Tag Archives: United Kingdom

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History of the English Speaking Peoples

Michigan Central

Since so much of what we do in standards setting is built upon a foundation of a shared understanding and agreement of the meaning of words (no less so than in technical standard setting) that time is well spent reflecting upon the origin of the nouns and verbs of that we use every day.   Best practice cannot be discovered, much less promulgated, without its understanding secured with common language.

Word Counts

 

2024 Alumni Awards

Wren Library

Wren Library

Brittannica: Christopher Wren

Holding an Isaac Newton notebook in the Wren Library at Trinity College Cambridge.
— at Trinity College, Cambridge | Dr Jordan B Peterson


 

The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library. - Albert Einstein

Wild Swimming

 

INTERVIEW: Student Ellie Ford on founding the University’s first cold water swimming group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Port Meadow is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to swim. We often swim in a different spot from other open water swimming groups in order to create a more relaxed environment – especially for our beginners. We do special beginners swims on Saturdays, to ease new members into the practise slowly and very carefully.

Safety is paramount, so I’ll walk them in to the water and they can immerse themselves as much as they want. We never allow anyone to jump or dive into cold water – the shock can cause a swimmer to gulp for air and subsequently ingest water; it’s always a gentle process.” — Ellie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sex Difference in Female and Male Ice Swimmers

Ice Swimming

Smart Cities: Wicked Problems

“Oxford from the River with Christ Church in the Foreground” | William Turner (1820)

 

Smart cities: moving beyond urban cybernetics to tackle wicked problems

Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2015 | “The Smart City”

 

Abstract. This article makes three related arguments. First, that although many definitions of the smart city have been proposed, corporate promoters say a smart city uses information technology to pursue efficient systems through real-time monitoring and control. Second, this definition is not new and equivalent to the idea of urban cybernetics debated in the 1970s. Third, drawing on a discussion of Rio de Janeiro’s Operations Center, I argue that viewing urban problems as wicked problems allows for more fundamental solutions than urban cybernetics, but requires local innovation and stakeholder participation. Therefore the last section describes institutions for municipal innovation and IT-enabled collaborative planning.

The Eternal Music

“Heard melodies are sweet,
but those unheard are sweeter…”
John Keates (Ode on a Grecian Urn)

Click image

Lively Arts 300

 

Dogs and Agriculture

Dogs have been bred for a variety of purposes throughout history, including as working animals to support agriculture. Dogs have been bred for specific traits that make them well-suited to work on farms, such as intelligence, obedience, strength, and endurance*.

University of Oxford Estates Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Here are a few examples of how dogs were bred to support agriculture:

Herding dogs: Dogs such as the Border Collie, Australian Cattle Dog, and German Shepherd were bred to help farmers manage livestock by herding them from one place to another. These dogs have a natural instinct to gather and control herds of animals, and they can be trained to respond to a farmer’s commands.

Hunting dogs: Many breeds of dogs, such as the Labrador Retriever, were originally bred as hunting dogs to assist farmers with hunting game for food. These dogs have a keen sense of smell and are skilled at tracking and retrieving prey.

Guard dogs: Certain breeds of dogs, such as the Great Pyrenees, were bred to protect livestock from predators such as wolves and bears. These dogs are fiercely protective of their flock and will guard them from any perceived threat.

Draft dogs: Some large breeds of dogs, such as the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Saint Bernard, were bred to pull carts and wagons on farms. These dogs are strong and muscular and can move heavy loads across long distances.

Overall, dogs have been bred for centuries to support agriculture in a variety of ways. Their intelligence, loyalty, and hardworking nature have made them invaluable assets to farmers and have helped to shape the course of human history.

Evensong “Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano” (Franz Schubert)


Evensong is a traditional Anglican choral service that takes place in the late afternoon or early evening, typically around sunset. It is also known as Evening Prayer or Vespers.

The service consists of a series of prayers, psalms, canticles, and readings from the Bible, which are sung or chanted by a choir in four-part harmony. The choral music often features elaborate harmonies and complex counterpoint, and is usually accompanied by an organ or other instruments.

Evensong has been an important part of the British choral tradition for centuries, and is still performed in many Anglican churches throughout the UK and beyond. The tradition is particularly strong in Oxford and Cambridge, where the famous college choirs perform regular Evensong services that are open to the public.

The origins of Evensong can be traced back to the monastic offices of the Middle Ages, when monks would gather in the evening to sing the psalms and other prayers. Over time, these services evolved into more elaborate and musically sophisticated forms, which were eventually adopted by the Anglican Church and other Protestant denominations.

Today, Evensong is appreciated for its beauty and spiritual depth, as well as its contribution to the rich heritage of British choral music.

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