Tajumulco \,ta-hu-'mul-ko\ Volcano Volcanic mountain, western Guatemala. Part of a mountain range that extends into Guatemala from southern Mexico, it is the highest peak in Central America, 13,845 ft (4,220 m) high. It is thought to sit atop the remains of an older volcano.
Takebe Katahiro (b. 1664, Edo, Japan—d. Aug. 24, 1739, Edo) Japa¬ nese mathematician of the wasan (“Japanese calculation”) tradition who extended and disseminated the mathematical research of his teacher Seki Takakazu. He served successively two shoguns, Tokugawa Ienobu and Tokugawa Yoshimune (see Tokugawa period). Takebe became a pupil of Seki at the age of 13 and, together with his brother Kataaki, remained with him until his death in 1708. The brothers were the main craftsmen of Seki’s project (launched 1683) to record mathematical knowledge in an encyclopaedia. The Taisei sankei (“Comprehensive Classic of Math¬ ematics”), in 20 volumes, was finally completed by Takebe Kataaki in 1710. It gives a good picture of Seki’s skill at reformulating problems, as well as Takebe Katahiro’s ability to correct, perfect, and extend his master’s intuitions.
Takemitsu \ta-ke-'mit-su\, Toru (b. Oct. 8, 1930, Tokyo, Japan—d. Feb. 20, 1996, Tokyo) Japanese composer. In 1951 he founded Tokyo’s Experimental Laboratory to promote an integration of Japanese music with contemporary European developments. Soon acknowledged as Japan’s leading composer, he explored avant-garde techniques such as serialism, aleatory music, graphic notation, and electronic music, combin¬ ing them with traditional Japanese motives and instruments (e.g., Novem¬ ber Steps , 1967, for biwa, shakuhachi , and orchestra). He created an individual sound world in which silence itself is an important element.
Takfir wa al-Hijrah Uak-'fer-wal-'hij-r S\ Arabic "Excommunica¬ tion and [Holy] Flight" Name given by Egyptian authorities to a radical Islamic group calling itself the Society of Muslims. It was founded in 1971 by a young agronomist, ShukrI Mustafa, who had been arrested in 1965 for distributing Muslim Brotherhood leaflets and was released from prison in 1971. Appealing to those who saw mainstream society—from which the group sought to flee (see Hijrah) —as weak, corrupt, and un-Islamic, it engaged in acts of terrorism and was initially thought to be behind the assassination of Anwar el-Sadat. The group soon dissolved, partly because of the extreme rigour of its doctrine, and is noteworthy because its actions initiated the repression of fundamentalist groups by security services in Egypt in the late 1970s.
Takla Makan \,ta-klo-m3-'kan\ Desert Chinese Taklimakan Shamo or T'a-k'o-la-ma-kan Sha-mo Desert, forming the greater part of the Tarim Basin, west-central China. One of the world’s largest sandy wastes, it is about 600 mi (965 km) across, with an area of 105,000 sq mi (272,000 sq km). It is flanked by high mountain ranges, including the Kunlun Mountains, whose rivers penetrate the desert 60-120 mi (100-200 km) before drying up in its sands. Its wind-blown sand cover is as much as 1,000 ft (300 m) thick and has formed such features as pyramidal dunes that can reach heights of 1,000 ft (300 m).
Taksin Ytak-sin\ or Phraya Taksin (b. April 17, 1734, Ayutthaya—d. April 6, 1782, Thon Buri) Thai general and later king (1767-82) who reunited Siam (Thailand) after its defeat by Myanmar (Burma). While Taksin was a provincial governor, his troops were among those besieged by the forces of Myanmar in 1766-67, but he escaped and raised new troops. He drove out the invaders and defeated other contenders for the throne, then extended his power into neighbouring states. A better con¬ queror than ruler, he was deposed and probably executed in 1782.
