By: Trump Vang

Pollination is the process by which animals can transfer pollen from a male flower to a female flower. It produces most of the natural things that we eat today; everything from fruit to vegetables are all produced by this process, and it’s integral to our food resources today. Even some non-edible applications, such as seeds, are important for reproduction and the spread of species. Nonetheless, pollination is an important part of nature, though some may wonder what happens behind the title and definition of pollination. What is the Science of Pollination?

All pollination happens due to flowers. Their ability to produce pollen to spread to one another, allows for this process to happen as well as all of its side effects. What is in a flower though? Well there are two main structures within the flower. They’re specifically known as the stamen and the pistil. While the stamen produces the important pollen, the pistil contains genetic information in its ovaries. When pollen comes in contact with the pistil, the process of fertilization starts, and the plant starts to produce seeds for reproduction. 

Now, how does the pollen come in contact with the pistil? Well there are a few different ways that this can occur: wind can disperse pollen and birds, plus insects, can spread them from flowers. Wind is unpredictable, so plants are forced to adapt to the style of animals. Most plants will provide animals the benefit of nectar, a sweet substance, in exchange for having them spread their pollen.

All flowers have different structures, though the pollination happens in the same way. Usually, the animal comes in contact with the flower and attempts to get some of the nectar at the back of the flower. Through this process, pollen is able to get stuck on the animal and stays there until they pass it onto a pistil; this happens in the same process in which they attempt to get nectar from the flower. These processes allow for plants to get pollinated and spread their species.

While providing food (nectar) is the most common way for the process of pollination, there are other ways that plants have adapted to get pollinated. Some plants use visual cues, scents, mimicry and entrapment to get animals to pollinate their flowers. One example of these methods are found in the set of plants known as the Orchid. Often these plants will use scents to lure in their pollinators, just to trap them within their intricate designs. As the organism attempts to escape, it can run into the pollen that the flower’s produce, allowing for population to occur. After a while, the Orchid opens, and the bug is freed from its confines. There are reasons for why these plants differ in their requirements, but for the Orchids it comes in saving their energy in having to make nectar, and ensuring that their pollen is spread properly.

The first ever pollinators most likely passed pollen from one plant to another by accident. Ever since then, both parties in pollination have developed to coexist with one another and thrive together. From bugs like beetles to animals such as bats, they all are effective pollinators, and allow for plants to properly reproduce. The most popular pollinator is the common honeybee which pollinates around 80% of all flowering plants.

With global warming on the rise, pollination is becoming harder and harder. With the warming climates, plants are blooming earlier, which inhibits animal’s time to pollinate them. This change in time throws off all pollinators, leaving us with decreased pollination and starvation. Alongside this, regular pollutants are hurting plants and their pollinators, affecting their reproduction and pollination ability. Taking steps against pollution and global warming is integral to the safety of pollination. Pollination is an important part of our world and the science behind it allows for the world to grow and develop in its own way.

To learn more about pollination, please visit:

• https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/pollinator-garden/why-what-when-where-who-how-pollination/

By Trump Vang

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, neighboring both Mercury and the Earth in its orbit. For the second planet in the solar system, Venus is quite the large terrestrial planet in our system. Its size and mass are roughly the same as the Earth’s and many call the planet the “Earth’s Twin” due to these physical aspects. Though looking deeper, it’s easy to see the differences between the two celestial bodies.

As of today, and even in ancient times, Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky, after the moon. In the past, many astronomers and scientists believed that Venus was a good candidate for life, though their assumptions were wrong. If you didn’t know, Venus has a thick atmosphere that obscures its surface and conditions. With their limited technology at the time, Venus’s atmosphere was able to conceal the planet’s secrets, and make astronomers believe that it could be like the Earth.

All of these thoughts changed when a space probe was first sent to the planet though. In 1970, Russia rocketed a space probe, by the name, Venera 7, to Venus to gather more data on the secretive planet. Despite many people’s beliefs, photos were captured, showing a yellow and orange wasteland covering the planet, disproving any hopes for life. The probe would only last 23 minutes before it was ultimately destroyed by these harsh conditions.

Upon first view, Venus is a yellow planet, covered by a thick atmosphere. Many may think that the planet is a paradise, though the reality is much harsher than most people’s imaginations. Below the thick atmosphere is a hellish landscape and environment. Temperatures can reach, on average, 867 degrees Fahrenheit, or 464 degrees Celsius; it’s enough to melt lead. Moreover, the atmospheric pressure on Venus is 90 times greater than the Earth’s. These conditions on Venus make it much harder to imagine that life actually lives on its surface. With the oppressive heat and pressure, it is impossible for components for life to exist.

