The winning sweet potato weighed in at 2.07235 lbs! To account for gravitational anomalies, bribes, time zone differences, Coriolis effect, height above sea level, etc., we have designated a winner: Elder JA. The winner will enjoy the fame, honor, status, and (most importantly) financial liability associated with the title. 1st Place: Elder JA: Guess – […]
Category: Nature
In the spring of 2015, Pope Francis released a profound encyclical (letter) to the world called “Laudato Si’” (“Praise be to you”). The letter lays the moral foundation for our collective obligation and responsibility to protect Mother Earth. In Pope Francis’ case, he uses the teachings of the Catholic Church to build the foundation of […]
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Mycelium’s Midnight Mingle
We’d be remiss if we didn’t follow up yesterday’s blott with a description of fungi reproduction. Let’s Make Sex Boring (from Gemini) Mushroom reproduction involves producing tiny, lightweight spores through either asexual or sexual processes, which are then dispersed by wind or other means to grow into new thread-like hyphae and form a network called a […]
[Today we have a guest blott from Elder JimZim] Gentle People – I was hiking in a very nice park in Maryland today and came across these beautiful mushrooms growing out of a decaying log. In addition to the bright color, they had interesting geometric patterns on them. Since mushrooms grow on moist, organically rich […]
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Vera C. Rubin Observatory
It is an exciting day! The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has just released its first images captured by the LSST Camera, the largest digital camera ever built at 3,200 megapixels Highlights of the release: Why this matters: What’s next: Why this is revolutionary: Feature Impact 3,200 MP camera Captures ultra-wide swaths of sky in remarkable detail Full-sky […]
Today we learned that ivy does not twine! Not in the true botanical sense. Ivy (like Hedera helix, English ivy) is classified as a climbing plant or liana. But unlike plants that grow tall with thick, supportive stems, ivy evolved a strategy to save energy by using other structures (trees, walls, fences) for support. Instead […]
Oh, Grow Up! Since we leave no turn unstoned, we look at the dark side of the Red Viburnum. Toxicity and usesThe fruit is edible in small quantities, with a very bitter taste; it can be used to make jelly. It is however mildly toxic, and may cause vomiting or diarrhea if eaten in large […]
Elder JA was contemplating the loneliness of the Canadian sturgeon, and was wondering if Texas had a sturgeon. Big Texas YES. In Texas, the shovel-nose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) is the only sturgeon species found, and it’s a threatened species in the state, primarily inhabiting the Red River below Lake Texoma reservoir. Species:The shovel-nose sturgeon is […]
Today we go down the Periodic Table rabbit hole. Many of today’s screen shots are from the excellent web site Periodic Tables.com Human Abundance What exactly are you full of? https://periodictable.com/Properties/A/HumanAbundance.html Q: Did you hear about the boy that ate uranium?A: He got an atomic ache. Notice how uranium is present in the human body. […]
The Elders are naturally curious people, and constantly engage in their own science fair projects. UC#3 UC#3 is engaged in his own personal journey: Corn Through Both Time and Space: Tracking the Digestive Journey of Corn in Humans. We eagerly await the publication of his results in the journal Nature. Semi-Sequitur: UC#3 is the WLBOTT […]