sorcery, the practice of malevolent magic, derived from casting lots as a means of divining the future in the ancient Mediterranean world. Some scholars distinguish sorcery from witchcraft by noting that it is learned rather than intrinsic. Other scholars, noting that modern witches claim to learn

earthquake: Tectonic associations: …zones, which are associated with convergent plate boundaries, intermediate- and deep-focus earthquakes mark the location of the upper part of a dipping lithosphere slab. The focal mechanisms indicate that the stresses are aligned with the dip of the lithosphere underneath the adjacent continent or island arc.

adhesive: Adhesion: …bonds is usually determined by destructive tests, which measure the stresses set up at the point or line of fracture of the test piece. Various test methods are employed, including peel, tensile lap shear, cleavage, and fatigue tests. These tests are carried out over a wide range of temperatures and…

Marlene Dietrich: …directed by Frank Borzage, and Destry Rides Again (1939).

Antoine-Louis-Claude, Comte Destutt de Tracy was a French philosopher, soldier, and chief Idéologue, so called for the philosophical school of Idéologie, which he founded. Born into a noble family that originated in Scotland, Destutt de Tracy became colonel of the Penthièvre regiment before being

foreign-language instruction: …ordinary social situations; and “desuggestopedia,” which involves removing by suggestion feelings or beliefs in students that limit their ability to learn.

bacteria: Heterotrophic metabolism: Desulfovibrio and Desulfuromonas reduce sulfate and elemental sulfur (S), respectively, yielding sulfide (S2−), and the bacterium Acetobacterium woodii and methanogenic archaea, such as Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, reduce carbon dioxide to acetate and methane, respectively. The

sulfur bacterium: Desulfovibrio desulficans reduces sulfates in waterlogged soils and sewage to hydrogen sulfide, a gas with the rotten egg odour so common to such places. Thiothrix, common in sulfur springs and in sewage, and Sulfolobus, confined to sulfur-rich hot springs, transform hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur.

steel: Desulfurizing: …powder-injection stations are used for desulfurization. One effective desulfurizer is a calcium-silicon alloy containing 30 percent calcium. Metallic calcium desulfurizes by forming the very stable compound calcium sulfide (CaS), and it is alloyed with silicon because pure calcium reacts instantaneously with water and is therefore difficult to handle. Injecting four…

organosulfur compound: Reactions: Raney nickel desulfurization was a key step in first establishing the structure of penicillin. The high polarizability of sulfur stabilizes a negative charge on the carbon adjacent to divalent sulfur, as in RSCH2−(usually as α-lithium sulfides, RSCH2Li), which proves useful in organic synthesis through nucleophilic…

bacteria: Heterotrophic metabolism: Desulfovibrio and Desulfuromonas reduce sulfate and elemental sulfur (S), respectively, yielding sulfide (S2−), and the bacterium Acetobacterium woodii and methanogenic archaea, such as Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, reduce carbon dioxide to acetate and methane, respectively. The Archaea typically use hydrogen as an electron donor with carbon

DESY, the largest centre for high-energy particle-physics research in Germany. DESY, founded in 1959, is located in Hamburg and is funded jointly by the German federal government and the city of Hamburg. Its particle-accelerator facilities are an international resource, serving thousands of

dream: Physiological dream research: D-state (desynchronized or dreaming) sleep has been reported for all mammals studied. It has been observed, for example, among monkeys, dogs, cats, rats, elephants, shrews, and opossums; these signs also have been reported in some birds and

trazodone, drug used to treat depression and to induce sedation in persons with certain anxiety disorders and sleep disorders. Trazodone works by causing an increase in levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps maintain mental balance. Trazodone is taken orally, typically starting at a low

Inger Christensen: …her long poem Det (1969; It) brought Christensen international acclaim. A 200-page exploration of the word it, the poem reveals the intellectual influence of thinkers such as Lars Gustafsson, Søren Kierkegaard, Noam Chomsky, and R.D. Laing. The volume Alfabet (1981; Alphabet) builds on her earlier analogies between language and physical…

