The Wikipedia article of the day for November 13, 2016 is Heavy metals.
Heavy metals are metals with relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers, depending on the context. They are usually the denser metals in metallurgy, or the metals with higher atomic numbers in physics, whereas chemists distinguish heavy metals by their chemical behaviour. Heavy metals tend to be less chemically reactive than light metals such as sodium, magnesium, and aluminium. The earliest known metals are heavy metals, including common metals such as iron, copper, and tin, and precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum. Less familiar metals such as gallium, hafnium, and thallium are also heavy metals, as are the essential nutrients iron, cobalt, and zinc. Some are toxic in larger amounts or certain forms (silver and indium, for example); others, like cadmium, mercury, and lead, are highly poisonous. Sources of heavy metal poisoning may include mining and industrial waste, agricultural runoff, occupational exposure, paints and treated timber. Heavy metals are relatively scarce in the Earth’s crust, but are present in many manufactured products.
Archives for November 2016
Wikipedia article of the day for November 12, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 12, 2016 is Mughal-e-Azam.
Mughal-e-Azam (The Emperor of the Mughals) is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji, re-released in colour on 12 November 2004. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali, a court dancer. Salim’s father, Emperor Akbar, disapproves, and war ensues. Sixteen years in development, the film cost more to produce than any previous Indian motion picture, and had the widest release. The soundtrack, inspired by Indian classical and folk music, is often cited as one of the finest soundtracks in Bollywood cinematic history. It became the highest-grossing Bollywood film at the time, and won one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. Mughal-e-Azam was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured and re-released theatrically. Considered a milestone of its genre, it earned praise from critics for its grandeur and attention to detail. Film scholars have welcomed its portrayal of enduring themes, but question its historical accuracy.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 11, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 11, 2016 is George S. Patton.
George S. Patton (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general who commanded the U.S. Seventh and Third armies during World War II. He had been wounded during World War I leading the newly formed Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces into combat. In 1942 he led U.S. troops in the invasion of Casablanca, and later commanded the Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily. After slapping two soldiers, he was removed from battlefield command, but returned to lead the Third Army following the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. After a successful armored drive across France, his army helped rescue beleaguered American troops during the Battle of the Bulge. He died from an automobile accident in Germany. While Allied leaders held sharply differing opinions on Patton, he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. His emphasis on aggressive offensive action proved effective, but his hard-driving personality and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by controversial public statements. He joined his troops on the front lines and inspired them with vulgarity-ridden speeches, as recounted in a 1970 award-winning biographical film.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 10, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 10, 2016 is Millipede.
Millipedes are a class (Diplopoda) of arthropods, characterised by two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments. Most species have long cylindrical or flattened bodies with more than 20 segments, while pill millipedes are shorter and can roll into a ball. There are around 12,000 named species, making Diplopoda the largest class of myriapods. Despite their name (from the Latin for “thousand feet”), no known species has 1,000 legs; the most recorded is 750. Most species are detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. Millipedes are generally harmless to humans, although some can become household or garden pests. Most defend themselves with a variety of chemicals secreted from pores along the body, while the tiny bristle millipedes are covered with tufts of detachable bristles. First appearing in the Silurian period, millipedes are some of the oldest known land animals. While the largest modern species can reach lengths of 38 cm (15 in), some prehistoric millipedes grew to over 2 m (6 ft 7 in).
Wikipedia article of the day for November 9, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 9, 2016 is William Howard Taft.
William Howard Taft (1857–1930) was the 27th President of the United States (1909–1913) and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft initially served as a state and federal judge, and as governor of the Philippines beginning in 1900. In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt made him Secretary of War. Taft declined repeated offers to become a Supreme Court justice. He was Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor in 1908, and easily defeated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency. In the White House, he focused on the Far East more than Europe, and repeatedly intervened in Latin America. Taft was allied with the conservative wing of the Republican Party, while Roosevelt became more liberal after 1909. Roosevelt unsuccessfully challenged Taft for renomination in 1912, then bolted the party and ran as a third-party candidate. The split in the Republican vote left Taft with little chance of re-election, and he lost to Woodrow Wilson, winning only Utah and Vermont. In 1921 Taft was appointed Chief Justice, and served until a month before his death. He posted a conservative record, and reformed the court’s administration.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 8, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 8, 2016 is HMS Collingwood (1908).
