Autumn Leaves: Red vs Yellow

Why autumn leaves are red in America and yellow in Europe

August 14, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Scientists are studying environmental conditions 35 million years ago to solve the mystery that why autumn leaves are red in America and yellow in Europe.

The green of a tree's leaves is from the larger proportion of the chlorophyll pigment in the leaves.

The change in color to red or yellow as autumn approaches is not the result of the leaves' dying, but of a series of processes - which differ between the red and yellow autumn leaves.

When the green chlorophyll in leaves diminishes, the yellow pigments that already exist become dominant and give their color to the leaves.

Red autumn leaves result from a different process: As the chlorophyll diminishes, a red pigment, anthocyanin, which was not previously present, is produced in the leaf.

These facts were only recently discovered and led to a surge of research studies attempting to explain why trees expend resources on creating red pigments just as they are about to shed their leaves.

Explanations that have been offered vary and there is no agreement on this as of yet.

According to the theory provided by Professor Simcha Lev-Yadun of the Department of Science Education- Biology at the University of Haifa-Oranim and Professor Jarmo Holopainen of the University of Kuopio in Finland, until 35 million years ago, large areas of the globe were covered with evergreen jungles or forests composed of tropical trees.

During this phase, a series of ice ages and dry spells transpired and many tree species evolved to become deciduous.

Many of these trees also began an evolutionary process of producing red deciduous leaves in order to ward off insects.

In North America, as in East Asia, north-to-south mountain chains enabled plant and animal 'migration' to the south or north with the advance and retreat of the ice according to the climatic fluctuations. Along with them migrated their insect 'enemies' too.

Thus, the war for survival continued there uninterrupted.

In Europe, on the other hand, the mountains - the Alps and their lateral branches - reach from east to west, and therefore no protected areas were created.

Many tree species that did not survive the severe cold died, and with them the insects that depended on them for survival.

At the end of the repeated ice ages, most tree species that had survived in Europe had no need to cope with many of the insects that had become extinct, and therefore no longer had to expend efforts on producing red warning leaves, thus becoming yellow in color over time.

Lacking Zest

When someone commented on an article I wrote that it is lacking a little zest yesterday, it suddenly dawn on me what I am lacking in my life -- enthusiasm and JOY.

I am too serious for my own good. I take things in life too seriously and I am always finding myself not having enough time for self. Even in my spare time, I am always researching, thinking, and writing while much essential housework is left undone, especially during weekends. My life is no longer as carefree as I was a teen and the stress of life is now taking its toll on me. I am not only needing a break, but also deserving one. No doubt, I am aware it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I have done so almost my entire life, but maybe it is time for me to start receiving.

I'll be going for my autumn vacation this September, and I hope to rediscover the joy of my youth and return rejuvenated with energy and strength bursting forth to take on the years ahead of me, if possible, filled with joy bountiful.

This is my prayer. May God help me fulfill this wish.

Time

Many of us live our lives rushing all the time, and I, like many, am also always running and rushing all my time. I rush to get to work, I rush to complete my assigned work, I rush to meet deadlines, and I rush to get home. Few are the moments I have to pause and catch my breath, and few are the days I can take extended breaks. This is the kind of lifestyle I live by, and I know it is not healthy, a sure sign of an impending breakdown and possibly a prelude to a heart attack.

I am by nature a time conscious man, probably because of my upbringing and because I live by the principle of living each day meaningfully. I am aware of the shortness of a human life, so in desiring to accomplish much while alive, I am always seeking for more time. Then one day God decided to grant me my wish for more time -- time to completely rest from my labor. So rest I did, first in hospital for a surgery, then at home for recovery. All that took place some years ago, and during that one month of rest, I learnt to be still before God and to be at peace. I also leant that in all the haste, I have gained nothing much except in jeopardizing my own health.

When I finally recovered from my illness, my perception of life was somewhat changed. Sadly, however, I soon returned to my rushing game because I was then studying and working at the same time. Now, after many years, although I have completed my studies, I am still learning how to take time to rest without feeling unrest or guilty of wasting away my free time. Maybe I am too conscious about time, or maybe subconsciously I simply cannot live life without a purpose in mind.

Teach me therefore O God to know when to run, when to slowdown and when to stop and rest. Help me in my busyness not to fail to see the more important things in life, especially when it involves someone in need. Lead me to know how to keep my time in check, to strike a balance between the necessary and the important, that I may not, out of negligence, cause unhappiness to any relationship.

