential toteach homosexuals themselves of their own worth-lessness. The paper demonstrates that newspapers as-sume that everyone is heterosexual and this is theonly natural, normal, decent way to be. Throughoutthe six decades there is an almost total lack of recog- nition of the gay viewpoint and experience. News- papers discourage homosexuality as a political move- ment and frame all discussion in terms of moralityrather than politics. Introduction The history of the homosexual is a hidden history.The documentary evidence that exists about the livesof homosexuals tends to centre on scandals or thememoirs and biographies of literary homosexuals. This is no surprise since ordinary homosexuals, in aperiod when homosexuality was illegal, were adept at keeping separate their public and private lives. Understandable though this is it does mean that our understanding of how ordinary homosexuals lived isflawed (it is also debatable whether the situation haschanged significantly as we enter the twenty-firstcentury). Male homosexuals have been forced to buildtheir lives surrounded by prejudice, ignorance andsocial hostility. (Porter and Weeks, 1991. Weeks,1977). For most of the time most news media (and thisis not just the situation with print news media) ig-nores homosexuals and homosexuality. Indeed, at alltimes in the past 50 years the Press's concern has been less with homosexuality as such, or with homosexuals,than the shockability of its readers. Interest isgenerally expressed only when events forced the subjecton newspapers. (Weeks, 1977, p.162). This paper explores the Press coverage of ho- mosexuality from the 1950s until the late 1980s. Itlooks at three distinct periods of importance in ho-mosexual history: the 1950s and the first stirri", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505058	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Of what is 'fescue' an example?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Fescue \| Define Fescue at Dictionary.com fescue noun 1. Also called fescue grass. any grass of the genus Festuca, some species of which are cultivated for pasture or lawns. 2. a pointer, as a straw or slender stick, used to point out the letters in teaching children to read. Origin of fescue 1350-1400; earlier festue, Middle English festu < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *festūcum, for Latin festūca stalk, straw Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for fescue Expand Historical Examples The reader is probably acquainted with the fescue Grass, with its awned flowers arranged in one-sided panicles. The Sea Shore William S. Furneaux This burrow is a vertical well, with a curb of fescue grass intertwined with silk. British Dictionary definitions for fescue Expand noun 1. any grass of the genus Festuca: widely cultivated as pasture and lawn grasses, having stiff narrow leaves See also meadow fescue , sheep's fescue Word Origin C14: from Old French festu, ultimately from Latin festūca stem, straw Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for fescue Expand n. 1510s, \"teacher's pointer,\" alteration of festu \"piece of straw, twig\" (late 14c.), from Old French festu (Modern French fétu), a kind of straw, from Vulgar Latin festucum, from Latin festuca \"straw, stalk, rod,\" probably related to ferula (see ferule ). Sense of \"pasture, lawn grass\" is first recorded 1762. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505059	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"What is Sarah Fergusson's character called \"\"Budgie\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Sarah Ferguson - Biography - IMDb Sarah Ferguson Biography Showing all 26 items Jump to: Overview (4) \| Mini Bio (1) \| Spouse (1) \| Trade Mark (1) \| Trivia (16) \| Personal Quotes (3) Overview (4) 5' 7½\" (1.71 m) Mini Bio (1) Sarah Ferguson was born on October 15, 1959 in Marylebone, London, England as Sarah Margaret Ferguson. She is a writer and actress, known for Budgie the Little Helicopter (1994), The Duchess in Hull (2008) and PJ's Storytime (2004). She was previously married to Prince Andrew . Spouse (1) Red Hair Trivia (16) Has two daughters with Prince Andrew : Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary (b. 8 August 1988) and Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena (b. 23 March 1990). Former wife of Prince Andrew of England. Spokesperson for \"Weight Watchers\". Came very close to being caught in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, in New York. She was due to be on the 101st floor of one of the towers, for a charity meeting at 8:45am EST, but was running late. Upon her arrival, one of the planes had crashed into one of the towers, and her staff whisked her back into the vehicle and to safety. [September 2001] Signed development deal 12 June 2002 with Universal TV to produce and host a syndicated hour-long talk show, to debut September 2003. Former sister-in-law of Prince Charles , Princess Anne and Edward Wessex (Prince Edward). Was close to the late Princess Diana of Wales, as their husbands were brothers. Former daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip . Graduated from London's Queen's Secretarial College and worked at a London public relations firm, an art gallery and a publishing company before meeting Prince Andrew . Daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and Susan Ferguson (née Wright). They split in 1972. During her marriage she was officially known as 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York', following her divorce she is styled as 'Her Grace Sarah, Duchess of York' Aunt of Seamus (b. 1981), Ayesha (b. 1986) and Heidi Olivia (b. 1996), Jane Ferguson's children. Sister of Jane Louisa Ferguson (b. 1957) and half-sister of Andrew Frederick Ferguson (b. 1978), Alice Victoria Ferguson (b. 1980) and Eliza Ferguson (b. 1986).", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505060	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"The American TV miniseries \"\"Shogun\"\", based on the book by James Clavell, was set in which country?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Articles about James Clavell - latimes Eric Bercovici dies at 80; screenwriter made 'Shogun' miniseries February 20, 2014 \| By David Colker Screenwriter Eric Bercovici knew he was not the first choice to adapt \"Shogun,\" the blockbuster 1975 novel by James Clavell about an English seaman marooned in 17th century Japan. Bercovici, who worked on the Paramount lot, read the novel anyway. \"I knew right away how to adapt it,\" he said in a 1981 Los Angeles Times interview. \"But damned if I would tell them. \" Other writers fell by the wayside, and he was called to meet with Clavell, who had creative control over a proposed TV miniseries based on the book. Advertisement ENTERTAINMENT A Bad Translation of 'Shogun' : Why the opulent production of the hit James Clavell novel and miniseries lasted less than 100 days on Broadway January 27, 1991 \| KARI GRANVILLE, Kari Granville is a free - lance arts writer based in New York. and Looking back, it seemed like a can't-miss idea. \"Shogun,\" James Clavell's romantic yarn about an English sea captain marooned in feudal Japan, had a proven allure, first to readers of the international best seller, then to television viewers as an NBC miniseries. Wouldn't it make a smash musical? Eight years and several million dollars later, that idea finally made it to Broadway. It lasted less than 100 days and closed last Sunday. ENTERTAINMENT O.J. Simpson trial and 'Shogun' to become Fox movie events March 20, 2013 \| By Greg Braxton O.J. Simpson is back on the run, thanks to Fox. Fox and FX Productions are developing a movie based on Simpson's murder trial as part of its long-form \"event\" slate. \"The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson\" will be based on legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin's book of the same name. Also planned is a new version of \"Shogun,\" based on the novel by James Clavell, which will revolve around the brutal world of feudal Japan. \"Shogun\" was produced as a 10-part miniseries for NBC in 1980. NEWS James Mix-Up May 8, 1994 Concerning your Reruns to Rewatch (TV Times, April 17): James Michener and James Clavell do have the same first names, and they both write historical fiction, but \"Shogun\" was written by Clavell, not Michener. A small error, but for James Michener and James Clavell fans, an important fact. Bob Zhe, Westminster NEWS A resounding bravo and thank you to James Clavell for... March 13, 1988 A resounding bravo and thank you to James Clavell for \"Noble House.\" The casting, locale, story and acting (Pierce Brosnan made a handsome and powerfully effective tai-pan ) were perfect. The obvious determination and dedication on Clavell's part to present his novel accurately were much appreciated and truly enjoyed by our family. We were glued to our television set all four nights and hated to see the miniseries end. C. DeRose, San Fernando ENTERTAINMENT Paging The Doc March 8, 1987 \| John M. Wilson James Clavell reaped a record $5-million advance from William Morrow and Avon for \"Whirlwind\" (17 weeks so far on the N.Y. Times best-seller list), will probably make another fortune from a future film or TV deal--and his name's famous worldwide. But what about the editor specially assigned by Morrow to supervise the rewrite that made the blockbuster publishable? ENTERTAINMENT O.J. Simpson trial and 'Shogun' to become Fox movie events March 20, 2013 \| By Greg Braxton O.J. Simpson is back on the run, thanks to Fox. Fox and FX Productions are developing a movie based on Simpson's murder trial as part of its long-form \"event\" slate. \"The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson\" will be based on legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin's book of the same name. Also planned is a new version of \"Shogun,\" based on the novel by James Clavell, which will revolve around the brutal world of feudal Japan. \"Shogun\" was produced as a 10-part miniseries for NBC in 1980. CALIFORNIA \| LOCAL Eric Bercovici dies at 80; screenwriter made 'Shogun' miniseries February 20, 2014 \| By David Colker Screenwriter Eric Bercovici knew he was not the first choice to adapt \"Shogun,", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505061	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is the famous eastern seaboard of Nicaragua and south Honduras, named after its Native American Indian people, and more commonly known in its westernized misunderstood form?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The News Newspaper - Issue 154 by The News Newspaper - issuu VICTORIA CAR HIRE UK UK Self Drive £99 per week Fully inclusive No hidden extras Delivery & Collection Gatwick Airport only Tel: 0044 1293 432155 Fax: 0044 1293 402600 Issue 154 Wednesday, December 14th 2011 Celebrating our third birthday! The News is three years old this week. We would like to thank all our friends and supporters for continuing to believe in us. REGRETS OVER DAMAGE CAUSED - NATIONAL NEWS Royal son-in-law excluded The Duke of Palma, a former Olympic handball player, has agreed not to take part in oﬃcial duties for the foreseeable future. The announcement was made by the head of the king's household, Rafael Spottorno, on Monday, after weeks of royal silence on the scandal surrounding him. Mr Spottorno said the duke's behaviour \"does not seem exemplary\", but added that he had the right to be presumed innocent. It is not clear whether his wife, the king's youngest daughter Princess Cristina, will be affected. When asked about her status Mr Spottorno replied “We'll see”. Inaki Urdangarin, who married Princess Cristina in 1999, is being investigated over claims he misused public funds given to a foundation he ran, although exact details of the accusations against him have not been made public. According to the media, the duke is accused of misdirecting part of some of €6m paid to his not-forprofit Noos Institute by regional governments to organise sporting events. Some of the money allegedly ended up in forprofit companies which he ran. He stepped down as head of the institute in 2006. Over the weekend, the Duke, who has denied any wrong-doing over the events from 2004 to 2006, said that neither the royal family nor his wife had anything to do with the institute or his private companies and regretted any \"damage\" caused. CONTINueD ON PAge 2 FULLY LICENSED PAWNBROKER FULLY LICENSED GOLD DEALER FULLY LICENSED JEWELLERS ANTHONYS DIAMONDS TOP LONDON PRICES PAID FOR GOLD & SILVER. ESTABLISHED 1983 FF CALL NOW to get it¡!   WORLD Greetings from Sydney! By Kym Wickham k.wickham@thenewsonline.es As I mentioned last week, we are oﬀ on our “holiday of a lifetime” for my husband’s 60th birthday. I am an awful traveller so the twelve-and-a-half hour, then one-hour stop-over, then another eight-and-a-half hour plane journeys were horrible. I don’t know about you but, being only 5´ tall, I think whoever designed aeroplane seats should have something nasty done to them! The headrests are in such a position at my height that the so-called neck rests hit the back of your head and, as for sleeping on a plane…. Forget it. A World music concert. TIckets are €10 and all proceeds will go to the Refugio. Castle Bil Bil, Benalmadena Tuesday 20th December 8.30pm For more information 952 584 313 New Parliament assembles There was only one incident, when Izquierda Unida MP Gaspar Llamazares interrupted the procedures to complain that his party had been excluded from the Parliamentary Table, at which only the governing party, the PP, the Socialists and the moderate The duke's lawyer, Mario Pascual Vives, said his client was \"worried, saddened and rather indignant at what is coming out in the media\". been demanding years. This Parliament is dominated by public service officials (126) and lawyers (51) but there are also 19 doctors, two veterinarians, an actor, a former farmer and an orthopaedic technician to contribute some variety, along with 24 university professors, nine economists, six businessmen and five journalists, among others. Of the 350 MPs 139 are making their appearance for the first time. There are 124 women – 66 from the PP, 42 Socialists, five from the CiU, three from Izquierda Unida. Two from the UP&D (Union, Progress and Democracy party) and one each from the nationalist parties Amaiur, PNV, ERC, Coalición Canaria and Geroa Bai. Most of the MPs have been to university but one put down “basic studies” and 18 have “other studies”. All the MPs’ details are available on Parliament's web page. It is the first time that the royal family has been threaten", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505062	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Name the German manufacturer of the Smart Automobile?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Who Makes The Smart Car? Who Makes The Smart Car? What's New? If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Who Makes The Smart Car? Who is the maker of Smart Car? Is it GM? I heard someone say it is BMW or MINI? hard to believe. 0 They have them at the They have them at the Mercedes dealership here in San Diego, so I am going to agree with the poster above and say that Daimler Chrysler is the manufacturer. The Smart Fortwo is manufactured by Daimler (Mercedes) at a plant in France. (And so far, Daimler has lost billions on this venture.) Guest Smart cars were born from a Smart cars were born from a joint venture between Swatch and Mercedes: we have hundreds of them in Rome, Italy. They're everywhere! Guest Mercedes manufactures the Mercedes manufactures the smart at a dedicated plant in Hambach, France called Smartville. The origional concept was a joint venture between Swatch and Mercedes hence the name smart which is an initialism for Swatch Mercedes Art. However, Swatch pulled out early, even before production I think. To add to the confusion Mercedes also had another mini car project called MCC which I believe stood for Mercedes City Coupe or Compact Car. None of the components are US made. My own smart says that it is 44% German, 20% odd percent Japanese (engine), and the remaining parts are sourced from France and Italy. Swatch origionated the idea for a small city car with interchangeable body panels and a high level of custimization. They approached many auto makers to get the project off the ground and initially Volkswagen took them up on their offer but later pulled out. This is where Mercedes stepped in.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505063	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; American author William Sydney Porter, known for his wit, wordplay, and clever twist endings, wrote under what famous pseudonym while in prison for embezzlement?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "O. Henry - Biography - IMDb Biography Jump to: Overview (4) \| Mini Bio (1) \| Spouse (2) \| Trivia (9) \| Personal Quotes (6) Overview (4) 5' 7\" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) O. Henry was an American writer whose short stories are known for wit, wordplay and clever twist endings. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America. He was born William Sidney Porter on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a medical doctor. When William was three his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. He left school at the age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement. He absconded from the law to New Orleans and later fled to Honduras. When he learned that his wife was dying, he returned to US and surrendered to police. Although there has been much debate over his actual guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him, he was sentenced to 5 years in jail. In 1898 he was sent to the penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio. While in prison he began writing short stories in order to support his young daughter Margaret. His first published story was \"Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking\" (1899). He used a pseudonym, Olivier Henry, only once and changed his pen name to O. Henry, not wanting his readers to know he was in jail. He published 12 stories while in prison. After serving 3 years of the five-year sentence, he was released for good behavior. He moved to New York City in 1902 and wrote a story a week for the New York World, and also for other publishers. His first collection of stories was \"Cabbages and Kings\" (1904). The next collection, \"The Four Million\" (1906), included his well-known stories \"The Gift of the Magi\", \"The Skylight Room\" and \"The Green Door\". One of his last stories, \"The Ransom of Red Chief\" (1910), is perhaps the best known of his works. Among its film adaptations are Ruthless People (1986) with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler , The Ransom of Red Chief (1998), The Ransom of Red Chief (1911) and Delovye lyudi (1962) (aka \"Business People\") by director Leonid Gayday , starring Georgiy Vitsin and Yuriy Nikulin In his lifetime O. Henry was able to see the silent film adaptations of his stories; The Sacrifice (1909), Trying to Get Arrested (1909) and His Duty (1909). His success brought the attendant pressure, and he suffered from alcohol addiction. His second marriage lasted 2 years, and his wife left him in 1909. He died of cirrhosis of the liver, on June 5, 1910, in New York, New York. O. Henry is credited for creation of The Cisco Kid, whose character alludes to Robin Hood and Don Quixote. The Arizona Kid (1930) and The Cisco Kid (1931) are among the best known adaptations of his works. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov Spouse (2) ( 5 July 1887 - 25 July 1897) (her death) (2 children) Trivia (9) Arrested and convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him, he was sent to the penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio to serve a five year sentence. He began writing his by-now famous short stories in prison in order to help support his daughter, Margaret. He was released after three years and soon after changed his pen name to O. Henry. Though many sources indicate O. Henry's real name as \"William Sydney Porter\", his middle name at birth was actually Sidney with an \"i\". He changed the spelling of his middle name to \"Sydney\" when he began working for newspapers in the 1880s. Porter is said to have derived the pen-name O. Henry from the name of a girlfriend's cat. His only formal education was received at the school of his Aunt Lina, where he developed a lifelong love of books. Died at the age of forty seven. An alcoholic, he died virtually penniless. Licensed as a pharmacist at 19 (1881). He worked as a pharmacist during his imprisonment for embezzlement (1898-1901). In 1888, his wife gave birth to a premature son, who died a few hours later. Their daughter Margaret Worth Porter was born on September 30, 1889. Second wife Sara Lindsey Coleman was his childho", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505064	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which car marque produces the 'Insignia' model?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Opel Insignia Production - YouTube Opel Insignia Production Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 9, 2015 Opel Insignia Production The Opel Insignia is a large family car engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel. Production of the Insignia began in 2008. The vehicle is known as the Vauxhall Insignia in the United Kingdom, and as the Buick Regal in China and North America. It was launched in Australia and New Zealand under the Holden marque in 2015. The Insignia is produced in Opel's plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Subscribe", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505065	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In which 1957 film did Alec Guinness play the character Lt.-Col. Nicholson?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Alec Guinness - Biography - IMDb Alec Guinness Biography Showing all 119 items Jump to: Overview (4) \| Mini Bio (2) \| Spouse (1) \| Trade Mark (4) \| Trivia (68) \| Personal Quotes (36) \| Salary (4) Overview (4) 5' 10\" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (2) Alec Guinness de Cuffe was born on April 2, 1914 in Marylebone, London, England, and was raised by his mother, Agnes Cuffe. While working in advertising, he studied at the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art, debuting on stage in 1934 and played classic theater with the Old Vic from 1936. In 1941, he entered the Royal Navy as a seaman and was commissioned the next year. Beyond an extra part in Evensong (1934), his film career began after World War II with his portrayal of Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946). A string of films, mostly comedies, showed off his ability to look different in every role, eight of them, including a woman, in one movie alone, Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). His best known recent work was as the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and its sequels. He earned a Best Actor Oscar and Golden Globe Award in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and an Honorary Academy Award (1980) for \"advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances\". Academy nominations have included The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) (actor); The Horse's Mouth (1958) (screenplay); Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) (supporting) and Little Dorrit (1987) (supporting). He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1959 Queen's Honours List for his services to drama. Sir Alec Guinness died at age 86 of liver cancer on August 5, 2000. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (1) ( 20 June 1938 - 5 August 2000) (his death) (1 child) Trade Mark (4) Known for playing multiple complex characters and changing his appearance to suit. Often played noble and fiercely proud leaders and authority figures Often worked with David Lean and Ronald Neame Deep smooth voice Trivia (68) Reportedly hated working on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) so much, Guinness claims that Obi-Wan's death was his idea as a means to limit his involvement in the film. Guinness also claims to throw away all Star Wars related fan mail without even opening it. Father of actor Matthew Guinness and grandfather of Sally Guinness . He was one of the last surviving members of a great generation of British actors, which included Sir Laurence Olivier , Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson . \"de Cuffe\" is his mother's surname; he never knew the identity of his father (source: obituary, Daily Telegraph, 7 August 2000). He was awarded the Companion of Honour in the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama. He was awarded Knight Bachelor in the 1959 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to drama. He was a huge fan of the television series Due South (1994). Despite popular belief, he never uttered the line \"May the force be with you\" in any of the Star Wars films (the closest he came was \"the force will be with you\"). He was voted third in the Orange Film 2001 survey of greatest British film actors. The qualities he claimed to most admire in an actor were \"simplicity, purity, clarity of line\". He made his final stage appearance at the Comedy Theatre in London on May 30, 1989, in a production called \"A Walk in the Woods\", where he played a Russian diplomat. His widow, Merula Salaman, died on October 17, 2000, just two months after her husband. In his last book of memoirs, \"A Positively Final Appearance\", he expressed a devotion to the television series The Simpsons (1989). His films were studied by Ewan McGregor in preparation for his role as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) to ensure accuracy in everything from his accent to the pacing of his words. Received an honorary D.Litt degree from Oxfo", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505066	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In political cartoons, what animal represents the Democratic Party?