Найти в Дзене
Статьи
The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
English level: middle This piece of art is one of the most celebrated works of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. He painted The Starry Night during his 12-month stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, several months after suffering a breakdown in which he severed a part of his own ear with a razor. While at the asylum, he painted during bursts of productivity that alternated with moods of despair. As an artist who preferred working from observation, van Gogh was...
8 месяцев назад
Moonlight Night on the Dniepr by Arkhip Kuindzhi
English level: middle While Kuindzhi was still working on Moonlight Night on the Dniepr, rumours spread across St Petersburg regarding the painting's exceptional beauty and lyrical expression. The public's enthusiasm was so great that Kuindzhi arranged Sunday two-hour studio visits. The famous Ivan Turgenev, Ivan Kramskoy, and Dmitrii Mendeleev were among the first guests. Before the artwork was completed, the Great Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich paid a huge sum of money to purchase it during his visit to the studio...
8 месяцев назад
What is actually Machine Learning?
What is this article about? We may associate machine learning, artificial intelligence, and smart computers with something modern that has only been developed in the last decade. However, it would be a mistake to think so, as its history goes back to at least the 1940s. English level: easy with little challenge Machine learning history starts in 1943 with the first mathematical model of neural networks presented in the scientific paper "A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity" by Walter Pitts and Warren McCulloch...
8 месяцев назад
What'd you do for Love?
Christina Dior created his fashion house in 1946 after years of work and hundreds of sketches for myriad of other boutiques. The first collection, Spring – Summer 1947, was displayed on February 12, in the salons of 30 Avenue Montaigne. The same year his first, and already legendary, fragrance, Miss Dior, was introduced to the public. Nowadays Miss Dior is still in vogue for its posh, flamboyant and unique features. Furthermore, this perfume has hid den depths… What do you know about Christian...
8 месяцев назад
About value of time
What is this article about? Nowadays people often rush through life, measuring our worth by achievements and constantly chasing the next goal. But true significance lies not in how much we accomplish, but in the moments we take the time to cherish and the authenticity with which we live them. English level: middle In the Japanese animated series Frieren at the Funeral, the titular character is an elf whose long lifespan makes years or even decades feel fleeting. To her, a ten-year adventure is but a brief moment, a perspective that sharply contrasts with that of her human companions...
8 месяцев назад
Our brain is a great comedian, or how it tricks us
The human brain is a marvel of evolution, capable of incredible feats of creativity, problem-solving, and memory. However, it is a scientific and psychological fact that our minds do indeed play tricks on us. Our brains often take shortcuts, make assumptions, and even deceive us, which can affect how we perceive the world and make decisions. People tend to see things that are not there, remember events that never happened. And even if everyone sees the same thing, all may be wrong. Such illusions also can be called cognitive biases...
8 месяцев назад
We Wear the Mask  by Paul L. Dunbar We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. My Shadow by Robert L. Stevenson I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
8 месяцев назад
What is under Moscow? Short story of Moscow metro
What is this article about? The Moscow metro was opened in 1935 (on May 15, 1935). Unlike railways in other countries, Moscow was presented not only with the functional task, but also ideological - to demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system over the capitalist. English level - middle The first Soviet metro was built in a record short time. The decree of establishment was adopted in 1931, construction began in 1933, and already in 1935 an 11.2-kilometre line with 13 stations was opened (the lobbies of all stations opened at the same time, at 6:45)...
9 месяцев назад
Alone-together paradox
English level: medium The 21st century is regarded as the loneliest century humankind has ever experienced, so maybe it is the right time to talk about this paradox. The "alone-together paradox" refers to the phenomenon when individuals experience a sense of togetherness while being physically alone. This paradox is increasingly relevant in modern society, where digital communication and remote work environments are prevalent. Sherry Turkle: “People often form emotional attachments to digital devices...
9 месяцев назад
"Dayte tank (!)" or "Give us a tank (!)"
"Dayte tank (!)" is a Russian music band which consists of 5 people. This band has quite a long story of creation and growth, but I am here to talk about the main aspects. Every music band has its own genre (and, by the way, there are usually many of them), so it would be better to start with the description of the group. If you ask the members of "Dayte tank (!)", you will hear only one answer from each of them: "Garage rock for introverted dancers who miss the Russian language". Sounds like a great literary quote, but I will list the basic genres and styles of this group...
9 месяцев назад
A fascinating way to teach mathematical ideas | short story of the Rubik’s Cube
It was 1974, when Hungarian architecture professor Erno Rubik created a prototype of a three-dimensional cube and called it the Magic Cube (“Bűvös kocka"). In the years following, he used it to teach his students about three-dimensional space. In the next three years the Magic Cube became really popular in Hungary, which in that time lived in its communist-era. It means that exports were tightly controlled by the government, so continued growth for the Magic Cube seemed to be complicated. Erno Rubik realized that the only solution to this problem is international toy fairs...
9 месяцев назад
Acquainted with the Night BY ROBERT FROST I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light. I have looked down the saddest city lane. I have passed by the watchman on his beat And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain. I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet When far away an interrupted cry Came over houses from another street, But not to call me back or say good-bye; And further still at an unearthly height, One luminary clock against the sky Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. I have been one acquainted with the night. words to learn: to outwalk - to walk faster or ferther than something lane (noun) - a narrow road in the countryside or in a town watchman (noun) - a person who is employed to guard a building or several buildings still (adj) - staying in the same position; not moving to proclaim /formal/ - to announce something publicly or officially, especially something positive
9 месяцев назад