Fraxinus

This is an Ash Tree from another country.  It's scientific name is Fraxinus excelsior.

It can grow as tall as more than 4 of our houses on top of each other!!

It can also live for up to 250 years!!

The country it lives in is the UK.  This is where TinTin lives, as well as Harry Potter.

 They are the trees that make these fun spinners!

 But a lot of the trees are sick.
They have a fungus and call it Ash Dieback.

Scientists think that 60% to 90% of all the ash trees in UK could die.
That much is all of the blue in the circle below.

But scientists have a trick!!
They know the genome of the ash tree!  They know all of it's DNA!
So they made a game so that everyone can help save the ash trees!
It is called Fraxinus (like the name of the tree!).
How cool!  We can help save the trees by finding the DNA that is not supposed to be there!
Let's play!

Mars, mambas and crazy crooks!

On the news website this morning there were a lot more photos from Curiousity on Mars!! 

Also in the news they talked about how they are using Black Mamba venom to treat pain!!

The article says that a bite can kill you in a half hour!  But there are two specific proteins in the venom that help with pain.  Crazy.

Do you know who found this out??  A woman who has always been interested in venomous things!  ...I know a girl like that.  :)

Lastly, here is a video of someone STEALING A SIDEWALK!!

We were talking about stupid laws, but there are also some very stupid crooks out there as well!

Mandelbrot and Fractals

Here is Mandelbrot!  Click on his picture for more information about him.

He liked symmetry too, which is how he came up with Mandelbrot Set fractals!
Play with symmetry here:

Sammy's Symmetry Shuffle

Symmetry Artist



Look at all of the amazing pictures that come up when you search for Mandelbrot on Google:

And here is a video showing all of the fractals as you zoom in closer and closer on the Mandelbrot Set!  SO COOL!!

Vi Hart does it with doodles!

And with numbers!  See how they grow and grow and would never ever stop if she had enough space??

Look what all of these people did with triangles!!  And guess where this was done--ALBUQUERQUE!!
A World Record Triangle Fractal!!

Maybe we should make a fractal wall in our house!!

Here are more pictures about it on a blog:

GIANT TRIANGLE FRACTAL

Here are some games about fractals:
FRACTAL GAMES