1 January warm spells, March freezes: How plants manage the shift from winter to spring. (link)
2 This Guardian article is a must-read: Is this the end of forests as we've known them? Trees lost to drought and wildfires are not returning. Climate change is taking a toll on the world's forests - and radically changing the environment before our eyes. (link)
3 If you read the piece in FINE Things 38 about the "marshmallow test" you'll be interested in this interview with the researcher. (If you didn't read it, this is a better read.) Cuttlefish delay gratification, a sign of smarts. The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future. (link)
4 The essential fly. Think before you swat: The much-maligned fly could be the key to ensuring future supplies of many of the world's favorite foods. (link)
2 This Guardian article is a must-read: Is this the end of forests as we've known them? Trees lost to drought and wildfires are not returning. Climate change is taking a toll on the world's forests - and radically changing the environment before our eyes. (link)
3 If you read the piece in FINE Things 38 about the "marshmallow test" you'll be interested in this interview with the researcher. (If you didn't read it, this is a better read.) Cuttlefish delay gratification, a sign of smarts. The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future. (link)
4 The essential fly. Think before you swat: The much-maligned fly could be the key to ensuring future supplies of many of the world's favorite foods. (link)
5 Recommended by Lili Ouzts: Yaupon: The rebirth of America's forgotten tea. It is North America's only known native caffeinated plant and once threatened the British East India Company. So why has the world forgotten about it? (link)
6 Pokeweed (AKA Poke sallet) is a green that's toxic if prepared incorrectly. This forgotten food of the American South was a dietary staple throughout Appalachia and the US South for generations. (link)
7 Recommended by Rosemary Woodel: Optical illusion; ship hovering above the sea. (link)
8 If you're confused about vaccine efficacy read this New York Times explanation. (link)
9 Here's a NYT podcast (and a transcript) with science journalist Carl Zimmer. It's about the pandemic and what awaits us this spring and summer. (link)
10 How the Silverswords of Hawaii evolved from a single seed, carried by a Golden Plover from California. Plus, what it means to be a "native" plant. (link)
11 2021 is a year when 17-yr. cicadas emerge in N. Georgia. This website has a lot of cicada information, great photos and even information about preventing damage to your trees. Return of periodical cicadas in 2021: Biology, Plant Injury and Management by Michael J. Raupp, Ph.D. (link)
12 Another great site for exploring information about cicadas. (link)
13 Rosemary Woodel recommends: How goats (and perhaps people) make up their minds. (link)
