Rurik was the semilegendary founder of the Rurik dynasty of Kievan Rus. Rurik was a Viking, or Varangian, prince. His story is told in the The Russian Primary Chronicle (compiled at the beginning of the 12th century) but is not accepted at face value by modern historians. According to the

Rurik Dynasty, princes of Kievan Rus and, later, Muscovy who, according to tradition, were descendants of the Varangian prince Rurik, who had been invited by the people of Novgorod to rule that city (c. 862); the Rurik princes maintained their control over Kievan Rus and, later, Muscovy until 1598.

Rurik was the semilegendary founder of the Rurik dynasty of Kievan Rus. Rurik was a Viking, or Varangian, prince. His story is told in the The Russian Primary Chronicle (compiled at the beginning of the 12th century) but is not accepted at face value by modern historians. According to the

Oceanic art and architecture: The Austral (Tubuai) Islands: The style of Rurutu, to the north of the group, uses the star design and chevrons but is otherwise less ornate. Some objects were traded to other islands, the most common being fly-whisk handles, which were exported to Tahiti. Each handle was topped by a pair of figures…

Rus, ancient people who gave their name to the lands of Russia and Belarus. Their origin and identity are much in dispute. Traditional Western scholars believe them to be Scandinavian Vikings, an offshoot of the Varangians, who moved southward from the Baltic coast and founded the first

The Russian Primary Chronicle, medieval Kievan Rus historical work that gives a detailed account of the early history of the eastern Slavs to the second decade of the 12th century. The chronicle, compiled in Kiev about 1113, was based on materials taken from Byzantine chronicles, west and south

Sargon II: …realm who were threatened by Rusa I, a king of Urartu and a bitter enemy of Assyria. During the progress of this campaign, the author of the account visualized, or anticipated, the reactions of his adversary as, from a mountain, he watched the approach of the Assyrian armies. The passage,…

Melilla, Spanish exclave, military base, and free port on the northern coast of Morocco. The city is located on the eastern side of the Cabo Tres Forcas (French: Cap des Trois Fourches), a rocky peninsula that extends approximately 25 miles (40 km) into the Mediterranean Sea. Colonized by the

Baghdad: Districts: …east-bank settlement is known as Ruṣāfah, the west-bank as Al-Karkh. A series of bridges, including one railroad trestle, link the two banks. From a built-up area of about 4 square miles (10 square km) at the beginning of the 20th century, Baghdad has expanded into a bustling metropolis with suburbs…

Islamic arts: Palaces: …from about 710 to 750: Al-Ruṣāfah, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr East, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr West, Jabal Says, Khirbat Minyah, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Mshattā, Qaṣr ʿAmrah, Qaṣr al-Kharānah, and Qaṣr al-Ṭūbah. Apparently, those examples of princely architecture belong to a group of more than 60 ruined or only

Islamic arts: The diaspora: …by “the poet of freedom” Maʿrūf al-Ruṣāfī (died 1945), and Jamīl Sidqī al-Zahāwī (died 1936), whose satire “Thawrah fī al-Jaḥīm” (“Rebellion in Hell”) incurred the wrath of the traditionalists.

sword dance: …also occurs in the Balkan rusalia, a ritual dance for healing and fertility. It also precedes several English hilt-and-point dances and possibly derives from ancient whiffling to clear the dance area of evil spirits.

rusalka, in Slavic mythology, lake-dwelling soul of a child who died unbaptized or of a virgin who was drowned (whether accidentally or purposely). Slavs of different areas have assigned different personalities to the rusalki. Around the Danube River, where they are called vile (singular vila),

Ana Blandiana is a Romanian lyric poet, essayist, and translator, considered one of her generation’s most significant literary voices. An apolitical writer, she was precipitated by events into taking a political role. Blandiana graduated in philology from the University of Cluj (1967). She edited

Sargon II: …realm who were threatened by Rusa I, a king of Urartu and a bitter enemy of Assyria. During the progress of this campaign, the author of the account visualized, or anticipated, the reactions of his adversary as, from a mountain, he watched the approach of the Assyrian armies. The passage,…

Sudan: Mechanized agriculture: …Atbara River and by Al-Ruṣayriṣ Dam, which provides irrigation water for the Rahad Scheme.

