title: Luca Pellegrini (footballer, born 1999)

text: Despite appearing in earlier qualifiers, he was not selected for Italy's 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squad. He was unavailable for selection as he was suffering from a persistent adductor muscle injury beginning in February 2021.


title: Luca Pellegrini (footballer, born 1999)

text: Although he usually plays as a left-back, Pellegrini has also been used as an offensive-minded central midfielder, known as the "mezzala" role, in Italian. A physically powerful and technically gifted defender, he is also known for his quality, stamina, consistency, and work-rate. Regarded in the media as a promising young player, in July 2019 he was included in UEFA.com's "50 for the future" list of "ones to watch in 2019–20."


title: Stheno

text: In Greek mythology, Stheno ( or ; Greek: Σθενώ, 'forceful') was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of living venomous snakes.


title: Stheno

text: The daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, Stheno was born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus. She and her sister Euryale were both immortal, but the third sister, Medusa, was not.


title: Stheno

text: Of the three Gorgons, she was known to be the most independent and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters combined. In Roman mythology, she was transformed into a Gorgon for her relationship to her sister Medusa, a priestess of Minerva, who was raped by the sea god Neptune in her goddess's temple. Furious with Medusa for this act of desecration, Minerva changed her into a terrible monster, along with her sisters Stheno and Euryale. Stheno tends to be depicted as a thin gorgon monster with red snakes curling around her head instead of hair. Earlier accounts, however, describe her as having a scaly head, a boar's tusks, bronzed hands, a protruding tongue, glaring eyes and a snake around the waist as a belt.


title: Stheno

text: When the Gorgon Medusa was beheaded by Perseus, Stheno and Euryale tried to kill him, but failed due to his use of Hades' cap, which made him invisible.


title: Developmental disability

text: Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in "language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living". Developmental disabilities can be detected early on and persist throughout an individual's lifespan. Developmental disability that affects all areas of a child's development is sometimes referred to as global developmental delay.


title: Developmental disability

text: The causes of developmental disabilities are varied and remain unknown in a large proportion of cases. Even in cases of known etiology, the line between "cause" and "effect" is not always clear, leading to difficulty in categorizing causes.


title: Developmental disability

text: Genetic factors have long been implicated in causing developmental disabilities. These conditions are also believed to have a large environmental component, and the relative contributions of nature versus nurture have been debated for decades.


title: Developmental disability

text: Preterm birth is known to be a predictor for potential developmental disabilities later in childhood, which complicates the question of nature versus nurture, as


title: Developmental disability

text: Current theories on causation focus on genetic factors; more than 1,000 known genetic conditions include developmental disabilities as a symptom.


title: Developmental disability

text: Developmental disabilities affect between 1 and 2% of the population in most western countries, although many government sources acknowledge that statistics are flawed in this area. The worldwide proportion of people with developmental disabilities is believed to be approximately 1.4%. Such disabilities are twice as common in males as in females, and some researchers have found that the prevalence of mild developmental disabilities is likely to be higher in areas of poverty and deprivation, and among people of certain ethnicities.


title: Developmental disability

text: Developmental disabilities can be initially suspected when a child does not reach expected child development stages. Subsequently, a differential diagnosis may be used to diagnose an underlying disease, which may include a physical examination and genetic tests.


title: Developmental disability

text: The degree of disability can be quantified by assigning a "developmental age" to a person, who may be classified by age group resulting from their test scores. This, in turn, can be used to calculate a "" (DQ) as follows:


title: Developmental disability

text: Many physical health factors associated with developmental disabilities. For some specific syndromes and diagnoses, these are inherent, such as poor heart function in people with Down syndrome. People with severe communication difficulties find it difficult to articulate their health needs and, without adequate support and education, might not recognize ill health. Epilepsy, sensory problems (such as poor vision and hearing), obesity, and poor dental health are over-represented in this population. Life expectancy among people with developmental disabilities as a group is estimated at 20 years below average, although this is improving. Society has advanced in its adaptive and medical technologies, and other methods to help people lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. In addition, some conditions (such as Freeman–Sheldon syndrome) do not affect life expectancy.


title: Developmental disability

text: Mental health issues, and psychiatric illnesses, are more likely to occur in people with developmental disabilities than in the general population, including amongst children who need the support of caregivers who have sufficient psychoeducation and peer support. A number of factors are attributed to the high incidence rate of dual diagnoses:


title: Developmental disability

text: These problems are exacerbated by difficulties in diagnosis of mental health issues, and in appropriate treatment and medication, as for physical health issues.


title: Developmental disability

text: Individuals with developmental disabilities have an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder compared to the general population due to heightened vulnerability to negative life experiences, including:


title: Developmental disability

text: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder that can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma and is characterized by negative thoughts, memories, or dreams about the trauma, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, adverse changes in thinking and mood, and heightened acute stress response. Post-traumatic stress disorder often goes undiagnosed among individuals with developmental disabilities due to providers' and caregivers' lack of understanding and differences in communication ability.


title: Developmental disability

text: Individuals with developmental disabilities may develop more intense symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder when compared to the general population due to maladaptive coping and neurological differences. These symptoms may manifest differently depending on the severity of the disability; post-traumatic stress disorder may present as challenging behaviors such as aggression and self-harm, and communication of symptoms may be limited by verbal ability. Mental health problems are often reported by proxy rather than self-report, which can increase the risk of underreporting and of psychological symptoms going undiagnosed.


title: Developmental disability

text: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment approaches for post-traumatic stress disorder typically require verbal communication and insight into cognitions, emotions, and functioning. Individual differences in communication and intellectual ability among individuals with developmental, and particularly intellectual disabilities can limit identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Thus, diagnosis and treatment approaches should be modified to fit the individual.


title: Developmental disability

text: Some individuals with developmental disabilities may have difficulty understanding and articulating negative thought processes and emotions associated with traumatic events. Metaphors, simplified explanations, and explicit examples may help elucidate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and improve understanding of treatment approaches. Frequent prompting, repetition of explanations, and developing detailed timelines of life events may also improve focus and engagement in psychological treatment. Providers should clearly understand individual needs and abilities and ensure that expectations for treatment are consistent with individual abilities and functioning.


title: Developmental disability

text: The following trauma-specific treatments have demonstrated efficacy among individuals with developmental disabilities, particularly when tailored to individual needs and presentation.


title: Developmental disability

text: Child-parent psychotherapy is a relational treatment that focuses on improving child-parent relationships and functioning following a young child's exposure to one or more traumatic experiences. This treatment is designed to enhance the attachment relationships between children between the ages of zero and five and their caregivers, eliciting a sense of safety and improving emotional regulation and behavior. Children with developmental disabilities have a higher risk of exposure to traumatic events than children within the general population. Child-parent psychotherapy can accommodate non-verbal communication, making it a good fit for children with a wide range of abilities. Child-parent psychotherapy has been demonstrated to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in children with developmental disabilities and may help enhance caregivers' understanding of their children's disabilities and individual needs. Two 2014 case studies demonstrated the efficacy of child-parent psychotherapy with two children who were exposed to traumatic events. One of the children was 14 months with global developmental delays, and the other was six with autism spectrum disorder. At the time of this study, most studies that evaluated the efficacy of child-parent psychotherapy did not include any information about children with autism or intellectual disabilities. Both children and their families had about one year of weekly therapy, and both saw improvements in attachment relations, decreased trauma symptoms, and overall improvements in functioning.


title: Developmental disability

text: Exposure-based therapies are among the most common treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Exposure therapy involves exposing a patient to a source of stress (such as a memory or reminder of a traumatic event) to increase tolerance to feared stimuli, overcome avoidance, and gradually reduce acute stress response symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Exposure therapy should be carefully tailored to the individual when treating individuals with developmental disabilities to reduce the risk of re-traumatization. There is preliminary evidence that exposure therapy paired with relaxation techniques, cognitive restructuring, and problem-solving can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among individuals with developmental disabilities. In a 2009 case study, a 24-year-old woman with an intellectual disability experienced a reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following nine exposure therapy sessions. The therapists used a shield analogy, in which they encouraged the client to envision newly learned relaxation techniques and coping statements as a shield protecting her. They used modified exposure to reduce the risk of re-traumatizing the client; she imagined her nightmares and flashbacks rather than the trauma itself.


