Three electrolytically refined lead nodules and a 1 cm3 cube for comparison. While this picture was featured in 2010, its subject has been brought to the lead more recently.
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from 30 June through 29 July. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
The three Northern England government regions shown within England, without regional boundaries. Other cultural definitions of the North vary.
Eckhart Hall at the University of Chicago was used for the Metallurgical Project's administrative offices
M-1 is in red
The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele, 1434–36. Oil on wood, 141 x 176.5 cm (including frame), 122 x 157 cm (excluding frame). Groeningemuseum, Bruges.
Set of Maundy money dated 1800, including the silver penny (top)
The name ship of the class Beograd (right) and the flotilla leader Dubrovnik in the Bay of Kotor after being captured by Italy
Senator Robert F. Kennedy, pictured campaigning for president in 1968
During the Baltimore Riot, the 6th Massachusetts became the first Union unit to take casualties in action on April 19, 1861.
SMS Weissenburg(nominated by Parsecboy) was one of the first ocean-going battleships of the Imperial German Navy. She was the third pre-dreadnought of the Brandenburg class. Weissenburg served with the I Division during the first decade of her service with the fleet. This period was generally limited to training exercises and goodwill visits to foreign ports. Weissenburg, along with her three sisters, saw only one major overseas deployment during this period, to China in 1900–1901, during the Boxer Rebellion. The ship underwent a major modernization in 1904–1905. In 1910, Weissenburg was sold to the Ottoman Empire and renamed Turgut Reis, after the famous 16th century Turkish admiral. The ship saw heavy service during the Balkan Wars. After the Ottoman Empire entered World War I, she supported the fortresses protecting the Dardanelles through mid-1915, and was decommissioned from August 1915 to the end of the war. She served as a training ship from 1924 to 1933, and a barracks ship until 1950, when she was broken up.
The green rosella(nominated by Cas Liber) is a species of parrot native to Tasmania and Bass Strait islands. At 37 cm (14.5 in) long it is the largest species of the rosella genus, Platycercus. Two subspecies are recognised. The green rosella's underparts, neck and head are yellow, with a red band above the beak and violet-blue cheeks. The back is mostly black and green, and its long tail blue and green. The sexes have similar plumage, except the female has duller yellow plumage and more prominent red markings, as well as a smaller beak. Juvenile and immature birds have predominantly green plumage. Found in a wide range of habitats with some form of tree cover, the green rosella is predominantly herbivorous, consuming seeds, berries, nuts and fruit, as well as flowers, but may also eat insect larvae and insects such as psyllids. Nesting takes place in tree hollows. Common and widespread across Tasmania, the green rosella is rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered species.
The Metallurgical Laboratory(nominated by Hawkeye7) or "Met Lab" was a scientific laboratory at the University of Chicago that was established in February 1942 to study and use the newly discovered chemical elementplutonium. It researched plutonium's chemistry and metallurgy, designed the world's first nuclear reactors to produce it, and developed chemical processes to separate it from other elements. The lab's chemical section was the first to chemically separate a weighable sample of plutonium, and the Met Lab produced the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, in the reactor Chicago Pile-1, which was constructed under the stands of the University's old football stadium, Stagg Field.
