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The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice

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On Saturday, December 21st at 4:19 AM, the winter solstice will usher in the season of Winter.  Along with snow, lower temperatures and less daylight, however, the winter solstice also brings wonder, traditions and atmospheric changes that have inspired and connected humans for millennia.  Take a look at some of the phenomena that accompanies the solstice. The word solstice comes from two Latin words meaning “sun stoppage” because the amount of daylight is shorter or longer than usual.  In winter, the sun is closer to the earth, a phenomenon known as perihelion, but the angle that the sun’s rays reach the earth make them less warming.  Hence, the seasons are dependent on the sun’s position relative to the earth.  The … Continued
The Practical World of Optical Illusions

The Practical World of Optical Illusions

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A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the perception of the viewer matters.  Optical illusions focus on the science of optics, which is concerned with both physical and psychological perceptions of light.  Far from being just a game or a party trick, however, optical illusions play an important role in a number of professional fields, including dentistry, entertainment and computer programming and security. Let’s start with false teeth.  Historically, dentures have been made of a variety of materials, such as bone, metal, porcelain and other people’s teeth.  Today, however, many dental implants, bridges and other devices are made of resin, a sturdy substance which can be colored and molded to fit the needs of the patient.  However, commercially … Continued
Make Accessing Articles Easier for Your Students with ProQuest

Make Accessing Articles Easier for Your Students with ProQuest

, , Computers, Library Resources, Research
One of the IU East Campus Library’s biggest database providers, ProQuest, now can be integrated into Learning Management Systems, including Canvas. If you find that you regularly incorporate research articles from one of our ProQuest databases, such as ProQuest Central, into your courses, then there is now an easier way to link to ProQuest content from within Canvas. This new integration capability will allow students to directly access journal articles, primary source documents, videos, and newspaper reports without leaving their Canvas course environment, skipping over the hassle of linking out of the course and having to login again to access the material. Once your Canvas account is configured to use ProQuest as an External Tool by your Canvas administrator, you … Continued
Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer

Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer

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The immigrant born as Ehrich Weiss became more than a star.  Throughout his career, Harry Houdini continuously upended public perceptions of magic and reality with daring escapes, feats of mentalism and, toward the end of his life, debunking the claims of spiritualists.  As committed as he was to furthering magic, he was equally devoted to the pursuit of truth and spent much of his last years exposing fraudulent mediums, spirit photographers and others who claimed to communicate with the dead.  Spiritualism began as a religious awakening movement in 1848, when two sisters, Kate and Margaret Fox, stated that they had been able to contact the spirit of a deceased peddler, “Mr. Splitfoot”, and began to hold séances in their home … Continued
How accurate is Hamilton?

How accurate is Hamilton?

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Hamilton, the ten dollar Founding Father musical released in May 2015, is among the most successful musicals in history.  With the all-time best selling cast recording and a total gross of $463 million by January 2019, not to mention 11 Tony awards and a thoroughly lovable collection of alternative “Hamildrops,” the musical continues to remain in the popular imagination.  But one question that needs to be asked is – Just how true to its history is Hamilton? Alexander Hamilton, by John Trumbull (1806) Nobody listens to a musical for a history lesson.  While a new play by novelist Ishmael Reed asks rather pointed questions about the musical’s accuracy, it can be stated that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, went … Continued