Social Science Questions & Answers

An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the polar regions, caused by the collision of charged particles directed by the Earth’s magnetic field. An aurora is usually observed at night and typically occurs in the ionosphere. It is also referred to as a polar aurora or, collectively, as polar lights. These phenomena are commonly visible …

The Armenian genocide was carried out by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1916 and from 1922 to 1923. About 1.5 million Armenians out of the 2.5 million in the empire were killed. Armenians all over the world commemorate the tragedy on April 24 every year as it was on this day in 1915 when …

The Antarctica Treaty, signed in 1959, was a path-breaking agreement among countries of the world. There are certain regions located beyond the sovereign jurisdiction of any country of the world. Therefore, they require common governance by the international community. These are known as ‘res communis humanitatis’ or Global Commons. It includes not only Antarctica but also the ocean floor and …

The Age of Antonines is often referred to two successive ages of Roman emperors – Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius —who ruled between 138 AD and 180 AD and were famous for their skilled leadership. The age is also known as the transitional phase of the Roman empire. In 138 AD, after a long reign dedicated to the cultural unification …

‘Thor’s Hammer is the hammer of Thor, a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, destruction, fertility, healing, and the protection of mankind. Thor is a major god associated with thunder in Norse mythology. Distinctively shaped, Mjollnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains. Though generally recognized and …

The art of moving’ or Parkour involves moving from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. It entails overcoming obstacles using the power of the human body and is practised in several urban areas the world over. Recently, members of the Du Yize Parkour Club of Beijing showed their prowess at the Forbidden City.

Terroir is a French term that means soil or earth and is generally used to refer to all the physical and environmental characteristics in and around a particular vineyard that influence the quality of wine — climate, soil composition and geographical location. Without a direct English equivalent, terroir specifically refers to the consistent, distinctive qualities in wine that are not …

Taipei 101 is a skyscraper located in the international business district of Xinyi (code 101) in Taipei, Taiwan, with 101 floors constructed above the ground and five floors underground. It has a spire at its top at a height of 509.2 metre and was constructed at a cost of $1.76 billion. It features prominently in all important events and visuals …

Sweethearting is a method cashiers use to pass on goods to friends by failing to bill one. They do so by passing two items, and obscuring the barcode of one, so it goes unnoticed. Earlier, security had to be alert to check for such items going out of shops, but now, there are machines to pick out sweethearting. The security …

Sukkot is one of the three “Pilgrim Festivals” in the Jewish tradition. Celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, i.e. late September to late October, it is a reminder of the type of fragile dwellings in which the ancient Israelites dwelt for 40 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The festival lasts seven days. The first day …