title: Developmental disability

text: Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term treatment that focuses on reducing and changing negative and unhelpful thought processes related to traumatic experiences and processing and managing associated negative emotions. Differences in language and thinking can make cognitive-based interventions challenging for individuals with developmental, and particularly intellectual, disabilities. Still, there is evidence that trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy can be adapted using metaphors and simplified examples to be accessible and beneficial for individuals with mild intellectual disabilities. In a 2016 case study, therapists used a metaphor to describe post-traumatic stress disorder and aid treatment for a young man diagnosed with an intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. They explained his symptoms by describing his brain as a kitchen cupboard and his traumatic memories as tins that had not been organized properly, and therefore kept falling out. The young man had a significant improvement in mood and symptoms after 12 sessions of adapted trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.


title: Developmental disability

text: Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing is a psychological treatment in which the patient's stress is reduced by associating traumatic experiences with bilateral stimulation such as rapid, rhythmic eye movements or tapping. Eye-movement desensitization is demonstrated to be highly effective at reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder across individuals with varying severity of intellectual disabilities; it has the most evidence for treating individuals with developmental disabilities based on numerous case studies. Eye-movement desensitization can be adapted for individuals with limited language abilities, making it accessible to a wide range of developmental disabilities.


title: Developmental disability

text: Abuse is a significant issue for people with developmental disabilities. They are regarded as a vulnerable people in most jurisdictions. Common types of abuse include:


title: Developmental disability

text: Lack of education, lack of self-esteem and self-advocacy skills, lack of understanding of social norms and appropriate behavior and communication difficulties are strong contributing factors to the high incidence of abuse among this population. A study on the association between different types of childhood maltreatment and the risk of criminal recidivism has also shown that physical neglect during childhood plays a critical role in the repeated crime, independent of mental-health problems for high-risk adults involved with the criminal justice system.


title: Developmental disability

text: In addition to abuse from people in positions of power, peer abuse is recognized as a significant, if misunderstood, problem. Rates of criminal offense among people with developmental disabilities are also disproportionately high, and it is widely acknowledged that criminal justice systems throughout the world are ill-equipped for the needs of people with developmental disabilities—as both perpetrators and victims of crime. Failings in care have been identified in one in eight deaths of people with learning difficulties under NHS England.


title: Developmental disability

text: People with developmental disabilities (particularly autistic spectrum disorders) can exhibit challenging behavior, defined as "culturally abnormal behaviours of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities". Common types of challenging behavior include self-injurious behavior (such as hitting, headbutting, biting, hairpulling), aggressive behavior (such as hitting others, shouting, screaming, spitting, kicking, swearing, headbutting, hairpulling), inappropriate sexualized behavior (such as public masturbation or groping), behavior directed at property (such as throwing objects and stealing) and stereotyped behaviors (such as repetitive rocking, echolalia or elective incontinence). Such behaviors can be assessed to suggest areas of further improvement, using assessment tools such as the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form (NCBRF).


title: Developmental disability

text: Challenging behavior in people with developmental disabilities may be caused by a number of factors, including biological (pain, medication, the need for sensory stimulation), social (boredom, seeking social interaction, the need for an element of control, lack of knowledge of community norms, insensitivity of staff and services to the person's wishes and needs), environmental (physical aspects such as noise and lighting, or gaining access to preferred objects or activities), psychological (feeling excluded, lonely, devalued, labelled, disempowered, living up to people's negative expectations) or simply a means of communication. A lot of the time, challenging behavior is learned and brings rewards and it is very often possible to teach people new behaviors to achieve the same aims. Challenging behavior in people with developmental disabilities can often be associated with specific mental health problems.


title: Developmental disability

text: Experience and research suggest that what professionals call "challenging behavior" is often a reaction to the challenging environments that those providing services create around people with developmental disabilities."Challenging behavior" in this context is a method of communicating dissatisfaction with the failure of those providing services to focus on what kind of life makes the most sense to the person and is often the only recourse a developmentally disabled person has against unsatisfactory services or treatment and the lack of opportunities made available to the person. This is especially the case where the services deliver lifestyles and ways of working that are centered on what suits the service provider and its staff, rather than what best suits the person.


title: Developmental disability

text: In general, behavioral interventions or what has been termed applied behavior analysis has been found to be effective in reducing specific challenging behavior. Recently, efforts have been placed on developing a developmental pathway model in the behavior analysis literature to prevent challenging behavior from occurring. This method is controversial according to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, saying that this type of therapy can lead to the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and worsening of symptoms later in life.


title: Developmental disability

text: Throughout history, people with developmental disabilities have been viewed as incapable and incompetent in their capacity for decision-making and development. Until the Enlightenment in Europe, care and asylum was provided by families and the Church (in monasteries and other religious communities), focusing on the provision of basic physical needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Stereotypes such as the dimwitted village idiot, and potentially harmful characterizations (such as demonic possession for people with epilepsy) were prominent in social attitudes of the time.


title: Developmental disability

text: Early in the twentieth century, the eugenics movement became popular throughout the world. This led to the forced sterilization and prohibition of marriage for those with developmental disabilities in most of the developed world and was later used by Hitler as rationale for the mass murder of intellectually disabled individuals during the Holocaust. The eugenics movement was later thought to be seriously flawed and in violation of human rights and the practice of forced sterilization and prohibition from marriage was discontinued by most of the developed world by the mid 20th century.


title: Developmental disability

text: The movement towards individualism in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the opportunities afforded by the Industrial Revolution, led to housing and care using the asylum model. People were placed by, or removed from, their families (usually in infancy) and housed in large institutions (of up to 3,000 people, although some institutions were home to many more, such as the Philadelphia State Hospital in Pennsylvania which housed 7,000 people through the 1960s), many of which were self-sufficient through the labor of the residents. Some of these institutions provided a very basic level of education (such as differentiation between colors and basic word recognition and numeracy), but most continued to focus solely on the provision of basic needs. Conditions in such institutions varied widely, but the support provided was generally non-individualized, with aberrant behavior and low levels of economic productivity regarded as a burden to society. Heavy tranquilization and assembly line methods of support (such as "birdfeeding" and cattle herding) were the norm, and the medical model of disability prevailed. Services were provided based on the relative ease to the provider, not based on the human needs of the individual.


title: Developmental disability

text: Ignoring the prevailing attitude, Civitans adopted service to those with developmental disabilities as a major organizational emphasis in 1952. Their earliest efforts included workshops for special education teachers and daycamps for disabled children, all at a time when such training and programs were almost nonexistent. In the United States, the segregation of people with developmental disabilities wasn't widely questioned by academics or policy-makers until the 1969 publication of Wolf Wolfensberger's seminal work "The Origin and Nature of Our Institutional Models", drawing on some of the ideas proposed by SG Howe 100 years earlier. This book posited that society characterizes people with disabilities as deviant, sub-human and burdens of charity, resulting in the adoption of that "deviant" role. Wolfensberger argued that this dehumanization, and the segregated institutions that result from it, ignored the potential productive contributions that all people can make to society. He pushed for a shift in policy and practice that recognized the human needs of "retardates" and provided the same basic human rights as for the rest of the population.


title: Developmental disability

text: The publication of this book may be regarded as the first move towards the widespread adoption of the social model of disability in regard to these types of disabilities, and was the impetus for the development of government strategies for desegregation.Successful lawsuits against governments and an increasing awareness of human rights and self-advocacy also contributed to this process, resulting in the passing in the U.S. of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act in 1980.


title: Developmental disability

text: From the 1960s to the present, most U.S. states have moved towards the elimination of segregated institutions. Along with the work of Wolfensberger and others including Gunnar and Rosemary Dybwad, a number of scandalous revelations around the horrific conditions within state institutions created public outrage that led to change to a more community-based method of providing services.


title: Developmental disability

text: By the mid-1970s, most governments had committed to de-institutionalization, and had started preparing for the wholesale movement of people into the general community, in line with the principles of normalization. In most countries, this was essentially complete by the late 1990s, although the debate over whether or not to close institutions persists in some states, including Massachusetts.


title: Developmental disability

text: Individuals with developmental disabilities are not fully integrated into society. Person Centered Planning and Person Centered Approaches are seen as methods of addressing the continued labeling and exclusion of socially devalued people, such as people with a developmental disability label, encouraging a focus on the person as someone with capacities and gifts, as well as support needs.


title: Developmental disability

text: Today, support services are provided by government agencies, non-governmental organizations and by private sector providers. Support services address most aspects of life for people with developmental disabilities, and are usually theoretically based in community inclusion, using concepts such as social role valorization and increased self-determination (using models such as Person Centred Planning). Support services are funded through government block funding (paid directly to service providers by the government), through individualized funding packages (paid directly to the individual by the government, specifically for the purchase of services) or privately by the individual (although they may receive certain subsidies or discounts, paid by the government). There also are a number of non-profit agencies dedicated to enriching the lives of people living with developmental disabilities and erasing the barriers they have to being included in their community.


