9 votes

The sealed garden that was only watered once in fifty-three years

7 comments

  1. [5]
    boredop
    Link
    I miss copy editors.

    In 1960 David Latimer got curious and decided to plant a glass bottle with seed. He would have never guessed it would turn into a beautiful case study of a self-sustaining sealed ecosystem.

    In fact, more than a century has passed and David’s sealed bottle garden is still thriving and robust as can be.

    I miss copy editors.

    9 votes
    1. [3]
      Diff
      Link Parent
      I've tried like for like 2 minutes and I cannot parse this bold sentence, anyone know what it means?

      I've tried like for like 2 minutes and I cannot parse this bold sentence, anyone know what it means?

      The electrons then are free to release oxygen by converting carbon dioxide to carbohydrates through chemical reactions.

      To decay organic material like deal leaves the ecosystem employs cellular respiration. Which is done by bacteria that takes in waste oxygen and releases carbon dioxide that helps the plant grow.

      4 votes
      1. zptc
        Link Parent
        Probably a typo. "Dead leaves" makes more sense.

        Probably a typo. "Dead leaves" makes more sense.

        4 votes
      2. ProofTechnique
        Link Parent
        A sane editor would likely have suggested:

        To decay organic matter, like dead leaves, the ecosystem employs cellular respiration, which is...

        A sane editor would likely have suggested:

        Dead leaves and other organic matter in the ecosystem decay via cellular respiration; bacteria take in waste oxygen and release carbon dioxide to help the plant grow.

        4 votes
    2. ali
      Link Parent
      How does a mistake like that happen? There's one sentence between 'in 1960' and 'more than a century has passed'. At first I thought you took two separate paragraphs

      How does a mistake like that happen? There's one sentence between 'in 1960' and 'more than a century has passed'. At first I thought you took two separate paragraphs

      3 votes
  2. hamstergeddon
    Link
    Terrarium building is a really cheap and easy hobby to get into. After watching a few how-to videos I ran to the store and bought everything I needed for less than $10 (Just a glass jar and...

    Terrarium building is a really cheap and easy hobby to get into. After watching a few how-to videos I ran to the store and bought everything I needed for less than $10 (Just a glass jar and aquarium gravel). If you've got glass jars and gravel (or just smaller stones) around, you can essentially start it for free. The dirt, the plants, the critters, etc. all came from my backyard for free.

    4 votes
  3. ProofTechnique
    Link
    This man has the most quintessentially British look on his face that I've ever seen. I'm quite interested to find out what truly terrifying things have happened to the bacteria living in that...

    This man has the most quintessentially British look on his face that I've ever seen.

    I'm quite interested to find out what truly terrifying things have happened to the bacteria living in that thing. I'm imagining a cat will knock it over and release some never-before-seen strain of a normally harmless garden bacterium that eats the planet.

    3 votes