Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) superconductivity, abnormally high electrical conductivity of certain substances. The phenomenon was discovered in 1911 by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, who found that the resistance of mercury dropped sudd...

(Encyclopedia) gasoline or petrol, light, volatile mixture of hydrocarbons for use in the internal-combustion engine and as an organic solvent, obtained primarily by fractional distillation and “cracking” of pet...

(Encyclopedia) Lávrion lôrˈēəm [key], town (1991 pop. 8,846), E central Greece, in Attica; a port on the Aegean Sea. It is a mining, smelting, and shipping center for lead, manganese, and cadmium ores. Silver w...

(Encyclopedia) Auriemma, Geno (Luigi Auriemma), 1954–, American basketball coach, b. Montella, Italy, grad. West Chester State College (now West Chester Univ. of Pennsylvania), 1977. After coaching as an assistant...

(Encyclopedia) Marengo, battle of, a major engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought on June 14, 1800, at the village of Marengo in Piedmont, N Italy. Determined to throw the Austrians back from positions ...

(Encyclopedia) Cerro de Pasco sĕrˈrō ᵺā päsˈkō [key], city, capital of Pasco dept., central...

(Encyclopedia) Crowley krouˈlē [key]. <1> City (2020 pop. 11,710), seat of Acadia parish, SW La.; in...

(Encyclopedia) Sierra Morena syāˈrä mōrāˈnä [key], mountain range, SW Spain, extending c.375 mi (600 km) eastward along the southern edge of the Meseta (central plateau) from the Portuguese border to the Sier...

(Encyclopedia) Berlichingen, Götz von götsˈ fən bĕrˈlĭkhĭng-ən [key], 1480–1562, German knight and adventurer. The head of a band of free soldiers, he lost (1504) his right hand in the battle of Landshut ...

(Encyclopedia) Fuente Obejuna or Fuenteovejuna both: fwānˈtā ōvāho͞oˈnä ...