The earliest ancestor of chess was played in 7th-century a. Persia b. India c. Spain
The first game pieces represented four divisions of a. the military b. the government c. the religious order
Early European chess was won by a. checkmating the king b. capturing the king c. capturing all pieces except for the king
Discussion/essay questions
Today, computers can play chess better than any human. Why do you think people still play? Do you think people will continue to make art, music, and poetry if AI creativity improves?
Transcript
The earliest ancestor of chess is a game called chaturanga. Chaturanga was played in northern India during the 7th century. It was a military strategy game, and the pieces represented different divisions of the Indian army. Over time, chaturanga spread to the Middle East and northern Africa. A new version of the game, called shatranj, became popular in Persia. After the Islamic conquest of Persia, the game also gained favour with Muslim leaders. They often hired shatranj masters to help them develop their skills. Modern chess pieces and rules developed in medieval Spain and Italy. Early European chess was rarely played to checkmate, because the pieces had very restricted movement. Instead, a player could win a game of chess by capturing all pieces except for the king. The introduction of the queen in the late 15th century changed the rules and strategies. The first recorded modern chess game took place in Valencia, Spain, in 1475.
The internet began as a military tool. During the Cold War, the United States government wanted to protect important from potential attacks. They decided to create a system that could information around instead of storing it in one place. Government-funded engineers built this network, called the ARPANET, in 1969. The ARPANET used telephone lines to connect computers at across the country. Despite the original goal, the ARPANET was mostly used for communication between researchers, and universities from other countries began to join the network in the mid-1970s. In 1991, an English programmer named Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, which information into âwebpagesâ that were easy to find and read. This invention made the internet much more accessible to the .
Comprehension questions
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The internet began as a tool for a. university researchers b. the US military c. media outlets
The original goal of the ARPANET was to a. protect information by storing it across multiple places b. connect universities around the world c. allow the public to find information for free
In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee invented a. Wi-Fi networks b. the World Wide Web c. email
Discussion/essay questions
How has the world changed since the invention of the internet? Do you think the internet has had a generally positive or negative effect on the world? Why?
Transcript
The internet began as a military tool. During the Cold War, the United States government wanted to protect important information from potential attacks. They decided to create a system that could move information around instead of storing it in one place. Government-funded engineers built this network, called the ARPANET, in 1969. The ARPANET used telephone lines to connect computers at universities across the country. Despite the original goal, the ARPANET was mostly used for communication between researchers, and universities from other countries began to join the network in the mid-1970s. In 1991, an English programmer named Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, which organized information into âwebpagesâ that were easy to find and read. This invention made the internet much more accessible to the public.
In 1945, a. the Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb b. the US dropped their first atomic bomb c. both countries signed agreements about atomic bombs
Both countries knew that deploying a nuclear weapon would result in a. winning the Cold War b. losing global support c. mutual assured destruction
The 1972 agreement a. dismantled all nuclear weapons b. limited the collection and testing of nuclear weapons c. limited which countries could have nuclear weapons
Discussion/essay questions
Even though full nuclear warfare has never taken place, access to nuclear weapons has changed the way countries conduct war. Why is this? How do current conflicts demonstrate this?
Transcript
The nuclear arms race was a period of competition between the United States and the Soviet Union as both superpowers developed and tested nuclear weaponry. It began in 1945, when the American military dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The Americans and the Soviets had been allies in World War II, but this event escalated growing distrust between the two countries. Both knew that deploying a nuclear missile would result in what was termed mutual assured destruction, but they continued to develop nuclear technology out of fear that the other country would strike first. In 1972, both countries signed an agreement that limited the collection and testing of nuclear weapons. However, there is still global concern about the nuclear arsenals of powerful countries.
The inventor of Morse code was a. British b. Canadian c. American
The simplest letters in Morse code were a. letters near the beginning of the alphabet b. letters often found at the beginning of words c. letters used frequently in English
Through the 20th century, Morse code was still used in a. everyday communication b. military operations c. business
Discussion/essay questions
Why might it be useful to know a universal code? Do you think there are any modern uses for Morse code?
Transcript
Morse code is an alphabet that uses combinations of dots and dashes to represent letters. American inventor Samuel Morse created the code in the 1830s as a way to communicate through an electric telegraph. He designed it so that letters used frequently in English would be easier to transmit. The letter âEâ was the simplest, represented by one dot. As the telegraph became popular in many countries, a variation of Morse code with accented letters was created so that people who didn’t speak English could use it. Eventually, the invention of the telephone made the telegraph obsolete in everyday communication. However, militaries continued to use Morse code in wartime through the 20th century. In fact, SOS became a universal distress signal because it was easy to transmit through Morse code.
Why do you think that military strategies can be applied to so many different situations?
Transcript
The Art of War is an ancient text attributed to a Chinese general named Sun Tzu. It is made up of 13 chapters that provide strategies for success in warfare. The book was most likely written between 500 and 200 B.C. However, historians know very little about Sun Tzuâs life. Some historians donât think he existed at all, believing that the bookâs advice may have been gathered from many generations of Chinese military strategists. Throughout history, many leaders have been influenced by Sun Tzuâs ideas. Although the book was originally meant to advise leaders in warfare, people use its strategies even today to succeed in business and politics.
There are many stories about military dogs who have saved soldiersâ lives. However, dogs are not the only animals that have been trained for . Many naval forces around the world use sea animals to help them detect danger. The first military with sea animals began in 1960, when the U.S. navy started to train to find submarines and underwater mines. They chose dolphins because of their ability to use echolocation, which allows them to find objects in the dark. In 1965, the Soviet Union opened a research centre to train dolphin of their own. Both the U.S. and Russia still train military dolphins today. However, in 2012, the U.S. navy announced that they would eventually their dolphins with underwater drones.
Comprehension questions
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Discussion/essay questions
Some animal rights activists are concerned about the use of dolphins in the military. They believe it is wrong to keep animals in captivity and put them in danger for human wars. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Transcript
There are many stories about military dogs who have saved soldiersâ lives. However, dogs are not the only animals that have been trained for war. Many naval forces around the world use sea animals to help them detect danger. The first military experiments with sea animals began in 1960, when the U.S. navy started to train dolphins to find submarines and underwater mines. They chose dolphins because of their ability to use echolocation, which allows them to find objects in the dark. In 1965, the Soviet Union opened a research centre to train dolphin soldiers of their own. Both the U.S. and Russia still train military dolphins today. However, in 2012, the U.S. navy announced that they would eventually replace their dolphins with underwater drones.
