Where Do Trees Come From? From Heaven or Earth?

Chemistry, Plants
Where do trees come from, from heaven or earth? This is not the philosophical discussion it might at first seem to be. Even in the Bible, heaven sometimes refers, not to the residence of the Almighty, but to that region of the atmosphere in which birds fly.¹ Do trees come from the soil or from the air? Most would probably say, “from the soil.” But is that the case? What are trees primarily made of? Largely they consist of cellulose and sugar, although there are smaller quantities of other substances. Cellulose is simply sugar molecules linked together with the loss of a single molecule of water between each sugar molecule. The molecules that build up a tree are carbon-based. There are traces of other substances, but only traces. For instance,…
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Why Dogs Pee on Tires

animals
[caption id="attachment_6570" align="alignright" width="480"] Where are the tires? Where, huh? Where![/caption] It's a given. Dogs pee on tires. Unfortunately, the public guess as to the reason for the action has been accepted as a given. This is probably due to the assumption that a dog pees on tires for the same reason or reasons it pees on trees or on fire hydrants. But there is a common bumper sticker that discusses our tendency to assume. Common Sense Isn't Always Right No, I’m not convinced such a weak conclusion is totally accurate. I think there’s more to it. On approaching a tree, a male dog is nonchalant – whereas they demonstrate real zeal when they spy an automobile tire. You can be sure a dog is more than willing to travel…
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