document_title: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

question_text: cast of law & order special victim unit

question_tokens: cast of law & order special victim unit

text: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

text: Production[edit]

text: History and development[edit]

text: The idea for Law & Order: Special. Victims Unit originated with the 1986 "preppie murder" case of Robert Chambers, who strangled Jennifer Levin, a woman he dated whom he later killed during what he claimed was consensual "rough sex" in Manhattan's Central Park. The crime inspired Dick Wolf to write the story for the season one episode of Law & Order titled "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die". Even after writing the episode, however, the case continued to haunt Wolf, who wanted to go deeper into the psychology of crimes to examine the role of human sexuality.[8]

text: The original title of the show was Sex Crimes, reflecting the sexual nature of the crimes depicted on the show. Initially there was concern among the producers that, should Sex Crimes fail, identifying the new show with the Law & Order franchise could hurt the original show. Additionally, Ted Kotcheff wanted to create a new series that was not dependent upon the original series for success. Wolf felt, however, that it was important and commercially desirable to have "Law & Order" in the title, and he initially proposed the title of the show be Law & Order: Sex Crimes. Barry Diller, then head of Studios USA, was concerned about the title, however, and it was changed to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to reflect the actual unit of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) that handles sexually based offenses that are especially heinous.[9] The first episode, "Payback", premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999.[10]

text: Executive producers[edit]

text: Executive producer Neal Baer left Law & Order: SVU as showrunner at the end of season twelve, after eleven years (seasons 2–12) on the show, in order to sign a three-year deal with CBS Studios.[11] Baer was replaced by former Law & Order: Criminal Intent showrunner Warren Leight.[12] In March 2015, it was announced that Warren Leight signed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Television, that will allow him to work on SVU one more season, its seventeenth. Leight joined the show in season thirteen.[13] It was announced on March 10, 2016 that original Law & Order veteran producer Rick Eid would take Leight's place as showrunner starting in season 18. Creator Dick Wolf commented to The Hollywood Reporter, "I'm extremely pleased that Rick had decided to rejoin the family and hope that he will be here for years to come."[14] During post-production of season 18, following the announcement that SVU was renewed for a nineteenth season, it was revealed that Rick Eid departed the series. He will be taking over another Dick Wolf/NBC series. Chicago P.D.[15]

text: It was announced on May 25, 2017 that original Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent showrunner Michael S. Chernuchin would be reprising his role starting on season nineteen. Chernuchin was also co-creator and executive producing showrunner of Chicago Justice, another Wolf-related show that was canceled by NBC at the end of the 2016–17 TV season.[16]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Many exterior scenes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are filmed on location in New York City, Wolf's hometown, throughout all five of New York City's boroughs. As the NYPD encounters varied law enforcement challenges on a daily basis, the backdrop provides the writers a supply of ideal locations from which to choose.[17] Fort Lee, New Jersey served as the filming location for Detective Elliot Stabler's residence in Queens, New York.[18]

text: When searching for a place to film the interiors of the show, the producers found that there were no suitable studio spaces available in New York City. As a result, a space was chosen at NBC's Central Archives building in nearby North Bergen, New Jersey, which had sat empty for some time, and featured air-conditioning, adequate parking, and 53,000 square feet (4,900 m2) of stage area.[19] The Archives building was used for police station and courtroom scenes,[18] with various other locations in Hudson County used for other scenes, such as a scene shot at the Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus in 2010. The production left New Jersey for New York in 2010, however, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suspended the tax credits for film and television production for the Fiscal Year 2011 to close budget gaps.[20] The show moved into the studio space at Chelsea Piers that had been occupied by the original Law & Order series until its cancellation in May 2010.[21][22]

text: Broadcast history[edit]

text: The show originally aired on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET for the first nine episodes, from September 20 through November 29, 1999.[citation needed] It was then shifted to Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET on January 7, 2000, and remained in that time slot through the end of season four on May 16, 2003.[citation needed] Beginning with the season five premiere on September 23, 2003, SVU moved to Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET.[citation needed] NBC airs repeats on Saturday nights at varying times and previous episodes are shown on the USA Network on varying days in marathon blocks[citation needed]

text: With the season eleven premiere on September 23, 2009, the series vacated its Tuesday 10 p.m. ET slot because NBC began a prime-time weeknight Jay Leno series. The new time slot became Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC, with CTV still airing SVU on Tuesdays at 10:00 in Canada.[23] After the 2010 Winter Olympics on March 3, 2010, the time slot for SVU changed again to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET, where it stayed until the twelfth season.[24] In the 12th season, SVU moved back to 9:00 p.m. to lead in the newest Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: LA,[25] until it was pulled from the network in January 2011 to be retooled.[26] SVU moved back to 10:00 p.m. on January 12, 2011, until the end of the 13th season.[27] With season 14, SVU moved back to 9:00 p.m. after a two-hour season premiere event on September 26, 2012, a position the show has held since.[28]

text: Russian adaptation[edit]

text: In 2007, the Russian production company Studio 2B purchased the rights to create an adaptation of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for Russian television. Titled Закон и порядок: отдел оперативных расследований (Law & Order: Division of Field Investigation), the series stars Alisa Bogart as Major Olga Bobrova. The series follows a unit of investigators in Moscow whose job is to investigate crimes of a sexual nature. The series airs on NTV and is produced by Pavel Korchagin, Felix Kleiman, and Edward Verzbovski and directed by Dmitry Brusnikin. The screenplays are written by Sergei Kuznvetsov, Elena Karavaeshnikova, and Maya Shapovalova.[29]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Casting for the lead characters of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit occurred in the spring of 1999. Dick Wolf, along with officials from NBC and Studios USA were at the final auditions for the two leads at Rockefeller Center. The last round had been narrowed down to seven finalists. For the female lead, Detective Olivia Benson, actresses Samantha Mathis, Reiko Aylesworth, and Mariska Hargitay were being considered. For the male role, Detective Elliot Stabler, the finalists were Tim Matheson, John Slattery, Nick Chinlund, and Christopher Meloni. Hargitay and Meloni had auditioned in the final round together and, after the actors left, there was a moment of dead silence, after which Wolf blurted out, "Oh well. There's no doubt who we should choose—Hargitay and Meloni." Wolf believed the duo had the perfect chemistry together from the first time he saw them together, and they ended up being his first choice. Garth Ancier, then head of NBC Entertainment, agreed, and the rest of the panel assembled began voicing their assent.[30]

text: The first actor to be cast for the show was Dann Florek. Florek had originated the character of Captain Don Cragen in the 1988 pilot for Law & Order and played the character for the first three seasons of the show until he was fired on the orders of network executives, who wanted to add female characters to the all male primary cast. He maintained a friendly relationship with Wolf, however, and went on to direct three episodes of the original series as well as to occasionally guest star on the show. Shortly after Florek reprised his role for Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, he received a call to be on Sex Crimes.[31] Initially reluctant, he eventually agreed to star on the show as Cragen on the assurance that he would not be asked to audition for the role.[32]

text: Shortly after the cancellation of Homicide: Life on the Street, Richard Belzer heard that Benjamin Bratt had left Law & Order. Belzer requested his manager to call Wolf and pitch the idea for Belzer's character from Homicide, Detective John Munch, to become the new partner of Jerry Orbach's character, Detective Lennie Briscoe, since they had previously teamed in three Homicide crossovers. Wolf loved the idea, but had already cast Jesse L. Martin as Briscoe's new partner, Detective Ed Green. The idea was reconfigured, however, to have Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit instead.[32] Since the character of Munch was inspired by David Simon's depiction of Detective Sergeant Jay Landsman and developed for Homicide by Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson, the addition of Munch to the cast required the consent of all three. The appropriate agreements were reached and, while Fontana and Levinson agreed to waive their royalty rights, contracts with Simon required that he be paid royalties for any new show in which Munch is a main character; as a result, Simon receives royalties every time Munch appears in an episode of the show.[33]

text: Dean Winters was cast as Munch's partner, Brian Cassidy, at the insistence of Belzer. Belzer looked at Winters as a sort of little brother, and told Wolf, "Well, I'll do this new show of yours, SVU, only if you make Dean Winters my partner."[32] Wolf did make Winters Belzer's partner, but he was contractually obligated to his other show at the time, the HBO drama Oz. Since the role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was only initially meant to be a few episodes, Winters was forced to leave when it was time to film Oz again. Winters returned for the Season 13 finale, "Rhodium Nights," reprising his role as Cassidy. He also appeared (as Cassidy) on the two-part Season 14 premiere "Lost Reputation"/"Above Suspicion".[34] He subsequently became a recurring character into season 15. The void left by Winters's departure was filled for the remainder of the season by Michelle Hurd as Detective Monique Jeffries, a character who Wolf promised that, despite starting out as a minor character with one scene in the pilot, would eventually develop. Hurd left the show at the beginning of season two to join the cast of Leap Years.[35] Munch's permanent partner came in the form of rapper-turned-actor Ice-T, who had previously worked with Wolf on New York Undercover and Exiled. Ice-T originally agreed to do only four episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but he quickly gained affection for the ensemble nature of the cast. He relocated to New York City before his four-episode contract was up and remained with the show as Munch's permanent partner, Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola.[36]

text: Initially, the show focused exclusively on the policework of the detectives in the Special Victims Unit of the 16th precinct, with members of the District Attorney's office occasionally appearing as guest roles crossing over from the original Law & Order. From season two onwards, the format was changed to be more faithful to the original Law & Order concept by including court cases. Stephanie March had little television experience before being cast on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, nor did she watch much TV. Nevertheless, March was cast as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot at the beginning of season two but still believed that, due to the grim nature of the series, it would be short-lived. She stayed with the series for three seasons, however, and left when she believed she had reached the natural conclusion of the character's development. She would later reprise the character as a guest appearance in season six and as a regular character on the short-lived Wolf series, Conviction, where she was promised more to do. Diane Neal had previously guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in season three before being cast as Cabot's replacement, Casey Novak, in season five. Neal remained with the show through the end of season nine,[37] after which she was replaced by Michaela McManus. March returned to the show in the tenth season (after McManus' departure from the cast) when Neal Baer proposed Cabot receive a character arc to revitalize the second part of the season, which would continue through season eleven.[38][39]