title: Developmental disability

text: Education and training opportunities for people with developmental disabilities have expanded greatly in recent times, with many governments mandating universal access to educational facilities, and more students moving out of special schools and into mainstream classrooms with support.


title: Developmental disability

text: Post-secondary education and vocational training is also increasing for people with these types of disabilities, although many programs offer only segregated "access" courses in areas such as literacy, numeracy and other basic skills. Legislation (such as the UK's Disability Discrimination Act 1995) requires educational institutions and training providers to make "reasonable adjustments" to curriculum and teaching methods in order to accommodate the learning needs of students with disabilities, wherever possible. There are also some vocational training centers that cater specifically to people with disabilities, providing the skills necessary to work in integrated settings, one of the largest being Dale Rogers Training Center in Oklahoma City. (See also Intensive interaction)


title: Developmental disability

text: Many people with developmental disabilities live in the general community, either with family members, in supervised-group homes or in their own homes (that they rent or own, living alone or with flatmates). At-home and community supports range from one-to-one assistance from a support worker with identified aspects of daily living (such as budgeting, shopping or paying bills) to full 24-hour support (including assistance with household tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, and personal care such as showering, dressing and the administration of medication). The need for full 24-hour support is usually associated with difficulties recognizing safety issues (such as responding to a fire or using a telephone) or for people with potentially dangerous medical conditions (such as asthma or diabetes) who are unable to manage their conditions without assistance.


title: Developmental disability

text: In the United States, a support worker is known as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). The DSP works in assisting the individual with their ADLs and also acts as an advocate for the individual with a developmental disability, in communicating their needs, self-expression and goals.


title: Developmental disability

text: Supports of this type also include assistance to identify and undertake new hobbies or to access community services (such as education), learning appropriate behavior or recognition of community norms, or with relationships and expanding circles of friends. Most programs offering at-home and community support are designed with the goal of increasing the individual's independence, although it is recognized that people with more severe disabilities may never be able to achieve full independence in some areas of daily life.


title: Developmental disability

text: Some people with developmental disabilities live in residential accommodation (also known as group homes) with other people with similar assessed needs. These homes are usually staffed around the clock, and usually house between 3 and 15 residents. The prevalence of this type of support is gradually decreasing, however, as residential accommodation is replaced by at-home and community support, which can offer increased choice and self-determination for individuals. Some U.S. states still provide institutional care, such as the Texas State Schools. The type of residential accommodation is usually determined by the level of developmental disability and mental health needs.


title: Developmental disability

text: Workers with developmental disabilities have historically been paid less for their labor than those in the general workforce, although this is gradually changing with government initiatives, the enforcement of anti-discrimination legislation and changes in perceptions of capability in the general community.


title: Developmental disability

text: In the United States, a variety of initiatives have been launched in the past decade to reduce unemployment among workers with disabilities—estimated by researchers at over 60%. Most of these initiatives are directed at employment in mainstream businesses. They include heightened placement efforts by the community agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, as well as by government agencies.


title: Developmental disability

text: Additionally, state-level initiatives are being launched to increase employment among workers with disabilities. In California, the state senate in 2009 created the Senate Select Committee on Autism and Related Disorders. The committee has been examining additions to existing community employment services, and also new employment approaches. Committee member Lou Vismara, chairman of the MIND Institute at University of California, Davis, is pursuing the development of a planned community for persons with autism and related disorders in the Sacramento region. Another committee member, Michael Bernick, the former director of the state labor department, has established a program at the California state university system, starting at California State University East Bay, to support students with autism on the college level. Other Committee efforts include mutual support employment efforts, such as disability job networks, job boards, and identifying business lines that build on the strengths of persons with disabilities.


title: Developmental disability

text: Though efforts are being made to integrate individuals with developmental disabilities into the workforce, businesses are still reluctant to employ individuals with IDD because of their poor communication skills and emotional intelligence. High functioning individuals with developmental disabilities can find it difficult to work in an environment that requires teamwork and direct communication due to their lack of social awareness. Working with employers to better understand the disorders and barriers that may come from the struggles associated with them, can greatly impact the quality of life for these individuals.


title: Developmental disability

text: Non-vocational day services are usually known as day centers, and are traditionally segregated services offering training in life skills (such as meal preparation and basic literacy), center-based activities (such as crafts, games and music classes) and external activities (such as day trips). Some more progressive day centers also support people to access vocational training opportunities (such as college courses), and offer individualized outreach services (planning and undertaking activities with the individual, with support offered one-to-one or in small groups).


title: Developmental disability

text: Traditional day centers were based on the principles of occupational therapy, and were created as respite for family members caring for their loved ones with disabilities. This is slowly changing, however, as programs offered become more skills-based and focused on increasing independence.


title: Developmental disability

text: Advocacy is a burgeoning support field for people with developmental disabilities. Advocacy groups now exist in most jurisdictions, working collaboratively with people with disabilities for systemic change (such as changes in policy and legislation) and for changes for individuals (such as claiming welfare benefits or when responding to abuse). Most advocacy groups also work to support people, throughout the world, to increase their capacity for self-advocacy, teaching the skills necessary for people to advocate for their own needs.


title: Developmental disability

text: Programs are set up around the country in hopes to educate individuals with and without developmental disabilities. Studies have been done testing specific scenarios on how what is the most beneficial way to educate people. Interventions are a great way to educate people, but also the most time-consuming. With the busy schedules that everybody has, it is found to be difficult to go about the intervention approach. Another scenario that was found to be not as beneficial, but more realistic in the time sense was Psychoeducational approach. They focus on informing people on what abuse is, how to spot abuse, and what to do when spotted. Individuals with developmental disabilities don't only need the support programs to keep them safe, but everybody in society needs to be aware of what is happening and how to help everybody prosper.


title: Alternative country

text: Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream country music, mainstream country rock, and country pop. Alternative country artists are often influenced by alternative rock. Most frequently, the term has been used to describe certain country music and country rock bands and artists that are also defined as or have incorporated influences from alternative rock, heartland rock, Southern rock, progressive country, outlaw country, neotraditional country, Texas country, Red Dirt, honky-tonk, bluegrass, rockabilly, psychobilly, roots rock, indie rock, hard rock, folk revival, indie folk, folk rock, folk punk, punk rock, cowpunk, blues punk, blues rock, emocore, post-hardcore, and rhythm 'n' blues.


title: Alternative country

text: In the 1990s the term "alternative country", paralleling alternative rock, began to be used to describe a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. Many eschewed the increasingly polished production values and pop sensibilities of the Nashville-dominated industry for a more lo-fi sound, frequently infused with a strong punk and rock and roll aesthetic. Lyrics may be bleak or socially aware, but also more heartfelt and less likely to use the clichés sometimes used by mainstream country musicians. In other respects, the musical styles of artists that fall within this genre often have little in common, ranging from traditional American folk music and bluegrass, through rockabilly and honky-tonk, to music that is indistinguishable from mainstream rock or country. This already broad labeling has been further confused by alternative country artists disavowing the movement, mainstream artists declaring they are part of it, and retroactive claims that past or veteran musicians are alternative country. "No Depression", the best-known magazine dedicated to the genre, declared that it covered "alternative-country music (whatever that is)".


title: Alternative country

text: Alternative country drew on traditional American country music, the music of working people, preserved and celebrated by practitioners such as Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and The Carter Family, often cited as major influences. Another major influence was country rock, the result of fusing country music with a rock & roll sound. The artist most commonly thought to have originated country rock is Gram Parsons (who referred to his sound as "Cosmic American Music"), although Michael Nesmith, Steve Earle and Gene Clark are frequently identified as important innovators. The third factor was punk rock, which supplied an energy and DIY attitude.


