Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov was a Soviet cosmonaut, participant in the Soyuz 7 and 11 missions of 1969 and 1971, the second of which resulted in the death of three cosmonauts. Son of an aviation design engineer, Volkov was educated at the Moscow Aviation Institute. On the Soyuz 7 mission, Volkov,

Vera Volkova was a Soviet ballet teacher who greatly influenced Western dance training. Volkova studied at the Imperial Ballet Academy and later at Volynsky’s Russian Choreographic School in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) under Agrippina Vaganova. Volkova became an expert of the Vaganova school of

Vawkavysk, city, western Belarus. It dates from at least the 11th century; its traditional founding date is 1005. It later served as a fortified point on the frontier between the principality of Hrodna and the grand duchy of Lithuania, in which locale it suffered many reversals of fortune. By the

chapbook: The Volksbücher (a type of chapbook) began to flourish in Germany in the mid-16th century. Some were prose versions of medieval German verse romances; others contained tales of foreign origin. Whatever their sources, they satisfied a need for light literature that persisted long after the 16th…

Friedrich Karl von Savigny: Legal philosophy: …to their distinctive ethos, or Volksgeist (“national spirit”). To the Romantics, the national spirit thus became the ultimate datum to be explored in its various manifestations. From this point of view law is not something that can be devised by means of rational formal legislation but rather originates in the…

Volksgemeinschaft, in Nazi Germany, a racially unified and hierarchically organized body in which the interests of individuals would be strictly subordinate to those of the nation, or Volk. Like a military battalion, the people’s community would be permanently prepared for war and would accept the

Germany: Higher education: Each year about 1,000 Volkshochschulen (adult education centers) enroll some 10 million adults for complete courses or individual subjects, whether in preparation for or furtherance of a career or out of personal interest. The government has also promoted the retraining and further vocational education of workers.

Germany: Formation of the German Democratic Republic: …a so-called election for a People’s Congress was held in the Soviet occupation zone in May 1949. But instead of choosing among candidates, voters were allowed only the choice of approving or rejecting—usually in less-than-secret circumstances—“unity lists” of candidates drawn from all parties, as well as representatives of mass organizations…

anthropology: Anthropology in Europe: …distinction has been made between Volkskunde and Völkerkunde, and, although these terms may now be somewhat outdated, they express the traditional divide clearly. One discipline was devoted to “the people”; it centred on national cultural traditions, particularly those of the peasantry, and could be seen, in its origins, as a…

Ludwig Tieck: …18th-century Enlightenment were published in Volksmärchen (1797), under the pseudonym Peter Leberecht (“live right”). This collection includes one of Tieck’s best short novels, Der blonde Eckbert (“Fair Eckbert”), the fantastic story of an obsessive fear; this work won the praise of August and Friedrich von Schlegel, the leading critics of…

Johann Karl August Musäus: His Volksmärchen der Deutschen, 5 vol. (1782–86; “Fairy Tales of the Germans”), because written in a satirical vein, was not considered genuine folklore by some 19th-century critics, although these tales were republished throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and enjoyed great popularity.

Geert Wilders: …a member of the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie; VVD). The following year Wilders was elected to the parliament.

National Party (NP), South African political party, founded in 1914, which ruled the country from 1948 to 1994. Its following included most of the Dutch-descended Afrikaners and many English-speaking whites. The National Party was long dedicated to policies of apartheid and white supremacy, but by

Volksraad, advisory body created by the Dutch in the East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1917 and opened in May 1918. It served as a forum for the expression of grievances but lacked the power to pursue genuine reform. The council consisted of both elected and appointed members. The elected members were

education: Imperial Germany: The Volksschule was universal, free, and compulsory. The fundamental subjects were taught along with gymnastics and religion, which held important places in the curriculum. Girls and boys were taught in separate schools except when it was uneconomical to do so. Boys usually received training in manual…

German literature: Johann Gottfried von Herder: …identity, an “ethnic soul” (Volksseele) that allows it to be studied and judged within its own context. The existence of a Volksseele, in Herder’s view, creates national destinies: to realize and perfect the authentic characteristics of the Volk and prevent their nature from being lost through ignorance or foreign…

