Might Alien Life Evolve Like the Incredible Octopus?
by Natalie Shoemaker Consider the octopus: a creepy skeleton-less creature with limbs that have regenerative properties and a mind of their own. Its structure — inside and out — makes it like no other animal on earth. As a part of the Mollusca phylum, the octopus seems so far removed from its clam cousin.
Little Amal's 5,000 Mile Journey HIghlights the Plight of Child Refugees
Photo: Bevan Roos From April to July of 2021, an 11.5-foot-tall puppet named Little Amal will make her way from the Syria-Turkey border to the UK, following the path of many refugees. Nine-year-old Amal is in search of her mother and makes the harrowing 4,970-mile journey alone. This is the story told by Good Chance Theatre who, in collaboration with the Handspring Puppet Company, has brought Amal to life in order to shine a light on the international refugee crisis. Along her journey, in a performance titled The Walk, Little Amal will make stops in over 70 cities, towns, and villages. She'll be welcomed with art, from major street parades and city-wide performances of music, dance, and theater, to intimate community events.
Tree Encyclopedia 2 clicks to really open
Trees have three principle features that distinguish them from all other plants. First, they have a woody stem, roots and branches which do not die back in winter, but continue to grow year after year. From the moment of its germination, a tree remains visible; from the tallest Sequoia to the smallest garden fruit tree, this principle of growth remains constant. Trees live longer than any other organism on earth. Trees commonly live more than 1,000 years, and many grow considerably older.
Sea Urchin Sculptures Promote Sustainability Through Interactive Art
For this year's i Light Marina Bay Festival, a sustainability-focused, Singapore-based spectacle, Choi+Shine Architects created The Urchins, a series of 3 interactive installations. The crochet sea urchin sculptures have been meticulously crafted by hand, offering attendees a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Speaking to the event's theme of sustainability. each 56-foot-tall work of interactive art symbolizes the beauty and diversity of nature. Though, at night, the works are spotlit by artificial luminescence, during the day, The Urchins rely on natural light to cast ephemeral, ever-changing shadows.
Beautiful World of Sea Slugs-click on pic
On land, slugs are far from nature's most beautiful creatures--but underwater, the family of shell-less creatures known as nudibranchs come in bright neons, glowing pastels, and vibrant primary colors. The 3,000 different kinds of nudibranchs get their color from the food they eat--and, in some cases, secrete the poisons from their prey to defend themselves against predators. The Fried Egg Nudibranch gets its name from the perfect yellow-and-white circles that line its back. These nudibranchs grow to about three inches long, and live in the waters of the Pacific and the Red Sea. Click through for more brilliant 'branches in a rainbow of colors. Photo via Jon Hanson @ flickr
They’re Among the World’s Oldest Living Things. The Climate Crisis Is Killing Them.
Sequoia Crest, Calif. — Until a few years ago, about the only thing that killed an old-growth giant sequoia was old age. Not only are they the biggest of the world’s trees, by volume — the General Sherman Tree, considered the largest, is 36 feet in diameter at its base and 275 feet tall — they are among the oldest. At least one fallen giant sequoia was estimated to have been more than 3,200 years old.
Nudibranchs - The Flamboyant Sea Slug
nicoboxethai/CC BY 2.0 Nudibranch, or what we usually call sea slugs, blow my mind. Ever since spotting one for myself during a tide pool trip about a year ago, I've been fascinated with these creatures. I think of them as the drag queens of the sea: flashy stand-outs that are always dressed to the nines.
The adorable “sea bunny” - a nudibranch
It’s round, and fluffy and has wiggly little ears! Sort of. These little sea creatures, affectionately dubbed “sea bunnies” have recently become social media celebrities. They’re actually sea slugs, and belong to the wild group of mollusks called nudibranchs. The bunny slug species is Jorunna parva, and was first described by the renowned Japanese marine biologist Kikutaro Baba. The fluffy white sea bunnies are primarily found off the coast of Japan.
