- Who really invented the alphabet? Despite its vast influence, we are still uncertain about precisely where the world’s most influential communication system came from. One reason for this uncertainty is that debate about the alphabet’s origins has tended to focus on questions for which there is little clear evidence, such as the exact date of its invention and the personal identity, social status, and educational background of the inventor(s).
- Alkaid (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
ALKAID (Eta Ursae Majoris). Though the name may not be so well known as those of the first magnitude stars, the star itself certainly is, as Alkaid is the end star in the handle of the Big Dipper, the great asterism that makes most of the grand constellation of Ursa Major, the Greater Bear.