Ed Ruscha is an American artist associated with West Coast Pop art whose works provide a new way of looking at and thinking about what constitutes the American scene, as well as connecting the verbal with the visual. Ruscha was raised in Oklahoma City, and in 1956 he made his way to Los Angeles.

Ed Ruscha is an American artist associated with West Coast Pop art whose works provide a new way of looking at and thinking about what constitutes the American scene, as well as connecting the verbal with the visual. Ruscha was raised in Oklahoma City, and in 1956 he made his way to Los Angeles.

public opinion: World opinion: …to the American political scientist Frank Rusciano, world opinion can be understood as “the moral judgments of observers which actors must heed in the international arena, or risk isolation as a nation.” Rusciano argued that a “world opinion” of sorts can be identified when there is general consensus among informed…

Roussillon: Ruscino (near Perpignan) was settled by a people with markedly Iberian affinities from the 7th century bc to the latter part of the 3rd, when it came under the control of Gallic peoples. After being conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century bc, the…

Western sculpture: Late Baroque: …by the heroic works of Camillo Rusconi in Rome, was dominant in central Italy through the middle of the 18th century. Rusconi’s work had considerable influence outside Italy as well.

butcher’s broom, any dark green shrub of the genus Ruscus of the family Ruscaceae, native to Eurasia. The plants lack leaves but have flattened, leaflike branchlets. The small flower clusters are borne in the centre of the branchlets, or on one side of the branchlet. The fruit is a red berry. One

broom: Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a shrub of the family Asparagaceae with small whitish flowers and red berries.

Ruse, city of northern Bulgaria, on the Danube River near the mouth of the Rusenski Lom. Bulgaria’s principal river port and a transportation hub for road and rail, Ruse has regular shipping services on the Danube and an airport. Upstream is the Friendship Bridge, built in 1954, carrying road and

philosophy of biology: The structure of evolutionary theory: …Darwin’s intentions, the British philosopher Michael Ruse in the early 1970s claimed that evolutionary theory is in fact like a “fan,” with population genetics—the study of genetic variation and selection at the population level—at the top and the other branches spreading out below. The other branches are joined to each…

Ron Howard: The Formula One race-car drama Rush (2013) centers on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Howard then dramatized the 1820 whaling disaster on which Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby Dick was based in In the Heart of the Sea (2015). He next directed

rush, any of several flowering plants distinguished by cylindrical stalks or hollow, stemlike leaves. They are found in temperate regions and particularly in moist or shady locations. The rush family (Juncaceae) includes Juncus, the common rushes, and Luzula, the woodrushes. Common rushes are used

Rush, Canadian rock band that rose to popularity in the 1970s and became one of Canada’s most successful groups, with some 45 million records sold worldwide by 2023. The band was known for its inventive meld of progressive rock with heavy metal, alternative rock, and other styles and for its

motion-picture technology: Picture editing: Before a day’s work, or rushes, are viewed it is usual to synchronize those takes that were shot with dialogue or other major sounds. Principal sound is transferred from quarter-inch to sprocketed magnetic tape of the same gauge as the film (i.e., 16-mm or 35-mm) so that once the start…

Cyperaceae: Characteristic morphological features: …Cyperaceae are the rushes (family Juncaceae). Rushes share with sedges a number of specialized anatomic and developmental features. Both families have chromosomes with a very peculiar structure. The centromeres, the point of attachment of the spindle fibres during meiosis, are not localized at one point near the middle but rather…

mass transit: Advantages to individuals and communities: …market uses transit in the rush hours, a major reduction in congestion can result. On the other hand, buses and trains running nearly empty in the middle of the day, during the evening, or on weekends do not produce sufficient benefits to the community to justify the high costs to…

Jackie Chan: …American comedian Chris Tucker in Rush Hour (1998), which enjoyed a great deal of success and launched two sequels (2001 and 2007).