Looking at the history of Venus, the planet had possibilities in hosting life itself. Just like the Earth, it had the proper conditions for sustaining life: Good Temperature, Size & Mass, and Organic Material. As the sun grew in its infancy, it became much wilder and much hotter in the process. Since Venus is 30% closer to the Sun than the Earth, its temperatures are higher than on the Earth. Through this and some greenhouse gasses on Venus, the planet exploded in temperature, leaving it to what it is today.

As of today, the planet is still the same with its temperatures and its deathly environment. Though further research has suggested that life may still exist on the planet, just not on its surface. The possibility of life expands, when Venus’s atmosphere is brought into the conversation. There is a specific area within Venus’s atmosphere that provides a warm and prosperous environment for life to flourish within, though no confirmed life has actually been stated to have been found there.

The future looks bright for Venus exploration, especially as many missions have been planned to go there, NASA plans to send two space probes there in the next decade, and ESA is planning to send another one to the planet.

On the surface, Venus is Earth’s Twin in many aspects, though looking deeper both of the planets are highly different in their own ways. Venus is a hellish landscape with high temperatures, while the Earth is a place of flourishing life and comfortable temperatures. As we continue to learn more about the planet and its conditions, we can learn more about its possibilities for life and the future of our own planet.

For more information, please visit:

• https://science.nasa.gov/venus/

By: Cleo Newton

According to an article by UUF.UK, the top 10 most endangered animals include the following:

Number 1: The Javan Rhino.

This rhino used to be found throughout South-East Asia. There are only around 75 of these rhinos left. Because they are so low in numbers, they are one of the rarest rhino species. Reasons for their decline include: habitat loss, and hunting.

Number 2: The Amur Leopard

There are about 100 Amur Leopards left in the wild. Because they are only found in a small region in the far east of Russia and north-eastern China, they have been critically endangered since 1996. Some threats that Amur Leopards face include: habitat loss, prey scarcity, and fragmentation (meaning they are spread far apart geographically).

Number 3: the Sunda Island Tiger

Also known as the Sumatran Tiger, they are the smallest tiger species: they weigh up to 140kg. These tigers are only found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There are only about 600 of these tigers left in the wild. Some things contributing to their population decline include: habitat loss, and the expansion of the human population.

Number 4: the Mountain Gorilla

These gorillas live in a landscape belonging to Virunga. The area they live in has a history of being politically unstable. Because there are already over 500,000 people living near the mountain the gorillas live on, it would be more harmful if more humans were to move there. They have a population of just over 1000 in the wild. The Mountain Gorillas have been doing better thanks to the conservation efforts and other help from through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.

Number 5: the Tapanuli Orangutan

The Tapanuli Orangutan are the most endangered great ape species, with only 800 living in the wild. They live in a tropical environment. Unfortunately, the Tapanuli Orangutan have suffered from losing over 40% of their forests in the province of North Sumatra from: mining, agriculture, hydroelectric and geothermal development.

Number 6: the Yangtze Finless Porpoise

Back in 2018, there were still around 1000 of these porpoises in the wild. But because there haven’t been any sightings of these porpoises in a while, China moved them up to “first level protected” in 2021. Things that have impacted their population number include: water pollution and overfishing.

Number 7: the Black Rhino

Most Black Rhinos live in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Their biggest threat is poaching; they are killed for their horn. Poachers kill them then take their horn for illegal horn trade. Over the last 10 years, almost 10,000 rhinos have been killed.

Number 8: the African Forest Elephant   

Like the Black Rhinos, the biggest factor contributing the their population decline is poaching. Some other factors include: habitat loss and agriculture. Today, these elephants only take up about 25% of their original habitat space. People don’t actually know how many of these elephants are left, but they think that over the last 31 years, their population might have declined by about 86%.

Number 9: the Sumatran Orangutan

There are less than 14,000 Sumatran Orangutans left in the wild. They are critically endangered and deal with threats like: agriculture, logging and plantations. These apes have lost about 60% of their habitat between the years 1985 and 2007.

Number 10: the Hawksbill Turtle

Their population has decreased by at least 80% in the last 30 years due to: nesting habitat loss, illegal trade of their shells, accidental capture in fishing gear, plastic pollution, and climate change. People think there are about 20,000-23,000 of these turtles left in the wild

Animals play a very important role in the environment; they help keep a balance in the ecosystem. Remember, it is important to respect these animals because as they are important to the environment, they are also important to us. Hurting them may also negatively impact humans.

By: Chloe Rocha

What causes people to dream? There is a theory that dreaming helps you consolidate and analyze your thoughts. According to HealthClevelandClinic.org some people see dreams as a way to “rehearse” various different situations and challenges that a person can experience during the daytime.

