All posts tagged: oldest

The 19th-century veterinarian who nearly cracked one of medicine’s oldest mysteries

The 19th-century veterinarian who nearly cracked one of medicine’s oldest mysteries

Published by Jenni Sidey

As far as presenting the case for germ theory, James Law’s 45-page report “Influenza in Horses,” which appeared in the Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the Year 1872 was a tour de force of the medical geography of the Great Epizootic. It contained detailed information on the “atmospheric conditions” that miasmists turned to over and over again, as well as a synopsis of the results of a study Law had commissioned from a microscopist colleague. It was from that combination of medical geography, meteorological data, and microscopy from which Law drew many of his conclusions. [Editor’s Note: Miasma theory is the now-debunked belief that vapors found in “bad air” caused diseases. During the second half of the 19th century, it competed with germ theory as the best explanation for illnesses and epidemics.] Law begins his report with a lengthy history of epidemics in humans and epizootics in animals from the time of the ancient Greeks onward, followed by a medical geography of the Great Epizootic. Next, he spends page after page describing the …

Tell us about your oldest household appliances

Tell us about your oldest household appliances

Published by Sam Flores

An elderly couple in Gloucestershire are reportedly still using what is believed to be Britain’s oldest working fridge. The Electrolux appliance was built in the 1930s and bought second-hand by their family in 1949, with the owners telling SWNS that it is “still going strong”. We would love to hear about your oldest appliances. Do you have a washing machine, oven or vacuum that you are still using after many years? We would love to hear about your workhorse appliances, why they’re so impressive and how long you’ve had them. Share your experience You can tell us about your oldest appliance using this form. Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide. Tell us about your oldest …

Our Oldest Ally – The Atlantic

Our Oldest Ally – The Atlantic

Published by Sam Flores

There is no easier city in the world for an American to love than Paris. So it has been since the time of Benjamin Franklin. Love, though, comes with spats and fits of temper, ruptures and reconciliations. So, too, with the United States and France. A recent visit reminded me, however, of why the American relationship with France remains, whatever its difficulties, one to cherish. Take the ways in which Britain and France deal with the Second World War. The British are busily removing Winston Churchill from their banknotes, replacing him with an engraving of a hedgehog. Meanwhile, the French are flocking to see a two-part, five-hour-long movie, La Bataille de Gaulle, which retells the story—both anguished and heroic—of defeat, collaboration, resistance, and liberation. In elegant Parisian bookstores, you will find tables filled with works by and about Marc Bloch, a gentle historian of the Middle Ages who wrote a stinging account of the defeat after he was demobilized in 1940. He became a hero of the underground, and was taken, tortured, and executed less …

Sanskrit prayers and dosas: Inside one of the oldest Hindu temples in the US

Sanskrit prayers and dosas: Inside one of the oldest Hindu temples in the US

Published by Sam Flores

FLUSHING, N.Y. (RNS) — Temple bells echoed through the sanctuary as priests chanted Sanskrit prayers before black granite deities draped in silk and fresh flowers. Barefoot worshippers carrying coconuts, bananas and jasmine garlands moved from shrine to shrine as families from across the country gathered to mark the anniversary of the Hindu Temple Society of North America’s consecration, a tradition observed each year on the same date the U.S. celebrates its founding. The date is fitting. The Hindu Temple Society of North America, officially called Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnamri, is the second-oldest traditional Hindu temple founded by Indian immigrants in the United States. It opened its doors on July 4, 1977, after years of fundraising and planning by Indian immigrants who had settled in the New York metropolitan area. Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pennsylvania, the first traditional Hindu temple founded by Indian immigrants, was consecrated only a few weeks earlier on June 8, 1977. After passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national-origins quota system, there was a surge in …

These 12,000-year-old Native American dice are the oldest in the world

These 12,000-year-old Native American dice are the oldest in the world

Published by Miika Tikkanen

artifact: Some human-made object (such as a pot or brick) that can be used as one gauge of a community’s culture or history. colonial: (in geography) An area under full or partial control of another country, typically far away. culture: (n. in social science) The sum total of typical behaviors and social practices of a related group of people (such as a tribe or nation). Their culture includes their beliefs, values and the symbols that they accept and/or use. Culture is passed on from generation to generation through learning. Scientists once thought culture to be exclusive to humans. Now they recognize some other animals show signs of culture as well, including dolphins and primates. diversity: A broad spectrum of similar items, ideas or people. In a social context, it may refer to a diversity of experiences and cultural backgrounds. intellectual: (n.) Someone who spends a good deal of time reasoning and understanding ideas with their mind, especially abstract ideas and processes. Native Americans: Tribal peoples that settled North America. In the United States, they are also known as …

One of Madagascar’s Oldest Sacred Trees Is Slowly Dying

One of Madagascar’s Oldest Sacred Trees Is Slowly Dying

Published by Sam Flores

The first sign that the tree was in trouble was the scent — a musty odor that cut through the warm forest air. “It smelled like mushrooms but worse, like decomposition,” said Cyrille Cornu, a French researcher who visited the tree, an ancient baobab that locals call Tsitakakantsa, last October in southwest Madagascar. Approaching the massive trunk in the island nation’s Andombiry Forest, Mr. Cornu’s heart sank. A dark, foul-smelling liquid was seeping from the base of the tree. “I was surprised because I never saw this before,” said Mr. Cornu, who specializes in baobabs and has visited the tree several times over the last 15 years. He thought to himself: “Something is wrong.” Tsitakakantsa, one of the largest and oldest baobab trees in Madagascar, is dying, according to experts and local stewards. Having survived centuries, it appears to have entered a final phase in which it will buckle, collapse and eventually disintegrate. It could take months, maybe longer. Eventually, only a patch of stained earth — like a shadow in the soil — will …

RNA from mummified woolly mammoth is the oldest ever recovered

RNA from mummified woolly mammoth is the oldest ever recovered

Published by Miika Tikkanen

biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things. cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells. Most organisms, such as yeasts, molds, bacteria and some algae, are composed of only one cell.  colleague: Someone who works with another; a co-worker or team member. degrade: To break down into smaller, simpler materials — as when wood rots or as a flag that’s left outdoors in the weather will fray, fade and fall apart. (in chemistry) To break down a compound into smaller components. DNA: (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded and spiral-shaped molecule inside most living cells that carries genetic instructions. It is built on a backbone of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms. In all living things, from plants and animals to microbes, these instructions tell cells which molecules to make. focus: (in …