Jackie Chan: …and launched two sequels (2001 and 2007).

Jackie Chan: …launched two sequels (2001 and 2007).

Coldplay: …way for the more ambitious A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). The latter album earned the group two more Grammy Awards, and singles such as “Clocks” helped drive the band’s total album sales over the 20 million mark. Coldplay followed the concert album Live 2003 (2003) with X…

Benjamin Rush was an American physician and political leader, a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His encouragement of clinical research and instruction was frequently offset by his insistence upon bloodletting, purging, and other debilitating

Chitlin Circuit: Venues and entertainers of the Chitlin Circuit: …new talent, such as bluesman Bobby Rush, whose decades of touring in blues joints around the South earned him the nickname “King of the Chitlin Circuit.” Beginning in the 1970s a new generation of comedians came up in clubs on the circuit, including Rudy Ray Moore (better known as Dolemite),…

Geoffrey Rush is an Australian film and theatre actor who deployed his craggy features and sly wit to memorable effect, particularly as villainous or unbalanced characters. Rush was raised in a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In 1968 he joined a theatre troupe attached to the University

Geoffrey Rush is an Australian film and theatre actor who deployed his craggy features and sly wit to memorable effect, particularly as villainous or unbalanced characters. Rush was raised in a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In 1968 he joined a theatre troupe attached to the University

Liverpool FC: …as Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan, Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish (who managed the club from 1985 to 1991), and Michael Owen, as well as attacking midfielder Steven Gerrard.

Richard Rush was an American attorney, diplomat, and statesman who, while serving as the acting U.S. secretary of state (1817), negotiated the Rush-Bagot Agreement with Great Britain, providing for disarmament on the Great Lakes after the War of 1812. The son of the noted physician Benjamin Rush,

Elektra Records: Village Folk to “Riders on the Storm”: rock, recording Judy Collins, Tom Rush, and Phil Ochs. By the end of the 1960s it had merged with Warner and Atlantic to form one of the major companies in the recording industry.

William Rush was a sculptor and wood-carver who is considered the first significant American sculptor. Rush trained with his father, a ship carpenter, to make ornamental ship carvings and figureheads. During the American Revolution he served as an officer in Philadelphia’s militia and campaigned

Rush–Bagot Agreement, (1817), exchange of notes between Richard Rush, acting U.S. secretary of state, and Charles Bagot, British minister to the United States, that provided for the limitation of naval forces on the Great Lakes in the wake of the War of 1812. Each country was allowed no more than

Strelitziaceae: Genera and species: The rush-leaved strelitzia, or narrow-leaved bird-of-paradise, (S. juncea) has long needlelike leaves and is somewhat frost resistant.

Pamirs: Physiography: …ranges of the Pamirs, called Rushan on the west and Bazar-dara, or Northern Alichur, on the east. Still farther south are the Southern Alichur Range and, to the west of the latter, the Shugnan Range. The extreme southwestern Pamirs are occupied by the Shakhdarin Range, composed of north-south (Ishkashim Range)…

Rushcliffe, borough (district), administrative and historic county of Nottinghamshire, central England, immediately southeast of the city of Nottingham. Rushcliffe is a rural agricultural area of open rolling uplands (wolds) and flat plains. The wolds in the south rise to between 200 and 300 feet

Salman Rushdie is an Indian-born British-American writer whose allegorical novels examine historical and philosophical issues by means of surreal characters, brooding humor, and an effusive and melodramatic prose style. Because of his treatment of sensitive religious and political subjects,

Salman Rushdie is an Indian-born British-American writer whose allegorical novels examine historical and philosophical issues by means of surreal characters, brooding humor, and an effusive and melodramatic prose style. Because of his treatment of sensitive religious and political subjects,

John Rechy: His other novels included Rushes (1979), Bodies and Souls (1983), Marilyn’s Daughter (1988), Our Lady of Babylon (1996), The Coming of the Night (1999), The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens (2003), After the Blue Hour (2017), and

motion-picture technology: Picture editing: Before a day’s work, or rushes, are viewed it is usual to synchronize those takes that were shot with dialogue or other major sounds. Principal sound is transferred from quarter-inch to sprocketed magnetic tape of the same gauge as the film (i.e., 16-mm or 35-mm) so that once the start…

