Asia: Semidesert and desert: Through inner Kazakhstan and Mongolia stretches a zone of semidesert, and in Middle Asia, the Junggar (Dzungarian) Basin, the Takla Makan Desert, and Inner Mongolia, there is a belt of temperate-zone deserts. A belt of subtropical deserts extends through the

thunderstorm: Initial stroke: …to thousands of amperes, the stepped leader propagates toward the ground at an average velocity of 1.5 × 105 metres per second, or about one two-thousandth the speed of light. It is called a stepped leader because of its downward-moving “stepped” pulses of luminosity. Diameter estimates for the stepped leader…

microcredit: …approach to Grameen-style lending is stepped lending, in which a borrower begins with a very small loan, repays it, and qualifies for successive loans at higher values.

Fresnel lens, succession of concentric rings, each consisting of an element of a simple lens, assembled in proper relationship on a flat surface to provide a short focal length. The Fresnel lens is used particularly in lighthouses and searchlights to concentrate the light into a relatively narrow

Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest important stone building in Egypt, the centre of a large mortuary complex in the Ṣaqqārah necropolis. Little is known about the kings of Egypt in the Old Kingdom period, but the pyramids they created were massively impressive statements of their power and wealth,

theatre: Production aspects of Expressionist theatre: …earned his stage the name Treppenbühne (“stepped stage”). He utilized screens in the manner advocated by Craig, and his productions illustrated a plastic concept of stage setting, which allowed the action to flow freely with minimum hindrance. Some of Jessner’s productions relied heavily on steps and levels for this plasticity,…

industrial glass: Properties: …different refractive properties, are called stepped-index fibres. For various reasons, superior performance can be obtained from a graded-index fibre, in which the glass composition, and hence the refractive indices, change progressively, without abrupt transition, between the core and the outer diameter.

children’s literature: War and beyond: , Sons of the Steppe, 1958), a tale about two grandsons of Genghis Khan. His narrative history of some exciting archaeological discoveries, Die Höhlen der grossen Jäger (1953; Eng. trans., The Caves of the Great Hunters, 1954; rev. ed., 1962), is a minor classic. Mention should…

heavy metal: … appeared in the lyrics of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” (1968), and by the early 1970s rock critics were using it to refer to a specific style of music.

Steppenwolf, novel by Hermann Hesse, published as Der Steppenwolf in 1927. The title refers to a style adopted by Harry Haller, Hesse’s protagonist. Haller is a writer, a loner and an outsider who thinks of himself as a wolf of the steppes. Distrusting Western values and despising middle-class

Tracy Letts: …in several productions of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company before being invited to join the ensemble in 2002.

Steppenwolf, novel by Hermann Hesse, published as Der Steppenwolf in 1927. The title refers to a style adopted by Harry Haller, Hesse’s protagonist. Haller is a writer, a loner and an outsider who thinks of himself as a wolf of the steppes. Distrusting Western values and despising middle-class

Scythian art, decorated objects, mainly arms, jewelry, and trappings for horses, tents, and wagons, produced by nomadic tribes that roamed Central Asia from slightly east of the Altai Mountains in Inner Mongolia to European Russia. What little is known of these tribes—called Scyths, Saka, or Sacae,

stepping, a complex synchronized dancelike performance that blends African folk traditions with popular culture. Stepping involves clapping, body slapping, vocalizations, and dramatic movements. Stepping was developed by African American fraternities and sororities in the mid-20th century and also

stepping, a complex synchronized dancelike performance that blends African folk traditions with popular culture. Stepping involves clapping, body slapping, vocalizations, and dramatic movements. Stepping was developed by African American fraternities and sororities in the mid-20th century and also

Tess Gallagher: …other volumes of verse included Stepping Outside (1974), The Valentine Elegies (1993), Dear Ghosts (2006), Midnight Lantern (2011), and Is, Is Not (2019).

staircase, series, or flight, of steps between two floors. Traditionally, staircase is a term for stairs accompanied by walls, but contemporary usage includes the stairs alone. The origin of the staircase is uncertain. On the road up Mount Tai in China there are many great flights of ancient

Johann Joseph Fux: …book Gradus ad Parnassum (1725; Steps to Parnassus) attempted to systematize contrapuntal practices. It was long the standard textbook on counterpoint and was studied by Wolfgang A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and other 18th-century composers.

realism: Abstract entities and modern nominalism: …their classic nominalist manifesto, “Steps Toward a Constructive Nominalism” (1947), the American philosophers Nelson Goodman and W.V.O. Quine declared:

Apollo: …most curious was the octennial Delphic Stepterion, in which a boy reenacted the slaying of the Python and was temporarily banished to the Vale of Tempe.

steptoe, a hill or mountain that projects like an island above a surrounding lava field. This landform, a type of kipuka (q.v.), is named after Steptoe Butte, a quartzite protrusion above the Columbia Plateau lava flows near Colfax, Washington,

steptoe: ), is named after Steptoe Butte, a quartzite protrusion above the Columbia Plateau lava flows near Colfax, Washington, U.S.

Patrick Steptoe was a British gynecologist who, together with British medical researcher Robert Edwards, perfected in vitro fertilization (IVF) of the human egg. Their technique made possible the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first “test-tube baby,” on July 25, 1978. In 1939 Steptoe graduated

Patrick Steptoe was a British gynecologist who, together with British medical researcher Robert Edwards, perfected in vitro fertilization (IVF) of the human egg. Their technique made possible the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first “test-tube baby,” on July 25, 1978. In 1939 Steptoe graduated

Walla Walla, city, seat (1859) of Walla Walla county, southeastern Washington, U.S. It lies along the Walla Walla River, near the Oregon state line. The American pioneer Marcus Whitman established a medical mission in the locality in 1836 and worked with the Cayuse Indians until he was massacred

stepwell, subterranean edifice and water source, an architectural form that was long popular throughout India but particularly in arid regions of the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, stepwells—which incorporated a cylinder well that extended down to the water table—provided water for drinking,

reaction mechanism: Stepwise, bimolecular: If removal of the electrophilic fragment precedes the loss of the nucleophile, the reaction becomes stepwise and involves a carbanionic intermediate.

reaction mechanism: Stepwise, unimolecular: A carbonium ion produced by heterolysis (decomposition of a compound into oppositely charged particles or ions) may lose a proton, thereby effecting a 1,2-elimination reaction:

steradian, unit of solid-angle measure in the International System of Units (SI), defined as the solid angle of a sphere subtended by a portion of the surface whose area is equal to the square of the sphere’s radius. Since the complete surface area of a sphere is 4π times the square of its radius,

Marvel Comics: The Marvel universe: In 1967 Jim Steranko began to write and draw stories featuring secret agent Nick Fury in the anthology book Strange Tales. Steranko was influenced in his work by James Bond films and the psychedelic and Op art movements, and the resulting stories melded groundbreaking visuals with equally…

The Barber of Seville: …Rossini (libretto in Italian by Cesare Sterbini) that was first performed under the title Almaviva o sia l’inutile precauzione (Almaviva; or, The Useless Precaution) at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on February 20, 1816. With a plot based on Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’s 1775 play Le Barbier de Séville, Rossini’s…

Stercorariidae, bird family (order Charadriiformes) of medium- to large-sized oceanic, predatory birds. The family is composed of species of skua and jaeger

jaeger, any of three species of seabirds belonging to the genus Stercorarius of the family Stercorariidae. They are rapacious birds resembling a dark gull with a forward-set black cap and projecting central tail feathers. Jaegers are called skuas in Britain, along with the great skua, a larger bird

jaeger: Smallest is the long-tailed jaeger (S. longicaudus), 35 cm (14 inches) long. Intermediate in body size is the parasitic jaeger (S. parasiticus).

jaeger: …in body size is the parasitic jaeger (S. parasiticus).

jaeger: The largest species is the pomarine jaeger, or pomatorhine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), 50 cm (20 inches) long. Smallest is the long-tailed jaeger (S. longicaudus), 35 cm (14 inches) long. Intermediate in body size is the parasitic jaeger (S. parasiticus).

