Plant Life – Page 7

Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Latest News, Medical Breakthrough, New Discoveries, New Viewpoints, Plant Life, Science & Technology News

Major breakthrough on how viruses infect plants

August 17, 2011

CSIRO plant scientists have shed light on a problem that has puzzled researchers since the first virus was discovered in 1892 — how exactly do they cause disease?

In a major breakthrough that helps us better understand how viruses cause diseases in plants — and potentially in animals and humans — Dr Ming-Bo Wang and Neil Smith of CSIRO Plant Industry have revealed a genetic mechanism that enables viral organisms to infect hosts and cause diseases…

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Food, Health & Fitness, Plant Life, Record Breaker

‘Micro melons’ are 20 times smaller than regular size

July 29, 2011

Small but perfectly formed Pepquino “micro melons” have been launched, 20 times smaller than their full size counterparts.

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Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, Crazy Stuff, Green Friendly, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, New Discoveries, Plant Life, Science & Technology News

Pour a shot of Tequila-in your gas tank

July 28, 2011

Agave can be a fuel?

It fuels your party, your buzz and your hangover the next day, but believe it or not tequila may soon be fueling your car. That’s because the agave plant extract used to make liquor can also be used to make an ethanol like alcohol which can serve as vehicle fuel, won’t interfere with food crops, and can even be grown in the desert…

Someday, our cars may hit the bottle more often than we do, but at least it won’t be hitting our wallets very hard.

Link

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Architecture, Breakthrough Thinking, Business, Plant Life

Future Farm: a sunless, rainless room indoors

July 14, 2011

Gertjan Meeuws of PlantLab

Farming is moving indoors, where the sun never shines, where rainfall is irrelevant and where the climate is always right.

The perfect crop field could be inside a windowless building with meticulously controlled light, temperature, humidity, air quality and nutrition. It could be in a New York high-rise, a Siberian bunker, or a sprawling complex in the Saudi desert. (w/video & pics)

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Architecture, Crazy Stuff, Photo Perspectives, Plant Life

Sweden’s hotel of treehouses

July 2, 2011

Tree Hotel in Sweden

Sweden’s unusual Tree Hotel does away with standardized rooms and instead puts guests up in a variety of design-y treehouses. A variety of architectural firms and the Tree Hotel partnered up to design distinct and unusual spaces all built in trees except for the ground-touching sauna. (Pics)

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Great New Product, Plant Life, Science & Technology News

Leafsnap – New App Recognizes Trees

June 10, 2011

Leafsnap mobile app

Did you ever wondered what type of tree was nearby but didn’t have a way to identify it? A new smartphone app allows users with no formal training to satisfy their curiosity and contribute to science at the same time.

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Great Videos, Plant Life, Robots, Science & Technology News

Treebot – A Robot That Climbs Trees

May 29, 2011

Treebot

Treebot is a robot that was designed to climb trees. The robot was designed by a team at The Chinese University of Hong Kong for the express purpose of shimmying up trees autonomously, figuring out the best route up a trunk using built-in touch sensors. (video)

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Analysis, Animals, Great Videos, Plant Life, Science & Technology News

Inventing the Rocking Chair Tree

May 27, 2011

Futurist Thomas Frey: On Tuesday evening we had a packed audience at the DaVinci Institute to discuss the future of micro farming. Admittedly, we weren’t terribly well organized and the range of topics we touched on were far more than most of us could reasonably consider in a single setting. But for those who took part in the discussion groups, some amazing ideas came to light.

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Breakthrough Thinking, Culture, Economy, Food, Green Friendly, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Plant Life

US Missing Out On Agricultural Millions Because The DEA Can’t Distinguish Hemp From Pot

May 5, 2011

If this country REALLY wants to get out of debt, legalize hemp!

In case you missed it (and you certainly may have in the midst of other current world affairs) it’s Hemp History Week. The second annual one in fact. I imagine most readers don’t need much convincing that the US ought to legalizeindustrial hemp production–remember, though it’s perfectly legal to important hemp products into the US, it’s illegal under Federal law to grow hemp–so I won’t regale you with all the reasons I think hemp prohibition (alongside marijuana prohibition) is, to be blunt, moronic…

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Breakthrough Thinking, Ecological Products, Green Friendly, New Inventions, Plant Life, Science & Technology News, Solar Power

First Practical Artificial Leaf Developed

May 4, 2011

The first practical artificial leaf shows promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes in developing countries.

Scientists debut development of the first practical artificial leaf, one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy. The scientists described an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The solar cell mimics the process, called photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy.

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Great New Product, Green Friendly, Plant Life, Science & Technology News

PepsiCo Unveils World’s First Plastic Bottle Made Entirely From Plant-based Materials

March 17, 2011

PepsiCo’s 100% plant-based bottle.

Remember the Cola Wars? Get ready for the Bottle Wars. PepsiCo Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a bottle made entirely of plant material, which it says bests the technology of competitor Coca-Cola and reduces its potential carbon footprint.

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Art, Breakthrough Thinking, Ecological Products, Great New Product, New Viewpoints, Plant Life

Bury These Comic Books in the Ground, And They’ll Grow Plants

February 23, 2011

Sprout your own super hero plants.

A company called Sprout Home sells superhero comic books that, if you plant them in the ground, grow herbs. Each is sold in a plastic sleeve in mint condition should you choose not to bury yours…

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