Heinrich Himmler: …of July 20, 1944), the Volkssturm (“People’s Storm Troop”), a mass levy of mostly older men, and later the Werwolf, a guerrilla force intended to continue the struggle after the war. He also unsuccessfully commanded two army groups.

automotive industry: Europe after World War II: …most emphasis centring on the Volkswagen. At the end of the war the Volkswagen factory and the city of Wolfsburg were in ruins. Restored to production, in a little more than a decade the plant was producing one-half of West Germany’s motor vehicles and had established a strong position in…

Volkswagen Group, major German automobile manufacturer, founded by the German government in 1937 to mass-produce a low-priced “people’s car.” Headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a Nazi organization. The

Volkswagen Group: Most significant, however, was the Golf, initially called the Rabbit in the United States, which was introduced in 1974. The Golf was an instant sales success, effectively replacing the Beetle in the company’s lineup and ultimately becoming Volkswagen’s best-selling model worldwide.

Volkswagen Group, major German automobile manufacturer, founded by the German government in 1937 to mass-produce a low-priced “people’s car.” Headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a Nazi organization. The

Volkswagen Group: …van in 1950 and the Karmann Ghia coupe in 1955. Sales abroad were generally strong in most countries of export, but, because of the car’s small size, unusual rounded appearance, and historical connection to Nazi Germany, sales in the United States were initially sluggish. The car began to gain acceptance…

Volkswagen Group: Most significant, however, was the Golf, initially called the Rabbit in the United States, which was introduced in 1974. The Golf was an instant sales success, effectively replacing the Beetle in the company’s lineup and ultimately becoming Volkswagen’s best-selling model worldwide.

Volkswagen Group, major German automobile manufacturer, founded by the German government in 1937 to mass-produce a low-priced “people’s car.” Headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a Nazi organization. The

Schutzbund: …was also descended from the People’s Guard of 1918, a Social Democratic weapon against the Communists; it considered as its main objective the protection of a social reform program hated by Austria’s conservative bourgeois parties.

autoharp, stringed instrument of the zither family popular for accompaniment in folk music and country and western music. A musician may position the instrument on a table, on the lap while seated, or resting against the left shoulder. An autoharp player strums the strings with a stiff felt or

Denis Diderot: Mature career: In 1755 he met Sophie Volland, with whom he formed an attachment that was to last more than 20 years. The liaison was founded on common interests, natural sympathy, and a deepening friendship. His correspondence with Sophie, together with his other letters, forms one of the most fascinating documents…

Ambroise Vollard was a French art dealer and publisher who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries championed the then avant-garde works of such artists as Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. Vollard abandoned the study of law to work as a clerk for an art dealer. He opened his own

tennis: Principles of play: …correctly returned, the players may volley the ball (i.e., hit it before it bounces) or hit it after its first bounce, and the point continues until one player fails to make a correct return. This may occur if a player fails to hit the ball over the net, hits it…

volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned. To prevent this a player on the opposing

doctrine of the affections: In Der vollkommene Capellmeister (1739; “The Perfect Chapelmaster”), he notes that joy is elicited by large intervals, sadness by small intervals; fury may be aroused by a roughness of harmony coupled with a rapid melody; obstinacy is evoked by the contrapuntal combination of highly independent (obstinate)…

police: Early reform efforts: …in the United States was August Vollmer. Beginning his career in 1905 as the head of a six-person police department in Berkeley, California, Vollmer ultimately produced a vision around which the country’s police forces rallied. He promoted the application to policing of concepts from the study of management, sociology, social…

Fulton, city, seat (1825) of Callaway county, central Missouri, U.S. It lies 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Jefferson City. Laid out in 1825 and named Volney, it was renamed shortly thereafter for Robert Fulton, steamboat engineer and inventor. Fulton is the seat of Westminster College (1851) and

Constantin-François de Chasseboeuf, count de Volney was a historian and philosopher, whose work Les Ruines . . . epitomized the rationalist historical and political thought of the 18th century. As a student in Paris, Volney frequented the salon of Madame Helvétius, widow of the philosopher Claude

Vladimir II Monomakh was the grand prince of Kiev from 1113 to 1125. Vladimir was the son of Grand Prince Vsevolod I Yaroslavich (ruled Kiev 1078–93) and Irina, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachus. He became active in the politics of Kievan Rus, helping his father and