The British penny ( 1⁄240 of a pound sterling), a large, pre-decimal coin continuing the series of pennies that began about the year 700, was struck intermittently during the 20th century until its withdrawal after 1970. Concurrent with the reign of the House of Hanover, the History of the British penny (1714–1901)(nominated by Whewalt & Arwel Parry) saw its transformation from a little-used small silver coin to the bronze piece recognisable to modern-day Britons, by 1901 struck in the tens of millions each year. All bear the portrait of the monarch on the obverse; copper and bronze pennies have a depiction of Britannia on the reverse. During most of the 18th century, the penny was a small silver coin rarely seen in circulation, and that was principally struck to be used for Maundy money or other royal charity. Beginning in 1787, the chronic shortage of good money resulted in the wide circulation of private tokens, including large coppers valued at one penny. In 1797 industrialist Matthew Boulton gained a contract to produce official pennies at his Soho Mint in Birmingham; he struck millions of pennies over the next decade. After that, it was not until 1825 that pennies were struck again for circulation, and the copper penny continued to be issued until 1860. By the late 1850s, the state of the copper coinage was deemed unsatisfactory, with quantities of worn oversized pieces, some dating from Boulton's day, still circulating. They were replaced by lighter bronze coins beginning in 1860; the "Bun penny", named for the hairstyle of Queen Victoria on it, was issued from then until 1894. The final years of Victoria's reign saw the "Veiled head" or "Old head" pennies, which were coined from 1895 until her death in 1901. From 1901 to 1970(nominated by Wehwalt), the obverse ("heads" side) of the bronze coin depicted the monarch who was reigning at the start of the year. No pennies were produced for commerce in 1933, as there were a sufficient number in circulation.
Lead(nominated by R8R) is a chemical element with symbol Pb (from the Latinplumbum) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal with a density exceeding that of most common materials; it is soft, malleable, and melts at a relatively low temperature. When freshly cut, it has a bluish-white tint; it tarnishes to a dull gray upon exposure to air. Lead has the second-highest atomic number of the classically stable elements and lies at the end of three major decay chains of heavier elements. Lead has several properties that make it useful: high density, low melting point, ductility, and relative inertness to oxidation. In addition, lead is very common and inexpensive. However, due to its toxicity, lead is no longer in use in many fields of work.
The Disneyland Railroad(nominated by Jackdude101) is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gaugeheritage railroad and attraction located within the Disneyland theme park of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in the United States. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and encircles the vast majority of the park, with four train stations in different areas. The rail line, which was built by WED Enterprises, is operated with two steam locomotives built by WED and three historic steam locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The attraction originated as a concept created by Walt Disney, who drew inspiration from the ridable miniatureCarolwood Pacific Railroad built in his backyard. Since 1955 when the Disneyland Railroad first opened to the public at the park's grand opening, it has been consistently billed as one of the top attractions. It is one of the world's most popular steam-powered railroads, with an estimated 6.6 million passengers served each year.
The hooded pitohui(nominated by Sabine's Sunbird) is a species of bird in the genus Pitohui found in New Guinea. A medium-sized songbird with rich chestnut and black plumage, this species is one of the few known poisonous birds, containing a range of batrachotoxin compounds in its skin, feathers and other tissues. The hooded pitohui is found in forests from sea-level up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft), but is most common in hills and low mountains. A social bird, it lives in family groups and frequently joins and even leads mixed-species foraging flocks. The diet is made up of fruits, seeds and invertebrates.
Grevillea juniperina(nominated by Melburnian & Cas Liber) is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland in Australia. A small prickly leaved shrub between 0.2 and 3 m (8 in to 10 ft) high, G. juniperina grows generally on clay-based or alluvial soils in eucalyptwoodland. The flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear from winter to early summer and are red, orange or yellow. Grevillea juniperina adapts readily to cultivation and has been important in horticulture as it is the parent of many popular garden hybrids.
Banksia sceptrum(nominated by Cas Liber) occurs in Western Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool. In nature, B. sceptrum grows in deep yellow or pale red sand in tall shrubland, commonly on dunes, being found as a shrub to 5 metres (16 ft) high, though often smaller in exposed areas. . B. sceptrum is one of the most striking yellow-flowered banksias of all. Its tall bright yellow spikes, known as inflorescences, are terminal and well displayed. Flowering is in summer, mainly December and January, though flowers are occasionally seen at other times.
