The Corpse Flower

The Corpse Flower

Magical relative, or specialized plant?

About the Flower

The flower's scientific name is “amorphophallus titanum.” It only blooms for 1-2 days per 5-10 years. It is the largest flower in the world (standing at over 2 meters tall,) and most famously, it smells like rotting flesh. It also generates human body temperature inside its bloom.

Shared Hidden Qualities with Humans?

The flower is named after/looks like a human body part; it has similar height and temperature to humans; it shares smells & colors with corpses.

Is the human life cycle magically connected to the corpse flower?

Nope, Just Attracting Unusual Pollinators.

The Corpse Flower Appeals to the Carrion Beetle

The flower's size and heat amplify the smell, which draws in the beetles; the colors mimic the beetles’ food; the carrion beetles come to the corpse flower in search of a meal, and end up pollinating the plant.

Mystery solved!

References:

“Weird Wonders of the Natural World,” BBC Earth

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170119-lots-of-corpse-flowers-bloomed-in-2016-and-nobody-knows-why

http://www.washington.edu/news/2011/06/07/corpse-flower-blooms-overnight-wednesday/

http://bugguide.net/node/view/309333/bgimage

Bioluminescent plankton

"Sea Sparkles"

Bioluminescent Plankton

These organisms produce light under stressful/dangerous situations

They are often found in warm coastal water. Some locations include: San Diego, Thailand and Australia

Is it Magic? Does it Possess Hidden Qualities?

Unfortunately, no it is not magic

The might from the plankton is caused by an oxidized chemical called Luciferin

The plankton's glow forms as a defense mechanism and appears as flashing which disorients predators

Others that glow like the plankton: Jellyfish and fireflies 

References:

http://www.kuoni.co.uk/maldives/bioluminescent-plankton

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39263456

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37093310/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/bioluminescence-lights-creatures-oceans/

DIY bioluminescent algae:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow-Your-Own-Bioluminescent-Algae/

Does Immortality Exist?

The jellyfish known as the Turritopsis Dohrnii and how it survives was first observed in the 1990s. It lives its life just like any other jellyfish, however it does not die. The Turritopsis Dohrnii begins its life like any other jellyfish. It begins as a larva (referred to as a planula) that develops from a fertilized egg. Then, the planula swims to the seafloor and grows into adulthood soon after. When it reaches its peak in age, its aging process begins to reverse which gives it immortality. Further studies of this species concluded that it gains immortality from a process known as transdifferentiation. This process intrigued scientist for its possible use in the medical field because transdifferentiation could possibly replace cells that have been damaged by diseases. Overall, the Turritopsis Dohrnii has become known as the immortal jellyfish because of the immortal characteristics it possesses.

Skunk Cabbage: the "Magical" Self Healing

Endothermic animals are capable of generating heat
Most mammals and birds are endothermic
Also called “warm blooded”

Exothermic animals are incapable of generating heat, and thus must warm themselves by other means
Reptiles, fish, and amphibians are exothermic 
Also called “cold blooded”

Plants primarily require light and water for survival

Winter conditions make both of these resources more scarce, so plants in colder climates will adapt to colder weather by going dormant: slowing their metabolic rate, and slowing or even halting energy production
This is almost similar to hibernation

When temperatures rise, plants will emerge from dormancy and begin to grow again

The Skunk Cabbage is one exception to the rule

Like endotherms, Skunk Cabbage has the ability to generate it’s own heat, enabling it to melt the snow surrounding it, and thus allowing it to reach more sunlight

This process of self-heating is called thermogenesis

         Known Properties of Skunk Cabbage:

1.It can heat itself, just like an endotherm
2.When it’s disturbed it releases a putrid smell that protects it from harm


Known Properties of Skunks:
1.They are mammals, and therefore endotherms
2.When they are disturbed they release a putrid smell to protect themselves from harm…

Might they have magical hidden qualities that connect them?

Thermogenesis is an uncommon but not rare phenomenon

Other plants that use thermogenesis include the dead-horse arum lily, the elephant yam, and the carrion flower (also known as the corpse flower)

Most of these plants are tropical, and so you wouldn't think they would need to make their own heat

The process of thermogenesis helps to create the rancid smell of these flowers, which attracts pollinators such as flies and bees

The Skunk Cabbage is not a warm blooded plant

Work Cited:

Caduto, Michael. "Skunk Cabbage: Blooming Heat." Center for NorthernWoodlands Education. Northern Woodlands Magazine, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Evangeli, Anna. "What Happens to Plants in Winter?" ABC - Australian Broadcasting   Corporation, 10 June 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

"Journey with Nature: Skunk Cabbage." About Skunk Cabbage. Journey with Nature Skunk   Cabbage, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

"National Snow and Ice Data Center." Snow and Plants. National Snow and Ice Data Center,   n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Birds: How Do They Migrate?

Bird migration is a fascinating topic that has puzzled experts for centuries of research and observation. How are they innately able to distinguish where and when they should migrate? Are there differences in migration within the bird species?

