Pea aphid on alfalfa
How Falling Aphids Land on Their Feet Like Cats
by Ed Yong
Cats are famous for landing on their feet after a fall, but they aren’t the only animals that do so. The tiny pea aphid can also right itself in mid-air, and it does so in a way that’s far simpler than a falling feline. Continue reading
For reasons we never fully understand, an old post suddenly gets a large number of views. It happened yesterday with this one. Okay, we get that people are interested in understanding as much as possible about environmental issues such as fracking and they pursue as many sources of information as possible to stay apprised. Search engine algorithms connect them on occasion to items our cabinet of curiosities. The news stories, photos and videos and personal accounts collected on this blog–are meant to add up to something, but we do not fret about the calculus. We just keep on looking, gathering, posting and expect the points to make themselves. It may be the occasional coincidences that fuel our commitment to this improvisational approach.
Photo credits: Joshy Manjummel
A night on Lake Vembanad is a night surrounded by nothing but the vast expanse of sky and water floating on house boats made in the traditional handcrafted style. Continue reading
Rancho Mirage, CA
Green Blog shares this news about a significant innovation at the intersection of crowdfunding, renewables and community welfare in Africa and Asia:
By visiting Web sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you can give money to any number of causes. These Web sites collect small amounts from many individuals in what is known as crowdfunding to finance everything from business start-ups to charitable causes to art projects.
While online crowdfunding is still relatively new, it has already demonstrated that many small contributions can add up. Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, estimates that the largest 30 crowdfunding sites raised more than $1.5 billion over the last five years, and expects that in 2013 alone the number could be $3 billion.
Ernakulam
Sharing technology, data, knowhow. Pooling resources in the common interest across regions of the tropical world for the sake of biodiversity conservation. Take a look at what TEAM is doing. A six minute video appears on the Guardian‘s website, providing much-appreciated coverage:
One million images of wildlife in 16 tropical forests around the world have been captured by the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network. Since it began its work in 2008 to monitor changes in wildlife, vegetation and climate, cameras in the the Americas, Africa and Asia have photographed more than 370 different species including elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, large cats, honey badgers, tapirs and tropical birds Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Theyyam is a synthesis of tribal, Dravidian and Aryan cultural practices. It seems as if Northern Kerala believed that the Indian pantheon of 33 crores (330 million) Gods was not a large enough contingent, they added ancestors and heroes to the list and gave them a special space in the Theyyam rituals.
Continue reading
If these are not available where you live, try a homecrafted version of the same using this organization’s schematic plans:
What Is A Windowfarm?
A Windowfarm is a vertical, indoor garden that allows for year-round growing in almost any window. It lets plants use natural window light, the climate control of your living space, and organic “liquid soil.”
In the hydroponic system, nutrient-spiked water is pumped up from a reservoir at the base of the system and trickles down from bottle to bottle, bathing the roots along the way. Water and nutrients that are not absorbed collect in the reservoir and will be pumped through again at the next interval. Continue reading
Petunias are a low spreading plants with downy leaves and multicolored flowers. These attractive plants are members of the solanaceae family. There are about 35 different species of petunias. Continue reading
Yelapa, Mexico
Thevara Ferry Junction, Ernakulam
Thanks to this book review in the New York Times we see Katrina in a light similar to that of several other remarkable people we have strongly urged to visit our neck of the woods. Katrina’s work is illustrated above and in these images from her website.
From the description of her new book we would find some of this work challenging (as anatomical renderings can sometimes be), but from an artistic, craft/technical and scientific point of view, phenomenal:
There is more to a bird than simply feathers. And just because birds evolved from a single flying ancestor, doesn’t mean they are structurally all the same. With over 300 stunning drawings representing 200 species, The Unfeathered Bird is the most richly illustrated book on bird anatomy ever produced and offers a refreshingly original insight into what goes on beneath the surface. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Flower Garlands play an important role in the culture and traditions of India, crossing all religious and economic lines. Garlands are used for all ceremonies and welcome rituals: weddings, birthdays, offerings to Temples and blessings, now not exclusively for Hindus. Continue reading
Your public servants are hard at work, innovating at the intersection of waste, love and water. Make a Valentine’s Day reservation with your romantic counterpart to visit this spot in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, as per the press release:
Department of Environmental Protection Announces Second Annual Valentine’s Day Tours of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
For Those Seeking an Alternative Valentine’s Day Experience, a Tour of the Greenpoint Plant Will Both Educate Visitors on the Essential Wastewater Treatment Process and Provide Breathtaking Views of the City from Atop the Famous Digester Eggs
Continue reading
Searching for the truly authentic image: Gerhard Richter’s paintings invite a deep engagement. Abstraktes Bild 809-4. Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
We are finding more reasons to pay attention to this publication each time we dig deeper into it. This artist, his art form, this writer, and the intersection of these ideas are all worth the 30-40 minutes this article grips your attention for:
I was in my teens when I first started to really look at paintings. Although I didn’t just look, I bathed in them, and I was perpetually teased by my friends for the tremendous length of time it took me to navigate an art gallery. This pleasure of looking and of being completely absorbed in painting has remained constant; whether ancient or modern, figurative or abstract, and whatever the style, I am prepared to give every work the chance to lure me in.
What is so compelling? When art was an adjunct of religion, its power was clear. But from the Renaissance on, painting, at least in the Western tradition, has preoccupied itself as intensely with secular as with overtly religious subject matter, or else with no subject at all. Continue reading
‘Outstanding opportunity for change’ – Global Ocean Commission launches
The Global Ocean Commission, an independent body of international leaders, launches today (12th February) with the aim of reversing degradation of the ocean and restoring it to full health and productivity.
Chaired by former Costa Rican President José María Figueres, South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel and former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP, the Commission brings together senior political figures including former Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and Finance Ministers from around the world, alongside business leaders and development specialists. Continue reading
Strawberries belong to the family Fragaria ananassa, a genus of flowering plants in the rose family or Rosaceae. The popular fruit are cultivated worldwide. Continue reading
Organikos 