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Political Animals: Republican Elephants and Democratic Donkeys \| Arts & Culture \| Smithsonian Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Use Political Animals: Republican Elephants and Democratic Donkeys Politicians and parties may flip-flop but for more than 100 years, the political iconography of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant has remained unchanged Politicians Are More Persuasive During Interactive Town Hall Meetings Typical contemporary illustrations of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant In a few days, America will elect our next president. It’s been a particularly contentious and divisive campaign, with party lines not so much drawn as carved: red states vs. blue states; liberals vs. conservatives; Republicans vs. Democrats. While party platforms change and politicians adapt their beliefs in response to their constituency and their poll numbers, one thing has remained consistent for more than 100 years: the political iconography of the democratic donkey and the republican elephant. The donkey and elephant first appeared in the mid-19th century, and were popularized by Thomas Nast , a cartoonist working for Harper’s Magazine from 1862-1886. It was a time when political cartoons weren’t just relegated to a sidebar in the editorial page, but really had the power to change minds and sway undecided voters by distilling complex ideas into more compressible representations. Cartoons had power. And Thomas Nast was a master of the medium, although one who, by all accounts, was churlish, vindictive and fiercely loyal to the Republican party. In fact, it’s said that President Lincoln referred to Nast as his “best recruiting general” during his re-election campaign. These very public “recruiting” efforts led Nast to create the familiar political symbols that have lasted longer than either of the political parties they represent. The 1870 Harpers cartoon credited with associating the donkey and the Democratic Party On January 15, 1870, Nast published the cartoon that would forever link the donkey to the Democrat. A few ideas should be clear for the cartoon to make sense: First, “republican” and “democrat” meant very different things in the 19th century than they do today (but that’s another article entirely); “jackass” pretty much meant the exact same thing then that it does today; and Nast was a vocal opponent of a group of Northern Democrats known as “ Copperheads .” In his cartoon, the donkey, standing in for the Copperhead press, is kicking a dead lion, representing President Lincoln’s recently deceased press secretary (E.M. Stanton). With this simple but artfully rendered statement, Nast succinctly articulated his belief that the Copperheads, a group opposed the Civil War, were dishonoring the legacy of Lincoln’s administration. The choice of a donkey –that is to say, a jackass– would be clearly understood as commentary intended to disparage the Democrats. Nast continue to use the donkey as a stand-in for Democratic organizations, and the popularity of his cartoons through 1880s ensured that the party remained inextricably tied to jackasses. However, although Thomas Nast is credited with popularizing this association, he was not the first to use it as a representation of the Democratic party. An 1837 lithograph depicting the first appearance of the Democratic donkey. In 1828, when Andrew Jackson was running for president, his opponents were fond of referring to him as a jackass (if only such candid discourse were permissible today). Emboldened by his detractors, Jackson embraced the image as the symbol of his campaign, rebranding the donkey as steadfast, determined, and willful, instead of wrong-headed, slow, and obstinate. Throughout his presidency, the symbol remained associated with Jackson and, to a lesser extent, the Democratic party. The association was forgotten, though, until Nast, for reasons of his own, revived it more than 30 years later. “The Third Term Panic: An ass, having put on the Lion’s skin, roamed about in the forest, and amused himself by frightening all the foolish Anima", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505067	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Umbriel and Ariel are moons of which planet?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Uranus' Moon Umbriel - Universe Today Universe Today by Matt Williams The 19th century was an auspicious time for astronomers and planet hunters. In addition to the discovery of the Asteroid Belt that rests between Mars and Jupiter – as well as the many minor planets within – the outer solar planet of Uranus and its series of moons were also observed for the very first time. Of these, Umbriel was certainly one of the most interesting finds. Aside from being Uranus’ third largest moon, it is also its darkest – a trait which contributed greatly to the selection of its name. And to this day, this large satellite of Uranus is shrouded in mystery… Discovery: Umbriel, along with its fellow moon Ariel , was discovered by English astronomer William Lassell on October 24th, 1851. Fellow English astronomer William Herschel, who had discovered Uranus’ moons of Titania and Oberon at the end of the 18th century, also claimed to have observed four additional moons around Uranus. However, his observations were not confirmed, leaving the confirmed discoveries of Ariel and Umbriel to Lassell, roughly half a century later. Naming: Much like all of Uranus’ 27 moons , Umbriel was named after a character from Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock, as well as plays by William Shakespeare. These names were suggested by John Herschel, the son of William Herschel, when he announced the discoveries of Titania and Oberon. Size comparison of Earth, the Moon, and Umbriel. Credit: Tom Reding/Public Domain In keeping with the moon’s dark appearance, the name Umbriel – which was the name of the ‘dusky melancholy sprite’ in the The Rape of the Lock and is derived from the Latin Umbra (which means “shadow”) – seemed most appropriate for this satellite. Size, Mass and Orbit: Ariel and Umbriel are nearly the same size, with diameters of 1,158 kilometers and 1,170 kilometers respectively. Based on spectrograph analyses and estimates of the moon’s mass and density, astronomers believe that the majority of the planet consists of water ice, with a dense non-ice component constituting around 40% of its mass. This could mean that Umbriel consists of an icy outer shell that surrounds a rocky core, or one made out of carbonaceous materials. It also means that though Umbriel is the third largest moon of Uranus, it is only the fourth largest in terms of mass. Furthermore, its dark appearance is believed to be the result of the interactions of surface water ice with energetic particles from Uranus’ magnetosphere. These energetic particles would cause methane deposits (trapped in the ice as clathrate hydrate) to decompose and other organic molecules to darken, leaving behind a dark, carbon-rich residue. The satellite’s dark color is also due to its very low bond albedo – which is basically the amount of electromagnetic radiation (i.e. light) that gets reflected back from the surface. So far, spectrographic analyses have only confirmed the existence of water and carbon dioxide. So the existence of organic particles or methane deposits in the ice remains theoretical. However, their presence would explain the prevalence of CO² and why it is concentrated mainly on the trailing hemisphere. Umbriel’s orbital period – i.e. the time it takes the moon to orbit Uranus – is approximately 4.1 days, which is coincident with its rotational period. This means that the moon is a synchronous and tidally-locked satellite, with one face always pointing towards Uranus. The satellite is at an average distance of 266,000 kilometers from its planet, which makes it the third farthest from Uranus, behind Miranda and Ariel. Voyager 2: So far, the only close-up images of Umbriel have been provided by the Voyager 2 probe, which photographed the moon during its flyby of Uranus in January of 1986. During this flyby, the closest distance between Voyager 2 and Umbriel was 325,000 km (202,000 mi). The images cover about 40% of the surface, but only 20% was photographed with the quality required for geological mapping. At the time of the flyby, the southern hemisphere of Umbriel was pointed towards", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505068	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which 'Coronation Street' character was played for may years by Jean Alexander?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Coronation Street legend Jean Alexander recovers from stroke and says 'there's life in the old dog yet' - Mirror Online TV Coronation Street legend Jean Alexander recovers from stroke and says 'there's life in the old dog yet' The 87-year-old, who played Coronation Street cleaner Hilda Ogden for 23 years, was hospitalised in June but says she is now 'happy, fit and well' Share Atta curl: Corrie star Jean’s back enjoying life (Photo: ITV) Share Get soaps updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Coronation Street legend Jean Alexander is back home after making an amazing recovery from a stroke. The 87-year-old, who played Cobbles cleaner Hilda Ogden for 23 years, said yesterday: “Thank you to everyone for all the goodwill messages, I was very touched but there is life in the old dog yet.” In June, Jean was rushed from her Merseyside home by ambulance to a Southport hospital after a 999 call. She was then moved to a specialist care home where it was feared she would end up staying for some time. But she said: “I am back home where I am happy, fit and well after that little hiccup. I am getting on with life as normal.” She said staff at Southport and Formby hospital had been “magnificent” and added: “I am enjoying life with family and friends. In fact I’m just going out to do the weekly shop at the supermarket.” Jean left Corrie in 1987 and and has not acted since her role as Last of the Summer Wine’s Aunty Wainwright in 2010. She also revealed she has osteoporiosis, which had made her shrink. “I have lost four inches in height. I used to be 5ft 4in, now I’m just 5ft. But this is what happens.” Emergency: How the Mirror revealed Jean's plight in June She added: “I can get down on my knees when I’m in the garden – but I can’t get up again.” Liverpool-born Jean never married but won Corrie viewers’ hearts with her partnership with Bernard Youens playing her layabout husband Stan. He died in 1984. “I loved playing Hilda. I never envisaged how iconic she would become, but to be able to make her someone so many people recognised was an honour,” Jean said. “Hilda was fun, especially with the scrapes Stan got in. I understood her because I knew a lot like her when I was young. “Hilda was a hard worker and kept Stan in order. They’d bicker, but let anyone say anything about the other and they were up in arms,” she added. “I’m flattered the character was so successful. I appreciate that people enjoyed what I did. It makes me feel very grateful for my existence.”", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505069	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Brazil is the largest country on which continent?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Largest Countries in the World - WorldAtlas.com The Largest Countries in the World The worlds largest nations, measured in square kilometers of land area. Rolling Hills and Vast Vistas in Tuscany, Italy From Cape Horn all the way to the Arctic Circle, the world’s largest countries provide a beautiful snapshot of the variety of geography, climate and wildlife on the planet. Collectively, the world’s largest countries contain rainforest and tundra, mountains and valleys, coastline and desert. As this we explore the largest nations, we visit five different continents, some of the world’s most spectacular geography, and every type of climate imaginable. Excitingly, it’s always changing, too: history has taught that geopolitical boundaries shift dramatically as centuries pass. In the next decades, who’s to say which countries will become the world’s largest? When 11.5 percent of all the land in the entire world is claimed by just one country, it’s not surprising to learn that the tenth largest country ( Algeria ) could fit into the largest ( Russia ) seven times over. When all 10 of the world's largest countries are taken together, they total 49% of the earth's entire 149 million square kilometres of land. 10 – Algeria The Algerian Sahara, the largest expanse of Saharan dessert Algeria , at 2.38 million square kilometers, is the tenth-largest country in the world by area and the only African country in the top 10. Situated in Northern Africa, Algeria has a Mediterranean coastline 998 km long. 90 percent of the country is desert, and much of its desert regions are highly elevated. The Tell Atlas mountain range runs along the country’s northern border, while the interior, much of it hundreds of meters above sea level, contains the Algerian portion of the Sahara desert. The massive Algerian Sahara extends all the way to the south of the country past its borders with Niger and Mali . 9 – Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country Kazakhstan’s 2.72 million square kilometers stretch over vast plains and highlands. A cool and dry, but not quite desert-like, climate prevails for most of the year. Kazakhstanis experience a great range of temperatures throughout the year, though it doesn’t get as cold in Kazakhstan as it does in parts of its northern neighbor, Russia . Formerly part of the USSR, the largest nation in the world for most of the 20th century, Kazakhstan’s current main claim to fame is its status as the largest landlocked country in the world—and the only landlocked country in the top 10. 8 – Argentina Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina Argentina , the world’s 32nd most populous country, is the world’s eighth largest, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. Its 2.78 million square kilometers include some of the most varied geography and climate in the world. Swampy, tropical conditions in the very north give way to freezing glacial regions in the south. Patagonia, one of the most spectacular and dangerous places on the planet, stretches from the southern Andes in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The southern tip of Argentina, known as Cape Horn, is one of the stormiest locations on the globe. 6 – Australia The Twelve Apostles, Victoria State, Australia The approximately 4.4 million square kilometer difference between Australia and India represents the second-largest size difference between countries ranked consecutively in the top 10. Australia, at around 7.69 million square kilometers, is over twice the size of India . It’s the largest country in Oceania by far. Technically it is so large that it doesn’t even qualify as an island, it is a continental landmass. The vast majority of its population live in coastal cities like Sydney in the east and Perth in the west, and with good reason: the Australian Outback is one of the world’s driest and hottest regions. Along with extreme climate and geography, Australia is known for its spectacular—and often deadly—wildlife. 5 – Brazil Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The largest country in South America at over 8.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505070	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What word describes the rate of change of a body's velocity", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Speed and Velocity 1-D Kinematics - Lesson 1 - Describing Motion with Words Speed and Velocity Acceleration Just as distance and displacement have distinctly different meanings (despite their similarities), so do speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to \"how fast an object is moving.\" Speed can be thought of as the rate at which an object covers distance. A fast-moving object has a high speed and covers a relatively large distance in a short amount of time. Contrast this to a slow-moving object that has a low speed; it covers a relatively small amount of distance in the same amount of time. An object with no movement at all has a zero speed. Velocity as a Vector Quantity Velocity is a vector quantity that refers to \"the rate at which an object changes its position.\" Imagine a person moving rapidly - one step forward and one step back - always returning to the original starting position. While this might result in a frenzy of activity, it would result in a zero velocity. Because the person always returns to the original position, the motion would never result in a change in position. Since velocity is defined as the rate at which the position changes, this motion results in zero velocity. If a person in motion wishes to maximize their velocity, then that person must make every effort to maximize the amount that they are displaced from their original position. Every step must go into moving that person further from where he or she started. For certain, the person should never change directions and begin to return to the starting position. Velocity is a vector quantity. As such, velocity is direction aware. When evaluating the velocity of an object, one must keep track of direction. It would not be enough to say that an object has a velocity of 55 mi/hr. One must include direction information in order to fully describe the velocity of the object. For instance, you must describe an object's velocity as being 55 mi/hr, east. This is one of the essential differences between speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar quantity and does not keep track of direction; velocity is a vector quantity and is direction aware. Determining the Direction of the Velocity Vector The task of describing the direction of the velocity vector is easy. The direction of the velocity vector is simply the same as the direction that an object is moving. It would not matter whether the object is speeding up or slowing down. If an object is moving rightwards, then its velocity is described as being rightwards. If an object is moving downwards, then its velocity is described as being downwards. So an airplane moving towards the west with a speed of 300 mi/hr has a velocity of 300 mi/hr, west. Note that speed has no direction (it is a scalar) and the velocity at any instant is simply the speed value with a direction. Calculating Average Speed and Average Velocity As an object moves, it often undergoes changes in speed. For example, during an average trip to school, there are many changes in speed. Rather than the speed-o-meter maintaining a steady reading, the needle constantly moves up and down to reflect the stopping and starting and the accelerating and decelerating. One instant, the car may be moving at 50 mi/hr and another instant, it might be stopped (i.e., 0 mi/hr). Yet during the trip to school the person might average 32 mi/hr. The average speed during an entire motion can be thought of as the average of all speedometer readings. If the speedometer readings could be collected at 1-second intervals (or 0.1-second intervals or ... ) and then averaged together, the average speed could be determined. Now that would be a lot of work. And fortunately, there is a shortcut. Read on. The average speed during the course of a motion is often computed using the following formula: In contrast, the average velocity is often computed using this formula Let's begin implementing our understanding of these formulas with the following problem: Q: While on vacation, Lisa Carr traveled a total distance of 440 miles. Her trip took 8 hours. Wha", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505071	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Kept in Edinburgh Castle, what are the Honours of Scotland?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Honours of Scotland & Stone of Destiny \| VisitScotland Add to basket Remove from basket Plus Minus Add to trip planner Remove from trip planner Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny Becoming a king or queen means a big lavish celebration with lots of fancy traditions. Scottish ceremonies were no different - monarchs here wore a jewel encrusted crown, while holding an elaborate sword and a sceptre. The Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny were both used throughout history in the crowning of Scottish, English and British monarchs. They might date back hundreds of years, but they've been well looked after and you can still see them on display today at Edinburgh Castle (pictured). Honours of Scotland These are Scotland's crown jewels. It's the collective name for a jewel encrusted crown, an elaborate sword and a sceptre. They date from the 15th and 16th centuries. They are the oldest regalia in the British Isles (the emblems of royalty). History They were first used together to crown the infant Mary Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle in 1543. They were then also used at the coronations of James VI in 1567, Charles 1 in 1633 and, for the last time, Charles II in 1651. They were hidden in the mid-17th century to keep them safe from Oliver Cromwell. Firstly they were hidden at Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, then were smuggled out during a siege and buried a few miles away in Kinneff parish church for nine years - until the monarchy was restored in 1660. They were then used at sittings of the first Scottish Parliament to represent the monarch. After the Treaty of Union in 1707, they weren't needed so, just like in a fairytale, they were locked away in a chest in Edinburgh Castle and forgotten about for over 100 years. It wasn't until 1818 when pressure from Sir Walter Scott brought about a search for them in the castle that they were found. They were hidden again during the Second World War for fear of a Nazi invasion. In total, they've been hidden away three times. Stone of Destiny It's not known exactly where the Stone of Destiny came from. Theories include biblical origins or the stone being made in Scotland. It's actually quite plain and unremarkable in appearance - unlike its colourful history. It's been used for enthroning Scottish monarchs at Iona, Dunadd and Scone. It's on display at Edinburgh Castle, alongside the Honours of Scotland, and you can also see a replica stone in the grounds of Scone Palace in Perthshire (pictured). History In 1292 John Balliol was the last king to use the Stone of Destiny. In 1296 it was captured by Edward I of England and taken to Westminster Abbey in London. It sat under the coronation chair, where English and British sovereigns sit during their coronation, for 700 years. On Christmas Day 1950, four nationalist Scottish students removed the stone from Westminster Abbey and brought it back to Scotland. After a public outcry, it was found a few months later at Arbroath Abbey, draped in a Saltire, and taken back to Westminster Abbey by the police. It was last used at the coronation of HM The Queen in 1953. On St Andrews Day (30 November) 1996, the Stone of Destiny was returned to Scotland amid much ceremony and celebration and put in Edinburgh Castle alongside the Honours of Scotland. About 10,000 people lined the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to watch a procession of dignitaries and troops escort the stone from the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom of the mile, to the castle.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505072	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What type of creature is a bonnethead?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "1.ŠWhat type of creature is a bonnethead? - Jade Wright - Liverpool Echo 1.ŠWhat type of creature is a bonnethead? 2.ŠThe first chamber of commerce in Britain was founded in which city in 1783? Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email 2.ŠThe first chamber of commerce in Britain was founded in which city in 1783? 3.ŠWhich country hosts the world screaming championships? 4.ŠIn astronomy what is the outermost region of a planet's atmosphere called? 5.ŠA bibliophile is a lover of what? 6.ŠIn which year did Captain Scott reach the South Pole? 7.ŠWhich British sportsman's autobiography is entitled Walking Tall? 8.ŠGeorge Williams founded what in London in 1844? 9.ŠWhich novelist wrote under the pseudonym Ellis Bell? 10.ŠSteve Martin and Goldie Hawn played an architect and waitress in which 1992 film? Š ANSWERS: 1.ŠShark; 2. Glasgow; 3. Poland; 4. Exosphere; 5. Books; 6. 1912; 7. Peter Crouch; 8. YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association); 9. Emily Bronte; 10. ŠHousesitter Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505073	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who wrote the novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang : The Magical Car?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car up for auction - BBC News BBC News Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car up for auction 15 May 2011 Close share panel Media captionWatch: Peter Bowes test drives Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of the most loved cars in the world, is going up for auction in Los Angeles. The star of the 1968 family movie was shipped to California from England to go under the hammer on Sunday. The unique vehicle, which is still in working order, is expected to fetch up to $2m (£1.2m). For the past four decades it has been kept in Stratford-upon-Avon by owner Pierre Picton, the man who looked after it on set. It has appeared at hundreds of shows and charity road races, but has never been auctioned until now. Magical being There were several Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cars made for the film, but this was the only one that actually worked. It was driven in the movie by Dick Van Dyke, who played the eccentric inventor who takes his children on the adventure of a lifetime. I think it's the most recognisable car in the world - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity Joe Maddalena, Profiles in History The vehicle was designed by Ken Adam and built by the Ford Racing Team. Its bonnet is crafted of polished aluminium; the boat deck is hand-crafted of red and white cedar, and the brass fittings taken from Edwardian cars. The car is powered by a Ford three-litre V6 engine and has a dashboard plate from a British World War I fighter plane. Chitty was completed in 1967 and registered with the number plate GEN 11, given to her by Ian Fleming, who wrote the novel the film was based on. The registration spells the Latin word \"genii\", meaning magical person or being. It is being sold by a Hollywood memorabilia company Profiles in History, which says the vehicle is attracting interest from around the world. \"I think it's the most recognisable car in the world,\" said Joe Maddalena, the company's owner. \"This car is the best of the best. It takes your breath away. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a car collector or museum.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505074	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Rhinology is the study of which part of the human body?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Otology Journal \| Peer reviewed \| Otolaryngology Indexed in: Sherpa Romeo , Academic Keys, J-Gate, JournalTOCs , Crossref About the Journal Journal of Otology & Rhinology (JOR) is a hybrid open access international journal which is distributed all over the globe. The journal provides the choice of both open access and subscription mode of publication to the authors and publishes almost all types of write-ups like research articles, review, case reports, case study, commentary, letter to editor, mini review, opinion, short communication, book review, editorials etc. The journal’s Editorial Board is composed of international experts from the related field who have committed to seeking out excellent work from a range of sources and theoretical perspectives and also to publish high-quality, thought-provoking work that will have a direct impact on clinical practice & scientific society.The journal publishes rigorous peer reviewed research & other scholarly articles which adds new knowledge to the field and has the potential to improve the lives of those affected by Ear, Nose and Throat diseases. The authors can submit their manuscript through Editorial Manager System or Online submission . If the authors find any difficulty in submitting their manuscript, they can E-mail it to editor.jor@scitechnol.com The journal follows double blind peer review process. Manuscripts submitted by authors will be evaluated on Editorial Manager® System by Editors & reviewers of particular expertise in the same field to ensure that the published articles are of high quality with accurate and reliable information & data, which reflect solid scholarship. Editors can manage the whole submission, review, revision and publishing process, however at least two independent reviewer's approval followed by the Editor is required for the acceptance of any citable manuscript. The following classifications and topics related to it will be considered for publication in JOR. Otology Otology is the branch of science which deals with the study of pathology, anatomy & physiology of the ear and its inner and outer structures and functions as well as its diseases. Related Journals of Otology Journal of Otology, Otology & Neurotology, The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Indian Journal of Otology, American Journal of Otolaryngology, The Journal of International Advanced Otology, Indian Journal of Otology On Web, Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, The Mediterranean Journal of Otology, International Journal of Otolaryngology Rhinology Rhinology is the branch of science which deals with the study of nose , its inner & outer structures, sinuses as well as its diseases . Related Journals of Rhinology Rhinology International Journal, American Journal of Rhinology, International Journal of Clinical Rhinology, Rhinology, International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, Clinical Rhinology, Allergy & Rhinology, Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, Romanian Journal of Rhinology, Otolaryngology and Rhinology Neurotology Neurotology is the branch of medical science which deals with the study of neurological disorder of ear. It is also a sub division of otolaryngology & Head & neck surgery. Related Journals of Neurotology Otology & Neurotology, Audiology and Neurotology, The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Indian Journal of Otology, The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Ontology & Neurotology, International Tinnitus Journal, Audiology and Neurotology Extra, The Journal of International Advanced Otology, The Mediterranean Journal of Otology Otolaryngology Otolaryngology is the branch of medical science deals with the pathology, anatomy & physiology of the ear and throat and its diseases & conditions as well. Related Journals of Otolaryngology Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American Journal of Otolaryngology, Ear Nose & Throat Journal, International Journal of Otolaryngology, Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Online Journal of Otolaryngology, The Journal of", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505075	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"Who wrote the play \"\"Bent\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "THEATER IN REVIEW - 'BENT' - POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS - NYTimes.com THEATER IN REVIEW; 'BENT': POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS By Leah D. Frank Published: December 4, 1983 An excellent production of Martin Sherman's poignant drama ''Bent'' is being presented by the Studio Theater in Lindenhurst. The play is a dramatic account of the struggle of homosexuals in Nazi Germany for self-preservation and decency, and has been controversial since its first reading at the O'Neill Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Conn., in July 1978. Wherever the play has been staged--in Connecticut, London, and Broadway--there has been outrage at the suggestion that Jews, compared with homosexuals, were somehow coddled in Dachau, and again at the notion that the arrest and extermination of homosexual inmates in the concentrations camps could somehow serve as a parable of our own time. The controversies arise primarily out of the play's huge gaps in logic and its superficial treatments of both oppression and victimization. However, when the play is effective, as it often is, it moves us to consider how societies respond to what they perceive as ''deviants.'' And ''Bent'' is chilling because the events that take place are portrayed as being so ordinary, and so possible. The play opens with Max (William Hayes) nursing a hangover. We are in Berlin in 1934, and it is the morning after the homosexual purge known as ''the night of the long knives.'' Max had brought home a beautiful young soldier the night before, who is then graphically murdered by storm troopers who have been looking for him. Max and his lover, Rudy, run from their apartment and keep running until they are eventually tracked down and packed into a boxcar bound for Dachau. In the camp, Max avoids wearing the pink triangle affixed to deviants by convincing his captors that he is Jewish, and he is accorded the theoretically more desirable yellow star of David. It is during this time that he learns not only to respect himself, but also to both accept and to give love. Love is the basis of this play, and it is the constant that is normal. The war and the Holocaust are aberrations blocking the natural flow of love not only of two men, but also of all mankind. One of the most erotic scenes in dramatic literature takes place in the second act when two men stand still, a few feet apart, and verbalize their fantasies of making love to each other. Juxtaposed against the violence and emotional brutality of the play, these sexual expressions are as much a part of the world we live in as the sun rising in the east. William Hayes gives us an intense, high-strung Max. And although Mr. Hayes's performance has a tendency to be too controlled for too long, his interpretation is still a powerful one. Once his Max acknowledges his pain, he attains a sense of dignity and freedom. When he finally holds Horst's body close and talks of love, we are deeply moved. Rudy, a sweet young dancer who is the lover Max is forced by the Nazis to disavow, is superbly played by Michael Fife. His Rudy is a cute, bubbly, naive boy, and even when faced with the reality of his hopeless situation, he reacts more like a child terrified of being separated from his mother in a crowded shopping center than like a doomed man. Mr. Fife's sweetness makes his Rudy all the more heartbreaking. Kenneth Gunning is Horst, the man Max meets in the boxcar and falls in love with while working over a rock pile in Dachau. Mr. Gunning lacks the artistic range needed to turn this role into the powerhouse part it could be, but he nonetheless gives a solid performance that should improve as the production continues. Maris Irbe is superb as Uncle Freddie, a scared rabbit of a man who is terrified that his homosexuality will be discovered. He tries to help Max, but actually his caution and fear help doom his nephew. Tom Thon plays Greta, the owner of the homosexual hangout where Rudy dances. Mr. Thon is a bust as the blond Dynelwigged transvestite who sings ''Streets of Berlin'' off key, but he is terrifying as the cold, calculating busine", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505076	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In the world of the American Secret Service who, or what, is POTUS?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Who is POTUS? (with pictures) Who is POTUS? Images By: Donkeyhotey, Ragne Kabanova, Camrocker, Dana S. Rothstein, Hallucion_7, Mark Markau Last Modified Date: 13 December 2016 Copyright Protected: 10 most extreme places on Earth The President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of the American state and government, in addition to heading up the executive branch of the United States government. Together with the judicial and legislative branches, the president makes decisions about running the United States. The abbreviation “POTUS” was originally used by the Secret Service to refer to the president, and the term was adopted by the Department of Defense, along with other government agencies , in the 1990s. Most American citizens do not use the term, although many know what it means. The duties and powers of the POTUS are laid out in Article Two of the United States Constitution, which details how the president will be elected, what he or she can do while in office, and the duties that the he or she is expected to fulfill while elected. The requirements to hold the office include a stipulation that the president must be a natural born American citizen of age 35 or older, although some lawmakers have tried to change these requirements to allow naturalized citizens to run for office as well. A term lasts for four years, and a president may be in office for two terms only. The president can be removed from office through a process called impeachment if he or she commits and act of treason, bribery , or another serious crime. Ad While in office, the president receives a salary , along with the right to access the White House in addition to other government held facilities and equipment such as specialized aircraft set aside for his or her use. The president's security is handled by the Secret Service, which also provides security to members of the president's family, and the equipment that the President uses. After leaving office, a former President gets a pension and is guarded by the Secret Service for the next 10 years: the last president to receive lifetime Secret Service protection was William Jefferson Clinton, who left office in 2000. The POTUS is the only nationally elected figure in America and is technically elected by the Electoral College , not individual citizens. Within each state, citizens go to the polls to cast votes for their preferred candidate, and the board of electors for the state meets to affirm those votes. Traditionally, electors agree to vote for the candidate who won their state, although electors historically have been known to cast protest ballots, which are blank. These votes are certified by Congress shortly before the new president takes office. Ad feasting Post 7 Accepting the position of POTUS means agreeing to the likelihood that you will soon become the most criticized and possibly hated man or woman in the United States. It's sad that this is how it usually turns out, but people need someone to blame, and since the POTUS is in charge of nearly everything, he bears the brunt of their accusations. He is blamed for everything from wars to terrorist attacks. He takes responsibility for budget cuts and unemployment rates. Actually, the POTUS himself may have very little to do with any of these things. Sometimes, situations just don't seem to have a solution, and though he may attempt several different measures to fix them, a bad outcome is inevitable. StarJo Post 6 POTUS almost sounds like some sort of virus! Do newscasters ever use this term when referring to the president? If they did, I bet the viewers would be confused. strawCake Post 5 @SZapper - I've never heard this turn of phrase before either and quite frankly I hope it never catches on. It doesn't even sound good and I think our leader deserves a little more respect! What's wrong with simply referring to him as \"the president\"? SZapper Post 4 I don't think the term POTUS is used very often because I've", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505077	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who was British Prime Minister at the time of the accession of Elizabeth II?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee: Year In Review 2012 \| Elizabeth II \| Britannica.com Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent On Feb. 6, 2012, Queen Elizabeth II reached the 60th anniversary of her accession to the British throne, a milestone that was followed in June (to coincide with her June 2, 1953, coronation) by four days of national celebration, including two days’ public holiday, to formally commemorate her Diamond Jubilee. Despite wet weather in London—and an infection that caused the queen’s 90-year-old husband, Prince Philip, to be admitted to the hospital and miss an open-air concert held outside Buckingham Palace (the queen’s main residence in London) and a special service of thanksgiving that was held in St. Paul’s Cathedral—the occasion attracted huge interest throughout the country and, polls showed, reinforced the queen’s already high popularity. The man-powered portion of the 1,000-boat river pageant flotilla, led by the £1 million … David Jones—Press Association/AP On June 5, 2012, the final day of festivities surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, the … Toby Melville—Reuters/Landov This official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation robes was taken in 1953 by Sir Cecil … V&A Images/Alamy Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, visit Leicester, Eng., on March … Andy Rain—EPA/Landov Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, on April 21, 1926. She became heir presumptive in December 1936 when her father ascended to the throne as King George VI after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII . She was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh , when news arrived on Feb. 6, 1952, that her 56-year-old father had died. She returned to Britain to be greeted by Winston Churchill , her first prime minister. The elderly war leader and the young queen presided over a Britain that still ruled an empire abroad but was economically enfeebled at home. In a country that was scarred and bankrupted by war and subject to food rationing, few people had cars or television sets or had ever traveled by air, and nonwhite faces were rare. Over the following six decades, Britain changed almost beyond recognition, yet the queen provided a rock of stability that most people told pollsters they welcomed. Elizabeth II and coronation guests, June 2, 1953. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Walter Bagehot , the influential 19th-century constitutional theorist, famously said of Britain’s monarchy: “We must not let in daylight upon magic.” One remarkable achievement of Elizabeth II’s 60 years as queen was that she managed to let in just enough daylight to satisfy an era of expanding democracy, increasing scrutiny, and declining deference—but not so much that she lost the loyalty of her people in the United Kingdom or the 15 other Commonwealth countries of which she was head of state in 2012. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies To say that Elizabeth has become the latest in a long line of popular monarchs, however, would be wrong. The monarchical institution had frequently been rocked by scandal and was prone to mockery. Its modern positive reputation was established as recently as World War II, when the royal family remained in London during the Blitz, and Elizabeth, as an 18-year-old, joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a driver and mechanic. By the time she became queen at age 25, she was already the mother of two children ( Charles and Anne), and her strong-willed husband was admired for having served in Britain’s Royal Navy with courage and distinction during the war. During her reign sons Andrew and Edward were born. In some respects Elizabeth made the monarchy less formal and remote. In 1958, for example, she ceased attending the annual Queen Charlotte’s Ball, where some 150 17- or 18-year-old girls from Britain’s richest families had traditionally presented themselves to the monarch. She sent her children to school (albeit exclusive pr", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505078	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Vermiculture is the farming of what?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Unco Industries Inc \| worm farming \| vermiculture \| nightcrawlers \| worm castings Venture Into Vermiculture “Growing and Producing Worms. Selling Pure Earthworm Castings” Welcome to Unco Industries, Inc.. Located in Union Grove, WI. Unco Industries has been a leader in the nightcrawler business since 1977. Our products include Wiggle Worm Soil Builder - PURE EARTHWORM CASTINGS an organic fertilizer and Tasty Bait Crawlers - worms that do NOT require refrigeration and can be shipped anywhere in the US. Other products include composting worms for home compost waste recycling and worm cocoons for gardening. Also venture into vermiculture by starting your own worm farm business. A little information about Unco Industries, Inc. business and possibly starting your own worm farm and producing earthworm castings. BE YOUR OWN BOSS!!!", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505079	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which 1989 film set during the American Civil War starred Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Glory (1989) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 36 titles created 04 Jan 2011 a list of 31 titles created 01 Mar 2015 a list of 24 titles created 8 months ago a list of 40 titles created 7 months ago a list of 35 titles created 5 months ago Search for \" Glory \" on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards » Videos Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam. Director: Spike Lee The story of Rubin \"Hurricane\" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence. Director: Norman Jewison A US Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor. Director: Edward Zwick On a US nuclear missile sub, a young first officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so. Director: Tony Scott Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins. Director: Denzel Washington On his first day on the job as a Los Angeles narcotics officer, a rookie cop goes on a 24-hour training course with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears. Director: Antoine Fuqua The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York that lead to the declaration of martial law. Director: Edward Zwick In 1863, the Northern and Southern forces fight at Gettysburg in the decisive battle of the American Civil War. Director: Ron Maxwell John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant. Director: Nick Cassavetes When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit. Director: Jonathan Demme An attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop. Director: Russell Mulcahy South African journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country after attempting to investigate the death in custody of his friend the black activist Steve Biko. Director: Richard Attenborough Edit Storyline Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au> Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives. Nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom. Genres: 16 February 1990 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Tiempos de gloria See more » Filming Locations: 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)\| Dolby SR (35 mm prints) Color: Did You Know? Trivia Fog machines were used throughout the production in an attempt to eradicate any signs of blue sky. Edward Zwick was particularly keen for the film to look as bleak as possible. See more » Goofs The film depicts Shaw accepting regimental command after being promoted directly from Captain to Colonel. Historically, Shaw was not promoted immediately upon taking command of the 54th regiment, He was promoted to Major o", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505080	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who was the only man to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer under both Harold Wilson and James Callaghan?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Harold Wilson Harold Wilson References Harold Wilson, the son of Herbert Wilson (1882–1971) and his wife, Ethel Seddon (1882–1957), was born in Milnsbridge on the outskirts of Huddersfield on 11th March 1916. His father was a chemist and his mother, a former school teacher. (1) Wilson was educated at New Street Elementary School (1920-1927), Royds Hall School (1927-1932) and Bebington Grammar School (1932-1934). One of his teachers, Edgar Whitwarm, later recalled: \"To Harold it was effortless. There was never anyone to touch him... He was the sort of boy a teacher comes across only once or twice in a lifetime. He was more or less top in everything.\" (2) Wilson's father had been a supporter of the Liberal Party but after the First World War he changed his allegiance to the Labour Party : \"Although never himself poor, the young Harold saw real poverty and the reliance on charity all around him... The family instilled in Harold an austere view of life. Each member was a 'self-contained, self-sufficient person, disinclined to display feelings'. Harold learned that anxieties and problems were best kept under personal control. He was to become an intensely loyal, warm man but a lonely figure with few friends to whom he could relate his feelings.\" (3) His biographer, Roy Jenkins , has pointed out: \"Wilson was a remarkably successful pupil, both at Royds Hall and at Wirral grammar school.... He was always a pre-eminent examination passer. But he showed no wide intellectual curiosity. He was superb at the syllabus, but he ranged little outside it. He was much less inquisitive culturally than was his fairly near Yorkshire neighbour and very near contemporary Denis Healey. Nor was he rebellious or iconoclastic. The centre of his extra-curricular activity was the local branch of the Boy Scouts. He was not much attracted by or good at team games, but concentrated on the rather lonely sport of long-distance running.\" (4) Harold Wilson - Oxford University In the summer of 1934, Harold Wilson met Gladys Mary Baldwin , while visiting the tennis club where she was a member. Mary was the daughter of the Revd Daniel Baldwin, a Congregational minister. She had left school at sixteen and was working as a typist at Lever Brothers in Port Sunlight . (5) Wilson later claimed it was love at almost first sight. But Mary says she took much longer to make up her mind. (6) Later that year he won a history exhibition at Jesus College . At Oxford University he came under the influence of his socialist history tutor, G. D. H. Cole . Wilson later wrote in his memoirs: \"I had long held G.D.H. Cole in high regard and found this closer contact with him most congenial. He was a good-looking man, of medium height with a good head of hair, and most attractive in speech and address, except for the manner of his lectures. I had attended a number of them, which he delivered at great speed, eyes down, without a single note. His special subjects were economic organization and history, and he concentrated on these. I was left to teach economic theory, not the area I preferred. I took to spending most Tuesday and Wednesday evenings with him, helping with copy for and proofs of his articles for the New Statesman and Nation. When the work was finished, he used to pour out for each of us a glass of Irish whisky, which he preferred to Scotch. On one of these occasions he was celebrating his fiftieth birthday. He announced that he had made a resolution, to foreswear all reading of books and concentrate on writing them. He was already publishing at least one a year in addition to his other writings. For the most part they were highly topical and dated rather quickly but some, particularly those on economic history, have survived.