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23

Dec

A Taste of Good Cheer

by Your friends at OIC on December 23, 2013

An array of Christmas treats from around the world

Happy Holidays from OIC Moments

Images © iStockphoto

 

 

Cultural Diversity/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

21

Dec

Aha Moment Maker: Kernels of Curiosity

by Your friends at OIC on December 21, 2013

MicrowavePopcorn

LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1945—Shortly after the end of WWII, Percy Spencer was touring the labs at Raytheon, where he worked. During the war, the Allies had charged the company with mass producing magnetrons, the tubes that powered radar systems. Percy had been instrumental in solving critical efficiency and production issues, so when he spotted one of his achievements in the lab, he naturally stopped to admire it.

We don’t know whether he got a warm feeling inside while inspecting the magnetron, but we do know that he got a warm feeling inside his pocket, and soon discovered that a chocolate bar he had been saving there was melting.  Read more...

 

Your Own Aha Moments

14

Dec

Aha Moment Maker: Word Magic

by Your friends at OIC on December 14, 2013

Abracadabra

ANCIENT ROME—Today, “abracadabra” is a word we instantly recognize and associate with magicians and magic tricks. However, the history of this unique word is as much medical, as it is magical.

Abracadambra TriangleThe first recorded use of he word “abracadabra” was in a Latin medical poem by the Roman physician Quintus Serenus Sammonicus in the 2nd Century AD. His prescription for those with malaria or fever was to wear an amulet around their neck with “abracadabra” written in the form of a triangle. The contention was that this “formula” would funnel the sickness out of the body.  Read more...

 

Your Own Aha Moments

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