Category: Uncategorized
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A rare invitation
Some invitations are sufficiently singular to merit an initial look of disbelief. Such was the one I recently received from the Zoologisk Museum (part of the Københavns Universitet). It was an invitation for a zebra barbecue. Let me say, simply, that it was the first party I have ever attended in a dissection room.
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A disturbance in the forest
The forests of Scandinavia look beautiful in the autumn. What secrets do they hold? Color changes are beginning. The red coloration you see here is surprising, because it is mostly North American species that turn red – European species are overwhelmingly more likely to turn yellow. The explanation for this pattern remains a matter of…
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X-rays and leaves
X-rays aren’t just for peering at broken bones. A few years ago I wondered if they could also be used to look at the structure of leaves – especially the venation network, which is the plant’s equivalent of a skeleton combined with a circulatory system. Looking at leaf veins with x-rays is an attractive idea…
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Mushroom season
Autumn is mushroom season, which for me means rainy forays into the woods. The appeal of fungi is difficult to explain. Perhaps it is the temporary appearance of these life-forms, or maybe the strange appearances they have. Or just the thrill of the hunt. In any case, a day in the woods is rarely spent…