title: Alternative country

text: Attempts to combine punk and country had been pioneered by Nashville's Jason and the Scorchers, and in the 1980s Southern Californian cowpunk scene with bands like the Long Ryders and X, and the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, but these styles merged fully in Uncle Tupelo's 1990 LP "No Depression", which is widely credited as being the first "alt-country" album, and gave its name to the online notice board and eventually magazine that underpinned the movement. They released three more influential albums, signing to a major label, before they broke up in 1994, with members and figures associated with them going on to form three major bands in the genre: Wilco, Son Volt and Bottle Rockets. Bottle Rockets signed, along with acts like Freakwater, Old 97's and Robbie Fulks, to the Chicago-based indie label, Bloodshot, who pioneered a version of the genre under the name "insurgent country". The bands Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Blood Oranges and Drive-By Truckers further developed this tradition before most began to move more in the direction of rock music in the 2000s.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Leandro Mateus Barbosa (; born November 28, 1982), also known as Leandrinho Barbosa, is a Brazilian former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represented the senior Brazilian national basketball team. He previously won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, with the Suns in 2007, and an NBA championship with Golden State in 2015. In Brazil, he is also commonly known by his nickname "Leandrinho" ("Little Leandro") Barbosa, and in the United States he was nicknamed "The Brazilian Blur", referring to his playing speed. At a height of 1.92 m (6' 3") tall, he played at the shooting guard position.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa started his career with Palmeiras when he was 17. He played in the regional São Paulo State Championship, under the command of Lula Ferreira, who went on to become the senior Brazilian national team's head coach.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: At 19, while playing in the regional São Paulo State Championship with Palmeiras, he averaged 14.2 points per game. After that, he was traded to the Brazilian club Bauru, in January 2001.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: During his first season as a professional in Brazil, while playing with Tilibra/Bauru, he was coached by Jorge "Guerrinha" Guerra. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He was named the São Paulo State Championship's 2001 Rookie of the Year. Barbosa ended the season as the regional competition's fourth-ranked player in three-point field goal percentage, sixth in assists, and eleventh in field goals. In 2002, he won Brazil's top-tier level league, the Brazilian Championship, as a member of Bauru. Barbosa was also selected to the senior Brazilian national team, and he played at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: At 6'3" with a 6'10" wingspan, Barbosa was selected 28th overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, but his rights were acquired by the Suns in a trade for a future protected first-round draft pick.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa holds the Suns record for points scored in a game by a rookie as a first-time starter, with 27 against the Chicago Bulls on January 5, 2004. He set the Suns' record for three-point field goals by a rookie in consecutive games when he hit at least one three-pointer per game during a ten-game streak from January 2 to 19.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: During the 2006–2007 season, Barbosa averaged 18.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 32.7 minutes per game despite playing off the bench and was the recipient of the 2006–07 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On July 14, 2010, Barbosa was traded along with Dwayne Jones to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Hedo Türkoğlu.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On August 18, 2011, Barbosa signed with Flamengo Basketball of Brazil for the duration of the 2011 NBA lockout. His deal had an out-clause that would allow him to return to the NBA once the lockout ended. With the lockout concluding in December 2011, he returned to the Raptors.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On March 15, 2012, Barbosa was traded to the Indiana Pacers for a future second-round pick. With the help of Barbosa, Indiana improved significantly enough to make it to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Miami Heat.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On February 12, 2013, after a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on February 11, it was confirmed that Barbosa had suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. This injury ruled him out for the rest of the 2012–13 season. He was the third member of the team whose injury ended his season early in a span of three weeks, joining Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On February 21, 2013, Barbosa and Jason Collins were traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Crawford. Despite being on the team during that time, he'd never play for the Wizards in the process.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On November 19, 2013, Barbosa signed with the Esporte Clube Pinheiros of Brazil for the 2013–14 season. During this time, he averaged over 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists for the team. In January 2014, he returned to the United States to play in the NBA once again.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On January 8, 2014, Barbosa signed a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Barbosa would immediately play for the Suns in their 104–103 close victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He'd have his best night during the first 10-day contract on January 13 against the New York Knicks when Barbosa would score 21 points, which was his first 20+ point game since 2012, back when he played for Boston. However, Barbosa would have a right shoulder strain after the game.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On January 18, Barbosa signed a second 10-day contract with the Suns. He'd make his first home debut with the Suns in over 4 years a day later in a 117–103 blowout victory against the Denver Nuggets. During his second 10-day contract, Barbosa's best performance came on January 24 at home against the Washington Wizards, where he would score 10 points against them.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On January 28, 2014, following the Suns' road game against the Philadelphia 76ers, which subsequently marked the end of his second 10-day contract, the Suns liked Barbosa's production for the team and they decided to sign him for the rest of the 2013–14 NBA season. On March 4, 2014, in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at home, Barbosa fractured his right hand, and as a result, he missed the rest of the season.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On September 10, 2014, Barbosa signed with the Golden State Warriors following his great performance at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. On December 30, 2014, he scored a season-high 17 points in a 126–86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Barbosa won his first NBA championship with the Warriors after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals in six games.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On July 13, 2015, Barbosa re-signed with the Warriors. In 2015–16, Barbosa helped the Warriors win an NBA record 73 games to eclipse the 72 wins set by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls. The Warriors made it to the 2016 NBA Finals after overcoming a 3–1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Barbosa returned from a minor back injury to score 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting off the bench in a 104–89 win. Despite the Warriors going up 3–1 in the series following a Game 4 win, they went on to lose the series in seven games to become the first team in NBA history to lose the championship series after being up 3–1.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On July 19, 2016, Barbosa signed a multi-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, returning to the franchise for a third stint just weeks before playing for his home nation at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On December 9, 2016, Barbosa scored a season-high 21 points and hit five three-pointers in a 119–115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 28, 2016, in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Barbosa played his 517th game with the Suns, moving him past Amar'e Stoudemire in to 10th on the Suns' all-time games played list. On March 3, 2017 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Barbosa made his 544th appearance in a Suns jersey, passing Mark West for 9th all-time in games played. His 14 points also pushed him past Connie Hawkins for 14th in all-time scoring with Phoenix. On July 3, 2017, he was waived by the Suns.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa's final game in his NBA career was played on March 24th, 2017 in a 120 - 130 loss to the Boston Celtics where he recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa was the league's leading scorer at 20.1 points per game before the season shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his then-pregnant wife contracted the virus but both recovered.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: On September 14, 2020, the Golden State Warriors announced that Barbosa would return as a player mentor coach. He won his second NBA championship after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals. In July 2022, Barbosa would join the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach under Mike Brown.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa was a longtime member of the senior Brazilian national basketball team. With Brazil, he played at the following major tournaments: the 2002 FIBA World Cup, the 2003 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2005 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2006 FIBA World Cup, the 2007 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2009 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2010 FIBA World Cup, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa lived with Brazilian actress Samara Felippo from 2008 to 2013. They have two daughters, born in 2009 and 2013.


title: Leandro Barbosa

text: Barbosa is married to the international top model Talita Rocca. The ceremony was held on July 6, 2019, in Brazil.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier Gerlofs Donia ( 1480 – 28 October 1520) was a Frisian rebel leader and pirate. He is best known by his West Frisian nickname "Grutte Pier" ("Big Pier"; in the pre-1980 West Frisian spelling written as "Greate Pier"), or by the Dutch translation "Grote Pier" which referred to his legendary size and strength.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: His life is mostly shrouded in legend. Based upon a description now attributed to Pier's contemporary Petrus Thaborita, the 19th-century historian Conrad Busken Huet wrote that Grutte Pier was


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier Gerlofs was born around 1480 in Kimswerd near the city of Harlingen, Wonseradeel (modern Friesland, Netherlands). Pier Gerlofs was one of at least four children born to Fokel Sybrants Bonga and Gerlof Piers. Pier's mother Fokel was the daughter of the Schieringer noblemen Sybrant Doytsesz Bonga of Bongastate, Kimswerd.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier married Rintsje Syrtsema and they had two children, a son named Gerlof and a daughter named Wobbel, who were born around 1510. Pier died in 1520, and in 1525, Pier's mother appointed in her will Pier's brother, Sybren, as guardian of Pier's children, who still were minors. Pier and his brother-in-law, Ane Pijbes (husband of Tijdt Gerlofs), were partners in the farming estate of Meyllemastate in Kimswerd.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Wijerd Jelckama often is described by 18th and 19th century authors as the nephew of Grutte Pier. Contemporary Worp van Thabor identifies him simply as Wierd van Bolsward. Modern authors such as J.J. Kalma doubt the nephew connection, and Brouwer in the "Encyclopedia of Friesland" states that Wierd was not Grutte Pier's nephew but instead his "lieutenant".


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Approximately to the north-east of Donia's village of Kimswerd, in the city of Franeker, the Black Band, a Landsknecht regiment in the service of George, Duke of Saxony was quartered. The regiment was charged with suppressing the civil war between the Vetkopers, who opposed Burgundian and subsequently Habsburg rule, and the Schieringers. The Black Band were notorious as a violent military force; when their pay was insufficient or lacking, they would extract payments from local villagers. On 29 January 1515, the Black Band plundered Donia's village, then allegedly raped and killed his wife, Rintze Syrtsema, burning to the ground both the village church and Donia's estate. Seeking revenge, Pier started a guerrilla war campaign against the Habsburgs and allied himself with Charles of Egmond, Duke of Guelders (1492–1538).