Stieg Larsson: The Girl in the Spider’s Web) was based in part on outlined scenarios left by Larsson, who had mapped out some 10 volumes of the series. The novel sets Salander and Blomkvist against an array of adversaries, from malevolent hackers to the U.S. National Security…

synthetic division, short method of dividing a polynomial of degree n of the form a0xn + a1xn − 1 + a2xn − 2 + … + an, in which a0 ≠ 0, by another of the same form but of lesser degree (usually of the form x − a). Based on the remainder theorem, it is sometimes called the method of detached

detached retina, eye disorder involving separation of the transparent light-sensing portion of the retina from the underlying layer of supporting cells known as the retinal pigment epithelium. Most commonly, retinal detachments are caused by the passage of fluid through a break, or tear, in the

modus ponens and modus tollens, in propositional logic, two types of inference that can be drawn from a hypothetical proposition—i.e., from a proposition of the form “If A, then B” (symbolically A ⊃ B, in which ⊃ signifies “If . . . then”). Modus ponens refers to inferences of the form A ⊃ B; A,

principle of microscopic reversibility, principle formulated about 1924 by the American scientist Richard C. Tolman that provides a dynamic description of an equilibrium condition. Equilibrium is a state in which no net change in some given property of a physical system is observable; e.g., in a

Édouard Detaille was a French painter known for his accurate portrayals of battles and military life. Detaille studied with Ernest Meissonier and employed a technique of literal exactitude based on that of his teacher. Detaille developed a wide knowledge of military detail, which made his work an

Édouard Detaille was a French painter known for his accurate portrayals of battles and military life. Detaille studied with Ernest Meissonier and employed a technique of literal exactitude based on that of his teacher. Detaille developed a wide knowledge of military detail, which made his work an

George W. Bush: Treatment of detainees: …revelations, Congress eventually passed the Detainee Treatment Act, which banned the “cruel, inhuman, or degrading” treatment of prisoners in U.S. military custody. Although the measure became law with Bush’s signature in December 2005, he added a “signing statement” in which he reserved the right to set aside the law’s restrictions…

Carrie Buck was an American woman who was the plaintiff in the case of Buck v. Bell (1927), in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of compulsory eugenics-based sterilization laws. When Buck was three years old, her mother was institutionalized after being found “feebleminded”

detection, in electronics, the process of rectifying a radio wave and recovering any information superimposed on it; it is essentially the reverse of modulation

space exploration: Remote sensing: Remote sensing is a term applied to the use of satellites to observe various characteristics of Earth’s land and water surfaces in order to obtain information valuable in mapping, mineral exploration, land-use planning, resource management, and other activities. Remote sensing is carried out…

detective story: …and superior mind of the detective; and (5) the startling and unexpected denouement, in which the detective reveals how the identity of the culprit was ascertained. Detective stories frequently operate on the principle that superficially convincing evidence is ultimately irrelevant. Usually it is also axiomatic that the clues from which…

Batman: …debuted in May 1939 in Detective Comics no. 27 and has since appeared in numerous comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels; on television in a camp live-action series and a critically acclaimed animated program; in electronic games; and in brooding, atmospheric films.

Detective Story, American film noir, released in 1951, that is widely considered a classic police drama and is noted for its realism. Kirk Douglas gave a critically acclaimed performance as Jim McLeod, a dedicated New York police detective who is fanatical in his enforcement of the law. A complex

detective story, type of popular literature in which a crime is introduced and investigated and the culprit is revealed. The traditional elements of the detective story are: (1) the seemingly perfect crime; (2) the wrongly accused suspect at whom circumstantial evidence points; (3) the bungling of

The Detective, American crime thriller film, released in 1968, that was based on Roderick Thorp’s best-selling novel (1966) of the same name and featured one of the first mainstream discussions in American film of homosexuality. Frank Sinatra’s dramatic role, as the title character, was one of his

