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Scifi. Cores. Lombardy. Extraterrestrial Farmers To Raise Grain Without Soil? (Aeroponics) If you were to attempt to raise a garden utilizing only lunar or Martian soil, chances are that your precious plants would either die a horrible death or survive albeit malnourished. While there are probably exceptions to this rule (i.e. asparagus might be able to thrive within Martian dirt), the vast majority of terrestrial plants will need terrestrial soil in order to thrive, which poses a huge problem for humanity (as people need to eat off world, let alone find employment).

Instead of importing tons of terrestrial soil from the homeworld or manufacturing large quantities from humans , it’s probably wiser to raise them without soil thanks to aeroponics. Growing plants without any soil may conjure up images from a Star Trek movie, but it’s hardly science fiction. Aeroponics, as one soilless cultivation process is called, grows plants in an air or mist environment with no soil and very little water.

BBC Nature - Nature's guide to immortality. 2 June 2011Last updated at 01:15 By Emma Brennand Reporter, BBC Nature Bonobos, like many other primates, age gracefully Ageing apes, ancient clams and a jellyfish that never dies reveal how some species attempt to extend their own mortality.

BBC Nature - Nature's guide to immortality

From the moment they are born into the dense jungle of Central Africa, the biological clock is ticking for baby bonobos. A recent study, published in the journal Science, revealed that all primates - from men to monkeys - roughly age in the same way, with a high risk of dying in infancy, a low risk of dying as juveniles and then an increasing risk of dying as they aged.

Bananas have been hopelessly inbred clones for the last 7,000 ... The spring-loaded harpoon weeds which are invading the Southwest.