music: Referentialists and nonreferentialists: The American musicologist and theorist Leonard Meyer, in his Emotion and Meaning in Music (1956), spoke of “designative” and “embodied” meanings; he recognized both kinds in music but appeared to give equal weight to the extrinsic and intrinsic.

Lothar Meyer was a German chemist who, independently of Dmitry Mendeleyev, developed a periodic classification of the chemical elements. Though originally educated as a physician, he was chiefly interested in chemistry and physics. In 1859 Meyer began his career as a science educator, holding

Lucy Jane Rider Meyer was an American social worker and educator whose activity within the Methodist church was aimed at training and organizing workers to provide health and social services for the poor, the elderly, and children. Lucy Rider attended public schools and the New Hampton Literary

Paul Meyer was a French language and literary scholar and one of the great authorities on the Medieval French and Provençal languages. He was also noted for his literary histories and critical editions of many medieval works. Attached to the manuscript department of the Bibliothèque National,

gas: Viscosity: …1877 that the German physicist O.E. Meyer pointed out that Graham’s measurements had shown the independence of viscosity on density. Prior to Meyer’s investigations, the kinetic theory had suggested the result, so he was looking for experimental proof to support the prediction. When James Clerk Maxwell discovered (in 1865) that…

Paul Meyer was a French language and literary scholar and one of the great authorities on the Medieval French and Provençal languages. He was also noted for his literary histories and critical editions of many medieval works. Attached to the manuscript department of the Bibliothèque National,

Ray Meyer was an American collegiate basketball coach with the most team victories of active coaches in the early 1980s. Meyer played basketball at St. Patrick’s High School in Chicago and at the University of Notre Dame. He played forward at Notre Dame and was the team’s captain during the 1937–38

Ray Meyer was an American collegiate basketball coach with the most team victories of active coaches in the early 1980s. Meyer played basketball at St. Patrick’s High School in Chicago and at the University of Notre Dame. He played forward at Notre Dame and was the team’s captain during the 1937–38

iceboating: In about 1931, Starke Meyer of Milwaukee, Wis., designed a hull with the steering runner at the bow and the runner plank at the stern, instead of the other way around, as in most previous designs. The downward and forward thrust of the mast, located between the two…

Stephenie Meyer is an American author known for the popular Twilight Saga, a series of vampire-themed novels for teenagers. Meyer, who was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, received a National Merit Scholarship and attended Brigham Young University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree (1997) in

Jacksonville Jaguars: …team hired decorated collegiate coach Urban Meyer and drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the number one pick. The choice of Meyer proved disastrous, as he was accused of creating a hostile environment for both athletes and coaches, including verbally abusing and even kicking a player; he was dismissed before the…

Viktor Meyer was a German chemist who contributed greatly to knowledge of both organic and inorganic chemistry. Meyer studied under the analytic chemist Robert Bunsen, the organic chemist Emil Erlenmeyer, and the physicist Gustav Kirchhoff at the University of Heidelberg, where he received his

electronic instrument: The tape recorder as a musical tool: , by Herbert Eimert, Werner Meyer-Eppler, and others, under the auspices of the Northwest German Broadcasting Studio. While the composers associated with this studio used many of the same techniques of tape manipulation as did the French group, they favoured electronically generated rather than natural sound sources. In particular,…

Wilhelm Meyer-Lübke was a Swiss-German linguist whose comparative studies of the Romance languages and the popular spoken Latin from which they developed revolutionized Romance linguistics. Adhering to the tenets of the Neogrammarian school of linguistics, he advocated rigorous research

University of Denver: The university’s Meyer-Womble Observatory on Mount Evans, at more than 14,000 feet (4,270 metres) in elevation, is one of the world’s highest. Total enrollment is approximately 9,300.

Giacomo Meyerbeer was a German opera composer who established in Paris a vogue for spectacular romantic opera. Born of a wealthy Jewish family, Meyerbeer studied composition in Berlin and later at Darmstadt, where he formed a friendship with C.M. von Weber. His early German operas, produced at

Otto Meyerhof was a German biochemist and corecipient, with Archibald V. Hill, of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for research on the chemical reactions of metabolism in muscle. His work on the glycogen-lactic acid cycle remains a basic contribution to the understanding of muscular

Otto Meyerhof was a German biochemist and corecipient, with Archibald V. Hill, of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for research on the chemical reactions of metabolism in muscle. His work on the glycogen-lactic acid cycle remains a basic contribution to the understanding of muscular

Vsevolod Yemilyevich Meyerhold was a Russian theatrical producer, director, and actor whose provocative experiments in nonrealistic theatre made him one of the seminal forces in modern theatre. Meyerhold became a student in 1896 at the Moscow Philharmonic Dramatic School under the guidance of

Vsevolod Yemilyevich Meyerhold was a Russian theatrical producer, director, and actor whose provocative experiments in nonrealistic theatre made him one of the seminal forces in modern theatre. Meyerhold became a student in 1896 at the Moscow Philharmonic Dramatic School under the guidance of

Noah Baumbach: Film career: In Baumbach’s 2017 film The Meyerowitz Stories, produced by Netflix, three adult siblings (including one with a grown child) try to understand their domineering, artistic father (Dustin Hoffman). Critics especially praised Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson out of the film’s ensemble cast, and Sight & Sound magazine called the…

Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon, German encyclopaedia published in 25 volumes in Mannheim, W.Ger., from 1971 to 1979. The encyclopaedia was first published in Leipzig as the Meyers Grosses Konversations-Lexikon in 46 volumes in 1840–52. Subsequent editions occupied fewer volumes, the 4th edition

Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon, German encyclopaedia published in 25 volumes in Mannheim, W.Ger., from 1971 to 1979. The encyclopaedia was first published in Leipzig as the Meyers Grosses Konversations-Lexikon in 46 volumes in 1840–52. Subsequent editions occupied fewer volumes, the 4th edition

Belleville, city, seat (1792) of Hastings county, southeastern Ontario, Canada, situated on the Bay of Quinte, an inlet of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Moira River. The site was first visited by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1615; it was settled after 1776 by loyalists from the

Nancy Meyers is an American writer, director, and producer who was best known for her romantic comedies, several of which centre on middle-aged women. Meyers grew up in the Philadelphia area. After studying journalism at American University (B.A., 1970), she moved to Los Angeles to begin a career

Nancy Meyers is an American writer, director, and producer who was best known for her romantic comedies, several of which centre on middle-aged women. Meyers grew up in the Philadelphia area. After studying journalism at American University (B.A., 1970), she moved to Los Angeles to begin a career

CBGB: …guitar exercises of Television, whose Richard Hell took to tearing his T-shirt, inspiring Malcolm McLaren to have the Sex Pistols do the same a few years later in London. The vital gig was Hilly Kristal’s CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Other Music for Uplifting Gourmandisers), better known as…

Kate McKinnon: Career: … Late Night with Seth Meyers, Meyers asked McKinnon if she was nervous about hosting the show, to which she replied:

Émile Meyerson was a Polish-born French chemist and philosopher of science whose concepts of rational understanding based on realism and causalism were popular among scientific theorists in the 1930s. Educated in classical science and chemistry under Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in Germany, Meyerson

tidal power: Electricity generation potential: …the first phase of the MeyGen project in Scotland’s Inner Sound generated 700 megawatt-hours of electricity in August 2017.

Indian philosophy: Shaiva-siddhanta: …the Knowledge of Shiva”) by Meykantatevar (13th century), Shivacharya’s Shiva-jnana-siddhiyar (“Attainment of the Knowledge of Shiva”), Umapati’s Shivaprakasham (“Lights on Shiva”) in the 14th century, Shrikantha’s commentary on the Vedanta-sutras (14th century), and Appaya Dikshita’s commentary thereon.