Malvaceae: Major genera: The pantropical Sterculia (150 species) and the African Cola (125 species) were part of the former family Sterculiaceae, whose members were noted for having separate male and female flowers borne in often quite large and branched inflorescences. Those genera have sepals that are fused; there are no…

stere, metric unit of volume equal to one cubic metre, or 1,000 litres. The stere (from Greek stereos, “solid”) was originally defined by law and used in France in 1793, primarily as a measure for firewood. It is thus the metric counterpart of the cord, one standard cord (128 cubic feet of stacked

Central Greece, region of mainland Greece lying south of the provinces of Epirus (Modern Greek: Ípeiros) and Thessaly (Thessalía), and north of the gulfs of Pátrai and Corinth (Korinthiakós) and the Saronic Gulf. Because the main mountain ranges of the Greek peninsula have a definite

stereophonic sound system, equipment for sound recording and reproduction that utilizes two or more independent channels of information. Separate microphones are used in recording and separate speakers in reproduction; they are arranged to produce a sense of recording-hall acoustics and of the

Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), two U.S. spacecraft that were designed to observe the Sun from separate locations in space and thus provide a stereoscopic view of solar activities. The STEREO mission was launched on Oct. 25, 2006, by a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The

motion-picture technology: Sound reproduction: Stereo variable area (SVA), popularly known as Dolby, though in fact made by several manufacturers, employs a split optical pickup for two sets of wires for the left and right channels. Three stage speakers (left, right, and centre) are mounted behind the screen, and an…

stereochemistry, Term originated c. 1878 by Viktor Meyer (1848–97) for the study of stereoisomers (see isomer). Louis Pasteur had shown in 1848 that tartaric acid has optical activity and that this depends on molecular asymmetry, and Jacobus H. van’t Hoff and Joseph-Achille Le Bel (1847–1930) had

human ear: Vestibule: …of the hairlike cilia—stiff nonmotile stereocilia and flexible motile kinocilia—that project from their apical ends. The nerve fibres are from the superior, or vestibular, division of the vestibulocochlear nerve. They pierce the basement membrane and, depending on the type of hair cell, either end on the basal end of the…

human ear: Vestibule: …of the hairlike cilia—stiff nonmotile stereocilia and flexible motile kinocilia—that project from their apical ends. The nerve fibres are from the superior, or vestibular, division of the vestibulocochlear nerve. They pierce the basement membrane and, depending on the type of hair cell, either end on the basal end of the…

Max Wolf: …the first to use the stereocomparator (a type of stereoscopic viewer), which greatly helps in the discovery and identification of variable or moving objects in celestial photographs. In 1906 he discovered Achilles, the first of the Trojan planets, two groups of asteroids that move around the Sun in Jupiter’s orbit:…

isomerism: Stereoisomers of more complex molecules: An atom is stereogenic if switching any two atoms or groups of atoms that are bound to it results in a pair of stereoisomers. So far, molecules with no or only one stereogenic atom have been discussed. Very often the situation is more complex; indeed, there can be…

human eye: Binocular vision: A stereogram contains two drawings of a three-dimensional object taken from different angles, chosen such that the pictures are right- and left-eyed views of the object. When the stereogram is placed in a stereoscope, an optical device for enabling the two separate pictures to be fused…

history of photography: Development of stereoscopic photography: Stereoscopic photographic views (stereographs) were immensely popular in the United States and Europe from about the mid-1850s through the early years of the 20th century. First described in 1832 by English physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone, stereoscopy was improved by Sir David Brewster in 1849. The production of the…

map: Map projections: …the Earth’s surface, it is stereographic; if from space, it is called orthographic.

