A Ton of Crap (42 page)

Other Theories
The big bang is not the only scientific theory regarding the origins of the universe. Physicist Robert Gentry proposed another theory in 2003, claiming that the foundation of the big bang was a faulty paradigm. Gentry’s theory was based on Einstein’s static-spacetime paradigm, with the notion that there is a center that neither expands nor contracts. Gentry believes this also explains the evidence that has been found.

SWEDISH

Dialects
There are six main dialects found in the Swedish language: North Swedish, South Swedish, Finland Swedish, Svealand Swedish, Götaland Swedish, and Gotland Swedish. These dialects are separate from the standard language and developed independently from as far back as Old Norse. The dialects are very localized, and speakers of these dialects also speak the standard language.

COLUMBUS AND THE NEW WORLD

The Impact on the Native Americans
Over the course of a century, the population of natives on the island of Hispaniola was completely destroyed in a genocide brought on by the Spanish. In 1493, policies regarding slavery and mass extermination were implemented, and within a three-year time span, 5 million Native Americans were killed. Mass numbers of Native Americans were hanged, stabbed, shot, and worked to death as slaves.

DIALECTS

Focal and Relic Areas
Focal areas are locations where innovations in dialect occur. They usually coincide with urban areas or areas with great cultural and economic activity. Relic areas are locations that the innovations from focal areas spread to but haven’t arrived yet. Relic areas also have innovations; however, they do not spread as widely geographically as focal areas. Boston is an example of a focal area, while Cape Cod is an example of a relic area.

PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

The Pythagorean Triple
The Pythagorean triple is a series of three whole numbers, such as 3, 4, and 5 that work when put into the Pythagorean theorem, and can be the sides of a right triangle. Other examples of Pythagorean triples include 5, 12, 13 and 7, 24, 25. To create a Pythagorean triple, take any odd number and square it. Then find two consecutive numbers that add up to that number.

THE BIG BANG

Does God Have a Role?
The big bang is a controversial issue because it puts into question the role of God in the creation of the universe. While some religions have welcomed and incorporated the big bang theory into their beliefs, others have refused to believe it. In 1951, Pope Pius XII declared that the big bang theory was in accordance with Catholic beliefs.

SWEDISH

Useful Swedish Phrases
Here are some helpful phrases to use when traveling to Sweden:

Hello.
Hej.

Good morning.
God morgon.

Good afternoon.
God eftermiddag.

Good evening.
God kväll.

Good night.
God natt.

I don’t understand.
Jag förstår inte.

How much is this?
Hur mycket kostar det?

Where’s the toilet?
Var är toaletten?

Cheers!
Skål!

Excuse me.
Ursäkta.

Thank you.
Tack.

Goodbye.
Hej då.

1. What was the name of the first permanent European settlement in the New World?
   

   1. Hispaniola
      
   2. Leeward Islands
      
   3. Santo Domingo
      
   4. Santa Maria
      

2. In 1493, policies regarding slavery and mass extermination were implemented on the Native Americans. Within a three-year time span, how many Native Americans were killed?
   

   1. 2 million
      
   2. 9 million
      
   3. 5 million
      
   4. 500
      

3. Which of the following affects dialects?
   

   1. Social status
      
   2. Geographic location
      
   3. Urbanization
      
   4. All of the above
      

4. The standard forms of English spoken in America, Australia, and England are examples of:
   

   1. Standard dialects
      
   2. Relics
      
   3. Focals
      
   4. Interlingua
      

5. In the Pythagorean theorem, the letter
   c
   represents:
   

   1. The left side
      
   2. The right side
      
   3. The long side
      
   4. The hypotenuse
      

6. Which of the following is a Pythagorean triple?
   

   1. 7, 24, 25
      
   2. 9, 18, 27
      
   3. 7, 8, 9
      
   4. 7, 25, 26
      

7. Which of the following is true?
   

   1. Before the big bang, there was nothing.
      
   2. The big bang led to the creation and expansion of the space that carried
      matter.
      
   3. The big bang began from a singularity.
      
   4. All of the above.
      

8. What does Hubble’s law state?
   

   1. That the universe does not expand
      
   2. That the universe is expanding
      
   3. That heat is moving through the universe
      
   4. That the universe never contracted
      

9. What important event was Gustav Vasa, the king of Sweden, responsible for?
   

   1. He turned Götaland Swedish into Gotland Swedish.
      
   2. He united the North Swedish and South Swedish dialects.
      
   3. He created the du-reformen.
      
   4. He ordered the Bible to be translated into Swedish.
      

10. How do you say “Thank you” in Swedish?
    

    1. Hej då.
       
    2. Tack.
       
    3. Ursäkta.
       
    4. Hej.
       

ANSWER KEY: c, c, d, a, d, a, d, b, d, b

HISTORY:
The American Revolution
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, The Battle of Bunker Hill, The Evacuation of Boston, The Battle of Trenton, The Battle of Saratoga, The Battle of Yorktown

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Figures of Speech
What Is a Figure of Speech?, Simile, Metaphor, Hyperbole, Oxymoron, Other Common Figures
of Speech

MATH:
Fibonacci Sequence
What Is the Fibonacci Sequence?, The Golden Ratio, The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature, The Fibonacci Sequence in Music, The Man Behind Fibonacci, Leonardo Pisano Bogollo’s Rabbits

SCIENCE:
Galileo Galilei
Who Was Galileo Galilei?, The Telescope, The Moon, Jupiter, Galileo and the Church, Copernicanism and Galileo

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
Finnish
The Origins, Finnish During the Middle Ages, The Writing System, Modernization of Finnish, Dialects, Useful Finnish Phrases

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The Battle of Lexington and Concord
It is unknown which side the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” came from, but on April 19, 1775, the British troops and the American colonists fought the first battle of the Revolutionary War. A rumor was circulating that the Massachusetts Militia had been storing weapons in Concord, and 700 British soldiers were sent to quell their mission. The colonists quickly learned of the oncoming British troops, leading to Paul Revere’s famous horseback ride. Though both sides faced casualties, more British soldiers were left dead or wounded.

FIGURES OF SPEECH

What Is a Figure of Speech?
Figures of speech are a literary device used to add interest, emphasis, freshness, or special meaning to words. A figure of speech can also be referred to as a rhetorical device or locution. Figures of speech are used in figurative (meaning not literal) language, allowing for imagination and more creative ways to describe something.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

What Is the Fibonacci Sequence?
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that follows the very simple rule that any number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers. The first ten numbers in the sequence are:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34

The Fibonacci sequence is written as:

x
_n
 = 
x
_n
-1
 + 
x
_n
-2

GALILEO GALILEI

Who Was Galileo Galilei?
Galileo was an Italian mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and astronomer who played a key role in the Scientific Revolution that began toward the end of the Renaissance and continued through the Enlightenment period of the eighteenth century. Galileo lived from 1564 to 1642. He is considered to be the “father of modern science” and his contributions to the world of science are still extremely relevant to this day.

FINNISH

The Origins
Finnish is a Uralic language. It came from the Proto-Finnic language Sámi. The Proto-Finnic language was not actually spoken in Finland, but rather around present-day St. Petersburg. As the language began to spread north, one of the daughter languages turned into Finnish. Around the first century, the Finnic languages separated, which still has great influence on the Finnish dialects.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION