Forum

In the 1960s, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was thinking about how to use a mosaic photosensor to capture digital images. His idea was to take pictures of the planets and stars while traveling through space to give information about the astronauts' position.

Escheat refers to the right of a government to take ownership of estate assets or unclaimed property. It most commonly occurs when an individual dies with no will and no heirs.

JIGGERY-POKERY - deceitful or dishonest behavior; underhanded manipulation or dealings. Jiggery-pokery comes from Britain, as does most of the finest rhyming slang and spicy mustards, and has long been thought to have originated at the end of the 19th century.

The word ''Aircraft'' has the same plural form as singular - one aircraft, many aircraft. Aircraft is the same in both singular and plural.

It is a form of addiction describing those who are obsessively enamored of words, especially those set in a new framework.

They coined the term ''dutchman'' to refer to the act of covering up sloppy workmanship, whether with a plaster veneer or a wooden patch. After a while, though, even the nativist English realized that wattle and daub was a huge hassle and the new technique was faster, cheaper and allowed for more decorative detail. A dutchman, or for some uses, graving pieced is a repair technique for replacing small sections of a damaged area. The term is used in woodworking, masonry, railroading, boatbuilding and theater.