Talking tree

    We know for sure that trees talk through the air like we do, we have to wonder what they say about us as we press into their territories and begin to deforest the land, starting at one edge of the woods and working our way through to the other. Do the trees cut first shout to the others on the opposite end to run? Or are they whispering to us, asking that we be more mindful of the consequences?

We’ve known for a long time that plants are sensitive to their environments, reacting to changes in temperature, soil conditions, and light. Their senses, like ours, are quite developed: The Venus flytrap catches its dinner by snapping shut when an insect touches the tiny hairs on its leaves, and some farmers believe that sounds louder than the human voice stimulate the germination and rapid growth of some vegetables. But the confirmation that plants of the same species are able to talk with each other through the air is a new development.

In one recent research project, scientists took note of when the first gypsy moth larvae landed on a mature oak tree that resided in a grove with other oaks. By analyzing the chemistry of the mature oak tree’s leaves, they were able to determine that within a very short period of time, the tree had added a bitter tannin to all of its leaves. The tannin made the tree an unattractive lunch option for the gypsy moth larvae. But what was more astounding was that all the other oak trees in the grove changed the chemistry of their leaves, too, making them unappetizing as well.

It took a few years for the scientists to understand just how the trees in the rest of grove had gotten word that the gypsy moths were in town. It was found that the trees did not communicate through their roots — instead, they released a special gas (or pheromone) to warn their neighbors of the danger.

If we’ve ever walked in a forest or a grove on a breezy or windy day, we’ve probably experienced that bit of an unsettling feeling that says to you that the trees are “talking” above our head. With every moan and retort of the wood, we’d almost swear that we could hear rumblings. 

The trees surrounding we on our walk seem to be whispering to each other about the propriety of our presence.Turns out that our intuition may not be so far from the truth. Scientists are now discovering that plants have similar senses to ours and that they “talk” to each other — not through their roots, but as we do: through the air.It’s not only the oak trees that are chatting. We now have proof that willows, too, are talking with each other through the air. Quercus phellos (willow oak) is a deciduous tree in the red oak group of oaks. It is native to eastern North America from southern New York (Long Island) south to northern Florida, and west to southernmost Illinois and eastern Texas. It is most commonly found growing on lowland floodplains. It is a medium-sized tree growing to 20-30 m tall.

Fighting Fish

Fighting Fish.. known as the betta (Betta splendens). Bettas sometimes require a place to hide, even in the absence of threats. They may set up a territory centered on a plant or rocky alcove, sometimes becoming highly possessive of it and aggressive toward trespassing rivals.Two male Siamese fighting fish will fight to protect  territory. Male and female Siamese fighting fish should not be housed together unless it is for the purpose of breeding. They are likely to become aggressive with each other either before or after breeding. The aggression of this fish has been studied by ethologists and comparative psychologists.These fish have historically been the objects of gambling; two male fish are pitted against each other in a fight and betsare placed on which one will win. One fish is almost always killed as a result. To avoid this, male Siamese fighting fish are best isolated from one another. Males will occasionally even respond aggressively to their own reflections in a mirror.Though this is obviously safer than exposing the fish to another male, prolonged sight of their reflection can lead to stress in some individuals. Not all Siamese fighting fish respond negatively to other male fish, especially if not too many of them are present.       The Siamese fighting fish is a species in the gourami family which is popular as an aquarium fish. In January 2014 a large population of the fish was discovered in the Adelaide River Floodplain in the Northern Territory, Australia. usually grows to a length of about 6.5 cm (2.6 in). Although aquarium specimens are known for their brilliant colors and large, flowing fins, The natural coloration of B. splendens is a dull green, browns, and gray, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. Some people of Thailand and Malaysia are known to have collected these fish prior to the 19th century from the wild.In the wild, bettas spar for only a few minutes or before one fish backs off. Bred specifically for fighting, domesticated betta matches can go on for much longer, with winners determined by a willingness to continue fighting. Once one fish retreats, the match is over. Seeing the popularity of these fights, the king of Thailand started licensing and collecting these fighting fish.

Twinkle Stars

In a dark, clear, moonless night.We look up into the sky.We see thousands of stars arranged in patterns or constellations.The light from these stars has traveled great distances to reach Earth. But what are stars? How far away are they? Are they all the same? Are there other planets around them? When stars initially form from large balls of gas, they contract under the influence of gravity, and heat up because that gravitational energy goes into the motion of the gas.Stars get their heat from two sources - gravity, and nuclear fusion.Once they get hot enough, the hydrogen nuclei in the plasma in the center of the star start to occasionally merge to form helium, releasing a lot of energy from that nuclear fusion process. All this heating, from both sources, creates a pressure that causes the star to quit contracting at some point.

If the star is big enough to start with, the central temperature will be high enough to really keep that fusion going, and the heat gradually will seep out to the outside parts of the star, so the outer surface regions will also rise to quite high temperatures. We all know how important it is that our Sun gives us light! But, why does this happen? To understand, we need to look at the structure of stars.

What causes stars to shine?

Because stars are so massive, the density and pressure in the cores are extremely high! It is the temperature of the outer surface that determines the way the stars shine - our sun has an outer temperature of around 5000 degrees, but other stars can be as hot as 50,000 degrees, producing much bluer light, while red dwarf stars are considerably cooler and produce mostly red and infrared light. The process that causes stars to shine is the same one that we have harnessed for use as a weapon: nuclear fusion.Stars start as huge regions of gas, mostly hydrogen. This gas will start to contract, and it heats up. In fact, the Sun's core is so hot and has such high pressure that it undergoes nuclear fusion. Fusion is the combining to two lightweight elements into a heaver element. In our Sun, the core converts hydrogen into helium. This conversion of hydrogen into helium is the first reaction that happens in every star, it is called the main sequence. This reaction actually ends up with a surplus of energy according to the equation E=mc2. This is because the mass of the combing hydrogen is greater that the end product of helium. Therefore, the mass is converted to energy, and that energy is the electromagnetic radiation (light) that we get.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is one of several sea caves, worldwide, that is flooded with a brilliant blue or emerald light. The quality and nature of the color in each cave is determined by the particular lighting conditions in that particular cave.  Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The cave extends some 50 metres into the cliff at the surface, and is about 150 metres deep, with a sandy bottom. In part because of the dazzling effect of the light from the above-water opening, it is impossible for a visitor who is in one of the row-boats to identify the shape of the larger hole, the outline of the bar that separates the two holes, or even the nature of the light-source, other than a general awareness that the light is coming up from underneath, and that the water in the cave is more light-filled than the air. A visitor who places a hand in the water can see it "glow" eerily in this light.The Blue Grotto became a favoured tourist destination in the 1830s, after the visit of German writer August Kopisch and his friend Ernst Fries to the cave in 1826 and after the issuing of the book of Kopisch Entdeckung der blauen Grotte auf der Insel Capri in 1838. They were guided to the cave by a local fisherman Angelo Ferraro and during their visit they noticed the presence of Roman structures in the cave. Since then the Blue Grotto has become the emblem of the island of Capri. 

The Blue Grotto is located on the southern coast of Malta, west of Wied iz-Zurrieq facing the little deserted islet of Filfla. The site got its name from a British soldier who thought that since the area looks like the Grotta Azzurra in Capri, it deserves the same name, and in fact Blue Grotto is the equivalent for Grotta Azzurra in English. The site is extremely popular, attracting some 100,000 tourists per year, also for diving purposes.