Meymaneh, town, northwestern Afghanistan. It lies at the northern foot of the Torkestān Mountain Range at an elevation of 2,850 feet (870 m). The town serves an agricultural area irrigated from the Qeyṣār River and also handles the trade in Karakul sheep with nomads. Meymaneh is linked with

Alice Meynell was an English poet and essayist. Much of Meynell’s childhood was spent in Italy, and about 1868 she converted to Roman Catholicism, which was strongly reflected in her writing. Encouraged by Alfred Tennyson and Coventry Patmore, she published her first volume of poems, Preludes, in

Alice Meynell was an English poet and essayist. Much of Meynell’s childhood was spent in Italy, and about 1868 she converted to Roman Catholicism, which was strongly reflected in her writing. Encouraged by Alfred Tennyson and Coventry Patmore, she published her first volume of poems, Preludes, in

typography: Mechanical composition: …the printing trade published by Gerard Meynell of the Westminster Press in London. Its contributors included Edward Johnston, who not only wrote for the magazine but designed its calligraphic masthead; and Stanley Morison, who began his career as printing historian and typographer on its staff. Other Monotype faces cut at…

foxhunting: …the 19th century shortly after Hugo Meynell, the father of the modern English chase, started hunting, and it soon developed into a national upper-class pastime; a character in Oscar Wilde’s play A Woman of No Importance calls it “the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable.” The sport often followed…

Sir Francis Meynell was an English book designer particularly associated with the fine editions of Nonesuch Press, publications that were notable for the use of modern mechanical means to achieve results that rivaled the printing of handpresses. The son of Wilfrid and Alice Meynell, he was educated

Sir Francis Meynell was an English book designer particularly associated with the fine editions of Nonesuch Press, publications that were notable for the use of modern mechanical means to achieve results that rivaled the printing of handpresses. The son of Wilfrid and Alice Meynell, he was educated

Francis Thompson: …two of his poems in Wilfrid Meynell’s periodical, Merry England, aroused the admiration of Robert Browning. Meynell and his wife, Alice, befriended Thompson, induced him to enter a hospital, nursed him through convalescence, and in 1893 arranged publication of a collection, Poems. Thompson is chiefly associated with rhapsodic accounts of…

Baltic religion: Forest and agricultural deities: …peoples, is called in Latvian Meža māte and in Lithuanian Medeinė (“Mother of the Forest”). She again has been further differentiated into other divinities, or rather she was given metaphorical appellations with no mythological significance, such as Krūmu māte (“Mother of the Bushes”), Lazdu māte (“Mother of the Hazels”), Lapu…

mezcal, distilled alcoholic beverage derived from the fermented juice of the baked core of the agave plant and traditionally made in Mexico. The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, which roughly translates to “cooked agave.” Although mezcal has traditionally been used to refer to any

Mezhdurechensk, city, Kemerovo oblast (region), central Russia. It is located where the Usa River flows into the Tom River, in the upper Tom valley. Developed as the coal-mining settlement of Olzheras in the Tom-Usinsky region of the Kuznetsk Basin in the 1950s, it was renamed and incorporated as a

White Sea: …Gorlo Strait, Voronka, and the Mezen mouth. The sea’s chief hollow is separated from the Barents Sea by a sill 130 feet deep, which restricts deepwater exchange between the two bodies of water.

Auvergne: Geography: …Vivarais Mountains top out at Mount Mézenc, 5,751 feet (1,753 metres) above Haute-Loire, while in Cantal, an area of high plateaus, volcanic peaks rise to the Plomb du Cantal, at 6,096 feet (1,858 metres). In the north the Paris Basin extends into Allier. Important rivers include the Loire, Allier, Cher,…

White Sea: …Gorlo Strait, Voronka, and the Mezen mouth. The sea’s chief hollow is separated from the Barents Sea by a sill 130 feet deep, which restricts deepwater exchange between the two bodies of water.

Third Department: Mezentsev, in 1878.

