Robert Burns: After Edinburgh: …first five volumes of Thomson’s A Select Collection of Original Scotish Airs for the Voice (1793–1818) contain the bulk of Burns’s songs. Burns spent the latter part of his life in assiduously collecting and writing songs to provide words for traditional Scottish airs. He regarded his work as service to…

The Supreme Court of the United States is the final court of appeal and final expositor of the Constitution of the United States, and, as such, it makes decisions that have far-reaching consequences on issues ranging from freedom of speech to commerce. The table provides a list of select milestone

Gary Snyder: In addition, The Selected Letters of Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder and Distant Neighbors: The Selected Letters of Wendell Berry and Gary Snyder were published in 2009 and 2014, respectively.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: Feldman and Diana Scott-Kilvert, and Selected Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1995), edited by Betty T. Bennett.

Ralph Ellison: The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison was released in 2019.

Rebecca West: Selected Letters of Rebecca West, edited by Bonnie Kime Scott, was published in 2000. The critic and author Anthony West was the son of Dame Rebecca and the English novelist H.G. Wells.

Willa Cather: …and 566 were collected in The Selected Letters of Willa Cather (2013).

William Styron: …to My Father (2009) and Selected Letters of William Styron (2012).

Nikolay Gogol: Creative decline of Nikolay Gogol: …iz perepiski s druzyami (1847; Selected Passages from Correspondence with My Friends), a collection of 32 discourses eulogizing not only the conservative official church but also the very powers that he had so mercilessly condemned only a few years before. It is no wonder that the book was fiercely attacked…

Derek Walcott: The verse in Selected Poems (1964), The Castaway (1965), and The Gulf (1969) is similarly lush in style and incantatory in mood as Walcott expresses his feelings of personal isolation, caught between his European cultural orientation and the black folk cultures of his native Caribbean. Another Life (1973)…

Conrad Aiken: …his poetry is contained in Selected Poems (1929), which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1930, and Collected Poems (1953), including a long sequence “Preludes to Definition,” which some critics consider his masterwork, and the often anthologized “Morning Song of Senlin.” Aiken served as the poetry consultant to the…

Gwendolyn Brooks: In the Mecca: Brooks published Selected Poems in 1963, followed in 1968 by In the Mecca, half of which is a long narrative poem about people in the Mecca, a vast, fortresslike apartment building erected on the South Side of Chicago in 1891, which had long since deteriorated into a…

James Tate: His Selected Poems (1991), which includes poetry from nine of his previous volumes, won the Pulitzer Prize, and Worshipful Company of Fletchers (1994) received the National Book Award. In 1995 he won the Academy of American Poets’ Wallace Stevens Award. Tate’s later collections include Memoir of…

Stanley Kunitz: …some 30 new poems in Selected Poems 1928–1958 (1958), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1959.

Rosario Castellanos: , The Selected Poems, by Magda Bogin), a polemical allusion to a well-known verse by Spanish Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, in which he tells his beloved that she is poetry.

Shirley Ann Grau: … (1973), Nine Women (1985), and Selected Stories (2003).

Roman Jakobson: Jakobson’s Selected Writings, 6 vol. (1962–71), are concerned with phonological studies, the word, language, poetry, grammar, Slavic epic studies, ties, and traditions. His The Sound Shape of Language, with Linda R. Waugh, was published in 1979.

selection, in biology, the preferential survival and reproduction or preferential elimination of individuals with certain genotypes (genetic compositions), by means of natural or artificial controlling factors. The theory of evolution by natural selection was proposed by Charles Darwin and Alfred

selection coefficient, in genetics, a measure of the relative reduction in the contribution that a particular genotype (genetic composition) makes to the gametes (sex cells) as compared with another genotype in the population. It expresses the relative advantage or disadvantage of specific traits

selection rule, in quantum mechanics, any of a set of restrictions governing the likelihood that a physical system will change from one state to another or will be unable to make such a transition. Selection rules, accordingly, may specify “allowed transitions,” those that have a high probability

GPS: Triangulation: …2000, a feature known as selective availability (S/A) intentionally degraded the civilian signal’s accuracy; S/A was terminated in part because of safety concerns related to the increasing use of GPS by civilian marine vessels and aircraft. Unaugmented civilian GPS now gives an error variance, for horizontal distances, of 30 metres…

selective breeding, the practice of mating individuals with desired traits as a means of increasing the frequency of those traits in a population. In selective breeding, the breeder attempts to isolate and propagate the genotypes (genetic constitutions) that are responsible for an organism’s

library: Current-awareness service: …have adopted a practice of selective dissemination of information (sometimes referred to as SDI), whereby librarians conduct regular searches of databases to find references to new articles or other materials that fit a particular patron’s interest profile and forward the results of these searches to the patron.