\" With the encouragement of Cole he joined the Labour Party . \"It was G.D.H. Cole as much as any man who finally pointed me in the direction of the Labour Party. His social and economic theories made it intellectually respectable. My attitudes had been clarifying for some time and the catalyst was the unemployment situation. I had seen it years bef", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505081	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The speed of sound in a vacuum is?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "How fast does sound travel? 3. How fast does sound travel? The speed at which sound propagates (or travels from its source) is directly influenced by both the medium through which it travels and the factors affecting the medium, such as altitude, humidity and temperature for gases like air. Bad news for Star Wars fansthere is no sound in the vacuum of space because there are too few molecules to propagate a wave. It is important to note that sound speed in air is determined by the air itself. It is not dependent upon the sounds amplitude, frequency or wavelength. To calculate the speed of sound in dry air at sea level, use the following formula: V = 331.4 + 0.6Tc V = velocity (m/s), Tc = temperature in Celsius. Use the interactive Speed of Sound calculator below to see the effect of temperature on sound's velocity. For comparison, the speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second or 186,000 miles per second (669,600,000 mph), which is roughly 870,000 times faster than the speed of sound. The difference between the speed of light and the speed of sound is why you see lightening before you hear it (unless you are struck by it, in which case it may be simultaneous!). As a comparison with sound in other mediums, the speed of sound in helium at 0°C is approximately 972 meters per second (m/s), or around 3 times as fast as in air. Sounds travels even faster in liquids and solids because of their greater density (although standard measurement is slightly more complicated because of it is effected by the shape of the material and also the fact that both longitudinal and transverse waves may propagate in solids). Sound in 20° C water travels an average of 1482 m/s, while sound in aluminum travels at 6420 m/s. Modern navies depends heavily on being able to predict the speed of sound in varying water conditions for their SONAR echo-location systems. If you have ever lived in an apartment with shared walls and a party next door, you are no doubt aware that sound waves can transfer from one medium to another and back againin this case from air to the rigid wallboard and back to air again. The speed with which it travels changes accordingly with the shift in mediums. A wide variety of sound isolation products and construction techniques attempt to mitigate this sort of transfer. For further sound-abatement information, see Auralex's Acoustics 101 . It is important to realize that while all sound in the equivalent conditions travels at the same speed, whether louder or softer, higher or lower, the speed or force of the individual molecules bumping into one another increases with amplitude and/or frequency. For further study, see Hyperphysics->Speed of Sound An Acoustics Primer, Chapter 3 URL: www.indiana.edu/~emusic/acoustics/speed.htm Copyright 2004 Prof. Jeffrey Hass Center for Electronic and Computer Music, School of Music Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505082	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In 1907, who was the first English writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "in 1907 who was the first English writer win Nobel prize - IT - 402 View Full Document in 1907 who was the first English writer win Nobel prize literature Rudyard Kipling 4 Name the science fiction writer who lives in Sri Lanka Arthur C Clark 5 What pop group were dedicated followers of fashion The Kinks 6 CaCo3 is the chemical formula of what common item Calcium Carbonate – Chalk 7 Name Elvis Presley's father Vernon Presley 8 In what novel does Dr Hannibal Lecter first appear Red Dragon 9 The Ionian islands are nearest what country Greece 10 In Portsmouth Ohio who does the law rank with vagrants thieves Baseball Players suspicious chars 11 In WWW terms what does i.e. mean on a domain name Ireland 12 Seawood's Folly is better known as what today Alaska 13 What is a Roastchaffer A Beetle 14 What Pope started the Inquisition Gregory 9th 15 Ecuador was named after who / what The Equator 16 Liza Minelli played what character in Cabaret Sally Bowles 17 Who wrote the scripts for Hill street Blues Steven Bochco 18 What European language is unrelated to any other language Basque 19 In the 70s The Bahamas gained independence from who Great Britain 20 In Kentucky people wearing what on streets get police protection Bathing Suits 21 In what country did bongo drums originate Cuba 22 Stewart Goddard changed his name to become what pop hit Adam Ant 23 What's the main feature of a Chong Sang skirt Split up side 24 The Davis Strait lies between Canada and where Greenland 25 Henri Charrier is better known by what nickname Papillion – The Butterfly 26 What fashion designer is credited with the Bob hairstyle Mary Quant 27 Melba sauce is made from what fruit Raspberries 28 Who was with Macbeth when he met the witches Banquo 29 Children take SATs what does SAT stand for Standard assessment tasks 30 In Winston-Salem N Carolina its illegal under 7 year olds do what Go to College 31 A lion and a sword appear on what countries flag Sri Lanka 32 A carbonade is a dish that must contain what Beer 33 What company owns Rolls Royce motors Volkswagen 34 What was Oscar Wilde's only novel The picture of Dorian Grey 35 What writer lived at hilltop near Hawkshead now museum to her Beartrix Potter 36 French artist Edward Degas noted for what particular subject Ballet Dancers 37 Who is the Greek God of the sky and the universe Uranus 38 Collective nouns - a Dule of what Doves 39 The pharaoh hound is the only dog that does what Blushes - Nose and ears redden 40 In Blue Earth Minnesota illegal under 12s do what without parent Talk on Telephone 41 Fallstaff first appears in what Shakespeare play Henry IV part 1 42 What is a roker A foot long ruler 43 A vestiphobe is afraid of what Wearing Clothes 44 In what film would you find The Orgasmitron Woody Alan's Sleeper 45 Racing driver James Hunts nickname was Hunt the what Shunt 46 In 1906 the John Gable Entertainer was the first what Juke Box 47 In the food industry what is TVP - i.e. what's it stand for Textured Vegetable Protein 48 Who wrote the book Coma Robin Cook 49 What country designed and developed the bayonet France 50 This preview has intentionally blurred sections. Sign up to view the full version. This is the end of the preview. Sign up to access the rest of the document. TERM Kenyatta University IT 402 - Spring 2015 1 2 3 4 5 Sampling In Research What is research? According Webster (1985), to researc HYPO.docx", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505083	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Seven years older, Mycroft is the more corpulent, more intelligent brother of whom?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Third Holmes Brother \| Baker Street Wiki \| Fandom powered by Wikia The Third Holmes Brother A Fandom user 66.215.166.122 Is there a third holmes brother? Mycroft and Sherlock hinted at it while they were speaking in His Last Vow. If so, would he be a villain? From what I've read, the third Holmes brother is called Sherrinford, is the eldest brother, and is the most intelligent. Will he appear in series 4? If so, I'd personally like him to be played by Matt Smith, as Moffat said he'd like Matt Smith to appear in Sherlock. Loading editor I doubt it, but it would be cool. It seems that they would have made some other third brother reference. In this show, a general rule of thumb is \"If twice mentioned, there's no question\" Lets just wait and see. Loading editor What was the reference? I missed it. Loading editor Mycroft was talking to another government official about exiling Sherlock, and Mycroft said \"I'm not accustomed to outbursts of brotherly compassion. You know what happened to the other one.\" or something like that. Loading editor Yes he did say that you have exeactly right, word for word Loading editor It sounds like they did have another brother, but he may not be alive considering Mycroft's somewhat ominous comment. Loading editor Meme99 Parents would be quite more pesimistic, wouldn't they? f they had a deceased son, I dount they would reminice about/with Sherlock and Mycroft's childhood if one of their children died, and would be mad at Mcroft. Although, they may somehow have been in a foster home at some point, where they had a foster brother. Loading editor That's a good point. However, they may not know he died. Loading editor A Fandom user 98.21.174.12 I thought that he might've simply been referring to the dog (Red Beard) considering they (or at least Sherlock) seemed to think of it in a brotherly fashion and they had to put it down. Maybe part of Sherlock's dislike towards Mycroft has to do with the fact that Mycroft put the dog down, therefore putting his brother down. I don't know, just a thought, but if there was a third Holmes brother I would be elated to see him. Loading editor Interesting thought...but how would Mycroft putting down a dog prove that he was not sparing Sherlock out of brotherly compassion? Loading editor 99.43.246.230 wrote: What was the reference? I missed it. Mycroft: \"You know what happened to the other brother\" to Lady Smallwood when accused of sentimentality. 98.21.174.12 has a point. He could mean Red Beard. I think that Mycroft fabricated the third brother then 'killed' him. Many people point to Moriarty, but I find that highly unlikely (though in one canon his real name was Eh Tar) since that would mean Mycroft is Professor Moriarty... but wait...possible. Mycroft stalks everyone ('Your therapist believes you get shock from the war. fire her.') Moriarty does a good job at acting (as Richard Brook) (or I am getting revenge on Rachel's case by getting you close to a fall). But Moriarty killed Powers and (almost) Sherlock, Mycroft has watertight alibis for those two. Loading editor A Fandom user 103.243.52.100 I think moriarty is third brother's creation. As mycroft stated he never had any compassion for him that may be because he is a criminal mastermind and he created moriarty to seek revenge from the other holmes brothers and now he is the one who is bringing him back from the dead. Loading editor 86.166.66.128 wrote: 99.43.246.230 wrote: What was the reference? I missed it. Mycroft: \"You know what happened to the other brother\" to Lady Smallwood when accused of sentimentality. 98.21.174.12 has a point. He could mean Red Beard. I think that Mycroft fabricated the third brother then 'killed' him. Many people point to Moriarty, but I find that highly unlikely (though in one canon his real name was Eh Tar) since that would mean Mycroft is Professor Moriarty... but wait...possible. Mycroft stalks everyone ('Your therapist believes you get shock from the war. fire her.') Moriarty does a good job at acting (as Richard Brook) (or I am getting revenge o", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505084	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Not that OJ did it, but who was murdered along side Nicole Brown Simpson on June 12, 1994?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murdered - Jun 12, 1994 - HISTORY.com Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murdered Share this: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murdered Author Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murdered URL Publisher A+E Networks Nicole Brown Simpson, famous football player O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife, and her friend Ron Goldman are brutally stabbed to death outside Nicole’s home in Brentwood, California, in what quickly becomes one of the most highly publicized trials of the century. With overwhelming evidence against him, including a prior record of domestic violence towards Brown, O.J. Simpson became the chief suspect. Although he had agreed to turn himself in, Simpson escaped with friend A.C. Cowlings in his white Ford Bronco on June 17. He was carrying his passport, a disguise, and $8,750 in cash. Simpson’s car was spotted that afternoon, but he refused to surrender immediately. Threatening to kill himself, he led police in a low-speed chase through the freeways of Los Angeles as the entire nation watched on television. Eventually, Simpson gave himself up at his home in Brentwood. The evidence against Simpson was extensive: His blood was found at the murder scene; blood, hair, and fibers from Brown and Goldman were found in Simpson’s car and at his home; one of his gloves was also found in Brown’s home, the other outside his own house; and bloody shoeprints found at the scene matched those of shoes owned by Simpson. However, Simpson’s so-called “Dream Team” of defense lawyers, including Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey, claimed before a national television audience that Simpson had been framed by racist police officers such as Detective Mark Fuhrman. After deliberating for three hours, the jury acquitted Simpson. He vowed to find the “real killers,” but has yet to turn up any new leads. In a civil trial brought about by the families of the victims, Simpson was found responsible for causing Goldman’s death and committing battery against Brown in February 1997, and was ordered to pay a total of $33.5 million, little of which he has paid. In 2007, Simpson ran into legal problems once again when he was arrested for breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room and taking sports memorabilia, which he claimed had been stolen from him, at gunpoint. On October 3, 2008, he was found guilty of 12 charges related to the incident, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and sentenced to 33 years in prison. Related Videos", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505085	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which English town is the home of te comic-strip character, Andy Capp?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "BBC NEWS \| UK \| England \| Tees \| Home town gains Andy Capp statue Home town gains Andy Capp statue The statue is unveiled A statue of loveable comic strip character Andy Capp has been unveiled by his creator's widow. Jean Smythe, wife of Hartlepool artist Reg Smythe, unmasked the 5ft high bronze sculpture in the town's Headland area on Thursday. The statue, by Shropshire artist Jane Robbins, captures the working class hero in a typically relaxed pose, but minus his trademark cigarette. The cartoon first appeared in editions of the Daily Mirror in 1957. The ï¿½20,000 monument now has pride of place outside the Harbour of Refuge pub, in Croft Terrace. Mrs Smythe, who still lives in the town, said: \"I am very pleased that it has happened. \"I would have thought that Reg would have really liked it, well I am hoping he would have done. \"The people of Hartlepool have shown a real dedication in insisting this project would go ahead and they got there in the end and I would like to thank them for it.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505086	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who plays alcoholic John Hancock in the 2008 film ‘Hancock’?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Hancock (film) \| Hancock Wiki \| Fandom powered by Wikia Gross revenue $624,386,746 Hancock is a Template:Fy American action-comedy superhero film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith , Jason Bateman , and Charlize Theron . It tells the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock, played by Smith, from Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey, played by Bateman, makes it his mission to change Hancock's public image for the better. The story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years and had various directors attached, including Tony Scott , Michael Mann , Jonathan Mostow , and Gabriele Muccino before going into production in 2007. Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million. The film was widely released on July 2, 2008 in the United States and the United Kingdom by Columbia Pictures . Hancock received mixed reviews from film critics. To date, Hancock has grossed $624,386,746 in theaters worldwide. Contents Edit John Hancock is a drunkard with superhuman powers, including supersonic flight, invulnerability, immortality, and super-strength. Although he uses his powers to rescue people and stop criminals, his activities inadvertently cause millions of dollars in property damage due to his constant intoxication and cynical attitude. As a result, he is routinely jeered by the public and is considered a nuisance by the LAPD . Hancock frequently ignores court subpoenas and lawsuits from the city of Los Angeles to address the property damage he has caused. When public relations spokesperson Ray Embrey departs from an unsuccessful meeting pitching his All-Heart logo for corporations that want to be seen as charitable, he becomes trapped on railroad tracks facing collision with an oncoming freight train. Hancock saves Ray's life at the cost of derailing the train and damaging other cars. Hancock is jeered by other drivers for causing more destruction, but Ray steps in and thanks Hancock for saving his life. Ray offers to improve Hancock's public image, and Hancock grudgingly accepts. Ray convinces Hancock to turn himself in for his outstanding subpoenas so they can show Los Angeles how much the city really needs Hancock when they miss him fighting crime and saving lives. When the crime rate does rise following his incarceration, Hancock is contacted by the Chief of Police to help stop a violent bank robbery. With a new costume from Ray, Hancock is released from jail and makes a triumphant return by rescuing a wounded police officer, and foiling the robbers led by Red Parker. Hancock is applauded for handling the bank robbery and becomes popular once more, as Ray had predicted. He goes out to dinner with Ray and his wife Mary, with whom he reveals his apparent immortality and his amnesia from 80 years ago. After Hancock tucks a drunken Ray in bed, he discovers that Mary also has superhuman powers. He threatens to expose her unless she explains their origins. Mary eventually tells him that they have lived for 3,000 years with their powers, having been called gods and angels in their time. She also explains that they are the last of their kind and are meant to be paired. Mary does not tell Hancock the entire truth, and Hancock departs to tell Ray about the conversation. The exchange results in a battle between Hancock and Mary that takes them to downtown Los Angeles, causing significant destruction to the area. Ray, downtown in a business meeting, sees and recognizes his wife using abilities like Hancock's. Hancock meets Ray and Mary back at their house. Mary explains that Hancock is technically her husband, explaining that they were built in twos, and that they are drawn to each other over time and great distances. When later intervening in a liquor store robbery, Hancock is shot and wounded. Visiting him at the hospital, Mary explains that when a pair of immortals get close to each other physically, they begin to lose their powers. She also tells him that she and", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505087	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What are known as The Devil's Picture Book'?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Full text of \"The devil's picture-books. A history of playing cards\" See other formats 'CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES ITHACA, N. Y. 14853 JOHN M. CLIN LIBRARY Cornell University Library GV1233 .V269 Devil's picture-books. A.,history of P'ay olin 3 1924 029 917 576 DATE DUE ■nw^T'B^' immmif jjlkfis \"rV\" EHUJ j GAYLOBD PRINTED IN U.S.A. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029917576 Plate 1. THE DEVIL'S PICTURE-BOOKS ^ i^ijitot;^ of plaving'€atn^ BY MRS. JOHN KING VAN RENSSELAER AUTHOR OF CROCHET LACE, ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK DODD, MEAD, AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS . ) fi\\0>oQ I Copyright, 1890 By DoDD, Mead, and Company All rights reserved JEntoetsita Press John Wilson and Son, Cambridge PREFACE. ' I \"HE \"Devil's Books\" was the name bestowed upon Playing-cards by the Puritans and other pious souls who were probably in hopes that this name would alarm timid persons and so prevent their use. Whether or not his Sa- tanic Majesty originated Playing-cards, we have no means of discovering; but it is more probable that he only inspired their invention, and placed them in the hands of mankind, who have eagerly adopted this simple means of amusing themselves, and have used it according to the good or evil which predominated in their own breasts. Many learned men have written books or treatises on Playing-cards, and I am indebted for a large part of the information contained in this history to \" Les Cartes ^ Jouer,\" by M. Paul la Croix ; \" Facts and Speculations about Playing-cards,\" by Mr. Chatto ; \" The History of Playing-cards,\" by the Rev. Edward Taylor; and \"The History of Playing-cards,\" by Mr. Singer. iv Preface. These books are now out of print, and some- what difficult to obtain ; and I hope, by bringing into a small compass the principal features set forth in them, I shall be able to place before a number of readers interesting facts that would be otherwise unobtainable. Hearty thanks are due to the custodians of the National Museum in Washington, who have aided me in every way in their power, and also to the many kind friends who have sought far and wide for unique and uncommon packs of cards, and helped materially by gathering facts relating to them for me. That many nations have cards peculiar to their own country and almost unknown beyond its boun- daries may be a matter of surprise to some; that such ordinary and familiar objects as Playing-cards should have a history, will astonish others. My hope is that the subject will interest my readers as it has done me. Any facts concerning Playing- cards or any communications relating to rare or curious packs will be gladly received by the author, who would like to add to her collection. M. K. VAN RENSSELAER. New York, 1890. CONTENTS. PAGE The Tarots, or the First Cards ii Chess 21 Engraving 33 Materials 41 Name 49 Classificatton of Packs of Cards into Suits .... 55 Cards of Different Countries, viz. : — China 65 Egypt 69 India , 70 Cashmere 74 Persia 77 Italy 80 Germany 83 Spain 88 France 90 England 102 America 112 Japan 131 The King 139 The Queen 151 The Knave 161 Aces and Other Cards 171 Use and Abuse 179 Pips, Suits, and Colours 191 Odds and Ends 201 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE Persian i Tarot 2 Tarot 3 Chinese 4 Cashmere. Cards owned by Lockwood de Forest, Esq. • ■ 5,6 Italian Cards showing the Suits of Swords, Maces, Money, and Cups. Owned by Mrs. J. K. Van Rensselaer 7 German Cards showing the Aces of Grun, Roth, Schel- len, and Herzen. Owned by Mrs. J. K. Van Rensselaer 8 Rem", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505088	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Waterloo, the location of Napoleon's 1815 defeat, is in modern-day?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Napoleon defeated at Waterloo - Jun 18, 1815 - HISTORY.com Napoleon defeated at Waterloo Publisher A+E Networks At Waterloo in Belgium, Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history. The Corsica-born Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army during the late 1790s. By 1799, France was at war with most of Europe, and Napoleon returned home from his Egyptian campaign to take over the reigns of the French government and save his nation from collapse. After becoming first consul in February 1800, he reorganized his armies and defeated Austria. In 1802, he established the Napoleonic Code, a new system of French law, and in 1804 was crowned emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral. By 1807, Napoleon controlled an empire that stretched from the River Elbe in the north, down through Italy in the south, and from the Pyrenees to the Dalmatian coast. Beginning in 1812, Napoleon began to encounter the first significant defeats of his military career, suffering through a disastrous invasion of Russia, losing Spain to the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula War, and enduring total defeat against an allied force by 1814. Exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, he escaped to France in early 1815 and set up a new regime. As allied troops mustered on the French frontiers, he raised a new Grand Army and marched into Belgium. He intended to defeat the allied armies one by one before they could launch a united attack. On June 16, 1815, he defeated the Prussians under Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher at Ligny, and sent 33,000 men, or about one-third of his total force, in pursuit of the retreating Prussians. On June 18, Napoleon led his remaining 72,000 troops against the Duke of Wellington’s 68,000-man allied army, which had taken up a strong position 12 miles south of Brussels near the village of Waterloo. In a fatal blunder, Napoleon waited until mid-day to give the command to attack in order to let the ground dry. The delay in fighting gave Blucher’s troops, who had eluded their pursuers, time to march to Waterloo and join the battle by the late afternoon. In repeated attacks, Napoleon failed to break the center of the allied center. Meanwhile, the Prussians gradually arrived and put pressure on Napoleon’s eastern flank. At 6 p.m., the French under Marshal Michel Ney managed to capture a farmhouse in the allied center and began decimating Wellington’s troops with artillery. Napoleon, however, was preoccupied with the 30,000 Prussians attacking his flank and did not release troops to aid Ney’s attack until after 7 p.m. By that time, Wellington had reorganized his defenses, and the French attack was repulsed. Fifteen minutes later, the allied army launched a general advance, and the Prussians attacked in the east, throwing the French troops into panic and then a disorganized retreat. The Prussians pursued the remnants of the French army, and Napoleon left the field. French casualties in the Battle of Waterloo were 25,000 men killed and wounded and 9,000 captured, while the allies lost about 23,000. Napoleon returned to Paris and on June 22 abdicated in favor of his son. He decided to leave France before counterrevolutionary forces could rally against him, and on July 15 he surrendered to British protection at the port of Rochefort. He hoped to travel to the United States, but the British instead sent him to Saint Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. Napoleon protested but had no choice but to accept the exile. With a group of followers, he lived quietly on St. Helena for six years. In May 1821, he died, most likely of stomach cancer. He was only 51 years old. In 1840, his body was returned to Paris, and a magnificent funeral was held. Napoleon’s body was conveyed through the Arc de Triomphe and entombed under the dome of the Invalides. Related Videos", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505089	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"What type of motor cycle did Steve McQueen ride in the film \"\" The Great Escape\"\"?