You Didn’t Know Mushrooms Could Do All This

Fungi can be used in many different ways. Some of them are a very nutritious food source. Others can filter water or even remove severe pollution. A new theory suggests, that if a fungus is exposed to any form of bacteria, it produces antibiotics against it. This could potentially be a massive breakthrough in develeping new forms of treatment against dangerous bacteria. Mushrooms can even be used as a building material that provides decent insulation and durability. This is just a handful of ways in which fungi can be used to help both humans and the enironment.

Scampering
I was feeling a little bored so i just scampered about in the park to kill some time.
Retardance
Many building materials are favored for their flame retardance.
Meantime
I'll be cleaning the windows. In the meatime you can wash the dishes.

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcKBKJ8uro

How trees talk to each other

Thirty years ago an experiment was conducted in Canada. It's goal was to determine whether neighboring trees communicate with each other. The results were groundbreaking, it turned out that young trees not only help each other but also receive nutrients from their "Parent". On top of that, dying or sick trees send information (in the form of various chemical compounds) to their neighbors, enabling them to defend themselves against the incoming danger. This form of mutual exchange wouldn't be possible without mycorrhizal netwerks, which often connect entire forests together! Each of the trees acts like a node. However, some of them are much more important than others, as they connect numerous plants and distribute large amounts of excess nutrients among their neighbors. Another interesting thing that we learn from Ms. Simard, is that our artificial forests lack complexity. Because of that, they are more susceptible to diseases and climate change. People must understand that we cannot simply grow another forest from scratch. However, if we left the "mother trees" untouched while deforestating, they would enable the ecosystem to regenerate much faster. Also, contrary to popular belief the country with the highest deforestation rate isn't Brazil, but Canada.

To reinforce
The engineer decided to reinforce the dam, which was beginning to crumble.
To come into focus
I couldn't piece the evidence together, but suddenly it all came into focus.
To shuttle
The train shuttles between Berlin and Warsaw.

Link to the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs&t

Penguins

St. Andrew’s Bay is the busiest beach on earth. It is home of the glorious, but clumsy king penguins. However, the life of it’s residents isn’t easy. Parents often need to venture out into the ocean in search of food, leaving their chicks unattended for as long as 5 months. (it us also worth noting that the chicks strongly resemble fluffy, overgrown corndogs) Some of the weaker chicks may starve to death or get eaten by fierce predators. Fortunately, the majority lives through the harsh winter to see their parents return with bellies full of precious food. The beach is also a great example of enviournmental protection done right. Since the 1920s the population of penguins has grown from just over a thousand to a whopping 400.000.

Kindling
Could you bring me some of that kindling? The logs may need a little help with burning.
Awe inspiring
His speech was truly awe inspiring.
Unfazed
To my surprise he was unfazed after i told him i was pregnant.

Link to the video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r1_8rRDHtQ8&index=19&list=PLivjPDlt6ApS90YoAu-T8VIj6awyflIym&t=0s

The most feared song in jazz, explained

Giant Steps by John Coltrane is considered to be one of the most important jazz albums ever produced. It’s title track is particularely unique, as it contains peculiar chord shifts called „The Coltrane changes”. Improvising over these chords may prove to be a challenge even for highly skilled musicians. On top of that the song’s tempo is an astounding 290 BPM. The shifts were born from Coltrane’s fascination with patterns on, what’s called, „The circle of fifths”. In short, the circle shows us how similar different musical keys are to one another. Coltrane basically connected keys that differed the most by using the V-I relation. Because of that, the song remains harmonious and to this day amazes new generations of jazz enthusiasts.

Revered
Cows are revered in India.
A pinnacle
This invention will mark the pinnacle of modern science.
To catch sb off-guard
His question caught me off-guard and i wasn’t able to answer.

Link to the video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=62tIvfP9A2w&t=290s

Why cosmic horror is hard to make

The main problem with adapting cosmic horror in movies, lies in it’s nature. It doesn’t revolve around the horrifying visuals or atmosphere, but rather existensial dread or even the limits of our humanity. In other words, it is highly abstract.one of It’s core elements is creating an entity that exceeds the reader’s comprehension. H. P. Lovecraft’s works are a classic example of cosmic horror. Many modern authors like Stephen King or Neil Gaiman draw inspiration from them. However, none of these books have been successfully adapted as movies. When something is difficult to think about, it is near impossible to show.

Cohesive
His testimony was cohesive and believable.
Prevalent
Classical music is not prevalent among teenagers.
To exult
I exulted when i finally passed my exams.

Link to the video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8OTO7Rqln9Q&t=104s

The cage homes of Hong Kong

Hong kong has been ranked as the least affordable real-estate market eight years in a row. As a result, many of it’s citizens live in tiny spaces. The cheapest option being the cage home, as multiple of them can fit into one, small room. The high prices aren’t caused by the lack of land to build on, but rather by poor land management. Another major factor influencing the cost of real-estate is the taxing system, which is very light. To compensate for this, the government needs to earn funds from selling land. Without a change in the taxing system, prices are expected to rise even more in future years.

To skyrocket
The price of bitcoin has skyrocketed in recent tears.
Crammed
I didn’t know that this many people could be crammed into just one bus.
To duke it out
The two, angry drunks went outside to duke it out.

Link to the video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hLrFyjGZ9NU

Report 1

Today i watched a very interesting TED talk by Heather Barnett. It was about a certain type of mould  (which isn’t biologically mould) that posseses a peculiar type of intelligence. The mould itself is actually created by many identical cells merging together to create a so called „megacell”. It is actually able to solve basic puzzles and some people even use it to create art. The same mould was also used by the japanese to help reorganise the tokyo underground!

A subject matter - It is a very interesting subject matter.

To have the final say - The king had the final say in the middle ages when it came to most of the decisions.

Foraging - The monkey forages on fruits and small insects.

Link to the video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2UxGrde1NDA&t=1s