Dreams occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) cycle. During the night you cycle through this stage periodically. Studies show that someone’s brain waves during their REM cycles are almost as active as they are when they are awake. The forebrain is what generates the dreams but the brain stem is what generates REM sleep. If your brain stem is damaged then you will experience dreams but not go into REM sleep. But if it is flipped the other way, and your forebrain is damaged, then you won’t dream but you will go into REM sleep.

It is believed by experts that dreams can stem more from your imagination than from perspective. People living with post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to experience nightmares when they are sleeping.

Most people dream every single night but they often don’t remember it every time. This is because you will be more likely to remember your dreams if you are awakened during, or just after, the dream. If you write down what you remember of your dream as soon as you wake up, that can help you start to remember them.

There is no good way to study dreams in people, simply because of the fact that the memory of the dream can fade so quickly. However, scientists believe that the relationship between space and time changes when you dream. During a dream, time may seem to last for a very long time or pass very quickly.

The neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals, is something that can have to do with the reasoning behind why dreams can be so strange sometimes. During REM sleep some neurotransmitters can be more pronounced while others are suppressed.

By: Natalia Gercheva

As many of you may know, on October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse occurred. In this article, I will be discussing what a solar eclipse is, the different types, the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse, and when the next one will be, so you have a chance at seeing it yourself!

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. This obscures the face of the sun either fully or partially, and casts a shadow on Earth. A total eclipse can last anywhere from 10 seconds to 7.5 minutes.

There are 4 different types of solar eclipses which are: total, annular, partial, and hybrid eclipses.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon is completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken, as if it were dusk or dawn.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth. The moon will appear smaller than the sun, and does not completely cover it. As a result, it creates what looks like a bright disk ring around the moon.

A partial solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon, and Earth are not perfectly lined up. Only a part of the sun will appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape.

Lastly, one of the least common is the hybrid solar eclipse. This occurs because Earth’s surface is curved, and an eclipse can shift between annular and total as the moon’s shadow moves across the globe.

Solar eclipses can often be confused with a lunar eclipse, which is when Earth’s shadow falls upon the surface of the moon, turning it a striking red over the course of a few hours. Solar eclipses are only visible from a narrow strip of land over which the moon’s shadow passes.

Lunar eclipses are visible from the whole nighttime hemisphere due to Earth’s large shadow. Solar eclipses occur 2-5 times per year, but due to the moon’s small shadow being cast on Earth, the same spot only gets to see a total solar eclipse for a few minutes about every 375 years.

Lunar eclipses happen 0-3 times per year, and if you live on the nighttime half of Earth when the eclipse happens, you are much more likely to see it. Luckily, NASA can predict both solar and lunar eclipses for 1,000 years into the future.

It is extremely important to protect your eyes if you are looking directly at the sun while watching a solar eclipse. You can look through solar filters, like eclipse glass, or use handheld solar viewers.

Many of you may remember in August, 2017, there was a total solar eclipse. I remember watching it outside using the solar glasses, but I never understood exactly why the sky was going dark. On October 15th, this year, I was looking out my window trying to watch the annular solar eclipse. Unfortunately, it was an extremely cloudy day, so I was only able to view a small portion of it for a few seconds. The next annular eclipse will be October 2, 2024, and I hope to see it then!

I highly recommend checking the future eclipses website on NASA every few months so you can mark your calendars for the upcoming eclipses. On April 8, 2024, North America will experience a total solar eclipse! It truly is an incredible sight to see, where you get to view the solar system’s wonders through just your window or from your backyard!

TFor more information, please visit:

• https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/

By: Samson Belihu

The Ocean Cleanup is an organization working on cleaning the ocean.
Millions of pounds of plastic that are in the oceans as we speak.

Millions?

Yes, millions of pounds worth of plastic under the oceans, and thanks to this organization, they are doing their best to get rid of the plastics in the oceans.

They have impacted the world in a good way. According to their website, they have worked on cleaning 1000 rivers around the world. They said we can halt 80% of river pollution reaching our oceans. And they have also picked up 100 million kilograms of plastic. If we transfer that into pounds, that’s more than 220 million pounds of garbage and plastic.

Imagine what the ocean would have been like without this organization. They have saved the oceans and the animals that reside in the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit that continues to develop and scale technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.

On September 20, 2023, they made a video of the biggest plastic extraction they ever made: 18,360 kilograms, which rounds up to 40,000 pounds worth of trash. If you want to watch the video: here’s the link: https://youtu.be/wjF0gB29OG4?si=rD4kMgL7qu0DaRLz

Their goal is to remove 90% of the plastic that is in the ocean. This isn’t the only time they have gotten thousands of pounds of plastic. They have started this journey ever since 2013. Dutch inventor Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup at the age of 18 in his hometown of Delft, the Netherlands, and is still going at it. That equals up to 10 years of cleaning up trash from the ocean.

For more information, please visit:

• https://theoceancleanup.com/