Category: Articles
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The love and hate story between fungi and plants
This video focuses on a recent publication “The ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus microcarpus encodes a microRNA involved in cross-kingdom gene silencing during symbiosis” to highlight the “love-and-hate” relationship between fungi and plants. I made this video to explain a scientific paper in an interesting way. Hope that you will enjoy! Reference Main paperWong-Bajracharya, J., Singan, V.R.,…
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Thoughts on Avatar 2
After watching Avatar 2, I have been considering the themes of nature and science that the film presents. This film is not only an artistic enjoyment, but also an educational film. I especially like the ingredients in it about nature. The world of Avatari is like the earth’s once – how great nature was back…
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The unfaithful companion of plants – mycorrhizae
Mycorrhizae are fungi that share a close relationship with the plant’s roots. Such a relationship often involves a direct exchange of resources such as carbon and phosphorus that can impact the growth of plants. Although hidden on earth and invisible to most non-specialists, mycorrhiza has an important role in the ecosystem. They are present in…
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Will humans be excluded from Biology
It is no longer a surprise to claim that humans are detaching from nature. Forests are being replaced by farmlands, farmlands are being replaced by towns, and towns are being replaced by cities. Children can live perfectly well without seeing the wild, and businessmen, programmers, technicians and even many biologists don’t have to go into…
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Impact of food on health
Introduction As the ageing of populations occurs in many nations worldwide, people are increasingly looking for health-oriented diets to avoid diseases and increase the life span.1 Various health claims are circulating in the daily communications, such as the benefit of vegetarian, tea, restricted food intake, and organic food. Although many of these claims are partially substantiated…
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Why Do Scientists Do Science?
—-Review of The Unnatural Nature of Science Why do scientists do science? Are they self-interested people seeking to print their names into history books, or are they selfless heroes hoping to better the world without seeking rewards? At Imperial, many of us will choose the career of ‘scientist’. From what we learned as young children,…
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Don’t Let Undeserved Pleasure Dictate Your Life
Recently, the US has come up with a novel idea to tackle the worsening drug addiction crisis —the so-called “harm-reduction policy”, which basically gives drug addicts weakened drugs to help avoid diseases such as HIV spreading and potentially reduce their intake of drugs. Plausible as it may sound, the policy reflects a messy world that…
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There is No Dollar Sign on A Piece of Mind
No Ranking Anymore. For many, Imperial’s way of approaching scores is unprecedented and gratifying—unlike universities such as the University of California, Berkeley, where there is a horrifying fixed “grade ratio” that successfully changes some students’ lives into hell, scores in Imperial are determined not by the ranking, and everyone is possible to get the first-class…
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Eat Every Grain of Rice
