Over the centuries, as styles of clothing change and evolve, so too do the ways in which men wear their facial hair. In 18th-century Europe, the chinstrap, a narrow line of beard that grows along the chin and jaw, gained popularity, while the handlebar moustache, with its characteristically lengthy ends, is considered stereotypical of the […]
Calorie restriction (CR), a diet known by many names, is the practice of limiting dietary energy intake with the intention of improving overall health and slowing the aging process. While caloric intake among practitioners is limited, care is taken to ensure that dieters receive adequate vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. CR has been shown to lower […]
Underwater archaeology, a branch of maritime archaeology, is the study of past human life, behaviors, and cultures using the physical remains found in bodies of water or buried beneath water-logged sediment. Researchers in this field generally examine the sites of shipwrecks, submerged airplanes, structures created by humans in water bodies, and places where people once […]
Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his humor and satire. He settled in London in 1729 and began writing comedies, farces, and burlesques, including Tom Thumb. Two of his satires attacked the Walpole government and provoked the Licensing Act of 1737, which initiated censorship of the stage and ended his career as […]
Weber was a German sociologist and political economist whose most famous and controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, examines the relationship between Calvinist—or Puritan—morality, compulsive labor, bureaucracy, and economic success under capitalism. Weber also wrote about social phenomena such as charisma and mysticism, which he saw as antithetical to the modern […]
After moving to Paris in 1778, Pinel, a French physician, was appointed director of the BicĂŞtre and SalpĂŞtrière hospitals. His experiences there prompted him to advocate for the humane treatment of mentally ill persons—then called the insane—and for the empirical study of mental disease. He further contributed to the development of psychiatry by establishing the […]
The first Earth Day was organized in 1970 to promote ecological ideas, encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight growing concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water. Earth Day is now observed in more than 140 nations with outdoor performances, exhibits, street fairs, and television programs that focus on environmental issues. In […]
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were seniors at Colorado's Columbine High School when they carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, killing 12 students and one teacher and injuring 21 others before taking their own lives. The incident, widely covered by the media, stirred debate about the pair's motivation for the […]