Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Tangled Bank #76 at balancing life


Science, they say, is a way of life. Now, I don’t know when I started living the scientific life, but I surprisingly can remember some of my earliest experiments as a little child. As a toddler some three years old, I loved mangoes, knew that mangoes came from mango trees, knew mangoes had seeds, and knew that trees grew from seeds. So I thought it would be simplicity in itself to eat a mango, save the seed, and plant it so that it would become a tree and give me as many mangoes as I could possibly gorge. I took the mango seed to my backyard and dug a little hole in the mud where I planted it. And every morning for the next four days, I watched and waited for a mango tree to grow.

Nothing happened.

And then I learnt that seeds need water and care, and trees take years to grow. I loved learning how things worked, and especially how the natural world functioned. So, without any more ado, here’s a tribute to that mango seed’s lessons in a mangolicious edition of The Tangled Bank.

(Mangoes, like all fruits, have dozens of distinct species, each with a taste, smell, shape, texture and history of its own, and to me are more than just fruit).

Alphonso pickings:

Mike from 10000 birds is down in Texas, stalking the golden cheeked warbler. That little bird is as beautiful as a juicy golden alphonso. Unlike their golden-yellow cousins the leopards, the clouded leopards are small, dark, and perhaps more elusive than the golden cheeked warbler. But they’re just as beautiful. Grrlscientist writes about the clouded leopards of Borneo, which are now officially a separate species, distinct from other clouded leopards found across South Asia. This edition of the Bank is particularly good for rare animal species. Grrlscientist also writes about a rare bird, the long-whiskered owlet, being seen in the wild. Apparently, this sighting is the first in years. Now, if only the long-whiskered owlet would audition for the next Harry Potter.

Dasheri days:

While still talking about animals, it’s time to visit Greg Laden’s blog where he has an absolutely fascinating post on cloned wolves, wolf behavior, wolves as social animals, and why wolves won’t breed in zoos. On the other hand, Matt at the Behavioral Ecology Blog is interested in sex and the single fur seal, as he sums up studies on polygyny and the laziest males who get some action.

There’s little from the world of fossils this week, but Matt Celeskey at the wonderful Hairy Museum of Natural History writes a fascinating post about a 95 million year old fossil of a lizard which has taken limb shortening to extreme levels. It’s almost a snake. Speaking of fossils, there’s good news from what I think is one of the most impressive organizations in America, the Smithsonian. Joshua, thinking from Kansas, keeps a close eye on happenings at the Smithsonian, and talks about the long overdue resignation of Lawrence Small, the secretary of the Smithsonian. Good riddance, that.

We’ve talked about animals and birds and even fossils, so let’s not leave out plants. Over at the agricultural biodiversity blog is an excellent post on mapping underutilized genomes, and the sequencing of the taro genome, and why it can be tremendously useful. Taro, mango, all good.

Langda in space? Why not?

There’s always room in the Tangled Bank for odd science, and the great outdoors (space). Mark Rayner at the skwib talks about tracking and destroying asteroids with lasers. If you’re worried that the end of the world is near, thanks to a rogue asteroid headed for earth, head over there. Over at Daylight atheism is a beautiful post reminding us that the Earth is not at the center of the universe, and there’s a universe out there to explore.


Bainganapalli in winter? I think not.

Perhaps thanks to Al Gore’s recent effort in Washington there are a good number of posts this week on climate change, global warming, conservation and consumerism.
Jeremy Bruno over at the Voltagegate wonders aloud about celebrities endorsing conservation, and consumerism.
Phil for humanity has some facts about global warming that even a kid can understand. I think he does kids a disservice. They’re smart, and learn. It’s us adults who refuse to believe facts.
Over at the bioblog is an excellent post on the constantly changing definition of drought and the effect of human action on the amount of water around. Wyatt at foggy bottom lantern thinks Al Gore’s description of global warming in terms of a fever is a great idea, and goes on to describe fevers and global warming.

Sweet Chausa and spicy Totapuri slices:

Over at A blog around the clock Bora summarizes a recent paper which shows the importance of glucocorticoids (cortisol) in the regulation of circadian cell cycle rhythms. Bora’s summary is excellent. Meanwhile, at Fight aging, there’s a nice summary of recent interest in microglia, and their role in degenerations of aging, as well as emerging putative roles of nitric oxide in aging. I’m particularly fond of nitric oxide, so, go read that post!

Ourobros has a fascinating post on longevity vs evolutionary fitness and describes why traits that might shorten the lifespan of an organism might be positively selected for if it improves reproductive fitness.

I dream of mangoes:

To finish off this edition of the Tangled Bank are some posts that are lost or are almost philosophical. At The price of rice, Barry asks if death is really necessary, talking of Kurzweil’s prediction that we’ll reverse engineer our brain some day, and overcome death. Meanwhile, over at sharpbrains, Jeffery Gonce, a high school psychology teacher, shares one of his student’s essays titled “Tis better to give than receive”: oxytocin and dopamine. The Ominouscomma seems to have a rather talkative subconscious mind, which responds to the conscious mind. At OhCash are his observations and thoughts on why dogs love people.

