People's Technology Series 1 - Five Home Practices

People's Technology Series 1

Five Home Practices

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

Banana stalk for packaging pokpoklo (Codium edule), a green seaweed. Shelf life of many vegetables can be prolonged with this natural packaging. Being crush-proof, moist and cool leafy vegetables like lettuce and mushrooms are kept fresh on transport. Catfish (hito) and mudfish (dalag) remain alive to their destination. 

1. Banana leaves make the best food wrapper – practical, multipurpose, aromatic and environment-friendly. 

Imagine if there were no banana leaves to make these favorite delicacies:  suman, tupig, bucayo, bibingka, patupat, puto, tinubong, biko-biko, and the like.  We would be missing their characteristic flavor and aroma, and their indigenous trade mark.  So with a lot of recipes like paksiw na isda, lechon, and rice cooked with banana leaves lining.  Banana leaves have natural wax coating which aid in keeping the taste and aroma of food, while protecting it from harmful microbes.

In the elementary, we used banana leaves as floor polish.  The wax coating makes wooden floors as shiny as any commercial floor wax sans the smell of turpentine. Banana leaves when wilted under fire exude a pleasant smell.  When ironing clothes use banana leaves on the iron tray. It makes ironing cleaner and smoother, and it imparts a pleasant, clean smell to clothes and fabric.

This is how to prepare banana leaf wrapper.

1.      Select the wild seeded variety (botolan or balayang Ilk.) and the tall saba variety.  Other varieties may also be used. 

2.      Get the newly mature leaves. Leave half of the leaf to allow plant to recover. Regulate the harvesting of young leaves as this will affect the productivity of the plant.   

3.      Wilt the gathered leaves by passing singeing the leaves over fire or live charcoal until they are limp and oily. Avoid smoky flame as this will discolor the leaves and impart a smoky smell (napanu-os).  

4.      Wipe both sides of the leaves with clean soft cloth until they are glossy and clean. 

5.      Cut wilted leaves with desired size, shape and design. Arrange to enhance presentation and native ambiance. 
  

2. Brown eggs are preferred over white eggs, especially in rural areas.

Brown eggs come from native fowls that subsist mainly on farm products.  They are very resistant to the elements and diseases that they simply grow on the range. White eggs on the other hand, come from commercial poultry farms and are highly dependent on antibiotics and formulated feeds. Another advantage of brown eggs is that they have thicker shells.  Besides, their yolk is brighter yellow as compared to that of white eggs.  

Since the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMO), among them genetically engineered chicken, many people are now avoiding the consumption of white eggs, more so the GE fowls themselves.  Preference to natural and organically grown food is gaining popularity worldwide.  It is because many ailments, from allergy to cancer, are traced to the kinds of food we eat. Many kinds of allergies have evolved from genetically engineered food, for which they have gained the reputation of Frankenfood, after the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published in 1818.      

Immerse eggs in tap water immediate after boiling for easier shelling.  Over boiled egg is indicated by dark outer layer of yolk, dull white (as shown above), and flatulent odor.  Over boiled egg is carcinogenic.  Don't under boil egg either, as a safety measure against the avian flu virus can be transmitted to humans. Cook chicken meat well for the same reason. 

3. Corn silk tea is good for the kidney.

When boiling green corn, include the inner husk and the silk as old folks do. Add water than normally needed. Drink the decoction like tea.  It is an effective diuretic. But how can we make it available when we need it?

Sister Corazon C. Loquellano, RVM, in a masteral thesis at UST came up with corn tea in sachet.  Just powder dried corn silk and pack it in sachet like ordinary tea. The indication of good quality is that, a six-percent infusion should have a clear amber color with the characteristic aroma of sweet corn.  It has an  acidity of about 6 pH. You may add sugar to suit your taste.

4. Succulent pod of radish is a local remedy for ulcer.

It is in a public market of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) I found young pods of radish (Raphanus sativus) sold in bundles. We also relish young radish pods as salad or mixed in chopsuey. How true is it that it can cure of stomach ulcer?

Lourdes Jorge tested radish seeds for anti-ulcer properties on albino rats as her masteral thesis in medical technology at UST.  Result: Radish seed extract is effective and is comparable to commercial Cimetidine or Tagamet in the treatment of gastric ulcer. 