Roberto Bolaño: …was Los detectives salvajes (1998; The Savage Detectives), which tells the story of a circle of radical Mexican poets known as the “visceral realists.” The book begins as a diary of a young poet new to the group, but it then telescopes into a chronicle of the adventures of the…

chromatography: Methods of detection: …is inseparable from refinement of detectors that accurately sense solutes in the presence of the mobile phase. Detectors may be classified as general detectors in which all solutes are sensed regardless of their identity, or as specific detectors, which sense a limited number of solutes—for example, those containing halogens or…

détente, period of the easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979. The era was a time of increased trade and cooperation with the Soviet Union and the signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) treaties. Relations cooled again with the Soviet

preventive detention, the practice of incarcerating accused individuals before trial on the assumption that their release would not be in the best interest of society—specifically, that they would be likely to commit additional crimes if they were released. Preventive detention is also used when

preventive detention, the practice of incarcerating accused individuals before trial on the assumption that their release would not be in the best interest of society—specifically, that they would be likely to commit additional crimes if they were released. Preventive detention is also used when

Royal Dutch Shell PLC: …1896, under the leadership of Hendrik W.A. Deterding (1866–1939), it began the construction of tankers and storage facilities and the creation of a sales organization.

detergent, any of various surfactants (surface-active agents) particularly effective in dislodging foreign matter from soiled surfaces and retaining it in suspension. The term usually denotes a synthetic substance that is not prepared by saponifying fats and oils (as is soap). A brief treatment of

ice in lakes and rivers: Thinning and rotting: In the spring, when average daily air temperatures rise above the freezing point, ice begins to decay. Two processes are active during this period: a dimensional thinning and a deterioration of the ice crystal grains at their boundaries. Thinning of the ice layer is…

determinant, in linear and multilinear algebra, a value, denoted det A, associated with a square matrix A of n rows and n columns. Designating any element of the matrix by the symbol arc (the subscript r identifies the row and c the column), the determinant is evaluated by finding the sum of n!

determinant, in genetics, the term used in the late 19th century by the German biologist August Weismann to describe the component of hereditary material, or germ plasm, that specifies the characteristics of different

mammal: Skin and hair: Hairs with determinate growth are subject to wear and must be replaced periodically—a process termed molt. The first coat of a young mammal is referred to as the juvenal pelage, which typically is of fine texture like the underfur of adults and is replaced by a postjuvenile…

inflorescence: Determinate inflorescence.: In determinate (cymose) inflorescences, the youngest flowers are at the bottom of an elongated axis or on the outside of a truncated axis. At the time of flowering, the apical meristem (the terminal point of cell division) produces a flower bud, thus arresting…

parole: …parole in favour of “determinate” sentences with a fixed release date. To retain the rehabilitative advantages of parole, however, several of these states strengthened “good-time” provisions, whereby a convict’s period of imprisonment could be reduced in consideration of good behaviour in prison. Many of the states that retained parole…

history of logic: The theory of supposition: …according to the author): (1) determinate (e.g., horse in “Some horse is running”), (2) confused and distributive (e.g., horse in “Every horse is an animal”), and (3) merely confused (e.g., animal in “Every horse is an animal”). These types were described in terms of a notion of “descent to (or…

history of logic: Problems and new directions: Their “axiom of determinateness” can be formulated in terms of an infinite two-person game in which the players alternately choose zeros and ones. The outcome is the representation of a binary real number between zero and one. If the number lies in a prescribed set S…

John of Paris: …his eucharistic doctrines expressed in Determinatio (1304), John suggested an alternative to transubstantiation, namely, the proposition that the Person of Christ somehow enters into a kind of hypostatic, or essential, union with the material elements. John’s heterodoxy was censured, and he was sentenced to perpetual silence; he died before his…

coefficient of determination, in statistics, R2 (or r2), a measure that assesses the ability of a model to predict or explain an outcome in the linear regression setting. More specifically, R2 indicates the proportion of the variance in the dependent variable (Y) that is predicted or explained by

hieroglyphic writing: Characteristics of hieroglyphic writing: …category of signs consists of determinatives, which carry no phonetic significance but are employed to specify meaning and assist in word division. For example, the phonetic writing p + r + t can signify the infinitive of the verb “to go,” the name of the winter season, or the word…