And to end the Tangled Bank, here’s some advice from Paddy K on understanding women. It’s a doomed effort, but some readers might want to try.

That’s it for this edition of the Tangled Bank. The next one should be up in two weeks, at Tara Smith’s Aetiology.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

At last, a Tangled Bank that made me hungry! Nicely done.

Sunil said...

thanks mike.

Anonymous said...

very nice but you can visit this blog
http://balanceurlife.blogspot.com
it is very nice blog that gives you advices
that are not affordable in any othe site
it is really amazing.

Santosh said...

it wonderful to have a look a a site like this

Sunil said...

Ajay....thanks.

Anonymous said...

No prescription generic drugs RX
Unlike generic drugs, a large part of the costs incurred by original manufacturers of brand name drugs are for research and development and advertising. The expense of obtaining FDA approval alone in the U.S. is enormous. Manufacturers of generic drugs do not have to absorb or recover these costs. Consequently, significant cost savings can be passed along to you.


Buy prescription Drugs RX
Order prescription drugs online for anxiety, blood pressure, depression, diabetes treatment, also for weight loss, pain relief and quit smoking.


Order Pharmacy online - no RX needed!
As soon as you place an order at our site, you are automatically enrolled in our discount program and start enjoying savings with your next orders. Your discount will grow with every new order you place.


Buy trusted RX drugs online
We are proud to be able to bring you our wide selection of medicines, all of them are available to you online, 24x7. No Waiting for Doctors, you will enjoy Complete privacy, and you can order anytime, in your Own time, with No prior prescription needed!


Order prescription drugs online
Our order process could not be simpler, just select the medicines you need, fill in our medical questionnaire, and submit your order. Our U.S Licensed Physicians will review your order and issue your prescription.


Buy pharmacy from foreign online

Order pharmacies online from foreign: cheaper prices and no prescription. Browse online pharmacy store to find drugs from foreign you needed, and order them for best price and no prescription required. If you're looking for some prescription drug from foreign, probably you'll find it at pharmacy store.

Kagan Can said...

Thanks

sohbet chat
Film izle

Anonymous said...

Thanks, good review.
Your site has very much liked me.

Anonymous said...

Raju and Savitri lived in Tanjore in the state of Tamil Nadu. Raju worked in the rice fields ofwow gold a local landlord or zamindar for six months a year. In turn, he received wow goldfour sacks of rice as salary. He would then sell three of them in the local market and keep one sack for himself for food. At the local wow goldmarket he would exchange the rice for vegetables, flour, and groceries. Savitri would do the cooking and washing and look after the home. Onewow gold year there was a severe drought. There was no wow wotlkrain and the ricewotlk gold fields dried up. By April, the two were wow goldgetting tired of eating nothing but rice. So one day, they decided to go digwow gold for tubers. They took an axe towow gold cut firewood and set off. Throughout thewow gold day Raju cut branches and Savitri searched around for tubers and mushrooms. In the wow goldevening they wow gold sat under a tree exhausted. Raju put down hiswow gold axe nearby and leaned his back tiredly against a tree.

Anonymous said...

Our story today is called "Pigs Is Pigs". It was written by Ellis Parker Butler. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.Mike Flannery, the agent of the Interurban Express Company leaned over runescape moneythe desk in the company's office in Westcote and shook his fist. Mister Morehouse, angry world of warcraft goldand red, stood on the runescape goldother side of the desk, shaking with fury. The argument had been long wow power levelingand hot. At last, Mister Morehouse had become speechless. The cause of the trouble wow polay on the desk between the two men. It was a box with two Guinea pigs inside."Do asyou like them." shouted Flannery, "Pay for wow orthem and take them. Or don't pay for them and leave them here. Rules arerules, Mister Morehouse. And Mike Flannery is not going to break them." "But you stupid idiot!" shouted Mister Morehouse, madlyworld of warcraft gold shaking a thin book beneath the dofus kamasagent's nose. "Can't you read it here in your own book of transportation rates? Pets, domestic, Franklin to correctly boxed, twenty-five cents each." He threw the book on the desk. "What more do you want? Aren't they Pets, Aren't they domestic? Aren't they correctly boxed? What?"He turned and walked back and forth rapidly with a furious look on his face. "Pets, " he said,"P-E-T-S, twenty-five cents each, two times twenty-five is fifty. Can you understand that? I offer you fifty cents." Flannery reached Lord of the Rings Online Goldfor the book. He ran wow powerlevelinghis hand through the pages LOTRO Goldand stopped at page sixty-four. "I don't take fflyff penyafifty cents." he whispered inflyff moneya non-pleasant voice. "Here's theffxi gil rule for it.' WhenLord of the Rings Online gold the agent be anybuy ffxi gil doubt about which two rates eq2 platshould be charged on a shipment, he shall eq2 goldcharge the LOTRO goldlarger. The person receiving the shipment fly for fun penyamay put in a claim for the flyff penyaovercharge. ' In this case, Mister Morehouse, I be Final Fantasy XI gilin doubt. Pets ffxi gilthem animals may be. And domestic they eq2 platmay be. But pigs, I am sure they do be. And my rule says plain as the nose eq2 goldon your face, pigs, Franklin to Westcote, thirty cents each."