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Motorcycle scene- The Great Escape, 1963, Steve McQueen - YouTube Motorcycle scene- The Great Escape, 1963, Steve McQueen Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 6, 2012 The legendary scene from the 1963 film 'The Great Escape' starring Steve McQueen. Here he tries to outwit the Germans on his motorcycle (Triumph T60) and manages to jump over the barbed wire.. One of the most well-known bike scenes of all time, ridden by a mad-keen biker and legend. To experience more cool stuff and enjoy what we do find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/cloud9bikes Category", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505090	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which club drug, particularly popular, and fatal, in some areas, was originally developed as an anaesthetic and painkiller and used mainly by veterinary surgeons?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Anesthetics facts, information, pictures \| Encyclopedia.com articles about Anesthetics inhibiting normal body reflexes to make surgery safe and easier to perform relaxing the muscles of the body Description Anesthesia performed with general anesthetics occurs in four stages which may or may not be observable because they can occur very rapidly: Stage One: Analgesia. The patient experiences analgesia or a loss of pain sensation but remains conscious and can carry on a conversation. Stage Two: Excitement. The patient may experience delirium or become violent. Blood pressure rises and becomes irregular, and breathing rate increases. This stage is typically bypassed by administering a barbiturate, such as sodium pentothal, before the anesthesia. Stage Three: Surgical Anesthesia. During this stage, the skeletal muscles relax, and the patient's breathing becomes regular. Eye movements slow, then stop, and surgery can begin. Stage Four: Medullary Paralysis. This stage occurs if the respiratory centers in the medulla oblongata of the brain that control breathing and other vital functions cease to function. Death can result if the patient cannot be revived quickly. This stage should never be reached. Careful control of the amounts of anesthetics administered prevent this occurrence. ANESTHETICS: HOW THEY WORK not produce unconsciousness Agents used for general anesthesia may be either gases or volatile liquids that are vaporized and inhaled with oxygen, or drugs delivered intravenously. A combination of inhaled anesthetic gases and intravenous drugs are usually delivered during general anesthesia; this practice is called balanced anesthesia and is used because it takes advantage of the beneficial effects of each anesthetic agent to reach surgical anesthesia. If necessary, the extent of the anesthesia produced by inhaling a general anesthetic can be rapidly modified by adjusting the concentration of the anesthetic in the oxygen that is breathed by the patient. The degree of anesthesia produced by an intravenously injected anesthesic is fixed and cannot be changed as rapidly. Most commonly, intravenous anesthetic agents are used for induction of anesthesia and then followed by inhaled anesthetic agents. KEY TERMS Amnesia— The loss of memory. Analgesia— A state of insensitivity to pain even though the person remains fully conscious. Anesthesiologist— A medical specialist who administers an anesthetic to a patient before he is treated. Anesthetic— A drug that causes unconsciousness or a loss of general sensation. Arrhythmia— Abnormal heart beat. Barbiturate— A drug with hypnotic and sedative effects. Catatonia— Psychomotor disturbance characterized by muscular rigidity, excitement or stupor. Hypnotic agent— A drug capable of inducing a hypnotic state. Hypnotic state— A state of heightened awareness that can be used to modulate the perception of pain. Hypoxia— Reduction of oxygen supply to the tissues. Malignant hyperthermia— A type of reaction (probably with a genetic origin) that can occur during general anesthesia and in which the patient experiences a high fever, muscle rigidity, and irregular heart rate and blood pressure. Medulla oblongata— The lowest section of the brainstem, located next to the spinal cord. The medulla is the site of important cardiac and respiratory regulatory centers. Opioid— Any morphine-like synthetic narcotic that produces the same effects as drugs derived from the opium poppy (opiates), such as pain relief, sedation, constipation and respiratory depression. Pneumothorax— A collapse of the lung. Stenosis— A narrowing or constriction of the diameter of a passage or orifice, such as a blood vessel. General anesthesia works by altering the flow of sodium molecules into nerve cells (neurons) through the cell membrane. Exactly how the anesthetic does this is not understood since the drug apparently does not bind to any receptor on the cell surface and does not seem to affect the release of chemicals that transmit nerve impulses (neurotransmitters) from the nerve cells. It is known, however, that when the sodiu", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505091	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group purchased which historic London theatre in 2000?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Theatres \| Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatres Andrew Lloyd Webber has been a theatre owner since 1983 and now owns six London theatres. The London Palladium , is possibly the world’s most famous theatre, known as the “Ace Variety Theatre of the World”. This well-known and much-loved venue also hosts a programme of regular evening concerts. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is London’s most stately theatre. For many years it played host to Miss Saigon and then My Fair Lady, returning to the theatre at which it first opened in 1958. Currently home to Shrek, The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is one of London’s most historic theatrical venues, with the first theatre to be built on the site having opened in 1663. Our other musical theatres include the New London – the former home of Cats, which ran for an incredible 21 years in London’s West End, after opening at The New London in 1981. The theatre is now home to The National Theatre production of War Horse,. The Adelphi Theatre * currently houses the Chichester Festival production of Sweeney Todd, while Her Majesty’s theatre is still home to one of London’s longest running musicals, The Phantom of the Opera. The Cinderella of our musical theatres is the Cambridge , which has seen in the last decade Return to the Forbidden Planet, Fame, Grease, The Beautiful Game, Jerry Springer – The Opera, Chicago and now Matilda… *In association with Nederlander International Limited", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505092	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Juba is the capital of what autonomous African region that became an independent country on 9th July, 2011?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "After Years of Struggle, South Sudan Becomes a New Nation - The New York Times The New York Times Africa \|After Years of Struggle, South Sudan Becomes a New Nation Search Continue reading the main story Photo President Salva Kiir gathered with leaders from around the world to celebrate South Sudan’s independence. Credit Tyler Hicks/The New York Times JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight. Thousands of revelers poured into Juba’s steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars. “Freedom!” they screamed. A new nation was being born in what used to be a forlorn, war-racked patch of Africa, and to many it seemed nothing short of miraculous. After more than five decades of an underdog, guerrilla struggle and two million lives lost, the Republic of South Sudan , Africa’s 54th state, was about to declare its independence in front of a who’s who of Africa, including the president of the country letting it go: Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan , a war-crimes suspect. Many of those who turned out to celebrate, overcome with emotion, spoke of their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters killed in the long struggle to break free from the Arab-dominated north. “My whole body feels happy,” said George Garang, an English teacher who lost his father, grandfather and 11 brothers in the war. Continue reading the main story By sunrise, the crowds were surging through the streets of Juba, the capital, to the government quarter, where the declaration of independence would be read aloud. Thousands of soldiers lined the freshly painted curbs, tiger patches on their arms, assault rifles in their hands. This new nation is being built on a guerrilla army — the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, whose field commanders are now South Sudan’s political leaders — and the amount of firepower here is unnerving. Advertisement Continue reading the main story By 9 a.m., the sun was dangerous. The faces, necks and arms of the people packed thousands deep around a parade stand built for the occasion were glazed with sweat. A woman abruptly slumped to the dirt and was whisked away. “She fainted because she’s happy,” said a man in the crowd. “There will be many others today.” In a column of black polished steel, one brand-new Mercedes after another, came the African leaders: Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president; Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s; Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia; Teodoro Obiang, Equatorial Guinea’s president and chairman of the African Union; Mwai Kibaki, Kenya’s president; and Yoweri Museveni, president of Uganda, among others. Video The Republic of South Sudan After more than five decades of guerrilla struggle and two million lives lost, the Republic of South Sudan, Africa's 54th state, declared its independence. By Nichole Sobecki\|Vijai Singh on Publish Date July 9, 2011. . Watch in Times Video » embed But, almost inexplicably, Mr. Bashir, who for years prosecuted a vicious war to keep the south from splitting off and to prevent this very day from happening, drew the loudest burst of applause when his motorcade rolled in. “It is not happiness,” explained Daniel Atem, dressed in a suit and tie for the occasion, a miniflag flying from his lapel. “If you are talking to your enemy, you cannot say, You are bad.” But, he added, “you know what is in your heart.” From the mid-1950s, even before Sudan shook off its colonial yoke in 1956, the southern Sudanese were chafing for more rights. Sudan had an unusually clear fault line, reinforced by British colonizers, with the southern third mostly animist and Christian and the northern part majority Muslim and long dominated by Arabs. The southern struggle blew up into a full-fledged rebellion in the 1960s and then again in the 1980s, and the Sudanese government responded brutally, bombing villages and unleashing Arab militias that massacred civilians and enslaved southern Sudanese children. Many of the same scorched-earth tactics associated with the crisis in Darfur, in Sudan’s west, in the mid-2000s, were tried and te", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505093	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What character has been played by Robert Donat in 1935, Kenneth More in 1959 and Robert Powell in 1978?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Richard Hannay (Character) Richard Hannay (Character) There may be more photos available for this character. To select more photos to be displayed in this character's gallery, click the Edit Photos link. Overview From The 39 Steps (2008) (TV) Richard Hannay : No one should involve themselves in intelligence work without a good breakfast. See more » Update You may correct errors and omissions on this page directly. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process. IMDb Everywhere Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet!", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505094	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is the name of the Jack Russell dog in the US television series ‘Frasier’?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Jack (Parson) Russell Terrier Dog Breed Information, Puppies & Pictures Temperament The Jack Russell is a classic terrier, with energy and playfulness to spare.... Jacks are inherently curious and busy, and make a point of being in the middle of everything all the time. This dog is always up for a game or adventure, and is an unequalled playmate for child and adult alike. The dog also has a fantastic sense of humor, and is sure to keep your family in stitches with its crazy antics and spunky attitude. Jack Russell Terriers love children and are more friendly toward strangers than most terriers; Jacks may be aggressive with other dogs and are notorious for chasing small pets (especially cats). Caring For a Jack (Parson) Russell Terrier The Jack Russell Terrier needs abundant physical and mental exercise every day, or it will drive you mad with its digging and unspent energy.... A long walk is a great way to burn some calories, but an intense game is even better. Be careful when letting your Jack Russell Terrier off leash in areas where other dogs are present, as some can be dog aggressive; also keep an eye on this dog at all times, because it will sometimes dig itself into a hole and disappear from sight. The Jack Russell Terrier is fairly weather resistant, but it should live inside with its family. Caring for the smooth coat requires occasional brushing, while the broken coat variety will need occasional hand stripping. The Jack Russell Terrier lives a long time and is rarely ill, though lens luxation and patellar luxation are sometimes seen in the breed. Breed History The Jack Russell Terrier (and Parson Russell Terrier) can trace its roots rather precisely back to a dog named Trump, who lived during the early 19th century and was owned by Reverend John Jack Russell of Devonshire, England.... Trump, in turn, was likely descended from an Old English White Terrier (now extinct) and a Black and Tan Terrier or Manchester, though this is debatable. Reverend Russell was a parson and an avid hunter, and it was his desire to create a line of terriers capable of keeping up with horses and bolting fox without doing them harm; for this, he needed a terrier of exceptional agility and speed, but without the aggressive tendencies that might lead other terriers to dispatch the fox before the hunters arrived. Trumps descendants proved very capable of this task, and the Jack Russell Terriers popularity took off immediately. The recognition of the Jack Russell Terrier as a breed has been marked by intense debate and controversy, in which owners of working Jacks have been vehemently against AKC recognition. The American Kennel Club nevertheless recognized the Jack Russell Terrier in 1997, and changed the name to Parson Russell Terrier in 2003. Today, Jack Russell Terriers used in the field are rarely registered with the AKC or similar foreign organizations; rather, they are registered with Jack Russell Terrier clubs or not registered at all. The 1990s witnessed a dramatic spike in the popularity of the Jack Russell Terrier, due largely to the breeds ubiquitous use as a television and movie dog; the late Moose, who played Eddie on the popular sitcom Frasier, was particularly instrumental in the breeds rise to stardom. High demand for Jack Russell Terriers has led to widespread irresponsible breeding, and these dogs are among the most likely to be targeted by so-called puppy farms.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505095	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which car company makes a model called the 'Serena'?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "About Nissan Email Save Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs. Read more Nissan history Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs. The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms. The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark. In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant. The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain. After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf. Hide Nissan History", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505096	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; ‘The Telephone Song’ and ‘Last Night of the World’ are songs from which musical?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "MISS SAIGON - OVERTURE LYRICS Overture Lyrics Miss Saigon - Saigon, April 1975 Overture (A Friday night in April 1975. Backstage at an after-hours club in Saigon. Vietnamese bar-girls are getting into costumes.) GIRLS tonight I will be Miss Saigon GIGI tonight you'll be Miss \"jumped upon\" GIRLS I'll win a GI and be gone GIGI he'll screw you with your crown still on MIMI what happens when the Cong attack? GIGI they'll rip the hot pants off your back ALL GIRLS the VC all wear basic black (a new girl, KIM, is trying to stuff cotton into her bra.) KIM is this the way you make a chest? GIGI hey, give that virgin act a rest ALL GIRLS \"you are my first American\" (they laugh) why does it take all day? get your asses on stage... I'm raising cash tonight GIRLS tonight I will be Miss Saigon ENGINEER tell yourself that your passport's standing at the bar GIRLS tonight I will be Miss Saigon ENGINEER each day these little bums of yours are worth less and less rake in the dollars now before the market falls too far (the ENGINEER looks through the door into the club.) ENGINEER look who I got out here I can still engineer it's like the old days, my little gamines GIRLS you know who's out here? a gang of marines! GIRLS we'll clean them out the American way GIRLS for something free, they don't care what they pay (turns to KIM) why are you in that dress? ah! it's my new princess ah, yes... that bridal gown gives you some class lower your eyelids as you pass men pay a lot for virgin ass allez! allez! allez! get out and do your song! don't make the show too long voila'! on stage all! welcome to... Dreamland!!! Miss Saigon - Saigon, April 1975 Tracklist 1 Embed Get the embed code <table class=\"songlyrics\" style=\"width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;\"><col width=\"40\" /><col /><tbody><tr><th colspan=\"2\">Miss Saigon - Miss Saigon - Saigon, April 1975 Album Lyrics</th></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">1.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/overture-lyrics/\" title=\"Overture Lyrics Miss Saigon\">Overture</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">2.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/sun-and-moon-lyrics/\" title=\"Sun And Moon Lyrics Miss Saigon\">Sun And Moon</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">3.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-ceremony-dju-vui-vaj-lyrics/\" title=\"The Ceremony (Dju Vui Vaj) Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Ceremony (Dju Vui Vaj)</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">4.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-dance-lyrics/\" title=\"The Dance Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Dance</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">5.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-deal-lyrics/\" title=\"The Deal Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Deal</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">6.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-heat-is-on-in-saigon-lyrics/\" title=\"The Heat Is On In Saigon Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Heat Is On In Saigon</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">7.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-last-night-of-the-world-lyrics/\" title=\"The Last Night Of The World Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Last Night Of The World</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">8.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-movie-in-my-mind-lyrics/\" title=\"The Movie In My Mind Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Movie In My Mind</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">9.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/the-telephone-song-lyrics/\" title=\"The Telephone Song Lyrics Miss Saigon\">The Telephone Song</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">10.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/this-money-is-yours-lyrics/\" title=\"This Money Is Yours Lyrics Miss Saigon\">This Money Is Yours</a></td></tr><tr><td class=\"sl-td-left\">11.</td><td class=\"sl-td-right\"><a href=\"http://www.songlyrics.com/miss-saigon/what-s-this-i-find-lyrics/\" title", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505097	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which thick French soup, made from leeks, potatoes, chicken stock and cream, is usually served cold?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Vichyssoise - definition of vichyssoise by The Free Dictionary Vichyssoise - definition of vichyssoise by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vichyssoise Also found in: Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Related to vichyssoise: gazpacho A thick creamy potato soup flavored with leeks or onions, usually served cold. [French, from feminine of vichyssois, of Vichy.] vichyssoise (Cookery) a thick soup made from leeks, potatoes, chicken stock, and cream, usually served chilled [French, from (crème) Vichyssoise (glacée) (ice-cold cream) from Vichy] vi•chys•soise a thick cream soup made with potatoes and leeks, usu. served cold. [1915–20; < French (crême) vichyssoise (cream soup) of Vichy ] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: 1. vichyssoise - a creamy potato soup flavored with leeks and onions; usually served cold soup - liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: soup References in periodicals archive ? Fans of Nick Clegg are likely to own a cat, listen to Cliff Richard, watch the BBC News and the Eurovision Song Contest, and slurp vichyssoise soup. Fat is Back We have Mock Bird's nest Soup from China, Alan Wong's Red & Yellow Tomato Soup from Hawaii, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup from India, Portuguese Fish Stew, Swedish Soup with Dumplings, Lobster Bisque and Crabmeat & Brie Soup from France, Chilled Vichyssoise from England, Irish Stew, Leek & Potato Soup from Wales, chilled soups, Island soups, Mexicali Tortilla Soup, and finally Clam Chowder New California style, and many more from the American continent and others of hybrid or mixed origins.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505098	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What, according to the alchemists, was capable of turning base metal into gold?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "What is Alchemy? \| Definition of Alchemy Credit: Heiko Barth \| Shutterstock Alchemy is an ancient practice shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Its practitioners mainly sought to turn lead into gold, a quest that has captured the imaginations of people for thousands of years. However, the goals of alchemy went far beyond simply creating some golden nuggets. Alchemy was rooted in a complex spiritual worldview in which everything around us contains a sort of universal spirit, and metals were believed not only to be alive but also to grow inside the Earth. When a base, or common, metal such as lead was found, it was thought to simply be a spiritually and physically immature form of higher metals such as gold. To the alchemists, metals were not the unique substances that populate the Periodic Table , but instead the same thing in different stages of development or refinement on their way to spiritual perfection. As James Randi notes in his \"Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural,\" \"Beginning about the year 100 and reaching its flower in medieval times, alchemy was an art based partly upon experimentation and partly upon magic. Early investigators of natural processes centered their search on a mythical substance they knew as philosopher's stone, which was supposed to possess many valuable attributes such as the power to heal, to prolong life, and to change base metals into precious metal — such as gold.\" (This \"philosopher's stone\" was not a literal stone but instead a wax, liquid, or powder that held magical powers.) History of alchemy Historian Nevill Drury, in his book \"Magic and Witchcraft,\" notes that, \"The word alchemy is thought to derive from an Egyptian word, 'chem' or 'qem,' meaning black — a reference to the black alluvial soils bordering the Nile ... We know that the Greek word 'chyma,' meaning to fuse or cast metals, established itself in Arabic as 'al kimia' — from which alchemy is derived.