iron curtain : An impenetrable barrier to communication, marked by censorship, secrecy, and isolation.

Soon after Brodsky began writing poetry in the USSR in the 1950s, he was accused by the government of “social parasitism” and sentenced to hard labor. Exiled in 1972, he settled in New York and began writing in English. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1987 and was poet laureate of the US for a time. His poetry, with its themes of loss and exile, is highly regarded for its intensity, depth, and wit. What was his retort when a Soviet judge once asked him, “Who enrolled you in the ranks of poets?” Discuss

The Kola Superdeep Borehole project was an attempt to dig as far as possible into the Earth’s crust. It began when, in 1970, following setbacks in the Space Race, Soviet scientists looked downward. Digging on the remote Kola Peninsula for some 20 years, they reached a depth of 40,230 feet (12,262 m)—about a third of the way through the Earth’s crust—before being forced to stop due to higher-than-expected temperatures of 350° F (180° C). Surprisingly, water was found at what depth? Discuss

Traditionally, screening for colon cancer is done via colonoscopy, a medical procedure in which a specialized camera known as an endoscope is used to examine the rectum and colon. To prepare for the procedure, patients must take a strong laxative that eliminates all waste from the colon—a process that deters many from being screened. However, a laxative-free colon imaging procedure known as CT colonography could encourage more people to get checked. Though less effective than traditional colonoscopy at identifying polyps smaller than a centimeter in size, laxative-free CT colonography was found to be nearly as effective when it comes to identifying polyps one centimeter or larger. Discuss

Zaal is a legendary warrior in the Persian Shahnameh, or Book of Kings. Born an albino, he is abandoned on a mountain, where he is found by a giant phoenix-like bird, the Simurgh, that takes him to her nest and raises him. Years later, his father—a king—reclaims him. The Simurgh is heartbroken at Zaal’s departure and gives him three feathers for protection. He marries a princess descended from an evil king and fathers the great Persian hero Rostam. When does Zaal use the feathers? Discuss

“More valuable than the things we give to each other are the gifts of virtues we pass on quietly to others through our selfless and noble actions. These gifts are truly precious because they are imperishable and they multiply the more we share them.” ~Thought for Today-UK

“There is no element of genius without some form of madness.” ~Leonardo Dicaprio

“When you help someone who is lost and confused;
When you hold someone who is sad and grieving;
When you hug someone who is unhappy and hopeless;
You too will feel healed and whole.” ~Dr Jeff Mulan

Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer. -Wilde, Oscar

“The pursuit of your life is to come into [your] purpose. And the waste of your life is to miss that purpose.” ~Bishop T.D. Jakes