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Alicella gigantea

Alicella gigantea is a giant species of amphipod that lives in the deep sea. It is sometimes referred to as the "supergiant amphipod", with some individuals of this species reaching 34 cm (13 in) in length, making it the world's largest species of amphipod. The large body size is sometimes presented as an example of abyssal gigantism, though the specifics of this trait remain under investigation. Its genome is exceptionally large, which may be linked to the large size of the body. The species lives only at 4,850–7,000 m (15,910–22,970 ft) in depth. Although rarely encountered, A. gigantea is considered cosmopolitan and may inhabit up to 59% of the world’s oceans. It is primarily a scavenger of carrion, although the diet varies with age. It has been inferred that individuals of this species have long life spans and can live for over 10 years. Despite its isolation from the surface, human pollutants such as DDT and chlordane have been detected in specimens. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Digswell Viaduct

... that according to an urban legend, Queen Victoria was too scared to travel across the Digswell Viaduct (pictured)?
... that Anita Lidya Luhulima and her husband died during their terms as ambassador and deputy ambassador, respectively?
... that the stern of the wrecked freighter William C. Moreland was used in the construction of another ship?
... that a young Joseph Norman watched artists when he was at amusement parks?
... that the mothers of three missing children went on a talk show to confront a suspect in a 1991 child disappearance?
... that an episode of Smiling Friends was originally intended to feature a different video game?
... that Alfred Kubin based the novel The Other Side on his own illustrations for a different novel?
... that one of Michael Tene's examiners attended his thesis defense immediately after a government cabinet meeting?
... that "Racing Mount Pleasant" from Racing Mount Pleasant was written before Racing Mount Pleasant were Racing Mount Pleasant?

In the news

Typhoon Fung-wong

An amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan creates a new court of final appeal and establishes the position of Chief of Defence Forces, strengthening military rule.
A suicide bombing kills 12 people in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Typhoon Fung-wong (satellite image shown) hits the Philippines, leaving more than 27 people dead.
A car explosion in Delhi, India, kills at least 13 people.

On this day

November 17

14th Dalai Lama

1592 – Sigismund III Vasa, who was already King of Poland, succeeded his father John III as King of Sweden.
1921 – Rioting broke out in Bombay, India, during the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, leading to at least 58 deaths.
1943 – World War II: Australian forces launched an assault on Sattelberg, New Guinea, against Japanese forces, initiating the Battle of Sattelberg.
1950 – The 14th Dalai Lama (pictured) assumed full temporal power as ruler of Tibet at the age of 15.
2013 – Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 crashed during an aborted landing at Kazan International Airport, Russia, killing all 50 people on board and leading to the revocation of the airline's operating certificate.

Zanobi Strozzi (b. 1412)
Bernardo Bellotto (d. 1780)
Ng On-yee (b. 1990)
Rikard Wolff (d. 2017)

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The British mystery and crime television series Sherlock received numerous accolades. Sherlock is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective novels and stories. It was created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. The series won the Peabody Award in 2011 for "A Study in Pink". Sherlock garnered forty-seven nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including four BAFTA TV wins: Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor (Freeman and Andrew Scott), and the Audience Award. The series received thirty-nine Primetime Emmy nominations (with nine wins), including a win for Outstanding Television Movie (for "The Abominable Bride"). Cumberbatch and Freeman both won Emmys for their performances, as did Moffat for his screenwriting. (Full list...)

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The Council of Clermont was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Catholic Church, called by Pope Urban II and held from 17 to 27 November 1095 at Clermont, Auvergne, at the time part of the Duchy of Aquitaine.

While the council is known today primarily for the speech Pope Urban gave on the final day, it was primarily a synod focused on implementing the Cluniac reforms, enacting decrees and settling local and regional issues. This also included the extension of the excommunication of Philip I of France for his adulterous remarriage to Bertrade of Montfort and a declaration of renewal of the Truce of God, an attempt on the part of the church to reduce feuding among Frankish nobles.

Pope Urban's speech on 27 November included the call to arms that would result in the First Crusade, and eventually the capture of Jerusalem and the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The image comes from the Passages d'outremer, a chronicle of the Crusades published and illustrated three centuries after this event, and isn't particularly historically accurate, but also considered a masterpiece of mediaeval illustration, and a document showing the 15th-century interpretation of the crusading movement.

Illustration credit: Jean Colombe

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