5. Rice is the best substitute for wheat flour.

Of all alternative flour products that are potential substitutes for wheat flour, it is rice flour that is acclaimed to be the best for the following reasons:

· Rice has many indigenous uses from suman to bihon (local noodle), aside from its being a staple food of Filipinos and most Asians.

· In making leavened products, rice can be compared with wheat, with today’s leavening agents and techniques.

· Rice is more digestible than wheat. Gluten in wheat is hard to digest and can cause a degenerative disease which is common to Americans and Europeans.

· Rice is affordable and available everywhere, principally on the farm and in households.

Other alternative flour substitutes are those from native crops which are made into various preparations -  corn starch (maja), ube (halaya), gabi (binagol), and tugui’ (ginatan), cassava (cassava cake and sago).         

  

Lastly, the local rice industry is the mainstay of our agriculture.  Patronizing it is the greatest incentive to production and it saves the country of precious dollar  that would otherwise be spent on imported wheat. ~

*Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Mely C Tenorio, 738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 Evening Class, Monday to Friday 

In Search for Sacredness - Finding God on the Web

In Search for Sacredness 

Dr Abe V Rotor

The author as St Peter in a Play directed by Fr James Reuter at St Paul Theater, 2009

“Why can’t many people find sacredness anymore?” asked Time in a special issue. Moses asked the same question, puzzled on why his people had turned their worship to a golden calf. Christ released His anger, the first and only instance, when the synagogue was turned into a marketplace.

I remember Alvin Toffler’s books “Future Shock” and “Eco-Spasm”. We are unprepared visitors of a changed planet who broke away too soon with the past. We are willing victims of an accelerated thrust of time and change. We are a people of the future too soon, carried away by the concept of transience and adhocracy, and not one of permanence. We created a throw-away society that we discard many things including values in favor of novelty.

We find little sacredness when we talk in the future tense, of foreign ideologies not founded by enduring philosophies, but of futurism, its promises of choice and kaleidoscopic images. How can we find sacredness in subterranean cities, in modular fun houses, in sprawling mega malls, in mail-a-bride and rent-a-person, in hurry-up welcome, in Batman, in temporary marriages? Welcome to the rental revolution, to simulated environments, the portable playground.

Gone is the homing instinct. Broken is the old family. If we are a product of periodicity, then we are but a drifting lead swept onto the ocean of change. No, we are not. Here we remember the classical period, the anchor against the fallacy of human dreams and ambitions. What caused the downfall of Alexander and Napoleon? Here we remember the historical period. History is the greatest lesson of mankind. He who knows his history does not run and get a stabbing thorn. He who walks sees reality and the beauty of the countryside. We remember liberation theology – it is the catalyst of social justice; the feminist paradigm – it gives wholeness to man-woman relationship; the Filipino paradigm, the quaintness of Filipino life, shy from the world, but full of life’s simplicity as well as flavors, while ecological paradigm is making us move closer to nature.

The Internet Paradigm
Finding God on the Web

The Computer Revolution is touching our faith more openly and deeply now than during the age of Bible Study and Sunday Worship.

The marriage of technology and religion, though an ancient one (starting with the codification of religious belief in cuneiform writing), has gone farther than following Mass on television. It now makes available in the home through the Internet the subject of God in the countless denominations of faith. This leads to the creation of a cathedral in the mind, but what does it look like? Will a worldwide web bind all of us, Christians and Jews, Muslims and Buddhists, together?

Time poses this question with a sense of optimism that opens the door to religious understanding rather than religious isolation and conflict. These electronic exchanges will ultimately help people from many religions understand the common ideas that bind them together.

“One of the causes of religious disagreement has been the sense of strangeness, of pure unfamiliarity,” says Notre Dame philosophy professor, Alvin Plantinga.

The world is about to plunge into a giant pool called globalization where the dividing lines of distinction begin to dissolve: sex, geography, public and private life, status, race, religion, trade, education, culture, many others. Will these end up into a “classless and raceless” society? what paradigm do all these offer for one in order to lead a true moral life?

