From the arrival of eaglets in Washington, D.C. to programmable produce, here are seven news stories from around the web this week:
The eaglets are arriving
The eggs laid by a pair of eagles — Mr. President and First Lady — are starting to hatch at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post says as of the morning of March 18, one egg has hatched and the other one has could hatch over the weekend. You can watch the eaglets hatch here.
First day of spring
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2016 spring climate and flood outlook. Check out the forecast for your region’s risk of flooding and drought this season.
Prepare for planting
March 20 marks the first day of spring 2016. The Sidney Daily News suggests that farmers calibrate their sprayers while they wait to get into their fields. Instructions for calibrating your sprayer are provided in Ohio State University Extension’s Agronomic Crops Network newsletter for March 7-21, 2016.
O-H …
The Ohio State University is a Tree Campus USA for the fifth year in a row. In the last year, OSU has planted 535 trees and by 2025, the school intends to double its tree canopy.
Alzheimer’s disease
Women may receive Alzheimer’s diagnoses more often, but they tend to have stronger verbal memory before the disease’s effects kick in. Researchers studied MRI scans of elderly patients and measured their abilities on cognitive tests. They found that women with mild cognitive impairment and full Alzheimer’s had stronger verbal memory skills than others, Fox News reports.
Ancient grains and seeds = healthy cookies?
Maybe you’ve heard of chia seeds and amaranth, but have you ever eaten them. USDA AgResearch Magazine reports that researchers are looking into the physical properties of these grains and seeds and determining how they can be used in foods. They might be able to reduce heart problems, diabetes and obesity.
Programmable produce
In the MIT Media Lab, Caleb Harper and a group of colleagues started out by growing food in a 60 square foot “farm, ” figuring out ideal growing conditions that can be shared with farmers around the world. Now, personal food computers, food servers and food data centers are being used to send food information to other locations so others can learn how to grow it. Read more from National Geographic’s The Plate.
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