antiestrogen: Selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMs), such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, produce estrogen action in those tissues (e.g., bone, brain, liver) where that action is beneficial and have either no effect or an antagonistic effect in tissues, such as the breast and uterus, where estrogen action may…

selective feeding, food procurement in which the animal exercises choice over the type of food being taken, as opposed to filter feeding, in which food is taken randomly. Selective feeders may be broadly divided into herbivores and carnivores, which take plant and animal food, respectively, and

collective action problem: The challenges of common goods: …groups by the use of selective incentives. These selective incentives might be extra rewards contingent upon taking part in the action or penalties imposed on those who do not. However, in order for positive selective incentives to work, individuals who take part in collective action must be identified; and for…

3D printing: A related process is called selective laser sintering (SLS); here the nozzle head and liquid binder are replaced by precisely guided lasers that heat the powder so that it sinters, or partially melts and fuses, in the desired areas. Typically, SLS works with either plastic powder or a combined metal-binder…

assortative mating, in human genetics, a form of nonrandom mating in which pair bonds are established on the basis of phenotype (observable characteristics). For example, a person may choose a mate according to religious, cultural, or ethnic preferences, professional interests, or physical traits.

antidepressant: SSRIs were introduced in the 1980s, and shortly thereafter they became some of the most commonly used antidepressants, primarily because they have fewer side effects than tricyclics or MAOIs. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). SSRIs are also used in the treatment…

conscription: …form—even during total war—has been selective service.

Enoch Herbert Crowder: …officer and administrator of the Selective Service Act in World War I.

Selective Service Acts, U.S. federal laws that instituted conscription, or compulsory military service. Conscription was first implemented in the United States during the American Civil War (1861–65). However, it was common for wealthy men to hire substitutes to fulfill their service obligation. In

Selective Service System, independent federal agency in the United States created to administer the military draft nationwide to conscript troops quickly in the event of war. Founded in 1940, the Selective Service System oversees the military registration of all draft-age males (that is, age 18

sleep: Sleep deprivation: Studies of selective sleep deprivation have confirmed the attribution of need for both stage 3 NREM and REM sleep, because an increasing number of experimental arousals are required each night to suppress both stage 3 and REM sleep on successive nights of deprivation and because both show…

misophonia, disorder marked by low tolerance of and unusually strong negative physiological, emotional, and behavioral reactions to specific sounds or to stimuli related to such sounds. In some persons with misophonia, the triggering stimulus may activate the fight-or-flight response, resulting in

strike: …devising new tactics that include selective strikes, which target the sites that will cause the company the greatest economic harm, and rolling strikes, which target a succession of employer sites, making it difficult for the employer to hire replacements because the strike’s location is always changing.

Arthur Eddington: Philosophy of science: …epistemology, which he called “selective subjectivism” and “structuralism”—i.e., the interplay of physical observations and geometry. He believed that a great part of physics simply reflected the interpretation that the scientist imposes on his data. The better part of his philosophy, however, was not his metaphysics but his “structure” logic.…

Selective Service Acts: …Asia, Congress narrowly passed the Selective Training and Service Act, instituting the first peacetime draft in U.S. history. Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill into law on September 16, 1940, and all males of ages 21 to 36 were required to register with the resurrected Selective Service System—although, for…

kin selection: …play when evaluating the genetic fitness of a given individual. It is based on the concept of inclusive fitness, which is made up of individual survival and reproduction (direct fitness) and any impact that an individual has on the survival and reproduction of relatives (indirect fitness). Kin selection occurs when…

radio technology: Concepts of selectivity and sensitivity: Radio-frequency communication requires the receiver to reject all but the desired signal. Were the number of frequency channels equal to the demand, each channel could be given its correct width in the tuning stages of a receiver. Thus, for audio broadcasting each…

nervous system: Passive transport: membrane channels: …at one region called the selectivity filter. This filter makes each channel specific to one type of ion.

word processing: …Machines Corporation (IBM) produced the Selectric Typewriter, a relatively high-speed, automatic typewriter that had a magnetic tape data-storage unit and retrieval device. The development of electronic digital minicomputers and microcomputers during the late 1960s and ’70s gave rise to faster word-processing systems with greater capabilities.

supersymmetry: …been given the names of selectrons and squarks. Similarly, known bosons such as the photon and the gluon should have fermionic supersymmetric partners, called the photino and the gluino. There has been no experimental evidence that such “superparticles” exist. If they do indeed exist, their masses could be in the…

antiparkinson drug: COMT and MAO-B inhibitors: …known of these agents is selegiline, which extends the effects of levodopa and often is prescribed in combination with levodopa and carbidopa.

