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Cowen, Brian

(Encyclopedia) Cowen, Brian, 1960– Irish political leader, prime minister of the Repubic of Ireland (2008–11). A lawyer from a family long involved in Fianna Fáil politics, he was first elected to…

Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von

(Encyclopedia) Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand vonHelmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand vonhĕrˈmän l&oomacr;tˈvĭkh fĕrˈdēnänt fən hĕlmˈhôlts [key], 1821–94, German scientist. Although known…

Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani

(Encyclopedia) Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 1952–, emir of Qatar (1995–2013). The son of Emir Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, Hamad is credited with having turned a country of desert nomads into a modern…

luminosity

(Encyclopedia) luminosity, in astronomy, the rate at which energy of all types is radiated by an object in all directions. A star's luminosity depends on its size and its temperature, varying as the…

Mingus, Charles

(Encyclopedia) Mingus, CharlesMingus, Charlesmĭngˈgəs [key], 1922–79, American jazz musician, b. Nogales, Ariz. Mingus was a bassist, pianist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist. He was one of the…

Dewey, Melvil

(Encyclopedia) Dewey, Melvil, 1851–1931, American library pioneer, originator of the Dewey decimal system, b. Adams Center, N.Y., grad. Amherst (B.A., 1874; M.A., 1877). A man of originality and of…

Dickey, James

(Encyclopedia) Dickey, James, 1923–97, American poet and novelist, b. Atlanta. After serving in the air force during World War II, he attended Vanderbilt Univ., graduating in 1946. He was an English…

lactic acid

(Encyclopedia) lactic acid, CH3CHOHCO2H, a colorless liquid organic acid. It is miscible with water or ethanol. Lactic acid is a fermentation product of lactose (milk sugar); it is present in sour…

Feringa, Bernard Lucas

(Encyclopedia) Feringa, Bernard Lucas, 1951–, Dutch organic chemist, Ph.D. Univ. of Groningen, Netherlands, 1978. He has been on the faculty at the Univ. of Groningen since 1984. Feringa was jointly…

molecular orbital theory

(Encyclopedia) molecular orbital theory, detailed explanation of how electrons are distributed in stable molecules. In the simpler valence theory of the chemical bond, each atom in a molecule is…