J.G. Ballard: Rushing to Paradise (1994) concerns an environmentalist so rabidly committed to her cause that she becomes homicidal, and Cocaine Nights (1996) centres on an island community whose cultured lifestyle is supported by crime. Ballard deploys events of extraordinary violence in the plots of Super-Cannes (2000),…

Jimmy Rushing was an American blues and jazz singer who was best known for performing with the Count Basie Orchestra. Rushing was born into a musical family in the early 1900s (sources differ on his birth year). He joined Count Basie’s first group in 1935, gaining exposure through many recordings,

Jimmy Rushing was an American blues and jazz singer who was best known for performing with the Count Basie Orchestra. Rushing was born into a musical family in the early 1900s (sources differ on his birth year). He joined Count Basie’s first group in 1935, gaining exposure through many recordings,

rushlight, stem of a rush, stripped of most of its tough outer fibre to expose the pith, which is then dipped in melted fat and used as a taper for illumination. The rushlight is dipped only once or a few times and remains too thin and soft to stand in a candlestick (many dippings produce a

Rushmoor, borough (district), administrative and historic county of Hampshire, southern England. Occupying part of the extreme northeastern corner of the county, Rushmoor is situated at the southern edge of the River Thames basin, and its rural areas are sandy heathland. The chalk uplands of the

Wes Anderson: Anderson and Wilson next wrote Rushmore (1998), which starred Jason Schwartzman as an indefatigable prep-school student and Bill Murray as his wealthy benefactor and sometime foe. Anderson’s third collaboration with Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), was a darkly comic exploration of the dysfunctional adulthoods of a family of child

Mount Rushmore National Memorial: …on the southeast side of Mount Rushmore. The mountain itself, at an elevation of 5,725 feet (1,745 metres), was named in 1885 for Charles E. Rushmore, a New York lawyer. The memorial, which covers 2 square miles (5 square km), was designated in 1925 and dedicated in 1927. The U.S.…

John Rushworth was an English historian whose Historical Collections of Private Passages of State, 7 vol. (1659–1701; 8 vol., 1721), covering the period from 1618 to 1649, remains a valuable source of information on events leading up to and during the English Civil Wars. Rushworth studied law,

Skikda, town, Mediterranean Sea port, northeastern Algeria, situated on the Gulf of Stora. Founded by French Marshal Sylvain-Charles Valée in 1838 as the port of Constantine, it has an artificial harbour. Skikda occupies the site of ancient Rusicade, port of 4th-century Cirta, and has the largest

Ruzizi River, river, southern outflow of Lake Kivu in east-central Africa along the Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda–Burundi border. It emerges from the lake just east of Bukavu, Dem. Rep. of the Congo, and flows about 100 miles (160 km) generally south to Lake Tanganyika. There are gorges

Dean Rusk was the U.S. secretary of state during the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations who became a target of antiwar hostility as he consistently defended the United States’ participation in the Vietnam War. After graduating from Davidson College in 1931, Rusk earned his master’s

Dean Rusk was the U.S. secretary of state during the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations who became a target of antiwar hostility as he consistently defended the United States’ participation in the Vietnam War. After graduating from Davidson College in 1931, Rusk earned his master’s

Howard Rusk was an American physiatrist who is considered the founder of comprehensive rehabilitation medicine in the United States. Rusk earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri (1923) and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1925). He trained as an internist in

Howard Rusk was an American physiatrist who is considered the founder of comprehensive rehabilitation medicine in the United States. Rusk earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri (1923) and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1925). He trained as an internist in

Ernst Ruska was a German electrical engineer who invented the electron microscope. He was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986 (the other half was divided between Heinrich Rohrer and Gerd Binnig). Ruska studied at the Technical University of Munich during 1925–27 and then enrolled at