Daphne: The mezereon (D. mezereum) is a larger shrub, up to 1.5 m (5 feet), with deciduous leaves and spicy-fragrant pink flowers; the entire plant, including its bright-orange berries, is poisonous. The garland flower (D. cneorum) is a hardy evergreen trailing shrub, or ground cover, with pink,…

International Investment Bank, international bank, founded in 1970 and operational in 1971, designed to provide long- and medium-term credit for capital construction in member states. The founding members were Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, and the

Mezhdurechensk, city, Kemerovo oblast (region), central Russia. It is located where the Usa River flows into the Tom River, in the upper Tom valley. Developed as the coal-mining settlement of Olzheras in the Tom-Usinsky region of the Kuznetsk Basin in the 1950s, it was renamed and incorporated as a

Charleville-Mézières, twin towns, jointly capital of Ardennes département, Grand Est région, northeastern France. They lie along the Meuse River, 52 miles (84 km) northeast of Reims and 9 miles (14 km) southwest of the Belgian frontier. The twin towns of Charleville and Mézières (formerly Maceriae,

Philippe de Mézières was a French nobleman and author who championed Crusades to reconquer the kingdom of Jerusalem. Born of poor nobility, Mézières was at first a soldier of fortune in Italy, serving Lucchino Visconti, lord of Milan, and then Andrew of Hungary, in Naples. Joining the Crusade led

spider beetle: … (Ptinus fur) and the shiny American spider beetle (Mezium americanum) are household pests in North America.

Mehmed III: …(Eger) and victory at Hachova (Mező-Kersztes). In 1601, following a continuous war of sieges, the Ottomans took the fortress of Kanizsa.

Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Islamic mosque in Córdoba, Spain, which was converted into a Christian cathedral in the 13th century. The original structure was built by the Umayyad ruler ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān I in 784–786 with extensions in the 9th and 10th centuries that doubled its size, ultimately making

mezuzah, small folded or rolled parchment inscribed by a qualified calligraphist with scriptural verses (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21) to remind Jews of their obligations toward God. The parchment is placed in a metal, wooden, or glass case so that the word Shaddai (“Almighty”) can usually be seen

mezuzah, small folded or rolled parchment inscribed by a qualified calligraphist with scriptural verses (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21) to remind Jews of their obligations toward God. The parchment is placed in a metal, wooden, or glass case so that the word Shaddai (“Almighty”) can usually be seen

mezza majolica, in pottery, an earthenware body dipped into clay slip and covered with a lead glaze, superficially resembling true majolica, or tin-glazed earthenware. In German it is sometimes known as halb-fayence (“half faience”). Both terms are misnomers; the ware is more correctly classified

mezza majolica, in pottery, an earthenware body dipped into clay slip and covered with a lead glaze, superficially resembling true majolica, or tin-glazed earthenware. In German it is sometimes known as halb-fayence (“half faience”). Both terms are misnomers; the ware is more correctly classified

métayage, type of land tenure whereby the cultivator (métayer) uses land without owning it and pays rent in kind to the owner. Pure métayage is a form of share tenancy involving payment of approximately half the annual output; the métayer’s family permanently occupies the land that it works. The

relief: Middle relief, or mezzo-relievo, falls roughly between the high and low forms. A variation of relief carving, found almost exclusively in ancient Egyptian sculpture, is sunken relief (also called incised relief), in which the carving is sunk below the level of the surrounding surface and…

mezzo-soprano, (Italian: “half-soprano”), in vocal music the range between the soprano (q.v.) and the alto, usually encompassing the A below middle C and the second F or G above middle C. The term is often abbreviated to

clef: …the bottom line, and the mezzo-soprano clef, with middle C as the second line from the bottom of the staff.

Mezzogiorno, region in Italy roughly coextensive with the former Kingdom of Naples; in current Italian administrative usage, it is a mainland subregion consisting of the southern Italian regions of Abruzzi, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria and an insular subregion composed of

mezzotint, a method of engraving a metal plate by systematically and evenly pricking its entire surface with innumerable small holes that will hold ink and, when printed, produce large areas of tone. The pricking of the plate was originally done with a roulette (a small wheel covered with sharp

Jerusalem: City layout: Others include the Bukharan Quarter; Meʾa Sheʿarim, founded by Orthodox Jews from eastern and central Europe, with its scores of small synagogues and yeshivas; and Maḥane Yehuda, with its fruit and vegetable market, inhabited mainly by Jews of North African and Middle Eastern origin. Residential quarters established between World Wars…

