Floating Bonsai

A plant floating in air, sounds unbelievable right? Well, going by a recent experiment in Japan, the concept of plants standing suspended in air is possible. The Japanese decided that their tiny bonsais should be not only cute but cool too, so they made them float in the air.

The designers at The Hoshinchu Team named their creation “Air Bonsai.” It consists of the bottom part called the “energy base” and a floating ball called “little star.” Both halves have repelling magnets installed inside so that the “little star” could float with the bonsai on top. The force of the magnets opposing each other is adjusted so that it is neither too strong nor too weak to drop the plant.

The base is made of traditional Japanese porcelain and the bonsai can be replaced with any other plant. Isn’t that magical?

Image credit: hoshinchu 

Do You Get Hangry?

You may have heard of ‘hanger’, the term combining hunger and anger! If you get a bit grumpy when you are hungry then you may be ‘hangry.’

The term was initially thought of simply as a funny twist of words to describe cranky behaviour when people hadn’t eaten, but scientists have confirmed that ‘hanger’ is real and actually pretty common!

So why do growling stomachs spark annoyance? The brain releases a chemical known as neuropeptide which sends a message to help increase food intake but is also the same chemical which regulates anger and aggression. So whenever you feel hungry… keep calm and have a bite!

What Does the “Appendix” Do?

Have you ever wondered why there is an appendix in the human body? Ever wondered, "If we don't need an appendix why is it there in the first place?" Just because you don't need your appendix, doesn't mean it's useless.

For a long time, people believed that the appendix was a shrivelled, leftover organ used by early humans to help digest leaves. And that's been the predominant thinking up until recently. Thanks to a recent discovery, scientists and doctors now know why the appendix exists. 

We all know that we have bacteria in our bodies. In fact, there are about 10 times more bacteria in and on our bodies than in our actual cells. But these are good bacteria. The bacteria in our gut help us digest food and manufacture vitamins. They even help our immune system. That's right; bacteria in our bodies help our immune system fight other bacteria.

But sometimes invading bacteria get the best of our immune system and we get sick.  We are talking of illnesses like cholera or severe dysentery. In cases like this, all your good gut bacteria could be washed out. That is, unless they have a place to hide in; like the appendix.

Scientists now believe that the appendix acts as a reserve, where good bacteria can hide until the illness is over. Then they re-emerge and repopulate the gut and go right back to helping us out.  However, it’s also true that diseases like cholera or dysentery are almost unheard of now because our modern sewage systems have largely done away with them. So in today's world, you can live just fine without your appendix.