Facts of interest pertaining to migration:

• 40% of the world's birds travel between summer breeding grounds and winter areas, a surprisingly low number, at least by my own accord. 
• Every year, the Arctic Tern (pictured above) travels 44,000 miles between Greenland and Antarctica. They are 13-14 inches from its beak to its tail and weighs 3-4.5 ounces. Outstanding to look at the size comparison to mileage in flighting 
• Ruby Throated Hummingbirds can nearly double their body fat a week or two before migration, as do Blackpoll Warblers when they fly for 2,300 miles for 86 hours 

Studies that have explained some migration phenomena include an experiment which concluded that Garden Warblers raised in captivity flew in the same exact direction as their wild, migrating relatives, even though captive birds have no sights of the sky in their lives. This is due to their innate ability to see magnetic fields. Only some species of birds have this distinct quality, the specific reason behind it is still unknown. Other birds use the Sun and stars to navigate, while pigeons may be able to navigate using sense of smell and memorizing odors in the wind. If they end up becoming lost, they can retrace their steps by smell.

Some species must learn migration routes from older birds, some return to the exact same territory each year, some follow pre-programmed routes. 

This picture elucidates different senses a bird may use in it's migration process. 

Migration can be triggered by changes in day length, temperature, food supply, and genetic predisposition. 

Watch the video below to learn more about bird migration. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JUYyMHOHb8

The link below is a map of migration, an interesting anecdote. It depicts the bird travel during seasons of migration. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/mesmerizing-migration-watch-118-bird-species-migrate-across-a-map-of-the-western-hemisphere/

Bird migration is still puzzling today, maybe there is a connected world pertaining to the bird species that we have not discovered... It's more plausible to consider genetic predisposition and innate qualities to birds that allow them to migrate when and where they do, but there remains the question regarding some species of how they are able to recognize landing spots and direct routes by solely magnetic fields, smell, or memorization. It is frankly astonishing, not to mention their physical feat in migration periods. 

Atlantis is Real

Atlantis is Real
By Sam Hunter

• An old shipwreck has sound metal remains from 2,600 years ago off the coast of Sicily.
• Oricalcum metal brassy alloy of copper iron and zinc combination found with the wreckage.
• Atlantis has been debated since Plato’s writings. 
• Mythical city of Atlantis rumored to be submerged off the coast of Cadiz
• Plato’s great nation submerged in the ocean after a fallout with the gods
• A team of scientists and archeologists are working together to identify the pieces from the wreckage.

                                                                             

Sources

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2901795/Does-strange-metal-2-600-year-old-shipwreck-prove-Atlantis-DID-exist-Mythical-red-alloy-said-lost-island-discovered-coast-Sicily.html

http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/ten-odd-and-mysterious-historical-finds-2015-005016

Do Axoloti and Newts have Healing Magic?

Axoloti

Axoloti's are critically endangered amphibians which originate from Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in central Mexico. They are popular exotic pets that reach sexual maturity without going through metamorphosis. Their average lifespan is 15 years however, due to urbanization in Mexico city and consequent water pollution their numbers have been dwindling. They are reasearched extensively in laboratories due to their abilities to perfectly, and endlessly regenerate limbs, spinal cords, jaws, tails and skin without scar tissue. These tissues are also 1000x more resistant to Cancer.

Newt

Newts alternate between aquatic and terrestrial habitats over the year, sometimes even staying in water full-time. They are also threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and pollution. Several species are endangered and at least one species, the Yunnan lake newt, has gone extinct recently. Newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defense mechanism against predators.

Is it Magic?

No, after amputation, the epidermis or top layer of the skin begins to form over the wound to protect it from infection. Blastema (a mass of regenerative cells) form and begins to generate motor neurons, muscle, and blood vessels along with the regenerated limb. Urodele Amphibians like Salamanders and Newts have the highest regenerative ability among tetrapods. 

  

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt#As_pets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl#Habitat_and_ecology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_%28biology%29#Amphibians

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rtF_coKT8U

Mandrake root that looks like a man

Mandrake in Harry potter

•Roots: Brown, humanoid

•Leaves: Green/brownish

•Distinction(s)

•Screams can be fatal if heard with the naked ear

•Though a plant, it appears almost as if a human baby with a leafing head

•Usage

•When matured, can be cut up to serve as a prime ingredient for the Mandrake Restorative Draught, which is to cure those who have been petrified.

Video: 

Mandrake 

•a plant which has a root that looks like a human

•historically derived from

•plants of the genus Mandragora found in the Mediterranean region

•Or other species, such as Bryonia alba, the English mandrake, which have similar properties

   

History

•The most important magical plant of the Middle Ages

•It was thought to increase fertility and was valued as an aphrodisiac.

•"In the story of Rachael, Leah and Jacob, the originators of the twelve tribes of Israel, Rachael trusted in the power of the Mandrake to rouse Jacob's interest in her, hoping that the herb would make her fertile so she could bear him a child."

•"In the Song of Songs, it is mentioned as an allusion to passionate love-making"

•Mandrake was also known to have narcotic properties. It was often used as an anaesthetic for surgical procedures.