determinism, in philosophy and science, the thesis that all events in the universe, including human decisions and actions, are causally inevitable. Determinism entails that, in a situation in which a person makes a certain decision or performs a certain action, it is impossible that he or she could

chaos theory, in mechanics and mathematics, the study of apparently random or unpredictable behaviour in systems governed by deterministic laws. A more accurate term, deterministic chaos, suggests a paradox because it connects two notions that are familiar and commonly regarded as incompatible. The

tort: Deterrence: In its modern, economic sense, deterrence aims at reducing the number of accidents by imposing a heavy financial cost on unsafe conduct. A distinction is necessary between specific and general deterrence. The former depends largely on the admonitory effect of tort law. This, however,…

deterrence, military strategy under which one power uses the threat of reprisal effectively to preclude an attack from an adversary power. With the advent of nuclear weapons, the term deterrence largely has been applied to the basic strategy of the nuclear powers and of the major alliance systems.

chemoreception: Phagostimulation: Although most secondary compounds are deterrent to the vast majority of species, there are some cases in which these compounds act as essential sign stimuli for an animal, indicating that it has the correct food. This is true for many insects that are oligophagous or monophagous on plants that contain…

Anatoly Rybakov: …to publish Deti Arbata (1987; Children of the Arbat), much of which had been suppressed for more than two decades. The work presents a horrifying view of Stalin’s brutal rule in the early 1930s; Sasha, the hero, is a thinly disguised version of the author. Strakh (1990; Fear), which presents…

Adriatic Sea, arm of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. The Strait of Otranto at its southeasterly limit links it with the Ionian Sea. It is about 500 miles (800 km) long with an average width of 100 miles, a maximum depth of 4,035 feet (1,324 metres), and an

detinning, recovering tin from tinplate scrap. The scrap is placed in a solution of hot caustic soda to dissolve off the tin. The tin may then be recovered from the solution in various ways: in the form of sodium stannate, by evaporation and crystallization; in the form of metallic tin, by

Utah: Sports and recreation: Jim McMahon, Robbie Bosco, and Ty Detmer.

Detmold, city, North Rhine–Westphalia Land (state), northwestern Germany. It lies on the eastern slope of the Teutoburg Forest (Teutoburger Wald), on the Werre River. The capital, from the 12th century, of the former principality and Land of Lippe, Detmold was chartered about 1350. About 3 miles (5

explosive: Detonating cord: Detonating cord (detonating fuse) resembles safety fuse but contains a high explosive instead of black powder. The first successful one, patented in France in 1908, consisted of a lead tube, about the same diameter as safety fuse, filled with a core of TNT.…

explosive: Types of chemical explosives: …two types: (1) detonating, or high, explosives and (2) deflagrating, or low, explosives. Detonating explosives, such as TNT and dynamite, are characterized by extremely rapid decomposition and development of high pressure, whereas deflagrating explosives, such as black and smokeless powders, involve merely fast burning and produce relatively low pressures. Under…

explosive: Detonating cord: Detonating cord (detonating fuse) resembles safety fuse but contains a high explosive instead of black powder. The first successful one, patented in France in 1908, consisted of a lead tube, about the same diameter as safety fuse, filled with a core of TNT.…

chemical industry: Nitric acid: …industry is the production of detonating agents, or such priming compositions as lead azide [Pb(N3)2], silver azide (AgN3), and mercury fulminate [Hg(ONC)2]. These are not nitrates or nitro compounds, although some other detonators are, but they all contain nitrogen, and nitric acid is involved in their manufacture.

blasting cap, device that initiates the detonation of a charge of a high explosive by subjecting it to percussion by a shock wave. In strict usage, the term detonator refers to an easily ignited low explosive that produces the shock wave, and the term primer, or priming composition, denotes a

Detour, American low-budget crime drama that was virtually ignored upon its initial release in 1945 but was later championed by film critics and such directors as Martin Scorsese as one of the high points of the film noir genre. Al Roberts (played by Tom Neal) is a hitchhiker who assumes a