Traveling and Culture: Eye Opener

Traveling has always been a part of my life, an eye opener to the different cultures of the world and the different human behaviors. I've learnt much through traveling, things that I'll never be able to learn or see if I have not traveled.

Traveling helps people adapt to new environments, understand why people of different cultures behave differently, so as to enable us to understand why people do the things they do. This is especially useful to me because I work in a multi-national company that is made up of people all over the world. It helps me adapt and not to expect others to do things the way we do.

For example, if we see people spitting around, people who eat things and leave their waste to be cleared by other people, people who talks out loud in public, people who blocks every passageway and sidewalks, we can understand why they will never do what we expect them to do, such as to give way to us so we can walk the sidewalks, soften their chatter onboard trains and so on.

Not all imported behaviors are negative however. I've learnt many things from foreign cultures which I wish are being practised here. For example, ever since I visited the USA for the first time many years ago, I've learnt to clear my own food trays and waste at every fast food chains. Not to do so, to me, is to be uncultured and inconsiderate.

One of the many things in life we should all learn is that we must do things with consideration for others. We should not make decisions on our own without forseeing how our decisions may affect others. My principle for living is simple. I follow the Bible verse Philippians 2:3 which says:

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Learning to be graceful and less inconsiderate can go a long way. If we wish to live our lives meaningfully, we'll need to know how to behave and live our lives. If you, like me, are willing to strive to make our nation state a place to live in, read my article on Learning to be Graceful.

Toilet Etiquette

While at the Raffles Clinic of OUB Centre this morning, I saw an interesting notice placed above the toilet bowl of the clinic's restroom.

Maybe I should put a sign like this at my workplace's toilet! (",)

Selective Seeing

You have heard of selective hearing where one listens only the good things, but have you heard of selective seeing?

Selective seeing is much like what Conflict Management studies called avoidance. Avoidance is not about closing an eye to things, but it's about not seeing what you don't wish to see. Given the change in our nation state's cleanliness and the people living in the country with inconsiderate behaviors, ungraceful acts, it pains my heart at times to see things I don't see when I was still in my youth.

Today, just about everywhere in Singapore, and especially in public fields and on pedestrian sidewalks, we can see debris and litter, spats of phlegm and saliva, inconsiderate acts of cycling without considerations for pedestrians, and more. If you are like me always bothered by such uncultured 'gracefulness', then you must learn to see things selectively. When seeing tissue papers, cans, bottles and other types of litter on the grass and sidewalks, just look around and see the beigger surroundings of nature, the flowers and the trees, the chirping birds and moving leaves, and breath in the fresh air if there is any. Minimize your focus on the unpleasant, such as the debris and the phlegm, and keep calm in the face of uncultured acts of spitting and littering.

Sounds like escapism you may think, and maybe you are right, but if that can keep a person's heartbeat rate down, it is worth it. There is no reason for us to suffer a heart attack for acts performed by others. Like selective hearing where we can choose to hear only the good stuff, selective seeing allows us to see only the good stuff, so we can calm our hearts.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you can play the hero and right the wrong by complaining through the media, the town councils and the community development councils, but these usually end up as a waste of time because things are unlikely going to improve with such complains. I've tried, I've been promised, and sometimes after years, the very thing I've complained about has been theoretically 'solved' with no improvement.

Take for example the cycling issue. I've written in the papers, and the good news was they will be extending sidewalks to cater for both cyclists and pedestrians. So I waited and after 1-2 years it was complete, but at all the wrong places. The main narrow sidewalk under the track of the MRT is where most cyclists-pedestrians have accidents, but the completion of project has been celebrated, but the problem persist and is not fixed for the main sidewalk, although every other sidewalks with hardly any problem have been fixed.

This is truly our country, this is indeed our land.

Traveling in September Autumn

With the lower cost of travel and the autumn season coming up for northern Europe, I am once again looking into going for a holiday.

My target this time round is Scandinavia, since this tour is never available during the Chinese New Year period, which for them is winter season.

Autumn Scandi ... here I come -- September 5-20, 2009. (",)

2012 Movie Trailer

Release Date: November 13, 2009
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Roland Emmerich
Screenwriter: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser
Starring: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: WhoWillSurvive2012.com
Review: Not AvailableDVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: View here
Production Stills: View here
Plot Summary: Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. "2012" is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.