Word: fungi
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...wouldn't be able to find many. In a few not-too-dry, not-too-wet, not-too-warm regions--central California is one--it is possible to find abundant organic produce grown locally. But if you live in a humid climate, say, the moisture that encourages bacteria and fungi means that growing without pesticides is much more risky, expensive and rare. Consequently, in the Hudson Valley of New York, near me, it's very difficult to find fruit that hasn't been sprayed with chemicals at least once. In other regions, like the upper Midwest, most big farms...
Currently, 447 million kilograms of chemical pesticides are used in U.S. agriculture every year. Sure, they rid crops of pesky insects and fungi, but most of them are carcinogenic. Although conventional farms must abide by EPA guidelines for safe levels of pesticide residue on crops, this does not protect the thousands of farm workers who suffer severe illnesses from having to spray the toxins. At current levels of pesticide residue, none of us will be suing Harvard University Dining Services for feeding us conventionally grown tomatoes at the salad bar. But long-term consequences are largely unknown and a cause...
...easy one. Like any complex organic molecule, DNA degrades over time, and bones that lie in the ground for thousands of years become badly contaminated with the DNA of bacteria and fungi. Anyone who handles the fossils can also leave human DNA behind. After probing the remains of about 60 different Neanderthals out of the 400 or so known, Pääbo and his team found only two with viable material. Moreover, he estimates, only about 6% of the genetic material his team extracts from the bones turns out to be Neanderthal...
...clinical trials [show] evidence that either the fruit or its juice is an effective treatment for arthritis, cancer or any other disorder in humans," writes Dr. Brent Bauer, the Mayo Clinic's alternative-medicine specialist. Mangosteens contain antioxidants called xanthones that have been shown to stop certain bacteria and fungi in lab tests. Yet independent-distributor sites claim the juice helps everything from Alzheimer's disease to kidney stones. XanGo's Morton concedes that wild claims are being made. "With 600,000 distributors, some stuff gets past our compliance [measures]," he says. "Overpromising and underdelivering is a problem...
...tetrapods. The plants created new aquatic habitats by stabilizing the banks of rivers and streams. They pumped oxygen into the atmosphere, making the earth habitable for large, air-breathing creatures. And they shed organic debris that formed the basis of a new food chain. Bacteria, fungi and small arthropods (the animal group that includes crustaceans and insects) moved in to feed on the debris; small fish moved in to eat the arthropods; bigger fish moved in to eat the small fish. Among them were the fishapod's lobe-finned ancestors, which found in the vegetation-clogged shallows abundant food...