Central African Republic: The 21st century: …new rebel coalition, known as Seleka, launched an incursion in the northern part of the country. The group, which included factions of former rebel movements, accused Bozizé of not implementing aspects of a previous peace agreement. It demanded his ouster from the presidency and called for him to stand trial…

Jennifer Lopez: Selena and film stardom: …landed the lead role in Selena (1997), a biopic of the murdered Tejano singer. Lopez’s immersive performance as Selena earned her rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination. She went on to star in a number of thrillers and action dramas, including Anaconda (1997), U Turn (1997), Out of Sight…

Selena was an American singer who was a vivacious entertainer and whose fluid voice celebrated the sound of Tejano, a fast-paced, accordion-based Latin dance music that combines elements of jazz, country, and German polka. It is sung in Spanish and is rooted in the Hispanic community in South

Selena: Success as a solo artist and murder: …released her debut solo album, Selena, that same year. Several albums followed, including Ven Conmigo (1990; “Come with Me”) and Entre a Mi Mundo (1992; “Enter My World”). Her pop duet single, “Buenos Amigos” (“Good Friends”), with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres introduced her to a broader audience. In 1992 Selena…

Selena Gomez: …as the front woman of Selena Gomez & the Scene, an electronic-influenced pop band that produced several dance hits. The group released the albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) before announcing its separation in 2012. Gomez then forged a…

Selena: Success as a solo artist and murder: With Selena Live! (1993), Selena won the 1994 Grammy Award for best Mexican-American album, becoming the first female Tejano singer to win a Grammy in that category. Her expanding interests in 1994 included beginning a clothing line and opening two boutiques. That same year she released…

Selena: Early life and performing with Los Dinos: …formed a family band called Selena y Los Dinos. Her sister, Suzette, played drums and her brother, Abraham III (“A.B.”), played bass guitar. Her father wrote many of the Spanish-language songs that the group performed in the family’s restaurant. At that time Selena was not fluent in Spanish, so she…

Selena: Legacy: A Netflix show, Selena: The Series, premiered in 2020.

Asiatic black bear, (Ursus thibetanus), member of the bear family (Ursidae) found from southern Iran to the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and parts of eastern Asia, including Japan. The Asiatic black bear is omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, nuts, bees and honey, small mammals, and birds as well as

Selene, in Greek and Roman religion, the personification of the moon as a goddess. She was worshipped at the new and full moons. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, her parents were the Titans Hyperion and Theia; her brother was Helios, the sun god (sometimes called her father); her sister was Eos

Kaguya, Japan’s second unmanned mission to the Moon, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in September 2007. Its proper name, Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer), was derived from the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon. Kaguya, chosen from among many suggestions received

carangid: …most unusual-looking carangids is the lookdown (Selene vomer), with an exceptionally thin body and high “forehead.” The first rays of the second dorsal fin extend into filaments that reach to the tail. Many of these fishes are valued for food or sport. Certain species, however, such as the greater amberjack…

Selenga River, river in Mongolia and east-central Russia. It is formed by the confluence of the Ider and Delger rivers. It is Mongolia’s principal river and is the most substantial source of water for Lake Baikal. The Delger rises in the Sangilen Mountains on the border between Mongolia and the

Selenga River, river in Mongolia and east-central Russia. It is formed by the confluence of the Ider and Delger rivers. It is Mongolia’s principal river and is the most substantial source of water for Lake Baikal. The Delger rises in the Sangilen Mountains on the border between Mongolia and the

moonlight cactus, (genus Selenicereus), genus of about 20 species of cacti (family Cactaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America, including the West Indies. They are widely grown in suitable climates in Central and South America and have escaped from cultivation. The queen-of-the-night

cereus: The queen-of-the-night (S. grandiflorus), the best-known night-blooming cereus, is often grown indoors. The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) and the organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) are also sometimes referred to as cereus.