As I walk on the road of change, I see a faint light from the window of an old house. It gives me comfort, more that all the stars I see above. ~

Light from the Old Arch, AVR

A Letter of Parents to their Children

A Letter of Parents to their Children
(To Anna, 15)

There are many young people who get spoiled because they fall victims to this triad:

• Too much can lead to over protection,
• Over protection stifles the mind, and
• A mind that is not challenged takes things for granted

Dr Abe V Rotor

We are writing you after your recollection.  What a strange arrangement. Shouldn't parents write or send gifts to their children on the day of celebration?  We can imagine how you sat down there alone while your classmates were reading their parents' letters, or opening the gifts they received.

Anna Christina, 15 

This fault can be easily dismissed because people who are bound by love and respect easily find forgiveness.  Lest we forget however, that the very things that bind people could be the same things that can break them apart.  

We have known many a pampered child fail in life.  We have read true stories of friendship gone sour.  What an irony that the very things that set progress could be the very cause of destruction.  So with the cause of break up in friendship, in love, brotherhood, peace.

Taking things for granted on the other hand, can generate similar catastrophic results.  Why many an accident happened from taking things for granted.  A conflagration can be traced to a single matchstick.

What we are telling you is a lesson which we want you to reflect upon, on post recollection. There are many young people who get spoiled because they fall victims to this triad of factors:

• Too much can can lead to over protection, 
• Over protection stifles the mind, and
• A mind that is not challenged takes things for granted

1. You may be brilliant, but you may not be using this gift well. 
2. You may be loved, but you may not be aware that you are not reciprocating properly. 
3. You may find the world exciting, but not challenging. 
4. You may have many friends but friendship may lead you out of your path of success. 
5. You may have many things at fingertip command but you may be passive.  
6. You will realize as you grow up that failure in life is hidden behind too much of the good life. 
7. Rich countries, it is true, provide the good life, but look at the new generation pampered by it. 
8. And if we think that nobody is poor in a rich country why is it that there are millions of impoverished people in the US and Europe?  
9. How can a genius professor turn into a world terrorist?
10. On the other hand, how can Helen Keller see the world clearer that most of us who are not blind? 
11. How did honest Abe Lincoln pass the bar when he virtually did not attend law school, and became president of the US? 
12. Why did Augustine renounce his rich inheritance just to live a monk's life?

In your post recollection, get a whole sheet of paper. Draw a vertical line at the center and list down on the left column people you know who made it in life the hard way. On the right column, list down people you know who did not make it because they became willing victims of the triad syndrome, 

Where do you place yourself?

Think deep and write your resolution. 

Love,

Papa and Mama 

To Anna Christina, 15 

January 24, 1998

A Living Universe

A Living Universe 

“Inside of every mind is a whole world. Inside of every soul is an entire universe. The world never sleeps, the universe never rests; the Divine One is always at work.” - Living Universe

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living Universe in acrylic on wood (15"x21") A V Rotor, 2022 

A living universe of stars, gases and planetary systems like ours, hanging in space like a huge flower with petals white, yellow, red, and blue and green, all around its core; vivid yet mysterious to the eye through a lens and fertile imagination;

A living universe of colors, from primary - blue, yellow, red, - to the seven colors of the rainbow, and beyond in various shades and hues, ultimately ending in black; if black is a pool of colors, then darkness is matter, it has a mass; 

A living universe of light and matter - in Einstein's formula, E=mc2,  energy is produced in huge unending quantities, the prime mover of the universe, of all heavenly bodies, of living and non-living things - like those that exist on our planet, and in us;  

A living universe of atoms into elements combining into compounds, compounds into molecules, to cells, to organs, to living organisms, to populations living in unity into communities, to ecosystems, and ultimately our living world;   

A living universe of galaxies, each comprising of billions of stars, each star having a planetary system like our solar system in the Milky Way; we can only surmise by  inference that there are other Earths, and therefore life exists in outer space;

A living universe to the scientist is one, to the artist another, yet each one strives to capture the essence of existence, of creation, through reason and imagination, reality and fantasy, daring not to cross the line of primara causa, and the great divide; 

A living universe in which we are all a part of Creation, reaching out for one another here on earth and among the stars for love is universal, in many ways, the artist with his paint brush and canvas, dream and imagination and devotion. ~

A Tribute to the Pioneers in Biology in the Philippines.

A Tribute to the Pioneers in Biology in the Philippines
In memory of the late Reynaldo A Tabbada, PhD and Ruben C Umaly, PhD. both former professors of the author and Dr Sel Cabigan at the UST Graduate School.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Dr Anselmo S Cabigan (right) and author examine a rare plant specimen atop Tagaytay Ridge. Both are retired biology professors, and directors of the National Food Authority. They are disciples of the "old school" of Eduardo Quisumbing, Nemesio Mendiola, Juan Aquino, Leopoldo Karganilla, Fernando de Peralta, Deogreacias Villadolid, Jose Capinpin, Santiago Cruz et al - vanguards of science in the Philippines.

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Author's Note: The final draft of the human genome - the “book of life” has been completed. In 2000 the first draft of the Human Genome Project was made public by the US-UK Human Genome Project’s head, Francis Collins, and J. Craig Venter of Celera Genomics, a private company. They led the celebration of the most important discovery equaled only by the splitting of the atom in the last century. The breakthrough revolutionizes medicine and biology, and has deep ethical and moral implications, as the discovery could lead to the cure of killer diseases through what scientists call gene therapy, and the broadening of genetic engineering possibilities that may lead to the “creation” of life itself.
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While the world celebrates the greatest discovery of the new millenium - the cracking of the genetic code - let us turn our thoughts to our own biologists and dedicate this article to them. May their pioneering spirit in the development of biology in the Philippines be brought closer to our youth for them to look into the great potentials of biology as a career.

One of the early biologists was Eduardo Quisumbing the author of Medicinal Plants of the Philippines. Although it was written in the fifties the book is still the most popular reference in pharmacology. It is used in agronomy and horticulture. If you want to know what a certain plant can cure, how it is prepared and administered to the patient, flip the pages his book. It gives the botanical description of the plant so that it can be identifies. It is dubbed as the “bible of medicinal plants,” which anyone can use - in the school, barangay and in the home.
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Nemesio Mendiola (1890-1983) is the country's counterpart of the American "plant wizard," Luther Burbank. He was responsible in breeding high yielding rice, corn, sugar cane, and a host of horticultural crops, including fancy plants. Have you seen kamote (sweet potato) varieties with yellow, violet and blue tubers? He bred the spineless kenaf from the wild thorny native variety and became the source of fiber for commercial jute sacks.
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People’s Health and Welfare
Earlier, Leon Ma. Guerrero (1853-1935), the father of botany in the Philippines and one of the first Filipino pharmacists, formulated medicine and drugs from 174 plants in place of synthetic drugs which were not available then. When President Emilio Aguinaldo ran out of ammunition, he formulated an explosive derived from plants. It proved to be a good substitute to gunpowder. It was later named Guerrero Powder. One of the ingredients the author discovered is the hard seed coat of cashew (Canarium luzonicum).

“Necessity,” it is said, “is the mother of invention.” Life went through difficult times even after gaining our independence from Spain and the US and later from the Japanese. It is in these times that great minds were challenged.

Take the case of Maria Y Orosa (1893- 1945). Her discoveries in food preservation and innovations in salting, marinating, and picklingmade home economics and food technology household terms. So simple are her techniques that they can be adopted at the grassroots. They are also friendly to health and the environment.

A significant contribution to the improvement of health came from Hilarion Lara (1994-1987), an epidemiologist who advocated environmental sanitation in the control of cholera, typhoid, measles, dysentery and diphtheria. For this he did not only earn the title of National Scientist, but his fame gained international acclaim.

Beri-beri and Allergy
It was Manuel Ma. Guerrero (1877-1919) who succeeded in controlling infantile beri-beri. Dr. Juan Salcedo (1904-1988) who was then chairman of the National Science Development Board came up with a special vitamin against beri-beri for all ages, a feat which became internationally famous. Thanks to Dr. Guerrero and Dr. Salcedo this scourge of millions of children all over the world can be now controlled down to the village level. These great Filipino scientists are dubbed the “nemesis of beri-beri”.

More discoveries that improved health were made. Alfredo Santos (1900-1979), one of the founders of the National Academy of Science discovered paheantharine from plants as a treatment of high blood pressure. For this he earned the honor of National Scientist.

