Repotting Plants Without Killing Them

Repotting plants can seem like an intimidating or messy task, but with the right information, and a little practice, it is a rather fun activity for you and your plants. In this article: What Does Repotting Plants Mean? Why Is It Important to Repot Plants? What Are the Signs That Plants Need Repotting? When Is…Continue Reading
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Coca-Cola Begins Testing a Paper Bottle

“Coca-Cola is to test a paper bottle as part of a longer-term bid to eliminate plastic from its packaging entirely,” reports the BBC: The prototype is made by a Danish company from an extra-strong paper shell that still contains a thin plastic liner. But the goal is to create a 100% recyclable, plastic-free bottle capable of preventing gas escaping from carbonated…

Bats that eat insects should be able to taste sweet food but can’t

Insectivorous bats have the same sweet taste receptors as fruit bats, but have lost the ability to actually taste sweet food Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2266718-bats-that-eat-insects-should-be-able-to-taste-sweet-food-but-cant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

How will the U.S. space program fare under Joe Biden?

Joe Biden is the United States presidential election winner, but his plans for NASA remain unclear. And while citizens digest the election results, the space industry is left wondering what comes next. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/how-will-the-u-s-space-program-fare-under-joe-biden…

Tech Giants Are Giving China a Vital Edge In Espionage.

schwit1 shares a report: The embrace between China’s intelligence services and Chinese businesses has gotten tighter, U.S. officials say. In 2017, under Xi’s intensifying authoritarianism, Beijing promulgated a new national intelligence law that compels Chinese businesses to work with Chinese intelligence and security agencies whenever they are requested to do so — a move that codified “what was pretty much what…

Why fitness training for worms and flies could make humans healthier

Creepy-crawlies can provide unique insights into how exercise benefits humans – but how do you get a fruit fly to drop and give you 20 or a nematode to run a marathon? Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833133-000-why-fitness-training-for-worms-and-flies-could-make-humans-healthier/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Rocking flies with a vibrating lullaby helps them sleep for longer

Fruit flies that are lulled by gentle vibrations while they fall sleep snooze for longer, a finding that could explain why babies like to be rocked or why people fall asleep in the car Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2261307-rocking-flies-with-a-vibrating-lullaby-helps-them-sleep-for-longer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Fruit flies reveal new insights into space travel’s effect on the heart

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that fruit flies that spent several weeks on the International Space Station (ISS)—about half of their lives—experienced profound structural and biochemical changes to their hearts. The study, published today in Cell Reports, suggests that astronauts who spend a lengthy amount of time in space—which would be required for formation of a…

Aaron Swartz’s Memory Honored with Virtual Hackathon

Saturday saw 2020’s virtual observation of the annual Aaron Swartz Day and International Hackathon, which the EFF describes as “a day dedicated to celebrating the continuing legacy of activist, programmer, and entrepreneur Aaron Swartz.” Its official web site notes the wide-ranging event includes “projects and ideas that are still bearing fruit to this day, such as SecureDrop, Open Library, and the…

‘Don’t Even Try Paying With Cash in China’

“It’s hard for those of us who live outside of China to grasp how paying for everything has gone digital in the country,” writes the New York Times, introducing a Q&A with technology reporter Ray Zhong (who used to live in Beijing): Most businesses there, from the fanciest hotels to roadside fruit stands, display a QR code — a type of…