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier's armed band, known as the Arumer Zwarte Hoop (English: Black Hope (or heap) of Arum), were pirates mainly active against the Hollanders and Burgundians at sea. He managed to capture many English and Dutch ships, mainly on the Zuider Zee (today's ‘IJsselmeer’). Erasmus criticized Grutte Pier's exploits.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier targeted ships that travelled the Zuiderzee and was very active in 1517, when he used his "signal ships" to attack ships in the region of the West Frisian coast, to which he also transported Geldrian forces, setting them ashore at Medemblik. Pier bore a personal enmity to Medemblik and its inhabitants as, in earlier years, soldiers from Medemblik had cooperated with the Holland army commanded by Duke Charles, the future Emperor. In March 1498, Medemblik was where representatives of the Schieringers met the Saxon ruler duke Albrecht to request Saxon protection from the Vetkopers—a request that resulted in the Saxon occupation of Friesland, Netherlands. On 24 June 1517, Grutte Pier and his Arumer Zwarte Hoop, consisting of some 4,000 soldiers from Frisia and Guelders, sailed to West Frisia, passing Enkhuizen, landing near Wervershoof and advancing to Medemblik. They swiftly captured Medemblik, killing many inhabitants and taking many others prisoner. Some were released on payment of a high ransom. Some of the town's inhabitants fled and found safety at Kasteel Radboud. The castle's governor, Joost van Buren, succeeded in keeping the aggressors outside the castle walls. Unable to take the castle, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop plundered the town and set it on fire. With most houses made of wood, the town, including the church, monastery and town hall, was razed. After this partial victory, Pier and his army stormed both Nieuwburg and Middleburg Castle near Alkmaar, plundered and set them on fire, leaving only ruins.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: In 1517, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop captured the town of Asperen, slaughtering virtually all its inhabitants. They then used the heavily fortified city as a base until driven out by Holland's Stadhouder. In response to the attacks on Medemblik and Alkmaar and the failure of the Captain General of Amstelland, Waterland and Gooiland to defend his territories, the Stadhouder of Holland agreed to outfit a war fleet in July 1517. The fleet came under the supreme command of Anthonius van den Houte, Lord of Vleteren, appropriately titled "Admiral of the Zuiderzee". In the name of Charles V, van den Houte announced he would free the region of Frisian and Gelder piracy. Although van den Houte was initially successful, with some of the Frisian vessels being burnt near Bunschoten, Grutte Pier responded by seizing 11 of Holland's ships in a battle off the coast near Hoorn in 1518.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Shortly after this victory, Pier defeated 300 Hollanders in Hindelopen. According to a legend, Pier forced his captives to repeat a shibboleth to distinguish Frisians from Holland and Lower German infiltrators:


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Despite his successes, Pier could not turn the Burgundian/Habsburg tide and he retired, disillusioned, in 1519. Wijerd Jelckama took over the command of Pier's forces. Pier died peacefully in his bed at Grootzand 12 in the Frisian city of Sneek on 18 October 1520. Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (English: "Great Church"; also called the Martinikerk). His tomb is located at the north side of the church.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Pier's son Gerloff died unmarried and left no descendants. His daughter Wobbel married three times, lastly to one Popta with whom she had children. Therefore, Donia left no descendants in the male line, but has many descendants through his daughter.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: In 1791, Jacobus Kok wrote that above the porticus of the New City Hall of Leeuwarden, two remarkably large swords were found which were said to have belonged to Grutte Pier and Wijerd Jelckama. Donia was noted for the ability to wield this great sword so efficiently that he could behead multiple people with it in a single blow. However, it is almost certainly a processional sword like the ceremonial sword held in the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands (NG-NM-522) and two more very similar processional swords held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds (IX.1024 and 1025), which have been dated to the early fifteenth century.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Today, a great sword that is said to have belonged to Pier is on display at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden. It measures in length and weighs about . Pier was alleged to be so strong that he could bend coins using just his thumb, index and middle finger. A huge helmet said to be Grutte Pier's is kept in the town hall of Sneek.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: The seventeenth century Friese poet Gysbert Japicx (1603–1666) wrote in his composition "Tjesck Moars See Aengste" ("Grandmother's Sea Anguish") the following verse in reference to Grote Pier (eng. trans., Tall Peter):


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: Stories about Pier grew into legends that often share themes with stories of other strong men in Germanic heroic literature. For example, one story says Pier ploughed his land by pulling the plough himself instead of using horses. Another story states that Pier could lift a horse above his head. "Fivefal" is the name in Frisian of a Frisian legend. It tells the story of Pier beating five strong men who came to fight him: the place where he beat them is known as Fivefal, (Lit. Five fall) for all five of them fell to the ground.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: In the 1970s, in the Dutch "Floris" series, Donia was a major character played by actor Hans Boskamp.


title: Pier Gerlofs Donia

text: The Greate Pier rugby club in Leeuwarden, which plays on a regional level, is named after Donia in Friesland. Many other clubs and several ships are named after him.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Enphase Energy, Inc. is an American energy technology company headquartered in Fremont, California, that develops and manufactures solar micro-inverters, battery energy storage, and EV charging stations primarily for residential customers. Enphase was established in 2006 and is the first company to successfully commercialize the solar micro-inverter, which converts the direct current (DC) power generated by a solar panel into grid-compatible alternating current (AC) for use or export. The company had shipped more than 48 million microinverters to 2.5 million solar systems in more than 140 countries.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Most solar photovoltaic systems use a central inverter, where the panels are connected together in a series creating a string, which delivers all the direct current (DC) power produced into the inverter for conversion into grid-compatible alternating current (AC). The major drawback to this approach is that the entire string’s output is limited by the output of the lowest-performing panel. Solar micro-inverters address this problem by converting the DC into AC in a small inverter placed behind each individual solar panel.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Enphase founder Martin Fornage discovered this issue when he saw the low performance of the central inverter for the solar array on his ranch. Fornage was looking for a new opportunity after the 2001 Telecoms crash and brought an idea to build micro-inverters to his former Cerent Corporation colleague, Raghu Belur, and they formed PVI Solutions. The two hired Paul Nahi to be CEO at the end of 2006 and the trio formed Enphase Energy, Inc. in early 2007. Enphase raised $6 million in private equity, and in 2008, released its first microinverter, the M175. Their second generation product, 2009's M190, had sales of about 400,000 units in 2009 and early 2010. Enphase grew to 13% marketshare for residential systems by mid-2010.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In October 2014, Enphase announced it would enter the battery home energy storage market. The first batteries were installed in Australia in mid-2016, but the launch of the system in the North American market was delayed until July 2020.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Enphase experienced leadership changes in September 2017 when the President and CEO, Paul Nahi, announced his resignation from the company. Badri Kothandaraman was appointed the company’s new President and CEO. Kothandaraman was previously the company’s Chief Operating Officer.


title: Enphase Energy

text: , Enphase had about a 48% market share for residential installations in the US, which represents 72% of the entire world micro-inverter market. In the global market for inverters for all customers (residential, commercial and industrial), microinverters have a 1.7% share of the inverter market.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2021, Enphase completed a series of acquisitions that focused on software-as-a-service and home electrification: Sofdesk’s Solargraf, a software platform offering digital tools and services to support the sales process for solar installers; the Solar Design Services business of DIN Engineering Services, a software service provider for solar proposal drawings and permit plan sets; 365 Pronto, a software platform that connects solar installers with operations and maintenance providers; and ClipperCreek, a company that offers electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for residential and commercial customers in the U.S.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Also in 2021, the company launched its eighth-generation microinverter technology, the IQ8 series, to customers in North America. , Enphase has shipped more than 48 million microinverters and deployed more than two million Enphase-based systems in more than 140 countries.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2022, Enphase completed the acquisition of SolarLeadFactory LLC, a company that provides leads to solar installers.


title: Enphase Energy

text: All Enphase microinverters are completely self-contained power converters. In the case of a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) inverter, the unit will convert DC from a single solar panel into grid-compliant AC power, following the maximum power point of the panel. Since the "S" series microinverters (e.g. S280) all Enphase microinverters have been both Advanced Grid Function and Bidirectional power capable. This allows a microinverter to produce power in the DC-AC direction, for solar applications, or in the DC-AC and AC-DC directions, for battery use. The microinverter(s) in the Enphase battery products are the same units as installed on the roof, with only software settings changed.