Candido M. Africa (1895-1945) succeeded in determining the causes of heart failure and how it can be prevented. In the field of allergy, Arturo B. Rotor (1908-1993), who was also Executive Secretary of President Manuel L. Quezon, and later President Sergio Osmena, developed a technique in detecting and controlling allergy. It was later named Rotor Syndrome, and is now a standard procedure used by medical schools and hospitals here and abroad. Dr. Rotor also wrote a column, “Confidentially Yours, Doctor,” written in simple and plain English for people to understand the doctor’s lingo. A number of orchids he discovered were named after him.

Antonio Ejercito spearheaded malaria control, while Dr. Sixto A. Francisco (1890-1959) fought tuberculosis with a method he developed with the use of BCG vaccine. Anastacia Giron Tupas (1890-1972) upgraded the nursing profession. She is our own Florence Nightingale, the founder of the nursing profession. Fe del Mundo (1907- ) institutionalized the treatment of children by putting up of hospitals for children. These hospitals are among the best-managed hospitals today. Among her inventions are an incubator for babies, and a devise in relieving jaundice. Her name is an institution in the field of pediatrics medicine.

Biology and Agriculture
The author had the privilege to study genetics under Nemesio Mendiola (1890-1983). Dr. Mendiola is the country’s counterpart of the American “plant wizzard,” Luther Burbank. He was responsible in breeding high yielding rice, corn, sugar cane, and a host of horticultural crops, including fancy plants. Have you seen kamote (sweet potato) varieties with yellow, violet and blue tubers? If you happen to see a dwarf gumamela (Hibiscus rosasinensis) with bright long-lived flowers, it is also the work of Dr. Mendiola. He bred the spineless kenaf from the wild thorny native variety and became the source of fiber for commercial jute sacks.

 Another great mind biology is Deogracias Villadolid (PHOTO). He was professor in zoology and served as critic of the author’s masteral thesis in freshwater ecology. Dr. Deogracias Villadolid, a marine and fresh water biologist, is best remembered for introducing tilapia (Tilapia monzambica and T. nilotica) into the Philippines in the fifties. The fish became adapted to local conditions that today it is the most popular fish, surpassing bangus, our national fish.

Here is a list of other Filipino biologists and their significant contributions:

Julian A. Banzon (1908-1988) developed alternative fuel from coconut and sugarcane. Ironically while millions of cars run on alcogas in other countries, we have not tapped Dr. Banzon’s formula for our local cars.
Felix D. Maramba Sr (1898- 1990?) harnessed biogas from animal waste. His project, Maya Farms in Rizal, is the most popular model in the country for small and medium size biogas generator. Like LPG, the gas collected and processed from piggery waste is used for the kitchen and in generating electricity. It became a world’s model for its kind.
Angel S. Arguelles (1888-1988?) developed fertilizers and pesticides to increase plant yield. These alternative farm inputs can save the country of precious dollars that is otherwise spent on imported farm chemicals, which by the way, are deleterious to health and the environment. His formulations set the foundation of organic farming.
Gregorio Velasquez is the father of phycology, the study of algae, which include the seaweeds. Today the culture of certain seaweeds, like Eucheuma and Gracillaria and Caulerpa, constitute a multi-million industry. Seaweeds are used as food and raw materials in medicine and industries. Micro-algae like Spirulina and Chlorella are among today’s growing health food.

Gerardo Ocfemia, the father of plant pathology in the Philippines. He is best known for discovering the cause of cadang-cadang, a pandemic viral disease of coconut. He was responsible in the identification and control of many other plant diseases in the Philippines.

Dioscoro L. Umali (1922-1992) The author had the privilege of consulting Dr. Umali for his advice in the drafting of the Magna Carta for Small Farmers. A former dean of then UP College of Agriculture, he assumed one of the highest posts occupied by a Filipino in the UN as regional head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for Asia and Pacific. His works in plant breeding, education and research won him the National Scientist award.

These scientists also excelled in their fields: Salvador M. Africa (chemist, made glass from sugarcane bagasse), and Anacleto del Rosario (discovered natural mineral water).

Of course, we recognize the greatest Filipino who ever lived, the hero of our race, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Dr. Rizal was a biologist, agriculturist and wildlife conservationist, even while he was in exile at Dapitan. Among his discoveries is a winged tree lizard, which was later named after him, Draco rizali.

