Please join me in my journey to the strange and mysterious.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
Sunday, March 08, 2020
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Saturday, February 08, 2020
Friday, February 07, 2020
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
Sunday, February 02, 2020
The Making of Groundhog Day - Harold Ramis
Happy Groundhog Day - hope you day is as lovely as this one.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Friday, January 17, 2020
Secrets of '1,000-year-old trees' unlocked
Secrets of '1,000-year-old trees' unlocked
Secrets of '1,000-year-old trees' unlocked
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51063469
Secrets of '1,000-year-old trees' unlocked
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51063469
Scientists have discovered the secret of how the ginkgo tree can live for more than 1,000 years.
A study found the tree makes protective chemicals that fend off diseases and drought.
And, unlike many other plants, its genes are not programmed to trigger inexorable decline when its youth is over.
The ginkgo can be found in parks and gardens across the world, but is on the brink of extinction in the wild.
"The secret is maintaining a really healthy defence system and being a species that does not have a pre-determined senescence (ageing) programme," said Richard Dixon of the University of North Texas, Denton.
"As ginkgo trees age, they show no evidence of weakening their ability to defend themselves from stresses."
Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair tree)
- A slow growing, ultimately large tree
- Attractive yellow leaves in the autumn
- The ginkgo is native to China and the last survivor of a long line of ancient trees, with fossils known from the time of the dinosaurs
- Wild populations are on the brink of extinction due to logging, with wild populations confined to Xitianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, China
- Listed as endangered in the IUCN red list of threatened species (Ginkgo biloba).
Researchers in the US and China studied ginkgo trees aged 15 to 667, extracting tree-rings and analysing cells, bark, leaves and seeds. They found both young and old trees produce protective chemicals to fight off stresses caused by pathogens or drought.
These include anti-oxidants, antimicrobials and plant hormones that protect against drought and other environmental stressors. Genetic studies showed that genes related to ageing didn't automatically switch on at a certain point in time as in other plants, such as grasses and annuals.
Thus, while a tree that has lived for centuries might appear dilapidated due to frost damage or lightning strikes, all the processes needed for healthy growth are still functioning.
Dr Dixon suspects the picture will be similar in other long-lived trees, such as the giant redwood, which has wood "packed with antimicrobial chemicals".
"Hopefully our study will encourage others to dig deeper into what appear to be the important features for longevity in ginkgo and other long-lived trees," he said.
Commenting on the study, Mark Gush, head of horticultural and environmental science at the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), said the oldest living tree in the world - a Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) - is estimated to be more than 4,800 years old.
"Apart from a consistent supply of food, light and water, the ability to live to such a great age is thought to be linked to slow growth rate, cellular adaptations and relative protection from secondary influences such as pest and disease, climate extremes and catastrophic physical damage," he said.
As the UK embarks on an ambitious tree planting programme, understanding the mixture of tree species that will deliver the greatest ecosystem rewards over the long term, and where they should best be planted, is likely to be increasingly important, he added.
The research is published in the journal PNAS.
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Thursday, January 16, 2020
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Monday, December 30, 2019
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Hobbit - The Last Goodbye [HD 1080i] [Subtitulos Español/Inglés]
It is a love story that never grows old. And each of us has a story to live and tell.
Sunday, December 08, 2019
Tuesday, December 03, 2019
Sunday, December 01, 2019
Bon Iver - Holocene performed on the Jimmy Fallon Show (full video)
The comments for this song are very heart touching. One of the reasons I love it so much too. It reminds me of my missing love.
Sting - Shape of my Heart
Soundtrack of Leon
He deals the cards as a meditation
And those he plays never suspect
He doesn't play for the money he wins
He doesn't play for the respect
He deals the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
He may play the jack of diamonds
He may lay the queen of spades
He may conceal a king in his hand
While the memory of it fades
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
That's not the shape, the shape of my heart
And if I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one
Those who speak know nothing
And find out to their cost
Like those who curse their luck in too many places
And those who fear are lost
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that's not the shape of my heart
That's not the shape of my heart
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