Social Science Questions & Answers

Social Science Questions & Answers

What is a koan?

A koan is a story, dialogue, question or statement used in the practice of Zen Buddhism. It contains aspects that are generally inaccessible to normal or logical understanding, but which are be accessible at a spiritual level. Koans originate in the sayings and doings of sages, holy persons and legendary figures who are usually teachers subscribing to Buddhism. Koans are …

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What is a lame duck session of Parliament?

A lame duck session is conducted after election of new members but before they are installed. Hence, in such a session participants vote for the last time as elected officials because of their failure to get re-elected or because they are retiring voluntarily. In the US, it is a term for a person or legislature that continues to hold office …

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What is a green collar job?

A green collar job involves working to better the environment, and is created by firms and organizations whose mission is to improve environmental quality. Work could include policies related to waste, energy and water conservation, solar energy, whole home performance and strengthening local food systems. These jobs are generated by sectors that produce goods which may need a green angle, …

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What is a ghost word?

A ghost word is one that has entered the language through the perpetuation of an error. It is a term invented by lexicographer W W Skeat in 1886 to denote words that are not real words. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable revised by Adrian Room describes ghost words as “spurious terms, the result of errors made by authors, typists, …

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What is a Fossil?

Fossils are the remains, moulds, traces or impressions of prehistoric animals and plants found in the ground. The word comes from the Latin fodere, meaning ‘to dig’, and originally meant any old, curious object dug out of the earth. But since about the middle of the 16th century, fossils have been regarded specifically as hard objects showing evidence of earlier …

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