Vladimir I ; feast day July 15) was the grand prince of Kyiv and the first Christian ruler in Kievan Rus. His military conquests consolidated the provinces of Kyiv and Novgorod into a single state, and his Byzantine baptism determined the course of Christianity in the region. Vladimir was the son

Volodymyr-Volynskyy, city, northwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the Luha River where it is crossed by the Kovel-Lviv railway. It was founded by Vladimir I, grand prince of Kiev, in the 10th century and became the capital of one of the chief princedoms of Kievan Rus. After coming under

Yulia Tymoshenko is a Ukrainian businesswoman and politician who served as prime minister of Ukraine (2005, 2007–10). Tymoshenko’s family lineage has been reported variously as Ukrainian, Russian, Latvian, and Jewish. She married Oleksandr Tymoshenko in 1979 and gave birth to a daughter the

Vologeses III (or II) was one of the rival claimants to the throne of the Parthian king Pacorus II. He first presented himself as the ruler of Parthia in 105/106 and seems to have been able to persist in his claim throughout the reign of Osroes (c. 109/110–c. 128/129). On the death of Osroes,

Vologda, oblast (region), northwestern Russia. The oblast consists of alternating broad river basins and morainic hills. The western third is drained by tributaries of the upper Volga River, while the eastern part belongs to the Northern Dvina River basin, draining into it by the Sukhona River. In

Vologda, city and administrative centre of Vologda oblast (region), northwestern Russia. The city lies along the Vologda River above its confluence with the Sukhona River and is situated about 250 miles (400 km) north-northeast of Moscow. The town was founded by Novgorod traders at a point

Vologeses I was the king of Parthia (reigned c. ad 51–80), the son of the previous king, Vonones II, by a Greek concubine. Vologeses gave the kingdom of Media Atropatene to his brother Pacorus and occupied Armenia for another brother, Tiridates. Parthian control of Armenia, however, led to a long

Vologeses III (or II) was one of the rival claimants to the throne of the Parthian king Pacorus II. He first presented himself as the ruler of Parthia in 105/106 and seems to have been able to persist in his claim throughout the reign of Osroes (c. 109/110–c. 128/129). On the death of Osroes,

Vologeses III (or II) was one of the rival claimants to the throne of the Parthian king Pacorus II. He first presented himself as the ruler of Parthia in 105/106 and seems to have been able to persist in his claim throughout the reign of Osroes (c. 109/110–c. 128/129). On the death of Osroes,

Vologeses IV (or III) was the king of Parthia (reigned 148–192). In the early part of his reign he was able to restore the internal unity of the Parthian empire; in 161, however, he invaded Cappadocia and Syria and as a consequence was attacked by a powerful Roman expedition (162–165).

Vologeses V (or IV) was the king of Parthia who reigned from 191–208/209. He first appeared in 191 as a rebel against his father Vologeses III, whom he succeeded in 192. In 193 he stirred up a rebellion in the Roman client kingdoms of Osroene and Adiabene, but in 195 the Romans under Septimius

Vologeses VI (or V) was the king of Parthia who reigned from 209 to c. 212. The son of the Parthian king Vologeses V (or IV), he succeeded his father in 209. Vologeses VI ruled for only about four years before his brother Artabanus V rebelled against him and became master of the greater part of the

Vologeses I: …reaction against Hellenism; he built Vologesias near Ctesiphon with the intention of drawing to the new town the inhabitants and trade of the Greek city Seleucia on the Tigris.

Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk ; canonized 1578; feast day September 9) was a Russian Orthodox abbot and theologian whose monastic reform emphasized strict community life and social work. Joseph’s monastic career came into prominence at the monastery at Borovsk, a wealthy religious foundation

general will, in political theory, a collectively held will that aims at the common good or common interest. The general will is central to the political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and an important concept in modern republican thought. Rousseau distinguished the general will from the

Vólos, dímos (municipality) and port, the third largest of Greece (after Piraeus and Thessaloníki). It lies at the head of the Gulf of Pagasitikós (Vólos) on the east coast of the Thessaly (Modern Greek: Thessalía) periféreia (region). Vólos is the seat of the Orthodox bishop of Demetrias. Since

Gulf of Pagasaí, gulf of the Aegean Sea, nomós (department) of Magnisía, Thessaly (Modern Greek: Thessalía), Greece. The gulf is almost landlocked by a fishhook prong of the Magnesia peninsula, which forms the Tríkkeri Strait. At the head of the gulf is Vólos, the primary port of Thessaly. It lies

Russia: Social classes: …which the mayor of the volost (a district grouping several villages or peasant communes) was elected by male householders. There was also to be a volost court for judging disputes between peasants. Kiselev planned to improve medical services, build schools, establish warehouses for stocks of food in case of crop…

Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk ; canonized 1578; feast day September 9) was a Russian Orthodox abbot and theologian whose monastic reform emphasized strict community life and social work. Joseph’s monastic career came into prominence at the monastery at Borovsk, a wealthy religious foundation

Elijah ben Solomon: …great yeshiva (Talmudic academy) at Volozhin (now Valozhyn, Belarus), which trained several generations of scholars, rabbis, and leaders. Elijah’s writings were published posthumously and include commentaries and numerous annotations on the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, and other works.

Hegelianism: Hegelian studies in the later 20th century: …current, in Italy, initiated by Galvano della Volpe, a critical aesthetician who discussed the relationship between bourgeois and socialist democracy and championed, in aesthetics, a critical and antiromantic Aristotelianism. This current was continued by Mario Rossi, who asked one to read again in full the texts of Hegel and Marx,…

United States presidential election of 1968: Primaries: John Volpe, who was on the ballot, and Richard Nixon, who was not, and reversed his decision not to run.

bird: Flight: …major types of modifications for gliding or soaring are found. Albatrosses and some other seabirds have long, narrow wings and take advantage of winds over the oceans, whereas some vultures and hawks have broad wings with slotted tips that permit more use of updrafts and winds deflected by

Volpone, comedy in five acts by Ben Jonson, performed about 1605/06 and published in 1607. Volpone (“Fox”), a wealthy Venetian without heirs, devises a scheme to become wealthier by playing on people’s greed. With the complicity of his servant Mosca (“Fly”), Volpone pretends to be near death. He

Ben Jonson: His plays and achievement: …several came back into favour: Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair especially have been staged with striking success.

Volpone, comedy in five acts by Ben Jonson, performed about 1605/06 and published in 1607. Volpone (“Fox”), a wealthy Venetian without heirs, devises a scheme to become wealthier by playing on people’s greed. With the complicity of his servant Mosca (“Fly”), Volpone pretends to be near death. He

Italian literature: Other writings: Paolo Volponi’s province is the human consequences of Italy’s rapid postwar industrialization (Memoriale [1962], La macchina mondiale [1965; The Worldwide Machine], and Corporale [1974]). Leonardo Sciascia’s sphere is his native Sicily, whose present and past he displays with concerned and

Volsci, ancient Italic people prominent in the history of Roman expansion during the 5th century bc. They belonged to the Osco-Sabellian group of tribes and lived (c. 600 bc) in the valley of the upper Liris River. Later events, however, drove them first westward and then south to the fertile land

Volscian language, an Italic language or dialect, closely related to Umbrian and Oscan and more distantly related to Latin and Faliscan. Spoken in central Italy by the Volsci people, neighbours of the Oscan-speaking Samnites, Volscian was replaced by Latin in the 3rd century bc as the Volsci became

Sergey Vladimirovich Obraztsov: …satire of inept performers, and Volshebnaya lampa Aladina (1940; “Aladdin’s Magic Lamp”) became popular throughout the world. His Don Zhuan (“Don Juan”) was produced in 1976. He also gained renown for his work with a kind of finger puppet called a ball puppet and for demonstrating puppeteering with his bare…

Volsinii, ancient Etruscan town on the site of present-day Bolsena (Viterbo province, Italy). At an unidentified neighbouring site was a temple to Voltumna, which was the headquarters of the 12-city Etruscan League and the site of the annual assemblies of the Etruscans. Excavations at Bolsena have

Volsk, city, Saratov oblast (region), western Russia. The city lies along the Volga River opposite its confluence with the Bolshoy (Great) Irgiz. Originating as the small settlement of Malykovka, it was made a town in 1780, first called Volgsk, later Volsk. Since the October Revolution (1917),

Volstead Act, U.S. law enacted in 1919 (and taking effect in 1920) to provide enforcement for the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. It is named for Minnesota Rep. Andrew Volstead, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who had championed the bill

Volstead Act: Andrew Volstead, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who had championed the bill and prohibition.

