L'alchimista moderno

There is a small microrganism, know as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which  is able to infect people with cystic fibrosis. Well, recently it was seen how it is able to eliminate competition of other bacteria through injection of a lethal toxin. In fact, the competition between bacteria is a very cruel fight, of course compared to their nature and size. Not far in time, there was talk of bacteria, especially since he took the headlines of newspapers a particular strain of Escherichia coli that has caused several deaths in Germany and other European countries. But what about of bacteria?

Katniss begins her daytime normally: she skip furtively under a fence to enter, against the law, in the woods and she hunts illegally. This is her life within the District 12 after the devastating victory of Capitol City after the war. But nothing is really normal. The Harvest is near: every year Capitol City reaffirms its supremacy through a drawing lots, in each of the 12 districts, of a boy and a girl between 12 and 18 years, 24 tributes. They will play to the Hunger Games, a reality show in which remains only the last player alive after to have killed everybody else. But when her younger sister is choice for the Games, without hesitation she comes forward and she offers herself as a voluntary. So begins the adventure of Katniss and her male partner, Peeta the baker, inside the arena where both will have to give the most, because only the strongest can return back home. But a spark begin to flame and Capitol City is near to burn.

Per la giovane Katniss la giornata inizia in maniera normale. Passa di nascosto sotto una recinzione, si addentra contro la legge nel bosco e caccia illegalmente. Questa è la vita che si trova ad affrontare all’interno del Distretto 12 dopo la devastante vittoria di Capitol City durante la guerra. Ma nulla è veramente normale. Sta per avere luogo la mietitura, il momento dell’anno in cui Capitol City ribadisce la sua supremazia sorteggiando, in ognuno dei 12 distretti, un ragazzo e una ragazza fra i 12 e i 18 anni, 24 tributi, per avviarli agli Hunger Games, un reality show in cui vince chi rimane vivo eliminando gli altri concorrenti. La fortuna non arride a Katniss che, già orfana di padre, vede sorteggiare il nome della sorella più piccola, alla sua prima volta alla mietitura. I sentimenti hanno il sopravvento e lei, senza indugi o pensieri, si fa avanti e si offre come volontaria la suo posto. Inizia così l’avventura di Katniss e del suo partner maschile nel cruento programma telev...

The first of March 1872, Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), 18th President of the United States of America (1869-1877), decreed the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, the first example of a protected nature reserve in the world. This date may be useful to recall the importance of parks and, more generally, of respect and preservation of nature's marvels.

In a cornfield just off an anonymous and small town of the United States is found a body horribly mutilated. More, around the body are present, to form a circle, some crows impaled on old Indian arrows. In a town under shock, Aloysius Pendergast, FBI Special Agent , begins to investigate searching a serial killer. But against him there is not only the killer, but also police and citizens who deny the presence of a serial killer and, even worse, they want to keep it away from an ancient and terrible secret that belongs to the past of their town.

A few days ago a friend showed me his obsidian pendulum. Me, as a good skeptic, I immediately asked some questions to see the answer. Surprisingly I realized that it was not ambiguous answers, but it was a yes or a not. In fact important is how the questions are asked to obtain these simple answers. However, at the end I asked to try it myself and the answers have left me speechless: at the first glance seemed correct answers. Then curiosity led me to inquire more about it.

Talking with a friend of this blog we have started to discuss about using of various herbal mixtures as dyes. Aroused my curiosity,  I decided to look about the question and I found a world unexpectedly large. The dyeing is a system which allows to give or change the color of different types of materials, from wood to textile fibers, using liquid solutions of the color of plant origin (flowers, leaves, fruits, etc.), animal (like the shell of molluscs) or, currently, chemistry.