Situationist International: One method was détournement, or taking preexisting images and mixing them together to highlight the underlying ideology of the original image. The SI identified film as being the most effective medium for détournement. Although it was made by a Situationist after the movement’s official disbanding, the filmmaker and…

Sheryl Crow: Other albums and projects: …a collection of introspective songs; Detours (2008), a combination of socially conscious songs and personal reminiscences; and 100 Miles from Memphis (2010), a collaborative effort featuring artists such as Justin Timberlake and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. After the country album Feels Like Home

soil: Pathways of detoxification: Field observation and laboratory experimentation have confirmed the effectiveness of natural pathways in the soil for detoxifying chemicals. Volatilization, adsorption, precipitation, and other chemical transformations, as well as biological immobilization and degradation, are the first line of defense against invasive pollutants. These processes are…

soil: Pathways of detoxification: Field observation and laboratory experimentation have confirmed the effectiveness of natural pathways in the soil for detoxifying chemicals. Volatilization, adsorption, precipitation, and other chemical transformations, as well as biological immobilization and degradation, are the first line of defense against invasive pollutants. These processes are…

Conrad Detrez was a Belgian novelist of political conscience with an energetic, darkly humorous style. Abandoning his theological studies at the Catholic University of Leuven (Louvain), Belgium, Detrez traveled to Brazil at age 24 and, while teaching French literature there, became involved in

Conrad Detrez was a Belgian novelist of political conscience with an energetic, darkly humorous style. Abandoning his theological studies at the Catholic University of Leuven (Louvain), Belgium, Detrez traveled to Brazil at age 24 and, while teaching French literature there, became involved in

geologic history of Earth: Formation of the secondary atmosphere: …early atmosphere is provided by detrital uraninite and pyrite and by paleosols—i.e., fossil soils. Detrital uraninite and pyrite are readily oxidized in the presence of oxygen and thus do not survive weathering processes during erosion, transport, and deposition in an oxygenous atmosphere. Yet, these minerals are well preserved in

remanent magnetism: …into a sedimentary matrix, producing detrital remanent magnetism. It is hypothesized that the tiny grains orient themselves in the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field during deposition and before the final consolidation of the rock. The magnetism thus introduced appears to persist through later alteration and compaction of the rock,…

sedimentary rock: …and sedimentary rock: (1) terrigenous clastic sedimentary rocks and (2) allochemical and orthochemical sedimentary rocks.

terrigenous sediment, deep-sea sediment transported to the oceans by rivers and wind from land sources. Terrigeneous sediments that reach the continental shelf are often stored in submarine canyons on the continental slope. Turbidity currents carry these sediments down into the deep sea. These

detritus, in ecology, matter composed of leaves and other plant parts, animal remains, waste products, and other organic debris that falls onto the soil or into bodies of water from surrounding terrestrial communities. Microorganisms (such as bacteria or fungi) break down detritus, and this

detritus, in ecology, matter composed of leaves and other plant parts, animal remains, waste products, and other organic debris that falls onto the soil or into bodies of water from surrounding terrestrial communities. Microorganisms (such as bacteria or fungi) break down detritus, and this

Detroit, city, seat of Wayne county, southeastern Michigan, U.S. It is located on the Detroit River (connecting Lakes Erie and St. Clair) opposite Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1701 by a French trader, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who built a fort on the river and named it Fort

Kathryn Bigelow: …also collaborated with Boal on Detroit (2017), about the city’s 1967 riot.

yacht: Yachting and yacht clubs: …continuing American yacht club, the Detroit Boat Club, was formed in 1839. In 1844 John C. Stevens founded the New York Yacht Club aboard his schooner Gimcrack.