Talbot, William Henry Fox (b. Feb. 11, 1800, Melbury Abbas, Dor¬ set, Eng.—d. Sept. 17, 1877, Lacock Abbey, near Chippenham, Wiltshire) English chemist and pioneer photographer. In 1840 he developed the cal- otype, an early photographic process that improved on the daguerreotype; it involved the use of a photographic negative from which multiple prints could be made. In 1835 he published his first article documenting a pho¬
tographic discovery, that of the paper negative. His The Pencil of Nature (1844-46) was the first book with photographic illustrations. Talbot also published many articles on mathematics, astronomy, and physics.
talc Common silicate mineral that is distinguished from almost all other minerals by its extreme softness. Its soapy or greasy feel accounts for the name soapstone, given to compact aggregates of talc with other rock¬ forming minerals. Soapstones have been used since ancient times for carvings, ornaments, and utensils. Resistant to most reagents and to mod¬ erate heat, they are especially suitable for sinks and countertops. Talc is also used in lubricants, leather dressings, toilet and dusting powders, and certain marking pencils; as a filler in ceramics, paint, paper, roofing mate¬ rials, plastic, and rubber; as a carrier in insecticides; and as a mild abra¬ sive in the polishing of cereal grains.
Talcahuano \,tal-ka-'wa-no\ City (pop., 2002 est.: 245,000), south- central Chile. Lying on a small peninsula that forms the southwestern shore of Concepcion Bay, it is a major port and the site of Chile’s main naval station. It is also an important commercial, fishing, and manufac¬ turing centre. The Peruvian ironclad Hudscar , captured by Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879), is moored in the harbour.
Taliban \,ta-le-'ban\ Political and religious faction and militia that came to power in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. Following the Soviet Union’s 1989 withdrawal from Afghanistan (see Afghan Wars), the Taliban (Per¬ sian: “Students”)—whose name refers to the Islamic religious students who formed the group’s main recruits—arose as a popular reaction to the chaos that gripped the country. In 1994-95, under the leadership of Mul¬ lah Mohammad Omar, the Taliban extended its control in Afghanistan from a single city to more than half the country, and in 1996 it captured Kabul and instituted a strict Islamic regime. By 1999, the Taliban con¬ trolled most of Afghanistan but failed to win international recognition of its regime because of its harsh social policies—which included the almost complete removal of women from public life—and its role as a haven for Islamic extremists. Among these extremists was Osama bin Laden, the expatriate Saudi Arabian leader of Al-Qaeda, a network of Islamic mili¬ tants that had engaged in numerous acts of terrorism. The Taliban’s refusal to extradite bin Laden to the U.S. following the September 1 1 attacks in 2001 prompted the U.S. to attack Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in Afghani¬ stan, driving the former from power and sending the leaders of both groups into hiding. See also Islamic fundamentalism.
Taliesin \,ta-le-'e-sin\ Home, as well as architectural school, of Frank Lloyd Wright. Located near Spring Green, Wis., it was begun in 1911 and was rebuilt after fires in 1914 and 1925. Taliesin West, near Scottsdale, Ariz., was begun in 1938 as a winter home for Wright and his students. Both structures were continually renovated and added to until Wright’s death in 1959, after which they continued to be occupied by members of the Wright Foundation. Wright, of Welsh descent, named them after the renowned Welsh poet (fl. 6th century ad).
talk show Radio or television program in which a well-known person¬ ality interviews celebrities and other guests. The late-night programs hosted by Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien have emphasized entertainment, incorporating interludes of music or com¬ edy. Other talk shows have focused on politics (see David Susskind), con¬ troversial social issues or sensationalistic topics (Phil Donahue), and emotional therapy (Oprah Winfrey). See also Merv Griffin; Larry King; Jack Paar.
Tallahassee City (pop., 2000 est.: 150,624), capital of Florida, U.S. Originally an Appalachee Indian village, the area attracted Spanish set¬ tlers after the visit of Hernando de Soto in 1539. Tallahassee became the capital of the Florida Territory in 1824 and of the state in 1845. During the American Civil War it was the only capital of a Confederate state east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces. Today it is a wholesal¬ ing and distribution point for the surrounding lumber, cotton, and cattle¬ raising industries. Educational institutions include Florida State University (founded 1851).