​About plants, Fibonacci series and prehistoric strangeness ● So much water was extracted from the ground that it changed the axis of rotation of the planet ● People who suffer from insomnia live less, but not because of lack of sleep

About plants, the Fibonacci sequence and prehistoric weirdness

Over 91% of land plant species show the famous Fibonacci sequence in the pattern of distribution of leaves, seeds, flower pattern or even the plant as a whole. This spiral, in which each number represents the sum of the first two numbers preceding it (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.), is also called the golden ratio, and the fact that it is so common in nature has led many to believe its fundamental feature of the laws that govern the universe.

Starting with this observation, several researchers from the University of Edinburgh tried to find out whether the known sequence is the one that appeared with the first plants. To do this, they used one of the oldest deciduous plants, Asteroxylon mackiei, a species that originated in the Devonian more than 400 million years ago.

The team was able to create a 3D computer image of the plant, and the model revealed a spiral distribution of the leaves, but nothing resembling the Fibonacci sequence. What’s even more interesting is that even distant relatives of prehistoric species have retained this irregular pattern, as evidence that ancestral traits have survived to this day.

Another conclusion, even if it applies to one species, is that the Fibonacci sequence is not a sine qua non. Rather, says the author of the study in the journal Science, the mentioned sequence appeared in the morphological structure of plants much later than previously thought. One might even say that, given its widespread distribution today, the Devonian species model might be considered strange.

Why did the golden ratio appear in the morphology of most modern plants? No one can say that for sure. It can be assumed that the Fibonacci pattern will allow the leaves to receive as much solar energy as possible. But as I said before, this is just a guess.

So much water was extracted from the ground that the axis of rotation of the planet changed

Humans extracted so much water from the ground that they managed to change the axis of rotation of the Earth by almost 80 centimeters, and this is only in the period of 1993-2010, according to a study conducted by NASA researchers and published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

According to the calculations of the authors of the study, 2,150 gigatons of water were extracted during the mentioned period alone, which is equivalent to raising the level of the planetary oceans by 6 millimeters. The water was moved in most cases, which resulted in the tilt of the axis to the east, as I already mentioned, by about 80 centimeters.

The fact that the distribution and, implicitly, the redistribution of water on the planet can affect the axis of rotation was not discovered until 2016. In fact, it can be said that this is a very little-known and practically unexplored field.

Computer simulations confirmed these changes. Initially, only the movements of glaciers and their melting were taken into account. Only when adding the previously mentioned 2150 gigatons, a difference in the tilt of the axis of rotation of 80 centimeters could be observed.

Most of the water movement occurred in western North America and northwestern India, the study authors say. However, it should be emphasized that changes become significant only if drilling and water distribution works are carried out for a long time.

As NASA researchers note, the axis of rotation usually fluctuates by several meters per year. In summary, with an extra 80 centimeters, we don’t need to worry that there will be any serious consequences, especially regarding the change of seasons. Instead, they warn, they could affect the climate along with rising sea and ocean levels. But, as I already mentioned, research on this matter is only at an early stage.

Insomniac lives less, but not because of lack of sleep

A large-scale study that was conducted for at least 37 years led to at least one interesting conclusion about the life expectancy of people who either tend to be more active at night or suffer from insomnia.

At least 22,976 subjects participated in the study, conducted by a group of Finnish researchers and recently published in the journal Chronobiology International. Of them, 42.9% declared themselves either “owls” or “somewhat night owls”.

The fact is that earlier studies have already shown that the average life expectancy of those who usually stay up late is shorter than that of people with normal sleep. They also showed that lack of sleep leads to addiction, especially to tobacco and alcohol.

What is new in the study of Finnish researchers is the fact that it is not so much lack of sleep that leads to a shortening of the average life, but the behavior that it generates, namely excessive consumption of alcohol and nicotine. In short, from the creation of the focus group in 1981 to 2018, the researchers carefully analyzed each person’s behavior, as well as its correlations with normal or abnormal hours of sleep.

During the study period, 8,728 subjects died. It turned out that the number of dead people who declared themselves “pissed” was 9% more than the number of people killed in the morning. In addition, the difference was given by those people who had addictions related to alcohol and nicotine. In conclusion, if you know you have sleep problems, try to pay attention first to the addictions that often accompany them.

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