Gardening (General/Chat)
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In the ongoing search for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to meat and other animal proteins, researchers have settled on a new product that only solidifies our descent into a dystopian science fiction story. Published in Nature Communications, this could be humanity’s new favorite food; genetically engineered mold. The study, led by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, demonstrates how the edible fungus, Aspergillus oryzae, can be bioengineered to enhance its nutritional value and sensory appeal as a meat substitute. By modifying the fungus’s genome using cutting-edge synthetic biology tools, the researchers were able to elevate the production of key...
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Australia-based Costa Berries broke a Guinness World Record by growing a blueberry that weighed .72 ounce. (Photo courtesy of Costa Berries) March 14 (UPI) -- An Australian berry company broke a Guinness World Record by growing a Ping-Pong-sized berry that weighs .72 ounce. A Guinness adjudicator examined the blueberry grown by Costa Berries in Corindi, New South Wales, and confirmed it was the world's heaviest blueberry. Brad Hocking, head of the team that grew the berry, said it was picked in November last year and kept frozen while the company communicated with Guinness World Records. The blueberry is the new...
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Is the inside surface of clear copper tubing, such as used in refrigeration systems, anodized or have some other finish applied to it? It appears to be impossible to solder to, even using acid flux, unless the surface is thoroughly sanded (or use steel wool or a wire brush). The inside surface "as is" looks clean, with no darkening or oxidation, but is smooth, lacking the tiny scratches of sanding with high grit sandpaper, or using steel wool on it.
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Some 39% of the United States is farmland. But, according to the Department of Agriculture’s recently published farmer census, there are fewer farms, and the ones that are surviving are bigger than before. Another statistic that’s worth pointing out: More than 150,000 farms and ranches use renewable energy, up 15% since the last census in 2017. Incorporating solar panels onto open fields or buildings was the most popular method. That’s progress. But the demographics reported in the census are less of a cause for celebration. People of color and women remain underrepresented. Despite diversity efforts in recent years, less than...
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The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...
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Frog mating can be a competitive and sometimes deadly affair as many males compete for females – but females have some tricks to avoid unwanted attention Male frogs commonly coerce female frogs into mating, but some females have come up with ways to avoid harassment – including playing dead. Many frog species, including the European common frog (Rana temporaria), only have a short window of a few weeks each year to mate. This means that lots of males simultaneously compete for the attention of females, sometimes leading to deadly clashes as individuals are submerged under a competing group of males....
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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...
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Understanding cloud patterns in our changing climate is essential to making accurate predictions about their impact on society and nature. Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology published a study in the journal Science Advances that uses a high-resolution global climate model to understand how the clustering of clouds and storms impacts rainfall extremes in the tropics. They show that with rising temperatures, the severity of extreme precipitation events increases. Extreme rainfall is one of the most damaging natural disasters costing human lives and causing billions in damage. Their frequency has been...
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* Graphene is a material that consists of a single layer of carbon atoms that are bonded together in a repeating pattern of hexagons * According to scientists, it has “miraculous” properties in terms of strength, elasticity, thermal and electrical conductivity * The testing of graphene-derived materials for toxicity has been very limited, and even the limited testing has shown a wide range of potential harms — yet graphene materials are being broadly introduced into different industries and aspects of our lives, from biosensors to conductive surfaces to batteries and face masks * Due to their unique properties, graphene materials...
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The dual explosion of cicadas, which hasn't been seen for centuries, will hit much of the state, but in one portion, an overlap of the two major broods is possible Illinois will see a unique situation when two massive broods of cicadas emerge across the U.S. this year, but where will the biggest emergence be seen? The rare occurrence, which could bring billions of cicadas to the surface, last happened 221 years ago.
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A healthy frog has been spotted with a tiny mushroom sprouting from the side of its body, the first time such a growth on live animal tissue has been observed. Naturally, it completely stunned scientists. While fungi invasions are fairly common in the small-animal world, this growth appeared to be very different to the zombie parasitic types that spell bad news for their hijacked hosts. The fungus-accessorizing Rao's Intermediate Golden-backed Frog (Hylarana inter-media) was discovered by scientists out on a nature walk at the foothills of the Kudremukh Range in India's Western Ghats mountains. Despite this species being on the...
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Recent research challenges the traditional view of early human diets in the Andes, suggesting a shift from “hunter-gatherers” to “gatherer-hunters.” The study, analyzing remains from the Wilamaya Patjxa and Soro Mik’aya Patjxa sites in Peru, reveals an 80 percent plant-based and 20 percent meat diet among early Andeans. This finding, based on isotope chemistry and statistical modeling, contradicts previous beliefs and influences current perceptions of diets such as the Paleodiet. It also indicates a need to reassess archaeological frameworks globally. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The commonly used term “hunter-gatherers” for describing early humans should be revised to “gatherer-hunters” in the context of the...
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A Wakhi woman and her yak in Avgarch Village, one of the oldest settlements of Hunza Valley that’s only accessible by foot. Photo: Samantha Shea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a little-known mountainous area called Hunza Valley, located far north of Pakistan, people seem to defy all medical odds. It is primarily home to the Burusho and Wakhi people, who for centuries have survived and thrived in remote villages — with minimal amenities and rudimentary health facilities. Studies have found that the average life expectancy here is around 100 years. My husband was born and raised here, and is from the Burusho indigenous...
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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...
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A team of scientists from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences says they have finally solved the millennia-old mystery of why blueberries are blue. The answer, they say, lies in tiny crystalline structures hidden within the berry’s wax outer coating that reflects light in a specific way to make them appear blue as opposed to the reddish color of the pigments found in their fruit skin. This also applies to other blue foods like damsons, sloe, and juniper berries. The same research team also says they have been able to reproduce the blue-light-reflecting crystals outside of the berry....
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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...
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Like a real-world Dr. Doolittle, researchers from Dalhousie University say they are using cutting-edge technology to decode the complexities of chicken communication. The potentially breakthrough method, which employs AI to detect patterns in massive amounts of data, appears poised to offer previously unavailable insights into the everyday lives and challenges of these flightless fowl and may even lead to methods to communicate with a wide range of non-human animals. “Chickens are quite the communicators — their clucks, squawks, and purrs are not just random sounds but a complex language system,” the Dalhousie University researchers behind the novel endeavor explain in...
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One in three Australian adults has high blood pressure (hypertension). Excess salt (sodium) increases the risk of high blood pressure so everyone with hypertension is advised to reduce salt in their diet. But despite decades of strong recommendations we have failed to get Australians to cut their intake. It's hard for people to change the way they cook, season their food differently, pick low-salt foods off the supermarket shelves and accept a less salty taste. Now there is a simple and effective solution: potassium-enriched salt. It can be used just like regular salt and most people don't notice any important...
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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...
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In early 2020 in the midst of the covid lockdowns, blue states run by leftist governors pursued mandates with extreme prejudice. In red states like Montana, after the first month or two most of us simply ignored the restrictions and went on with life as usual. It was clear that covid was not the threat federal authorities made it out to be. However, in states like Michigan the vice was squeezed tighter and tighter under the direction of shady leaders like Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer used covid as an opportunity to institute some bizarre limitations on the public, including a mandate...
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