Selective Service Acts, U.S. federal laws that instituted conscription, or compulsory military service. Conscription was first implemented in the United States during the American Civil War (1861–65). However, it was common for wealthy men to hire substitutes to fulfill their service obligation. In

Selective Service System, independent federal agency in the United States created to administer the military draft nationwide to conscript troops quickly in the event of war. Founded in 1940, the Selective Service System oversees the military registration of all draft-age males (that is, age 18

sleep: Sleep deprivation: Studies of selective sleep deprivation have confirmed the attribution of need for both stage 3 NREM and REM sleep, because an increasing number of experimental arousals are required each night to suppress both stage 3 and REM sleep on successive nights of deprivation and because both show…

misophonia, disorder marked by low tolerance of and unusually strong negative physiological, emotional, and behavioral reactions to specific sounds or to stimuli related to such sounds. In some persons with misophonia, the triggering stimulus may activate the fight-or-flight response, resulting in

strike: …devising new tactics that include selective strikes, which target the sites that will cause the company the greatest economic harm, and rolling strikes, which target a succession of employer sites, making it difficult for the employer to hire replacements because the strike’s location is always changing.

Arthur Eddington: Philosophy of science: …epistemology, which he called “selective subjectivism” and “structuralism”—i.e., the interplay of physical observations and geometry. He believed that a great part of physics simply reflected the interpretation that the scientist imposes on his data. The better part of his philosophy, however, was not his metaphysics but his “structure” logic.…

Selective Service Acts: …Asia, Congress narrowly passed the Selective Training and Service Act, instituting the first peacetime draft in U.S. history. Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill into law on September 16, 1940, and all males of ages 21 to 36 were required to register with the resurrected Selective Service System—although, for…

kin selection: …play when evaluating the genetic fitness of a given individual. It is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which is made up of individual survival and reproduction (direct fitness) and any impact that an individual has on the survival and reproduction of relatives (indirect fitness). Kin selection occurs when…

radio technology: Concepts of selectivity and sensitivity: Radio-frequency communication requires the receiver to reject all but the desired signal. Were the number of frequency channels equal to the demand, each channel could be given its correct width in the tuning stages of a receiver. Thus, for audio broadcasting each…

nervous system: Passive transport: membrane channels: …at one region called the selectivity filter. This filter makes each channel specific to one type of ion.

word processing: …Machines Corporation (IBM) produced the Selectric Typewriter, a relatively high-speed, automatic typewriter that had a magnetic tape data-storage unit and retrieval device. The development of electronic digital minicomputers and microcomputers during the late 1960s and ’70s gave rise to faster word-processing systems with greater capabilities.

supersymmetry: …been given the names of selectrons and squarks. Similarly, known bosons such as the photon and the gluon should have fermionic supersymmetric partners, called the photino and the gluino. There has been no experimental evidence that such “superparticles” exist. If they do indeed exist, their masses could be in the…

antiparkinson drug: COMT and MAO-B inhibitors: …known of these agents is selegiline, which extends the effects of levodopa and often is prescribed in combination with levodopa and carbidopa.

Central African Republic: The 21st century: …new rebel coalition, known as Seleka, launched an incursion in the northern part of the country. The group, which included factions of former rebel movements, accused Bozizé of not implementing aspects of a previous peace agreement. It demanded his ouster from the presidency and called for him to stand trial…

Selena: Success as a solo artist and murder: …released her debut solo album, Selena, that same year. Several albums followed, including Ven Conmigo (1990; “Come with Me”) and Entre a Mi Mundo (1992; “Enter My World”). Her pop duet single, “Buenos Amigos” (“Good Friends”), with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres introduced her to a broader audience. In 1992 Selena…

Jennifer Lopez: Selena and film stardom: …landed the lead role in Selena (1997), a biopic of the murdered Tejano singer. Lopez’s immersive performance as Selena earned her rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination. She went on to star in a number of thrillers and action dramas, including Anaconda (1997), U Turn (1997), Out of Sight…

Selena was an American singer who was a vivacious entertainer and whose fluid voice celebrated the sound of Tejano, a fast-paced, accordion-based Latin dance music that combines elements of jazz, country, and German polka. It is sung in Spanish and is rooted in the Hispanic community in South

Selena Gomez: Music career: …as the front woman of Selena Gomez & the Scene, an electronic-influenced pop band that produced several dance hits. The group released the albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) before announcing its separation in 2012. Gomez then forged a…

Selena: Success as a solo artist and murder: With Selena Live! (1993), Selena won the 1994 Grammy Award for best Mexican-American album, becoming the first female Tejano singer to win a Grammy in that category. Her expanding interests in 1994 included beginning a clothing line and opening two boutiques. That same year she released…

Selena: Early life and performing with Los Dinos: …formed a family band called Selena y Los Dinos. Her sister, Suzette, played drums and her brother, Abraham III (“A.B.”), played bass guitar. Her father wrote many of the Spanish-language songs that the group performed in the family’s restaurant. At that time Selena was not fluent in Spanish, so she…

Selena: Legacy: A Netflix show, Selena: The Series, premiered in 2020 and ran for two seasons.

Asiatic black bear, (Ursus thibetanus), member of the bear family (Ursidae) found from southern Iran to the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and parts of eastern Asia, including Japan. The Asiatic black bear is omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, nuts, bees and honey, small mammals, and birds as well as

Kaguya, Japan’s second unmanned mission to the Moon, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in September 2007. Its proper name, Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer), was derived from the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon. Kaguya, chosen from among many suggestions received

Selene, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos

carangid: …most unusual-looking carangids is the lookdown (Selene vomer), with an exceptionally thin body and high “forehead.” The first rays of the second dorsal fin extend into filaments that reach to the tail. Many of these fishes are valued for food or sport. Certain species, however, such as the greater amberjack…

Selenga River, river in Mongolia and east-central Russia. It is formed by the confluence of the Ider and Delger rivers. It is Mongolia’s principal river and is the most substantial source of water for Lake Baikal. The Delger rises in the Sangilen Mountains on the border between Mongolia and the

Selenga River, river in Mongolia and east-central Russia. It is formed by the confluence of the Ider and Delger rivers. It is Mongolia’s principal river and is the most substantial source of water for Lake Baikal. The Delger rises in the Sangilen Mountains on the border between Mongolia and the

moonlight cactus, (genus Selenicereus), genus of about 20 species of cacti (family Cactaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America, including the West Indies. They are widely grown in suitable climates in Central and South America and have escaped from cultivation. The queen-of-the-night

cereus: The queen-of-the-night (S. grandiflorus), the best-known night-blooming cereus, is often grown indoors. The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) and the organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) are also sometimes referred to as cereus.

lady’s slipper: Genera: …six species in the genus Selenipedium, also native to tropical America, may be 5 metres (16 feet) tall. The leaves are folded, and the flowers are borne on a spike at the tip of the plant. S. vanillocarpum has vanilla-scented seedpods. All Selenipedium species are considered endangered or threatened according…

selenite, a crystalline variety of the mineral gypsum

selenium (Se), a chemical element in the oxygen group (Group 16 [VIa] of the periodic table), closely allied in chemical and physical properties with the elements sulfur and tellurium. Selenium is rare, composing approximately 90 parts per billion of the crust of Earth. It is occasionally found

selenium cell, photoelectric device used to generate or control an electric current. Selenium photocells are commonly used in photographic-exposure meters, burglar alarms, electronic-door opening and counting devices, electronic control systems in factory assembly lines, and industrial colour

selenium: Compounds: In its compounds selenium exists in the oxidation states of −2, +4, and +6. It manifests a distinct tendency to form acids in the higher oxidation states. Although the element itself is not poisonous, many of its compounds are exceedingly toxic.

selenium: Compounds: …with oxygen, it occurs as selenium dioxide, SeO2, a white, solid, chainlike polymeric substance that is an important reagent in organic chemistry. The reaction of this oxide with water produces selenious acid, H2SeO3.