HMS Collingwood was a St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship built for the British Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Launched on 7 November 1908 and commissioned in April 1910, the ship was equipped with armour 10 inches (254 mm) thick, and ten 12-inch guns. She served in the Home Fleet and Grand Fleet, at times as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Ernest Gaunt. Prince Albert (later King George VI) spent several years aboard the ship before and during World War I. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the largest naval battle of the war, Collingwood was in the middle of the battleline; she did some damage to the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger, and shelled the light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden. Apart from that battle and the inconclusive Action of 19 August, her service during the war generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war, reduced to reserve, and used as a training ship before being sold for scrap in 1922.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 7, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 7, 2016 is From The Doctor to my son Thomas.
“From The Doctor to my son Thomas” is a viral video recorded by the Scottish actor Peter Capaldi (pictured) and sent to Thomas Goodall, an autistic nine-year-old who was grieving over the death of his grandmother. Thomas’s father Ross posted the video to YouTube on 6 November 2014 so that his whole family could see it, but the video had wide appeal, and was viewed more than 200,000 times over the next 48 hours. Less than a week later it had over 900,000 views. In the video Capaldi portrays his character, the Twelfth Doctor, from the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who. His message had a positive effect on Thomas; the father said the boy smiled for the first time since learning of his grandmother’s death, and gained the courage to go to her funeral. The video was praised as a deeply affecting piece in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Hollywood Life, and various Spanish and Dutch publications, and by CNN and MTV News. It also had a positive impact on many viewers who suffered from autism and other mental health problems.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 6, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 6, 2016 is Emma Stone.
Emma Stone (born November 6, 1988) is an American actress. She has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Stone was drawn to acting as a child, and her first role onstage was in 2000. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles with her mother, and made her film debut in Superbad (2007). The 2010 teen comedy Easy A, Stone’s first starring role, earned her nominations for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. This breakthrough role was followed by the commercially successful film Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), and a supporting part in the critically acclaimed drama The Help (2011). The actress received wider recognition for playing Gwen Stacy in the 2012 superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man, and its sequel in 2014. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of a recovering drug addict in the black comedy Birdman (2014). Stone won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for playing an aspiring actress in the musical La La Land (2016).
Wikipedia article of the day for November 5, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 5, 2016 is Robert Catesby.
Robert Catesby (1572?–1605) was the leader of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, commemorated in Great Britain every 5 November as Guy Fawkes Night. His family were prominent recusant Catholics. He took part in the Essex Rebellion of 1601 but was captured and assessed a large fine, after which he sold his estate at Chastleton. The Protestant James I became King of England in 1603; after he exiled priests and reimposed fines on recusants, Catesby planned to kill him by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder as a prelude to a revolt. Early in 1604 Catesby began to recruit English Catholics to his cause, including Thomas Wintour, John Wright, Thomas Percy, and Guy Fawkes. A letter sent anonymously to William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, alerted the authorities, and on the eve of the planned explosion, during a search of Parliament, Fawkes was found guarding the barrels of gunpowder, and arrested. Catesby and the remaining plotters made a stand against a 200-strong company of armed men at Holbeche House in Staffordshire, where he was shot and killed. As a warning to others, his body was exhumed and his head exhibited outside Parliament.
Wikipedia article of the day for November 4, 2016
The Wikipedia article of the day for November 4, 2016 is Agharta (album).
Agharta is a live double album by American jazz musician Miles Davis (pictured) and his septet. Titled after the legendary subterranean city, it was recorded at a concert in Japan’s Osaka Festival Hall in February 1975. Saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Michael Henderson, and guitarist Pete Cosey improvised against a dense backdrop of riffs, electronic effects, cross-beats, and funk grooves from the rhythm section. Davis had already alienated many in the jazz community while attracting younger rock audiences with his radical electric fusion music. This dark, angry, and somber performance was seen as a reflection of his emotional and spiritual state—he was in physical pain from health issues and a substance abuse problem, and had been touring constantly with his band since 1973. The album was released in Japan in August 1975 by CBS/Sony, and in North America in 1976 by Columbia Records. A highly divisive record, it further challenged Davis’ jazz audience and critics. It was reevaluated positively after a generation of younger musicians was influenced by the group’s abrasive music and Cosey’s effects-laden free improvisations, and is seen as the culmination of Davis’ electric period.
