Pin Oak

Five years ago this Pin oak started as an acorn that Beth found in the garden, probably dropped there by birds from mature oaks growing about 3 blocks away....We put it into the small pot and set in on a rain barrel where unfortunately, it was eaten to a stick twice by deer. Both times it regrew its leaves, so its tenacity to survive encouraged us to plant it into the yard in 2023, where it has thrived to its present height. Insects, particularly Japanese beetles, have been its main antagonist,but we set out beetle traps which minimize that threat. Pin oaks are native Pennsylvania and live between 80 and 120 years,growing to an average height of 70 feet, more if conditions are favorable. This particular individual seems to possess remarkable genes and an unstoppable will to live, so we expect it to easily outlive us.

The Cost Of Ignorance

Although we have all heard of people dying of co-vid, or more recently, measles, while uttering in disbelief that “it’s a hoax”, that kind of thinking is nothing new. In addition to witch trials and other horrific injustices of history, here is how religious dogma killed people before more rational, scientific ideas appeared during the enlightenment... “Most religious people of the early and mid-eighteenth century feared lightning as a terrifying demonstration of God’s wrath or the devil's punishment…The faithful rang church bells during storms to invoke the almighty's protection and ward off discharges. One study found that lightning in the mid-eighteenth century struck more than 386 churches in Germany and electrocuted 102 sextons. (...while ringing the bells). Other adherents stored gunpowder within churches, believing holy structures offered a divine shield. In a village in northern Italy in 1769, lightning struck a religious building holding hundreds of tons of explosives, killing more than three thousand people and destroying much of that city”-from the book “Ingenious’, about Benjamin Franklin, by Richard Munson. ...So while I admire the altruistic work of some religions through food banks and other humanitarian efforts, and I understand why adults could be allowed to refuse vaccination, their claims of being the “only path” and their subsequent imposition of their beliefs onto others is abhorrent to me. Now that anti-science men are in power, and research into fundamental science is being curtailed by funding cuts, Americans risk believing in conspiracies and superstition even more than they currently do. When critical, fact based thinking is suppressed, civilizations decline and the ignorant drag everyone down with them... … “Even science, much to Franklin’s dismay, was becoming politicized. Since Benjamin(...an American) favored pointed lightning rods, King George 3rd ordered blunt ones for British buildings.” ...the irony-but still a tribute to the openmindedness of science- is that in the coming decades blunt rods were found to be more effective than Franklins pointed iron rods-a fact he would have gladly embraced.

Some Good Science News

With all the gloom and doom in the news-and sometimes in this blog-there is also a lot of research being done with positive, hopefully scalable results that will help the world. This kind of news is available by a few Google clicks if one ignores social media and mainstream gossip. >>> University of Nottingham ...Researchers have created a bioinspired gel that can regenerate tooth enamel by mimicking natural growth processes. The fluoride-free material forms a mineral-rich layer that restores enamel’s strength and structure while preventing decay. It can even repair exposed dentine and reduce sensitivity. Early testing shows it performs like natural enamel, with potential for rapid clinical use. >>> Northwestern University ...A Northwestern team transformed a common chemotherapy drug into a powerful, targeted cancer therapy using spherical nucleic acids. The redesign dramatically boosted drug absorption and cancer-killing power while avoiding side effects. This innovation may usher in a new era of precision nanomedicine for cancer and beyond. >>> University of Warwick ...A team of scientists discovered a hidden antibiotic 100 times stronger than existing drugs against deadly superbugs like MRSA. The molecule had been overlooked for decades in a familiar bacterium. It shows no signs of resistance so far, offering hope in the fight against drug-resistant infections and paving the way for new approaches to antibiotic discovery. >>>King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) …Beneath the ocean’s surface, bacteria have evolved specialized enzymes that can digest PET plastic, the material used in bottles and clothes. Researchers at KAUST discovered that a unique molecular signature distinguishes enzymes capable of efficiently breaking down plastic. Found in nearly 80% of ocean samples, these PETase variants show nature’s growing adaptation to human pollution.