first aired in November 1997. On an archaeological dig with her class,
Lisa discovers a skeleton that resembles an angel. All of the
townspeople believe that the skeleton actually came from an angel, but
skeptical Lisa attempts to persuade them that there must be a rational
scientific explanation, asking the American paleontologist Stephen Jay
Gould to test a sample. After Gould tells Lisa that the tests were
inconclusive, she compares the belief in angels to the belief in
unicorns and leprechauns and in response, Springfield's religious
zealots go on a rampage to destroy all scientific institutions. The
episode's writer David X. Cohen (pictured) developed the idea after
visiting the American Museum of Natural History, and decided to loosely
parallel themes from the Scopes Monkey Trial. The episode received
generally positive reviews. It has been discussed in the context of
virtual reality, ontology, existentialism, and skepticism; it has also
been used in Christian religious education classes to initiate
discussion about angels, skepticism, science, and faith.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_the_Skeptic>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1890:
London's City and South London Railway, the first deep-level
underground railway in the world, opened, running a distance of 5.1 km
(3.2 mi) between the City of London and Stockwell.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_and_South_London_Railway>
1921:
After a speech by Adolf Hitler in the Hofbräuhaus in Munich,
members of the Sturmabteilung, known as "brownshirts", physically
assaulted his opposition, an event which assumed legendary proportions
over time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung>
1960:
At the Kasakela Chimpanzee Community in Tanzania, Dr. Jane
Goodall (pictured in 2010) observed a chimpanzee using a grass stalk to
extract termites from a termite hill, the first recorded case of tool
use by animals.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasakela_Chimpanzee_Community>
1995:
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by Yigal
Amir while at a peace rally at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Yitzhak_Rabin>
2008:
Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected
President of the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
mara:
1. (folklore) A nightmare; a spectre or wraith-like creature in
Scandinavian folklore, especially one that causes terrifying visions or
dreams.
2. (Buddhism) A malicious or evil spirit.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mara>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.
--Augustus Toplady
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Augustus_Toplady>
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