The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele(nominated by Ceoil & Victoriaearle) is a large oil-on-oak panel painting completed around 1434–36 by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. It shows the painting's donor, Joris van der Paele, within an apparition of saints. The Virgin Mary is enthroned at the centre of the semicircular space, which most likely represents a church interior, with the Christ Child on her lap. St. Donatian stands to her right, Saint George—the donor's name saint—to her left. The panel was commissioned by van der Paele as an altarpiece. He was then a wealthy clergyman from Bruges, but elderly and gravely ill, and intended the work as his memorial. The van der Paele panel is widely considered one of van Eyck's most fully realised and ambitious works, and has been described as a "masterpiece of masterpieces".
Jacob Gens(nominated by Ealdgyth & :Renata3) was a Lithuanian Jewish head of the Vilnius Ghetto. He joined the Lithuanian Army, rising to the rank of captain. When Nazi Germany invaded Lithuania, Gens headed the Jewish hospital in Vilnius before the formation of the ghetto in September 1941. He was appointed chief of the ghetto police force and in July 1942 the Germans appointed him head of the ghetto Jewish government. He attempted to secure better conditions in the ghetto and believed that it was possible to save some Jews by working for the Germans. Gens and his policemen helped Germans in rounding up the Jews for deportation and execution in Ponary in October–December 1941 and in liquidating several smaller ghettos from late 1942 to early 1943. His policies, including the attempt to save some Jews by surrendering others for deportation or execution, continue to be a subject of debate and controversy. Gens was shot in September 1943, shortly before his own ghetto was liquidated.
Istiodactylus(nominated by FunkMonk) is a genus of pterosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 120 million years ago. Istiodactylus was a large pterosaur; estimates of its wingspan range from 4.3 to 5 metres (14 to 16 ft) long. Its skull was about 45 centimetres (18 in) long, and was relatively short and broad for a pterosaur. The front of the snout was low and blunt, and bore a semicircle of 48 teeth.
Naruto(nominated by 1989 & Mike Christie) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. As of 2017, Naruto is the third best-selling manga series in history, selling more than 220 million copies worldwide in 35 countries outside Japan. It has become one of Viz Media's best-selling manga series; their English translations of the volumes have appeared on USA Today and The New York Times bestseller list several times, and the seventh volume won a Quill Award in 2006.
Dungeon Siege(nominated by PresN) is an action role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios on April 5, 2002, for Microsoft Windows, and the following year for MacOS. Set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Ehb, the high fantasy game follows a young farmer and his companions as they journey to defeat an invading force. The game was highly rated by critics upon release; it is listed by review aggregator Metacritic as the third-highest rated computer role-playing game of 2002. Critics praised the graphics and seamless world, as well as the fun and accessible gameplay, but were dismissive of the plot. Dungeon Siege sold over 1.7 million copies, and has been subject to numerous sequels
Steller's sea cow(nominated by Dunkleosteus77) is an extinctspecies of sirenian first discovered by Europeans in 1741. Steller's sea cow had a thick layer of blubber, a forked tail, and no teeth (as it fed mainly on kelp). The species is named for Georg Wilhelm Steller, who discovered it. Within 27 years of discovery by Europeans, the slow-moving and easily caught Steller's sea cow was hunted into extinction for its meat, fat, and hide. However, sightings have been claimed post-1768, the recorded year of its extinction.
"Shine"(nominated by Aoba47) is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani, featuring collaborative vocals by American entertainer Pharrell Williams. Critical response to "Shine" was mixed; some praised Stefani and Williams' chemistry, while others compared it negatively to their previous collaborations. Commentators frequently likened it to Williams' 2013 single "Happy" and Stefani's 2014 song "Spark the Fire".
On the Mindless Menace of Violence(nominated by Indy beetle) was a speech given by United States Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. He delivered it in front of the City Club of Cleveland at the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination ofMartin Luther King Jr. He sought to counter the riots and disorder emerging in the United States' cities, and address the growing problem of violence in American society. Doing away with his prepared remarks, Kennedy's speechwriters worked early into the morning of April 5 creating a full response to the assassination. Speaking in a tragic mode for only ten minutes before 2,200 people, Kennedy outlined his view on violence in American society. Kennedy's speech received much less attention than his (now famous) remarks in Indianapolis and was largely forgotten by the news media. Regardless, several of his aides considered it to be among his finest orations. Journalist Jack Newfield was of the opinion that the address was a suitable epitaph for the senator, who was himself assassinated two months later.