text: Tamara Tunie was cast as medical examiner Melinda Warner in season two after working with Wolf previously on New York Undercover, Feds, and Law & Order. Warner was initially a recurring character but became a regular character in season seven, and Tunie was added to the opening credits at that time.[40] When initially cast as Warner, Tunie was appearing as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns. From 2000 to 2007 (and again briefly in 2009), she appeared on both series simultaneously. In 2002, she also appeared on the Fox espionage-themed drama series 24, in the recurring role of CTU Acting Director Alberta Green. B. D. Wong was asked to film four episodes as Dr. George Huang, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler on loan to the Special Victims Unit. After his four episodes, he was asked to stay on with the show.[41]

text: After he starred in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and guest starred as Detective Chester Lake in the eighth season, Wolf felt that Adam Beach would be a good addition to the cast and asked him to be a permanent member beginning with the ninth season. Although Beach felt the role was a "dream role", the character proved unpopular with fans who felt that he was designed to gradually write out either Richard Belzer or Ice-T. Feeling there were too many police characters on the show, Beach left the show after only one season.[42] Michaela McManus was originally felt to be too young for the role of an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) before being cast as ADA Kim Greylek in the tenth season. McManus, months removed from a recurring role on One Tree Hill, remained with the series only half a season, however, before departing for unspecified reasons.[43]

text: Paula Patton joined the cast as ADA Mikka Von. She replaced Stephanie March.[44] However, Patton dropped out after one episode to film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and was replaced by Melissa Sagemiller in the recurring role of ADA Gillian Hardwicke.[45][46]

text: Before the end of season twelve, Mariska Hargitay asked for a lighter workload. As a way of writing her out of certain episodes, a plan to have her character promoted to a supervisory role was discussed.[47] At the end of season twelve, Christopher Meloni departed the cast, unable to come to terms with his contract. Warren Leight became the new showrunner during this same year and signed on before he knew that Meloni would be leaving the cast.[48] The second major departure to be announced in 2011 was that of B. D. Wong. On July 17, Wong announced on Twitter that, "I actually do not return for season 13, I am jumping to Awake! It’s awesome!" Wong added, "I don’t know if or when I’ll be back on SVU! It was amazing to have such a cool job for 11 years and to be a real NY Actor." Wong reprised his role as Dr. Huang in season 13's episode "Father Dearest".[49] In response to these departures, two new main actors were hired, and several changes were made to the recurring cast.

text: In June 2011, it was announced that Kelli Giddish and Danny Pino would join the cast as new series regulars.[5] Weeks later, it was announced that Stephanie March and Diane Neal would be reprising their roles as ADA Alexandra Cabot and ADA Casey Novak, respectively.[50] The launch of season 13 was marked with a retooling of the show that Warren Leight referred to as "SVU 2.0".[51] Changes that accompanied this included Tamara Tunie's being bumped from the main cast to a guest starring role and recurring actor Joel de la Fuente's not appearing for the first time since 2002. Of the latter change, Warren Leight said, "those scenes [which featured Fuente] can be dry" and hired Gilbert Gottfried as a more comedic replacement.[52] In addition to these changes, Linus Roache became a recurring cast member in his role of Michael Cutter, whom he played on Law & Order; on SVU former Executive ADA Cutter serves as the Bureau Chief for ADAs attached to the Special Victims Unit.

text: In season 14, Raúl Esparza joined the cast in a recurring capacity as ADA Rafael Barba and prior to the season 15 premiere, Esparza was promoted to a series regular. Also in season 15, Belzer departed the cast in the fifth episode, "Wonderland Story", in which Sgt. Munch retired from the NYPD and took a job in the DA's office as an investigator. Later in the season, Captain Cragen announced his departure from the NYPD, which made newly promoted Sgt. Benson the temporary squad commander. In leaving the cast, Florek ended a 400-episode run as Captain Cragen. In season 16, Peter Scanavino joined the series, first in a recurring role for episodes 1–3 and then was promoted to the main cast in episode 5, with Kelli Giddish, Danny Pino, Ice-T and Raúl Esparza no longer appearing in every episode. On May 20, 2015, it was revealed that Danny Pino would be leaving the cast after the season 16 finale "Surrendering Noah".

text: In August 2017, it was announced that Philip Winchester will recur in season 19 as ADA Peter Stone, his character from Chicago P.D. and Chicago Justice, who is the son of Benjamin Stone, the ADA on the original Law & Order show.[53] It was later also announced that Brooke Shields was enlisted to assume a major recurring role starting in Season 19 of the long-running dramatic series.[54]

text: Salaries[edit]

text: By season twelve, both Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni had become among the highest-paid lead actors on a drama, with each earning nearly $400,000 per episode, a salary that TV Guide said was exceeded only by House's Hugh Laurie.[55] During season sixteen, Hargitay was reported to be earning $450,000 per episode, or $10,350,000 per season,[56] In season seventeen, her salary increased to $500,000 per episode.[57]

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text:
Cast
Character
Rank/Position
Seasons
Notes

Regular
Recurring
Guest

Christopher Meloni
Elliot Stabler
Detective
1–12

[O 1]

Mariska Hargitay
Olivia Benson
Lieutenant
1–

[N 1][O 2]

Richard Belzer
John Munch
DA Investigator
1–15

15, 17
[N 2]

Dann Florek
Donald Cragen
Captain
1–15

16
[N 3]

Michelle Hurd
Monique Jeffries
Detective
1–2
1

Stephanie March
Alexandra Cabot
Assistant District Attorney
2–5, 11
2, 10, 13
6

Ice-T
Odafin "Fin" Tutuola
Detective
2–

Tamara Tunie
Melinda Warner
Medical Examiner
7–12
2–6, 13–17
19

B. D. Wong
George Huang
FBI Special Agent
4–12
2–3
13–15, 17
[N 4]

Diane Neal
Casey Novak
Senior Assistant District Attorney
5–9
13
12

Adam Beach
Chester Lake
Detective
9
8

Michaela McManus
Kim Greylek
Assistant District Attorney
10

Danny Pino
Nick Amaro
Detective
13–16

Kelli Giddish
Amanda Rollins
Detective
13–

Raúl Esparza
Rafael Barba
Assistant District Attorney
15–
14

Peter Scanavino
Dominick Carisi Jr.
Detective
16–
16

text:
Jump up ^ Olivia Benson was previously a Detective (seasons 1–15) and a Sergeant (seasons 15–17)
Jump up ^ John Munch was previously a Detective (seasons 1–8) and a Sergeant (seasons 9–15); the character, played by Belzer, first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-99)
Jump up ^ Captain Donald Cragen was the commanding officer of the unit until his retirement (seasons 1–15); the character, played by Florek, first appeared in the first three seasons of Law & Order (1990-93)
Jump up ^ George Huang was the unit's forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler until his retirement (seasons 1–15)

text:
Jump up ^ Christopher Meloni was first billed as "starring" during seasons 1–12
Jump up ^ Mariska Hargitay has been first billed as "starring" since season 13; she was previously second billed after Meloni.

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

          – Opening narration spoken by Steven Zirnkilton[58]

tag: div

text: Based out of the New York City Police Department's 16th precinct in Manhattan, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit delves into the dark side of the New York underworld as the detectives of a new elite force, the Special Victims Unit (SVU for short), investigate and prosecute various sexually-oriented crimes including rape, pedophilia, and domestic violence. They also investigate the abuses of children, the disabled and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes who require specialist handling. All the while trying to balance the effects of the investigation on their own lives. Its stories also touch on the political and societal issues associated with gender identity, sexual preferences, and equality rights. While the victim is often murdered, this is not always the case, and victims frequently play prominent roles in episodes. The unit also works with the Manhattan District Attorney's office as they prosecute cases and seek justice for SVU's victims and survivors with precision and a passion to win and bring closure to the intense investigations. The series often uses stories that are "ripped from the headlines" or based on real crimes. Such episodes take a real crime and fictionalize it by changing some details.[59]

text: Originally the show focused around the detective pairings of Elliot Stabler & Olivia Benson and John Munch & Brian Cassidy. Stabler is a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all and tries his best to protect his family from the horrors he sees every day. His partner Benson's difficult past as the child of a rape victim is the reason she joined the unit. Backing them up is John Munch, and his first partner Brian Cassidy. Munch is a transfer from Baltimore's homicide unit, who brings his acerbic wit, conspiracy theories, and street-honed investigative skills. Whilst Cassidy is young and eager to learn from his fellow detectives. These two detective teams received support from Detectives Monique Jeffries and Ken Briscoe.[58] When Cassidy transferred to Narcotics after thirteen episodes, Jeffries was partnered with Munch for the remaining of Season One and Briscoe was phased out. In the beginning of season two, Munch was then permanently partnered with Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, whose unique yet sometimes vulgar sense of humor and investigative experience make him a formidable match for Munch.[60] These detectives were supervised by veteran Captain Donald Cragen who oversaw the team from seasons 1–15. Cragen's tough-but-supportive approach to the team's complex cases guides the squad through the challenges they face every day. Also on the team's payroll is FBI Special Agent Dr. George Huang and Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner. As the resident psychiatrist for the Special Victims Unit, Huang helps keep the officers sane in a field that could drive ordinary people mad. He has also served as the squad's resident criminal profiler, and his insights into the criminal mind have often helped the officers to crack the toughest perps, whilst Warner has become an integral part of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, and her personal skills have contributed to the unit's high success rate in closing cases.

text: The Unit did not receive a full-time assistant district attorney until season two, when Alexandra Cabot was assigned to work with the detectives.[61] After Cabot's departure in season five, she was replaced by Casey Novak, who remained as the ADA until the end of season nine. Kim Greylek became the permanent ADA in the season ten premiere, until Cabot made a return midway through that season when Greylek departed. Cabot remained the ADA through the second half of season eleven. After Cabot's departure, the ADA void was filled by Sonya Paxton (Christine Lahti) and Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone) until the conclusion of season eleven. Gillian Hardwicke served as the SVU ADA during season twelve. In season thirteen, both Cabot and Novak returned as ADAs and since the beginning of season fourteen, ADA Rafael Barba has been SVU's prosecutor.

text: In season 13 other big changes happened when Stabler left in the season twelve finale. Detectives Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins joined the team filling the void left by Stabler. Amaro brings empathy to his cases while dealing with a stressful home life, whilst Rollins' dogged persistence and instincts help her close cases, but her secrets could derail her career. In the current seasons the Manhattan SVU is now run by Lieutenant Olivia Benson.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has concluded its eighteenth season and has started its nineteenth season. Each season has aired on NBC and consists of 19 to 25 episodes, each lasting approximately forty minutes (sixty minutes including commercials).

