Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

physics

(Encyclopedia)physics, branch of science traditionally defined as the study of matter, energy, and the relation between them; it was called natural philosophy until the late 19th cent. and is still known by this na...

Dawkins, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Dawkins, Richard (Clinton Richard Dawkins), 1941– British evolutionary biologist and ethologist, b. Kenya, Ph.D. Oxford, 1966. He was a research assistant under Nikolaas Tinbergen at Oxford until 19...

Morawiecki, Mateusz Jakub

(Encyclopedia)Morawiecki, Mateusz Jakub, 1968–, Polish economist, banker, and political leader, b. Wrocław, grad. Univ. of Wroclaw, 1992, Wrocław Univ. of Science and Technology, 1993, M.B.A. Wrocław Univ. of ...

parapsychology

(Encyclopedia)parapsychology, study of mental phenomena not explainable by accepted principles of science. The organized, scientific investigation of paranormal phenomena began with the foundation (1882) of the Soc...

physical chemistry

(Encyclopedia)physical chemistry, branch of science that combines the principles and methods of physics and chemistry. It provides a fundamental theoretical and experimental basis for all of chemistry, including or...

Verne, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Verne, Jules vûrn; zhül vĕrn [key], 1828–1905, French novelist, originator of modern science fiction. After completing his studies at the Nantes lycée, he went to Paris to study law. He early be...

veterinary medicine

(Encyclopedia)veterinary medicine, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of animals. An early interest in animal diseases is found in ancient Greek writings on medicine. Veterinary medicine began to achieve the statu...

Courrèges, André

(Encyclopedia)Courrèges, André äNdrāˈ ko͞or-rĕzhˈ [key], 1923–2016, French fashion designer whose designs were especially popular and influential during the 1960s. He worked for the couturier Cristóbal B...

crypt

(Encyclopedia)crypt krĭpt [key] [Gr.,=hidden], vault or chamber beneath the main level of a church, used as a meeting place or burial place. It undoubtedly developed from the catacombs used by early Christians as ...

Chirico, Giorgio de

(Encyclopedia)Chirico, Giorgio de jōrˈjō dā kēˈrēkō [key], 1888–1978, Italian painter, b. Vólos, Greece. Chirico developed his enigmatic vision in Munich and Italy and from 1911 to 1915 he worked and exh...