\" The Arabic role in the spread of alchemy is significant; many books on alchemy were translated into Arabic from the Greek before being introduced to European audiences. Having the ability to turn lead into gold has obvious benefits these days, but ancient alchemists did not seek to change base metals into gold simply out of greed; as Drury notes, \"The alchemists did not regard all metals as equally mature or 'perfect.' Gold symbolized the highest development in nature and came to personify human renewal and regeneration. A 'golden' human being was resplendent with spiritual beauty and had triumphed over the lurking power of evil. The basest metal, lead , represented the sinful and unrepentant individual who was readily overcome by the forces of darkness ... If lead and gold both consisted of fire, air, water, and earth, then surely by changing the proportions of the constituent elements, lead could be transformed into gold. Gold was superior to lead because, by its very nature, it contained the perfect balance of all four elements.\" Alchemy shows up in some odd places. For instance, Isaac Newton , best known for his study of gravity and his laws of motion , also wrote more than a million words of alchemical notes throughout his lifetime, historians have estimated. In March 2016, the Chemical Heritage Foundation bought a 17th-century alchemy manuscript written by Newton . Buried in a private collection for decades, the manuscript detailed how to make \"philosophic\" mercury, thought to be a step toward making the philosopher's stone — a magical substance thought to have the ability to turn any metal into gold and give eternal life. Curator of rare books at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, James Voelkel said the text was likely copied from an American chemist named George Starkey. The Latin text — whose title translates to \"Preparation of the [Sophick] Mercury for the [Philosophers'] Stone by the Antimonial Stellate Regulus of Mars and Luna from the Manuscripts of the American Philosopher\" — will be available online for those interested to peruse. Is alchemy real? It is clear why alchemy was doo", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505099	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which musician’s touring schedule has been popularly named The Never Ending Tour’-it started in June 1988?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Jethro Tull · 2017 Tour Dates and Concert Tickets \| Thrillcall Track Artist for New Show Alerts Jethro Tull were a British rock group. Having more than 20 official members over the years, their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Marti... Jethro Tull were a British rock group. Having more than 20 official members over the years, their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who had been with the band since 1969, after he replaced original guitarist Mick Abrahams. Formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, in December 1967, initially playing experimental blues rock, they later incorporated elements of classical music, folk music, jazz, hard rock and art rock into their music. They achieved success early in 1969 with their Top 1 album in UK Stand Up, touring on both sides of the Atlantic and appearing in most of the festivals of 1969–70. But it was with the world-acclaimed album Aqualung (1971) that Jethro Tull established themselves in rock history. Together with Thick as a Brick (1972), the band conquered the annals of Progressive Rock history, making an album that summarises the notion of concept album in the 70's. Maybe the two works that more define the group sounding and the front-man idiosyncrasies would be the Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) and the Songs from the Wood (1977) albums, both with good selling, acceptance between the fans and classics there are played in concerts of all Jethro Tull carrier. Two decades after their founding, the band earned the Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, Vocal or Instrumental for their Crest of a Knave (1987) album – which increased and sustained their fame through the years. In this wave of success, Jethro Tull have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. They have been described by Rolling Stone as \"one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive rock bands\". The last works released as a group were in 2003, though the band continued to tour until 2011. In April 2014, Anderson stated that \"Jethro Tull\" as a band was no more, wanting to leave the legacy of the name as he continued his solo career. History Origins (1962–68) Ian Anderson started his first band, the Blades, in Blackpool, England in 1962. The group featured Anderson on vocals and harmonica, Jeffrey Hammond on bass, John Evans on drums, and a guitarist named either Hipgrave or Michael Stephans. Drummer Barrie Barlow became a member in 1963 after Evans had switched from drums to piano. By 1964 the band had developed into a seven-piece Blue-eyed soul band called the John Evan Band (later the John Evan Smash). By this point Evans had shortened his surname to \"Evan\" at the insistence of Hammond, who thought it sounded better and more unusual. In 1967, the band moved to the London area, basing themselves in nearby Luton, where Ian and Cornick lived in the \"worst little apartments you ever saw and we were so poor that we would share one can of stew or soup between us each evening\", said Glenn, who still aided: \"the song 'We Used To Know' from 'Stand Up' as it tells that story\". Apart from Luton, they also travelled to Liverpool. However, money remained short and within days of the move most of the band quit and headed back north, leaving Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick to join forces with blues guitarist Mick Abrahams and his friend, drummer Clive Bunker, both from the Luton-based band McGregor's Engine. At first, the new band had trouble getting repeat bookings and they took to changing their name frequently to continue playing the London club circuit. Band names were often supplied by their booking agents' staff, one of whom, a history enthusiast, eventually christened them \"Jethro Tull\" after the 18th-century agriculturist. The name stuck because they happened to be using it the first time a club manager liked their show enough to invite them to return. Though Ande", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505100	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The Kariba Dam is on which river?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Kariba Dam \| dam, Africa \| Britannica.com Kariba Dam Tarbela Dam Kariba Dam, concrete arch dam across the Zambezi River at Kariba Gorge, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe . Construction of the dam began on Nov. 6, 1956, and was completed in 1959. The structure is 420 feet (128 m) high with a crest 1,899 feet (579 m) in length and a volume of 1,350,000 cubic yards (1,032,000 cubic m). The dam creates Lake Kariba , and it supplies some 6,700,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, generated by Kariba North Bank and South Bank companies (Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively). Its creation required the resettlement of more than 30,000 Batonka tribespeople of Zambia and the evacuation of thousands of wild animals (“Operation Noah”). Some Africans initially opposed construction of the dam, seeing it as a symbol of the unpopular Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland , which dissolved into Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Zambia in 1963. Later, however, the dam was accepted because of the inexpensive electric power it furnishes to Zambia’s prosperous copper industry. Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River. Ben Bird in earthquake: Reservoir induction ...in depth and 1 cubic km (0.24 cubic mile) in volume. Three sites where such connections have very probably occurred are the Hoover Dam in the United States, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, and the Kariba Dam on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The most generally accepted explanation for earthquake occurrence in such cases assumes that rocks near the reservoir are already strained from... in Zimbabwe: Industry ...the major energy sources for rail transport, however), and there has also been considerable electrification of low-cost housing in urban townships. Electric power is also generated at the huge Kariba Dam, which Zimbabwe shares with Zambia, on the Zambezi River. Although Zimbabwe has great hydroelectric potential, it has not been realized, and the country imports about two-fifths of the... in dam (engineering): Spillways ...cannot determine the maximum possible flood, they can indicate the probability of a specified flow being exceeded in a particular period. For example, engineers found that, in constructing the Kariba Dam over the Zambezi River on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, analyses of the available records of river discharge yielded the estimate that a flood of 7,600 cubic metres (9,950 cubic... 6 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References The Kariba Dam is one of the largest dams in the world. It is located on the Zambezi River in southeastern Africa, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: September 22, 2008 URL: https:/", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505101	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; \"The title of Frederick Forsyth's novel, \"\"The Dogs of War\"\" is taken from a line in which Shakespeare play?\"", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Dogs of War \| Action Movies Wiki \| Fandom powered by Wikia The Dogs of War Add Image The Dogs of War is a 1980 war film based upon the novel The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth , directed by John Irvin . It stars Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger as part of a small, international unit of mercenary soldiers privately hired to depose President Kimba of a fictional \"Republic of Zangaro\", in Africa , so that a British tycoon can gain mining access to a huge platinum deposit. This movie was filmed on location in Belize . The Dogs of War title is a phrase from William Shakespeare 's play Julius Caesar (1599), which uses the line \"Cry, 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war\" (line 270, scene 1, Act III). Plot Edit As the film opens, mercenaries Jamie Shannon, Drew, Derek, Michel, Terry and Richard are making a hasty exit from a war-torn Central American country by forcing their way onto a government civilian DC-3 airplane. When a Central American officer demands Richard's body to be removed to make room for others, one of the mercenaries shows he is still able to safely grasp the spoon of a hand grenade and Drew insists his friend \"goes home\". After Shannon returns home, he gets an offer from a Briton named Endean who is interested in \"certain resources\" of a small African nation named Zangaro. Endean pays Shannon $15,000 to go on a reconnaissance mission in Zangaro which is run by a paranoid and brutal dictator named General Kimba. Shannon arrives in Zangaro's capital of Clarencetown and meets a British documentary filmmaker named North who tells him Zangaro's history and scouts out the defences of the military garrison. However, his activities arouse the suspicions of Zangaro's police and he is arrested, severely beaten and thrown in jail. His multiple wounds are treated by Dr. Okoye, a physician who was formerly a moderate political leader and the only local politician of whom North approved but who was imprisoned by General Kimba four years ago. North agitates for his release and Shannon is deported after two days of torture. His physician tells him that all the damage he has sustained has taken years off his lifespan. After Shannon tells Endean that there is no chance of an internal coup , Endean offers Shannon $100,000 to overthrow Kimba by invading Zangaro with a mercenary army. Endean intends to install a puppet government led by Colonel Bobi, Kimba's brutal and greedy former ally. This would allow Endean to exploit the country's newly discovered platinum resources as Colonel Bobi has already signed away the mineral rights. Shannon refuses the offer and decides to leave his mercenary life behind. He meets his estranged wife and proposes that they start a new life in Colorado or Montana . She turns him down, noting that she does not think that he has changed. Shannon then accepts Endean's offer to organize an attack on Zangaro with the condition that he will have complete control of the operation. After Endean gives Shannon $1 million for expenses, Shannon contacts his mercenary cohorts from Central America and three of them join him but one does not. They meet up at Liverpool Street Station to plan the coup and when all the options have been decided, Michel proposes a toast followed by Shannon's reciting his motto \"Everyone Comes Home\". The group illegally procures Uzi submachine guns, ammunition, rocket launchers , mines and other weapons from arms dealers. By chance he encounters North, who was expelled from Zangaro shortly after Shannon. North believes Shannon is a CIA agent heading back to Zangaro and tries to tail him. Shannon asks Drew to scare North away without hurting him but instead North is killed by someone who had been hired by Endean to follow Shannon and his crew. A furious Shannon kills him in turn and leaves his body at Endean's house during a dinner party held for Colonel Bobi. He hires a small freighter and crew to transport the team to the coast of Zangaro and purchases a variety of other equipment that will be used in the attack such as Zodiac-style motorbo", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505102	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; In which British city was Europe's first purpose-built prison opened in 1786?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Liverpool Firsts \| Liverpool History Society Liverpool History Society Liverpool Firsts Published 17 March 2013 1007 – First mention of the River Mersey, in a deed from the reign of Ethelread II, the name is old English from Maere, meaning boundary 1166 – First mention of Liverpool, in a deed of the Earl of Mortain, later King John. 1207 – King John signed a Royal Charter, creating the borough of Liverpool, on Tuesday 28th August 1207. 1235 – Liverpool Castle built (near the modern Derby Square, demolished 1721). 1272 – First census, population 840. 1282 – First Mersey ferry, established by monks at Birkenhead Priory. 1351 – First recorded mayor, William, son of Adam. 1515 – Liverpool’s first Town Hall built. 1522 – First grammar school (founded by John Crosse of Crosse-Hall). 1580 – Liverpool’s first Town Council. 1647 – Liverpool was made a free and independent port, no longer subject to Chester. 1648 – First recorded cargo from America landed at Liverpool. 1650 – The council passed an order creating Liverpool’s fire brigade: “That the bailiffs cause leather buckets and four or six hooks to be made for pulling down any house being on fire – which God defend”. 1676 – Liverpool’s second Town Hall built. 1679 – Liverpool’s Mayor founded the world’s first charity for sailors. 1700 – Liverpool’s population 5,714. The first recorded Liverpool slave ship, the Liverpool Merchant, sold a cargo of 220 slaves in Barbados. 1708 – The first reference to scouse (by Ned Ward in The Wooden World Dissected). 1709 – First cargo of cotton traded in Liverpool. 1715 – World’s first wet dock controlled by floodgates (Steer’s Old Dock, Canning Place). 1754 – Liverpool’s third Town Hall built, designed by John Wood the Elder of Bath. 1758 – First circulating library (Lyceum). 1763 – Liverpool’s Dock master built the first lighthouses to use parabolic mirrors (at Hoylake and Bidston). 1774 – Matthew Dobson, a Liverpool physician, discovered the link between sugar and diabetes. 1776 – First public use of Ether as an anaesthetic. Liverpool’s first newspaper published (Liverpool Advertiser). 1786 – Europe’s first purpose built prison (Great Howard Street). 1790 – World’s first American Consul (James Maury). 1791 – First school for blind people (Commutation Row, and later London Road in 1800) 1793 – The only municipality with the right to issue its own money (300.00 pounds). 1795 – Liverpool Town Hall severely damaged by fire, reconstructed by James Wyatt. 1797 – The Liverpool Athenaeum founded. 1800 – Liverpool’s population 77,708. 1803 – First underwriters association (Liverpool underwriters Association). 1812 – The only assassination of a British Prime Minister. Spencer Percival was shot by bankrupt Liverpool merchant John Bellingham. Britain’s first balloon ascent by J Sadler of Liverpool. In 1824, he was ‘thrown out of his balloon near Blackburn, which caused his death’. 1813 – Liverpool’s first outdoor public sculpture (Nelson Monument in Exchange Flags), first paid for by public subscription. 1814 – World’s first cast iron church (St Georges, Everton). 1823 – First mechanics lending library. 1825 – World’s first school for deaf people. 1830 – World’s first train shed and first large wooden railway station roof at Crown Street Station). First railway passenger fatality (William Huskisson). 1835 – World’s first railway timetable published (Lacy’s). 1838 – First travelling Post Office (a horse box fitted out as a sorting office) ran between Liverpool and Birmingham on 6th January. 1840 – World’s first scheduled transatlantic passenger service (the wooden paddle-streamer Britannia owned by Samuel Cunard). Britain’s first Borough Engineer appointed. Welsh national Eisteddfod held in Liverpool (and in 1851, 1884,1900 and 1929). World’s first photograph developing and printing service. 1841 – Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals, later RSPCA, founded. First British purpose-built office block (Brunswick Buildings). 1842 – World’s first public Baths and Wash-houses founded by Kitty Wilkinson (Upper Frederick Street). 1844 – First girl’s", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505103	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which English author drowned in 1941, after filling her pockets with stones and walking into the River Ouse?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "She had a way with words … VIRGINIA WOOLF… and the poet Anon – THE POET BY DAY She had a way with words … VIRGINIA WOOLF… and the poet Anon Virginia Woolf (1881-1941), English writer and one of the foremost modernists of the 20th Century “After completing the manuscript of her last (posthumously published) novel, Between the Acts, Woolf fell into a depression similar to that which she had earlier experienced. The onset of World War II, the destruction of her London home during the Blitz, and the cool reception given to her biography of her late friend Roger Fry all worsened her condition until she was unable to work.[20] On 28 March 1941, Woolf drowned herself by filling her overcoat pockets with stones and walking into the River Ouse near her home. Woolf’s body was not found until 18 April 1941.[35] Her husband buried her cremated remains under an elm in the garden of Monk’s House, their home in Rodmell, Sussex.” Wikipedia A sad end for a complicated soul and a hugely talented one, but her gifts to us live on as we continue – seventy-five years after her death – to read her writings, to share her preoccupation with transformation through art. One of my favorite Woolf quotes has – predictably – to do with poetry and women . . . “I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.” … and with silence and simple daily things … “Better is silence..Let me sit with bare things, this coffee cup, this knife, this fork, things in themselves, myself being myself.” – Virginia Woolf, The Waves For Virginia Woolf fans, Rebecca Brooks created a blog dedicated to everything Virginia Woolf: her life, death, writing, context, relationships, mental illness, literary techniques and more: The Virginia Woolf Blog; The life and legacy of Virginia Woolf – Recommended. Enjoyable and informative. Bravo, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing the love of art, literature and peace.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505104	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Ballabriggs won the 2011 Grand National. Who was his jockey?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Grand National 2011: battle-weary winner Ballabriggs enjoys being star of the show after Aintree win - Telegraph Horse Racing Grand National 2011: battle-weary winner Ballabriggs enjoys being star of the show after Aintree win He trotted out into the sunlight and then tossed his head in the spotlight as if he recognised that, yes, he really had been a bit of a star. Home is the hero: Grand National winner Ballabriggs with trainer Donald McCain (right) and his father Ginger at their stables. Photo: GETTY IMAGES By Ian Chadband 8:08PM BST 10 Apr 2011 Less than 24 hours since being left dehydrated and decidedly unsteady on his legs after an Aintree triumph as debilitating and courageous as any in recent memory, Ballabriggs looked a glowing picture of health while taking his bow at Donald McCain’s stables in Cheshire. It was hard to recall, gazing at this magnificent, hulking bay, that the previous day, his jockey Jason Maguire had needed the presence of mind on this blazing afternoon to leap off Ballabriggs’s back immediately after his triumph to let oxygen be administered and to allow the horse to be quickly sluiced down after one of the most merciless editions of one of sport’s most unforgiving tests. “Look, he’s tired, but he’s grand,” McCain was happy to report, conceding that after his own celebrations which started in the Poacher pub and saw him get to bed for only an hour at 6.30am yesterday morning, his new champion probably looked in much better nick than he did. “He was left exhausted on Saturday; it was really hot and windless down there. It’s like watching marathons, with people wobbling all over the place. It was the same thing. He has a small cut on a hind leg, but he went for a walk this morning and he’s fine.” Relief all round. On the day itself, there had been enough sadness and distress as a backdrop to the main event, what with the serious injury to jockey Peter Toole and the highly-visible tragedy which befell two horses, that the gloss seemed to have been taken from the tale of good old Ballabriggs. So as groom Ed Bourne handed out the polo mints to his pal at the stables, it was time for those who love 'Brigzy’ best to make a proper fuss of the good-natured character who has ensured the McCains are enhanced further as the Grand National’s first family. Related Articles Where your money went 09 Apr 2011 This did not feel like the time-honoured homecoming of a National champion parading through his home village. No, this was just a quiet celebration among about 50 family and friends on the lawns behind Donald’s offices set amid his rented 200-acre grounds in Cholmondeley Castle. A very genteel, very British and, reckoned patriarch Ginger McCain, a very different celebration to those raucous ones which greeted Red Rum’s fabled triumphs 40 miles up the road behind his Southport garage all those years ago. Ginger, who has not been too well recently, had evidently been reinvigorated by Donald’s first National win as he had everyone in stitches with his tales of “Bert the policeman”, who had promised to “look after everything” at the 1973 party after there had been complaints about the noise. “Except the party was so good that at 4 am we found him lying on a grass verge opposite the cemetery. The milkman thought the IRA had shot him!” Ginger had begun his Aintree pilgrimage on Saturday laying flowers at Rummy’s winning post resting place and ended it by saluting a champion, which he felt had shown all the heart and character of his old horse. As for Donald, he confessed, his lad’s win actually meant more to him than his own four ever did. Ginger had heard all the previous day’s furore which surrounded the deaths and the safety concerns and, to nobody’s surprise, remained resolutely un-PC and old school in approach as he criticised “all the bloody health and safety stuff” and the “do gooders” who want to see the end of the National. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the horses bypassing Becher’s second time. “It’s a major feature of the race and the fence is there to be jumped,” said Ginger. “If a horse is", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505105	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Leicester City FC's 1950s-70s players Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton are considered among the world's best ever?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Sports News, 16 Apr 2014 \| 15 Minute News - Know the News NBA Awards Predictions 2014: Durant Or LeBron For MVP? Rookie Of The Year, Defensive Player Of The Year Projected Winners IBTimes - 16 Apr 2014 19:32 The 2014 NBA playoffs are on the horizon, with the regular season set to come to a close on Wednesday. All of the 16 postseason berths have been clinched, but several players, who are about to see... their seasons come to an end, still have something to play for. It's one more chance to make an impression for the regular-season awards. Below are predictions for the 2013-2014 season NBA individual awards. All stats are reflected through the first 81 games. MVP Ultimate Warrior Autopsy Finds Wrestler Died Of Cardiovascular Disease The Huffington Post - 16 Apr 2014 07:08 PHOENIX (AP) -- Authorities in Phoenix say former pro wrestler The Ultimate Warrior died of cardiovascular disease. Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick says that's the finding from an autopsy... conducted Thursday by the county Medical Examiner's Office. The 54-year-old wrestler's given name was James Hellwig. He collapsed April 8 while walking with his wife to their car at a Scottsdale hotel and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Scottsdale police have said there were no signs of foul play. The Ultimate Warrior was one of pro wrestling's biggest stars in the late 1980s. MLS: What Does NYCFC Yankee Stadium Announcement Mean for League? Bleacher Report - 16 Apr 2014 06:57 On Monday, one of the least surprising details about New York City FC, who will begin play in 2015, emerged thanks to an article by Andrew Das and David Waldstein in the New York Times. What is... surprising about the report is the fact NYCFC will play at Yankee Stadium for at least the first three years of its existence. Once the report—which states an official announcement is expected next week—was published, there were plenty of mixed emotions on social media from those who cover the league. One of the initiatives MLS commissioner Don Garber has pushed for a long time is the capability of an expansion team to provide a soccer-specific stadium. Only two teams currently playing in the league—D.C. United and the New England Revolution—do not reside in a soccer-specific stadium... Chad Johnson Closer To Playing Football Again In The CFL The Huffington Post - 16 Apr 2014 06:40 VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Chad Johnson made a sharp cut to free himself from a defender, and then hauled in a pass at the 53-yard line. Yes, the 53. Football is going to be a little different now for... the former NFL star. The receiver who once changed his last name to Ochocinco might be hearing a lot of \"O Canada\" this summer, and he insists he's humbled for that opportunity. Johnson was on the field with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL on Tuesday for the start of their three-day minicamp, and there's a very realistic chance that he will be with them when their season starts for real in June. \"It's just football. It's football,\" Johnson said. \"It's not about Montreal. It's about the opportunity to be able to play football again, something I love.\" It's something he lost two years ago.... Sport and Society for Arete: The Masters The Huffington Post - 16 Apr 2014 23:37 On Sunday, as I usually do on Masters weekend, I turned to CBS to get an overdose of saccharine. Jim Nance was in fine form developing story lines, both real and contrived, to keep the focus on the... players and the natural beauty of Augusta National. The camera guys had all the obligatory shots of the dogwoods and redbud trees, the flaming and cooling azaleas, and to complete the scene, an occasional magnolia. Words like \"idyllic\" were used with abandon and those close ups of tense competitors nearly made golf look like an action sport. On the leader board, which in golf means the scoreboard, were the names of Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar, Jonas Blixt, and any number of others. Shortly into the afternoon the final twosome of Watson and Spieth became the focal point of the... MLS growing again, announces Atlanta expansion team f", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505106	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; DASHING AT HARDY (anagram of a Grammy winning song)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Internet Anagram Server : Anagrams by Pinchas Aronas The cougar = or Huge cat Alibi = I bail Oscar statue = To ace US star Spermicide = I crimp seed The Titanic disaster = Death, it starts in ice Egalitarian = Anti-regalia Singer Maria Callas = All screaming arias The Cuban cigars = Thus, a big cancer Claustrophobia = Car, ship, loo - tabu Painter Fernand Leger = Prefer 'Engine Land' art Sir Stanley Matthews = Means star with style Crime novelist = Trims violence Diego Maradona = An arm? Good idea! The pornographic websites = It's her boring peep show act Last wish = This's law = With lass Fashion designer = Fine rig and shoes = Oh, gain fine dress! The astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus = Space motion: our Earth circles Sun, no? = Space's our home. I learn construction. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot = New chemists often active out there, in Zion = A home of true Zetetics & new inventions itch [Zetetic - a seeker] The famous American actor Charlie Chaplin = On air, the small chap of true archaic cinema Olympiad = I do my lap Actor Sylvester Stallone = Very cool talentless star God is everywhere = WORD giver, he eyes! Great city of London = Root city of England = No clarity, fog noted 'Aerosmith' = More A hits Certainly not = Can't rely on it Chairman Gates = A magnate's rich Charles Darwin's theory of evolution = Soul of vital, narrow, chosen heredity Miss Serena Williams = Win slam, smile arises The video camera = A home art device Actor Sidney Poitier = One Oscar. 'Pity, I tried!' The Costa Brava region of Spain = Anchoring of private sea-boats Generalissimo = Legions, armies Bermuda triangle = Mirage & brutal end Parodist = I do parts Sir Lancelot and Guinevere = Intrigues can end real love Spanish senorita = She's not Parisian The group 'Guns'n'Roses' = Ogre runs up the songs Hebrew University of Jerusalem = Sure, our very able Jewish men fit Great Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' = or Versed Italian man's 'La Gioconda' = 'La Gioconda'. As normal, rates -DIVINE = One arrant diva's smile - 'La Gioconda' William Westmoreland = Well, solid wartime man = I will lead war moments To cast pearls before swine = Can refer to possible waste Singer Billy Ocean = Really sonic being Painter Michelangelo Buonarroti = Heart into marble or upon a ceiling Carte blanche = Cancel the bar The aftermath of Katrina = Take that hat off, mariner The Gambino family = Might be Mafia only ...and they lived happily ever after = Delivered that very happy finale Arctic expedition = An exotic iced trip Michel Salgado = He'd claim goals Actor Robin Williams = Clown or a bit similar Motion picture 'A beautiful mind' = Delirium but a fine computation Greenwich station = Whence I got trains Confessional = On scale of sin French composer Claude Achille Debussy = A bunch of classic cheery model preludes Actress Maria Schneider = Dame is a rich screen star The French riots = Torch, then fires Riots in French capital = Conflict in Paris heart Private detective Sherlock Holmes = Let's harm the evil deceptive crooks! The true meaning of Christmas = Feast & other charming minutes = She for using time at merchant = Unearth gifts & memories, chant... = Cherish a great moment, it's fun! South American countries = He came to tour Inca's ruins Actor Louis De Funes = Fatuous screen-idol The famous animator Walt Disney = Author of tiny sweet/mad animals The Golden Globe Awards Ceremonial = Other adorable cinema legends glow 'Ivanhoe' by Sir Walter Scott = His best war-atrocity novel = Brave hero in a costly twist = Best historic novel (art way) = War-taste by historic novel A sore throat = Orators hate The Simpson's cartoons = Spastic Homer, snot son... Poltergeist = It spelt 'ogre' The President of the United States of America George Walker Bush = A gangster from the White House undertakes debate-free politics Heathrow Airport, London = Rain? Hop to another world! Actress Sienna Rose Miller = Star in lesser cinema roles William Henry Gates = Get a share in my will! = My wealth real, I sign = My wealth is in large = Largely, I with means = Regally, I with m", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505107	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which US state is bordered by Massachussetts, Rhode Island and New York?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Massachusetts Map, Map of Massachusetts, Mass Map, MA Map Massachusetts Latitude and Longitude Map About Massachusetts State The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is located in the New England region of the northeastern part of the United States. It is the seventh smallest and third most densely populated state of the country. It has New York to the west, Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north. To its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. History of Massachusetts Massachusetts has a rich history. The Pilgrims first came here in 1620 and it became the second permanent British colony in North America. It was the site of the infamous Salem witch trials of the 17th century. Massachusetts is also well known for the Boston Tea Party and the pivotal role it played in the American Revolution. It became the sixth state of the United States when it joined the Union on 6 February, 1788. During the 19th century, it emerged as the leader of the Industrial Revolution. It was also a keen supporter of the Union during the American Civil War. Geography Massachusetts is divided into several distinctive regions. It has the Berkshire Mountains and the Connecticut River Valley in its west, and many rural hill-towns in its central part. Its eastern part includes the urban Greater Boston region and the sandy beaches of Cape Cod, while islands like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard lie off its southeastern coast. Massachusetts experiences a temperate climate. January is the coldest month while July is the hottest. Travel Despite its small size, Massachusetts has a lot to offer to tourists. Some popular places of tourist interest include: Boston : The capital city of the state boasts of a wide array of popular tourist sites including Fenway Park, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Public Garden , Freedom Trail, North End, John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum & Library, and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, to name a few. Martha’s Vineyard : Some popular tourist destinations include Joseph Sylvia State Beach, Oak Bluffs Campground, Martha's Vineyard Film Center, Aquinnah Cliffs, Chappaquiddick and Edgartown Lighthouse. Salem : Revisit history when you come to Salem. Do not miss The Salem Witch Walk, Bewitched in Salem, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Witch Trials Memorial, and Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Plymouth : Learn about the Pilgrims’ history in this beautiful city. Visit the National Monument to the Forefathers, Mayflower II, Pilgrim Memorial State Park, Plimoth Grist Mill, Plymouth Rock, and Plimoth Plantation. Cambridge : Home to the two of the world’s best universities - Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ), this city is an important educational center. Popular tourist destinations of the city include Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Charles River Bike Path, and Peabody Museum. Nantucket : When in Nantucket, do not forget to visit the Whaling Museum, Great Point Light, beaches like the Surfside Beach and Madaket Beach, Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, and Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. Other important places of tourist interest are : Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge : Situated in Chatham, it is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame : If you are a basketball fan, you cannot miss this museum named after James Naismith, the inventor of the game. It is located in Springfield. WBGB25082014", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505108	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What city in southern France hosts a famous film festival?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Cities of France - Official City Sites Cities of France City Index ___ Cities of France Visit famous French cities like Bordeaux, Cannes, Chamonix, Chartres, Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Marseille, Nice and Paris. Below a list of the official city sites of important cities in France. Find information on the cities, as well as official visitors bureaus and travel and tourism offices with tips for travel, activities, sightseeing, lodging and accommodations for your next holidays in France. Bookmark/share this page Note: External links will open in a new browser window.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505109	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What is the name of the ' world's highest ' restaurant , on the 122'nd floor of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai ?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "the worlds highest restaurant? - At.Mosphere Restaurant, Dubai Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor Restaurant details Good for: Bar Scene, View, Special Occasion Dining, Business meetings, Romantic Dining options: Lunch, Drinks, Dinner, After-hours, Free Wifi, Full Bar, Parking Available, Private Dining, Reservations, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Valet Parking, Validated Parking, Waitstaff, Wheelchair Accessible Neighbourhood: Downtown Dubai Description: At.mosphere Restaurant sports sleek and stylish interiors where guests can enjoy contemporary international cuisine. The venue can accommodate 80 guests including a private dining room that can seat 12 people. It is open through the week offering a full à la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Some of the specialties include prime cuts of beef, organic poultry and seafood – all freshly sourced and prepared. This dining room allows you to relax with soft tempo music in the background. The interior is comprised of hand-polished mahogany wood walls with furniture in shades of amethyst and cocoa. It contains a beverage display wall, decanting tables and overhead glass displays. A sleek exhibition grill, divided by a marble and glass wall, separates the private and main dining area. There are newer reviews for this restaurant “the worlds highest restaurant?” Reviewed 29 September 2015 Atmosphere restaurant is on the 122nd floor (or thereabouts) of the Burj Khalifa and is definitely a fantastic experience. The views are stunning and the food is good but very expensive - I have had much better food for a third of the price - but you are paying for the experience. You do need deep pockets though Visited August 2015", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505110	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The European city of Rome lies on which river?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Tiber River \| river, Italy \| Britannica.com Tiber River Rome Tiber River, Italian Fiume Tevere, historic river of Europe and the second longest Italian river after the Po , rising on the slope of Monte Fumaiolo, a major summit of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. It is 252 miles (405 km) long. Twisting in a generally southerly direction through a series of scenic gorges and broad valleys, the Tiber flows through the city of Rome and enters the Tyrrhenian Sea of the Mediterranean near Ostia Antica. Its major tributaries are the Chiascio, Nestore, Paglia, Nera, and Aniene. Below Rome, the Tiber branches out into a delta , the main channel being the Fiumara, with the Fiumicino functioning as a distributary branch on the north side. Some ancient writers allege that it was known originally as Albula—a reference to the whiteness of its waters—but it was renamed Tiberis after Tiberinus, a king of Alba Longa (an area centred on Lago Albano , south of Rome) who was drowned in it. Sant’Angelo Bridge over the Tiber River, Rome. Andreas Tille Although the Romans made some effort to control the river’s lower course, their ignorance of hydraulic principles prevented the development of adequate protection against floods. It is only in modern times that the Tiber has flowed through Rome between high stone embankments. Though the river varies in depth between 7 and 20 feet, there is some evidence that navigation upstream to the Val Tiberina was significant for the grain trade as long ago as the 5th century bce. Later, the shipment of building stone and also of timber became important. In its zenith, Classical Rome was supplied with vegetables grown in the gardens of riverside villas. The Tiber River, with Saint Peter’s Basilica in the background, Rome. © Mirec/Shutterstock.com The importance of the lower Tiber was first recognized in the 3rd century bce, when Ostia was made a naval base during the Punic Wars. It later became a commercial centre for the import of Mediterranean wheat , oil, and wine . Successive attempts to maintain Ostia, on the Fiumara, and the port of the emperors Claudius and Trajan , on the Fiumicino, were defeated by the processes of silting and by the deposition of sandbars at the river mouths. In later centuries, several popes tried to improve navigation on the lower Tiber, and ports were built at Rome in 1692, 1703, and 1744. Navigation and trade upon the lower Tiber flourished again between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries, when further dredging took place on the lower course. Silting continued, however, with such persistence that, within another century, the Tiber was navigable only at Rome itself. The Tiber delta, meanwhile, had advanced about two miles seaward since Roman times. Learn More in these related articles:", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505111	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What does the Republic of Ireland call itself?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Emergency phone numbers to call in Ireland \| Ireland.com ROI Tel: 112 or 999 NI Tel: 999 The fire, ambulance and police services in Ireland and Northern Ireland are all contactable via the above numbers. When calling emergency services you will be asked to provide: The exact address of the incident or emergency and/or any noticeable landmarks nearby Directions to the scene of the emergency The telephone number you are calling from Details on the incident itself, the number of persons involved, the description of any visible injuries and knowledge of any pre-existing medical conditions Try and stay calm and listen to the call taker’s instructions. It is also important to keep your own phone on as the emergency service may need to contact you for further information. Vehicle Breakdown: Republic of Ireland Should you wish to avail of the services of the Automobile Association in Ireland, you will need to register for a minimum of a year’s membership with them. This will cost approximately €220. Automobile Association (AA) Breakdown Service Tel: 1800 66 77 88; www.aaireland.ie Northern Ireland When seeking roadside assistance in Northern Ireland contact the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), which is the equivalent of the AA. The RAC website lists prices for short-term cover and roadside assistance. Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Breakdown Help Tel +44 (0) 844 891 3111 Tourist Victim Support Republic of Ireland Tourists who become victims of a crime while in Ireland can contact the Irish Tourist Assistance Service ( ITAS ). ITAS staff speak a number of foreign languages will be able to provide assistance to any problems facing a tourist in the aftermath of a crime. Trained staff and volunteers, who speak a variety of languages, will provide assistance so that the victim can get back to enjoying their holiday. Brochures are available in all tourist offices. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm; Sundays and public holidays from 12pm-6pm 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin 2 (Monday to Friday); tel: 1890 365 700 (local number; from outside Ireland tel: +353 1 661 0562); email: info@itas.ie Store Street Garda Station, Store Street, Dublin 1 (Sat, Sun and public holidays); tel: 1 890 365 700 (local number; outside Ireland tel: +353 1 661 0562 Northern Ireland For those who are victims of a crime in Northern Ireland, the body to contact is Victim Support Northern Ireland . Their staff and volunteers will speak to and help victims, family members and witnesses involved in the crime. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm; Tel: +44 (0) 28 90 244039; email: info@victimsupportni.org.uk Save this page to a Scrapbook:", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505112	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The largest ever white (What?) weighing 4.16lbs was sold at NYC Sotheby's for $61,250 in 2014?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "World’s Largest White Truffle \| Sotheby's World’s Largest White Truffle 06 December 2014 Sale Number: N09231 Lots : 1 SALE TOTAL Overview RESULTS On 6 December at Sotheby's New York, a white truffle weighing in at a massive 4.16 pounds (1.89 kilos) when discovered sold for $61,250. The truffle, by far the largest ever found, sold to a food and wine lover from Taiwan bidding by phone who also planned to participate in the day's wine auction. The extraordinary tuber was discovered just last week in central Italy and was offered by the Balestra family of Sabatino Truffles who plan to donate proceeds to a number of charitable organizations, including Citymeals-on-Wheels and the Children's Glaucoma Foundation. AUCTION DETAILS Sotheby’s New York is delighted to offer the largest truffle in the world in conjunction with the Balestra Family of Sabatino Truffles this Saturday at 9:15 am. The truffle was found last week in the Umbrian region of Italy weighing 4.16 pounds or 1.89 kilos. This massive size is nearly twice that of the existing record holder, which was sold for $417,200 in 2010. Bidding for this extraordinary white truffle is expected to begin around $50,000 and the Balestra family plans to donate proceeds to a number of charitable organizations, including Citymeals-on-Wheels and the Children’s Glaucoma Foundation. A white truffle is the rarest and most coveted food ingredient in the world. They are found only by using specially trained dogs in specific areas of Italy during the months of October, November, and December. The sale of the truffle will be immediately followed by a Sotheby’s Wine auction , which features lots ranging from $200 to $60,000 including The Magnificent Cellar of Dr. Ed Planz and Verticals and Large Format Direct from Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Please note: viewings are available upon request.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505113	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What was the name of Thomas Jefferson's house?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Origin of the Name \"Monticello\" \| Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia Origin of the Name \"Monticello\" The exact source of the word \"Monticello\" (pronounced \"Monti-cello,\" like the musical instrument) as the name for Jefferson's plantation home remains a mystery. Jefferson's earliest documented use of the word appears in his Garden Book entry of August 3, 1767: \"inoculated common cherry buds into stocks of large kind at Monticello.\" 1 Yet just two years later, in his Account Book, Jefferson records that 9,787 pounds of tobacco were made at \"Moncello\" in 1768. 2 Later, in a January 1770 entry, Jefferson notes \"work to be done at Hermitage,\" but at some point, he crosses Hermitage out and writes in Monticello. 3 After this last entry, Jefferson consistently refers to his property as Monticello. However, because these early entries may have been made retroactively, it is impossible to pinpoint exactly when Jefferson began to use the name. Since Monticello means \"hillock\" or \"little mountain\" in Italian, there is a logical explanation for Jefferson's choice. Jefferson may have just translated the names of the two mountains as they appeared in the Albemarle County Deed Books - Little Mountain and High Mountain - into Italian. High Mountain was referred to by Jefferson as Montalto , which he acquired in 1777. Jefferson's interest in Italian began as early as 1764 when he purchased an Italian-English dictionary, two historical works in Italian and the works of Machiavelli. By 1767, Jefferson had also convinced Francesco Alberti , a musician from Faenza, to move into the area so that he could study the violin with him. Another source may have been Andrea Palladio's Four Books of Architecture, a work Jefferson deemed to be his \"bible.\" In Book One of the 1721 Leoni translation, Palladio describes the ideal setting for a country house, his famous Villa Rotunda near Vicenza: \"Its situation is as advantageous and delicious as can be desired, being seated on a hillock of a most easy ascent...\" 4 This was cited in Jefferson's account books of the 1770s. Whether or not Jefferson read this in Italian at this early date is unclear, but it is a possibility. At least the theater-like description of the site, located on top of a hillock above a navigable river and surrounded by hills and orchards, must have influenced Jefferson. Because Jefferson knew Italian and himself named Monticello, it seems apparent that he would have used the Italian pronunciation. The name has been used elsewhere in the United States and Americanized into \"Montisello,\" but there is no contemporary evidence to support this pronunciation. We do not have anything in Jefferson's writing that tells us how he pronounced the word, but we have other written records that indicate the Italian pronunciation. For example, in 1781 George Gilmer wrote to Jefferson, \"I long to behold the period when you may with propriety retreat to Montchello...\" 5 In 1789, Baron Geismar wrote to Jefferson, \"Que je Vous envie Votre Retour à MontiChello, Sejour paisible et agreable que j'y ai passé!\" 6 In 1805, Meriwether Lewis wrote to Jefferson from Fort Mandan, “You may therefore expect me to meet you at Montachello in September 1806.” 7 And in 1843, James Adams Kasson, a newcomer to Albemarle County who became acquainted with a member of the Jefferson family, wrote: \"I am working my way around...into most of the families of this circle which contains, besides those I have before mentioned, a gentleman closely related to Jefferson and brought up at Monticello (President J.'s seat), the 'c' pronounced like 'ch' in chair -- 'Montichello.'