Do you love plants and all things to do with gardens? In our #GreatGardens series, we revisit our top eight episodes which feature the planet’s wildest sub-tropical landscapes and quintessential rural retreats.
Monthly Archives: June 2020
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (JUNE 19, 2020)
Top New Science Podcasts: Universities Post-Covid And Drones Fighting Mosquito-Borne Disease
Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Mervis joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about how universities are dealing with the financial crunch brought on by the coronavirus. Jeff discusses how big research universities are balancing their budgets as federal grants continue to flow, but endowments are down and so is the promise of state funding.
Mosquito-borne infections like Zika, dengue, malaria, and chikungunya cause millions of deaths each year. Nicole Culbert and colleges write this week in Science Robotics about a new way to deal with deadly mosquitoes—using drones. The drones are designed to drop hundreds of thousands of sterile male mosquitoes in areas with high risk of mosquito-borne illness. The idea is that sterile male mosquitoes will mate with females and the females then lay infertile eggs, which causes the population to decline. They found this drone-based approach is cheaper and more efficient than other methods of releasing sterile mosquitoes and does not have the problems associated with pesticide-based eradication efforts such as resistance and off-target effects.
Future Of Houseboating: “Lounge Boat” By German Firm FINCKH ARCHITEKTEN
“Houseboats in the ‘Tom Sawyer wooden hut style’ are still widespread in the tourist sector,” architect Chris Finckh explains the idea behind the new development. “We wanted to build a boat that would allow you to experience the changing natural and urban spaces intensively and in a very special way from the water. It should be a powerful touring houseboat with a high standard of aesthetics and functionality.
“The boat-loving architects, Chris Finckh and Tanja Wunderlich-Finckh, teamed up with Haus & Boot Manufaktur Magdeburg, which specializes in advice, planning and building individual houseboats is and implemented the planning of the architects.
The lounge boat is 44 square meters, has four beds and a small bathroom with all the necessary amenities. It is approved for inland waters (category D), but can also sail larger rivers such as the Elbe or Havel as a version with more motorization. As a spatial extension, there is a U-shaped roof terrace, which is designed as a lounge area and is accessible via a ladder at the rear.
“We have already used the noraplan uni rubber flooring more often in residential construction, it is perfectly suited for the high-quality material concept of the lounge boat,” Finckh continues. “With its silky matt surface and pleasant feel, the material looks extremely classy”.
The prototype of the new touring houseboat, which is currently in Werder an der Havel, meets the highest demands in terms of aesthetics and functionality. The color is limited to a minimum, so that there is a lot of space for experiencing nature. The materials also had to match the high-quality ambience and the puristic room concept.
The architect therefore chose the rubber covering noraplan uni from nora systems. The special feature: Not only the floors of the lounge boat, but also the walls were covered with the product. The design classic with its subtle light gray and matt surface ideally underlines the classy, puristic look.
Top New Campers: “Scout Yoho” – “Lightweight, Off-Grid” Camper For Trucks
The Scout Yoho is the lightest hardwall camper in the truck camping industry today, weighing a base weight of 913 lbs* dry, sleeping up to 4, and built for mid-size trucks.
It was developed for individuals and families who want an exceptionally lightweight, highly-durable, and versatile adventure vehicle. This camper is like a backpack for your truck – inside it contains all the camping equipment you need for off-grid adventures and the portability to take out and use the components outside.
Powered by the Sun
The Renogy 160W Monocrystalline Solar Panel is capable, durable, and reliable. Built-in standard to every camper, this solar panel can withstand the elements from heavy snow to strong winds. It’s high-quality construction and multi-layered sheet laminations enhance cell performance and ensure a long-lasting solar system.