University of Detroit Mercy, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Detroit, Mich., U.S. It is affiliated with the Jesuits and the Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Roman Catholic Church. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, engineering,

Detroit Free Press, daily newspaper, one of the most widely circulated in the United States, published in Detroit, Michigan. Founded by Sheldon McKnight, The Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer was first published in 1831 when Detroit was a small frontier town. The first daily

Detroit Institute of Arts, art museum in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., noted for its collection of American paintings from the 19th century and its Dutch, Flemish, and Italian paintings from the Renaissance through the Baroque period. It is also known for a large collection of arts of antiquity and of

Detroit Lions, American professional football team based in Detroit. The Lions play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won four NFL championships (1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957). However, the team has never played in a Super Bowl. (Read Walter

Wayne State University: …of these antecedents was the Detroit Medical College, founded in 1868 and now the School of Medicine. Detroit Teachers College (founded 1881) and the College of the City of Detroit (founded 1917) were also important antecedents of Wayne State. After the merger, the university was known as Wayne University, for…

University of Detroit Mercy, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Detroit, Mich., U.S. It is affiliated with the Jesuits and the Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Roman Catholic Church. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, engineering,

Detroit Free Press: …Free Press and the daily Detroit News, owned by the Gannett newspaper chain, resulted in heavy financial losses by both newspapers and threatened to collapse the Free Press. In 1989, following the approval of the U.S. attorney general, the papers’ advertising, business, production, and circulation departments were combined under a…

Detroit Free Press: …into a new company, the Detroit Newspaper Agency, owned equally by Knight Ridder and Gannett. The two newspapers retained distinct editorial staffs and continued to publish separate daily editions, although they published combined Saturday and Sunday editions. The Free Press led the News in circulation in the early years after…

Detroit Pistons, American professional basketball team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, outside Detroit. The Pistons have won three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1989, 1990, 2004). Established in 1941 as the Zollner Pistons (named for team owner and auto parts manufacturer

Malcolm X was an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam who articulated concepts of race pride and Black nationalism in the early 1960s. After his assassination, the widespread distribution of his life story—The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965)—made him an ideological

Detroit Red Wings, American professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The team was founded in 1926 and plays in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Red Wings, one of the “Original Six” teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the league’s expansion in 1967, are

Detroit Riot of 1967, series of violent confrontations between residents of predominantly African American neighbourhoods of Detroit and the city’s police department that began on July 23, 1967, and lasted five days. The riot resulted in the deaths of 43 people, including 33 African Americans and

Detroit River, river forming part of the boundary between Michigan, U.S. (west), and Ontario, Can. (east), and connecting Lake St. Clair (north) with the west end of Lake Erie (south). The river flows southwest and south for 32 miles (51 km) between Detroit and Windsor, Ont. It is crossed

tunnels and underground excavations: Subaqueous tunnels: …its present form on the Detroit River Railroad Tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario (1906–10). A prime advantage is the avoidance of high costs and the risks of operating a shield under high air pressure, since work inside the sunken tube is at atmospheric pressure (free air).

Nancy Lieberman: …2008 she joined the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, which had a depleted roster at the time, for one game.

Itzhak Perlman: …principal guest conductor with the Detroit Symphony from 2001 to 2005 and was music adviser of the St. Louis Symphony, Missouri, from 2002 to 2004. Perlman was also a teacher, regularly giving violin master classes and cofounding in 1998 (with his wife, Toby) the Perlman Music Program to encourage gifted…

Wayne State University: Detroit Teachers College (founded 1881) and the College of the City of Detroit (founded 1917) were also important antecedents of Wayne State. After the merger, the university was known as Wayne University, for Wayne county, which had been named for American Revolutionary War Gen. Anthony…

Detroit Tigers, American professional baseball team based in Detroit that plays in the American League (AL). The Tigers have won four World Series titles (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984) and 11 AL pennants. The Tigers were founded in 1894 as a minor league franchise, playing alongside organizations that

University of Detroit Mercy, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Detroit, Mich., U.S. It is affiliated with the Jesuits and the Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Roman Catholic Church. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, engineering,

Jean-François de Troy was a French Rococo painter known for his tableaux de mode, or scenes of the life of the French upper class and aristocracy, especially during the period of the regency—e.g., Hunt Breakfast (1737) and Luncheon with Oysters (1735). As a youngster he studied with his father,