Old Masters of the Life Sciences
The author treasures happy memories through his privileged association as a student and professor in the company of the following masters during the fifties and sixties. They constitute the so-called “old school of biology.”

· Fernando de Peralta – Botany
· Fortunato T. Basilio – Animal Science
· Juan P. Torres - Agriculture
· Santiago R. Cruz – Agriculture
· Jose Capinpin - Agriculture
· Gerardo Ocfemia – Plant Pathology
· Juan Aquino – Soil Science
· Domingo B. Paguirigan - Agriculture
· Fortunato T. Basilio – Animal Science
· Romeo Rejesus – Entomology
· Ricardo P. Sevilla – Veterinary Medicine
· Eulalio P. Baltazar - Agronomy
· Romeo Alicbusan – Mycology
· Francisco Fronda – Animal Science
· Martin S. Celino – Agronomy
· Francisco B. Claridad – Genetics
· Romeo Rejesus – Entomology
· Alfredo D. Dean – Entomology
· Vito F. Del Fierro, Jr – Animal Science
· Leopoldo T. Karganilla - Entomology
· Emiliano Roldan – Plant Pathology
· Rufino Gapuz – Animal Science
· Emil Javier – Genetics
· Clare Baltazar - Entomology
· Ramon Valmayor – Agriculture

The author also expresses his admiration to these contemporary Filipino scientists whom he had the chance to study and work with in the academe, in research institutions and in the field. Together with other scientists, they belong to the

“contemporary school of biology.” Among them are Reynaldo A. Tabbada (botany), Paciente Cordero (marine biology), Romualdo M. del Rosario (Botany), Ruben Umaly (Genetics), Crisanto Escaño (agriculture), Carmen Kanapi (Genetics), Sister Mamerta R. Rocero (ethnobotany), Alice Claustro (Botany), Anselmo S. Cabigan (Biology), Irineo Dogma (Microbiology) and Lydia Joson (microbiology). The author likewise expresses recognition to scientists in the other fields of natural science, particularly in chemistry and physics.

The author also acknowledges his former students who became practicing biologists - researchers, teachers, community workers, and the like. They are among those who constitute today’s “workforce in biology.”

New Fields of Biology- A Challenge to the youth

These ten major biological research areas pose a challenge to the youth of today who may take interest in becoming biologists.

Biotechnology

Marine biology

Climatology

Human longevity

Effects of pollution

Endangered ecosystems and species

Exobiology and Space biology

Natural food and medicine

Pandemic human diseases

Gene therapy

Now that the genetic code has been broken, we are embarking into new fields of science and technology heretofore unknown to man - and into the mystery of life itself, a subject that has long defied man’s knowledge.

The mapping of the 46 chromosomes of the human species and the 50,000 or so genes that they hold may have taken us a leap forward into knowing the key to life. But even if we shall have finally identified the specific role of each gene in relation to health, behavior and intrinsic qualities, we would still be in quandary whether this discovery will make life any better, happier and well-lived.

As we look back, our pioneer biologists may not have cracked the gene, but definitely they have in their own quiet and humble ways brought honors to their race and profession. Most important of all, they have improved the lives of millions of not only Filipinos but other people around the world through their genius, efforts, dedication – and selflessness.

May this article serve as a simple expression of our respect and gratitude to these scientists and many other great Filipinos. ~

Posted by Abe V. Rotor at 3:54 AM

1 comment:


UnknownSeptember 8, 2017 at 5:36 PM

Hi Dr. Abe. I have a friend whose aunt is a friend of yours and Dr. Anselmo. She is now in the Philippines for a vacation and she wants to know how she can contact Dr. Anselmo. If you happen to know any contact number of Dr. Anselmo, please message me in Facebook. It'll be a very big help. Thanks Dr. Abe. God bless!

Paleontology - Study of Fossils

Paleontology - Study of Fossils

Where Biology and Geology meet

Specimens on display at the Living with Nature Center 

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Paleontology is the study of ancient life, from dinosaurs to prehistoric plants, mammals, fish, insects, fungi, and even microbes. Fossil evidence reveals how organisms changed over time and what our planet was like long ago.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 Petrified Wood of an Early Dipterocarp Tree

A chunk of the trunk of a prehistoric tree reveals the structure of cells comprising the xylem as we know from living plants today.  Plant evolution and taxonomy comprise a scientific study under paleontology or palaeontology, a branch of biology.

