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Ethnobotany is the scientific study of how various cultures use plants. It combines elements of anthropology, botany, ecology, and pharmacology to understand the relationships between plants and people. Ethnobotanists study how different societies interact with plants for food, medicine, shelter, clothing, rituals, and other purposes. Traditional Knowledge: Ethnobotany involves documenting and understanding the traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities regarding plants. This knowledge often encompasses detailed information about the uses of various plants, their medicinal properties, cultivation techniques, and folklore associated with them. Medicinal Plants: Ethnobotanists study the medicinal properties of plants used in traditional medicine systems around the world. They explore the efficacy of traditional remedies, identify bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, and assess their potential for modern drug discovery. Cultural Practices: Plants play a significant role...

  It's astounding how we continue looking for alien life when we have fungi back on Earth. Shiitake and button mushrooms look otherworldly already, but even these seem like plain Janes compared to other stuff you can stumble upon in the wild. From species that zombify insects to those resembling fingers of demons and corpses, you'd have to present a pretty strong argument to convince me these aren't stuff spilling over from other dimensions or worlds. However, their service to the environment cannot be understated. In addition to helping lock tons of carbon in our soils, they act like grocery stores for plant roots looking for a quick nutritious snack. But even these Jekylls have a famously deadly Hyde, inflicting more diseases on plants than any pest on the planet. And now, Scotland’s Natural History Museum has announced the discovery of the oldest disease-causing fungus within its fossil collections. The new fungal plant pathogen, named  Potteromyces asteroxylicola , is a...

  On November 12, 1896, Indian ornithologist and naturalist Sálim Ali was born. Sometimes referred to as the “birdman of India“, Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and several bird books that he wrote helped popularize ornithology in India. Along with Sidney Dillon Ripley he wrote the ten volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Salim Ali – Background Salim Ali was born into a Sulaimani Bohra Muslim family of Bombay, the ninth and youngest child. Since his parents died when he was an infant, he was brought up together with his siblings by his maternal uncle, Amiruddin Tyabji in a middle-class household in Khetwadi, Mumbai. Salim was introduced to the serious study of birds by W. S. Millard, secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), who identified an unusually coloured sparrow that young Salim had shot for sport with his toy air gun. Millard encouraged Salim to make a collection of birds and offered to train...

The butterflies’ migration from Canada and the United States to Mexico and back again is considered a marvel of nature. No single butterfly lives to complete the entire journey. MEXICO CITY: The number of monarch butterflies at their wintering areas in Mexico dropped by 59% this year to the second lowest level since record keeping began, experts said Wednesday, blaming heat, drought and loss of habitat. The butterflies’ migration from Canada and the United States to Mexico and back again is considered a marvel of nature. No single butterfly lives to complete the entire journey. The annual butterfly count doesn’t calculate the individual number of butterflies, but rather the number of acres they cover when they clump together on tree branches in the mountain pine and fir forests west of Mexico City. Monarchs from east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada overwinter there. Mexico’s Commission for National Protected Areas said the butterflies covered an area equivalent t...

Scientist proposes framework for reconciling mathematically incompatible theories of quantum mechanics and Einstein’s gravity At the heart of modern physics is a gulf that scientists have spent more than a century trying to bridge. Quantum mechanics gives an apparently flawless description of the forces that dominate at the atomic scale. Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity has never been proven wrong in its predictions of how gravity shapes cosmic events. But the two theories are fundamentally incompatible. Now, scientists have proposed a framework that they say could unify these two pillars of physics, through a radical rethink of the nature of spacetime. Instead of time ticking away predictably, under the “postquantum theory of classical gravity”, the rate at which time flows would wobble randomly, like the ebb and flow of a stream. “Quantum theory and Einstein’s theory of general relativity are mathematically incompatible with each other, so it’s important to understand h...

                                        Top 10 trending phones of week 50 Redmi's entry level 13C keeps enjoying impressive interest with our readers, topping our trending chart for the second week in a row. Behind it long-term favorites Samsung Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 Ultra complete the podium. Newly announced OnePlus 12 slipped to fourth, while the Redmi Note 12 retained its fifth position. As more solid leaks arrived the ROG Phone 8 Pro started to gain momentum and placed sixth this week, just edging the Redmi Note 12 Pro. Samsung's Galaxy S23 FE is down to eight, while the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max returns to the chart in ninth position. Redmi Note 13 Pro rounds up the top 10, which means we wave goodbye to the Infinix Smart 8 and the NR-supporting counterpart of the leader - Redmi 13C 5G. Join us next week to find out if the Redmi 13C's unlikely streak will continue! Visit: https://b...

                                          Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies Blockchain: A blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger that records transactions across a network of computers. It consists of a chain of blocks, each containing a list of transactions. Transactions are grouped into blocks through a process called mining, where participants in the network solve complex mathematical problems to add a new block to the chain. Once a block is added, it is cryptographically linked to the previous block, forming a secure and transparent chain of transactions. Blockchain technology provides a tamper-resistant and transparent record of transactions, eliminating the need for a central authority to validate and authenticate transactions. Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security and operate on decentralized network...