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Photograph:A project called Natural Geography in Shore Areas studied coastal zones, including Prince William …

Deep & Diverse

The diversity of microscopic organisms in the ocean is actually 10 to 100 times greater than previously estimated; a single litre of seawater may contain more than 20,000 kinds of microorganisms. Such are the conclusions to date of the 10-year Census of Marine Life, a wide-ranging multinational study begun in 2000 for the purpose of cataloging as many ocean species as possible. Get an update on the study from Britannica. Features Archive

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Biography of the Day

Pete Seeger, 1971.American singer, songwriter, and activist Pete Seeger, born this day in 1919, played a pivotal role in sustaining the folk music tradition and was an inspiration for younger performers in the folk revival of the 1960s.

This Day in History

Margaret Thatcher.On this day in 1979, Margaret Thatcher of the Conservative Party was elected British prime minister, becoming the first woman in Europe to hold that post and later the longest continuously serving British premier since 1827.
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Hard is the heart that loveth nought
In May.
Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, The Romaunt of the Rose translated by Chaucer, c. 1370
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Contributor's News

Food BookHere's a fascinating collection of readings that view food in a novel way—as a vehicle for understanding broad themes in history, anthropology, literature, and economics. Fast food, sushi, food scares, contamination—all are covered in The Cultural Politics of Food and Eating, a book edited by Melissa L. Caldwell and James Watson, author of Britannica’s entry on globalization.

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Globalization


A complete set of Jay’s Journal of Anomalies, the very popular quarterly publication by Britannica contributor and sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay, is available here in a single illustrated volume of the same name. As the publisher states, it’s “a brilliant excursion into the history of bizarre entertainments.” Learn more about the book, and read Britannica’s entry on conjuring written by Ricky Jay.

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Conjuring