title: Enphase Energy

text: The M175 was the first product from Enphase, released in 2008. It was designed to output 175 Watts of AC power. The M175 was packaged in a relatively large cast aluminum box. Wiring was passed through the case using compression fittings and the inverters connected to each other using a twist-lock connection. The product saw modest sales.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Sales picked up with the second generation M190, released in 2009. The M190 had a slightly higher power rating of 190 Watts, but in a much smaller case with built-in cable connections replacing the earlier compression fittings.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Around the same time the company also released the D380, which was essentially two M190's in a single larger case. For small inverters like the M190, the case and its assembly represented a significant portion of the total cost of production, so by placing two in a single box that cost is spread out. The D380 also introduced a new inter-inverter cabling system based on a "drop cable" system. This placed a single connector on a short cable on the inverter, and used a separate cable with either one or three connectors on it. Arrays were constructed by linking together up to three D380s with a single drop cable, and then connecting them to other drop cables using larger twist-fit connectors.


title: Enphase Energy

text: The third generation M215 was introduced in 2011 bumping up the power rating to 215 Watts and adding trunk cabling, which increased installation speed by using one long cable run, with the inverters spliced in as necessary.


title: Enphase Energy

text: The fourth generation M250 was released in 2013, increasing the power rating to 250 Watts and efficiency to 96.5%. The fourth generation added an integrated grounding system, eliminating the external grounding conductor. Enphase continued to offer the M215 but updated it with the integrated grounding system.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2015, the company launched its fifth generation of products. The "S" series S230 and S280 microinverters with power ratings of 230 and 280 Watts, increased efficiency of 97% and added advanced grid functionality like reactive power control along with bidirectional capabilities allowing the micro-inverter to also convert AC into DC for battery use.


title: Enphase Energy

text: The next-gen Envoy-S offers revenue-grade metering of solar production, consumption monitoring, and integrated Wi-Fi. The company also moved into home energy storage with its storage system featuring an AC Battery, a modular, 1.2kWh lithium-iron phosphate offering aimed at residential users that is part of a Home Energy Solution. The Home Energy Solution launched in Australia in mid-2016.


title: Enphase Energy

text: Since 2017, Enphase has been offering its "IQ" series microinverters which use a simplified cabling system with two conductors (down from four) that eliminated the need for a neutral line. The first to be introduced was the IQ6, with the older M215, M250 and S280 remaining on sale but updated to use the new cabling system. The updated IQ7 series was launched in 2018.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2021, the IQ8 Microinverter was introduced as a grid-forming microinverter, enabling solar-only backup during grid outages. It features a split-phase power conversion capability to convert DC power to AC power more efficiently and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which enables the device to operate in grid-tied or off-grid modes. This chip is built in 55nm technology with high-speed digital logic and has fast response times to changing loads and grid events, alleviating constraints on battery sizing for home energy systems.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2020, the company introduced the Enphase Encharge storage system, now known as the IQ Battery, to customers in North America and expansion into parts of Europe began in 2021. The IQ Battery features lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry and comes in two capacity size configurations, 10.08kWh and 3.36kWh. Both configurations are compatible with new and existing Enphase solar systems with IQ6, IQ7, or IQ8 Microinverters.


title: Enphase Energy

text: All Enphase Energy Systems with microinverters and batteries are paired with an IQ System Controller, which provides microgrid interconnection device (MID) functionality by automatically detecting and transitioning the system from grid power to backup power in the event of a grid failure.


title: Enphase Energy

text: In 2021, Enphase Energy Systems added the option of including software to integrate most AC home standby generators. And the IQ Load Controller is a hardware add-on feature that enables systems to shed non-essential loads automatically or manually to further extend battery life and system capabilities.


title: Enphase Energy

text: All Enphase microinverter models use power line communications to pass monitoring data between the inverters and the Envoy communications gateway, now known as the IQ Gateway. The IQ Gateway stores daily performance data for up to a year, and, when available, allows Enphase's web service platform to download data approximately every 15 minutes. Customers and installers can review the data on the web services platform and Enphase App.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Robin Wall Kimmerer (born 1953) is an American Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology; and Director, Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF).


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: She is the author of numerous scientific articles, and the books "Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses" (2003), and "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" (2013). An audiobook version was released in 2016, narrated by the author. "Braiding Sweetgrass" was republished in 2020 with a new introduction.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: She is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and combines her heritage with her scientific and environmental passions.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Robin Wall Kimmerer was born in 1953 in Upstate New York to Robert and Patricia Wall. Her time outdoors rooted a deep appreciation for the natural environment. Her enthusiasm for the environment was encouraged by her parents, who began to reconnect with their own Potawatomi heritage while living in upstate New York. Kimmerer is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer remained near home for college, attending State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and receiving a bachelor's degree in botany in 1975. She spent two years working for Bausch & Lomb as a microbiologist. Kimmerer then moved to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning her master's degree in botany there in 1979, followed by her PhD in plant ecology in 1983. It was while studying forest ecology as part of her degree program, that she first learnt about mosses, which became the scientific focus of her career.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: From Wisconsin, Kimmerer moved to Kentucky, where she briefly taught at Transylvania University in Lexington before moving to Danville, Kentucky where she taught biology, botany, and ecology at Centre College. Kimmerer received tenure at Centre College. In 1993, Kimmerer returned home to upstate New York and her alma mater, ESF, where she currently teaches.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer teaches in the Environmental and Forest Biology Department at ESF. She teaches courses on Land and Culture, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Ethnobotany, Ecology of Mosses, Disturbance Ecology, and General Botany. Director of the newly established Center for Native Peoples and the Environment  at ESF, which is part of her work to provide programs that allow for greater access for Indigenous students to study environmental science, and for science to benefit from the wisdom of Native philosophy to reach the common goal of sustainability.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer is a proponent of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) approach, which Kimmerer describes as a "way of knowing." TEK is a deeply empirical scientific approach and is based on long-term observation. However, it also involves cultural and spiritual considerations, which have often been marginalized by the greater scientific community. Wider use of TEK by scholars has begun to lend credence to it.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer's efforts are motivated in part by her family history. Her grandfather was a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and received colonialist schooling at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school, similar to Canadian residential schools, set out to "civilize" Native children, forbidding residents from speaking their language, and effectively erasing their Native culture. Knowing how important it is to maintain the traditional language of the Potawatomi, Kimmerer attends a class to learn how to speak the traditional language because "when a language dies, so much more than words are lost."


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Her current work spans traditional ecological knowledge, moss ecology, outreach to Indigenous communities, and creative writing.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer has helped sponsor the Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) project, which pairs students of color with faculty members in the enviro-bio sciences while they work together to research environmental biology. Kimmerer is also a part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program. The program provides students with real-world experiences that involve complex problem-solving. Kimmerer is also involved in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and works with the Onondaga Nation's school doing community outreach. Kimmerer also uses traditional knowledge and science collectively for ecological restoration in research. She has served on the advisory board of the Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) program, a program to increase the number of minority ecologists. Kimmerer is also the former chair of the Ecological Society of America Traditional Ecological Knowledge Section.


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: In April 2015, Kimmerer was invited to participate as a panelist at a United Nations plenary meeting to discuss how harmony with nature can help to conserve and sustainably use natural resources, titled "Harmony with Nature: Towards achieving sustainable development goals including addressing climate change in the post-2015 Development Agenda."


