On December 16, 1497, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached the mount of the Great Fish River on the eastern side of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Thus far had his predecessor Bartolomeu Dias come in 1488, but damage to the ships and dwindling supplies forced Dias to turn back. We… Continue reading December 16: Vasco da Gama’s Voyage
Category: Geography
November 18: The Day of the Two Noons
On November 18, 1883, the American and Canadian railroads began following a British practice to use a “standard time” based on regional zones to report boarding and arrival times for their trains. Prior to this date, most towns and cities kept local solar time, so that noon in each municipality was slightly different, depending on… Continue reading November 18: The Day of the Two Noons
Scholars Ponder Top Gun
The movie Top Gun: Maverick is breaking box office records. Here are some questions that online scholars may ponder to develop their understanding of the film. Mathematics. How do the box office receipts compare to other movies? What does it mean to adjust the receipts for inflation? Physics. Which flying maneuvers generate forces on the… Continue reading Scholars Ponder Top Gun