http://io9.com/5949058/what-do-fruits-and-vegetables-look-like-inside-an-mri-short-answer-whoa
Scientists invent transparent soil to reveal the secret life of plants Lettuce grown in transparent soil developed by researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland Most people’s image of plants is actually upside down. For most of our photosynthetic friends, the majority of the plant is underground in the form of an intricate system of roots. The bit that sticks up is almost an afterthought. That’s a problem for scientists trying to study plants because growing them in media that allow you to see the roots, such as hydroponics, doesn't mimic real soil very well. Now, a team of researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland has developed an artificial transparent soil that allows scientists to make detailed studies of root structures and subterranean soil ecology on a microscopic level.
Bursts Of Color Brighten An Already-Brilliant Sky Every year in the early spring, Hindus deck out their homes in lush pigments to observe Holi—the festival of colors. The holiday’s significance in the Hindu tradition is vast and varied, but Holi has also carved a secular niche, as public celebrations take place in cities all over the globe. To honor tradition, or simply to have a good time, attendees throw fistfuls of vibrant pigments at one another and leave festivals looking something like this: 6 Fun Science Experiments for Kids My kids love to work on science experiments so I’m always on the look out for simple kids science projects that we can do at home, using items we have around the house. These science experiments I found look like fun. Remember to provide supervision as needed and keep your kids away from harmful chemicals! Crystal Geodes Here’s one from Martha Stewart that is actually a great way to decorate eggs for Easter too.
30 Challenges for 30 Days Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first few days are similar as to how you would imagine the birth of a new river. Full of enthusiasm it gushes forth, only to be met by strong obstacles. The path is not clear yet, and your surroundings don’t agree. Old habits urge you to stay the same.
Fluorescent green eels, glowing red fish and acid yellow corals: Scuba diver captures extraordinary images of creatures that light up the ocean floor when exposed to ultraviolet light London-based diving instructor, Alex Tyrrell, captured the images while working near the Philippines and Thailand Bright green, red and yellow colours were enhanced with ultraviolet and blue-filtered light to see the unique effectThe images include an anemone hermit crab, a fluorescent mushroom coral and striking vivid yellow and green eel By Ellie Zolfagharifard Published: 14:53 GMT, 10 September 2013 | Updated: 14:56 GMT, 10 September 2013
Biologists learn how plants synthesize their growth hormone auxin Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have succeeded in unraveling, for the first time, the complete chain of biochemical reactions that controls the synthesis of auxin, the hormone that regulates nearly all aspects of plant growth and development. Their discovery, detailed in a paper in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will allow agricultural scientists to develop new ways to enhance or manipulate auxin production to improve the growth and yield of crops and other plants. More than a century ago, Charles Darwin noticed that plants produced a substance that made them bend toward light, a hormone called auxin that biologists have since found to be essential not only in regulating plant growth but also in patterning their development. In 2006, a team of San Diego researchers headed by Yunde Zhao, an associate professor of biology at UC San Diego, discovered a family of 11 genes involved in the synthesis of auxin.
Forgotten Legends In the Land Of The Hyper Surreal: Our Q&A With Alex McLeod Alex McLeod is a Canadian 3D artist who uses digital tools to create hyper surreal landscapes, which will have an air of uncanny familiarity to anyone who’s ever virtually set foot inside a video game. Shiny digital surfaces coat the bulbous, soft geometry of a Super Mario World background, and castles lie barricaded on top of their foam kingdoms. These fantastical landscapes are tweaked into life using the modern animators artillery of Cinema 4D, Photoshop, and AfterEffects. paint chip calendar A few weeks ago, I saw this paint chip calendar on my friend David’s blog Cheltenham Road and knew I had to make one! It combines two things that I love…stylishness and organization. And the fact that it utilizes paint chips?
Essential Studio Techniques: How to Stretch Your Own Canvas In this day and age when you can buy a pre-stretched, pre-primed canvas in virtually any size, there’s still nothing quite like the feeling of doing it yourself. And for artists who paint a lot, it can certainly be more affordable when you buy the materials in bulk. Materials you’ll need: Flowers in Ultra-Violet The compilation of species will continue to be updated at irregular intervals. All species listed here have been documented, and links are added whenever I can find spare time for updating. These images are made for illustrative purposes, not as artistic statements per se. However, there are lots of food for thought in the convoluted ways Nature expresses itself, so for once the artist can step backand let the subjects speak for themselves. "Das Ding an Sich" to paraphrase Kant, or Eigenvalue of Nature.
Geometric Tattoos Peter Aurisch is a tattoo master from Berlin. Using a great mix of geometry lines and bold and fine colors Peter is definitely standing out with his tattoo style. Do you maybe plan to make another tattoo this summer? Check these outstanding tattoos and make a decision if you want to visit Berlin!
Stenciling with Bleach So here’s tutorial #3 in the bleach series! It’s an easy way to customize a shirt, fabric by removing color instead of adding it. For my first project I used a $1 doily as my stencil. I placed it on a navy t-shirt and sprayed a mist of bleach over top: I moved the stencil to another location and sprayed again. You can see the color starting to change at the top:
Film features: The 20 Best Movie Drinking Games It's St Patrick's Day, and no doubt the pressure is on to head downtown for a few jars this evening (or, if you're a student, when doors open). For the budding film fanatic, though, that cuts into viewing time, so here's the ideal way to keep inebriates and cinephiles alike happy. We've compiled some of the best movie drinking games from the collective wisdom of web-based boozers, as well as adding a few on our own.