lady’s slipper: Genera: …six species in the genus Selenipedium, also native to tropical America, may be 5 metres (16 feet) tall. The leaves are folded, and the flowers are borne on a spike at the tip of the plant. S. vanillocarpum has vanilla-scented seedpods. All Selenipedium species are considered endangered or threatened according…

selenite, a crystalline variety of the mineral gypsum

selenium (Se), a chemical element in the oxygen group (Group 16 [VIa] of the periodic table), closely allied in chemical and physical properties with the elements sulfur and tellurium. Selenium is rare, composing approximately 90 parts per billion of the crust of Earth. It is occasionally found

selenium cell, photoelectric device used to generate or control an electric current. Selenium photocells are commonly used in photographic-exposure meters, burglar alarms, electronic-door opening and counting devices, electronic control systems in factory assembly lines, and industrial colour

selenium: Compounds: In its compounds selenium exists in the oxidation states of −2, +4, and +6. It manifests a distinct tendency to form acids in the higher oxidation states. Although the element itself is not poisonous, many of its compounds are exceedingly toxic.

selenium: Compounds: …with oxygen, it occurs as selenium dioxide, SeO2, a white, solid, chainlike polymeric substance that is an important reagent in organic chemistry. The reaction of this oxide with water produces selenious acid, H2SeO3.

Kaguya, Japan’s second unmanned mission to the Moon, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in September 2007. Its proper name, Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer), was derived from the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon. Kaguya, chosen from among many suggestions received

perissodactyl: Teeth: …lophs, such teeth being termed selenolophodont.

perissodactyl: Teeth: …lophs, such teeth being termed selenolophodont.

heterocyclic compound: Halogens, selenium, and tellurium: …in behaviour to sulfur; hence, selenophene, with the structure shown, resembles thiophene quite closely.

Monica Seles is a Yugoslavian-born retired American professional tennis player who dominated her sport and was nearly unbeatable during the height of her career in the early 1990s. In 1991, at the age of 17, Seles became the youngest singles player ever to be ranked number one in the world by the

Kazakhstan: Drainage: Balkhash, Zaysan, Alaköl, Tengiz, and Seletytengiz (Siletiteniz). Kazakhstan also wraps around the entire northern half of the shrinking Aral Sea, which underwent terrible decline during the second half of the 20th century: as freshwater inflow was diverted for agriculture, the salinity of the sea increased sharply, and the receding shores…

Silifke, town, south-central Turkey. It is located along the banks of the Göksu River, overlooking the Taurus Mountains. An irrigation scheme supplying the fertile lowland of the Göksu delta is located at Silifke. The town is a market centre for agricultural produce of its hinterland, including

Seleucia on the Tigris, Hellenistic city founded by Seleucus I Nicator (reigned 312–281 bce) as his eastern capital; it replaced Babylon as Mesopotamia’s leading city and was closely associated with the spread of Hellenistic culture in Mesopotamia. The city lay along the Tigris River about 20 miles

Seleucia Pieria, in ancient Syria, port of Antioch and frontier fortress on the Cilician border (near modern Samandağ, Turkey), 4 miles (6 km) north of the mouth of the Orontes River. With Antioch, Apamea, and Laodicea it formed the Syrian tetrapolis. The town occupied the rocky slopes of Musa

Seleucia Tracheotis, city in Cilicia (in present-day southern Turkey), on the Calycadnus River (modern Goksu Nehri), a few miles from that stream’s mouth; the site was doubtless selected as a protection against attacks from the sea. There are ruins of a castle on the acropolis, and the city

Seleucid empire, (312–64 bce), an ancient empire that at its greatest extent stretched from Thrace in Europe to the border of India. It was carved out of the remains of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian empire by its founder, Seleucus I Nicator. (See also Hellenistic Age.) Seleucus, one of

bird-of-paradise: The 12-wired bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca, sometimes S. ignotus) is a short-tailed, 33-cm bird with flank plumes elaborated as forward-curving wires.

bird-of-paradise: The 12-wired bird-of-paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca, sometimes S. ignotus) is a short-tailed, 33-cm bird with flank plumes elaborated as forward-curving wires.

Seleucus I Nicator was a Macedonian army officer who founded the Seleucid kingdom. In the struggles following the death of Alexander the Great, he rose from governor of Babylon to king of an empire centering on Syria and Iran. Seleucus was the son of Antiochus, a general of Philip II of Macedonia,

Seleucus II Callinicus was the fourth king (reigned 246–225) of the Seleucid dynasty, son of Antiochus II Theos. Antiochus II repudiated his wife Laodice (Seleucus’ mother) and married Ptolemy’s daughter Berenice, but by 246 bc Antiochus had left Berenice in order to live again with Laodice and

Soter Seleucus III was the fifth king (reigned 225–223 bc) of the Seleucid dynasty, elder son of Seleucus II Callinicus. Seleucus took up the task of reconquering Pergamum in Asia Minor from a cousin, Attalus I. The first general whom he sent, Andromachus, was decisively defeated by Attalus and