printing: Stereotypy and stereography (late 18th century): An increasing demand for printed matter stimulated the search for greater speed and volume. The concepts of stereotypy and stereography were explored. Stereotypy, used with notable success around 1790 in Paris, consisted in making an impression on text blocks of type…

stereoisomerism, the existence of isomers (molecules that have the same numbers of the same kinds of atoms and hence the same formula but differ in chemical and physical properties) that differ in the orientation of their atoms in space. There are two kinds of stereoisomers: enantiomers and

3D printing: …in a process known as stereolithography (SLA), a thin layer of polymer liquid rather than powder is spread over the build area, and the designated part areas are consolidated by an ultraviolet laser beam. The built-up plastic part is retrieved and put through post-processing steps.

Johannes Kepler: Astronomical work of Johannes Kepler: His Stereometria Doliorum Vinariorum (“The Stereometry of Wine Barrels”) was the first book published in Linz. Kepler objected to the rule-of-thumb methods of wine merchants to estimate the liquid contents of a barrel. He also refused to be bound strictly by Archimedean methods; eventually he extended…

microscope: Stereoscopic microscopes: Binocular stereomicroscopes are a matched pair of microscopes mounted side by side with a small angle between the optical axes. The object is imaged independently to each eye, and the stereoscopic effect, which permits discrimination of relief on the object, is retained. The…

stereophonic sound system, equipment for sound recording and reproduction that utilizes two or more independent channels of information. Separate microphones are used in recording and separate speakers in reproduction; they are arranged to produce a sense of recording-hall acoustics and of the

perception: Innate versus learned perception: …research has dealt with visual depth perception in laboratory animals and human babies. One technique (the visual cliff) depends on the evident reluctance of young animals to step off the edge of what seems to be a steep cliff. The so-called visual cliff apparatus in one of its versions consists…

catalysis: Catalysis in stereoregular polymerization: The importance of the concept of adsorption of reactants on the surface of catalysts has been greatly increased by the development of stereoregular polymerization processes—that is, methods that yield polymers whose molecules have definite three-dimensional patterns. Such processes were developed independently by the…

stereoscopy: , a stereoscope); ordinarily, however, some device is used that allows each eye to see only the appropriate picture of the pair. To produce a three-dimensional effect in motion pictures (see 3-D), various systems have been employed, all involving simultaneous projection on the screen of left- and…

3-D, motion-picture process that gives a three-dimensional quality to film images. It is based on the fact that humans perceive depth by viewing with both eyes. In the 3-D process, two cameras or a twin-lensed camera are used for filming, one representing the left eye and the other the right. The

microscope: Stereoscopic microscopes: Binocular stereomicroscopes are a matched pair of microscopes mounted side by side with a small angle between the optical axes. The object is imaged independently to each eye, and the stereoscopic effect, which permits discrimination of relief on the object, is retained. The…

range finder: The stereoscopic range finder operates on much the same principle and resembles the coincidence type except that it has two eyepieces instead of one. The design of the stereoscopic instrument makes it more effective for sighting moving objects. It was widely used for land-gunnery ranging during…

stereoscopy, science and technology dealing with two-dimensional drawings or photographs that when viewed by both eyes appear to exist in three dimensions in space. A popular term for stereoscopy is 3-D. Stereoscopic pictures are produced in pairs, the members of a pair showing the same scene or

asymmetric synthesis, any chemical reaction that affects the structural symmetry in the molecules of a compound, converting the compound into unequal proportions of compounds that differ in the dissymmetry of their structures at the affected centre. Such reactions usually involve organic compounds

asymmetric synthesis: …exclusively, the reaction is called stereospecific.

