Not many of us know more about fungus than the tasty edible mushrooms. Not only some mushrooms are tasty but some of them too are so expensive such as truffle and matsutake. Anyway fungus or fungi family consist of millions species includes microorganism such as yeast and moulds. They also play important roles in decomposing organic materials in nature. As we know so far, fungus contributes in many fields such as pharmaceuticals, foods & beverages and in the future it will contribute as materials.
No one really understand the world of fungi but those studying it seriously and they are called mycologist. Mycology is the branch of biology specifically to study the world of fungi in details. This branch of study start in the early of 17th century after the invention of microscope even though fungal spores was observed earlier by Giambattista della Porta in 1588. In fact human already used fungus millennial years ago to prepare their food and beverages.
The diversity of mushrooms with distinct features.
The veiled lady mushroom.
The study of fungi not only to recognize their species but also to know their potential that can bring beneficial usage to humankind and nature. The knowledge of mushroom cultivation for example had generate billions of incomes all over the world. Not to mention the discoveries of penicillin that saves millions of human life. Fungus not only important for human. In fact they are more important to nature in recycling the organic materials to make sure that the nutrients will be back into the soils. Plants also requires fungi through mycorrhizal symbiosis in order to allow plants to take inorganic compounds such as nitrate and phosphate.
Since fungus are everywhere with its microscopic spores, they are related to any form of life’s on earth. Both for beneficial purposes or parasitic forms. Fungi also known for its parasitic characteristics and causes lots of damages to crops. While they also causes many fungal diseases to animals and human too. Perhaps the scariest of all are zombie fungi that also known as cordyceps – but they also used as traditional medicine.
Ophiocordyceps sinensis - used as part of traditional medicine in China.
Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) the unicellular fungus under microscope.
Stilton cheese veined with Penicillium roqueforti - another type of fungus.
The future of fungi will be more on materials designs. With more research develops to identify the potentials of fungi to replace the harmful plastics. Maybe it can’t take all functions of plastics but only some of it. Anyway, the most important thing they are biodegradable materials that will enrich the soils instead of damaging it.
We are going to see more articles in details about fungus in the future. Hopefully this article already create an interest for us to know more about it.
Drones are getting popular and will be as important as any other gadgets such as smartphones. Even though the price of drone is getting cheaper, what we need to understand about this gadget is - can they do the jobs that we are planning to do with it?
In order to answer this question we need at first to figure out few other important questions so we can make the right decision.
What are the required tasks that we need to drone for?
How good is the quality the drone that we need (tough, light works, all weathers) and also the pictures quality?
The size of the drone – especially for transportation or workability.
How much we can spend for the drone that we are going to buy?
There are many other important questions we can ask before we decide which drone is suitable, especially when you are seriously need to use the good quality drones. Buying the wrong products will cost you lots of money when you need to buy a new one. Or over spend on something that you never need also not a good decision to make.
As they are so many drones out there, all we need to know is how to read the specification correctly. Understanding the key elements that important for your requirements. Good judgements will help you to make good use of your drones at the same time values for your investment.
Here are some of good drones in different classes that you can get in the market today.
Best Overall: DJI Mavic Pro.
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Best Camera: DJI Phantom 4.
Best Budget: Syma X5SC.
Best for Beginners: Syma X5C.
Best Flight Time: Yuneec TYPHOON H RTF Drone Bundle.
Best Mini: Hubsan H107C+ HD.
Best for Intermediates: Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon.
Best for Professionals: DJI Inspire 2.0.
Those are few examples of drones from different classes. You can find many other available drones in the market that suite your needs.
Fully functional machine - replicate the Antikythera Mechanism.
Lego already known as one of the most important toys to inspires kids to develop their creativity. By building easy structures such as home, car, building, and many other objects they will begin to develop something more complicated such as machine prototype. Perhaps Lego not only important with kids for creativity but adult too. This is true for Andrew Carol.
Andrew Carol has passion for mechanical devices and re-invented it using Lego pieces. One of the most popular machine he constructed was Antikythera Mechanism based on the real machine found by divers in 1908 off the coast of Antikythera. It took us almost 100 years to know what exactly it is, until examination using X-Rays and CAT scans revealing the internal components inside it.
The original piece of Antikythera Mechanism.
The gears on Lego version created by Andrew Carol.
Gears functions on the machines explained in the video.
