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Cryptex
The word ''cryptex'' is a neologism coined by the author Dan Brown for his 2003 novel ''The Da Vinci Code'', denoting a portable vault used to hide secret messages. It is a word formed from Greek ''kryptós'', "hidden, secret" and Latin ''codex''; "an apt title for this device" since it uses "the science of ''cryptology'' to protect information written on the contained scroll or ''codex''" (p. 199 of the novel). The first physical cryptex was created by Justin Kirk Nevins in 2004. Design and function The (first) cryptex featured in the novel ''The Da Vinci Code'' is described as a stone cylinder comprising "five doughnut-sized disks of marble hathad been stacked and affixed to one another within a delicate brass framework"; end caps make it impossible to see inside the hollow cylinder. Each of the disks is carved with the entire alphabet and can be rotated independently of the others to create different letter-alignment combinations, including but not limited to words, ini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Treasure Hunters (TV Series)
''Treasure Hunters'' is a reality television series on NBC (US) and Global (Canada) in which ten teams of three solve puzzles and complete challenges in hopes of solving the ultimate puzzle and winning the grand prize. Teams travel across the United States and Europe in search of seven "artifacts" which when assembled will "lead to the key. Find the key, and find the treasure." The challenges and puzzles are spliced with American history, and the ultimate goal is to find a hidden treasure, leading the show to be compared on various occasions to the film ''National Treasure''. The value of the treasure in the series was revealed on the season finale to be $3,000,000. The two-hour premiere episode aired on June 18, 2006 and beginning June 26 the series moved to its regular Monday night timeslot. The season finale was broadcast live on August 21, 2006. The Hunt is similar in format to ''The Amazing Race''. Key differences include: * Teams consist of three members as opposed to ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Da Vinci Code
''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel ''Angels & Demons''. ''The Da Vinci Code'' follows symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu after a murder in the Louvre Museum in Paris causes them to become involved in a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene having had a child together. The novel explores an alternative religious history, whose central plot point is that the Merovingian kings of France were descended from the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, ideas derived from Clive Prince's ''The Templar Revelation'' (1997) and books by Margaret Starbird. The book also refers to ''The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'' (1982) though Dan Brown has stated that it was not used as research material. ''The Da Vinci Code'' provoked a popular interest in speculation concerning ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Witches Of East End
''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by author Melissa de la Cruz and the first entry in her ''Beauchamp Family'' series. It was published on June 21, 2011, by Hyperion Books and follows a family of Long Island witches struggling against dark forces conspiring against them. ''Witches of East End'' is de la Cruz's first adult novel; she said she wrote it with her Blue Bloods audience in mind because "many of them will soon be adults" and the book takes place in the same universe as the ''Blue Bloods'' series. The novel currently has two sequels: ''Serpent's Kiss'' (2012) and ''Winds of Salem'' (2013). A television series adaptation, ''Witches of East End'', debuted October 6, 2013, on Lifetime. Synopsis Joanna Beauchamp has lived off the coast of Long Island for many centuries. She and her daughters Freya and Ingrid are immortal witches, cursed to spend the rest of their days without the use of their substantial powers due to the family's involvement in the Salem Witch Tria ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eye Of Providence
The Eye of Providence (or the All-Seeing Eye of God) is a symbol that depicts an eye, often enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by Ray (optics), rays of light or Glory (optical phenomenon), glory, meant to represent divine providence, whereby the eye of God watches over humanity. A well-known example of the Eye of Providence appears on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, which is depicted on the United States one-dollar bill. Use by governments and confederations United States In 1782, the Eye of Providence was adopted as part of the Symbolism (arts), symbolism featured on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. It was first proposed as an element of the Great Seal by the first of three design committees in 1776, and is thought to be the suggestion of the artistic consultant, Pierre Eugene du Simitiere,Bureau of Public Affairs. July 2003.The Great Seal of the United States" Washington: United States Department of State, U.S. Department of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Conduit
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with pronouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of pronoun ''thee'') when followed by a v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rubbing