Top New Audio Programs: “Daydreaming In The Life Artois – Disco Ball” Read By Andy Cohen (Stella Artois)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l34XOENTEQ
Daydreaming in the Life Artois is a weekly audio series of summer stories that transports listeners to the summer life we once savored together before isolation and look forward to enjoying again – hopefully, sometime soon. Written by some of America’s most celebrated and rising writers, our stories aim to give our audience a much needed mental escape. Narrated by Andy Cohen. Running from June 12 to July 17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPht8jU7gBI&list=PLbjg0u-xHzk20VcrWbTpMxuQckomuaB9M&index=4&t=0s
Top New Travel Videos: “Nature Showreel 2019” In Europe By Hans Leysieffer
Filmed and Edited by: Hans Leysieffer
Sequences mainly from my first feature film “Ars Natura” which has beside other nominations and awards been nominated as “Best Independent Production” at the European leading GREEN SCREEN International Wildlife Filmfestival Eckernförde 2019. “Ars Natura” is a 95 min non-verbal emotional and meditative movie about the beauty of nature and life based on an inspiring surround sound track.
Music: “Harpoon” by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, and Ellie Kidd
Movie website: arsnatura-thefilm.com
Travel Books: “Sailing The Seas – A Voyager’s Guide To Oceanic Getaways” (2020)
Sailing the Seas will take readers on a series of nautical adventures across the globe, from the coast of the USA down to the Caribbean, through classic Mediterranean voyages and on trips in far-flung locations such as Thailand and French Polynesia. Presenting a fresh, younger side of sailing, this volume reveals the sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences that can be had on board a boat.
Since the dawn of time, exploring the world by boat has been seen as the pinnacle of freedom. There is no greater adventure than setting sail, at the mercy of the wind, being sprayed by salty water as you voyage from island to island and sea to sea, discovering new landscapes and cultures.
With beautiful photos of locations, detailed itineraries, and “Captain’s Notes” filled with useful tips and insights on destinations, Sailing the Seas will inspire novice sailors and “old salts” alike to take to the waves.
Text and preface by Dayyan Armstrong and Ross Beane
Sailing Collective is comprised of an energetic group of captains, culinary artists, and explorers with a shared enthusiasm for adventure. Their passion lies in curating journeys to the world’s most exotic locations, captained and crewed by talented professionals.
Top New Science Podcasts: Tougher Diamonds, Whale Hideouts & Ancient Incest
This week, researchers make diamonds tough, and evidence of incest in a 5,000 year old tomb.
In this episode:
00:51 Tough versus hard
Diamonds are famed for their hardness, but they are not so resistant to fracture. Now, researchers have toughened up diamonds, which could open up new industrial applications. Research Article: Yue et al.
06:07 Research Highlights
A spacecraft helps physicists work out the lifespan of a neutron, and the icy hideaway of an endangered whale. Research Highlight: The vanishing-neutron mystery might be cracked by a robot in outer space; Research Highlight: A secluded icy fortress shelters rare whales
08:33 Ancient inbreeding
Analysis of the genomes of humans buried in an ancient Irish tomb has uncovered many surprises, including evidence of incest amongst the elite. Research Article: Cassidy et al.; News and Views: Incest uncovered at the elite prehistoric Newgrange monument in Ireland
21:13 #ShutdownSTEM
Nature reporter Nidhi Subbaraman joins us to talk about the #ShutdownSTEM movement, and anti-black racism in academia. Editorial: Note from the editors: Nature joins #ShutDownSTEM; News: Grieving and frustrated: Black scientists call out racism in the wake of police killings; News: Thousands of scientists worldwide to go on strike for Black lives; News: How #BlackInTheIvory put a spotlight on racism in academia
Top Artist Profiles: Abigail McBride – Oil Paintings With The “Heart Of A Poet”
Compelled to chronicle the life and world around her, Abigail Faye McBride paints with the heart of a poet. Her oil paintings and charcoal drawings bear witness to a time, person or passing glimmer of light. Abigail paints landscape, figure and still life working interchangeably with brush and palette knife. Collectors, nationally and internationally, appreciate the color, mood and elegance of her work.
A consummate Cape School colorist, the draftsmanship in her work is born of an academic interest in the portrait and figure. Her work blends traditional subject matter with modern design sensibilities. She is part of a new breed of perceptual painters working from direct observation be it plein air or in the studio. Though often free of narrative, her work is grounded in the present day as a contemporary interpretation of genre painting.
Boomers Daily 