Seleucus IV Philopator was the seventh king (reigned 187–175 bc) of the Seleucid dynasty, son of Antiochus III the Great. Although the empire that Seleucus inherited was not so great as the one over which his father had ruled before the war with Rome (190–189), it was still large, consisting of

Seleucia on the Tigris, Hellenistic city founded by Seleucus I Nicator (reigned 312–281 bce) as his eastern capital; it replaced Babylon as Mesopotamia’s leading city and was closely associated with the spread of Hellenistic culture in Mesopotamia. The city lay along the Tigris River about 20 miles

Seleucia Pieria, in ancient Syria, port of Antioch and frontier fortress on the Cilician border (near modern Samandağ, Turkey), 4 miles (6 km) north of the mouth of the Orontes River. With Antioch, Apamea, and Laodicea it formed the Syrian tetrapolis. The town occupied the rocky slopes of Musa

Seleucia Tracheotis, city in Cilicia (in present-day southern Turkey), on the Calycadnus River (modern Goksu Nehri), a few miles from that stream’s mouth; the site was doubtless selected as a protection against attacks from the sea. There are ruins of a castle on the acropolis, and the city

Seleucus I Nicator was a Macedonian army officer who founded the Seleucid kingdom. In the struggles following the death of Alexander the Great, he rose from governor of Babylon to king of an empire centering on Syria and Iran. Seleucus was the son of Antiochus, a general of Philip II of Macedonia,

desert dormouse, (Selevinia betpakdalaensis), a rarely seen or captured small rodent of Central Asia. Weighing less than 28 grams (1 ounce), the desert dormouse has a stout rounded body 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 inches) long and a slightly shorter fine-haired tail of 6 to 8 cm. Its gray fur is long,

desert dormouse, (Selevinia betpakdalaensis), a rarely seen or captured small rodent of Central Asia. Weighing less than 28 grams (1 ounce), the desert dormouse has a stout rounded body 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 inches) long and a slightly shorter fine-haired tail of 6 to 8 cm. Its gray fur is long,

self, the “I” as experienced by an individual. In modern psychology the notion of the self has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul. The concept of the self has been a central feature of many personality theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Gordon W. Allport,

immune system disorder: Alteration of self antigens: Various mechanisms can alter self components so that they seem foreign to the immune system. New antigenic determinants can be attached to self proteins, or the shape of a self antigen can shift—for a variety of reasons—so that previously unresponsive helper T cells…

Tiffany Haddish: …appeared in the Netflix miniseries Self Made, which was inspired by the life of pioneering businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker (played by Octavia Spencer). Her films from 2021 included the comedy Bad Trip and Billy Crystal’s Here Today, in which she played a singer who forms a friendship with a comedy…

Charles Wright: Five poems entitled “Self Portrait” typify Wright’s reticence and affirm the indeterminacy of the artist’s personality. Critics described Zone Journals (1988) as Wright’s homage to Pound. The collection reflects Pound’s use of images, rhythm, and literary allusions. “A Journal of the Year of the Ox,” the longest and…

Titian: Portraits: One must not forget Titian’s Self Portrait, in which he presents himself with great dignity, wearing the golden chain of knighthood. The intelligent, tired face is fully rendered, while the costume is sketched in lightly with a free brush. One of the most remarkable late works is the Triple Portrait…

Bruce Nauman: His Self Portrait as a Fountain (1966; original photograph destroyed, reissued 1970) showed the artist spouting a stream of water from his mouth. Witty and irreverent, Nauman tested the idea of art as a stable vehicle of communication and the role of the artist as revelatory…

textile: Knitting machines: The latch needle is composed of a curved hook, a latch, or tumbler, that swings on a rivet just below the hook, and the stem, or butt. It is sometimes called the self-acting needle because no presser is needed; the hook is closed by the pressure…

self-actualization, in psychology, a concept regarding the process by which an individual reaches his or her full potential. It was originally introduced by Kurt Goldstein, a physician specializing in neuroanatomy and psychiatry in the early half of the 20th century. As conceived by Goldstein,

autotomy, the ability of certain animals to release part of the body that has been grasped by an external agent. A notable example is found among lizards that break off the tail when it is seized by a predator. The phenomenon is found also among certain worms, salamanders, and spiders. The cast-off

artificial intelligence: Symbolic vs. connectionist approaches: The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, involves creating artificial neural networks in imitation of the brain’s structure—whence the connectionist label.

self, the “I” as experienced by an individual. In modern psychology the notion of the self has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul. The concept of the self has been a central feature of many personality theories, including those of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Gordon W. Allport,