Curieuse Island is a small granitic island 1.13 sq mi in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin. Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles, only growing on the two neighboring islands.
All posts by She Seeks Serene
Evolution: How Nature Is Adapting To Urban Sprawl
It’s a new and surprising chapter in the theory of evolution. According to recent studies, it’s in our cities, of all places, that animals and plants adapt particularly quickly to changing living conditions.
Nature’s response to the spread of cities is astonishing: Why do catfish in the river of a French city systematically prey on urban pigeons on the banks? Why do female birds on a university campus in California suddenly change their mating behavior? How do mice in New York’s Central Park cope with an altered diet of human food waste? How have killifish in the Atlantic built up resistance to deadly chemical waste?
And, is it possible for moths to adapt to nighttime light pollution? New research provides surprising new insights into Darwin’s theory of evolution. Nowhere else do animals and plants adapt so quickly to new living conditions as in cities. Biologists have long known that animals and plants occupy new habitats in the vicinity of humans.
But now, new genetic analyses show that these adaptations are accompanied by significant changes in DNA. Even more surprising: these evolutionary changes have not occurred over periods of millennia, but within just a few decades. The process has amazed scientists, who watch as nature transforms even our most hostile man-made interventions — pollution, light pollution, noise, garbage and dense development — into creative energy for new adaptations. Some researchers believe that our cities may soon develop their own, brand-new life forms. What are the implications of these developments for the balance between humans and nature on our planet?
Harvests: Peppers Turn A Serbian Village ‘Crimson’
Donja Lokosnica is an unassuming agricultural village in Serbia. That is until it’s time for the annual pepper harvest, where around 250 out of 280 households in the village engage in growing the crimson crop. The sweet peppers are the lifeblood of the small village that produces 60,000 tons of peppers a year.
To learn more about how the Serbian farmers turn the quaint village a rich red, tune in brand new episodes of Europe From Above. Thursdays at 8pm, on National Geographic UK
Architect’s Tour: Toorak Residence In Melbourne
Approached with experience and discernment, Toorak Residence is an architectural dwelling with a considered interiority. Designed by Architecton, the luxury home embraces its context, enabling seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor space.
Video Timeline: 00:00 – The Local Project Print Publication 00:15 – Introduction to Architectural Toorak Residence 01:02 – The Levels and Layers of the Home 01:46 – Blurring the Lines Between Living and Landscape 02:30 – The Material Palette of the Architectural Home 03:15 – A Sculptural Champagne Cork 03:28 – Lighting Considerations 04:08 – A Range of Versatile Living Areas 04:44 – Ageing Like a Fine Champagne 05:13 – Subscribe to The Local Project Print Publication
Located in the affluent suburb of Toorak in close proximity to the Melbourne CBD, Toorak Residence is strong element in the impressive architectural environment. Marked externally by a bold sculpture, the home sits at over 1000 square metres and features three spacious levels. Arriving at Toorak Residence, the process of entry is elongated by carefully layered experiential details. Beyond the front gate lies an informal garden space – a tactile composition of pleasant greenery – which effortlessly navigates residents towards the main entrance. Stepping inside the architectural home, the material palette is intentionally restrained. Architecton champions concrete, natural stone, timber and glass as the ideal canvases for light and bases for architectural detail. Flowing out towards the landscape whilst internally welcoming sunlight, Toorak Residence does justice to the rigour of Artchitecton. A house tour reveals the architectural residence to be a peaceful dwelling, encouraging intuitive patterns of movement for superior living.
8K Views: The Landmarks & Landscapes Of Poland
Poland, country of central Europe. Poland is located at a geographic crossroads that links the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean and the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier.
Video timeline: 0:00 intro 0:15 Green field in Sułoszowa 0:23 Wooden house cover by the ice 0:34 Tatra mountains 0:40 Odra river 0:45 Krakow Traffic 0:50 Warsaw at night 1:29 Castle ruins 1:33 Rocky mountain 1:43 Field in Sułoszowa 1:51 Stare miasto 2:02 Castle ruins 2:13 Krzyżtopór Castle 2:23 Turbines 2:30 Warsaw at night 2:44 Castle ruins 2:58 Pieskowa skala 3:06 Wawel castle 2:14 Green mountain 3:18 Old castle 3:28 warsaw time-lapse 3:33 Culture and Science 3:44 Nowy castle 3:53 Krakow 4:08 Poland warsaw 4:34 Odra river 4:51 Night warsaw 4:55 Tatra mountain 5:04 Zakopane 5:15 Turbine 5:26 Kazimierz Dolny 5:36 Old castle 5:46 Clock Tower 5:56 Wawel royal castle 6:06 Renaissance castle 6:17 Stare miasto 6:27 Stare miasto 6:43 Capital of poland 6:55 Modern downtown 7:05 Clock Tower 7:17 Krakow 7:27 Krakow 7:37 Aerial View 7:47 Skyscrapers 7:58 Clock Tower 8:07 Turbine 8:19 Nowy wisnicz 8:29 Castle 8:40 Wroclaw 8:52 Poland at night 9:13 Royal castle 9:32 Clock Tower 9:52 Skyscraper 10:04 Clock Tower
Now bounded by seven nations, Poland has waxed and waned over the centuries, buffeted by the forces of regional history. In the early Middle Ages, Poland’s small principalities and townships were subjugated by successive waves of invaders, from Germans and Balts to Mongols.
In the mid-1500s, united Poland was the largest state in Europe and perhaps the continent’s most powerful nation. Yet two and a half centuries later, during the Partitions of Poland (1772–1918), it disappeared, parceled out among the contending empires of Russia, Prussia, and Austria.
Previews: History Today Magazine – September 2022
The Original Rock Star
200 years on from the deciphering of the most famous piece of rock in the world, what does reading the Rosetta Stone reveal?
Views: A Walking Tour Of Monaco (Summer 2022)
Monaco, French Principauté de Monaco, sovereign principality located along the Mediterranean Sea in the midst of the resort area of the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera). The city of Nice, France, lies 9 miles (15 km) to the west, the Italian border 5 miles (8 km) to the east. Monaco’s tiny territory occupies a set of densely clustered hills and a headland that looks southward over the Mediterranean. Many unusual features, however, have made Monaco among the most luxurious tourist resorts in the world and have given it a fame far exceeding its size.
News: Trump FBI Search, U.N. & Turkey Leaders In Ukraine, Mexico Violence
A Florida judge has given the Justice Department a week to decide what to make public regarding the search of former President Trump’s home.
The UN secretary general met with the presidents’ of Ukraine and Turkey in Lviv, Ukraine. A wave of violence in Mexico kept Tijuana residents at home after a cartel allegedly called for a curfew.
Front Page: Wall Street Journal – August 19, 2022
Mercenaries Enter Spotlight as Russian Troops Struggle in Ukraine
Wagner Group has proven indispensable in Russia’s few successes in Donbas, and now is expanding its recruitment drive to prisons as it seeks to replenish its losses.3177 min read
Research Preview: Science Magazine – August 19, 2022
Small stowaways on new NASA rocket promise big science
Batteries allowing, CubeSats will target lunar ice and more
China rises to first place in one key metric of research impact
Other methods still put the United States somewhat ahead
New law’s big payout for farming has uncertain climate payoff
Measures to capture carbon in soil may be less effective than hoped, scientists say
Bioengineering soybean plants to improve regulation of photoprotection—a natural process that enables plants to cope with excess absorbed light energy—improved soybean seed yield by up to 33% in field trials.
Read that study and more this week in Science: https://fcld.ly/r6g2kix
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