A katana is a curved sword that was used by the samurai of feudal Japan. Katana have been in use since the 1300s. As trade with Japan increased, these weapons became famous around the world: "Western historians have said that katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history... Read more
The bass is a North American game fish or sport fish, part of a family of fishes known as sunfish. A number of unrelated saltwater fish are known as sea bass... Read more
Barbie is an American fashion doll that entered the world scene in 1959. The curvaceous blonde, based on a "risqué gag gift for men," quickly became a cultural icon. In fact, it was featured in... Read more
A cemetery or graveyard is a place set aside for burying the remains of the deceased. Cemeteries reflect the religious beliefs of the area and are often considered "holy ground." In some countries, such as Mexico and Japan, festivals in honor of the dead are celebrated in graveyards... Read more
The skull has, naturally, long been a symbol of death. In one famous scene from the 1948 film Hamlet, the title character holds and speaks to the skull of his friend while... Read more
Chase is one of the main protagonists of the animated series Paw Patrol. He is second in command after the 10-year-old human boy, Ryder. Along with a team of seven other pups, Chase and Ryder work hard to keep the inhabitants of Adventure Bay safe... Read more
Lips have long featured in popular culture. Since time immemorial, poets have waxed romantic about the fleshy protuberances surrounding the mouth. William Shakespeare cast young Romeo to swoon over his Juliet: "Thy lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand." Love letters are sealed with a kiss, and school supplies, clothing, and everything in between may be emblazoned with puckered lips, especially near the... Read more
Hand washing or hand hygiene is important to everyone's health. Long ago, before the discovery of germs, people thought that sickness was caused by "miasma" or "bad air." It wasn't until the mid-1800s that doctors and nurses realized how important handwashing was in protecting their patients from infection... Read more
Michael Myers is a masked fictional villain from the Halloween movie franchise. He first appeared in the 1978 film as a mentally unwell young boy who murdered his sister. He returns fifteen years later in order to murder more teenagers... Read more
A helicopter, also called a chopper, is a type of aircraft that uses a rotor, or spinning blade, to take off and land vertically. Unlike airplanes, helicopters don't need a runway. Other rotorcraft include convertiplanes, autogiros or autogyros, and V/STOL aircraft... Read more
For most of human history, weapons of war consisted of various types of clubs, blades such as daggers and swords, and piercing, poisoned, or flaming projectiles launched from slings, bows, or catapults. The face of war changed drastically with the invention of the gun around the year AD 1000... Read more
The term grape describes about 80 species of vining plants native to the northern hemisphere. The plants grow quite large, reaching lengths of 56 feet (17 meters) or more... Read more
The Vikings, called Northmen or Norsemen, were a seafaring people from the Scandinavian region of Europe... Read more
The toucan is a tropical bird famous for its large, colorful beak. There are about 15 species of toucan native to South and Central America. Smaller birds similar in appearance to toucans are called toucanets or aracaris... Read more
In Greek mythology, Poseidon was best known as the god of the sea and water. He was also the deity of earthquakes, storms, and horses. His name means "lord or husband of the earth."... Read more
The trumpet, also spelled trompette or trompete, is a musical instrument of the brass wind family. The term "trumpet" describes a number of instruments throughout history played by vibrating the lips against the mouthpiece. The earliest trumpets were made from the horns of animals such as rams or bulls, or conch shells. Today, trumpets are made of metal... Read more
Many plants have a vining habit, producing long, twining stems that rely on outside structures to support them. Grapes are among the most recognizable. Around the world, grapevines are... Read more
Thermometers are instruments used to measure temperature. The first thermometer was built in 1592 by Galileo Galilei. They did not become widely available until the 1800s... Read more
Ken Kaneki is the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul anime and manga series. Ken was an ordinary student living a normal life, until he was transformed into a ghoul - a humanoid organism that feeds on flesh... Read more
Grizzly bears or brown bears are one of the largest predators in North America. In fact, the Kodiak bear, a subspecies of the grizzly that lives on Alaskan islands, is the largest land carnivore in the world. These North American brown bears are the descendants of the Eurasian brown bear... Read more