Ernst Ruska was a German electrical engineer who invented the electron microscope. He was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986 (the other half was divided between Heinrich Rohrer and Gerd Binnig). Ruska studied at the Technical University of Munich during 1925–27 and then enrolled at

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was an Australian Aboriginal writer and political activist, considered the first of the modern-day Aboriginal protest writers. Her first volume of poetry, We Are Going (1964), is the first book by an Aboriginal woman to be published. Raised on Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), off

John Ruskin was an English critic of art, architecture, and society who was a gifted painter, a distinctive prose stylist, and an important example of the Victorian Sage, or Prophet: a writer of polemical prose who seeks to cause widespread cultural and social change. Ruskin was born into the

Rusyn, any of several East Slavic peoples (modern-day Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Carpatho-Rusyns) and their languages. The name Rusyn is derived from Rus (Ruthenia), the name of the territory that they inhabited. The name Ruthenian derives from the Latin Ruthenus (singular), a term found in

Ruslan and Lyudmila, romantic narrative poem by Aleksandr Pushkin, published in Russian in 1820 as Ruslan i Lyudmila. The mock-heroic folk epic was influenced by the style of Ludovico Ariosto and Voltaire. The hero of the poem, Ruslan, is modeled on the traditional Russian epic hero. He faces many

Ruslan and Lyudmila, romantic narrative poem by Aleksandr Pushkin, published in Russian in 1820 as Ruslan i Lyudmila. The mock-heroic folk epic was influenced by the style of Ludovico Ariosto and Voltaire. The hero of the poem, Ruslan, is modeled on the traditional Russian epic hero. He faces many

Mikhail Glinka: …in 1842 his second opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, was produced. The exotic subject and boldly original music of Ruslan won neither favour nor popular acclaim, although Franz Liszt was struck by the novelty of the music.

Ruslan and Lyudmila, romantic narrative poem by Aleksandr Pushkin, published in Russian in 1820 as Ruslan i Lyudmila. The mock-heroic folk epic was influenced by the style of Ludovico Ariosto and Voltaire. The hero of the poem, Ruslan, is modeled on the traditional Russian epic hero. He faces many

Rusyn, any of several East Slavic peoples (modern-day Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Carpatho-Rusyns) and their languages. The name Rusyn is derived from Rus (Ruthenia), the name of the territory that they inhabited. The name Ruthenian derives from the Latin Ruthenus (singular), a term found in

Czech Republic: History of the Czech Republic: …and appointed former finance minister Jiří Rusnok to serve as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, pending the scheduling of early elections.

Monastir, city in eastern Tunisia. It lies at the tip of a small peninsula protruding into the Mediterranean Sea between the Gulf of Hammamet and the Bay of Al-Munastīr. The ruins of Ruspinum, a Phoenician and Roman settlement, are 3 miles (5 km) to the west of the city. Monastir is now a port and,

Monastir, city in eastern Tunisia. It lies at the tip of a small peninsula protruding into the Mediterranean Sea between the Gulf of Hammamet and the Bay of Al-Munastīr. The ruins of Ruspinum, a Phoenician and Roman settlement, are 3 miles (5 km) to the west of the city. Monastir is now a port and,

Ruse, city of northern Bulgaria, on the Danube River near the mouth of the Rusenski Lom. Bulgaria’s principal river port and a transportation hub for road and rail, Ruse has regular shipping services on the Danube and an airport. Upstream is the Friendship Bridge, built in 1954, carrying road and

glassware: The Roman Empire: …of the elaborate and fantastic Rüsselbecher (“elephant’s trunk, or claw beaker”) on which two superimposed rows of hollow, trunklike protrusions curve down to rejoin the wall of the vessel above a small button foot.

