Monday, January 4, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for January 5, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 5, 2021 is Pacific blue-eye.
The Pacific blue-eye (Pseudomugil signifer) is a species of fish in the subfamily Pseudomugilinae native to eastern Australia. Described by Austrian naturalist Rudolf Kner in 1866, it comprises two subspecies that have been regarded as separate species in the past and may be once again with further study. It is a common fish of rivers and estuaries along the eastern seaboard from Cape York in north Queensland to southern New South Wales. The ranges of the two subspecies are divided by the Burdekin Gap in central-north Queensland. A small silvery fish averaging around 3–3.5 cm (1 1⁄8–1 3⁄8 in) in total length, the Pacific blue-eye is recognisable by its blue eye ring and two dorsal fins. It forms loose schools of tens to thousands of individuals. It eats water-borne insects as well as flying insects that land on the water's surface, foraging for them by sight. The Pacific blue-eye adapts readily to captivity.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for January 4, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 4, 2021 is Skegness.
Skegness is an English seaside town on the North Sea coast of Lincolnshire with 19,579 residents. The original Skegness was situated farther east but much of it was lost to the sea in the 1520s after the natural sea defences which protected its medieval harbour eroded. Rebuilt along the new shoreline, early modern Skegness was a fishing and farming village. From the late 18th century members of the local gentry visited for holidays. After the railways arrived in 1873, the major landowner turned the town into a seaside resort. It became a popular destination for holiday-makers from East Midlands factory towns such as Nottingham and Leicester. Despite the advent of the package holiday abroad in the 1970s, Skegness has a loyal visitor base; it has attracted new tourists and its affordability has fuelled a rise in visitor numbers since the 2010s recession. With a reputation as a traditional English seaside resort, the town received over 1.4 million visitors in 2015.

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for January 3, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 3, 2021 is Revival (comics).
Revival is an American horror comics series created by writer Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton (pictured). The pair worked with colorist Mark Englert and cover artist Jenny Frison to produce the series, which was published by Image Comics as 47 monthly issues released between July 2012 and February 2017. It has since been reprinted in both paperback and hardcover editions. Set in central Wisconsin, Revival follows the aftermath of the dead coming back to life. The story is centered on detective Dana Cypress and her sister Em, who was revived one day after she was murdered. As they investigate, they find that the motive behind Em's murder is linked to her revival. The series was nominated for three Harvey Awards in 2013, and Frison was nominated in the Best Cover Artist category in 2013 and 2015 in part because of her work on the series. Diamond Select Toys has released a Minimate toy of Em Cypress.

Friday, January 1, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day for January 2, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 2, 2021 is Perijá tapaculo.
The Perijá tapaculo (Scytalopus perijanus) is a species of passerine bird in the tapaculo family. Endemic to the Serranía del Perijá mountain range on the Colombia–Venezuela border, it is found at altitudes of 1,600–3,225 metres (5,200–10,600 feet). It measures 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 inches), and its tail is 40 mm (1.6 in) long. Specimens occurred in museums, but this species was only described in 2015 based on sixteen birds found between 2008 and 2009. It is considered vulnerable. Adults have grey heads, brown necks, brown-sepia-striped backs, and grey-white bellies, breasts, and throats. Males have some buff markings on their breasts, and less defined brown nape spots than females. This tapaculo is secretive and therefore difficult to observe, so its ecology is poorly known. It feeds on insects and reproduces between April and July. Its range is partially within Chamicero de Perijá Bird Reserve in Colombia and the Sierra de Perijá National Park in Venezuela.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for January 1, 2021

The Wikipedia article of the day for January 1, 2021 is Armed Forces Special Weapons Project.
The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP) was a United States military agency responsible for those aspects of nuclear weapons that remained under military control after the Manhattan Project was succeeded by the Atomic Energy Commission on 1 January 1947. These included the maintenance, storage, security and handling of nuclear weapons, and support for nuclear weapons testing. Early nuclear weapons were complex and cumbersome, and stored as components rather than complete devices due to the short shelf life of their lead-acid batteries and modulated neutron initiators, and the heat generated by the fissile cores. As nuclear weapons development proceeded, mass-produced models became available that were easier to store, handle, maintain and assemble, and the AFSWP became more involved in stockpile management, and providing administrative, technical and logistical support. In 1958, the AFSWP became the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA), a field agency of the Department of Defense.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for December 31, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for December 31, 2020 is George Gosse.
George Gosse (16 February 1912 – 31 December 1964) was an Australian recipient of the George Cross, the highest non-combat award for heroism or courage that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time. Gosse served in the Royal Australian Navy between 1926 and 1933, and in 1940 joined the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve. He served in the UK before being sent to British India as a naval mine clearance specialist. Returning to the UK in late 1944, in April 1945 he was given command of a party responsible for mine clearance in the recently captured Bremen Harbour in Germany. He displayed courage in defusing three mines under very difficult conditions between 8 May and 19 May 1945, for which he was awarded the George Cross. After the war Gosse reached the rank of lieutenant commander, retiring in 1958. He died of a heart condition in 1964. His medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Wikipedia article of the day for December 30, 2020

The Wikipedia article of the day for December 30, 2020 is Immune system.
The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism against disease. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinters, distinguishing them from the organism's own healthy tissue. Many species have two major subsystems of the immune system. The innate immune system provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations and stimuli. The adaptive immune system provides a tailored response to each stimulus by learning to recognize molecules it has previously encountered. Both use molecules and cells to perform their functions. Humans have sophisticated defense mechanisms, including the ability to adapt to recognize pathogens more efficiently. Adaptive (or acquired) immunity creates an immunological memory leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters with that same pathogen. This process of acquired immunity is the basis of vaccination.