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings[62][63]

First aired
Last aired
Rank
Rating

1
22
September 20, 1999 (1999-09-20)
May 19, 2000 (2000-05-19)
30
8.8
(Tied with The CBS Wednesday Movie)

2
21
October 20, 2000 (2000-10-20)
May 11, 2001 (2001-05-11)
25
9.6

3
23
September 28, 2001 (2001-09-28)
May 17, 2002 (2002-05-17)
12
10.4

4
25
September 27, 2002 (2002-09-27)
May 16, 2003 (2003-05-16)
14
10.1

5
25
September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)
May 18, 2004 (2004-05-18)
18
8.7

6
23
September 21, 2004 (2004-09-21)
May 24, 2005 (2005-05-24)
16
9.2
(Tied with 60 Minutes)

7
22
September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20)
May 16, 2006 (2006-05-16)
18
9.2
(Tied with Lost and CSI: NY)

8
22
September 19, 2006 (2006-09-19)
May 22, 2007 (2007-05-22)
24
7.9

9
19
September 25, 2007 (2007-09-25)
May 13, 2008 (2008-05-13)
22
7.6
(Tied with Brothers & Sisters, CSI: NY and Heroes)

10
22
September 23, 2008 (2008-09-23)
June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02)
26
6.7
(Tied with ER and Bones)

11
24
September 23, 2009 (2009-09-23)
May 19, 2010 (2010-05-19)
N/A
N/A

12
24
September 22, 2010 (2010-09-22)
May 18, 2011 (2011-05-18)
N/A
N/A

13
23
September 21, 2011 (2011-09-21)
May 23, 2012 (2012-05-23)
N/A
N/A

14
24
September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)
May 22, 2013 (2013-05-22)
N/A
N/A

15
24
September 25, 2013 (2013-09-25)
May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21)
N/A
N/A

16
23
September 24, 2014 (2014-09-24)
May 20, 2015 (2015-05-20)
N/A
N/A

17
23
September 23, 2015 (2015-09-23)
May 25, 2016 (2016-05-25)
N/A
N/A

18
21
September 21, 2016 (2016-09-21)
May 24, 2017 (2017-05-24)
N/A
N/A

19
24[64]
September 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)
TBA
TBA
TBA

text: Reception[edit]

text: U.S. television ratings[edit]

text: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered on Monday, September 20, 1999. After nine episodes, the show was moved to Friday nights, where it found its audience and following its first and second seasons became a Top 20-overall show, overcoming the "Friday night death slot" phenomenon. Beginning with the season five, the show aired on Tuesdays to compete with CBS' Judging Amy and ABC's NYPD Blue. In its later years, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit consistently outperformed Law & Order in the Nielsen ratings for first run episodes until the latter's cancellation in 2010.

text: In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that SVU's popularity was "atypical: generally slightly more popular in rural areas and the Black Belt, but largely restricted to the eastern half of the country. It's most popular in Albany, N.Y.; least in Colorado and Utah".[65]

text: Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May (with the exception of the second and tenth season), which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

text:
Season
Time slot (ET)
Episodes
First aired
Last aired
TV season
Rank
Viewers
(in millions)

Date
Viewers
(in millions)
Date
Viewers
(in millions)

1
Monday 9:00 pm (Episodes 1–9)
Friday 10:00 pm (Episodes 10–22)
22
September 20, 1999 (1999-09-20)
18.43[66]
May 19, 2000 (2000-05-19)
15.11[67]
1999–2000
 No. 33
 12.18[68]

2
Friday 10:00 pm
21
October 20, 2000 (2000-10-20)
13.20[69]
May 11, 2001 (2001-05-11)
15.06[70]
2000–01
 No. 29
 13.1[71]

3
23
September 28, 2001 (2001-09-28)
15.80[72]
May 17, 2002 (2002-05-17)
14.27[73]
2001–02
 No. 14
 15.2[74]

4
25
September 27, 2002 (2002-09-27)
15.60[75]
May 16, 2003 (2003-05-16)
13.70[76]
2002–03
 No. 16
 14.83[77]

5
Tuesday 10:00 pm
25
September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)
13.23[78]
May 18, 2004 (2004-05-18)
18.36[79]
2003–04
 No. 21
 12.72[80]

6
23
September 21, 2004 (2004-09-21)
14.20[81]
May 21, 2005 (2005-05-21)
16.38[82]
2004–05
 No. 23
 13.46[83]

7
22
September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20)
15.32[84]
May 16, 2006 (2006-05-16)
12.97[85]
2005–06
 No. 24
 13.78[86]

8
22
September 19, 2006 (2006-09-19)
14.55[87]
May 22, 2007 (2007-05-22)
10.28[88]
2006–07
 No. 38
 11.94[89]

9
19
September 25, 2007 (2007-09-25)
12.10[90]
May 13, 2008 (2008-05-13)
10.83[91]
2007–08
 No. 30
 11.33[92]

10
22
September 23, 2008 (2008-09-23)
9.52[93]
June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02)
11.34[94]
2008–09
 No. 39
 10.11[95]

11
Wednesday 9:00 pm
24
September 23, 2009 (2009-09-23)
8.36[96]
May 19, 2010 (2010-05-19)
8.61[97]
2009–10
 No. 44
 8.81[98]

12
24
September 22, 2010 (2010-09-22)
9.68[99]
May 18, 2011 (2011-05-18)
8.98[100]
2010–11
 No. 47
 8.84[101]

13
Wednesday 10:00 pm
23
September 21, 2011 (2011-09-21)
7.63[102]
May 23, 2012 (2012-05-23)
7.16[103]
2011–12
 No. 67
 7.59[104]

14
Wednesday 9:00 pm
24
September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)
7.19[105]
May 22, 2013 (2013-05-22)
6.66[106]
2012–13
 No. 56
 7.30[107]

15
24
September 25, 2013 (2013-09-25)
9.58[108]
May 21, 2014 (2014-05-21)
6.39[109]
2013–14
 No. 46
 8.18[110]

16
23
September 24, 2014 (2014-09-24)
10.07[111]
May 20, 2015 (2015-05-20)
6.96[112]
2014–15
 No. 52
 8.71[113]

17
23
September 23, 2015 (2015-09-23)
8.27[114]
May 25, 2016 (2016-05-25)
7.19[115]
2015–16
 No. 52
 8.31[116]

18
21
September 21, 2016 (2016-09-21)
7.83[117]
May 24, 2017 (2017-05-24)
6.22[118]
2016–17
 No. 48
 7.39[119]

19
24[120]
September 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)
5.67[121]
TBA
TBA
2017-18
TBA
TBA

text: Awards and honors[edit]

text: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has received many awards and award nominations. Mariska Hargitay has twice been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won once in 2005.[122]

text: The show has been nominated numerous times for the Emmy Award. Mariska Hargitay has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category 8 years in a row beginning in 2004 and won the Emmy in 2006. Christopher Meloni was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category in 2006. Robin Williams was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2008. The series was nominated in the category Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Jane Alexander and Tracy Pollan in 2000, Martha Plimpton in 2002, Barbara Barrie in 2003, Mare Winningham and Marlee Matlin in 2004, Amanda Plummer and Angela Lansbury in 2005, Marcia Gay Harden and Leslie Caron in 2007, Cynthia Nixon in 2008, Ellen Burstyn, Brenda Blethyn, and Carol Burnett in 2009, and Ann-Margret in 2010. The series won the award for Plummer in 2005, Caron in 2007, Nixon in 2008, Burstyn in 2009, and Margret in 2010.[123]

text: Broadcast and streaming[edit]

text: Law and Order SVU airs on NBC in the United States. All seasons, including the season that is currently on the air, are available to stream on Hulu (with a subscription). The latest 5 episodes can be watched for free on NBC.com[124] and the NBC app.[125] Outside of SVOD and NBC platforms, all episodes can be found on electronic sell-through platforms such as iTunes[126] and Amazon Video.[127] The show airs every Thursday night, on Network Ten in Australia, with a new episode usually followed by a repeat and occasionally shows repeats on other nights. Ten's digital channel One sometimes shows Seasons One-Three on Friday or Saturday nights, but is not currently airing these seasons at the moment. From the 29th of August 2017, Channel Nine started airing the first season at a late night slot, which it has also done with the original Law & Order but stopped after the first episode. It is unknown if it will continue to air on Channel Nine. Season 19 premiered on Network Ten on October 5th, 2017 at 9:40pm.

text: Syndication[edit]

text: As of September 2017, the show is currently reran on fellow NBCUniversal network USA Network, as well as Ion Television and local stations. The show also briefly ran on Syfy in 2006.

text: International broadcast[edit]

text: In Australia, Law & Order: SVU airs on Network Ten and Australia's cable channel Universal Channel (formerly aired on TV1 which ceased to broadcast in December 2013). In the UK "Law & Order: SVU" originally aired on the Hallmark Channel (which in 2012 became the Universal Channel) with a terrestrial TV airing on Channel 5 in 2016 which then switched to Five USA. The UK is two and half weeks behind the US. In Brazil, Law & Order: SVU also airs on Universal Channel, with weekdays episodes from past seasons and simultaneously, two episodes after the original airing in the US. Law & Order: SVU is broadcast at 9.30 pm on Tuesdays on TV3 in New Zealand. Series 18 premiered on 11 April 2017.