Anonymous said...

Mister Morehouse shook his head savagely. "Nonsense," he shouted,"confounded nonsense! I tell you. That rule means common pigs, not Guinea pigs." "Pigs is pigs." Flannery said firmly. Mister Morehouse bit his lip and thenworld of warcraft gold flung his arms out wildly. "Very well," he shouted " You shall hear of this. Your president shall hear of this. It is an outrage. I have offered you fifty cents. You refuse world of warcraft goldit. Keep the pigs until you are ready to take the fifty cents. But, by Gorge, Sir, if one hair of those pigs' heads is harmed, I will have the law on you." He turned and walked wow power levelingout, slamming the door.
Flannery carefully lifted the box from the desk and put it in a corner. Mister Morehouse world of warcraft goldquickly wrote a letter to the president of the transportation express company. The president answered, informing Mister Morehouse that all claims for overcharge should be sent to the Claims Department. Mister Morehouse wrote to the Claims Department. One week later, he received cheap wow goldthe answer. The Claims Departmentworld of warcraft gold said it had discussed the matter with the agent at Westcote. The agent said Mister world of warcraft goldMorehouse had refused to accept the two Guinea pigs shipped to him, therefore the department said Mister Morehouse cheap wow goldhad no claim against the company and should write to its Tariff Department. Mister Morehouse wrote toworld of warcraft gold the Tariff Department. He stated his case clearly. The head of the Tariff Department read Mister Morehouse's buy wow goldletter. "Ah,Guinea pigs," he said,"probably starved to death by this time." He wrote to the agent, asking why the shipment was held up. He also wanted to know if thebuy wow gold Guinea pigs were still in good health.Before answering, agent Flannery wanted to make sure his report was up-to-date, so he went to the back of the office and looked intoworld of warcraft gold the cage. Good lord, they were now eight wow gold kaufenof them. All well,and eating like hippopotamuses. He went back to the office and explained to the head of the Tariff Department what the rules said about pigs. And as for the condition of the Guinea pigs, said Flannery, they were all well, but there were eight of them now,all good eaters.

Anonymous said...

(法新社倫敦四日電) 英國情色大亨芮孟的部落格成人光碟司昨色情a片天說,芮孟日情色電影前去世,享壽八十二a片下載歲;這位身價上億的房地產av女優開發商,AV片曾經在倫敦推出第一場脫衣舞表演。

av
芮孟的情色視訊財產估情色電影計達六a片億五千萬英鎊(台幣將近四百億),色情影片由於他情色名下成人影片事業大多分布在倫敦夜生活區蘇活區,因此擁有「蘇活之王」的成人電影稱號。


他的公司「保羅芮孟集團」旗下發行多種情色雜誌,包括「Razzlesex部落格、「av女優男性世界色情」以及「Mayfai部落格r」。


芮孟本名傑福瑞a片.安日本av東尼.奎恩,父親為搬運承包商a片。芮孟十五成人影片a片離開學校,矢言要在表演事業留名,起情色先表演讀心術,後來成人網站成為av巡迴歌舞雜耍表演的製av女優色情人。


許多評論家認為,他把情色表演帶進成人網站主流成人電影社會,成人網站一九av五九成人年主持破天荒的脫色情衣舞表演,後來更靠著在蘇活區與倫敦西區開發成人影片a片下載地產賺得大筆財富。

成人
有人形容芮孟是英國的海av夫納,地位等avdvd同美國的「花花公子」創辦人海夫納。

Anonymous said...

Once I played silkroad, I did not know how to get strong, someone told me that you must have silkroad gold. He gave me some sro gold, he said that I could buy silkroad online gold, but I did not have money, then I played it all my spare time. From then on, I got some silk road gold, if I did not continue to play it, I can sell cheap silkroad gold to anyone who want.

LegalTR said...

NesMedya Haber Video Oyun Seo Yarışması | Domainistiyorum.net 2009 ödüllü seo yarışması
http://www.m4hsun.info/ http://seoyarismasi.m4hsun.info/ http://linksisseoyarismasi.m4hsun.info/ http://www.legaltr.net/ http://legaltr.net/ http://noraseo.turkiyehizmet.com http://noraseo.wordpress.com/

Seo said...

NesMedya Haber Video Oyun Seo Yarışması | Domainistiyorum.net 2009 ödüllü seo yarışması | LegalTR | LegalTR | Attack | Seo | Ödüllü Nora Seo yarışması | Ödüllü Nora Seo yarışması

mike ahuja said...

this article really displays and gets across important ways in conducting how to live life :)