Saturday, April 16, 2016

N: A to Z Blogging Challenge

For my 2016 A to Z Challenge, I’m sharing three facts for each letter. The genres I write and love to read are mostly science fiction and high or epic fantasy. In fantasy, there is often magic associated with crystals or metals. They also used herbs both for medicine and for magical spells. Each day I will post a short description of an herb or a mineral you might find in medieval or fantasy writings. For the record, most of the herbal remedies I’ve investigated are not recommended by the FDA. Many are actually poisonous and dangerous. As tribute to my second love, I will post a scientific fact that may deal with physics, biology or health science. And because another name for a writer is wordsmith, each day I’ll share a strange word that I would probably never use in my writing, but that amuse me in some way. So enjoy my trio of quick facts. And don’t forget to visit the IWSG site where we’ll share a writer’s resource for every day of the challenge.

Nimiety: excess, redundancy.

Nettle was used by Native Americans to ease child delivery. During the Bronze Age it was used in burial shrouds.

Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular level. More than one science fiction movie or show has used this invention and usually not as a good thing. All real science fiction fans remember the replicators on the TV show, Stargate. To get an idea how large a nanometer is, a sheet of newspaper is 100,000 nanometers thick.

I've heard of nettle in tea. Have you ever tried it? Do you find the idea of nanotechnology amazing? Of course, the nanobots haven't started replicating yet. Were you a Stargate fan in the day?

Tomorrow is Sunday, a day of rest for A to Z'ers. Do some catch up or go outside and get some sunlight. I haven't shared any wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac for a while so here's one as spring and the weddings associated with it arrive.

A pair of crows seen at a wedding brings good luck to the bride and groom.

22 comments:

nashvillecats2 said...

Words I have never heard of Susan, but as the saying
goes "One Learns Something New Every Day".
Most interesting to know. Thanks.
Yvonne.



Jen said...

Love your theme! Yes, I've used nettle in allergy remedies. Thanks for the new word!
- Jen

Pat Hatt said...

I've used nettle before. Replicators got annoying after a while in Stargate. Nanites will probably be able to cure cancer and such easily one day, but have to make sure we have control or screwed.

Bish Denham said...

Those spider-like replicators on Star-Gate were rather terrifying! The only nettles I've ever been around were stinging.

Unknown said...

My grandmother used to make nettle tea. She said it was good for fevers. I like the word nimiety and have to find a way to use it.

#AtoZchallenge
Meet My Imaginary Friends

cleemckenzie said...

Another new vocabulary word. Nimiety!

Nicola said...

Great words! Not heard of nimiety and have never tried nettle tea - don't quite fancy that.

D.G. Hudson said...

Interesting facts and words - I studied herbs for a while after I read a book written by a French guy who used herbs for therapeutic soaks for different ailments. I have grown my own herbs for years in my gardens and on the deck.

J E Oneil said...

I think nanotechnology is so cool. It could become a reality in our lifetime! Hopefully with better results than on Stargate, though.

M.J. Fifield said...

I watch that show Arrow and now Legends of Tomorrow, and they talk about nanotech from time to time.

Never heard nimiety before.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's right - Stargate!
Wow, nettle had some diversified uses.

Jo said...

Nimiety is a new one. You can also make nettle wine. I never did get to watch Stargate,other than one or two here and there. I would have liked to see more of them.

betty said...

Haven't heard of nettle tea; might have to see if it is available here :)

betty

Anonymous said...

Nanotechnology is very cool. I love stories that have it in them. It has interesting possibilities for story ideas.

~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

messymimi said...

A friend of mine swallowed one of those nano cameras for a medical test a while back. That stuff is amazing, as long as we don't lose control over it.

Heather R. Holden said...

I definitely remember seeing "nanotechnology" thrown around in the sci-fi genre before. Those other terms are new to me, though!

Michelle Wallace said...

I can remember the first time I heard of nanotechnology...it bamboozled my poor brain! LOL
Writer In Transit

Nilanjana Bose said...

Nimiety had me totally beat, never heard. Nice ring to it though, if I am pronouncing it right.

Melissa Sugar said...

The only word I'm familiar with is nimiety and that's only because after I used the word plethora so many times in court one ornery judge suggested I find a different word to replace the word I had overused to death. I had used an "overabundance of the word," LOL. After court, I asked the judge if had a particular word in mind or if he just wanted me to expand my vocabulary. I can still picture him pulling on his white handlebar mustache as he said, "Nimiety, has a nice ring to it, and most folks from around here, probably haven't even heard the word." He seemed to take pleasure knowing the lawyers and and the rest of the people in the courtroom would all be running to a dictionary as soon as court let out. This was long before iPhones and tablets so we didn't have the Internet and every other resource available at our fingertips. This was back before the age of instant gratification. Suffice it to say, I've never forgotten the word. Funny thing is, my spelling auto correct does not want to let me type the word. Did you have the same issue?

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - loved Melissa's story above ... I didn't know Nimiety either - but I can type it (probably don't need the capital N .. but I've left it!) ... and it only has a wiggly red worm underneath it ...

Nettles - I've had tea, they have soft drinks here with them in, and you can use young nettles as a vegetable - this was very common centuries ago ... and I'm sure helped in the two Wars ...

Good words .. Cheers Hilary

mshatch said...

I used nanotechnology in my scifi novel, NO REST.

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

I have tried nettle tea - but I don't remember what I thought of it :) Stargate - I used to love Stargate - went to lots of conventions. Nanotechnology is both an amazing thing and one I am hoping they choose not to exploit in the wrong way.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)