document_title: New Earswick

question_text: who designed the garden city of new earswick

root

text: New Earswick

text: History[edit]

text: The village of New Earswick was built as a genuine mixed community. There was housing for both workers and managers, in a green setting with gardens for each home with its own 2 fruit trees. It was founded by the York philanthropist, Joseph Rowntree, who was quoted as saying, "I do not want to establish communities bearing the stamp of charity but rather of rightly ordered and self governing communities". The first 28 houses were built between 1902 and 1904 by the architect Raymond Unwin, after which the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust (now the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust) was established to continue building and manage the new village. The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust is part of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

tag: p

text: The village had contemporaries such as Bournville, Saltaire, Port Sunlight and others. This was in sharp contrast to the slums that had developed in York and other cities during the previous century, the deprivation of which had been revealed in Seebohm Rowntree's report of 1901, entitled Poverty: a study of town life. It revealed appalling statistics of dark, overcrowded and insanitary housing.[2]

text: As a result of the report, Joseph Rowntree's conviction that it must be possible to provide better housing for people on low incomes led him to acquire 150 acres of land near the village of Earswick, two and a half miles to the north of the centre of York. The planner Raymond Unwin and the architect Barry Parker were commissioned to produce an overall plan for a new 'garden' village and the detailed designs for its first houses. They also designed the garden cities of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City.

text: The building of New Earswick created a balanced village community where rents were kept low, but still represented a modest commercial return on the capital invested. Houses were open to any working people, not just Rowntree employees. The village was to be a demonstration of good practice.

text: The Trust Deed of the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust, which was set up in 1904 to build and manage New Earswick, safeguarded generous open green space. All the grass verges were planted with trees after which almost all the roads are named. The village was built with bricks that were made in the brickworks on the outskirts of New Earswick. From 1950 the brickyard, which closed down in the 1930s, was developed into a nature reserve.[3]

text: Due to their religious beliefs, The Rowntree family decreed there would not be a public house in the village. There never has been,[4] although the Sports Club obtained a drink's license in the 1980s.

text: Governance[edit]

text: New Earswick is part of the Huntington & New Earswick Ward of the City of York Council. As of 2010 it is represented by Keith Hyman, Keith Orrel and Carol Runciman who are all members of the local Liberal Democrat Party.[5]

text: A Parish Council was created in 1934 consisting of ten elected councillors and a clerk.[6]

text: Community[edit]

text: There is a local community centre, the Folk Hall, which hosts activities such as keep-fit, yoga, snooker, and a junior youth club. New Earswick has recreational facilities, including a swimming pool (due for closure without public consultation), tennis courts and football, rugby and cricket pitches at the New Earswick Sports and Social Club. There were two open access play areas close to the Folk Hall, including a hard surface play area which have recently been bulldozed for a development of houses. There is a library based in the Integrated Children’s Centre at the local primary school, a doctor’s surgery and a range of shops, including two general stores, a pet shop and Post Office.[6] As of 2017 the Post Office is situated within the Folk Hall.

text: The village has 36 allotments in two areas, Willow Bank and Sleeper Path.[6]

text: In the 1960s, the Folk Hall was a live music venue featuring the likes of Procol Harum and Pink Floyd.[7]

text: Geography[edit]

text: The River Foss runs along the eastern boundary of New Earswick with the York to Scarborough Line running to the west. The Nestle factory and grounds mark the southern border with the northern border being the A1237 York Outer Ring Road. The village was built using bricks from the brickworks on the outskirts of the village. From 1950 the brickyard was developed into a nature reserve. The reserve is the home of New Earswick Angling Club, which was formed in 1948.[6]

text: Economy[edit]

text: Unlike the villages of Port Sunlight, Saltaire and Bournville the village was not designed specifically for the workforce of the nearby Joseph Rowntree Cocoa Works although some do earn their living at the factory which was taken over by Swiss firm, Nestle.[citation needed]

text: Transport[edit]

text: Transdev York operate a bus service that stops in the village as part of the Askham Bar to Clifton Moor route.[8] First Group operate two bus services that stop in the village as part of the Wigginton to Acomb and Haxby to York City Centre routes.[9]

text: New Earswick was served by Earswick railway station on the York to Beverley Line between 1847 and 1965.[10]

text: Education[edit]

text: There are both primary and secondary schools in New Earswick. New Earswick Primary School was built in 1912. The primary school is one of eight Integrated Children’s Centres in York.[11] Joseph Rowntree School is a secondary school and was built in 1941. In 2006, the Joseph Rowntree School secured £27million for a complete rebuild that was completed in late 2009.[6] The catchement area for the secondary school is from the village itself, Huntington, The Groves and the villages of Haxby and Wigginton.[12]

text: Religious sites[edit]

text: In 1914 the Anglican church of St. Andrew's was built on the edge of the parish. The church was extended in 1939 to cater for the new housing in South Huntington just across the River Foss. A Methodist chapel and meeting house for the Society of Friends were added later. St. Andrew's Church is now part of the ecclesiastical parish of Huntington and New Earswick.[6]

text: Sport[edit]

text: New Earswick Cricket Club play at the recreation ground on White Rose Avenue. As of 2014 their two teams will play in Division 3 (South) and Division 4 (Central) of the York and District Senior Cricket League.[13]

text: The recreation ground is shared with New Earswick All Blacks, an open age rugby league club that was founded in the 1980s and currently play in The Pennines Amateur Rugby League competition, in 2013/4, playing in the Championship (the second tier).[14]

text: Steve Webster, 10 times FIM Sidecar World Championships, world champion was born and raised in the village.[15] .

text: Gallery[edit]

text:
Views of New Earswick

The Folk Hall in New Earswick

White Rose Avenue in New Earswick

Westfield Beck behind housing on the west of New Earswick

tag: table


document_title: Evolution of the eye

question_text: what is the first step in the evolution of the eye

text: Evolution of the eye

text: History of research[edit]

text: In 1802, philosopher William Paley called it a miracle of "design". Charles Darwin himself wrote in his Origin of Species, that the evolution of the eye by natural selection seemed at first glance "absurd in the highest possible degree". However, he went on that despite the difficulty in imagining it, its evolution was perfectly feasible:

text: ...if numerous gradations from a simple and imperfect eye to one complex and perfect can be shown to exist, each grade being useful to its possessor, as is certainly the case; if further, the eye ever varies and the variations be inherited, as is likewise certainly the case and if such variations should be useful to any animal under changing conditions of life, then the difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural selection, though insuperable by our imagination, should not be considered as subversive of the theory.[5]

text: He suggested a stepwise evolution from "an optic nerve merely coated with pigment, and without any other mechanism" to "a moderately high stage of perfection", and gave examples of existing intermediate steps.[5] Darwin's suggestions were soon shown to be correct, and current research is investigating the genetic mechanisms underlying eye development and evolution.[6]

text: Biologist D.E. Nilsson has independently theorized about four general stages in the evolution of a vertebrate eye from a patch of photoreceptors.[7] Nilsson and S. Pelger estimated in a classical paper how many generations are needed to evolve a complex eye in vertebrates.[8] Another researcher, G.C. Young, has used the fossil record to infer evolutionary conclusions, based on the structure of eye orbits and openings in fossilized skulls for blood vessels and nerves to go through.[9] All this adds to the growing amount of evidence that supports Darwin's theory.

text: Rate of evolution[edit]

text: The first fossils of eyes found to date are from the lower Cambrian period (about 540 million years ago).[10] The lower Cambrian had a burst of apparently rapid evolution, called the "Cambrian explosion". One of the many hypotheses for "causes" of the Cambrian explosion is the "Light Switch" theory of Andrew Parker: It holds that the evolution of eyes started an arms race that accelerated evolution.[11] Before the Cambrian explosion, animals may have sensed light, but did not use it for fast locomotion or navigation by vision.

text: The rate of eye evolution is difficult to estimate, because the fossil record, particularly of the lower Cambrian, is poor. How fast a circular patch of photoreceptor cells evolve into a fully functional vertebrate eye has been estimated based on rates of mutation, relative advantage to the organism, and natural selection. However, the time needed for each state was consistently overestimated and the generation time was set to one year, which is common in small animals. Even with these pessimistic values, the vertebrate eye would still evolve from a patch of photoreceptor cells in less than 364,000 years.[12][note 1]

text: One origin or many?[edit]

text: Whether the eye evolved once or many times depends on the definition of an eye. All eyed animals share much of the genetic machinery for eye development. This suggests that the ancestor of eyed animals had some form of light-sensitive machinery – even if it was not a dedicated optical organ. However, even photoreceptor cells may have evolved more than once from molecularly similar chemoreceptor cells. Probably, photoreceptor cells existed long before the Cambrian explosion.[13] Higher-level similarities – such as the use of the protein crystallin in the independently derived cephalopod and vertebrate lenses[14] – reflect the co-option of a more fundamental protein to a new function within the eye.[15]

text: A shared trait common to all light-sensitive organs are opsins. Opsins belong to a family of photo-sensitive proteins and fall into nine groups, which already existed in the urbilaterian, the last common ancestor of all bilateral symmetrical animals.[16] Additionally, the genetic toolkit for positioning eyes is shared by all animals: The PAX6 gene controls where eyes develop in animals ranging from octopuses[17] to mice and fruit flies.[18][19][20] Such high-level genes are, by implication, much older than many of the structures that they control today; they must originally have served a different purpose, before they were co-opted for eye development.[15]

text: Eyes and other sensory organs probably evolved before the brain: There is no need for an information-processing organ (brain) before there is information to process.[21]

text: Stages of eye evolution[edit]