Meʾassef, (Hebrew: Collector), first Hebrew publication of the Haskala cultural movement within central and eastern European Jewry in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Founded in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia), by pupils of Moses Mendelssohn, it appeared as a quarterly from 1784 to

Oceanic music and dance: Polynesia: …an important dance was the me’etu’upaki—a paddle dance performed by a large group of men in accompaniment to singing and a slit gong, which was often played by a high-ranking chief. This dance is still performed today. Group dances called me’elaufola were performed by men or women separately in accompaniment…

religious dress: Early sacerdotal dress: …priest, while officiating, wore the meʿil (mantle), the ephod (an upper garment), a breastplate, and a headdress. The meʿil was a sleeveless robe of purple the lower hem of which had a fringe of small gold bells alternating with pomegranate tassels in red, scarlet, purple, and violet. The ephod—an object…

water supply system: Membrane filtration: Pressure-driven membrane filtration systems include microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), and reverse osmosis (RO); they differ basically in the pressures used and pore sizes of the membranes. RO systems operate at relatively high pressures and can be used to remove dissolved inorganic compounds from water. (RO is also used for desalination,…

Portugal: The Revolution of the Carnations: …300 officers calling themselves the Armed Forces Movement (Movimento das Forças Armadas; MFA), led by Francisco da Costa Gomes and other officers, planned and implemented the coup of April 25, 1974, which came to be known as the Revolution of the Carnations.

Casamance: A separatist group, the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), emerged in the early 1980s, organized by the Diola. Demonstrations by the MFDC led to a number of arrests, and in 1990 the group attacked several administrative locations in the region. The Senegalese army was sent to Casamance,…

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), political party formed in 1964 as an alternative to the dominantly white and conservative Democratic Party of Mississippi. After President Lyndon B. Johnson formed a coalition between liberal Democrats and liberal and moderate Republicans to address

Mfecane, series of Zulu and other Nguni wars and forced migrations of the second and third decades of the 19th century that changed the demographic, social, and political configuration of southern and central Africa and parts of eastern Africa. The Mfecane was set in motion by the rise of the Zulu

Mfengu, people living in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and traditionally speaking a Xhosa language (one of the Bantu languages). The Mfengu are descendants of refugees from the Mfecane (massive migrations of Nguni peoples) in Natal, largely of Hlubi, Bhele, and Zizi origin, who made their

Ryan Reynolds: Charity and advocacy work: Fox Foundation and in honor of his father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson disease about 1994. Reynolds served on the foundation’s board of directors.

most-favoured-nation treatment (MFN), guarantee of trading opportunity equal to that accorded to the most-favoured nation; it is essentially a method of establishing equality of trading opportunity among states by making originally bilateral agreements multilateral. As a principle of public

Bamum: …over by a king (mfon) whose position is hereditary within one of the exogamous patrilineal lineages. The mfon rules with the help of his queen mother (na).

Stasi, secret police agency of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The Stasi was one of the most hated and feared institutions of the East German communist government. The Stasi developed out of the internal security and police apparatus established in the Soviet zone of occupation in

Luba: …the nganga (healer), and the mfwintshi (the witch, the embodiment of evil and the antithesis of the will of the ancestors).

magnesium (Mg), chemical element, one of the alkaline-earth metals of Group 2 (IIa) of the periodic table, and the lightest structural metal. Its compounds are widely used in construction and medicine, and magnesium is one of the elements essential to all cellular life. atomic number 12 atomic

MG42, German general-purpose machine gun, used as a standard weapon by many armies around the world. The MG42 was designed in Germany in 1938, and it was placed in action on all fronts by mid-1942. Its original calibre was 7.92 mm, but when West Germany entered the North Atlantic Treaty

MG42: …new calibre were then called MG2, and a further modification to facilitate antiaircraft use was styled MG3. The gun without a butt, for tripod mounting, is 109.7 cm (43.2 inches) long with a barrel 56.5 cm (22.25 inches) long. With a butt, for use with a bipod, the gun is…