Kaguya, Japan’s second unmanned mission to the Moon, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in September 2007. Its proper name, Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer), was derived from the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon. Kaguya, chosen from among many suggestions received

perissodactyl: Teeth: …lophs, such teeth being termed selenolophodont.

perissodactyl: Teeth: …lophs, such teeth being termed selenolophodont.

heterocyclic compound: Halogens, selenium, and tellurium: …in behaviour to sulfur; hence, selenophene, with the structure shown, resembles thiophene quite closely.

Monica Seles is a Yugoslavian-born retired American professional tennis player who dominated her sport and was nearly unbeatable during the height of her career in the early 1990s. In 1991, at the age of 17, Seles became the youngest singles player ever to be ranked number one in the world by the

Kazakhstan: Drainage: Balkhash, Zaysan, Alaköl, Tengiz, and Seletytengiz (Siletiteniz). Kazakhstan also wraps around the entire northern half of the shrinking Aral Sea, which underwent terrible decline during the second half of the 20th century: as freshwater inflow was diverted for agriculture, the salinity of the sea increased sharply, and the receding shores…

Silifke, town, south-central Turkey. It is located along the banks of the Göksu River, overlooking the Taurus Mountains. An irrigation scheme supplying the fertile lowland of the Göksu delta is located at Silifke. The town is a market centre for agricultural produce of its hinterland, including

Seleucia on the Tigris, Hellenistic city founded by Seleucus I Nicator (reigned 312–281 bce) as his eastern capital; it replaced Babylon as Mesopotamia’s leading city and was closely associated with the spread of Hellenistic culture in Mesopotamia. The city lay along the Tigris River about 20 miles

Seleucia Pieria, in ancient Syria, port of Antioch and frontier fortress on the Cilician border (near modern Samandağ, Turkey), 4 miles (6 km) north of the mouth of the Orontes River. With Antioch, Apamea, and Laodicea it formed the Syrian tetrapolis. The town occupied the rocky slopes of Musa

Seleucia Tracheotis, city in Cilicia (in present-day southern Turkey), on the Calycadnus River (modern Goksu Nehri), a few miles from that stream’s mouth; the site was doubtless selected as a protection against attacks from the sea. There are ruins of a castle on the acropolis, and the city

Seleucid empire, (312–64 bce), an ancient empire that at its greatest extent stretched from Thrace in Europe to the border of India. It was carved out of the remains of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian empire by its founder, Seleucus I Nicator. (See also Hellenistic Age.) Seleucus, one of

bird-of-paradise: The 12-wired bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca, sometimes S. ignotus) is a short-tailed, 33-cm bird with flank plumes elaborated as forward-curving wires.

bird-of-paradise: The 12-wired bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca, sometimes S. ignotus) is a short-tailed, 33-cm bird with flank plumes elaborated as forward-curving wires.

Seleucus I Nicator was a Macedonian army officer who founded the Seleucid kingdom. In the struggles following the death of Alexander the Great, he rose from governor of Babylon to king of an empire centering on Syria and Iran. Seleucus was the son of Antiochus, a general of Philip II of Macedonia,

Seleucus II Callinicus was the fourth king (reigned 246–225) of the Seleucid dynasty, son of Antiochus II Theos. Antiochus II repudiated his wife Laodice (Seleucus’ mother) and married Ptolemy’s daughter Berenice, but by 246 bc Antiochus had left Berenice in order to live again with Laodice and

Soter Seleucus III was the fifth king (reigned 225–223 bc) of the Seleucid dynasty, elder son of Seleucus II Callinicus. Seleucus took up the task of reconquering Pergamum in Asia Minor from a cousin, Attalus I. The first general whom he sent, Andromachus, was decisively defeated by Attalus and