The 6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia(nominated by Historical Perspective 2) was a peacetime infantryregiment that was activated for federal service in the Union army for three separate terms during the American Civil War. The regiment gained notoriety as the first unit in the Union army to suffer casualties in action during the Civil War in the Baltimore Riot and the first militia unit to arrive in Washington D.C.. The regiment first enlisted for a "90-day" term of service which lasted from April 16 to August 2, 1861. Their second term of service lasted nine months from August 1862 to June 1863, and their third lasted 100 days from July to October 1864. The regiment participated in the Siege of Suffolk and the Battle of Carrsville.
Qatna(nominated by Attar-Aram syria) is an ancient city located in Homs Governorate, Syria. Its remains constitute a tell situated about 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Homs near the village of al-Mishrifeh. The city was an important center throughout most of the second millennium BC and in the first half of the first millennium BC. It contained one of the largest royal palaces of Bronze Age Syria and an intact royal tomb that provided a great amount of data on the funerary habits of that period.
Trisha is an Indian actress and model, active primarily in Tamil and Telugu films. Trisha has appeared in over 50 films and one music video.(nominated by Kailash29792) She was first seen in 1999 in an uncredited role in Jodi, then in the music video of Falguni Pathak's song "Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye". The first project she accepted as a lead actress was Priyadarshan's Lesa Lesa, but a delay in the film's release meant that her first appearance in a lead role was in Ameer's directorial debut Mounam Pesiyadhe in 2002, which was a commercial success. Her most recent roles in 2016, she appeared in the comedy horror films Aranmanai 2 and the Tamil-Telugu bilingual Nayaki (spelt Nayagi in Tamil), followed by the political thriller Kodi, which earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Tamil.
The Pokémon franchise revolves around 802 eponymous fictional species(nominated by Cyclonebiskit) of collectible monsters, each having unique designs and skills. Conceived by Satoshi Tajiri in the early 1990s, Pokémon are creatures that inhabit the fictional Pokémon World. The vast array of creatures is commonly divided into "Generations", with each division encompassing new titles in the main video game series and often a change of handheld platform. Each Generation is also marked by the addition of new Pokémon: 151 in Generation I, 100 in Generation II, 135 in Generation III, 107 in Generation IV, 156 in Generation V, 72 in Generation VI, and 81 in Generation VII.
Drug overdose and intoxication are significant causes of accidental death, and can also be used as a form of suicide. Death can occur from overdosing on a single or multiple drugs, or from combined drug intoxication (CDI) due to poly drug use. Drug use and overdoses increased significantly in the 1800s due to the commercialization and availability of certain drugs. Drug use and addiction also increased significantly following the invention of the hypodermic syringe in 1853, with overdose being a leading cause of death among intravenous drug users. Efforts to prohibit various drugs began to be enacted in the early 20th century, though the effectiveness of such policies is debated. Deaths from drug overdoses are increasing. Between 2000 and 2014, fatal overdoses rose 137% in the United States, causing nearly half a million deaths(nominated by Freikorp) in that period, and have also been continually increasing in Australia,Scotland, England, and Wales.
The Frank Worrell Trophy(nominated by The Rambling Man) is awarded to the winner of the West Indies–Australia Test match series in cricket. The trophy is named after Frank Worrell who was the first black captain of the West Indies. Australia leads in overall wins, winning 14 of the 24 series, while the West Indies have won 8, the remaining 2 ending in draws (with the trophy being retained by the incumbents).
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Photo caption "...its subject has been brought to the lead more recently." what does that mean? I can't understand it whether reading "lead" pronounced "led" or "leed". --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 14:44, 9 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]