Rob’s Megaphone

Curiosity Corner: Debris clouds are growing
 
(submitted to Rob’s Megaphone)
By Dr. Jerry D. Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Lander University
 

          There are some 400 military and civilian satellites orbiting above us, along with clouds of debris – all traveling at thousands of miles per hour. NASA estimates there are 18,000 objects in orbit larger than a [...]

RANDOM FACTS
Twelve or more cows are known as a “flink.” A group of frogs is called an army. A group of rhinos is called a crash. A group of kangaroos is called a mob. A group of whales is called a pod. A group of ravens is called a murder.
Every time you lick a [...]

CURIOSITY CORNER: Curiosities found around the globe
By Dr. Jerry D. Wilson
Emeritus Professor of Physics
Lander University
(submitted to Rob’s Megaphone)
The Curiosity Corner on the Four Corners
The Four Corners is the only place in the United States where the boundaries of four states come together – Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. It is a popular tourist attraction [...]

Give ’em something to talk about!  
                                                                                              

CURIOSITY CORNER
By
Dr. Jerry D. Wilson
Emeritus Professor of Physics
Lander University
 
Trivia time. You gotta keep your trivia knowledge sharp.

* Four states do not allow billboards: Maine, Vermont, Alaska and Hawaii.

*Denmark has the highest income tax rates. Tax rates based on income run from 42 percent to 68 percent.

* Babe Ruth hit the [...]

English has got to be one of the toughest languages to learn. Even our exceptions to the rules have exceptions.
Here are some of my recent mental meanderings on mixed up meanings.
Confusing homophones
1.                  This bimonthly publication comes out every other month, and that bimonthly publication comes             
                              out twice a month. Both sentences are correct.
2.                  Loan (verb) me [...]

 How many words are in your vocabulary? The average high school graduate is said to know about 10,000 words. The average 4-year college graduate is said to know about 20,000 words. Do you have room for any more words in your vocabulary?
 
 
 

 
Here are some interesting words, which you may not know.
Upon learning an interesting word, [...]

The word SET has the most definitions of any word in the English language.
SET has 464 definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Here’s how the others stack up:
RUN – 396 (defs.)
           GO – 368
          TAKE – 343
          STAND – 334
          GET – 289
          TURN – 288
          PUT – 268
          FALL – 264
          STRIKE – 250

set 1 
v. [...]

This was recently sent to me.
I wanted to pay it forward.
History Mystery 
 
  
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. 
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946. 
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. 
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960. 
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. 
Both wives lost their children while living in the White [...]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThLaFFSw_Gk]
Let me know what you think.
Prestantia Pictures is Paul (www.paulsfunkystuff.com) Cruthcer and me, Robert (rob’s megaphone) Stevenson.
Paul and I work at Lander University; I am helping Paul, who is the mastermind behind this project,  tell the story of Lander University’s founder, Samuel Lander.
 
Related Links: Lander Forum Online

Dual citizenship possible, but complicated

by Dr. Jerry D. Wilson,

Emeritus Professor of Physics, Lander University
Question: Is it possible for a U.S. citizen to have dual citizenship with another country?  (Asked by a curious column reader.)

Reply: Good question. Had I answered this off the top of my head, I would have said no, because I had [...]