text: The earliest predecessors of the eye were photoreceptor proteins that sense light, found even in unicellular organisms, called "eyespots". Eyespots can only sense ambient brightness: they can distinguish light from dark, sufficient for photoperiodism and daily synchronization of circadian rhythms. They are insufficient for vision, as they cannot distinguish shapes or determine the direction light is coming from. Eyespots are found in nearly all major animal groups, and are common among unicellular organisms, including euglena. The euglena's eyespot, called a stigma, is located at its anterior end. It is a small splotch of red pigment which shades a collection of light sensitive crystals. Together with the leading flagellum, the eyespot allows the organism to move in response to light, often toward the light to assist in photosynthesis,[22] and to predict day and night, the primary function of circadian rhythms. Visual pigments are located in the brains of more complex organisms, and are thought to have a role in synchronising spawning with lunar cycles. By detecting the subtle changes in night-time illumination, organisms could synchronise the release of sperm and eggs to maximise the probability of fertilisation.[citation needed]

text: Vision itself relies on a basic biochemistry which is common to all eyes. However, how this biochemical toolkit is used to interpret an organism's environment varies widely: eyes have a wide range of structures and forms, all of which have evolved quite late relative to the underlying proteins and molecules.[22]

text: At a cellular level, there appear to be two main "designs" of eyes, one possessed by the protostomes (molluscs, annelid worms and arthropods), the other by the deuterostomes (chordates and echinoderms).[22]

text: The functional unit of the eye is the photoreceptor cell, which contains the opsin proteins and responds to light by initiating a nerve impulse. The light sensitive opsins are borne on a hairy layer, to maximise the surface area. The nature of these "hairs" differs, with two basic forms underlying photoreceptor structure: microvilli and cilia.[23] In the eyes of protostomes, they are microvilli: extensions or protrusions of the cellular membrane. But in the eyes of deuterostomes, they are derived from cilia, which are separate structures.[22] However, outside the eyes an organism may use the other type of photoreceptor cells, for instance the clamworm Platynereis dumerilii uses microvilliar cells in the eyes but has additionally deep brain ciliary photoreceptor cells.[24] The actual derivation may be more complicated, as some microvilli contain traces of cilia — but other observations appear to support a fundamental difference between protostomes and deuterostomes.[22] These considerations centre on the response of the cells to light – some use sodium to cause the electric signal that will form a nerve impulse, and others use potassium; further, protostomes on the whole construct a signal by allowing more sodium to pass through their cell walls, whereas deuterostomes allow less through.[22]

text: This suggests that when the two lineages diverged in the Precambrian, they had only very primitive light receptors, which developed into more complex eyes independently.

text: Early eyes[edit]

text: The basic light-processing unit of eyes is the photoreceptor cell, a specialized cell containing two types of molecules in a membrane: the opsin, a light-sensitive protein, surrounding the chromophore, a pigment that distinguishes colors. Groups of such cells are termed "eyespots", and have evolved independently somewhere between 40 and 65 times. These eyespots permit animals to gain only a very basic sense of the direction and intensity of light, but not enough to discriminate an object from its surroundings.[22]

text: Developing an optical system that can discriminate the direction of light to within a few degrees is apparently much more difficult, and only six of the thirty-some phyla[note 2] possess such a system. However, these phyla account for 96% of living species.[22]

text: These complex optical systems started out as the multicellular eyepatch gradually depressed into a cup, which first granted the ability to discriminate brightness in directions, then in finer and finer directions as the pit deepened. While flat eyepatches were ineffective at determining the direction of light, as a beam of light would activate exactly the same patch of photo-sensitive cells regardless of its direction, the "cup" shape of the pit eyes allowed limited directional differentiation by changing which cells the lights would hit depending upon the light's angle. Pit eyes, which had arisen by the Cambrian period, were seen in ancient snails,[clarification needed] and are found in some snails and other invertebrates living today, such as planaria. Planaria can slightly differentiate the direction and intensity of light because of their cup-shaped, heavily pigmented retina cells, which shield the light-sensitive cells from exposure in all directions except for the single opening for the light. However, this proto-eye is still much more useful for detecting the absence or presence of light than its direction; this gradually changes as the eye's pit deepens and the number of photoreceptive cells grows, allowing for increasingly precise visual information.[25]

text: When a photon is absorbed by the chromophore, a chemical reaction causes the photon's energy to be transduced into electrical energy and relayed, in higher animals, to the nervous system. These photoreceptor cells form part of the retina, a thin layer of cells that relays visual information,[26] including the light and day-length information needed by the circadian rhythm system, to the brain. However, some jellyfish, such as Cladonema, have elaborate eyes but no brain. Their eyes transmit a message directly to the muscles without the intermediate processing provided by a brain.[21]

text: During the Cambrian explosion, the development of the eye accelerated rapidly, with radical improvements in image-processing and detection of light direction.[27]

text: After the photosensitive cell region invaginated, there came a point when reducing the width of the light opening became more efficient at increasing visual resolution than continued deepening of the cup.[12] By reducing the size of the opening, organisms achieved true imaging, allowing for fine directional sensing and even some shape-sensing. Eyes of this nature are currently found in the nautilus. Lacking a cornea or lens, they provide poor resolution and dim imaging, but are still, for the purpose of vision, a major improvement over the early eyepatches.[28]

text: Overgrowths of transparent cells prevented contamination and parasitic infestation. The chamber contents, now segregated, could slowly specialize into a transparent humour, for optimizations such as colour filtering, higher refractive index, blocking of ultraviolet radiation, or the ability to operate in and out of water. The layer may, in certain classes, be related to the moulting of the organism's shell or skin. An example of this can be observed in Onychophorans where the cuticula of the shell continues to the cornea. The cornea is composed of either one or two cuticular layers depending on how recently the animal has moulted.[29] Along with the lens and two humors, the cornea is responsible for converging light and aiding the focusing of it on the back of the retina. The cornea protects the eyeball while at the same time accounting for approximately 2/3 of the eye’s total refractive power.[30]

text: It is likely that a key reason eyes specialize in detecting a specific, narrow range of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum—the visible spectrum—is because the earliest species to develop photosensitivity were aquatic, and only two specific wavelength ranges of electromagnetic radiation, blue and green visible light, can travel through water. This same light-filtering property of water also influenced the photosensitivity of plants.[31][32][33]

text: Lens formation and diversification[edit]

text: In a lensless eye, the light emanating from a distant point hits the back of the eye with about the same size as the eye's aperture. With the addition of a lens this incoming light is concentrated on a smaller surface area, without reducing the overall intensity of the stimulus.[8] The focal length of an early lobopod with lens-containing simple eyes focused the image behind the retina, so while no part of the image could be brought into focus, the intensity of light allowed the organism to see in deeper (and therefore darker) waters.[29] A subsequent increase of the lens's refractive index probably resulted in an in-focus image being formed.[29]

text: The development of the lens in camera-type eyes probably followed a different trajectory. The transparent cells over a pinhole eye's aperture split into two layers, with liquid in between.[citation needed] The liquid originally served as a circulatory fluid for oxygen, nutrients, wastes, and immune functions, allowing greater total thickness and higher mechanical protection. In addition, multiple interfaces between solids and liquids increase optical power, allowing wider viewing angles and greater imaging resolution. Again, the division of layers may have originated with the shedding of skin; intracellular fluid may infill naturally depending on layer depth.[citation needed]

text: Note that this optical layout has not been found, nor is it expected to be found. Fossilization rarely preserves soft tissues, and even if it did, the new humour would almost certainly close as the remains desiccated, or as sediment overburden forced the layers together, making the fossilized eye resemble the previous layout.

text: Vertebrate lenses are composed of adapted epithelial cells which have high concentrations of the protein crystallin. These crystallins belong to two major families, the α-crystallins and the βγ-crystallins. Both were categories of proteins originally used for other functions in organisms, but eventually were adapted for the sole purpose of vision in animal eyes.[34] In the embryo, the lens is living tissue, but the cellular machinery is not transparent so must be removed before the organism can see. Removing the machinery means the lens is composed of dead cells, packed with crystallins. These crystallins are special because they have the unique characteristics required for transparency and function in the lens such as tight packing, resistance to crystallization, and extreme longevity, as they must survive for the entirety of the organism’s life.[34] The refractive index gradient which makes the lens useful is caused by the radial shift in crystallin concentration in different parts of the lens, rather than by the specific type of protein: it is not the presence of crystallin, but the relative distribution of it, that renders the lens useful.[35]

text: It is biologically difficult to maintain a transparent layer of cells. Deposition of transparent, nonliving, material eased the need for nutrient supply and waste removal. Trilobites used calcite, a mineral which today is known to be used for vision only in a single species of brittle star.[36] In other compound eyes[verification needed] and camera eyes, the material is crystallin. A gap between tissue layers naturally forms a biconvex shape, which is optically and mechanically ideal for substances of normal[clarification needed] refractive index. A biconvex lens confers not only optical resolution, but aperture and low-light ability, as resolution is now decoupled from hole size – which slowly increases again, free from the circulatory constraints.

