You probably know how it works: kids take the ACT or the SAT, learn their scores, then send the results to schools that will decide the fate of America’s youth. But, what do these test names actually mean? What is ACT short for? As for that trick question, since 1996, the ACT has been short for nothing. The test was developed in the 1950s as …
On Friday, Kellogg’s recalled about 28 million boxes of cereal because consumers reported a unusual smell coming from the packaging that could potentially make people ill. In order to help identify the specific products involved, Kellogg’s referred the public to the universal product code (UPC). That’s the official name for the pattern of black lines on the side of almost everything you can possibly purchase.
The Gaza Strip—also referred to as just Gaza—is often in international headlines. How well do you know the meaning of this name? What does Gaza mean? The word Gaza comes from the Hebrew Azzah, loosely meaning “strong city.” The entire region is named for its capital city, which has been conquered many times over the centuries. Among its many rulers were the Philistines. The theme …
A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that smokers with greater amounts of Vitamin B6 may be less likely to develop lung cancer. The findings are preliminary, but have caused a lot of excitement. Behind the promising health news is a great question: Why are vitamins named with various letters and numbers? Does the letter match the name of a chemical, like Vitamin C and citric …
In the financial markets, there is a special day called a quadruple witching day. That may sound like hocus pocus, but it actually describes a logical, if hectic, event. Let’s break it down. The quadruple refers to four stock agreements that all expire: Stock index futures (buying/selling stocks on a future day) Stock index options (the right to buy/sell a stock on financial indexes, like …