Russell, community, northeastern North Island, New Zealand. It is located on the southeastern shore of the Bay of Islands. Under its original name of Okiato, the town was chosen (1840) by Lieutenant Governor William Hobson to be the first capital of New Zealand. It was subsequently renamed in

Russell Cave National Monument, portion of a limestone cavern in northeastern Alabama, U.S., 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Bridgeport and just south of the Alabama-Tennessee border. The cave and site area (0.5 square mile [1.3 square km]) were given to the National Park Service by the National

Russell family, a famous English Whig family, the senior line of which has held the title of duke of Bedford since 1694. Originating in Dorset, the family first became prominent under the Tudor sovereigns, John Russell (died 1555) being created earl of Bedford for his part in suppressing a

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, and social reformer, a founding figure in the analytic movement in Anglo-American philosophy, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Russell’s contributions to logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of mathematics established

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell was the prime minister of Great Britain (1846–52, 1865–66), an aristocratic liberal and leader of the fight for passage of the Reform Bill of 1832. Russell was the third son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford. (As the younger son of a peer, he was known for most of

Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage: …causes, is continued by the Russell Sage Foundation, which she established.

Paul Hamilton Hayne: …was coeditor of the influential Russell’s Magazine, launched under the leadership of William Gilmore Simms, during its three years of publication (1857–60). During the Civil War he contributed verse supporting the Southern cause—notably “The Battle of Charleston Harbor”—to the Southern Illustrated News of Richmond. After the war, his home having…

Russell’s paradox, statement in set theory, devised by the English mathematician-philosopher Bertrand Russell, that demonstrated a flaw in earlier efforts to axiomatize the subject. Russell found the paradox in 1901 and communicated it in a letter to the German mathematician-logician Gottlob Frege

Russell’s viper, (Daboia russelii), abundant, highly venomous terrestrial snake of the family Viperidae. It is found from India to Taiwan and Java, most often in open country. It is a major cause of snakebite deaths within its range because it often exists in farmlands where human contact and

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, and social reformer, a founding figure in the analytic movement in Anglo-American philosophy, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Russell’s contributions to logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of mathematics established

Bill Russell was an American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sport’s greatest icons. He won 11 NBA titles in the 13 seasons that he played with the Boston Celtics, and he became the first

Charles Russell, Baron Russell was the lord chief justice of England from June 1894 until his death. A formidable courtroom advocate, he became widely admired as a strong but moderate judge. Russell practiced law in Ireland from 1854 and in England (usually at Liverpool) from 1859. In 1872 he was

muckraker: Charles Edward Russell led the reform writers with exposés ranging from The Greatest Trust in the World (1905) to The Uprising of the Many (1907), the latter of which reported on methods being tried to extend democracy in other countries. Lincoln Steffens wrote about corrupt…

Pee Wee Russell was an American jazz clarinetist who, with his unpredictable style, was the first post-swing-era modernist on that instrument. Reluctantly trained in violin as a child, Russell also tried piano and drums before settling on the clarinet, on which he became a distinctive stylist.

Charles Russell, Baron Russell was the lord chief justice of England from June 1894 until his death. A formidable courtroom advocate, he became widely admired as a strong but moderate judge. Russell practiced law in Ireland from 1854 and in England (usually at Liverpool) from 1859. In 1872 he was

Charles Taze Russell was the founder of the International Bible Students Association, forerunner of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. By the time he was 20, Russell had left both Presbyterianism and Congregationalism because he could not reconcile the idea of an eternal hell with God’s mercy. He had drifted

David O. Russell is an American film director and screenwriter whose career spans from quirky, offbeat early films to award-winning ensemble pieces. Russell graduated from Amherst College in 1981 and began working as a progressive political activist in Boston. He started making films as a means of

David O. Russell is an American film director and screenwriter whose career spans from quirky, offbeat early films to award-winning ensemble pieces. Russell graduated from Amherst College in 1981 and began working as a progressive political activist in Boston. He started making films as a means of

Ellen Russell Emerson was an American ethnologist, noted for her extensive examinations of Native American cultures, especially in comparison with other world cultures. Ellen Russell was educated at the Mount Vernon Seminary in Boston and in 1862 married Edwin R. Emerson. From a childhood meeting

Tower of Hanoi: …science fiction story by American Eric Frank Russell, in which the protagonist is allowed to play one “game” from Earth before being executed on an alien planet.