Where did wines come from? The answer is several places, as new genetic techniques make clear. This story from Scientific American (via Nature Briefings) points to an origin in the earliest Neolithic, although the first ones were probably table grapes rather than booze grapes.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wines-true-origins-are-finally-revealed/
Where are all the birds going? The answer is probably to extinction, if you read this excellent link from the RSPB. Silent spring indeed.
The Diet of Worms Any gardener will know of the amazing work done by our humble earthworm chums-digging, aerating, recycling, to name but a few- but now it seems they are pretty largely responsible for putting the food on our plate. Nature Briefings, Earthworms add big slice of global grain
Earthworms boost crop yields by more than 140 million metric tons annually — equivalent to one slice of bread in every loaf, for wheat alone. The creatures churn and aerate the soil, help the land to hold on to water and release nutrients, and trigger plants to grow and defend themselves against pathogens. Farmers and policymakers should consider ways to make agriculture more worm-friendly, such as by plowing (sic) less often, suggests ecologist Steven Fonte, who led the first-of-its-kind estimate of wormy goodness. “They don’t respond well to tractors chopping them in half,” says Fonte. “Despite popular belief, you don’t get two earthworms.”Science | 5 min read
Reference: Nature Communications paper
Nasty narcissists pick on women Whenever anyone from any political party comes to our door, we treat them with studious respect. They are giving up their time, and doubtlessmuch income so that we have the privilege of living in a democracy. So the news that people so engaged, especially women, fills us with despair at the mindset of people who spend their time churning out narcissistic abuse and petulant threats. Here’s The Conversation
Just Relax! We love this sequence from the Aviator wherein Howard Hughes (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Katherine Hepburn(Cate Blanchett) take a late night tour of the skies of Los Angeles, to the gentle music of Benny Goodman. Five great names in one paragraph!
#extinction #wine #dna #trolls #the aviator
Learning, Science and Society 