title: Robin Wall Kimmerer

text: Kimmerer received the John Burroughs Medal Award for her book, "Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses". Her first book, it incorporated her experience as a plant ecologist and her understanding of traditional knowledge about nature. Her second book, "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants", received the 2014 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award. By 2021 over 500,000 copies had been sold worldwide. "Braiding Sweetgrass" is about the interdependence of people and the natural world, primarily the plant world. She won a second Burroughs award for an essay, "Council of the Pecans," that appeared in "Orion" magazine in 2013. Kimmerer received an honorary M. Phil degree in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic on June 6, 2020.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville is the largest city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 61,753 at the 2020 census.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville is the fourth-largest city in the Nashville metropolitan area after Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Franklin and the 10th largest in Tennessee. Hendersonville is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by Daniel Smith, whose house Rock Castle, completed in 1796, is maintained as an historic site.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Numerous 20th-century musicians in the Nashville area lived in Hendersonville, especially some associated with country music. These include Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash, and Roy Orbison. The city's main road, Johnny Cash Parkway, is named for the late singer.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Other notable past and present residents include Conway Twitty. (His home, Twitty City, was adapted as the Trinity Music City complex after his death in 1993.) In addition, Jean Shepard, Marty Stuart, Kelly Clarkson, Max T. Barnes, Taylor Swift, Young Buck, and Chris Henderson (3 Doors Down) have lived here.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: In 1784 Daniel Smith received a land grant from the state of North Carolina in payment for surveying Middle Tennessee. (North Carolina at the time claimed its boundaries extended to this territory across the Appalachian Mountains.) He began work on his house later known as Rock Castle, but it was not completed until 1796. Due to his surveying trips, he frequently was gone on long journeys, and his wife supervised much of the construction.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: In 1790, William Henderson settled in Sumner County and later became the namesake of the town. It was a trading center for the county, which was devoted to the production of tobacco and hemp as commodity crops, and blood livestock: both horses and cattle. During the Civil War, Monthaven was used by Union troops as a field hospital, as they occupied Middle Tennessee from 1862 to 1870. In the late 20th century, this historic home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Even before the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863, refugee slaves with their families found their way to Union lines in the state in search of freedom. The Army established a contraband camp near Hendersonville, to offer shelter to the freedmen, help them with supplies and food, and sign them up to work for wages for the Army, often building defenses. Missionary societies helped teach both adults and children among the slaves.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: The small city was not incorporated until 1969, as the area continued to be rural and devoted to agriculture and related activities. It then had roughly 250 residents and was led by L.H. "Dink" Newman. Since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it has grown to become the largest city in the county.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: With the completion of the Old Hickory Dam and an associated lake in 1954, Hendersonville started to develop more rapidly. The lake attracted sportsmen and people seeking recreation; some became residents or acquired second homes here. Since the late 20th century, it has become the most-populous city of Sumner County, and one of the most populous suburbs of Nashville, along with Franklin and Murfreesboro. The city contains around 0.7% of the population of Tennessee.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (16.93%) is water, mostly parts of the Cumberland River.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville is served by the freeway Tennessee State Route 386 and its parallel surface road U.S. Route 31E.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville's climate classifications are Köppen "Cfa" and Trewartha "DOak" due to very hot summers (three to four months average over ), mild winters (all months average over ), and mediocre (4–7 months) growing seasons (in this case seven months average over ).


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: As of the 2020 United States census, there were 61,753 people, 21,328 households, and 14,788 families residing in the city.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 51,372 people, 20,111 households, and 14,239 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,881.76 persons per square mile, and the housing unit density was 736.67 units per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 88.64% White, 6.28% Black or African American, 1.58% Asian, 0.33% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins were 3.62% of the population.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Of the 20,111 households, 33.47% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 55.71% were married couples living together, 3.92% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.17% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 24.35% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.77% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.04.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Of the 51,372 residents, 25.80% were under the age of 18, 61.41% were between the ages of 18 and 64, and 12.79% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. 51.71% of the residents were female and 48.29% were male.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: The median household income in the city was $62,627 and the median family income was $74,353. Males had a median income of $54,016 versus $34,996 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,000. About 6.5% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 and over.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: As of the census of 2000, there were 40,620 people, 15,823 households, and 11,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,486.4 people per square mile (573.9/km). There were 16,507 housing units at an average density of 604.0 per square mile (233.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 92.93% White, 4.12% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.71% of the population.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: There were 15,823 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: The median income for a household in the city was $50,108, and the median income for a family was $57,625. Males had a median income of $40,823 versus $27,771 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,165. About 5.2% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: The Hendersonville Arts Council is a non-profit organization located in Monthaven Mansion. The mansion was built before the Civil War and was used as a hospital during several battles. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Tennessee Civil War Trail, and Ring of Fire, and exhibits visual art, music, workshops, wine tastings, crafts, culinary demonstrations, performances, and cultural activities.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville is governed by a board of 12 aldermen and a mayor, known as the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA). The aldermen are elected by district for staggered terms of four years. The mayor is elected once every four years by the whole city.


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: Hendersonville's schools are governed by the Sumner County Schools. Schools located in Hendersonville include:


title: Hendersonville, Tennessee

text: In 2007 a risk was identified that the trouble-prone Wolf Creek Dam in the neighboring state of Kentucky might break, which could have resulted in a complete inundation for the lower lying parts of Hendersonville. Since then, extensive repairs have been performed on the dam, and the maximum level of water behind it has been lowered, thus reducing the pressure of water on the structure and resolving the identified flood risk.


title: PM

text: PM or pm (also written P.M. or p.m.) is an abbreviation for Latin "post meridiem", meaning "after midday" in the 12-hour clock.


title: Laura Les

text: Laura Les (born December 2, 1994) is an American music producer and singer-songwriter best known for being one half of experimental electronic duo 100 Gecs, alongside Dylan Brady.


title: Laura Les

text: Laura Les grew up in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. As a teenager, she became interested in music while learning to play guitar. While attending college in Chicago, where she earned a degree in acoustic engineering, she began releasing music online under the moniker osno1.


title: Laura Les

text: In 2018, Les stopped using the osno1 moniker and released a third EP, "Big Summer Jams 2018," under her own name. "Big Summer Jams 2018" received positive responses from music critics, as "Vice" praised the EP's "debauched digital celebrations" while "Tiny Mix Tapes" called it "a blender of fun."


title: Laura Les

text: Les participated in a remix album of Katie Dey's album "Mydata" in early 2021. In March 2021, Les officially released her solo single "Haunted" following a positive reception from her fanbase after it was previously played during a virtual DJ set in 2020. The song was subsequently featured in season 2 of the HBO series "Euphoria".


title: Laura Les

text: Les has cited being transgender as contributing to her exploration of different singing styles, including pitched-up "nightcore style" vocals, which she once used almost exclusively in her music due to her experiences with voice dysphoria. However, in a 2021 "Pitchfork" interview, she revealed she had begun taking vocal lessons and recording new 100 Gecs music with unpitched vocals, saying, "As I've been exploring my voice more, I'm like, 'I can do this.'"


title: History of science fiction

text: The literary genre of science fiction is diverse, and its exact definition remains a contested question among both scholars and devotees. This lack of consensus is reflected in debates about the genre's history, particularly over determining its exact origins. There are two broad camps of thought, one that identifies the genre's roots in early fantastical works such as the Sumerian "Epic of Gilgamesh" (earliest Sumerian text versions c. 2150–2000 BCE). A second approach argues that science fiction only became possible sometime between the 17th and early 19th centuries, following the scientific revolution and major discoveries in astronomy, physics, and mathematics.


title: History of science fiction

text: Question of deeper origins aside, science fiction developed and boomed in the 20th century, as the deep integration of science and inventions into daily life encouraged a greater interest in literature that explores the relationship between technology, society, and the individual. Scholar Robert Scholes calls the history of science fiction "the history of humanity's changing attitudes toward space and time ... the history of our growing understanding of the universe and the position of our species in that universe." In recent decades, the genre has diversified and become firmly established as a major influence on global culture and thought.


title: History of science fiction

text: There are a number of ancient or early modern texts including a great many epics and poems that contain fantastical or "science-fictional" elements, yet were written before the emergence of science fiction as a distinct genre. These texts often include elements such as a fantastical voyage to the moon or the use of imagined advanced technology. Although fantastical and science fiction-like elements and imagery exist in stories such as Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (8 AD), the Old English epic heroic poem "Beowulf" (8th–11th centuries AD), and the Middle German epic poem "Nibelungenlied" (c. 1230), their relative lack of references to science or technology puts them closer to fantasy rather than science fiction.


title: History of science fiction

text: One of the earliest and most commonly-cited texts for those looking for early precursors to science fiction is the ancient Mesopotamian "Epic of Gilgamesh", with the earliest text versions identified as being from about 2000 BCE. American science fiction author Lester del Rey was one such supporter of using Gilgamesh as an origin point, arguing that "science fiction is precisely as old as the first recorded fiction. That is "The Epic of Gilgamesh"." French science fiction writer Pierre Versins also argued that "Gilgamesh" was the first science fiction work due to its treatment of human reason and the quest for immortality. In addition, "Gilgamesh" features a flood scene that in some ways resembles a work of apocalyptic science fiction. However, the lack of explicit science or technology in the work has led some to argue that it is better categorized as fantastic literature.


title: History of science fiction

text: Ancient Indian poetry such as the Hindu epic "Ramayana" (5th to 4th century BCE) includes Vimana, flying machines able to travel into space or under water, and destroy entire cities using advanced weapons. In the first book of the "Rigveda" collection of Sanskrit hymns (1700–1100 BCE), there is a description of "mechanical birds" that are seen "jumping into space speedily with a craft using fire and water... containing twelve stamghas (pillars), one wheel, three machines, 300 pivots, and 60 instruments."


title: History of science fiction

text: The ancient Hindu mythological epic, the "Mahabharata" (8th and 9th centuries BCE) includes the story of King Kakudmi, who travels to heaven to meet the creator Brahma and is shocked to learn that many ages have passed when he returns to Earth, anticipating the concept of time travel.


