Showing results by author "iMinds" in All Categories

Learn about the development of photography with iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds. Before the photograph was invented, the best way to capture an image was by painting it. You can imagine how long that would take! In 1990, Kodak unveiled the first widely available digital camera. These days, through many advances in technology, we can store hundreds of images on a single camera, ready to print or upload onto a computer whenever we like. But how did we get from paintings to digital photography?

The Empire State Building towers above the midtown district of New York City. Its solitary spire now stands out on the city skyline, no longer matched by the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. It is once again the tallest building in the city. But it is no longer the tallest in the world, a title it held for an unmatched 40 years. Its quiet elegance reflects the functionality of its form as well as the distinctive Art Deco style. It is a symbol of American commercial ambition and it is a symbol of the American Dream.

Mystery and misconception surround the geisha. At first glance, she may appear to be rather average looking, heavily clad in a weighty costume and an excess of make-up. But behind this mask lies a range of artistic skills and social etiquettes of immense importance to Japanese culture, past and present.

The French Revolution came about because of a long-held displeasure at how the rich lived. While the rich lived comfortably, the common people were forced to pay taxes too high for them to pay. And there was not enough food produced for them to eat. French peasants became so impoverished that visitors to France said many of them were as skinny as skeletons.

Learn about the story of Merlin the Magician with iMindsJNR audio-learning series for younger minds. As the advisor who helps King Arthur through the early years of his reign, Merlin has become the most famous wizard of all time.The stories of Merlin may have been based on a real person. But the character we know as Merlin today has come down to us through the “History of the Kings of Britain”, a book by the 12th-century English writer Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Learn about the discovery of Atoms with iMindsJNR audio learning series for younger minds. How is your body similar to the chair you are sitting in? Both things are made up of atoms! In fact, almost everything in the entire universe is made up of atoms. They are the building blocks of matter.

Crop circles are geometric patterns found in agricultural fields, most often in Southern England. They consist of flattened plant stems lying in regular patterns, some of which are highly complex. Crop circles usually appear in fields of wheat, barley, canola and other common crops. Because of their size - hundreds of feet across - crop circles can only be truly appreciated from the air.

Learn about hedge funds with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. A hedge fund is a type of investment structure for managing a private, unregistered investment pool. Within this investment portfolio the fund manager is permitted to use a number of higher risk investment strategies. Although a wide range of strategies are used the most common is long/short equity. This was the strategy used by the first hedge fund in the United States in 1949 and is still the most popular today.

Learn about Monetary Policy with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Monetary Policy refers to the branch of economic policy handled by a country’s central bank. It is concerned with the management of the money supply, interest rates and financial conditions. It attempts to achieve the central bank’s and the government’s broad economic objectives of achieving high employment, stable economic growth and low inflation.

Learn about the history of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London with iMinds Travel's insightful audio knowledge series. The roar of the crowd. The laughter from the stalls. The gentle breeze of a summer's day. All of this and more encompasses you as you watch a performance at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The theatre is situated on the South bank of the Thames River in London. The Globe Theatre that visitors flock to today is actually a replica of the original.

Two thousand years ago the mighty Roman Empire spanned most of Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. At its heart was the capital city of Rome, the city to which ‘all roads led’. Inside this city, the great ruins of the Colosseum are a lasting reminder of the majesty of this great empire. But the gigantic sports arena that is the Colosseum also reveals a dark side of ancient Rome. For the arena’s purpose was as a ground for gladiatorial combat. And in its wildly popular four-hundred-year history, the Colosseum would witness the deaths of thousands of humans and animals.

The House of Plantagenet was a royal house of 15 monarchs who ruled England from 1154-1485. The Plantagenets originally came from France, where they ruled a county called Anjou. They were a strange and powerful family, complex and prone to insanity. Their founder, Count Fulk III (known as "The Black"), had his wife burned at the stake in her wedding dress when he discovered she was sleeping with a goatherd.

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher, teacher, and political figure. His teachings have profoundly influenced Asian thought and life. The impact of his life and intellectual ideas have changed human history and it can be argued that he is the most influential philosopher who ever lived.

Learn about the history of Hierogylphs with iMindsJNR audio learning series for younger minds. Hieroglyphs form some of the oldest writing in the world. The word ‘hieroglyph’ means ‘sacred carvings’ in Greek and is the name given to written characters formed by drawings. These drawings can be of people, animals, plants, or many other objects.

In the 1830s, a young naturalist called Charles Darwin set out as part of a survey expedition on the HMS Beagle. Darwin collected fossils and different species of plants and animals, and made many detailed observations that inspired him to develop what once seemed an absolutely crazy idea - a theory that would change the world.

He was a great leader of the ancient world. And still today, Julius Caesar is one of history’s most famous people. Caesar was born in 100 BC to the wealthy family of the Julii. His parents named him Gaius. “Caesar”, meaning “head of hair”, was a nickname he received later. Caesar began to assert his authority at a young age.

Continue the journey of discovery with Smarty, Volume 4 by iMindsJNR. In this compilation of six diverse topics across our six junior categories, you will learn about: the life and rule of Henry VIII; the story of Roman myths; the geography and importance of Antarctica; the history of the French Revolution; the science of volcanoes and the importance of divil rights.

Sovereign debt is the debt of a country or government. This debt is usually comprised of bonds issued by the government. Sovereign debt can be contrasted with government debt. Government debt is when bonds are issued in a nation’s own currency. Therefore, this debt is mostly created within a country’s own economic boundaries. Sovereign debt, however, is created from bonds issued in foreign currencies or through loans.

Learn about Foreign Currency Exchange with iMinds Money's insightful fast knowledge series. Foreign currency exchange is the transaction of monetary business between two different countries. When conducting any business, participants must eventually be paid in the currency of their own country, regardless off whether the business is domestic or international.

Learn about the story of Robin Hood with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The story of Robin Hood is one of the most famous legends in the English language. The events of the legend place him in the regency of Prince John, when King Richard the Lionheart was away on crusade. This means if Robin Hood existed, he would have lived in the late 12th century.The legend of Robin Hood takes place in Sherwood Forest, near the city of Nottingham in the East Midlands, England.