 

  

How old are these petrified wood specimens? 

To determine the age of the tree from which these specimens were derived requires a special technique called Carbon-14 Dating. Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. 

  

Origin of Marble and Amber

Left: Limestone, formed from the calcareous remains of marine organisms in the distant past, is a main source of cement we use today. Limestone undergoes metamorphosis into marble, a metamorphic rock,  Right, resin mainly solidified exudate of gymnosperms like pines and cypress, metamorphoses likewise through time and pressure into amber. Amber may carry trapped insects, arachnids, fungi, and the like, revealing their identity and habit.  Quite often, their complete structure is revealed by the clear  transparency of the amber.

Author and student examine skeletons of organisms. 

These are potential fossils

Remains of organisms like shells, bones, and other skeletal parts may undergo fossilization to form true fossils, otherwise they simply deteriorate and ultimately decompose into elements, a process of recycling to keep the balance of nature called homeostasis.    

 
 

Fossils of Microorganisms

Upper photos: These rocks may contain fossils of microorganisms like algae, bacteria and protozoans, which are  studied meticulously under the microscope. Lower photos from Internet  are electron microphotographs of bacteria, some as old as 1.5 billion years, predating the oxygen-producing microorganisms. 

 

Artist's interpretation of Fossilization

 Fossilization of a ground fowl, and tree in a bog, in acrylic on wood by the author 2017.

  

Indeterminate fossils.  

What are these really?  Left, elephant's tusk?  Right, tools of Stone Age man?.

 

 

Generally rocks are classified as sedimentary, igneous (or volcanic) and metamorphic. Different rocks may form conglomerates or aggregate rocks.

First cannon ball; flower of stones. 

 Fossil

                                                                     Dr Abe V Rotor

Marlo and Anna at the Dinosaur Exhibit, Manila 1987

Even your tree has been felled,

your phylogeny now a memory;

for your were lost in the current,

in the repetitious mechanism

of the universe,

when one day stood still

while you were acting

in too many parts of the play,

in too long a time.

Your life is twice told, 

understanding it backward,

through the art 

of marble and mud. ~

Petrified Wood

Dr Abe V Rotor

Petrified wood (Pietro, rock) is a fossil formed by the infiltration of minerals into cavities between and within cells of natural wood, usually by silica (silicon dioxide, SiO₂) or calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO₃). Petrification is a very slow anaerobic process.

The replacement of organic tissue by mineral deposits is so precise that the internal structure as well as the external shape is faithfully represented; sometimes even the cell structure may be determined.

Petrified rocks are cut and polished into many items of commerce and art such as furniture, adornments, and decors.~

Let Us Sharpen Our Eighth Sense of Naturalism

Let Us Sharpen Our Eighth Sense of Naturalism

Let's not just rely on our inventions, such as the barometer and seismograph. The behavior of living things can be read and interpreted, including our own feelings. Unusual observations and occurrences tell us to prepare for eventualities. Let us sharpen our eighth sense - naturalism.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Mosquitoes become aggressive before a rain; they need blood before laying eggs in stagnant water left by the rain.

1. Drought – Occurs in summer; landscape scorched; dry riverbeds and ponds; brush fires occur; lake water recedes; crack on earth, especially areas under water in monsoon; worst scenario - flowering of bamboo usually during El Nino, a phenomenon that happens every 7 to 10 years.

2. Earthquake – Farm animals restless; horses kick and neigh; pigs snort; fowls abandon usual roost; turkey cackle; cattle seek exit from corral; dogs howl; and the like. Wild animals abandon abode – snakes come out into the open; reptile keep out of the water; elephants defy their master’s command; birds abandon nest, other emigrate.

Misty crown and ring around the moon could mean bad weather ahead

3. Typhoon – Doldrums-like calm; uneasiness to both humans and animals as barometer reading drops which means atmospheric pressure goes down; arthritis and hypertension symptoms are felt by sensitive persons. As typhoon approaches, sea becomes rough; sky overcast; clouds move fast to one direction; gusts of cold and warm wind, thunderstorms.