Seleucus IV Philopator was the seventh king (reigned 187–175 bc) of the Seleucid dynasty, son of Antiochus III the Great. Although the empire that Seleucus inherited was not so great as the one over which his father had ruled before the war with Rome (190–189), it was still large, consisting of

Seleucia on the Tigris, Hellenistic city founded by Seleucus I Nicator (reigned 312–281 bce) as his eastern capital; it replaced Babylon as Mesopotamia’s leading city and was closely associated with the spread of Hellenistic culture in Mesopotamia. The city lay along the Tigris River about 20 miles

Seleucia Pieria, in ancient Syria, port of Antioch and frontier fortress on the Cilician border (near modern Samandağ, Turkey), 4 miles (6 km) north of the mouth of the Orontes River. With Antioch, Apamea, and Laodicea it formed the Syrian tetrapolis. The town occupied the rocky slopes of Musa

Seleucia Tracheotis, city in Cilicia (in present-day southern Turkey), on the Calycadnus River (modern Goksu Nehri), a few miles from that stream’s mouth; the site was doubtless selected as a protection against attacks from the sea. There are ruins of a castle on the acropolis, and the city

Seleucus I Nicator was a Macedonian army officer who founded the Seleucid kingdom. In the struggles following the death of Alexander the Great, he rose from governor of Babylon to king of an empire centering on Syria and Iran. Seleucus was the son of Antiochus, a general of Philip II of Macedonia,

desert dormouse, (Selevinia betpakdalaensis), a rarely seen or captured small rodent of Central Asia. Weighing less than 28 grams (1 ounce), the desert dormouse has a stout rounded body 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 inches) long and a slightly shorter fine-haired tail of 6 to 8 cm. Its gray fur is long,

desert dormouse, (Selevinia betpakdalaensis), a rarely seen or captured small rodent of Central Asia. Weighing less than 28 grams (1 ounce), the desert dormouse has a stout rounded body 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 inches) long and a slightly shorter fine-haired tail of 6 to 8 cm. Its gray fur is long,

self, the “I” as experienced by an individual. In modern psychology the notion of the self has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul. The concept of the self has been a central feature of many personality theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Gordon W. Allport,

immune system disorder: Alteration of self antigens: Various mechanisms can alter self components so that they seem foreign to the immune system. New antigenic determinants can be attached to self proteins, or the shape of a self antigen can shift—for a variety of reasons—so that previously unresponsive helper T cells…

Tiffany Haddish: …appeared in the Netflix miniseries Self Made, which was inspired by the life of pioneering businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker (played by Octavia Spencer). Her films from 2021 included the comedy Bad Trip and Billy Crystal’s Here Today, in which she played a singer who forms a friendship with a comedy…

Titian: Portraits: One must not forget Titian’s Self Portrait, in which he presents himself with great dignity, wearing the golden chain of knighthood. The intelligent, tired face is fully rendered, while the costume is sketched in lightly with a free brush. One of the most remarkable late works is the Triple Portrait…

Charles Wright: Five poems titled “Self Portrait” typify Wright’s reticence and affirm the indeterminacy of the artist’s personality. Critics described Zone Journals (1988) as Wright’s homage to Pound. The collection reflects Pound’s use of images, rhythm, and literary allusions. “A Journal of the Year of the Ox,” the longest and…