A rubbing ('' frottage'') is a reproduction of the texture of a surface created by placing a piece of paper or similar material over the subject and then rubbing the paper with something to deposit marks, most commonly charcoal or pencil but also various forms of blotted and rolled ink, chalk, wax, and many other substances. For all its simplicity, the technique can be used to produce blur-free images of minuscule elevations and depressions on areas of any size in a way that can hardly be matched by even the most elaborate, state-of-the-art methods. In this way, surface elevations measuring only a few thousandths of a millimeter can be made visible. Common uses for this technique include: * Brass rubbing, to make copies of monumental brasses * Forensic uses, including finding out what was written on a sheet of paper removed from a pad by rubbing the impressions left on subsequent sheets or other backing materials * Frottage, a surrealist art form * Stone rubbing Stone rubbi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise ''Tomb Raider''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Created by a team at British developer Core Design that included Toby Gard, the character first appeared in the video game ''Tomb Raider (1996 video game), Tomb Raider'' in 1996. Core Design handled the initial development of the character and the series. Inspired by strong female icons, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. The company modified the character for subsequent titles, which included graphical improvements and gameplay additions. American developer Crystal Dynamics took over the series after the 2003 sequel ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness'' was received poorly. The new developer Reboot (fiction), rebooted the character along with the video game series by altering her physical propor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anniversary
An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption of a new constitution or form of government. There is no definite method for determining the date of establishment of an institution, and it is generally decided within the institution by convention. The important dates in a sitting monarch's reign may also be commemorated, an event often referred to as a "jubilee". Anniversary names * Birthdays are the most common type of anniversary, on which someone's birthdate is commemorated each year. The actual celebration is sometimes moved for practical reasons, as in the case of an official birthday. * Wedding anniversaries are also often cel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valley Of The Wolves
''Valley of the Wolves'' ( tr, Kurtlar Vadisi) is a Turkish media franchise created by Osman Sınav, which has obtained high ratings for the television series and one of the highest box office returns in the history of the Turkish cinema for the first film. Production history ''Valley of the Wolves'' ( tr, Kurtlar Vadisi) is the original series created by Osman Sınav, which followed a Turkish intelligence agent working under the assumed identity of Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) attempting to infiltrate the Turkish mafia. It ran for 97 episodes from 2003 to 2005. ''Valley of the Wolves: Iraq'' ''Valley of the Wolves: Iraq'' ( tr, Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak) is a controversial 2006 spin-off film directed by Serdar Akar, which follows Polat Alemdar (Necati Şaşmaz) and his team as they go to northern Iraq during the Occupation of Iraq to avenge the death of Turkish soldiers. Its perceived anti-Americanism and anti-semitism generated interest among American and European media and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castle (TV Series)
''Castle'' is an American crime mystery/comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. Created by Andrew W. Marlowe, it primarily traces the lives of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a best-selling mystery novelist, and Kate Beckett ( Stana Katic), a homicide detective, as they solve various unusual crimes in New York City. Detective Beckett is initially infuriated at the thought of working with a writer and goes to great lengths to keep him out of her way. However, the two soon start developing feelings for each other. The overarching plot of the series focused on the romance between the two lead characters and their ongoing investigation of the murder of Beckett's mother. On May 12, 2016, it was announced that despite some cast members signing one-year contracts for a potential ninth season, the show was canceled. Premise Richard Castle ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castle (season 8)
The eighth and final season of American crime-comedy-drama television series ''Castle'' was ordered on May 7, 2015, by ABC. The season premiered on September 21, 2015, in the United States on ABC, and the finale aired on May 16, 2016. The season consisted of 22 episodes. On April 18, 2016, ABC and ABC Productions announced that Stana Katic and Tamala Jones would not return for ''Castle''s ninth season, should it be renewed. Despite several other cast members having signed on for a ninth season, on May 12, 2016, it was announced that the show would be cancelled instead; the final episode aired on May 16, 2016. Overview Richard Castle (Fillion) is a famous mystery novelist who has killed off the main character in his popular book series and has writer's block. He is brought in by the NYPD for questioning regarding a copy-cat murder based on one of his novels. He is intrigued by this new window into crime and murder, and uses his connection with the mayor to charm his way into sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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