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What are some benefits of cross-pollination?
When seeds are extracted from plants that have been
cross-pollinated, they typically produce stronger and more vigorous
plants than those produced by self-pollinated plants. In fact,
the
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What are the agents of cross-pollination?
Cross-pollination means pollen from one plant is transferred to
another plant. External agents bring about cross-pollination --
they're really just mechanisms for pollen to be carried
somewhere
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What are the space benefits of vertical farming?
With vertical farming, there would never be a shortage of arable
land because farms would be built in skyscrapers. According to Dr.
Dickson Despommier, head of the Vertical Farm Project, one
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How has Dr. Dickson Despommier contributed to vertical farming?
Dr. Dickson Despommier, a Columbia University professor who
spearheads the Vertical Farming Project, developed the idea of
vertical farming with help from his public health and
microbiology
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What are the environmental benefits of vertical farming?
Vertical farming would eliminate the threat of genetically
modified foods, disease and contamination from animals. It could
eliminate invasive insects and the need for harmful pesticides.
Food
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Why is the turkey perceived as a "dumb bird"?
Due to an inherited condition called tetanic torticollar spasms,
turkeys often stare at the sky for 30 seconds or more -- even if
it's raining -- giving the impression that they are "dumb."
Also,
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Can methane be harnessed into more useful substances?
Scientists at the University of Hohenheim in Germany have
manufactured a pill that can convert methane into glucose. This
pill traps the methane produced by cows during digestion in a cow's
rumen
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How do hurricanes get their names?
What's in a name? Plenty, if you're a tropical storm. Those
storms that graduate to hurricanes could end up with their names
etched in history, for all of the wrong reasons, if they're violent
and
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What is the system used to calculate the strength of a hurricane?
When a tropical storm's wind speed exceeds 74 miles per hour
(119 kilometers per hour), the storm is officially upgraded to a
hurricane. It is at this point that the Saffir-Simpson scale of
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How do Fibonacci numbers relate to nature?
Fibonacci's experiment shows that over a period of time, a pair
of rabbits will reproduce at a rate expressed in his identified
sequence of numbers. One pair of rabbits will create a pair of
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What are some reforestation projects around the globe?
Organizations including the Rwandan, Indonesian and Brazilian
governments, as well as the United Nations, are currently involved
in reforestation efforts. The Rwandan National Conservation
Park
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What are the obstacles to reforestation?
A rainforest's ecosystem mainly exists in the lofty upper
reaches of its ancient trees, and since trees take decades to grow,
reforestation and the re-establishment of ecosystems take time.
In
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What are some reforestation techniques?
Conservationists often develop secondary forests in the
corridors that lie between patches of primary forest. Primary
forests or old growth are undisturbed by humans and have the
highest level of
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What is the environment?
Environment is defined as a living organism's surroundings. It
encompasses other living beings, such as humans, animals, insects,
birds or plants that cohabit in those surroundings, as well as
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What issues plague the environment?
Many scientists believe that man-made pollution is the most
serious threat to our environment. Sewage, industrial waste and
smoke, exhaust fumes, pesticides, chemicals, garbage and other
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How do baleen whales raise their young?
Baleens typically give birth in warm waters to a single calf. At
the time of birth, the calf is about 25 percent of the mother's
size and weight. Baleen whale calves feed on milk from their
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Are baleen whales still being hunted by man?
In 1986, as a protective measure, the International Whaling
Commission enacted a worldwide ban on whaling. It may have been too
little, too late. Some populations of whales had already
dwindled
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Why do baleen whales migrate?
Baleen whales migrate for a variety of reasons. They spend
summers in cooler waters, where food is plentiful. During this
time, they stock up on food to prepare for their winter migration.
In
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What species prey on the baleen whale?
The baleen whale has a variety of predators, despite being one
of the largest mammals on our planet. Killer whales have been known
to group together to attack baleens. Large sharks also
sometimes
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What are common features of the baleen whale?
Baleen whales have two eyes, a mouth, baleen, a rostrum (the
section above their mouth), two ears, dorsal fins or ridges, two
flippers, a tail composed of two segments called "flukes," two
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What is a mistral?
A mistral is a strong wind that blows toward the Mediterranean
Sea from the uplands in southern France. During winter, low
atmospheric pressure over the Mediterranean Sea creates an air
current
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What impact would a loss of biodiversity have on the global economy?
Back in 1997, scientists determined that the Earth's species
contributed almost $3 trillion each year to human health and
well-being. This amount includes medications and pharmaceuticals
like
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How does the Earth's climate affect biodiversity?
When the planet is cold, known as an "icehouse period," it
creates good conditions for diversity in the Earth's ecosystem.
This biodiversity encourages the evolution and reproduction of
the
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How can temperature and pressure affect the weather on a mountain top?
Air, or any gas for that matter, becomes warmer as it is
pressurized. The higher the air pressure, the warmer the air is
likely to be. When you relieve that pressure, the air cools down.
That is
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Does snow accumulate in hot climates?
Snow is common during cold months in temperate climates and
polar regions. It's possible to find snow in the tropics, but only
on high mountain peaks above the snow line. This line indicates
the
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