•Hailed as a miracle talisman, capable of curing just about anything due to its shape

Natural magiC

•Mandrake root emanated mysterious power to fascinate and entrance people - most likely due to its shape, which with a little stretch of the imagination could be seen to resemble a human body

•Eating things that looks like a human body à fertile

•You are what you eat à the mandrake root that resemble a human body can cure anything  

Science

•Contain highly biologically active alkaloids, tropane alkaloids in particular

•It has anticholinergic, hallucinogenic, and hypnotic effects à These effects may cause aphrodisiac effect and then increase the fertility

•The root is hallucinogenic and narcotic. In sufficient quantities, it induces a state of unconsciousness à relieve pains 

Reference

•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake#Magic_and_witchcraft
•http://www.guokr.com/article/437553/?page=2
•http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/mandrake.php
•https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539425/
•http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Mandrake

 

Twin Telepathy

Twin Telepathy

What is it?

• Houghton Event- Gemma had “a feeling” that her twin upstairs was in trouble, when she went to check on her, she found her sister Leanna suffering a seizure in the bathtub.
• Twins in Sports- A common strategy for coaches in recruiting is to take twins who seem to work very well with each other on the field. Also, some twins choose to become a package deal when being pursued by coaches because they “need” the other.
• Feelings/ Emotions- Many twins claim they experience the same emotions or know immediately when another is in pain emotionally or physically
• Twins Separated at Birth- There are cases where twins separated at birth live similar lives, engage in relationships with similar people and have the same interest even though they have never formally met.

Research

• “According to Teen Ink Magazine, 30 to 40 percent of identical twins are probable to experience telepathy. Compared to fraternal twins, identical twins are twice more likely to experience telepathy in their lifetime” - Lauren Freid
• “Extra Sensory Perception”- the idea that twins “feel” similar things because they are so closely related, their brains are so closely matched and work in the same way so they know how the other would react to certain things

Results

• Yes, “Twin Telepathy” is Real- Monozygotic (Identical) twins are from the same fertilized egg which can split any time within the first 12 days of development. Identical Twins are genetically more similar than fraternal twins, which leads them to share similar interests and behaviors.  
• No, Twin Telepathy is Not Real- There is a difference between being close and having telepathy. Twins who have “telepathy” are simply very close and have the same interests and behaviors. This does not mean that one can predict the behavior of the other or communicate telepathically at all.

 

Additional Readings

https://www.thoughtco.com/twin-telepathy-best-evidence-2593932

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/twofold/200803/sports-minded-twin-pairs

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa14/2014/10/07/do-twins-really-have-telepathy/

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/539371/Twin-Telepathy-Does-It-Exist/

Phantom Pain

Phantom pain is the sensation, felt by amputee patients, that a missing or defective limb is present. A recent development in treatment is mirror therapy, in which the patient places their missing limb behind a mirror and concentrates their attention on movements of the present limb.

A potential magical explanation for phantom pain aligns with Plato's theory of forms. The perfect, ideal human body is symmetrical with two arms and legs. Phantom pain is therefore a result of the disparity between the physical and ideal form - hence why sufferers feel pain only in areas where the limb 'should' be. We live understanding only the appearances of things; mirror therapy is therefore helpful because the patients perceive themselves as having an intact limb.

Although there is no conclusive scientific explanation, the current theory is that phantom pain is a result of the representational areas of the motor cortex changing after an amputation. The use of mirror therapy is beneficial because it activates mirror neurons and blocks pain perception in the phantom limb.

Deja Vu: A Magical Phenomenon?

What is it?

-Deja Vu: the phenomenon where one feels like something that one is experiencing currently previously occurred in the past.

-Very common for people suffering from Epilepsy.

-About 60% of people claim to have experienced deja vu at least one time in their lives.

Magical Explanations versus Scientific Explanations.

What is Déjà Vu?! - YouTube

-We never actually experience the things that give us the phenomenon of deja vu

-We "remember" things that never actually happened

-We have the same exact experience "again"

-Scientific explanations include: Dual Processing (having two very similar experiences that are not quite the same, but regardless give you deja vu), Retrieving Past Memories, Overall Familiarity.

-However, there is not a definitive scientific answer for why we experience deja vu, there are only theories

The Australian Bearded Lizard: Sex Change

The Australian Bearded Lizard, usually found basking in the sun on boulders in Australia, has amazed scientists and challenged the concepts of sex.

Over recent years the males of this species, which have the ZZ chromosome (similar to a human male's XY chromosome), have experienced natural sex changes. Causing the alteration of their chromosomes, resulting in the once male lizards becoming genetically and biologically female. 

Although this specific case has just recently been discovered, this sex reversal has also been seen in other species including the clown fish, hawk fish, parrot fish, and reed frog

Through observation, it has been determined that this ability to change sex is not natural magic, but rather a reaction to warmer temperatures due to numerous biological factors. Also, temperatures also determine sex of offspring, therefore, high temperatures produce female offspring

As a result, both this reaction to warmer temperatures and global warming has threatened the species as it there is a large imbalance between males and females, leading to an inability for the species to reproduce at a healthy replacement rate. 

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