An orthopedic cast, body cast, plaster cast, or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster or fiberglass, encasing a limb (or, in some cases, large portions of the body) to stabilize and hold anatomical structures, most often a broken bone (or bones), in place until healing is confirmed. It is similar in function to a splint.

Plaster bandages consist of a cotton bandage that has been combined with plaster of paris, which hardens after it has been made wet. Plaster of Paris is calcined gypsum (roasted gypsum), ground to a fine powder by milling. When water is added, the more soluble form of calcium sulfate returns to the relatively insoluble form, and heat is produced.

The setting of unmodified plaster starts about 10 minutes after mixing and is complete in about 45 minutes; however, the cast is not fully dry for 72 hours.

Nowadays bandages of synthetic materials are often used, often knitted fiberglass bandages impregnated with polyurethane, sometimes bandages of thermoplastic. These are lighter and dry much faster than plaster bandages. However, plaster can be more easily moulded to make a snug and therefore more comfortable fit. In addition, plaster is much smoother and does not snag clothing or abrade the skin.

A cast is a basic skill on uneven bars in artistic gymnastics. From the front hang, a gymnast pikes (allowing the knee to touch the bar) and slides upwards to a handstand. Some gymnasts may perform the move with straddled legs. It is an "A" move in the Code of Points.

References

Fossils (from Classical Latin fossilis; literally, "obtained by digging") are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous (fossil-containing) rock formations and sedimentary layers (strata) is known as the fossil record.

The study of fossils across geological time, how they were formed, and the evolutionary relationships between taxa (phylogeny) are some of the most important functions of the science of paleontology. Such a preserved specimen is called a "fossil" if it is older than some minimum age, most often the arbitrary date of 10,000 years. Hence, fossils range in age from the youngest at the start of the Holocene Epoch to the oldest, chemical fossils from the Archaean Eon, up to 3.48 billion years old, or even older, 4.1 billion years old, according to a 2015 study. The observation that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led early geologists to recognize a geological timescale in the 19th century. The development of radiometric dating techniques in the early 20th century allowed geologists to determine the numerical or "absolute" age of the various strata and thereby the included fossils.

Iron is an album by Moravian (Czech Republic) folk metal band Silent Stream of Godless Elegy, originally released in 1996 by Leviathan Records.

Track listing

"Iron" is the debut single by Woodkid (real name Yoann Lemoine) taken from his album The Golden Age that was prepared in 2011 but released in 2013. It was written by Yoann Lemoine himself and arrangements by Gustave Rudman. The single was released on March 28, 2011. This song gained immense popularity after being used in a trailer for Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

Iron (EP)

A remix EP was also released called Iron (EP) in 2011 charting in its own right.

Tracklist

Charts

References

Iron has a long and varied tradition in the mythology and folklore of the world. As human blood smells of the iron which its cells contain, and blood in many traditions is equated with the life-force, so iron and minerals have been considered to be the blood or life-force of the Earth. This relationship is charted further in literature on geomancy, ley lines and songlines.

Plutarch

In Plutarch's mystical writings, iron and lodestone is referred to as the "bone" or "core" of the gods. Symbolically, iron is the bone, the foundation or the mineral core of both blood and red ochre.

Cold iron

Cold iron is a poetic and archaic term for iron.

Francis Grose's 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defines cold iron as "A sword, or any other weapon for cutting or stabbing." This usage often appears as "cold steel" in modern parlance.

Rudyard Kipling's poem "Cold Iron", found in his 1910 collection of stories Rewards and Fairies, used the term poetically to mean "weapon".

"Cold iron" is historically believed to repel, contain, or harm ghosts, fairies, witches, and/or other malevolent supernatural creatures. This belief continued into later superstitions in a number of forms: