A Community of Trees
As it turns out, trees often signal to each other through the use of root and symbiotic fungal systems. This communication can be used to send out requests for nutrients, information on growth, and perhaps even help trees plan for the future. At the center of it all is the "Mother Tree," often the oldest and tallest plant in the forest which helps move valuable nutrients from photosynthesis to the younger trees that are lacking in sunlight on the forest bed.
What's most amazing is that these networks aren't limited by species. In fact, forests of many types of trees are able to work together to increase their prosperity. In the summer, birches might give excess sugars to fir trees, and come fall the firs help the birches out, covering the leafless months of each species! There's even more to learn about Dr. Simard's incredible findings and you can read her full interview with Scientific American here!
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Latest News
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Jun 11, 2025 The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers Read More -
May 30, 2025 Learn how Scientists Used Zircon Crystals to Date a Meteorite Impact! Read More -
May 19, 2025 Scientists at CERN Are Split-Second Alchemists Read More -
May 16, 2025 Scientists Capture First Ever Recording of a Live Coelacanth in Indonesia! Read More -
May 08, 2025 Scientists Find Evidence of a Real-Life Tatooine! Read More -
Apr 27, 2025 Lyndon Johnson: Architect of the U.S. Space Program Read More
Cool Things!
Learn how Scientists Used Zircon Crystals to Date a Meteorite Impact!
In a new study, researchers have observed that a meteorite impact in modern day Scotland, thought to have occurred 1.2 billion years ago, was actually much more recent, at around 990 million years ago. Their method: studying the microscopic zircon crystals that they say “captured the impact.”
Scientists at CERN Are Split-Second Alchemists
Although they won’t be turning a profit anytime soon, scientists at CERN have become split-second alchemists, briefly turning lead particles into gold.
Scientists Capture First Ever Recording of a Live Coelacanth in Indonesia!
A living fossil, the Coelacanth is one of the most elusive and fascinating known sea creatures. Scientists have long known of two main species of Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, native to the West Indian Ocean, and Latimeria menadoensis, native to Indonesia. While the Western Indian Coelacanth has been photographed, its Indonesian counterpart was recently photographed for the first time.
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Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!