stereotaxic surgery, a three-dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located and treated using cold (as in cryosurgery), heat, or chemicals. The first device for stereotaxic surgery was described in detail in 1908 by British neuroscientist and surgeon Sir

stereotaxic surgery, a three-dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located and treated using cold (as in cryosurgery), heat, or chemicals. The first device for stereotaxic surgery was described in detail in 1908 by British neuroscientist and surgeon Sir

stereotaxic surgery, a three-dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located and treated using cold (as in cryosurgery), heat, or chemicals. The first device for stereotaxic surgery was described in detail in 1908 by British neuroscientist and surgeon Sir

stereotaxic surgery, a three-dimensional surgical technique that enables lesions deep within tissues to be located and treated using cold (as in cryosurgery), heat, or chemicals. The first device for stereotaxic surgery was described in detail in 1908 by British neuroscientist and surgeon Sir

stereotype, in psychology, a fixed, oversimplified, and often biased belief about a group of people. Stereotypes are typically rationally unsupported generalizations, and, once a person becomes accustomed to stereotypical thinking, he or she may not be able to see individuals for who they are.

stereotype, type of printing plate developed in the late 18th century and widely used in letterpress, newspaper, and other high-speed press runs. Stereotypes are made by locking the type columns, illustration plates, and advertising plates of a complete newspaper page in a form and molding a

stereotyped response, unlearned behavioral reaction of an organism to some environmental stimulus. It is an adaptive mechanism and may be expressed in a variety of ways. All living organisms exhibit one or more types of stereotyped response. The capacity for unlearned behaviour is genetically

stereotype, type of printing plate developed in the late 18th century and widely used in letterpress, newspaper, and other high-speed press runs. Stereotypes are made by locking the type columns, illustration plates, and advertising plates of a complete newspaper page in a form and molding a

organohalogen compound: Nucleophilic substitution: …groups is referred to as steric hindrance.

social insect: , the queen) and the steriles (workers and soldiers). Besides carrying out the basic function of reproduction, the members of the reproductive caste generally select the site for a new colony and excavate the first galleries. The workers care for the eggs and larvae, collect food for other members of…

Alan J. Pakula: Early life and work: …Pakula directed his first film, The Sterile Cuckoo. Based on a novel by John Nichols, it traced the evolution of a relationship between an eccentric coed (Liza Minnelli) and the young man from another college with whom she falls in love (Wendell Burton). Minnelli’s performance earned her an Academy Award…

sterilization, in medicine, surgical procedure for the permanent prevention of conception by removing or interrupting the anatomical pathways through which gametes—i.e., ova in the female and sperm cells in the male—travel. The oldest form of surgical sterilization, tubal ligation, remains one of

antimicrobial agent: Sterilization: Sterilization, which is any process, physical or chemical, that destroys all forms of life, is used especially to destroy microorganisms, spores, and viruses. Precisely defined, sterilization is the complete destruction of all microorganisms by a suitable chemical agent or by heat, either wet steam…

Sterkfontein, site of paleoanthropological excavations just south of Johannesburg, South Africa, known for its artifacts as well as its fossils of ancient hominins (members of the human lineage). Located in the Highveld, the site was mined throughout the 20th century for its lime deposits. In 1936

caviar: …the golden eggs of the sterlet, was formerly reserved for the table of the tsar; more recently it found its way to the tables of Soviet dignitaries and that of the shah of Iran. Lesser grades of caviar, made from broken or immature eggs, are more heavily salted and compressed.…

sterling, the standard of purity for silver. The term sterling silver denotes any silver alloy in which pure silver makes up at least 92.5 percent of the content. One theory is that the word sterling comes from the name Easterlings—coiners from east German states brought to England during the reign

Sterling, city, seat (1887) of Logan county, northeastern Colorado, U.S. It lies along the South Platte River at an elevation of 3,950 feet (1,204 metres). Laid out after the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1881, it was named after a town in Illinois. Now an important railroad division

pound sterling, the basic monetary unit of Great Britain, divided (since 1971) decimally into 100 new pence. The term is derived from the fact that, about 775, silver coins known as “sterlings” were issued in the Saxon kingdoms, 240 of them being minted from a pound of silver, the weight of which

sterling area, formerly, a group of countries that kept most of their exchange reserves at the Bank of England and, in return, had access to the London capital and money market. After the devaluation of the pound sterling in September 1931, the United Kingdom and other countries that continued to