Vǫlsunga saga, most important of the Icelandic sagas called fornaldarsǫgur (“sagas of antiquity”). Dating from roughly 1270, it is the first of the fornaldarsǫgur to have been written down. It contains the Northern version of the story told in the Nibelungenlied. The saga was based on the heroic

volt, unit of electrical potential, potential difference and electromotive force in the metre–kilogram–second system (SI); it is equal to the difference in potential between two points in a conductor carrying one ampere current when the power dissipated between the points is one watt. An equivalent

automobile: Electric-gasoline hybrids: …General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Volt, a car that could drive up to about 35 miles on electric batteries and would then drive using a gasoline engine after the battery was exhausted. Beginning in 2003, Tesla had some success with all-electric cars, however.

Greece: Daily life and social customs: …villages the tradition of the volta continues, when at sundown much of the population strolls up and down the main street or, on the islands, along the shore. In summer and winter much leisure time is passed in the numerous cafés and coffee shops, both of which have been traditionally…

volta, the turn in thought in a sonnet that is often indicated by such initial words as But, Yet, or And yet. The volta occurs between the octet and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet and sometimes between the 8th and 9th or between the 12th and 13th lines of a Shakespearean sonnet, as in William

Björk: …vocalists, while the similarly eclectic Volta (2007) boasted sombre brass arrangements, African rhythms, and guest production from Timbaland. For the ethereal Biophilia (2011), Björk used tablet computers to help her compose songs, which were released, in addition to conventional formats, as a series of interactive iPhone and iPad apps.

White Volta River, headstream of the Volta River in West Africa. It rises north of Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso, in a lowland between two massifs, and flows generally southward for about 400 miles (640 km) to empty into Lake Volta in Ghana, a large artificial reservoir created by the Volta River

Ho: …importance was ensured by the Volta Bridge (1957) at Adome, which connects Ho with Ghana’s southern ports. A market centre, Ho also produces palm oil, cotton, and cocoa. It lies on a main road from the coast leading northeastward to Togo. The Ho Polytechnic was founded in 1968. Pop. (2000)…

Alexander Graham Bell: …money to set up his Volta Laboratory, an institution devoted to studying deafness and improving the lives of the deaf, in Washington, D.C. There he also devoted himself to improving the phonograph. By 1885 Bell and his colleagues (his cousin Chichester A. Bell and the inventor Charles Sumner Tainter) had…

Black Volta River, river in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), headstream of the Volta River in western Africa. It rises as the Baoulé in low hills in southwestern Burkina Faso near Bobo Dioulasso, and at the end of its course it empties into Lake Volta (in

Volta Redonda, city, western Rio de Janeiro estado (state), Brazil. It lies along the Paraíba do Sul River, at 1,500 feet (460 metres) above sea level. The city is known for its steel manufacturing. Volta Redonda was founded in 1941 on a site chosen for its access to power, water, and basic raw

Volta River, chief river system of Ghana, formed from the confluence of the Black Volta and White Volta headstreams. The Volta flows generally southward through Ghana, discharging into the Gulf of Guinea. Its major tributaries are the Afram and the Oti (Pandjari). The river system has a length of

Akosombo Dam, rock-fill dam on the Volta River, near Akosombo, Ghana, completed in 1965 as part of the Volta River Project. Its construction was jointly financed by the government of Ghana, the World Bank, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The dam rises 440 feet (134 m) above ground level

Red Volta River, river in West Africa, rising in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) northwest of Ouagadougou. It flows about 200 mi (320 km) south-southeast to join the White Volta (Volta Blanche) near the Gambaga scarp in the Upper Region of Ghana. The combined rivers then turn southwestward as

Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist whose invention of the electric battery provided the first source of continuous current. Volta became professor of physics at the Royal School of Como in 1774. In 1775 his interest in electricity led him to improve the electrophorus, a device used to

Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist whose invention of the electric battery provided the first source of continuous current. Volta became professor of physics at the Royal School of Como in 1774. In 1775 his interest in electricity led him to improve the electrophorus, a device used to

Ingo della Volta was a wealthy Genoese noble and financier who led a faction that dominated the government and commerce of Genoa in the 12th century during the period of the aristocratic so-called consular commune. The della Volta, descended from officials of the margraves of Liguria who ruled

la volta, 16th-century leaping and turning dance for couples, originating in Italy and popular at French and German court balls until about 1750. Performed with a notoriously intimate embrace, it became respectable, but never completely dignified, after Queen Elizabeth I of England danced it with

Lake Volta, artificial lake in Ghana. The lake is formed by the Akosombo Dam, which, begun in 1961 and completed in 1965, dammed the Volta River just south of Ajena and created a lake extending upstream from the Akosombo Dam to Yapei, beyond the former confluence of the Black Volta and White Volta

Niger-Congo languages: Classification of Niger-Congo languages: Subsequently the remaining group, labeled Volta-Congo, divided into five main branches: Kru, Kwa, Benue-Congo, Gur, and Adamawa-Ubangi. Dogon is included at this level because scholars have never been able to establish it as a member of any of the other branches.

particle accelerator: Voltage multipliers (cascade generators): The source of the high voltage for Cockcroft and Walton’s pioneering experiments was a four-stage voltage multiplier assembled from four large rectifiers and high-voltage capacitors. Their circuit in effect combined four rectifier-type

electric generator: Generator rating: The voltage rating of the generator is normally stated as the operating voltage between two of its three terminals—i.e., the phase-to-phase voltage. For a winding connected in delta, this is equal to the phase-winding voltage. For a winding connected in wye, it is equal to 3…

voltage regulator, any electrical or electronic device that maintains the voltage of a power source within acceptable limits. The voltage regulator is needed to keep voltages within the prescribed range that can be tolerated by the electrical equipment using that voltage. Such a device is widely

transformer, device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to one or more other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping down) the voltage. Transformers are employed for widely varying purposes; e.g., to reduce the voltage of conventional power

Ghana: Relief and drainage: …a large area called the Voltaian Basin in the north-central part of the country where the elevation rarely exceeds 500 feet (150 metres). The basin is dominated by Lake Volta, an artificial lake that extends far into the central part of the country behind the Akosombo Dam and covers about…

western Africa: The wider influence of the Sudanic kingdoms: …autochthonous Gur-speaking inhabitants of the Volta basin. Their success in conquering and organizing the Gur villages into kingdoms seems to have been due to their possession of cavalry, which subsequently remained a badge of royalty and of aristocracy.

materials testing: Corrosion: …is the principle of the galvanic cell or battery. Though useful in a battery, this reaction causes problems in a structure; for example, steel bolts in an aluminum framework may, in the presence of rain or fog, form multiple galvanic cells at the point of contact between the two metals,…

Jöns Jacob Berzelius: Electrochemical dualism: …Volta and known as the voltaic pile, provided the first experimental source of current electricity. In 1803 Berzelius demonstrated, as did the English chemist Humphry Davy at a slightly later date, the power of the voltaic pile to decompose chemicals into pairs of electrically opposite constituents. For example, water decomposed…

Gur languages, a branch of the Niger-Congo language family comprising some 85 languages that are spoken by approximately 20 million people in the savanna lands north of the forest belt that runs from southeastern Mali across northern Côte d’Ivoire, through much of Burkina Faso, to all of northern

Jöns Jacob Berzelius: Electrochemical dualism: …Volta and known as the voltaic pile, provided the first experimental source of current electricity. In 1803 Berzelius demonstrated, as did the English chemist Humphry Davy at a slightly later date, the power of the voltaic pile to decompose chemicals into pairs of electrically opposite constituents. For example, water decomposed…

Voltaire was one of the greatest of all French writers. Although only a few of his works are still read, he continues to be held in worldwide repute as a courageous crusader against tyranny, bigotry, and cruelty. Through its critical capacity, wit, and satire, Voltaire’s work vigorously propagates