“Eat every grain of rice, or do not leave!” Perhaps my nonchalance to having nice meals originates from my childhood, thanks to those uncomfortable memories bestowed by my grandpa. I can well remember how serious he would become every time he discovered me having any left-over food in my bowl. It was like, all of…
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Why Imperial Isn’t On Par With Oxbridge?
“How did you fail the Oxbridge interview and came to Imperial?” This was one of the most common (and embarrassing) questions I heard since coming here. Imperial is one of the top universities, and there was a time, particularly in 2015, Imperial even surpassed Oxford and ranked 2nd in QS World University Ranking. But the…
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教育之魂
刚刚在看一些关于竞争的作文，突然想到中国教育的事情。这里我也想讲一讲以前没有意识到的客观原因。 虽然正式的课还没开始，已经可以感觉到氛围的不同了。国内教育最缺的是“魂”。大家都很努力，但这“努力”是被竞争逼出来的，这样出来的一股没有“魂”的干劲，就很难去做开天辟地的事情。毕竟竞争是太容易令人满足，也太不容易让人满足了。当成为顶尖的时候，事业该如何发展呢？但这还算好，更糟糕的是，人上之人还有人上人，把一生的追逐都花在竞争上值得吗？最终就造成了死循环：你要比我好，我也要比你好，最后我和你的时间都花在攀比上了。我和你谁还有心思办的了大事呢？ 初来英国，不能做太多论断，但我觉得英国也缺少干大事的人。很显然，这里的竞争没有国内激烈。高考大军，千军万马过的独木桥，都要争着去上清北复交。这里的学生，可怕的是出生前就被定好阶级了。富人上富学校，穷人上穷学校，世世代代皆是如此，富人穷人都安于现状了。本来富人便是少数，好的大学便归他们所有，再差进的大学都是世界一百名内的。所以呢？看到的一些当地学生，空闲时间都在花天酒地——毕竟不管学业怎么样，家庭的财产摆在那里，财团摆在那里，实在不行可以花钱雇人来投行，照样能够增长亿万的财富。这样的环境，说是自由开放，其实也蛮死气沉沉的。财富多了不好，财富少也不好，我觉得这根本不是财富的问题，而是思想的问题。 这就是社会过于安逸的结果？ 把时间调回上个世纪。二战，中国青年出谋划策，是要如何救国。美国那儿，科学家们也在日夜钻研着雷达导弹的军事用途。共产主义开始传播的时候，世界上就有很多人认为这是拯救世界的解药，也纷纷出来提建议写文章，建立了很不一样的社会制度。他们做这些事情的时候，之所以卖力最根本的原因，是为了那”崇高的事业“——击败法西斯，夺回被侵略领土，维护世界和平，解放被压迫的人民，等等之类。这种”崇高事业“，是真正对人的鼓舞，也就是为什么在这种特殊的时期下，就容易出很多名垂千古的人。 而现在，世界是比较和平了，很多国家的财富在快速积累。人们看到自己的生活已经很好了，在各个国家，人们也不再像上个世纪那样，为了捍卫理论，要到处搞革命了；人们便把目光从世界大局，还原到自己身上，该竞争的，到头来不还是为了自己的利益，该享乐的，到头来不就是想过上舒服的日子。那种真正伟大的”崇高事业“，真的是有时代限制的（文艺复兴，福利制度改革，法国大革命，美国独立战争皆是如此）——有几个人，是怀着那“崇高精神”呢？今天的中国梦，对象大部分是吃饱喝足的人，而上个世纪的中国梦，是战场上含着最后一口气也要站起来的战士的，是喊着”救亡图存“的青年的。不一样的时代，这两者的号召力，能一样吗？ 这便是一个客观原因。稳定的时代，并不是说不好。和平当然好于战争。不过翻翻历史书，总能感觉上个世纪的某种精神，在这个世纪已经被丢掉了。
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Night
01:00 a.m. City Park. After the streetlights went out, I walked on the quiet road, with pace slow and light. The night was a silent symphony, in which thousands of dreams, either from living or non-living matters, crashed together and combined. I love the beauty of darkness. There is always a kind of feeling that…
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数学荒原 Math Wilderness
（以下内容为高考前51天内发布的文章汇编：2021年4月19日-6月6日） 第51天 人类就是音乐，自然就是旋律。最深奥的，莫过于头顶上的云朵有些数学家，想要破解云运动的规律于是就有了气象预报但他们最终成了气象家，他们在追逐这一行业的路上丢掉了数学家的精髓。他们只能预报，估计。他们不是预言家。或许云体运动的公式能够察觉出一二，或许风向变化的公式也能察觉出一二，但更多的细节是无法把握的。好望角上一只蝴蝶翅膀的扇动改变了云层的形状？数十年前冥王星上一块石头的掉落，或许细微的改变了云的运动轨迹？它们带来的改变是如此的小，以至于要等到数百亿年后才会产生明显的作用。气象学家们的视野可没有这么长远。这就是为什么，我愿成为洁白的云朵，令数学家空想，令他们百思不得其解，然后翱翔于天空之上。 第49天 最深奥的东西很可能没有我们所认知的数学成分。我刚刚从复杂的解析几何大厦上坐电梯到了底层。然而底层的建筑不堪一击。这样的基底如何能撑得住高楼大厦呢？果然，在我走出这栋楼的数百年后，它就轰然倒下。看看这个基底是什么？把一条直线主观定义了直线。把点人为的定义成了点。把角度人为的定义成了角度。无论大厦盖得再高，大厦的最底端经不起推导，便变得不堪一击。宇宙中存在着另外一种更真实的数学。这种数学或许是难以用人脑来想象的。这就是为什么生物学在新的世纪至关重要——世界需要更强大的大脑，来证明：现有理论的都是错误的。但我相信，未来会改变人类的，不是人类。 第48天 今夜的蚊子格外的多。毕竟蚊子是春天的使者，来到我的房间与我做了一次交易。我奉献出了我的血液，它们给了我春天的灵感。数学荒原上不能没有它们，是他们让数学荒原有了惊喜，有了挑战，有了活跃。致敬这些春夏的精灵！ 第47天 最开始的时候，数学荒原其实是液态的，只有那么几平方米的陆地，也就是我最开始站的地方。液体荒原上躺着许许多多的人，他们四肢张开，从而感受液体的波动。每隔几分钟，从这些人的脑中就会漂出密密麻麻的公式。现在我才知道，这些人有一项艰巨的任务。他们在不断计算着液体的速率，频率，方向，趋势，他们终日计算着，从而为数学荒原接下来数亿年液体的运动提供方向。换句话说，他们是液体的指挥官。 当时我并不知道这一切。我只是怀着好奇的心态，把脚伸进了水里，想碰一碰水中的人。但就在那一瞬间，所有人似乎都醒了过来，惊恐的大叫。原来我的脚创造出的波澜毁坏了他们数亿年缔造出来的完美流动模型。刹那间，整个世界都陷入了混乱。液体将人们吞没，人们不见了踪影。数学荒原开始崩塌。 数十亿年后，我再次来到这里时，数学荒原便是陆地了。原来，当时一些数学家预料到了千分位的异常对整个数学荒原会造成的影响，便私下里开发了一台电脑，传感器布满了数学荒原的每一个角落。电脑以每毫秒计算500000个方程的速度运行着。他们花了数十亿年，终于让数学荒原恢复了正常。但代价是，数学荒原从此成了固态。于是就有了今天的荒原。 第46天 He never felt twice the same about the flecked river, Which kept flowing and never the same way twice, flowing Through many places, as if it stood still in one, Fixed like a lake on which the wild ducks fluttered, Ruffling its common…
Runtian Wu 