MG42: …facilitate antiaircraft use was styled MG3. The gun without a butt, for tripod mounting, is 109.7 cm (43.2 inches) long with a barrel 56.5 cm (22.25 inches) long. With a butt, for use with a bipod, the gun is 122.5 cm (48.25 inches) long. It weighs (without bipod) 10.5 kg…

small arm: Light machine guns: …guns was introduced by the Maschinengewehr 1934 and 1942. Recoil-operated and fed 7.92-mm rifle ammunition on belts, these were equally effective when fired from bipods or when mounted on tripods for sustained fire. Firing at an extremely high rate (as high as 1,000 rounds per minute), they dealt with the…

MG42, German general-purpose machine gun, used as a standard weapon by many armies around the world. The MG42 was designed in Germany in 1938, and it was placed in action on all fronts by mid-1942. Its original calibre was 7.92 mm, but when West Germany entered the North Atlantic Treaty

MGB, former Soviet intelligence and counterintelligence agency, one of the forerunners of the KGB

Mongolia: Constitutional framework: …a new unicameral legislature, the Mongolian Great Khural (MGK), the members of which are elected for four-year terms. The constitution also provides for a directly elected president, who is head of state and who, on the advice of the majority party leader in the MGK, nominates the prime minister, who…

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (MGM), American corporation that was once the world’s largest and most profitable motion-picture studio. The studio reached its peak in the 1930s and ’40s. During those years MGM had under contract at various times such outstanding screen personalities as Greta Garbo, John

Ted Turner: Media empire: In 1986 he bought the MGM/UA Entertainment Company, which included Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s library of more than 4,000 films. Turner set off a storm of protest when he authorized the “colourizing” of some of the library’s black-and-white motion pictures.

dharmapāla: …dharmapālas are worshiped in the mgon khang, a subterranean room, the entrance to which is often guarded by stuffed wild yaks or leopards. Priests wear special vestments and use ritual instruments often made of human bone or skin. Worship includes the performance of masked dances (’cham).

Mahākāla, in Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protective deities. See

M.G. Ramachandran was an Indian actor and politician who was chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 to 1987, with a brief interregnum from February 17 to June 9, 1980, when Tamil Nadu came under President’s Rule and the central government assumed control of the state. Popularly known as MGR, he was

Battle of Blood River: Context: …on the Zulu capital of Mgungundlovu with a force under commandants Dirk Uys and Andries Potgieter. Along the way, they were attacked by the Zulu at Ithaleni, and Uys and many of his men were killed. Exhausted, the remaining Voortrekkers prepared for defeat. The Zulu attacked again on August 12,…

Lee Berger: The partial skeleton, labeled MH2, has become recognized as the most complete early hominin skeleton known. The well-preserved bones found at the site included a pelvis, a foot, a complete right hand, and two skulls.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappearance, disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The disappearance of the Boeing 777 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board led to a search effort stretching from the Indian Ocean

Arikara: …coalesced, becoming known as the Three Affiliated Tribes (or MHA Nation), and a reservation was created for them at Fort Berthold, North Dakota. By 1885 the Arikara had taken up farming and livestock production on family farmsteads dispersed along the rich Missouri River bottomlands.

major histocompatibility complex (MHC), group of genes that code for proteins found on the surfaces of cells that help the immune system recognize foreign substances. MHC proteins are found in all higher vertebrates. In human beings the complex is also called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)

human leukocyte antigen (HLA), any of the numerous antigens (substances capable of stimulating an immune response) involved in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in humans. The HLA genes encode the cell-surface proteins that are part of the MHC. HLA antigens are programmed by a highly

magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), the description of the behaviour of a plasma (q.v.), or, in general, any electrically conducting fluid in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. A plasma can be defined in terms of its constituents, using equations to describe the behaviour of the electrons, ions,

magnetohydrodynamic power generator: Coal-fired MHD systems: …the gas expands along the duct or channel, its electrical conductivity drops along with its temperature. Thus, power production with thermal ionization is essentially finished when the temperature falls to about 2,500 K (about 2,200 °C, or 4,000 °F). To be economically competitive, a coal-fired power station would have to…