Parapsychology is the study of certain phenomena that have not yet been explained by known physical processes- for example, extrasensory perception.
Psychology, because of its diverse origins, split into many branches. For instance, the branches of analytical psychology, which attempt to deal with behavioural disorders, grew up as a side-branch of medicine at a time when mental disturbance was a mystery.
Hypnotism is a condition of artificially induced sleep, or trance, in which a patient is rendered more susceptible to suggestion.
Fatalism is the doctrine that all the events of human life are predestined.
Acupuncture is an ancient form of medical treatment originating in China as early as 4000 years ago.
Kleptomaniacs steal things they do not need or cannot use. They do it without knowing why, and they do it habitually.
Bees are among the most useful of all insects. Honey bees produce the honey that we eat and beeswax which is used for making polishes and.candles. Far more important is the part played by bees in pollinating our crops.
Although the aardwolf resembles the hyena in appearance, it is a shy, timid animal. Using its long, sticky tongue with amazing speed, it picks up its main food source of food, the termite, in the hundreds.
Together with food, Man's greatest need is for water. When communities were established far from a water source it was necessary for water to be directed or carried to the homes; this was achieved by building an artificial channel, an aqueduct, to allow the water to flow from one place to another.
If you were to play in a rough football game, get into a fight, or take a tumble down a hill, you might emerge with sprains, strains, and bruises. What causes them, and what should be done about them?
Coffee is made from the roasted and ground berries, or beans, of the trees of the genus Coffea. Of more than 30 species, only three are important: Coffea arabica, Coffea robusta and Coffea liberica.
In folklore and in formal literature, fairies are inhabitants of the land of the fays, an underworld often localized under a hill and near a forest where the little people dance in fairy rings set off by mushrooms or by grass greener than the...
About one person in 100, in any culture for which figures are known, will develop the disorder of schizophrenia. The present-day upsurge of interest in it can be ascribed partly to the writings of R. D. Laing, who claimed that the schizophrenic...
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from flesh foods or from all foods of animal origin. Those who forgo all animal foods are called vegans, while those who eat eggs and dairy products are sometimes referred to as lacto-ovovegetarians. ...
Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is abnormally high. Hypertension may be due to a variety of disorders, and it is present in about 10% of the adult population of the United States. In all individuals the pressure of the blood...
Gout is a metabolic disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive uric acid in the blood. Gout is associated with recurrent attacks of acute arthritis and in some cases with uric acid stones in the kidneys and large uric acid deposits in...
Idea in psychology and philosophy, the thought of, or conscious reference to, something not present at the moment in sensation. For the psychologist an idea is a mental event with a character or its own. For the philosopher concerned with...
Hyperactive children are unusually active; find it difficult to stay with tasks, particularly written schoolwork; are impulsive; and are easily excited or upset. They often are more aggressive and demand more attention than does the average child....
Barter is the exchange of goods or services without the use of money. The earliest trade, before the invention of money, took the form of barter. Among non-literate peoples in many parts of the world, barter is still widely practiced; however, the...
Telepathy the, is direct communication from mind to mind by some means other than the usual senses. Telepathy is considered one of the subclasses of extrasensory perception (ESP). Psychologists carry out research on telepathy by analyzing reports of...
A headache is any pain or discomfort in the upper part of the head. Like other pains, headache is not a disease but a symptom, and it is probably the most common of all medical symptoms. Most headaches, even severe, incapacitating ones, do not lead...
Belief is a commitment, either intellectual or emotional, or both, to something such as a proposition, a position, a procedure, or a person. In the scale of attitudes it is located above surmise or conjecture and below knowledge. On a scale in...
Ghosts, according to legend, a dead person's soul or spirit that assumes a physical appearance. Most scientists believe that reports of ghosts are caused by hallucinations or some other kind of optical illusion. The power of suggestion combined with...
A pencil is an instrument, containing graphite, that is used for writing and drawing. The most common type of pencil consists of a thin cylinder of graphite and clay contained in a sheath of wood. Another kind of pencil is the mechanical pencil,...
A weasel is is any small species of the genus Mustela of carnivorous mammals, to which the larger mink, ferret, and European polecat also belong. The British restrict the name to the species Mustela nivalis which in America is called "least...
Introspection is the observation and analysis of one's own mental states and activities. Psychologists of the late 19th century defined the subject matter of psychology as the study of the content of the mind, and introspection was accordingly...
Political Science is the systematic analysis of government, its processes, forms of organization, institutions, and purposes. It is the oldest social science and has many points of contact with history, law, economics, and philosophy. In its...
Intuition is a term employed widely and variously in everyday speech and in philosophy and science to mean "a way of knowing." Although its range of meanings is large, there is a common element in all its uses: intuition is a way of "knowing...
A bay on the south of the island of Cuba about 156 km from Havana, the Bay of Pigs derives its name from the Spanish Bahia de Cochinos. On 16 April 1961 it was the scene of one of the great disasters of modern American foreign policy. In the late...
A earl is the oldest English title of nobility, ranked in the modern peerage between marquess and viscount. The dignity is equivalent to the continental European "count." The wife of an earl bears the title of countess. The word "earl" is related...
A pen is a pointed instrument used for writing in ink. The most common pens today are fountain pens and ball-point pens. In addition, there are many specialized pens for drawing. In ancient times, reed pens were used for writing on papyrus. Quill...
Palmistry is the practice of telling fortunes and describing personal character by examining the palm of the hand. Also known as chiromancy, the art of reading palms is based on a system in which special meanings are attached to certain features of...
Lycanthropy is a widespread folk belief that a human being may by magic take on the form and traits of a dangerous animal.
Burlesque in general refers to any literary or dramatic work which formally parodies a serious work, achieving its comic effect through the incongruity of subject and style. In the United States during the mid-19th century, the term "burlesque" came to be applied to a form of music hall...
Eisteddfod is a Welsh musical and literary festival. The Welsh word eisteddfod means literally "a sitting of learned men," reflecting the fact that the early assemblies were devoted to the regulations of poetry and music and to the conferring of...
Gynecology is the branch of medicine that deals with diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system. Most gynecologists are obstetricians as well, but the specialty of obstetrics is limited to the care of pregnant women and the delivery of...
A fairy tale is a story about supernatural beings or magical events. In addition to fairies, it may involve such creatures as witches or such talking animals as the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. The term "fairy tale" is also applied to such...
A snowshoe is a lightweight wooden frame interlaced with strips of animal hide. A snowshoe is attached to each foot to enable a person to travel over the surface of deep snow. The frame of a snowshoe is made by bending a piece of hardwood into an...
Angola is a republic in West Africa, with a western coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. To the north is Zaire, to the east Zambia and to the south Namibia (South West Africa). The small enclave of Cabinda, north of the Congo (Zaire) River estuary, is...
Fireworks, of a kind, preceded the invention of gunpowder. These were no more than patterned displays of fire, for which there is evidence both in the West and the Far East. Thus a Chinese poem of the seventh century A.D. says: Flames of fire move...