Condor

Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.

They are:

Taxonomy

Condors are part of the family Cathartidae, whereas the 15 species of Old World vultures are in the family Accipitridae, that also includes ospreys, hawks, and eagles. The New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors. However, they both are carrion-eaters and have distinctive bare heads.

See Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for an alternative classification.

Description

Both condors are very large broad-winged soaring birds, the Andean condor being 5 cm shorter (beak to tail) on average than the northern species, but larger in wingspan. California condors are the largest flying land birds in North America. The Andean condor is second only to the wandering albatross (up to 3.5 m) in terms of wingspan among all living flying birds.

Condor (ride)

The Condor is the trade name of an amusement ride sold by HUSS of Bremen, Germany. It was debuted at the 1984 New Orleans World's Fair, under the name "Cyclo Tower".

The Condor has 28 steel-framed gondolas, each equipped with a painted fiberglass shell - frequently to resemble the seats to be an actual bird. The seats hold one or two people seated in each, one sitting behind the other if they decide to ride double. It can accommodate approximately 1,700 riders per hour. The automatic doors on the ride are operated by pneumatic air pressure, and are manually opened and closed during necessary points at the beginning/end of the ride cycle. The ride uses a cable and counterweight system within the tower to assist with the raising and lowering of the rotating assembly.

There is a DC induction motor located at the end of each arm responsible for rotating the gondolas, as well as three more on the middle lifting structure used for rotation of the entire assembly and travelling the tower. To start the ride, most Condors use a three-button start system - with three buttons required to be hit at the same time to start the cycle. (The operator in the booth uses his or her thumbs on the two buttons located on the panel, while an attendant in a location around the perimeter must be holding that one as well.)

Condor (comics)

Condor is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The Condor first appeared in Nova #2-3 (October–November 1976), and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Buscema.

The character subsequently appears in Nova #6-8 (February–April 1977), #10 (June 1977), Nova #2-5 (February–May 1994), #13 (January 1995), Nova #3-4 (July–August 1999), #7 (November 1999), and Amazing Spider-Man #562-563 (August 2008).

Fictional character biography

Condor is a winged criminal scientist, and is a member of the same race of avians as Red Raven. He was a member of the Terrible Trio, along with Diamondhead and Powerhouse, and an enemy of Nova and the Champions of Xandar. During a battle with the Sphinx, he was transformed into an actual condor.

Condor spent several years in the form of an animal, until he landed on the island of Bird-Brain and the Ani-Mates. Bird-Brain recognized that the Condor was not a real animal and transformed him into a semi-humanoid. He confronted Nova again angrily, and ultimately left feeling their conflict had been useless.

Dental explorer

A dental explorer or sickle probe is an instrument in dentistry commonly used in the dental armamentarium. A sharp point at the end of the explorer is used to enhance tactile sensation.

In the past it was usual for dentists to use the explorer to determine the presence of tooth decay on tooth enamel. Some dental professionals have questioned this practice in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Since enamel is demineralized in the early stages of tooth decay, the use of an explorer opens a cavity in the enamel where none existed previously. Instead, they argue that fluoride and oral hygiene should be used to remineralize the enamel and prevent it from decaying further. This debate still continues because sometimes decay can be difficult to diagnose without tactile verification. Additionally, radiographs and other products designed to identify decay (such as measuring fluorescence from a laser) help the dental professional make a final diagnosis of tooth decay.

There are various types of explorers, though the most common one is the No. 23 explorer, which is also known as a "shepherd's hook". Other types include the 3CH (also known as "cowhorn" or "pigtail") and No. 17 explorers, which are useful for the interproximal areas between teeth.

Explorer (sternwheeler)

Explorer was a small custom made stern-wheel steamboat built for Second lieutenant Joseph Christmas Ives and used by him to carry the U. S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers expedition to explore the Colorado River above Fort Yuma in 1858.

History

After inquiring about the cost of chartering one of the Colorado River steamboats of George Alonzo Johnson, and finding their rates too high, Lt. Ives ordered a steamboat built in 1857:

After being transported by the Panama Railroad across the Isthmus to the Pacific Ocean the Explorer was shipped again by steamship from Panama City up to San Francisco. From there expedition sailed with the parts of the steamboat on the deck of the schooner Monterey to the Colorado River Delta where it arrived November 30. There Ives oversaw its reassembly and launch on December 30, 1857 at Robinson's Landing, Baja California. David C. Robinson, owner of the landing and a pilot for George Alonzo Johnson, was made captain of the boat.

After Ives used the Explorer to ascend the Colorado River he sent it back to Fort Yuma with Richardson. There it was put up for auction and sold to George A. Johnson for $1000. He had its engine and paddle wheel removed and used it for a barge to carry firewood to steamboat landings. In 1864 it broke free from it moorings at Pilot Knob and was carried away 60 miles down river into the Delta where it sank in a slough, sometimes seen by passing steamers, until the river moved away from the location and it was hidden by the delta foliage and lost. Its wreck was found in 1929, by a survey party, in a dried up slough miles away from the new course of the river. A mere skeleton remained, its iron plates long ago removed to make comales for baking tortillas.

Explorer (disambiguation)

An explorer is a person involved in exploration; see also list of explorers.

Explorer, explore, exploring or exploration may also refer to:

Aircraft and spacecraft

Automobiles

Companies

Computing