text: Independently, a transparent layer and a nontransparent layer may split forward from the lens: a separate cornea and iris. (These may happen before or after crystal deposition, or not at all.) Separation of the forward layer again forms a humour, the aqueous humour. This increases refractive power and again eases circulatory problems. Formation of a nontransparent ring allows more blood vessels, more circulation, and larger eye sizes. This flap around the perimeter of the lens also masks optical imperfections, which are more common at lens edges. The need to mask lens imperfections gradually increases with lens curvature and power, overall lens and eye size, and the resolution and aperture needs of the organism, driven by hunting or survival requirements. This type is now functionally identical to the eye of most vertebrates, including humans. Indeed, "the basic pattern of all vertebrate eyes is similar."[37]

text: Other developments[edit]

text: Color vision[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Five classes of visual opsins are found in vertebrates. All but one of these developed prior to the divergence of Cyclostomata and fish.[38] The five opsin classes are variously adapted depending on the light spectrum encountered. As light travels through water, longer wavelengths, such as reds and yellows, are absorbed more quickly than the shorter wavelengths of the greens and blues. This creates a gradient of light as the depth of water increases.[39] The visual opsins in fish are more sensitive to the range of light in their habitat and depth. However, land environments do not vary in wavelength composition, so that the opsin sensitivities among land vertebrates does not vary much. This directly contributes to the significant presence of communication colors.[38] Color vision gives distinct selective advantages, such as better recognition of predators, food, and mates. Indeed, it is thought[by whom?] that simple sensory-neural mechanisms may selectively control general behavior patterns, such as escape, foraging, and hiding. Many examples of wavelength-specific behaviors have been identified, in two primary groups: Below 450 nm, associated with direct light, and above 450 nm, associated with reflected light.[40] As opsin molecules were tuned to detect different wavelengths of light, at some point color vision developed when the photoreceptor cells used differently tuned opsins.[26] This may have happened at any of the early stages of the eye's evolution, and may have disappeared and reevolved as organisms became predator or prey. Similarly, night and day vision emerged when photoreceptor cells differentiated into rods and cones, respectively.[citation needed]

text: Polarization vision[edit]

text: As discussed earlier, the properties of light under water differ from those in air. One example of this is the polarization of light. Polarization is the organization of originally disordered light, from the sun, into linear arrangements. This occurs when light passes through slit like filters, as well as when passing into a new medium. Sensitivity to polarized light is especially useful for organisms whose habitats are located more than a few meters under water. In this environment, color vision is less dependable, and therefore a weaker selective factor. While most photoreceptors have the ability to distinguish partially polarized light, terrestrial vertebrates’ membranes are orientated perpendicularly, such that they are insensitive to polarized light.[41] However, some fish can discern polarized light, demonstrating that they possess some linear photoreceptors. Additionally, cuttlefish are capable of perceiving the polarization of light with high visual fidelity, although they appear to lack any significant capacity for color differentiation.[42] Like color vision, sensitivity to polarization can aid in an organism's ability to differentiate surrounding objects and individuals. Because of the marginal reflective interference of polarized light, it is often used for orientation and navigation, as well as distinguishing concealed objects, such as disguised prey.[41]

text: Focusing mechanism[edit]

text: By utilizing the iris sphincter muscle, some species move the lens back and forth, some stretch the lens flatter. Another mechanism regulates focusing chemically and independently of these two, by controlling growth of the eye and maintaining focal length. In addition, the pupil shape can be used to predict the focal system being utilized. A slit pupil can indicate the common multifocal system, while a circular pupil usually specifies a monofocal system. When using a circular form, the pupil will constrict under bright light, increasing the focal length, and will dilate when dark in order to decrease the depth of focus.[43] Note that a focusing method is not a requirement. As photographers know, focal errors increase as aperture increases. Thus, countless organisms with small eyes are active in direct sunlight and survive with no focus mechanism at all. As a species grows larger, or transitions to dimmer environments, a means of focusing need only appear gradually.

text: Location[edit]

text: Prey generally have eyes on the sides of their head so to have a larger field of view, from which to avoid predators. Predators, however, have eyes in front of their head in order to have better depth perception.[44][45] Flatfish are predators which lie on their side on the bottom, and have eyes placed asymmetrically on the same side of the head. A transitional fossil from the common symmetric position is Amphistium.

text: Evolutionary baggage[edit]

text: The eyes of many animals record their evolutionary history in their contemporary anatomy. The vertebrate eye, for instance, is built "backwards and upside down", requiring "photons of light to travel through the cornea, lens, aqueous fluid, blood vessels, ganglion cells, amacrine cells, horizontal cells, and bipolar cells before they reach the light-sensitive rods and cones that transduce the light signal into neural impulses, which are then sent to the visual cortex at the back of the brain for processing into meaningful patterns."[46] While such a construct has some drawbacks, it also allows the outer retina of the vertebrates to sustain higher metabolic activities as compared to the non-inverted design.[47] It also allowed for the evolution of the choroid layer, including the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which play an important role in protecting the photoreceptive cells from photo-oxidative damage.[48][49]

text: The camera eyes of cephalopods, in contrast, are constructed the "right way out", with the nerves attached to the rear of the retina. This means that they do not have a blind spot. This difference may be accounted for by the origins of eyes; in cephalopods they develop as an invagination of the head surface whereas in vertebrates they originate as an extension of the brain.[50]

text: Footnotes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ David Berlinski, an intelligent design proponent, questioned the basis of the calculations, and the author of the original paper refuted Berlinski's criticism.

Berlinski, David (April 2001). "Commentary magazine".
Nilsson, Dan-E. "Beware of Pseudo-science: a response to David Berlinski's attack on my calculation of how long it takes for an eye to evolve".
"Evolution of the Eye" on PBS

Jump up ^ The precise number varies from author to author.

tag: ol


document_title: The Curse of Oak Island

question_text: where is the tv show the curse of oak island filmed

text: The Curse of Oak Island

text: Overview[edit]

text: The Curse of Oak Island follows brothers Marty and Rick Lagina, originally from Kingsford, Michigan, through their efforts to find the speculated treasure or historical artifacts believed to be on Oak Island. The series discusses the history of the island, recent discoveries, theories, and prior attempts to investigate the site.[6] Areas of interest include the "Money Pit", Borehole 10-x, Smith's Cove, "Nolan's Cross", the "Hatch", the "Watchtower" and the "Swamp".

text: Background[edit]

text: The Lagina brothers became fascinated with the island after reading the January 1965 issue of Reader's Digest magazine that features an article on the Restall family's work to investigate the so-called "Money Pit".[7] Marty and his brother Rick obtained a controlling interest in Oak Island Tours, which reportedly owns most of the island. The brothers were later approached by Prometheus Entertainment to do a reality show. Rick and Marty have engaged the assistance of father-and-son Dan and Dave Blankenship, permanent residents of the island who have likewise been searching for treasure since the 1960s.[8]

text: Theories[edit]

text: The series explores various Oak Island theories and conjectures through conversations with independent researchers. Persons featured have included Zena Halpern discussing her theory about North African gold and sharing copies of a French map of the island which she claims is dated 1347; J. Hutton Pulitzer discussing his theory of ancient mariner visitations; Petter Amundsen discussing his theory about codes hidden in Shakespearen literature and a secret project involving Sir Francis Bacon and the Rosicrucians; Daniel Ronnstam discussing his theory about the 90 foot stone being a dual cypher containing instructions as how to defeat the money pit flood tunnels with corn; authors Kathleen McGowen and Alen Butler discussing their theory involving the fabled Knights Templar treasure and an alleged relocation of historical religious artifacts to the island; and John O'Brien discussing his theory that the island contains treasures of the Aztec Empire. It has also been suggested by Zena Halpern, without evidence, that the Templars worshipped the Phoenician goddess Tanit.

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired

First aired
Last aired

1
5
January 5, 2014 (2014-01-05)
February 9, 2014 (2014-02-09)

2
10
November 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)
January 13, 2015 (2015-01-13)

3
13
November 10, 2015 (2015-11-10)
February 2, 2016 (2016-02-02)

4
16
November 15, 2016 (2016-11-15)
February 21, 2017 (2017-02-21)

5
18
November 7, 2017 (2017-11-07)
March 6, 2018 (2018-03-06)

text: Production[edit]

text: Having started in 2014, The Curse of Oak Island is currently in its fifth season. On August 2, 2016, it was announced that Nova Scotia Business Inc. approved $1,271,546 in film funding for the production of the 4th season.[9] In October 2017, a fifth season was announced, which began airing on November 7, 2017.[10]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Season 1 (2014)[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Original air date
Viewers
(millions)

1
1
"What Lies Below"
January 5, 2014 (2014-01-05)
2.53[11]

Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina now own most of Oak Island. Determined to resume the search for treasure on the island, they explore an abandoned shaft called Borehole 10-X and use water pressure to pump material to the surface. They find a tiny piece of metal.

2
2
"The Mystery of Smith's Cove"
January 12, 2014 (2014-01-12)
2.35[12]

A scuba team that includes Marty's son Alex Lagina dives Smith's Cove and finds what are claimed to be non-indigenous coconut fibres and anomalous stones. Meanwhile, more metal fragments and cat bones are found in the slurry from 10-X.

3
3
"Voices from the Grave"
January 19, 2014 (2014-01-19)
2.33[13]

As Rick and Marty Lagina begin working to drain a swamp, they are visited by a woman who lost her father and brother to a tragic accident on Oak Island.

4
4
"The Secret of Solomon's Temple"
January 26, 2014 (2014-01-26)
2.72[14]

A visitor to the island presents Rick and Marty Lagina with his theory about where the treasure on Oak Island is located and the idea that the Menorah might be among the treasures for which they are searching.

5
5
"The Find"
February 9, 2014 (2014-02-09)
2.97[15]

The team digs in a shallow muddy swamp and finds what appears to be an antique Spanish copper coin. A diver is later sent into the swamp and finds no additional objects.

text: Season 2 (2014–2015)[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Original air date
Viewers
(millions)

6
1
"Once In, Forever In"
November 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)
2.60[16]

After dating the Spanish coin they found last summer to 1652, brothers Rick and Marty Lagina return to Oak Island and begin searching the swamp again. Two men perform a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance test in which they present a map of ground voids and metals under the ground.

7
2
"Return To The Money Pit"
November 11, 2014 (2014-11-11)
2.15[17]

The team drills in the area of the money pit but is unable to drill through the underground material. A visitor shows them alleged evidence that the treasures from King Solomon's Temple could be buried on Oak Island.

8
3
"The Eight-Pointed Star"
November 18, 2014 (2014-11-18)
2.23[18]

A treasure hunter presents a theory that Phoenicians visited the island 2500 years ago and left behind the ark of the covenant. Rick and Marty Lagina unsuccessfully look for evidence to prove it while also trying to locate the original Money Pit.

9
4
"The Breakthrough"
November 25, 2014 (2014-11-25)
2.15[19]

A tree stump in the swamp is examined. Core samples extracted by drilling are discovered to contain rocks and wood.

