Carl Klutzke (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} sirvalence) wrote,@ 2008-02-18 13:45:00 |
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| Entry tags: | questions |
Kaleidoscope, Pepitas, Three Sisters
1. Where does the word "kaleidoscope" come from?
2. What are pepitas, which I found in some snack mix a colleague brought in today?
3. What are the Native American agricultural "three sisters", which I read about while looking up "pepita"?
1. The inventor of the kaleidoscope, Sir David Brewster, coined the word from the Greek words kalos ("beautiful"), eidos ("form"), and skopos ("view"). Brewster invented the device in an attempt to further the study of optics, but it quickly became more popular as a toy. (Wikipedia)
2. A pepita is an edible seed of a pumpkin or other squash, typically roasted. The name is from Spanish pepita de calabaza, meaning "little seed of squash". (Wikipedia)
3. The three sisters are squash, beans, and corn (maize). The three were planted together in one mound: the cornstalk provided a pole for the beans to climb, the beans added nitrogen to the soil (though how the Native Americans understood this benefit is difficult for me to imagine), and the squash vine acted as a living mulch that helped keep down weeds and retain moisture. Clever. (Wikipedia)
2. A pepita is an edible seed of a pumpkin or other squash, typically roasted. The name is from Spanish pepita de calabaza, meaning "little seed of squash". (Wikipedia)
3. The three sisters are squash, beans, and corn (maize). The three were planted together in one mound: the cornstalk provided a pole for the beans to climb, the beans added nitrogen to the soil (though how the Native Americans understood this benefit is difficult for me to imagine), and the squash vine acted as a living mulch that helped keep down weeds and retain moisture. Clever. (Wikipedia)
