Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 13 i NatureVolve

Most of us enjoy gazing at colourful sunsets, mountain vistas, and fields of wildflowers. Professor Nicholas Money (Nik) sees beauty in the fungi which he has studied for 40 years. His use of high-speed video cameras has revealed the incredible movements of fungal spores that occur in microseconds and he has become obsessed with understanding how these mechanisms work. Nik’s research in mycology requires a deep appreciation of the physics of microscopic objects, but there is another side to this work which intersects with artistic representations of the fungi. Our interview on the next page explores many facets of Nik’s passion for the science and the art of mycology, his journey to Oxford in Ohio, and his admiration for the pioneers of fungal research. Q & A - Nicholas Money…

For centuries, the concept of lunar habitation has remained a matter of great speculation for humans. Scientific efforts in this area began in the 1950s, and recently, NASA and other space agencies have been reviving their mission programs, which focus more on advancing long-term research facilities on the Moon and its orbit. So, we ask: Will scientists and others be able to settle humans on the Moon? In short, yes! The success of the ambitious programs such as NASA-led Artemis I, II, III may lead to the construction of moon bases suitable for a long-term human settlement. Amid growing hopes, scientists anticipate the physical, social, and behavioral challenges that lunar inhabitants may have to face. Anthropologist Margaret Boone Rappaport and Astronomer Christopher Corbally suggest that the Moon’s low gravity may…

Spiders conservation policies Despite their ecological importance and diversity, spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are underrepresented in conservation policies in comparison to other animal groups. In order to stimulate research and conservation actions in this direction, Marco Isaia and his research team at the University of Torino (Italy) reviewed all extant conservation tools focusing on spiders in Europe. According to their work, out of the more than 4000 species found in Europe, only 178 are formally mentioned in legislation acts of 19 European countries, and for only 164 species the Extinction risk has been evaluated by International Union of Conservation of Nature. Among European species, the aquatic spiders Dolomedes plantarius and Argyroneta aquatica are the most frequently mentioned in European conservation measures, possibly due to their ecological traits and their strict association…

This digital illustration shows a flexible solar cell made of perovskite, surrounded by a phosphorene nanoribbon (a single-atom layer of the phosphorene material). This dramatically improves the solar cell’s efficiency. The nanoribbon would be invisible to the naked eye, but I made it the center of the piece as a “real” ribbon with the pattern of phosphorene’s chemical structure. About Martina Pepiciello is a scientific illustrator and graphic designer with a theoretical physics background. Martina strives to make science more memorable and inspiring, as well as to visualize rather abstract concepts, helping scientists make their research stand out and communicate their findings in a graphical way. Martina also helps science communicators make this discipline more accessible and less intimidating. Contact Website: https://www.martinapepiciello.com/…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our everyday lives, assisting us with tasks such as car navigation, translation, and the operation of household appliances. But behind the scenes, AI has been managing a huge deal of repetive tasks such as in planning and scheduling in corporations and healthcare institutions. The potential of AI tools to help humans with such tasks is clear to many companies within biotechnology. Applications can be far reaching, even extending to outer space through space exploration. One such AI-based tool is ROMIE, developed by computer engineer Dr. Michael Saint-Guillain and his team. It can help managers in operations make better decisions and also provides investment simulations. The team also designed their off-shoot tool ROMBIO to help biotech companies such as Zentech in their manufacturing processes…

Being a bioinformatician, data scientist and scientific illustrator, Aaisha Muhammad has a highly diverse skillset that also spans photography, digital art, web development and writing. How is it possible to pursue so many of these avenues? Perhaps being homeschooled allowed Aaisha to be more selective in what she spent her time pursuing, allowing her to follow her curiosity. This has in part led her to become an accomplished science communicator with a diversity of skills and projects. In our interview, we will soon find out more about what lies behind Aaisha’s motivations and aeclectic interests. Q & A - Aaisha Muhammad What it was like being home-schooled and self-taught? Being homeschooled and afterwards self-studying has allowed me to pursue my various interests as I want to, as opposed to a…

Ammy the Artist Ammy the Artist is a crafty, artsy creative based in Overland Park, United States, with the pronouns She/They. She most often posts her art on Instagram but her work can also be found on Redbubble for others to enjoy. Artwork This piece is a digital painting created in adobe photoshop with a wacom tablet. Both my mom and I have a passion for owls and I made this piece for her. It’s part of a series of raptors and other birds that I’ve been woking on for the past year. I even took a field trip to the World Bird Sanctuary in St Louis for inspiration. I’ve been working both in traditional and digital media seriously for the past 15 years. I am constantly inspired by the…