Maclaurin, Colin, Scottish mathmatician who developed and extended Sir Isaac Newton's work in calculus, geometry, and gravitation. A child prodigy, he entered the University of Glasgow at age 11. At the age of 19 he was elected a professor of mathematics at marischal college, Aberdeen, and two years later he became a fellow of the Royal Society of L…
legal aid, the professional legal assistance given, either at no charge or for a nominal sum, to indigent persons in need of such help. In criminal cases most countries specially those in which a person accused of a crime enjoys a presumption of innocence-provide the services of a lawyer for those …
Katz, Sir Bernard (b. March 26, 1911, Leipzig, Gennany-d. April 20, 2003, London, England), German-born British physiologist who investigated the functioning of nerves and muscles. llis studies on the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine-which carries impulses from nerve fibr…
Harihara,also spelled I IARI-I IARA, in Hinduism, a syncretic deity combining the two major gods, Vishnu (Hari) and hiva (Hara). This dual form
Harihara, detail of a sandstone carving from northern India, 10th century ce; in the British Museum. P. Chandra found special favor in Cambodia, where inscriptions and …
The rise of air temperatures near Earth's surface over the past century is known as global warming. Earth has experienced periods of gradual wanning and cooling throughout its existence due to natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions and variations in the un 's output. However, scientists have attributed …
Earlyyears. Francis was the son of Charles de Valois-Orleans, comte d'Angoulerne, and Louise of Savoy. On the accession of his cousin Louis XII in 1498, Francis became heir presumptive and was given the Duchy of Valois. With his sister Marguerite, he was raised by his mother, who had been wid• owed at the age…
Estonia, country in northeastern Europe, the northernmost of the three Baltic states. Estonia's area includes some 1,500 islands and islets; the two largest of these islands, Saaremaa and Hiiurnaa, are off mainland Estonia's west coast.
Estonia has been dominated by foreign powers through much of its…
Warsaw, Polish WARSZAWA, city, capital of Poland. Located in the east-central part of the country, Warsaw is also the capital of Mazowieckie wojewodztwo (province). Warsaw is notable among Europe's capital cities not for its size, its age, or its beauty but for its indestructibility. lt is a pho…
Union, Act of (May I, 1707), treaty that effected the union of England and Scotland under the name of Great Britain. Since 1603 England and Scotland had been under the same monarchs. After revolutions in 1688-89 and 1702-03, projects for a closer union miscarried, and in 1703-04 international …
steroid, Any of a class of natural or synthetic organic compounds with a molecular core, or nucleus, of 17 carbon atoms in a characteristic three-dimensional arrangement of four rings. The configuration of the nucleus, the nature of the groups attached to it, and their positions distinguish different steroids. Hundreds have been found in plants and …