Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that can later be released to fuel the organisms' activities. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water -- hence the term photosynthesis, from the Greek phos which means "light" and sunthesis which means "putting together." In most cases, oxygen is also released as a waste product. Most plants, more algae, and cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis; such organisms are called photoautotrophs. Photosynthesis is largely responsible for producing and maintaining the oxygen content of the Earth's atmosphere, and supplies most of the energy necessary for life on Earth. Although photosynthesis is performed differently by different species, the process always begins when energy from light is absored by proteins called reaction centers that contain green chlorophyll pigments. In p...

Arcanum Divinae is an encyclical issued February 10, 1880 by Pope Leo XIII on the topic of Christian marriage. It was considered the forerunner to Pope Pius XI's 1930 Casti connubii , and Pope Paul VI's Humanae vitae . Arcanum outlines the role of marriage in the late 19th century, and goes through those actions which weakens the marriage contract such as polygamy and divorce. The encyclical also posits the church as a protector of marriage, and not one intervening in the marital relationship. Pope Leo began "Arcanum" by recalling the history of marriage, established in the Old Testament when God created man and woman: "We record what is to all known, and cannot be doubted by any, that God, on the sixth day of creation, having made man from the slime of earth, and having breathed into his face the breath of life, gave him a companion, whom He miraculously took from the side of Adam when he was locked in sleep."  According to Pope Leo, the institution of mar...

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in filmmaking. It is regarded as the most famous and prestigious awards in the entertainment industry. Given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards are an international recognition of excellence in the cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette, officially called the "Academy Award of Merit," although more commonly referred to by its nickname, the "Oscar." The statuette depicts a knight holding a sword rendered in the Art Deco style. The Award was originally sculpted by George Stanley from a design sketch by Cedric Gibbons. AMPAS first presented it in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in what would become known as the 1st Academy Awards. The Academy Awards ceremony was first broadc...

Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, into a family of engineers. He was a chemist, engineer, and inventor. In 1894, Nobel purchased Bofors iron and steel mill, which he made into a major armaments manufacturer. Nobel also invented ballistite. This invention was a precursor to many smokeless military explosives, especially the British smokeless powder cordite. As a consequence of his patent claims, Nobel was eventually involved in a patent infringement lawsuit over cordite. Nobel amassed a fortune during his lifetime, with most of his wealth coming from his 355 inventions, of which dynamite is the most famous. In 1888, Nobel was astonished to read his own obituary, entitled The merchant of death is dead , in a French newspaper. It was Alfred's brother who died; the obituary was eight years premature. The article disconcerted Nobel and made him apprehensive about how he would be remembered when he finally died. This inspired him to change his will. On Decem...

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Classical physics, the description of physics that existed before the theory of relativity and quatum mechanics, explains the aspect of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, while quantum mechanics explains the aspects of nature at small (atomic and subatomic) scales, for which classical mechanics is insufficient. Most theories in classical physics can be derived from quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at large (macroscopic) scale. Quantum mechanics differs from classical physics in that energy, momentum, angular momentum and other quantities of a bound system are restricted to discrete values (quantization), objects have characteristics of both particles and waves...