Bruce Nauman: His Self Portrait as a Fountain (1966; original photograph destroyed, reissued 1970) showed the artist spouting a stream of water from his mouth. Witty and irreverent, Nauman tested the idea of art as a stable vehicle of communication and the role of the artist as revelatory…

textile: Knitting machines: The latch needle is composed of a curved hook, a latch, or tumbler, that swings on a rivet just below the hook, and the stem, or butt. It is sometimes called the self-acting needle because no presser is needed; the hook is closed by the pressure…

self-actualization, in psychology, a concept regarding the process by which an individual reaches his or her full potential. It was originally introduced by Kurt Goldstein, a physician specializing in neuroanatomy and psychiatry in the early half of the 20th century. As conceived by Goldstein,

autotomy, the ability of certain animals to release part of the body that has been grasped by an external agent. A notable example is found among lizards that break off the tail when it is seized by a predator. The phenomenon is found also among certain worms, salamanders, and spiders. The cast-off

artificial intelligence: Symbolic vs. connectionist approaches: The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, involves creating artificial neural networks in imitation of the brain’s structure—whence the connectionist label.

self, the “I” as experienced by an individual. In modern psychology the notion of the self has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul. The concept of the self has been a central feature of many personality theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Gordon W. Allport,

radio telescope: Radio interferometry and aperture synthesis: …led to the concept of self-calibration, which uses the observed source as its own calibrator in order to remove errors in a radio image due to uncertainties in the response of individual antennas as well as small errors introduced by the propagation of radio signals through the terrestrial atmosphere. In…

aids for activities of daily living (AADLs), products, devices, and equipment used in everyday functional activities by the disabled or the elderly. A form of assistive technology, aids for activities of daily living (AADLs) include a wide range of devices. Potential categories of equipment may

personal identity, in metaphysics, the problem of the nature of the identity of persons and their persistence through time. One makes a judgment of personal identity whenever one says that a person existing at one time is the same as a person existing at another time: e.g., that the president of

Wyndham Lewis: Lewis’s 1954 novel, Self-Condemned, is a fictionalized account of those years.

self, the “I” as experienced by an individual. In modern psychology the notion of the self has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul. The concept of the self has been a central feature of many personality theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Gordon W. Allport,

chemical bonding: Computational approaches to molecular structure: …computations are referred to as self-consistent field (SCF) procedures. Thus, a particular electronic distribution is proposed, and the distribution of the electrons is recalculated on the basis of this first approximation. The distribution is then calculated again on the basis of that improved description, and the process is continued until…

coal mining: Health, safety, and environment: For example, the self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) represents a significant development in raising a miner’s chances of survival and escape after an explosion, fire, or similar emergency contaminates the mine atmosphere with toxic gases. This lightweight, belt-wearable device is available worldwide and is mandated in several countries to be…

logistics: Power versus movement: …for forces in the field: self-containment, local supply, and supply from bases.

consumption: Alternatives to fully informed rationality: …have developed models showing that self-control problems have minor consequences if it is possible for consumers to make commitments that are difficult or troublesome to reverse—such as having an employer deduct a specified portion of an employee’s paycheck for retirement savings before the money is deposited the employee’s bank account…

self-actualization, in psychology, a concept regarding the process by which an individual reaches his or her full potential. It was originally introduced by Kurt Goldstein, a physician specializing in neuroanatomy and psychiatry in the early half of the 20th century. As conceived by Goldstein,

self-defense, in criminal law, justification for inflicting serious harm on another person on the ground that the harm was inflicted as a means of protecting oneself. In general, killing is not a criminal act when the killer reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life from

Self-Defense Force, Japan’s military after World War II. In Article 9 of Japan’s postwar constitution, the Japanese renounced war and pledged never to maintain land, sea, or air forces. The rearming of Japan in the 1950s was therefore cast in terms of self-defense. In 1950 a small military force

asceticism, (from Greek askeō: “to exercise,” or “to train”), the practice of the denial of physical or psychological desires in order to attain a spiritual ideal or goal. Hardly any religion has been without at least traces or some features of asceticism. The origins of asceticism lie in man’s

