
Biology
Plants & Animals News
First thing you need to know: Before doing anything else, you should simply click “play” and start watching the video above. It doesn’t take long for Robert Sapolsky , one of Stanford’s finest teachers, to pull you right into his course. Better to watch him than listen to me. Second thing to know: Sapolsky is a MacArthur Fellow, a world renowned neurobiologist, and an adept science writer best known for his book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers . Much of his research focuses on the interplay between the mind and body (how biology affects the mind, and the mind, the body), and that relationship lies at the heart of this course called “Human Behavioral Biology.” Now the third: Human Behavioral Biology is available on YouTube and iTunes for free.
Biology That Makes Us Tick: Free Stanford Course by Robert Sapolsky
When the evenings get particularly thick with mosquitoes where I live, I sometimes sit out in the yard with my daughters and look up at the fading sky. Before too long, a single bat will usually flit out of the nearby trees and start flying circles around the house, scooping up bugs along the way.
How To Be A Bat [Life in Motion] | The Loom
Main Exhibits | Bacteria
How to Grow Bioluminescent Algae at Home
Bioluminescence, which means "living light," occurs in fireflies , certain fungi and fish, and microorganisms like dinoflagellates, a species of algae . [1] Dinoflagellates in marine environments can multiply rapidly with the right combination of sunlight and nutrients, and when the water around them is agitated their distinctive blue or green glow becomes visible. Since a natural dinoflagellate "bloom" occurs only rarely, try growing them at home to experience the beauty of bioluminescence. Gather a few materials, set up the appropriate light and temperature conditions, and wait for nighttime to watch the algae sparkle and glow. <p style="text-align:right;color:#A8A8A8"></p>American botanist Lou Jost, one of the world's leading orchid hunters, is responsible for discovering 60 new species of orchid in the last decade alone. But it's his latest discovery that might be the most unique and unusual. "I found it among the roots of another plant that I had collected, another small orchid which I took back to grow in my greenhouse to get it to flower," he said of his latest discovery. "A few months later I saw that down among the roots was a tiny little plant that I realized was more interesting than the bigger orchid." As reported by The Independent , the minuscule new orchid is just 2.1 mm wide, and instantly supersedes the species Platystele jungermannioides as the world's smallest. In fact, the petals are so thin that they are just one cell thick and transparent.
World's smallest orchid discovered with petals only one cell thick
As far as the backyard garden at casa de radmegan goes, most of my vegetables have ceased production for the season. The pitchers on my carnivorous plants are browning. My sweet little alien-like conophytums and lithops were covered up last week to protect against too much rain. On the whole, my garden has closed up shop for the winter.
Indoor Tabletop Water Garden
Top 10 Most Dangerous Plants in the World
In the late '80s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America studied houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities. They found several plants that filter out common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Lucky for us the plants can also help clean indoor air on Earth, which is typically far more polluted than outdoor air.
15 houseplants for improving indoor air quality
What is pleasing to the eyes are conceived to be enticing to eat.
Unique and Weird-Looking Edible Plants
GENERAL INTEREST STUDENTS General Interest students may register for any designated general interest courses as long as they have taken the appropriate prerequisites (when required). General Interest students are not required to enroll in a certificate or diploma program. They are also not required to complete assignments or write exams for any course. However, it is highly recommended that they do so as it will enhance their learning experience. General Interest students who choose not to write exams or complete assignments for any course will be considered to have fulfilled the requirements of that course for the purposes of meeting prerequisite requirements for additional courses.