\" 8 - Rebecca Bowman, May 1996; references added by Anna Berkes, April 23, 2012", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505114	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; The word anserine' means resembling which bird?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Anserine - definition of anserine by The Free Dictionary Anserine - definition of anserine by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/anserine Related to anserine: anserine bursitis an·ser·ine 1. Of or belonging to the subfamily Anserinae, which comprises the geese. 2. Of or resembling a goose; gooselike. [Latin ānserīnus, pertaining to geese, from ānser, goose; see ghans- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] anserine adj 1. (Zoology) of or resembling a goose 2. (Zoology) of, relating to, or belonging to the subfamily Anserinae, which includes geese, swans, and certain ducks: family Anatidae, order Anseriformes 3. silly; foolish [C19: from Latin anserīnus, from anser goose] an•ser•ine 1. of, pertaining to, or resembling a goose. 2. stupid; foolish; silly. [1830–40; < Latin anserīnus=anser goose + -īnus -ine 1] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: anserine - of or resembling a goose zoological science , zoology - the branch of biology that studies animals 2. anserine - having or revealing stupidity; \"ridiculous anserine behavior\"; \"a dopey answer\"; \"a dopey kid\"; \"some fool idea about rewriting authors' books\" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech stupid - lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: zoology References in periodicals archive ? Carnosine, anserine, creatine, and inosine 5'-monophosphate contents in breast and thigh meats from 5 lines of Korean native chicken. Isolated patellofemoral arthroplasty 18) Another study looked at the effects of carnosine and related compounds on the formation of AGEs in uremic patients who had undergone peritoneal dialysis and found that carnosine slowed the development of AGEs better than the similar peptides anserine and homocarnosine. Weed seed survival during anaerobic digestion in biogas plants Clinically, spontaneous osteonecrosis of the medial tibial plateau (SOMTP) is frequently confused with medial eniscus tear and pes anserine bursitis. Guest editorial: rheumatology Protective effects of carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine against peroxyl radical-mediated Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase modification. Protective effect of carnosine on adriamycin-induced oxidative heart damage in rats/ Sicanlarda adriamisinin neden oldugu oksidatif kalp hasari uzerine karnozinin koruyucu etkisi Loose bodies were noted in 2 patients, Baker's cysts in 3 patients, and pes anserine bursitis in 4 patients. Relationship between pain severity and magnetic resonance imaging features in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee / Diz agrili hastalarda manyetik rezonans goruntuleme bulgulari ve agri siddeti arasindaki iliski However, this was stopped after the type of raw material had been changed from species such as capelin and sprat that had an exceptionally high total content of natural antioxidants and co-antioxidants (such as anserine, spermine, trimethylamineoxide and taurine) to species with lower (and more normal) antioxidant content.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505115	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which of the elements, one of the noble gases, has the atomic number 10?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "noble gas \| Definition, Properties, Uses, & Facts \| Britannica.com neon (Ne) Noble gas, any of the seven chemical elements that make up Group 18 (VIIIa) of the periodic table . The elements are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), radon (Rn), and oganesson (Og). The noble gases are colourless, odourless, tasteless, nonflammable gases . They traditionally have been labeled Group 0 in the periodic table because for decades after their discovery it was believed that they could not bond to other atoms ; that is, that their atoms could not combine with those of other elements to form chemical compounds . Their electronic structures and the finding that some of them do indeed form compounds has led to the more appropriate designation , Group 18. When the members of the group were discovered and identified, they were thought to be exceedingly rare, as well as chemically inert, and therefore were called the rare or inert gases. It is now known, however, that several of these elements are quite abundant on Earth and in the rest of the universe , so the designation rare is misleading. Similarly, use of the term inert has the drawback that it connotes chemical passivity, suggesting that compounds of Group 18 cannot be formed. In chemistry and alchemy , the word noble has long signified the reluctance of metals , such as gold and platinum , to undergo chemical reaction ; it applies in the same sense to the group of gases covered here. The abundances of the noble gases decrease as their atomic numbers increase. Helium is the most plentiful element in the universe except hydrogen . All the noble gases are present in Earth’s atmosphere and, except for helium and radon, their major commercial source is the air , from which they are obtained by liquefaction and fractional distillation . Most helium is produced commercially from certain natural gas wells. Radon usually is isolated as a product of the radioactive decomposition of radium compounds. The nuclei of radium atoms spontaneously decay by emitting energy and particles, helium nuclei ( alpha particles ) and radon atoms. Some properties of the noble gases helium polonium (Po) In 1785 Henry Cavendish , an English chemist and physicist, found that air contains a small proportion (slightly less than 1 percent) of a substance that is chemically less active than nitrogen . A century later Lord Rayleigh , an English physicist, isolated from the air a gas that he thought was pure nitrogen, but he found that it was denser than nitrogen that had been prepared by liberating it from its compounds. He reasoned that his aerial nitrogen must contain a small amount of a denser gas. In 1894, Sir William Ramsay , a Scottish chemist, collaborated with Rayleigh in isolating this gas, which proved to be a new element— argon . Apparatus used in the isolation of argon by English physicist Lord Rayleigh and chemist Sir William … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. After the discovery of argon, and at the instigation of other scientists, in 1895 Ramsay investigated the gas released upon heating the mineral clevite, which was thought to be a source of argon. Instead, the gas was helium , which in 1868 had been detected spectroscopically in the Sun but had not been found on Earth . Ramsay and his coworkers searched for related gases and by fractional distillation of liquid air discovered krypton , neon , and xenon , all in 1898. Radon was first identified in 1900 by German chemist Friedrich E. Dorn; it was established as a member of the noble-gas group in 1904. Rayleigh and Ramsay won Nobel Prizes in 1904 for their work. In 1895 the French chemist Henri Moissan , who discovered elemental fluorine in 1886 and was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1906 for that discovery, failed in an attempt to bring about a reaction between fluorine and argon. This result was significant because fluorine is the most reactive element in the periodic table. In fact, all late 19th- and early 20th-century efforts to prepare chemical compounds of argon failed. The lack of chemical reactivity implied by these failures was", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505116	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; What name is given to a number sequence in which each term is the sum of the two preceding terms?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Fibonacci Numbers Fibonacci is perhaps best known for discovering a series of numbers that we now refer to as the Fibonacci numbers. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233,... This sequence was introduced in Fibonacci's first book, Liber abbaci, where it arose in the solution to a mathematical problem: \"A certain man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits can be produced from that pair in a year if it is supposed that every month each pair begets a new pair from which the second month on becomes productive?\" (Liber abbaci, chapter 12, p. 283-4) Solution: At month zero, there is one pair of rabbits. At the beginning of the first month (January 1st), there is one pair of rabbits that has mated, but not yet given birth. At the beginning of the second month, the original pair gives birth, giving rise to another pair of rabbits...and so on. After one full year, there are 377 pairs of rabbits. The Fibonacci numbers form what we call a recurrent sequence. Beginning with 1, each term of the Fibonacci sequence is the sum of the two preceding numbers. 0+1=1 1+1=2 1+2=3 2+3=5 3+5=8 5+8=13 Here is a recurrence relation for the Fibonacci numbers: This equation identifies a situation, when n is greater than 2, where each term of a sequence is the sum of the two preceding terms, as is the case with the Fibonacci series.", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505117	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which of Dickens' novels is set at the time of the Gordon Riots?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Download Barnaby Rudge Audiobook \| Charles Dickens Download Barnaby Rudge Audiobook Click for printable size audiobook cover 3.00 (2,509 ratings) (rate this audio book) Author: Charles Dickens Narrator: Simon Vance Publisher: Craig Black Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download Audio Length: 24 hours Regular Price: $34.95 Add to Cart — or — Publisher Description Dickens’ first historical novel is set in 1780s England at the time of the Gordon Riots. In a case of mistaken identity, Barnaby Rudge—a pale half-wit with long red hair who dresses all in green and carries a large raven on his back—is arrested as the leader of a mob of anti-Catholic rioters. He is condemned to death on the gallows, but an upright locksmith named Gabriel Varden comes to his aid. Set beneath the cloud of an unsolved murder, this classic tale of treachery and forbidden love is often overlooked by present-day readers. Nevertheless, Dickens provides another memorable cast of characters, including the dull-witted, tyrannical John Willet, Dennis the Hangman, and Hugh the savage ostler. Download and start listening now! BK_BLAK_002631 Quotes & Awards “Reader [Simon Vance] is an absolute joy, making this long and complex work accessible and entertaining. [Vance] distinguishes with charm and consistency among the huge cast of characters…Clearly [Vance] enjoys reading this novel as much as we enjoy listening to it.” AudioFile “The challenge [Dickens] presents to the narrator, with his bounteous prose and talkative eccentrics, is met resourcefully by Britisher [Simon Vance], whose unflagging energy, imagination, and finesse rank this among the best of audio Dickens.” Library Journal Listener Opinions by Melodee \| 2/10/2014 \" This Dickens tale concerns the riots of 1780 in London. I think the author did an excellent job of building a fiction off of the facts. His characters were well developed, and the parts of the book that dealt with the actual riots were quite suspenseful. It is a very dramatic story, and worth a read both for historical information and for its merits as a good fiction. \" by Alexander \| 2/9/2014 \" What fun. Simon Tappertit was a hoot, as was the family he worked for. Some of the initial promise didn't quite hold up, both in characters and plot, I'd say. Barnaby was saved, but it was rather anti-climactic; Tappertit, Grip, and Scragg were each wonderful when they first came in, but, like Tappertit's legs, didn't get displayed to best advantage later on. But on the whole I enjoyed it very much. The Gordon Riots were remarkable-- glad to be introduced to them. \" by Jay Pluck \| 2/6/2014 \" I keep thinking of this book and also its illustrations. \" by Elaine \| 1/31/2014 \" I did not enjoy this novel nearly as much as Dickens' later darker novels, or even the earlier Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, or Nicholas Nickleby. If you are going to tackle Dickens, try those three first and then move on to Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Our Mutual Friend. Much more interesting. \" > Show All AJW \| 1/29/2014 \" I had never heard of this Dickens novel until now. What a fantastic read! Not knowing anything about it meant I approached it with a fresh mind and no spoilers (unlike my experience reading 'Old Curiosity Shop' where I always knew about Little Nell). From the start I was gripped. Who was this mysterious murderous man who threatened people left, right & centre? Why was there this feud between two families? Is that a ghost or a real person in the churchyard? Who are the parents of this character? Will that smug so-and-so ever get their comeuppance? Characters that initially look evil turn out to be good and vice versa. I also love reading historical novels based on real events - in this case, the 1780 Gordon Riots in London. I was also impressed that Dickens attempted to use as a main character somebody with 'learning difficulties' (to use contemporary phrase) in a sympathetic way. Finally I love the way Dickens can coin a phrase or describe things in a vivid and original way. One example I remember is when a family climb into a carria", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505118	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Torre Pendente is the local name for what world-famous visitor attraction?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Leaning Tower of Pisa – Italy Travel Guide in Planning a Trip tagged leaning tower of pisa / pisa / pisa-guide / Planning a Trip by Jessica I’ve written before about my experience visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and even about how to avoid the lines by buying tickets to climb the tower in advance . But what I haven’t done is posted the most useful visitor’s information. So, without further ado… Pisa ‘s famous Leaning Tower is simply the bell tower for the adjacent cathedral – cathedrals all over Italy have bell towers, and many of them are also leaning for one reason or another. This is one little fact the folks in Pisa would rather you don’t know, but it’s true. Of course, if you try to convince your friends that you’ve seen plenty of leaning towers in Italy, if you haven’t seen the one in Pisa they’re not going to be all that impressed. Besides, you’ve seen everyone else’s pictures of themselves “propping up” the Leaning Tower, why not have one of your own? Construction on the Tower of Pisa, called “La Torre di Pisa” in Italian, began in 1173 and went on more or less for about two hundred years. The ground beneath the tower was soft, and so even before the building was near completion it had already started to tilt. It was noticeable enough that the builders even tried to compensate for it by angling the new construction differently than the old construction – if you look at the tower from the appropriate direction you’ll see it’s not perfectly straight on one angle. The Leaning Tower has been closed to visitors at various times as engineers worked to shore up the base, fearful it would eventually topple completely. If a visit to Pisa won’t be complete for you without climbing the tower, check in advance to make sure it’ll be open when you go. >> Spending more than a couple hours in the city? Browse and book these Pisa hotels and cheap hostels in Pisa . Leaning Tower Opening Hours The opening hours for the Leaning Tower of Pisa are: From November to February: 10:00-17:00 (09:00-18:00 from Dec 25-Jan 1) March: 09:00-18:00 (until the 3rd), 09:00-19:00 (until the 20th), 08:30-20:30 (starting the 21st) From April to September: 08:30-20:30 (until Jun 13 and from Sep 5-30), 08:30-23:00 (from Jun 17) October: 09:00-19:00 The last entry to the Tower of Pisa is a half-hour before closing time. >> It’s been pointed out to me that there are a few days in June not accounted for according to the above list of opening hours. I’ve taken them directly from the website of the governing body which organizes tourism in the Piazza dei Miracoli, and I’ve checked several times – they have, indeed, left a few June days out of their schedule. Another website indicates that the later opening hours, from 08:30-23:00, are from June 14 through September 15, so it’s probably safe to assume that the later opening hours begin on June 14 rather than June 17 – but it doesn’t hurt to double-check with the ticket office in Pisa. Getting to the Leaning Tower of Pisa It’s easy to reach the Leaning Tower from the Pisa train station, either by walking or by taking the bus or a taxi. Bus lines 3 and 4 run from Pisa Centrale, the main station, as does Shuttle Bus A – all of these will drop you near the Tower. Taxis are plentiful as well, and the ride isn’t very long. The buses and taxis are all available across from the train station’s main entrance. If you’re in the mood for a walk, leave Pisa Centrale’s main entrance and go toward Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Turn onto Via Crispi and go as far as Ponte Solferino. Cross the bridge and continue until you read Via Roma. Turn onto Via Roma and continue until you reach Piazza dei Miracoli – the home of the Leaning Tower. The walk will take you just under a half-hour. If you’ve come into Pisa’s San Rossore train station, however, it’s only a five minute walk from where the subway stops. Take the subway from the train station and get out through Piazza Fancelli. Walk to Via Andrea Pisano, turn left and continue until you reach the Piazza dei Miracoli. Tickets to the Leaning Tower Tickets to climb the Leaning", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505119	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Who won his second Oscar in successive years for Forrest Gump?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Forrest Gump' Anniversary: Looking Back At The American Classic 19 Years Later \| The Huffington Post 'Forrest Gump' Anniversary: Looking Back At The American Classic 19 Years Later 07/06/2013 01:13 pm ET Matthew Jacobs Entertainment Reporter, The Huffington Post Paramount Pictures Nineteen years ago today, on July 6, 1994, one of the great American epics was released. \"Forrest Gump\" became a staple of movie culture, producing one of the most indelible title characters of all time. Tom Hanks went on to win his second consecutive Oscar for the performance, and \"Gump\" has seen been catalogued in Americana via countless television re-airings, a themed chain restaurant and a coveted spot in the United States National Film Registry. Based on the 1986 novel by William Groom, \"Gump\" held the No. 1 spot at the box office for a whopping 10 consecutive weeks, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of all time after earning $677.4 million worldwide. It currently holds on to the No. 60 spot on the list. The movie has since become a dividing point in American pop culture. Despite its historical stature, many critics and even some fans have lambasted the film's immense adoration. Some feel it's a saccharine melodrama that is far inferior to \"Pulp Fiction,\" its chief competition for that year's Best Picture Oscar. Still, at No. 71 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies countdown, the movie is an undeniable piece of pop culture history, even if not all audiences find it as sweet as a \"box of chocolates.\" Join us in recalling the \"Forrest Gump\" premiere and the movie's many accolades in the slideshow below. The Release Of 'Forrest Gump' The Release Of 'Forrest Gump' 1", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505120	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which car maker has marketed models called Jazz, Accord, Civic and Legend?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Honda Cars - New and Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles from American Honda ©2016 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. All information contained herein applies to U.S. vehicles only. Please see our Privacy Policy and Legal Terms and Conditions . For non-U.S.-distributor information go to world.honda.com . Mobile users, please visit our Mobile Site .", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505121	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Which Middle East airline has an in-flight magazine called 'Oryx', the antelope which is on its logo?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Learn and talk about Qatar Airways, 1993 establishments in Qatar, Airlines established in 1993, Airlines of Qatar, Arab Air Carriers Organization members .com Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. ( Arabic : القطرية‎‎, Al Qatariyah), [4] operating as Qatar Airways, is the state-owned flag carrier [5] [6] of Qatar . Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha , [7] the airline operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 150 international destinations across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania from its base at Hamad International Airport , using a fleet of more than 180 aircraft. Qatar Airways Group employs more than 40,000 people, of whom 24,000 work directly for Qatar Airways. The carrier has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since October 2013 (2013-10), the first Gulf carrier to sign with one of the three airline alliances. Contents Qatar Airways was established on November 22, 1993 (1993-11-22); [8] operations started on January 20, 1994 (1994-01-20). [9] Amman was first served in May 1994 (1994-05). [10] In April 1995 (1995-04), the airline's CEO was the Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Bin Jabor Al Thani who employed a staff of 75. By this time the fleet consisted of two Airbus A310s that served a route network including Abu Dhabi , Bangkok , Cairo , Dubai , Khartoum , Kuwait , London , Madras , Manila , Muscat , Osaka ,[ contradictory ] Sharjah , Taipei , Tokyo and Trivandrum . [9] During 1995, two ex- All Nippon Airways Boeing 747s were bought from Boeing . [11] [12] The airline acquired a second-hand Boeing 747SP from Air Mauritius in 1996. [13] [14] A Qatar Airways Airbus A320-200 in old livery on short final to Domodedovo International Airport in 2005. Services to Athens , Istanbul , Madras and Tunis were suspended in late 1996, whereas Calcutta and Muscat were removed from the route network in January and September 1997 (1997-09), respectively. [15] Flights to London were launched during 1997. [16] The airline also took delivery of two second-hand 231-seater Airbus A300-600R aircraft on lease from Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services (AWAS) during the year; they replaced two Boeing 747s. The entering of these two A300s into the fleet also marked the introduction of a new logo. [17] A third A300-600R joined the fleet shortly afterwards, also on lease from AWAS. [18] In July 1998 (1998-07) the carrier placed a firm order with Airbus for six Airbus A320s , slated for delivery between 2001 and 2005; it also took options for five more aircraft of the type. [19] [20] Also in 1998, the carrier struck a deal with Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) for the lease of four Airbus A320s, with deliveries scheduled between February and April 1999 (1999-04); [21] these latter four aircraft were aimed at replacing the Boeing 727-200 Advanced fleet and to fill the capacity gap before the hand over of the first A320 from Airbus. [20] The airline took delivery of the first A320 powered by Aero Engines V2500 on lease from SALE in February 1999 (1999-02). [22] A Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600 departing from London Heathrow Airport in 2014. The airline became a customer for the type in 2003. [23] A fourth A300-600R on lease from AWAS joined the fleet in April 2000 (2000-04). [24] In October 2000 (2000-10), Qatar Airways ordered an International Aero Engines V2500-powered Airbus A319CJ and took an option for another aircraft of the type. [25] The airline became the Airbus A380 's ninth customer in 2001 when two aircraft of the type were ordered, plus two options. [26] Also that year, the airline resumed services to Jakarta . [27] In 2002, the government of Qatar withdrew from Gulf Air . [28] [29] In June 2003 (2003-06), a Qatar Airways Airbus A320 was the first aircraft that resumed the international services to Iraq when it flew the Doha– Basra route. [30] Also that month, Qatar Airways incorporated its first dedicated cargo aircraft to the fleet. It was an Airbus A300-600R that was converted to freighter in Germany for US$10 million. [31] Also in June 2003 (2003", "role": "assistant" } ]
trivia_qa_1505122	[ { "content": "Retrieve Wikipedia passages that answer the question; Something About You and Lessons In Love were top ten hits for which group", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Something About You: The Collection - Microsoft Store Something About You: The Collection 2015 • 17 songs • Pop • Contemporary Pop • Polydor A few Level 42 anthologies of various sizes were released during the 2000s and early 2010s, including Ultimate Collection (2002), Lessons in Love: The Collection (2010), and Gold (2013). Released in 2015 by Spectrum (via Universal), Something About You: The Collection is a stuffed-to-capacity single-disc compilation that contains most of the group's biggest and most notable singles through 1987, including the Top Ten U.K. hits \"The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up),\" \"Something About You,\" \"Lessons in Love,\" and \"Running in the Family.\" It includes some earlier highlights, such as \"Love Meeting Love,\" but loses points for missing the essential 1981 A-side \"Starchild.\" ~ Andy Kellman", "role": "assistant" } ]

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