Showing results by author "iMinds" in All Categories

Learn about the story of the infamous Guy Fawkes with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. "Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot." Guy Fawkes has been called the most famous terrorist in history for his involvement in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. His influence is still felt today in United Kingdom where Guy Fawkes Night is still celebrated on November 5th.

Learn about the mystery of the Mary Celeste with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. In December 1872, a ship was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship's sails were raised and it was in a seaworthy condition. Yet it appeared to be bobbing quite strangely rather than sailing. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the crew of the ship was missing.

Learn about REM sleep with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. REM is an important component of sleep. But sleep itself is a difficult phenomenon to study, because it is such an insular process. Dreams in particular are highly elusive for the researcher of sleep. As dreaming is a "state of mind", theories concerning it are frustratingly convoluted and highly theory-based, with any advancement unlikely to be supported by hard evidence.

Learn about the development of burlesque performance with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Burlesque is a theatrical performance concerned with parody and exaggeration. But it didn't originate in the theatre. In fact, the term 'burlesque' is believed to have originally come from the Spanish word for joke, which was "burla". The term "burlesque" was used for satirical literary works from medieval times up until the 18th century.

Creationism is the name given to the belief that God created the universe and everything in it, including life. In the West, the word is usually associated with the account of creation given in the book of Genesis in the Christian and Jewish bibles, but it can apply equally to the foundation stories of other religions, such as Islam and Hinduism.

Learn about inflation with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Inflation is the increase in the general price of goods and services brought about through either an increase in the amount of money in circulation or by an increase in costs. Historically, inflation often occurred due to the acquisition of new gold deposits. For example, inflation occurred in Europe when Europeans brought back gold from their new American colonies in the Early Modern period.

Uluru is the indigenous Australian name for an enormous rock formation found in central Australia. Made from sandstone, Uluru is a rock monolith or an ‘island mountain’, a formation that geologists refer to as a monadnock. It stands 318 m (986 ft) high and has a circumference of 8 km (5 miles). It is located 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest rural centre, the large town of Alice Springs.

Learn about the history of the Irish Republican Army with iMinds insightful knowledge series. Much like the history of its homeland, the Irish Republican Army, or IRA, is complex and contested. Formed as a resistance movement during World War One, the IRA has since undergone several splits and reinventions. There are no fewer than five groups who identify themselves as the IRA, all of which can trace their beginnings to the original resistance movement.

This collection includes the story of 6 of Paris' most famous and beautiful destinations - The Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, The Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, The Champs Elysees and The Louvre. iMinds will tell you the story behind the place with its innovative travel series, transporting the armchair traveller or getting you in the mood for discover on route to your destination.

Want your general knowledge to cross all boundaries? Start becoming a "polymath" (a person of great learning in several fields of study) with iMinds Polymath collections. Polymath, Volume 1, is a collection of 36 iMinds knowledge titles, each a self contained grab of engaging information.

Learn about Pelé with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Edson Arantes do Nascimento is one of the most successful sports players in history. You probably know this Brazilian soccer player by his nickname: Pelé. He played soccer professionally for 20 years between 1957 and 1977. In that time he went from being a young sporting prodigy to the most admired and distinguished soccer player in history.

Lehman Brothers Holding Co. was the fourth-largest U.S. investment bank before the firm's spectacular collapse in 2008. Lehman's global businesses previously generated more than $19 billion in 2007 from its vast capital markets, investment banking and investment management businesses. Lehman's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing on September 15, 2008 marked one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history.

Imagine more than a million litres of water dropping each second from cliffs up to 80 metres, or 262 feet, high. Such an image may seem like an impossibility, but such is the majesty of South America’s Iguazu Falls. More expansive than both the Niagara Falls in North America and the Victoria Falls in Africa, The Iguazu Falls is a network of more than 275 falls covering many acres.

Learn about the Nazca Lines with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Nazca Lines have been called the eighth wonder of the world. They are a series of large drawings on the ground - called geoglyphs - located in the Nazca desert, in Peru. The Nazca desert is a high plateau situated between the towns of Palpa and Nazca, which is 400 kilometres south of the Peruvian capital of Lima.

The Empire State Building towers above the midtown district of New York City. Its solitary spire now stands out on the city skyline, no longer matched by the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. It is once again the tallest building in the city. But it is no longer the tallest in the world, a title it held for an unmatched 40 years. Its quiet elegance reflects the functionality of its form as well as the distinctive Art Deco style. It is a symbol of American commercial ambition and it is a symbol of the American Dream.

Learn about the history of the Tower of London with iMinds Travel's insightful audio knowledge series. The Tower of London offers an impressive skyline for England's capital city. Much of the awe tourists have for the Tower comes from its vastness. For the Tower of London is not just a single tower, but many buildings within the same complex.

Learn the history of Stonehenge with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Five thousand years ago, at the same time as the pyramids were being constructed in Egypt, another monolithic structure was being built in the English county now known as Wiltshire. This structure, a complex series of earthworks and towering standing stones, is one of Europe's most famous prehistoric sites.

Learn about Financial Regulation with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Financial regulation, simply put, is the supervision and control of the financial system and entities within it by a government body. It is deemed necessary to prevent abuses or failures within financial systems that affect the public or the stability of the system itself. Regulation is carried out differently in countries around the world....

Learn about the development of In Vitro Fertization with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. "In Vitro Fertilisation", also known as IVF, is concerned with enabling infertile couples to have children. As a result of IVF, thousands of couples and individuals have been able to fulfil their dream of procreating. To fully appreciate the complexities of IVF it is important to know the history of experiments in reproduction.

Learn about arbitrage with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Arbitrage is defined as attempting to profit by exploiting price differences of identical or similar financial instruments between two or more markets. The difference between the two market prices is the profit or spread. The term is usually used to describe transaction involving financial instruments such as stock, bonds, commodities, currencies and derivatives.