10
5
"The 90-Foot Stone"
December 2, 2014 (2014-12-02)
2.46[20]

A visitor comes to the island suggesting that he has discovered a secret method of getting to the treasure. He claims that Francis Bacon has left behind instructions to the effect that the "flood tunnels" can be disabled by pouring corn into the money pit. The team declines to test the theory and instead visits a masonic lodge. The team searches the swamp again and finds nothing.

11
6
"Seven Must Dye"
December 9, 2014 (2014-12-09)
2.90[21]

Rick searches for man-made flood tunnels without success; Marty and John visit Europe to track down a lead.

12
7
"The Trail of the Templars"
December 16, 2014 (2014-12-16)
2.47[22]

While work begins in the swamp, Rick and Marty travel to Scotland to investigate more corn-related theories about the money pit. They are also presented with a theory that Oak Island is a copy of King Solomon's Temple and that the entrance to the Money Pit is in the swamp.

13
8
"X Marks the Spot"
December 23, 2014 (2014-12-23)
2.72[23]

Rick and Marty search the swamp for an alternate entrance into the Money Pit, without success.

14
9
"A Dangerous Dive"
January 6, 2015 (2015-01-06)
2.59[24]

Rick and Marty take a team of divers to Oak Island.

15
10
"The Big Reveal"
January 13, 2015 (2015-01-13)
3.06[25]

Rick and Marty use sonar to map out the bottom chamber of the 10-X borehole.

text: Season 3 (2015–2016)[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Original air date
Viewers
(millions)

16
1
"The Hole Truth"
November 10, 2015 (2015-11-10)
2.26[27]

Rick and Marty search for underground tunnels on Oak Island and prep borehole 10-X for a dive.[26]

17
2
"Pipe Down"
November 17, 2015 (2015-11-17)
2.56[29]

Prep work for a dive in borehole 10X continues while the team simultaneously searches the area near the Money Pit for shallow treasure.[28]

18
3
"Time to Dig"
November 24, 2015 (2015-11-24)
2.60[31]

Rick, Marty and the team go shopping for excavation equipment, investigate the location of a possible Knight's Templar treasure and search for the original location of the Money Pit.[30]

19
4
"The Overton Stone"
December 1, 2015 (2015-12-01)
3.05[33]

Work continues to locate the Money Pit while the team investigates a stone with purported Portuguese carvings.[32]

20
5
"Disappearing Act"
December 8, 2015 (2015-12-08)
3.22[35]

The team completes preparations for a dive expedition down borehole 10X by investigating the shaft with a camera.[34]

21
6
"Carved in Stone"
December 15, 2015 (2015-12-15)[37]
2.47[38]

Rick, Marty and the team investigate rocks on Oak Island. A researcher visits the island and claims that the Aztecs may have visited the island in the past.[36]

22
7
"The Missing Peace"
December 22, 2015 (2015-12-22)[37]
3.40[40]

Rick and Marty welcome long-time rival Fred Nolan into the team.[39]

23
8
"Phantoms of the Deep"
December 29, 2015 (2015-12-29)[37]
3.30[42]

The team conducts a sonar sweep of the waters surrounding Oak Island and begin digging on Fred Nolan's property.[41]

24
9
"Columbus Day"
January 5, 2016 (2016-01-05)[37]
2.79[44]

The team preps for a dive of borehole 10X. They also listen to a theory about Christopher Columbus visiting the Island.[43]

25
10
"Silence in the Dark"
January 12, 2016 (2016-01-12)[37]
3.11[46]

Difficulties are encountered during the dive to the bottom of borehole 10X, the team further investigates Fred Nolan's property and an alleged Roman sword found in the waters off Oak Island is presented to the team.[45]

26
11
"Sword Play"
January 19, 2016 (2016-01-19)[37]
2.82[48]

The team has the Roman sword investigated and find that it is a modern reproduction. There is an unproductive search for treasure north of the Money Pit.[47]

27
12
"Voices from Below"
January 26, 2016 (2016-01-26)[37]
3.17[50]

The team dives to the bottom of borehole 10X. In a separate investigation, a cavity is found far underground near the Money Pit.[49]

28
13
"Secrets and Revelations"
February 2, 2016 (2016-02-02)[37]
3.41[51]

The diving investigation of borehole 10X concludes with nothing found. Relatives of the original Oak Island treasure hunters present a gold cross which is said to have come from the treasure.

text: Season 4 (2016–2017)[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Original air date
Viewers
(millions)

29
1
"Going for Broke"
November 15, 2016 (2016-11-15)
2.62[53]

The team agrees to turn focus over to the Money Pit and review what they have collected. Researcher Zena Halpern presents a handmade copy of what she claims is a French map from 1347 of Oak Island. The map shows locations for a "hatch", a "valve" and an "anchor" on the Island. A theory is presented based on a purported decoding of a cipher that Joab at the time of King David transported the Ark of the Covenant to North Africa from which it was later transported onward by the Knights Templar from the then-Portuguese town of Safi in Morocco to Oak Island.[52]

30
2
"Always Forward"
November 22, 2016 (2016-11-22)
2.66[54]

While preparing to excavate the Money Pit, the team investigates an 18th century well on mainland Nova Scotia. The team brings in an archaeologist to inspect a hole on Dave Blankenship's property which they think is a potential "hatch".

31
3
"Swamp Things"
November 29, 2016 (2016-11-29)
2.97[55]

A piece of rock with scratches is found, before the team revisits the swamp for another look and finds very little.

32
4
"No Stone Unturned"
December 6, 2016 (2016-12-06)
2.95[56]

Part of the team unsuccessfully attempts to track down the '90-foot stone' in nearby Halifax; while the first excavation in over 50 years begins in the Money Pit.

33
5
"Bullseye"
December 11, 2016 (2016-12-11)
2.82[57]

A new theory that Inca gold is buried on Oak Island is offered, albeit without evidence to support it. Meanwhile the team supposedly inches their way to the alleged target in the Money Pit.

34
6
"Circles in Wood"
December 20, 2016 (2016-12-20)
3.44[58]

A few coins are found on the island, a long way from the money pit. The money pit search for the 'Chappel Vault' ends in failure so a new target is set for 170ft C-1 shaft in the Money Pit area.

35
7
"All That Glitters"
December 27, 2016 (2016-12-27)
3.68[59]

The swamp is drained and searched with a metal detector revealing an old spike. Object not dated. C-1 Dig Site is drilled to target depth of 170 ft. where previously inserted camera may have seen something shiny and gold colored.

36
8
"The Mystery of Samuel Ball"
January 3, 2017 (2017-01-03)
3.43[60]

A tiny amount of evidence is offered supposedly linking an 18th-century slave to the mystery.

37
9
"Echoes from the Deep"
January 10, 2017 (2017-01-10)
3.35[61]

A camera sent down 10X confirms the divers impression that there is nothing there of note, undermining the camera's operators previous assertion that they were 90% certain there was a chest there. Some of the team are in denial about this and insist there is still some point in exploring 10-X further on the basis that Dan Blankenship has spent so much time on it, it must be the key to the alleged puzzle.

38
10
"About Face"
January 17, 2017 (2017-01-17)
3.04[62]

Divers are sent to the bottom of borehole C-1. Nothing is found. A rock fifty miles from Oak Island is examined. The team decides to do a new examination of borehole 10X.

39
11
"Presidential Secrets"
January 24, 2017 (2017-01-24)
3.20[63]

The new examination of borehole 10X concludes. Equipment failure delays excavation of a new hole. Rick heads to the Franklin D. Roosevelt library to learn why the late President was interested in Oak Island.

40
12
"Hyde Park & Seek"
January 31, 2017 (2017-01-31)
3.15[64]

A cofferdam is built at Smith's Cove and the beach is excavated. The team debates where the "money pit" might have been.

41
13
"One Of Seven"
February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07)
3.24[65]

The team attempts to decode a cipher and concludes that they only possess 1/7th of the cipher. Rocks are found at Smith's Cove. The investigation of the cove is halted for the year. A man from Arizona claims, without any evidence, that several hundred tons of gold are hidden in tunnels near Oak Island.

42
14
"Sticks and Stones"
February 14, 2017 (2017-02-14)
3.20[66]

Rocks are examined on Oak Island. Pieces of wood are carbon dated. The third excavation on the island this season reaches bedrock with nothing found. The team decides to dig another hole.

43
15
"Blood is Thicker"
February 21, 2017 (2017-02-21)
3.79[67]

The final excavation of the season leads to the discovery of scrap metal pieces, a washer, several hex nuts and a button. Season finale featured McGinnis gold cross, iron spike, and other artifacts evaluated by antiques appraiser Dr. Lori Verderame (Ph.D. - History of Art and Architecture).

Note: This episode aired as a 2-hour special.

44
16
"Drilling Down"
February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28)
1.72[68]

The team is interviewed at the end of season. The wood from borehole 10-X is carbon dated as being from 1670-1780. A new cipher is decoded leading the team to once again believe that there is a "hatch" somewhere on the island. The team wants to continue searching the swamp. The team proposes pumping borehole 10-X dry to enable yet another round of searches. The team wants to search more of the Island with metal detectors in the future.

Note: This episode is a special.

text: Season 5 (2017–2018)[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Original air date
Viewers
(millions)

45
1
"Forever Family"
November 7, 2017 (2017-11-07)
2.95[69]

A diver is sent to the bottom of borehole C-1. Mud is recovered. A nail is found in an old spoils pile from GAL-1. A copper coin is found in the woods near Issac's Point.

46
2
"Dead Man's Chest"
November 14, 2017 (2017-11-14)
2.98[70]

The sea chest of a captain who lived in Nova Scotia in the 1780s is examined. Salt water starts coming out the top of borehole C-1. Another copper coin is found on the island.

47
3
"Obstruction"
November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21)
2.85[71]

Two old British copper coins are found in the woods. The Province of Nova Scotia requests that an archaeologist be on site on Oak Island as an adviser to the treasure hunters. Part of a metal spoon and round rocks are discovered under tree stumps. Based on the rocks and the spoon pieces, Marty Lagina concludes that "something must have happened here". A small piece of scrap metal is found in the mud brought up from one of the new boreholes being drilled in the "money pit" area.