4. Mad dog – Its tail is tucked underneath; animal restless biting at anything within its reach; froth coming from its mouth; stealthily moves about without any apparent direction; dreads the presence of water (hydrophobia); usually occurs during hot days particularly in summer. Be keen; keep distance; notify others of danger; get help.

5. Influenza – Precipitated by alternate cold and hot weather, thunderstorms, abrupt change in season. Influenza season is usually at the onset of amihan as the habagat comes to an end. Practical signs: people coughing in church and other gatherings; sale of cold tablets and antibiotics is up; hospitals full. Epidemic starts in the family, neighborhood, local community; also, in schools, malls and markets, and may spread to cover a city or district or province. Modern transportation has made spread of flu easier and wider.

6. Pristine Environment – Abundance of lichens on trunks and branches of trees, rocks, and soil. There are three types: crustose (crust), foliose (leaf-like) and fruticose (fruiting type). They are biological indicators of clean air. The ultimate test is the abundance of the fruticose type.

7. Inclement Weather – Halo around moon; gray and red sunset; a storm may be coming depending upon the intensity of these signs.

8. Rain - Dragonflies hovering; aggressive biting of mosquitoes; ants move to another place carrying their young and provisions. The latter predicts heavy continuous rainfall or siyam-siyam or nep-nep. Herons on the move heralds the monsoon.

When field crickets (Acheta bimaculata) PHOTO are noisy, it's still summertime. Crickets are "watchdogs" in Chinese homes. They stop fiddling at the slightest sound of an intruder.

9. Monsoon – Frogs croak; insects (termite, ants) swarm; lightning and thunder get frequent; first heavy rain in May vegetates the landscape, thus turning from brown to green. It comes early or late, but usually in later part of May. Global warming has brought unpredictable signs indicating that our climate is changing.

10. Ripening of Fruits – Generally from green to yellow to orange (banana, orange, apple, etc. Determined by smell: guava, jackfruit, durian, melon, etc); shiny rind (caimito, siniguelas). Dull skin (chico), enlarged ridges and furrows (atis, guayabano, anonas)

Apply Naturalism in the following: (For research and discussion)

1. Sweetness/sourness of fruit
2. Maturity and succulence of vegetables (okra, cucumber)
3. Tenderness of nut (buko, macapuno)
4. Sweetness and maturity of fruit (watermelon)
5. Time to harvest singkamas, onions, garlic, sugarbeet
6. Presence of jellyfish
7. Red tide signs
8. Coming flood (earthworm)
9. Time to harvest palay, corn, wheat.
10. Slippery walkway (presence of algae and scum, seldom used)
11. Depth of water (by color, sound of oar, current, clarity)
12. Cloud reading of weather nimbus for rain, cirrus for fine weather)
13. Glassy eyes (deep feelings like hatred, or “wala sa sarili”)
14. Wrinkles at the corner of eyes (happy disposition)
15. Furrows on forehead (problematic)
16. Rough hand (worker, also athlete)
17. Brilliant and attentive eyes (intelligence)
18. Clumsiness, strummer (nervous, uncertain)
19. Heavy feet (angry, lazy)
20. Tight jaw (angry, restlessly active)

Topics for Research and Discussion

1. How reliable is “gut feel”
2. How about ESP?
3. What is “aura?” How does it apply to relationships?
4. What is Biological Clock? Name how it affects your life.
5. Life starts at 40 – how do you interpret this?

6. What are prophets to you? Are there people who can see the future? Do you believe in Nostradamus? 

7. Are dreams hidden motives, indirect messages, prophesies?

8. How superstitious are you? Do you practice superstition?
9. Do you think you were once living on earth in another being or living thing? Do you believe re-incarnation?
10. How fatalistic are you – you are predestined even before you were born.

Living with Nature, AVR
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Mad dog – Its tail is tucked underneath; animal is restless biting at anything within its reach; froth coming from its mouth; stealthily moves about without any apparent direction; dreads the presence of water (hydrophobia); usually occurs during hot days particularly in summer. Be keen; keep distance; notify others of danger; get help.
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Dogs warn before they attack. This dog at home (Kulit) warns intruders with flashy eyes. Slowly withdraw but don't show you're afraid by looking straight into the dog's eyes. On the street don't turn your back and run. The dog will run after you - and it could be the whole pack. Tell this to your children. ~