Jack Bearskin

Looking at this image, you may start wondering what it is exactly: toilet rolls in a factory, the paper stock of a printing company or maybe even a magnified image of a piece of chalk ? Good guess but nothing of the above is true, this picture is an enlarged image of the pelt of a polar bear, made with an electronmicroscope. This 'photograph' tells us why we will never see a polar bear with chattering teeth: the hairs of the fur are hollow on the inside and thus the air will stay inside these cavities and prevent the warmth from escaping simply because air itself is a poor conductor of heat. That same air prevents the hairs of sticking together, so when the polar bear goes out for a swim, he will be able to simply shake the water of his back when he returns for a quick nap. The last benefit of this pelt is the fact that it serves as a natural raincoat because these hairs are covered with an oily like layer on top of them. So when you ask me which coat I'd like to wear when I'm crossing the Alps, you can expect: "Definitely a Jack Bearskin !"

Do you know White Elephant ?!

In Thailand and Burma a white elephant is regarded as a sign that the monarch rules with justice and the kingdom blesses with peace and prosperity. In Buddhism , a white elephant was with the birth of Buddha , as his mother was reputed to have dreamed of a white elephant presenting her with a lotus flower, a symbol of wisdom and purity, on the eve of giving birth. Determining whether or not an elephant possesses special features is a daunting task and requires a physical check of the animal's body, which includes hair, tail, eyes, toenails, genitals, and the roof of the mouth and skin and these body parts must be confirmed to those defined "special characteristics." According to ancient royal Thai traditions, a white elephant is a noble beast of special importance, exemplifying a king's honor and glory. A white elephant as a gift to a king will bring about prosperity and happiness throughout the kingdom. Now you must know what exactly meaning of “ White Elephant” is .

Pitchapa CHOMDUANG

Cowpea as a model plant for agricultural research

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important tropical leguminous because it provides food for millions of small scale farmers living in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. It dried seeds, green pods, and leaves are consumed as human food, whereas the dried haulm is used for livestock feed. Cowpea is also well known in Sub-Saharan Africa for its outstanding ability to survive under water stress condition and as a result, it plays an important role in regions where drought is by far the most threatening factor limiting crop yield. Recent research carried out by Sharon Durham shows that cowpea plants also have the ability for not only indirectly perceive pathogen attacks but can protect themselves against these microbes by developing a defense mechanism in response to the attacks. For example in the case of attack from Armyworms, (a group of related caterpillars that defoliate crop plants), the digestive protein fragments produced by these worms is perceive by the cowpea plant as an insect attack and begin a series of biochemical response by the production of ethylene and a series of other defense-related phytohormones triggers by inceptin (a small peptide) from the armyworm. The understanding of this mechanism can help Scientists in their guest of finding a way to intensify the defense response of plants, thus boosting plant ability to self protection.

Nkouannessi Magloire

Plants with feelings?

Every time we caress a plant, channels sensitive for distension are sending an electric signal to induce the production of plant's building blocks lignin and cellulose. Within twenty minutes after the first caress, the plant hormone ethylene drips out of the pores, stimulating plant cells and regulating plant growth. For chamber plants our attention could be a welcome substitute for the daily natural stimulants they would get in open nature by the wind. The increased sensitivity of chamber plants for vibration could even be broadened to stimulation due to sound and speech: when talking, the produced high frequencies and to a higher extent the produced carbon dioxide could enhance plant's changes of survival. Cleve Backster, a former Interrogation Specialist with the CIA, conducted controversial experiments by applying his “lie detector” on plants, which made him believe that plants are actually sentient and are even able to communicate with other life forms. This theory of “primary perception” is however largely regarded as a pseudoscience due to the very low reproducibility of the experiments and the lack of real scientific evidence.

Bart Vandenbossche

Gene-for-gene relationship

The concept of gene-for-gene co-evolution is a major model for research on the evolution of resistance against parasites in crop plants, reciprocal evolution between species in natural plant populations, and mathematical models of the dynamics of co-evolution. Harold H. Flor discovered this relationship which suggested that for each gene conditioning resistance in the host, there was a corresponding gene conditioning pathogenicity and his study allowed him to deduce what is popularly known as the gene-for-gene hypothesis. His interpretation of host-parasite genetic interaction has proven to be a critically important paradigm in plant pathology and of extraordinary utility in the breeding of disease resistant cultivars. Flor extensively used this his hypothesis and explained genetic relationships in different rusts and in other diseases, as well as in diverse symbiotic relationships such as plants and herbivorous insects. Recent studies have begun to challenge the prevailing view that natural selection within local plant populations is the major evolutionary process driving this form of co-evolution. The emerging pattern from these studies suggests that metapopulation structure, including the effects of gene flow and genetic drift, may be at least as important as local natural selection in determining the genetic dynamics and outcomes of these evolutionary arms races.

Patrick Mawuenyegan Norshie

The Secret Life of Honeybees

Have you ever wondered how honeybees navigate their way and return to the hive after rambling flight in pursuit of food? You will be surprised when you find out some of the fascinating things that bee biologists, entomologists and botanists have found about the secret life of the bees and their world. These crucial part of wildlife communities appeared to be an automatic pilot; they measure distance traveled using the flow of images of the ground across their retinas. They are also able to orient themselves according to the sun’s angle in the sky to make their return journeys. This ability is because of their five spectacular eyes that are capable to capture light rays from a small angle of view. So whenever you see a honeybee don’t think that it got lost.

Negin Ebrahimi

Agroforestry- Malawi’s Journey towards Sustainable Development

Agroforestry seems to be the answer to the Malawi nation´s concerns over environmental degradation as it provides and meets human needs without destroying and degrading natural resources but at the same time conserving it. According to International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (1984), Agroforestry is a collective term for all land use practices and systems in which woody perennials are grown on the same land management unit as annual crops or/and animals. In this system, the woody perennials provide the unit with biomass which reduces raindrop impact, provides fodder and soil nutrients through biomass decomposition. It also protects the soil from erosion through the soil binding effect. The animals provide the farm with milk, meat, faecal manure and also farm power thus reducing farm costs and nutritional problems in the farm. Lastly, the crops also provide the farm with food, cash after crop sales and also play a role in nutrient cycling.

Rachel Isabel Mkandawire