title: History of science fiction

text: One frequently cited text is the Syrian-Greek writer Lucian of Samosata's 2nd-century satire "True History", which uses a voyage to outer space and conversations with alien life forms to comment on the use of exaggeration within travel literature and debates. Typical science fiction themes and topoi in "True History" include travel to outer space, encounter with alien life-forms (including the experience of a first encounter event), interplanetary warfare and planetary imperialism, motif of , creatures as products of human technology, worlds working by a set of alternative physical laws, and an explicit desire of the protagonist for exploration and adventure. In witnessing one interplanetary battle between the People of the Moon and the People of the Sun as the fight for the right to colonize the Morning Star, Lucian describes giant space spiders who were "appointed to spin a web in the air between the Moon and the Morning Star, which was done in an instant, and made a plain campaign upon which the foot forces were planted..." L. Sprague de Camp and a number of other authors argue this to be one of the earliest if not the earliest example of science fiction or proto-science fiction.


title: History of science fiction

text: The early Japanese tale of "Urashima Tarō" involves traveling forwards in time to a distant future, and was first described in the "Nihongi" (written in 720). It was about a young fisherman named Urashima Tarō who visits an undersea palace and stays there for three days. After returning home to his village, he finds himself 300 years in the future, where he is long forgotten, his house is in ruins, and his family long dead. The 10th-century Japanese narrative "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" may also be considered proto-science fiction. The protagonist of the story, Kaguya-hime, is a princess from the Moon who is sent to Earth for safety during a celestial war, and is found and raised by a bamboo cutter in Japan. She is later taken back to the Moon by her real extraterrestrial family. A manuscript illustration depicts a round flying machine similar to a flying saucer.


title: History of science fiction

text: Several stories within the "One Thousand and One Nights" ("Arabian Nights", 8th–10th century CE) also feature science fiction elements. One example is "The Adventures of Bulukiya", where the protagonist Bulukiya's quest for the herb of immortality leads him to explore the seas, journey to the Garden of Eden and to Jahannam (Islamic hell), and travel across the cosmos to different worlds much larger than his own world, anticipating elements of galactic science fiction; along the way, he encounters societies of jinn, mermaids, talking serpents, talking trees, and other forms of life.


title: History of science fiction

text: In "Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman", the protagonist gains the ability to breathe underwater and discovers an underwater submarine society that is portrayed as an inverted reflection of society on land, in that the underwater society follows a form of primitive communism where concepts like money and clothing do not exist.


title: History of science fiction

text: Other "Arabian Nights" tales deal with lost ancient technologies, advanced ancient civilizations that went astray, and catastrophes which overwhelmed them. "The City of Brass" features a group of travellers on an archaeological expedition across the Sahara to find an ancient lost city and attempt to recover a brass vessel that the biblical King Solomon once used to trap a jinn, and, along the way, encounter a mummified queen, petrified inhabitants, lifelike humanoid robots and automata, seductive marionettes dancing without strings, and a brass robot horseman who directs the party towards the ancient city.


title: History of science fiction

text: "The Ebony Horse" features a robot in the form of a flying mechanical horse controlled using keys, that could fly into outer space and towards the Sun, while the "Third Qalandar's Tale" also features a robot in the form of an uncanny sailor. "The City of Brass" and "The Ebony Horse" can be considered early examples of proto-science fiction. Other examples of early Arabic proto-science fiction include al-Farabi's "Opinions of the Residents of a Splendid City" about a utopian society, and certain "Arabian Nights" elements such as the flying carpet.


title: History of science fiction

text: According to Dr. Abu Shadi al-Roubi, the final two chapters of the Arabic theological novel "Fādil ibn Nātiq" (c. 1270), also known as "Theologus Autodidactus", by the Arabian polymath writer Ibn al-Nafis (1213–1288) can be described as science fiction. The theological novel deals with various science fiction elements such as spontaneous generation, futurology, apocalyptic themes, eschatology, resurrection and the afterlife, but rather than giving supernatural or mythological explanations for these events, Ibn al-Nafis attempted to explain these plot elements using his own extensive scientific knowledge in anatomy, biology, physiology, astronomy, cosmology and geology. For example, it was through this novel that Ibn al-Nafis introduces his scientific theory of metabolism, and he makes references to his own scientific discovery of pulmonary circulation in order to explain bodily resurrection. The novel was later translated into English as "Theologus Autodidactus" in the early 20th century.


title: History of science fiction

text: During the European Middle Ages, science fictional themes appeared within many chivalric romance and legends. Robots and automata featured in romances starting in the twelfth century, with "Le Pèlerinage de Charlemagne" and "Eneas" among the first. The "Roman de Troie", another twelfth-century work, features the famous Chambre de Beautes, which contained four automata, one of which held a magic mirror, one of which performed somersaults, one of which played musical instruments, and one which showed people what they most needed. Automata in these works were often ambivalently associated with necromancy, and frequently guarded entrances or provided warning of intruders. This association with necromancy often leads to the appearance of automata guarding tombs, as they do in "Eneas", "Floris and Blancheflour", and "Le Roman d’Alexandre", while in Lancelot they appear in an underground palace. Automata did not have to be human, however. A brass horse is among the marvelous gifts given to the Cambyuskan in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Squire's Tale". This metal horse is reminiscent of similar metal horses in middle eastern literature, and could take its rider anywhere in the world at extraordinary speed by turning a peg in its ear and whispering certain words in its ear. The brass horse is only one of the technological marvels which appears in "The Squire's Tale": the Cambyuskan, or Khan also receives a mirror which reveals distant places, which the witnessing crowd explains as operating by the manipulation of angles and optics, and a sword which deals and heals deadly wounds, which the crowd explains as being possible using advanced smithing techniques.


title: History of science fiction

text: Technological inventions are also rife in the Alexander romances. In John Gower's "Confessio Amantis", for example, Alexander the Great constructs a flying machine by tying two griffins to a platform and dangling meat above them on a pole. This adventure is ended only by the direct intervention of God, who destroys the device and throws Alexander back to the ground. This does not, however, stop the legendary Alexander, who proceeds to construct a gigantic orb of glass which he uses to travel beneath the water. There, he sees extraordinary marvels which eventually exceed his comprehension.


title: History of science fiction

text: States similar to suspended animation also appear in medieval romances, such as the "Histora Destructionis Troiae" and the "Roman d’Eneas". In the former, King Priam has the body of the hero Hector entombed in a network of golden tubes that run through his body. Through these tubes ran the semi-legendary fluid balsam which was then reputed to have the power to preserve life. This fluid kept the corpse of Hector preserved as if he was still alive, maintaining him in a persistent vegetative state during which autonomic processes such as the growth of facial hair continued.


title: History of science fiction

text: The boundaries between medieval fiction with scientific elements and medieval science can be fuzzy at best. In works such as Geoffrey Chaucer "The House of Fame", it is proposed that the titular House of Fame is the natural home of sound, described as a ripping in the air, towards which all sound is eventually attracted, in the same way that the Earth was believed to be the natural home of earth to which it was all eventually attracted. Likewise, medieval travel narratives often contained science-fictional themes and elements. Works such as Mandeville's Travels included automata, alternate species and sub-species of humans, including Cynoencephali and Giants, and information about the sexual reproduction of diamonds. However, Mandeville's Travels and other travel narratives in its genre mix real geographical knowledge with knowledge now known to be fictional, and it is therefore difficult to distinguish which portions should be considered science fictional or would have been seen as such in the Middle Ages.


title: History of science fiction

text: In the wake of scientific discoveries that characterized the Enlightenment, several new types of literature began to take shape in 16th-century Europe. The humanist thinker Thomas More's 1516 work of fiction and political philosophy entitled "Utopia" describes a fictional island whose inhabitants have perfected every aspect of their society. The name of the society stuck, giving rise to the Utopia motif that would become so widespread in later science fiction to describe a world that is seemingly perfect but either ultimately unattainable or perversely flawed. The Faust legend (1587) contains an early prototype for the "mad scientist story".


title: History of science fiction

text: In the 17th and 18th centuries, the so-called "Age of Reason" and widespread interest in scientific discovery fueled the creation of speculative fiction that anticipated many of the tropes of more recent science fiction. Several works expanded on imaginary voyages to the moon, first in Johannes Kepler's "Somnium" (The Dream, 1634), which both Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov have referred to as the first work of science fiction. Similarly, some identify Francis Godwin's "The Man in the Moone" (1638) as the first work of science fiction in English, and Cyrano de Bergerac's "Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon" (1656). Space travel also figures prominently in Voltaire's "Micromégas" (1752), which is also notable for the suggestion that people of other worlds may be in some ways more advanced than those of earth.


title: History of science fiction

text: Other works containing proto-science-fiction elements from the Age of Reason of the 17th and 18th centuries include (in chronological order):