United Kingdom: Labour and the welfare state (1945–51): …country had built up “sterling credits”—debts owed to other countries that would have to be paid in foreign currencies—amounting to several billion pounds. Moreover, the economy was in disarray. Some industries, such as aircraft manufacture, were far larger than was now needed, while others, such as railways and coal…

Bruce Sterling is an American author of science fiction who in the mid-1980s emerged as a proponent of the subgenre known as cyberpunk, notably as the editor of Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology (1986). (Read Bruce Sterling’s Britannica entry on science fiction.) In 1976 Sterling graduated from

Los Angeles Clippers: …the Clippers were sold to Donald Sterling, a Los Angeles-based real estate mogul, who moved the team to his home city in 1984. The team did not fare any better in its new home, finishing with a losing record in each season from 1984–85 to 1990–91. In 1991–92 the Clippers,…

Sterlitamak, city, Bashkortostan republic, western Russia. The city lies along the Belaya River at its confluence with the Sterlya. The small settlement of Ashkadarskaya Landing became the city of Sterlitamak in 1781, but it prospered only after 1940 with the development of the Volga-Urals oil

Bruce Jay Friedman: …success with his first novel, Stern (1962). The title character is a luckless descendent of the biblical Job, unable to assimilate into mainstream American life. Virtually all of Friedman’s works are a variation on this theme; most of his characters are Jewish by birth, but they feel alienated from both…

ship construction: Fabrication and assembly: …example, the complete bow and stern. Each of these parts is built up from subassemblies or component parts, which are then welded together to form the complete bow or stern. These sections of the ship are manufactured under cover in large sheds, generally at some distance from the building berth,…

Stern, weekly general-interest magazine published in Germany. It began publication in 1948 and quickly became the leading post-World War II magazine in the country, known for its outstanding photography and its blend of light and serious material. It publishes issues-oriented reporting, celebrity

Franz Rosenzweig: ” Der Stern der Erlösung, completed in 1919, appeared in 1921. The work was ignored by the various trends in academic philosophy but highly regarded by Existentialist and, especially, younger Jewish theologians.

Stern Gang, Zionist extremist organization in Palestine, founded in 1940 by Avraham Stern (1907–42) after a split in the right-wing underground movement Irgun Zvai Leumi. Extremely anti-British, the group repeatedly attacked British personnel in Palestine and even invited aid from the Axis powers.

Stern Gang, Zionist extremist organization in Palestine, founded in 1940 by Avraham Stern (1907–42) after a split in the right-wing underground movement Irgun Zvai Leumi. Extremely anti-British, the group repeatedly attacked British personnel in Palestine and even invited aid from the Axis powers.

warship: The age of gun and sail: …in the Netherlands, of the stern rudder. This rudder, along with the deep-draft hull, the bowsprit and, in time, additional masts, transformed the long ship into the true sailing ship, which could beat into the wind as well as sail with it.

trawler: Stern trawlers are powerful vessels that are often built with ramps for hauling heavy catches up the stern onto the working deck. Powered by engines of up to 5,000 horsepower, modern trawlers drag huge nets that must be hauled by rope winches and large net…

medlar: Stern’s medlar (M. canescens) was discovered in 1990 in Arkansas, though its taxonomy has been controversial. Stern’s medlar reaches heights of 4.5–6 metres (15–20 feet). It is a deciduous tree or shrub that bears showy white flowers. The fruit is a glossy red pome and…

borderline personality disorder: …in 1938 by American psychoanalyst Adolph Stern. Stern used it to describe patients who were “on the border” of psychosis and neurosis, individuals who displayed particular symptoms under stress but then soon became relatively functional again. The term has since been used to define alternately a clinical entity, a syndrome,…

Stern Gang: …Palestine, founded in 1940 by Avraham Stern (1907–42) after a split in the right-wing underground movement Irgun Zvai Leumi.

Home Alone: …(Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), who have been targeting his neighborhood, outside. He turns on the porch lights and scares them away and, later, vows to be prepared should they return.