The Grettis Saga is one of the finest Icelandic family sagas, which details the life of Grettis Asmundarson, a warrior who became an outlaw. It was written in the 13th and early 14th century. Well-born, brave but trouble-prone Grettis, at 14, kills a man in a quarrel and is outlawed. He spends these years in Norway performing many brave deeds. …
Read More »What is the Great Manmade River?
The Great Manmade River (better known as GMR) is a network of pipes that supplies water from the Sahara desert to Libya from a fossil aquifer. This aquifer is known as Nublon Sandstone Aquifer System. GMR is considered to be the largest underground network of pipes in the world. It has more than 1,300 wells supplying more than 7,100,000 cubic …
Read More »What is the Governor’s Ball during the Academy Awards ceremony?
The Governor’s Ball at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood is its concluding event, and a celebration for the around 1,500 invitees, winners, nominees and other guests. The 2009 Governor’s Ball for the Oscar ceremony was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hollywood & Highland Center. The first Governor’s Ball was held in 1958 following the 30th Academy Awards. …
Read More »What is the golliwog act?
The golliwog act is a flexible contortion of the body in a dance form to create an impression that the contortionist is a doll. The name is taken from a literary character created by Florence Kate in her novel ‘The Adventures of two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwog’.
Read More »What is the Golden Rule?
An almost universal principle of ethics, the Golden Rule, is summarised by the phrase ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Variations in this theme recur across most religions and ethical philosophies. Deep Ecology also recognises the Golden Rule with relation to ecosystems on Earth.
Read More »What is the Geographical Indications (GI) Registry?
In December 1999, the Parliament passed the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. It seeks to provide registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods produced and manufactured in India. The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications. The Geographical Indications Registry …
Read More »What is the gene revolution?
The gene revolution is the application of bio-technology in food production. It is of great potential to farmers as it provides them with disease-free planting material and develops crops that resist pests and diseases, reducing use of chemicals that harm the environment and human health. It can provide diagnostic tools and vaccines that help control devastating animal diseases. It can …
Read More »What is the Freimarkt?
Freimarkt means free fair. It was first held on October 16, 1035, in Bremen, Germany. It is the biggest festival in Northern Germany, with more than four million visitors each year. It is celebrated for 17 days in the last two weeks of October. The area covers approximately 100,000 sqm on two areas: the ‘Kleiner Freimarkt’ (Small Free Fair) on …
Read More »What is the Fenian Movement?
The Fenian Movement or Fenians is a secret revolutionary society organized in 1858 in Ireland and the United States to achieve Irish independence from England by force. It was known variously as the Fenian Brotherhood, Fenian Society, Irish Republican Brotherhood, and Irish-American Brotherhood. The famine of the 1840s brought to a crisis Irish discontent with English rule, culminating in the …
Read More »What is the domino damsel fish?
Domino damsel fish is a black-coloured fish found in the Indo-West Pacific from eastern Africa and the Red Sea to the islands of Oceania. It is also known as the three spot damsel fish or three-spot dascyllus due to the three white spots on its black body, and can grow up to 4.3 inches.
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