It seems as though wild weather events have rarely been out of the headlines recently. It has been a bleak weekend in some parts of America after yet another fatal storm blasted its way through five US states.
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Researchers have discovered the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms–mostly bacteria–in the middle and upper troposphere, the part of the atmosphere four to six miles above the Earth’s surface. In other words, the clouds are filled with germs! Do they fall to Earth when it rains? (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this incredible show).
They haven’t yet figured out whether these microorganisms routinely inhabit this portion of the atmosphere or whether they were simply lofted there from the Earth’s surface.
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When plants talk to each other, what do they say? Some of them compare notes on how to survive a drought and plants that have been subjected to a previous period of drought learn to deal with the stress thanks to their memories of the experience.
This discovery could lead to development of crops better able to withstand drought. This research also confirms what home gardeners and nursery professionals have often learned through hard experience: Transplants do better when water is withheld for a few days to harden them to drought before they’re moved.
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We’ve told you why, if you live in a city, it always rains on the weekends. Now we’re warning you again: If you’re thinking of moving to a home or office near your local airport, you’d better think twice: areas near commercial airports sometimes experience a small but measurable increase in rain and snow when aircraft take off and land under certain atmospheric conditions.
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