Biology ⁽³⁾

Locust trees look like something from space. The thorns are believed to have evolved to protect the trees from browsing Pleistocene megafauna (mammoths, giant deer, etc) [1]. (Wiregrass Lake Metropark, Toledo OH USA)

I love WNYC's RadioLab. The hosts are great, the topics are compelling, and the production of the show is just great. I really like the way they use sound and incorporate off-script words and phrases throughout the show and credits. Here are three RadioLab shows about plants doing unexpected things (communicating, learning, sharing, etc). As with every RadioLab show, they're fascinating.

(This post described my freshwater fish setups in 2016-2018.) "Old Grandpa" was the oldest male of my family of Characodon Lateralis "Los Berros" (aquarium strain) in Denver, CO, USA. Their numbers and habitats are declining rapidly in the wild. In the 1950s, they could be found in approximately fifty different locations in western Mexico, and today they can be found in nine. While not widely available, they are hearty, beautiful, and full of personality. Raising these fish in a home aquarium or pond is…