48
4
"Close Call"
November 28, 2017 (2017-11-28)
3.36[72]

Drilling below bedrock, the team discovers a void in the rock. A hose on the drill detaches resulting in a worker falling backward and suffering a minor injury to his wrist. Drilling is halted for over a week. A toy gun is found in the woods and the team launches an investigation of it. Lee Lamb and Richard Restall visit the island. Richard Restall is identified conclusively as the owner of the toy gun.

49
5
"Bone Dry"
December 5, 2017 (2017-12-05)
3.16[73]

An iron spike is found on the beach. Some small pottery fragments are brought up from one of the boreholes. Two human bone fragments were recovered and sent in for testing.

50
6
"Remains of the Day"
December 12, 2017 (2017-12-12)
3.01[74]

A piece of leather is found. Rick Lagina has headaches and a rash. He is later diagnosed as having lyme disease. The team intends to have the previously discovered human bone fragments carbon dated.

51
7
"The Lot Thickens"
December 19, 2017 (2017-12-19)
3.13[75]

A theory is presented that Sir Francis Drake is buried on Oak Island in a vault with gold treasure. It is suggested that the lack of any records documenting Drake travelling to Canada is proof that he must have travelled to Canada. A theory is presented that the scrap leather piece found is from a book binding. A patch of ground is excavated and nothing is found.

52
8
"Dan's Breakthrough"
January 2, 2018 (2018-01-02)
3.31[76]

The team discovers a horseshoe, a piece of shot and another coin. It is discovered that one of the words on the Zena Halpern map is the name of a French family (Rochefoucauld) who participated in the Crusades. The team presents an unsupported theory that Samuel de Champlain was ordered to incorrectly map Nova Scotia to hide Oak Island by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons at the direction of Rochefoucauld family. The team decides to send several members to France for further investigation of the theory. The testing on the human bone fragments (found in episode 5) indicated that they dated in a range from 1682 AD to 1764 AD.

53
9
"The French Connection"
January 9, 2018 (2018-01-09)
3.02[77]

A small pottery fragment is found on Lot 24. It is determined that the rocks found in Season Five Episode 3 are not consistent with the foundation of a house. The team theorizes, without evidence, that there must have been a "watchtower" on Lot 24. In France, the team establishes that there is no connection between the Rochefoucauld family and the Knights Templar. A Zena Halpern map is examined again and it is determined that the English translations of the map done to present have been incorrect. The team looks at cave carvings in France and consults an expert in the Knights Templar. The team observes a pattern in part of a cave carving that they claim is roughly similar to an upside-down image of the Rochefoucauld family coat of arms and conclude that the family must be linked to the Knights Templar. They find a carving of a multi-armed cross and offer an unsupported theory that it is a representation of the "Tree of Life" and that it is the same as Nolan's Cross on the island. A theory is presented that the cave carving may represent an "earlier version" of the "Tree of Life". Based on the information discovered in France, the team concludes that the Oak Island swamp should be excavated again.

54
10
"The Signs Of A Cross"
January 16, 2018 (2018-01-16)
3.34[78]

Eight pages of what is alleged to be a transcript of an incomplete log of an unnamed ship are presented. It is claimed, without any evidence, that the log is from a French ship which participated in the Duc d'Anville Nova Scotia expedition of 1746. More wood, a bone and a metal spike are brought up from a borehole in the money pit area. The shaft excavation reaches an obstruction at 170 feet. A small lead cross is found at Smith's Cove. It is theorized, with no supporting evidence, that crosses with an attaching loop at the top were used by members of the Knights Templar and that this lead cross dates from the years 1200 to 1600.

55
11
"Moving Targets"
January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23)
3.32[79]

A spoon handle and a piece of brass are found at Smith's Cove. More pottery fragments, another bone and small bits of leather are found in the material brought up from borehole H8. The team debates the location of the "Chappel Vault".

56
12
"A Key to the Mystery"
January 30, 2018 (2018-01-30)
3.25[80]

The team gains access to Fred Nolan's survey maps of the island but have difficulty interpreting them. A folding metal key is examined. Searching for a local dumpsite, the team digs a trench on Lot 12 near the former house of Fred Nolan. Pottery fragments are found in the trench.

57
13
"Unhinged"
February 6, 2018 (2018-02-06)
3.32[81]

More pottery fragments and a metal hinge are found at the Nolan dumpsite. A part of the swamp is drained and a wooden stake is found. Zena Halpern is shown a picture of the lead cross and claims it is not a cross, but the symbol of the Phoenician goddess Tanit. She further makes unsupported claims that the cross is around 3200 years old (dating to 1200 BC) and that the Knights Templar worshiped Tanit. The drilling of the latest borehole encounters an obstruction at 75 feet.

58
14
"The Templar Connection"
February 13, 2018 (2018-02-13)
2.34[82]

A history of the Knights Templar is presented along with speculative theories about how they might have been involved with Oak Island.

Note: This episode is a special.

59
15
"Steel Trapped"
February 20, 2018 (2018-02-20)
2.99[83]

Independent researcher Kathleen McGowan Coppens offers an unsupported theory that the lead cross was part of a necklace used by Templars to smuggle gold. She also claims that the country of Canada was named by the Templars after the town of Sarlat-la-Canéda in France. A rusty keyhole plate is found in the woods. On examination, the exposed surface of the drilling obstruction at the money pit appears to be rocks and clay soil. The borehole later fills with water. The team arranges for a diver to go down the borehole.

60
16
"Seeing Red"
February 27, 2018 (2018-02-27)
3.02[84]

An excavation is done at Smith's cove and wood is found. The team plans for further excavations at Smith's cove next year. A button claimed to be from the 1700s and an old jewelry fragment are located by metal detector.

61
17
"A Family Album"
February 27, 2018 (2018-02-27)
1.98[84]

The episode includes accounts of activities on the Oak Island by the McGinnis family, descendants of Samuel Ball, William Chappell's family, the Restall Family and the family of Robert Dunfield. The Blankenship/Nolan disputes on Oak Island are discussed. The episode ends with a short history of the Lagina brothers' interest in Oak Island.

Note: This episode is a special.

62
18
"Amazing Discoveries"
March 6, 2018 (2018-03-06)
2.89[85]

The gem in the Jewelry fragment found on the island is a Rhodolite Garnet stone of small value. The drilling obstruction in the "money pit" borehole is determined by divers to be a granite boulder.


document_title: Director of the United States Mint

question_text: who is the current director of the us mint

text: Director of the United States Mint

text: The Director of the United States Mint is the head of the United States Mint. The position is currently vacant. Since January 20, 2017, the senior career official at the Mint has been Acting Principal Deputy Director David Motl.[1]

text: The office of Director has existed since the creation of the Mint by the Coinage Act of 1792. Initially appointed serving at the pleasure of the President of the United States, the Coinage Act of 1873 specified a five-year term for Directors. The Director operates with general directions provided by the United States Secretary of the Treasury.

text: Since the resignation of Edmund C. Moy in 2011 the mint has been without an official director. Initially Matthew Rhett Jeppson was nominated by US President Barack Obama to become the mint's 39th director and was given the temporary title of principal deputy director, however the nomination was never confirmed by the Senate.[2] Jeppson stepped down as principal deputy director in January 2017, being replaced by Acting Principal Deputy Director David Motl.[3]

text: List of Directors of the United States Mint[edit]

text:
Name
Assumed Office
Left Office
President Appointed By

David Rittenhouse
April 1792
June 1795
George Washington

Henry William de Saussure
July 1795
October 1795

Elias Boudinot
October 1795
July 1805

Robert Patterson
January 1806
July 1824
Thomas Jefferson

Samuel Moore
July 1824
July 1835
James Monroe

Robert M. Patterson
May 1835
July 1851
Andrew Jackson

George Nicholas Eckert
July 1851
April 1853
Millard Fillmore

Thomas M. Pettit
April 1853
May 1853
Franklin Pierce

James Ross Snowden
June 1853
May 1861

James Pollock
May 1861
September 1866
Abraham Lincoln

William Millward
October 1866
April 1867
Andrew Johnson

Henry Linderman
April 1867
May 1869

James Pollock
May 1869
March 1873
Ulysses S. Grant

Henry Linderman
April 1873
December 1878

Horatio C. Burchard
February 1879
June 1885
Rutherford B. Hayes

James P. Kimball
July 1885
October 1889
Grover Cleveland

Edward O. Leech
October 1889
May 1893
Benjamin Harrison

Robert E. Preston
November 1893
February 1898
Grover Cleveland

George E. Roberts
February 1898
July 1907
William McKinley

Frank A. Leach
September 1907
August 1909
Theodore Roosevelt

A. Piatt Andrew
November 1909
June 1910
William Howard Taft

George E. Roberts
July 1910
November 1914

Robert W. Woolley
March 1915
July 1916
Woodrow Wilson

F. H. von Engelken
September 1916
March 1917

Raymond T. Baker
March 1917
March 1922

Frank Edgar Scobey
March 1922
September 1923
Warren G. Harding

Robert J. Grant
November 1923
May 1933
Calvin Coolidge

Nellie Tayloe Ross
May 1933
April 1953
Franklin D. Roosevelt

William H. Brett
July 1954
January 1961
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eva Adams
October 1961
August 1969
John F. Kennedy

Mary Brooks
September 1969
February 1977
Richard Nixon

Stella Hackel Sims
November 1977
April 1981
Jimmy Carter

Donna Pope
July 1981
August 1991
Ronald Reagan

David J. Ryder
September 1992
November 1993
George H. W. Bush

Philip N. Diehl
June 1994
March 2000
Bill Clinton

Jay W. Johnson
May 2000
August 2001

Henrietta H. Fore
August 2001
August 2005
George W. Bush

Edmund C. Moy
September 2006
January 2011

David J. Ryder
April 2018
Incumbent
Donald Trump