Mankind survives on the Earth only because green plants grow here. — Isaiah 40:6 In our zest to breed the most resilient crops, agriculture is fast losing the genetic diversity of many food plants. Apples and tomatoes, with their shrinking heirloom stocks, are prime examples. The agricultural industry cultivates and distributes seed stocks that are […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: The word “orange” comes from the French term “or,” meaning “gold.” As a legacy of childhood for most baby boomers, no day starts without a glass of orange juice. I recall my mom’s daily ritual of defrosting a frozen can of concentrated juice, then adding three parts […]
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER. — Mark Twain It is often assumed that wheelchair dependency hinders a career in […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: It is often assumed that wheelchair dependency hinders a career in field biology. But scientists at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences are proving otherwise. With funds from the National Science Foundation, mobility-limited college students are tackling unanswered questions about what lives in the tops of temperate […]
Not everything that counts can be counted. — Albert Einstein Our daily lives are surrounded by many trillions of unwelcome aliens that constantly engulf us, and yet we know next-to-nothing about them. They are technically the product of Aeolian (or wind-driven) processes, otherwise known as “dust.” Dust is everywhere — sprinkled onto our food, inhaled […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: I own a backpack with its own solar array. When traipsing around in remote Amazon jungles, I can charge my laptop or cellphone from sunlight. This backpack gets more attention in airport security than any amount of liquids or gels and has the benefit of inspiring a […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: Our daily lives are surrounded by billions of unwelcome aliens that constantly engulf us, and yet we know next to nothing about them. They are technically the product of aeolian (wind-driven) processes, and are called “dust.” Dust is everywhere – sprinkled onto our food, inhaled into our […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: In our zest to breed the most resilient crops, agriculture is fast losing the genetic diversity of many food plants. Apples and tomatoes, with their shrinking heirloom stocks, are prime examples. On the other hand, an extraordinary smorgasbord of tropical fruits still remains in the wild without […]
What is the vitality and necessity of clean water? Ask the man who is ill, who is lifting his lips to the cup. Ask the Forest. — Mary Oliver, poet Turning the age of 40 often inspires human reflection, change, or reinvention. Although not a person, the Clean Water Act had its milestone birthday last […]
Dr. Lowman’s latest Nature’s Secrets column in newsobserver.com: Who lives in your home? Most people count their family members, plus an optional dog or cat. But entomologists – scientists who study insects – are now turning their attention to the six- and eight-legged critters that share your household. Despite the fact that millions of homes […]