Back to Andrew Carol and his Lego hobbies; he also invented few more complicated machines using Lego pieces includes the 3rd generation of Charles Babbage Difference Engine. More of his work and hobbies can be found here on this website. From the website he also shared more details about how those machines works complete with videos.
Well it tells us that it is still not too late for everyone to play with this wonderful toy. Maybe we can come out with more brilliant ideas if we work together with the whole family.
If you ever been to Thailand make sure you never miss to visit the largest weekend market in Thailand for sure (if it is not the largest in the world). Here you can find vast amount of things that you’re looking probably plants, antiques, consumer electronics, cosmetics, pets, food and drinks, fresh and dry food, ceramics, furniture and home accessories, clothing, and books. You’ll never know I might missed something.
Chatuchak Market also known as JJ Market consist of more than 15,000 stalls, divided into 27 sections. Here somewhere around 200,000 to 300,000 visitors come on a daily basis. You can be here to see how wonderful this place is, finding things that you need, learn more about the cultures, taste local foods, get some souvenirs for family and friends back at home.
The aerial view of Chatuchak Market.
The guide for Chatuchak Market.
It has been open as early as 1942. By 1948 Prime Minister Jompol Por Pibulsongkraam requested that every province required to have their own market. The market was originally located at Sanam Luang and keep on changing for several times until State Railway of Thailand donated the land on the south side of Chatuchak Park to establish as a market. Merchants start to move to this new location by 1983 and at that time it still known as Phahonyothin Market. Only by 1987 the market was changed to Chatuchak Market until today.
You never know exactly what you’re looking here until you are here. As this place is too big, you might find it’s very hard to find something without proper guides (from locals or someone who can show you how to read the maps). Sure, I got lost here with my friend (who already been here before).
Well, the trick is, always check on the map and the unit number of shop where you are at. Refer to the map to get an ideas of where you are, and where you want to go. Get local guides if necessary or ask someone else – when necessary.
Antiques also available here.
Textiles and local products easier to find here.
Various types of sandals.
There are two train stations that can bring you here from the heart of Bangkok. The Mo Chit BTS train station or Chatuchak Park for MRT station that located nearby. There are also many busses, taxis and Grab cars available.
Another thing to do when visiting the Chatuchak Market is to stop by the Chatuchak Park. They are many people lay by, relaxing on the grass, taking a picture, feeding the pigeons and so on after the tiring walking through the vast areas of Chatuchak Market.
Popular tourist attraction in Bangkok.
Souvenirs are easier to find here.
Chatuchak is another important places to visit here in Bangkok. Instead of just for a shopping you will also learn more about the cultures, the history, people and many other things that you might discovers accidently while visiting this place. Make sure you don’t miss it.
Symphysodon or more popular known as discus is
one of the most popular aquarium freshwater fish for since long time ago. This explained
why there are so many varieties of discus in the market to make sure there
always new characteristic introduce into the market every year. Discus originally
native to Amazon River basin is actually part of cichlids genus. Today most of
the fish breed and live in the aquarium.
Not like gourami that little tougher to water
condition and diseases, discus is more sensitive and considered as ‘fragile’ fish. It’s not suitable for
starting your aquarium hobby – unless you already started with few other easier
to keep fishes for some period of times. Anyway for some qualities this fish
has, you might want to try to keep it in your aquarium at some points.
Wide varieties of colours and patterns.
Gathering in groups.
There are three main species of discus; Symphysodon aequifasciatus (blue), Symphysodon discus (red), and Symphysodon tarzoo (green). Anyway by
selective breeding, aquarist successfully produced many varieties of colours
for this fish. So there are many beautiful discus fish you can keep - if you
like to see all of these beautiful colourations and patterns.
As any other cichlids discus has thinner body
from the top, but flatter and beautifully almost round from the side. This
shapes rarely found in freshwater fish, that’s another reasons why discus
become so popular. Discus also has patterns on its scales. As mentioned before,
they are many new patterns produce by aquarist all over the year.
Discus behaviour itself is wonderful to watch.
It’s highly social behaviour and prefer to be in groups up to dozens of individuals
and only separate itself from the group during the breeding season. Discus will
take care their young for the first four weeks. They also will secrete a mucus
for their young to feed on. For all that reasons, discus still maintain itself
as popular aquarium fish for so many years.
Let see some of the varieties of discus. More
details of this fish will be included in the future articles.