New Model Army: In April 1645, by the Self-Denying Ordinance, members of Parliament resigned all military and civil office and command acquired since November 1640. Sir Thomas Fairfax (afterward 3rd Baron Fairfax—the “younger” Fairfax) was appointed captain general of the New Model Army, with authority to appoint his senior officers. The army’s organization…

self-determination, the process by which a group of people, usually possessing a certain degree of national consciousness, form their own state and choose their own government. As a political principle, the idea of self-determination evolved at first as a by-product of the doctrine of nationalism,

home care: Known as self-directed care (or direct funding), that approach allows individuals to tailor their care specifically to their needs and wishes. Self-directed care typically is organized and implemented within an allotted home-care budget that is provided by the funding agency.

autonomous vehicle, automobile that employs driver assistance technologies to remove the need for a human operator. There are six stages of automation in automobiles, ranging from fully unassisted manual driving at stage 0 to fully automated self-driving cars at stage 5. Though the terms

materials science: Optical switching: …the quantum-well self-electro-optic-effect device, or SEED. The key concept for this device is the use of quantum wells. These structures consist of many thin layers of two different semiconductor materials. Individual layers are typically 10 nanometres (about 40 atoms) thick, and 100 layers are used in a device about 1…

Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), trade union based in India that organized women for informal employment (work outside a traditional employer-employee relationship). The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) was founded in 1972 by Indian lawyer and social activist Ela Bhatt and a small

self-esteem, Sense of personal worth and ability that is fundamental to an individual’s identity. Family relationships during childhood are believed to play a crucial role in its development. Parents may foster self-esteem by expressing affection and support for the child as well as by helping the

electromagnetism: Development of electromagnetic technology: …until the principle of the self-excited generator was discovered in 1866. (A self-excited generator has stronger magnetic fields because it uses electromagnets powered by the generator itself.) In 1870 Zénobe Théophile Gramme, a Belgian manufacturer, built the first practical generator capable of producing a continuous current. It was soon found…

international law: International law and municipal law: …a treaty may be either self-executing or non-self-executing, depending upon whether domestic legislation must be enacted in order for the treaty to enter into force. In the United States, self-executing treaties apply directly as part of the supreme law of the land without the need for further action. Whether a…

self-fertilization, fusion of male and female gametes (sex cells) produced by the same individual. Self-fertilization occurs in bisexual organisms, including most flowering plants, numerous protozoans, and many invertebrates. Autogamy, the production of gametes by the division of a single parent

self-fulfilling prophecy, process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation. In a self-fulfilling prophecy an individual’s expectations about another person or entity eventually result in the other person or entity acting in ways that confirm the expectations. A

Bantustan, any of 10 former territories that were designated by the white-dominated government of South Africa as pseudo-national homelands for the country’s Black African (classified by the government as Bantu) population during the mid- to late 20th century. The Bantustans were a major

self-heal, (genus Prunella), genus of 13 species of low-growing perennials in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to Eurasia and North America. Several species, especially common self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), large-flowered self-heal (P. grandiflora), and cutleaf self-heal (P. lacinata), were

smart grid: A self-healing grid: That limited self-healing capacity would have three primary objectives. The most fundamental would be continual monitoring and reaction. Sensors such as phasor measurement units (PMUs) would monitor electrical parameters such as voltage and current multiple times per second and feed the data to control room operators. The…

Samuel Smiles: …known for his didactic work Self-Help (1859), which, with its successors, Character (1871), Thrift (1875), and Duty (1880), enshrined the basic Victorian values associated with the “gospel of work.”

Otto Perl: …author and cofounder of the Selbsthilfebund der Körperbehinderten (Self-Help Alliance of the Physically Handicapped, or Otto Perl Alliance; 1919–31), the first emancipatory self-help organization representing the interests of the physically disabled in Germany.

Samuel Smiles: …known for his didactic work Self-Help (1859), which, with its successors, Character (1871), Thrift (1875), and Duty (1880), enshrined the basic Victorian values associated with the “gospel of work.”

autohypnosis, hypnosis that is self-induced. Though feasible and possibly productive of useful results, it is often a sterile procedure because the autohypnotist usually tries too hard to direct consciously the activities that he wishes to take place at the hypnotic level of awareness, thus