Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hecatomb

In Ancient Greece, a Hecatomb (Ancient Greek ἑκατόμβη / hekatómbê) was a sacrifice to the gods of 100 cattle (hecaton = one hundred).

Friday, November 28, 2008

Waterline




Waterline: "Waterline refers to an imaginary line marking the level at which ship or boat floats in the water. To an observer on the ship the water appears to rise or fall against the hull . Temperature also affects the level because warm water provides less buoyancy, being less dense than cold water. Likewise the salinity of the water affects the level, fresh water being less dense than salty seawater."

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Senescence

Senescence refers to the biological processes of a living organism approaching an advanced age (i.e., the combination of processes of deterioration which follow the period of development of an organism). The word senescence is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning "old man" or "old age" or "advanced in age".

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Proprioception

One of the 21 senses. The sense of the orientation of one's limbs in space
source

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Enucleation

Enucleation is removal of the eye, leaving the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of different ocular tumors, in eyes that have suffered severe trauma, and in eyes that are blind and painful due to other disease

peregrination

peregrination
1. travel from one place to another, esp. on foot.
2. a course of travel; journey.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Halftone


Halftone: "Halftone is the reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of equally spaced dots of varying size. 'Halftone' can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process.

Where continuous tone imagery (film photography, for example) contains an infinite range of colors or greys, the halftone process reduces visual reproductions to a binary image that is printed with only one color of ink. This binary reproduction relies on a basic optical illusion—that these tiny halftone dots are blended into smooth tones by the human eye."

Monday, November 10, 2008

Timocracy

Timocracy

  • a state where only property owners may participate in government

  • a government where rulers are selected and perpetuated based on the degree of honor they hold relative to others in their society, peers and the ruling class
  • Friday, November 7, 2008

    Tuesday, November 4, 2008

    Petalism

    In ancient Syracuse Petalism was a form of banishment similar to ostracism in Athens. In a special vote, citizens wrote on leaves (Greek "petala," "leaves,") the names of those they wished to banish from public life. In Athens, names were written on "ostraka," "potsherds." A certain number of such votes could send the victim into exile. The Greek word "petalismos" is used by the historian who reports the practice, Diodorus Siculus (Book 11.86).

    lordosis

      Lordosis is historically defined as an abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine.