Botany, plant science(s), or plant biology (from Ancient Greek βοτάνη botane, "pasture, grass, or fodder" and that from βόσκειν boskein, "to feed or to graze"), a discipline of biology, is the science of plant life. Traditionally, the science included the study of fungi, algae, and viruses.
Botany covers a wide range of scientific disciplines including structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases, chemical properties, and evolutionary relationships among taxonomic groups. Botany began with early human efforts to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making it one of the oldest branches of science. Nowadays, botanists study about 400,000 species of living organisms.
The beginnings of modern-style classification systems can be traced to the 1500s-1600s when several attempts were made to scientifically classify plants. In the 19th and 20th centuries, major new techniques were developed for studying plants, including microscopy, chromosome counting, and analysis of plant chemistry. In the last two decades of the 20th century, DNA was used to more accurately classify plants.
Michael Pollan (born February 6, 1955)[citation needed] is an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. A 2006 New York Times book review describes him as a "liberal foodie intellectual."
Pollan was born on Long Island, New York to author and financial consultant Stephen Pollan and columnist Corky Pollan. Pollan received a B.A. in English from Bennington College in 1977 and an M.A. in English from Columbia University in 1981.
In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan describes four basic ways that human societies have obtained food: the current industrial system, the big organic operation, the local self-sufficient farm, and the hunter-gatherer. Pollan follows each of these processes—from a group of plants photosynthesizing calories through a series of intermediate stages, ultimately into a meal. Along the way, he suggests that there is a fundamental tension between the logic of nature and the logic of human industry, that the way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world, and that industrial eating obscures crucially important ecological relationships and connections. On December 10, 2006 The New York Times named The Omnivore's Dilemma one of the five best nonfiction books of the year. On May 8, 2007, the James Beard Foundation named The Omnivore's Dilemma its 2007 winner for the best food writing. It was the book of focus for the University of Pennsylvania's Reading Project in 2007, and the book of choice for Washington State University's Common Reading Program in 2009-10. An excerpt of the book was published in Mother Jones.
Mirusia Louwerse (born 29 March 1985) is a Dutch Australiansoprano. She performs as 'Mirusia' and is seen by the Australian press as "The Unconventional Pop Star".
Louwerse was born in Brisbane, Australia. She graduated in December 2006 from the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane obtaining a Bachelor of Music in Performance in Classical Voice. In 2006, Louwerse became the youngest ever winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award and went on to record a debut album entitled She Walks in Beauty.
Louwerse is a lyric soprano and has performed in such operas as Mozart's The Magic Flute, Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Britten's Albert Herring.
Her aunt, who lives in the Netherlands, contacted André Rieu to tell him about her niece's talent. He listened to her voice on her website and phoned her straight away and two days later she was standing before him in his studio ready to sing.
She has been touring with Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu since 2007 as soprano soloist. She is of Dutch descent and can speak Dutch fluently. In May 2008, André Rieu and Louwerse released an album entitled Waltzing Matilda in Australia which made it to the number one position on the Australian music charts and went platinum within ten days. On Rieu's DVD I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg (2009) she sings the title song "Ich hab' mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren", as well as "Zwei kleine Italiener", "In mir klingt ein Lied", and (with Carla Maffioletti and the Berlin Comedian Harmonists) "Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffizier".
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (born 1 October 1949) is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.
The name Rieu is of French Huguenot origin. He began studying violin at the age of five. His father, of the same name, was conductor of the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra. From a very young age he developed a fascination with orchestra. He studied violin at the Conservatoire Royal in Liège and at the Conservatorium Maastricht, (1968–1973). His teachers included Jo Juda and Herman Krebbers. From 1974 to 1977, he attended the Music Academy in Brussels, studying with André Gertler, getting his degree "Premier Prix" from the Brussels Royal Conservatory.
At University he performed the Gold And Silver Waltz by Franz Lehár. Encouraged by the audience reaction he decided to pursue the waltz form. Rieu formed the Maastricht Salon Orchestra and performed as a violinist with the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. In 1987, he created the Johann Strauss Orchestra and his own production company. Since then, his melodramatic stage performances and rock-star demeanor have for some been associated with a revival of the waltz music category. André Rieu plays a 1667 Stradivarius violin.
Is it time to accept
Is it time to smile and rest
Is that all there is
Is it time to believe
In a theory of destinies
If it's true that the end
is nothing but
"this"
I trust it
Time to say "I'm only human"
You think it might be too late
But it's never even been time
Realize now that the ice
is meant to melt
And no one feels sorry
For the good times
Is it time to accept
Shall we smile and rest
Is it meant to be like this
If it's meant to be like this
Where has it gone again?
There was something beautiful
That I can't spot
Anymore
You say "everything's the same"
Guess I must have been shadowboxing
I hope you don't mind if I fade out here
For a little while
The music will not end
Before my pain has stopped
So I'll keep dancing
Keep dancing on my own
I'll keep dancing
All alone
Untill you notice
Something's lost in us
And the music will not end
Before your pain has stopped!
So we'll keep dancing
Keep dancing by ourselves
I'll keep dancing
Keep dancing
You'll keep dancing
Keep dancing
Uncernerned
Untill you notice
Land of dust
I have slept with your lullaby
Dreaming of hope and trust
Oh how meaningless even the thought of it
How absurd the idea of the pain of longing
When the whole world is struggling
We trade our times
We're selling minds
That's the newest trend
To survive
(Will you survive?)
Do you have something to complain?
Do you dare to mention your personal pain?
Don't you see that the whole world's gone insane?
Ain't it nice to suffer a comfortable pain!
Centuries of thoughts
Medecines for any of your moods
From "upset" to "regret"
Everthing is set
To serve you comfortable pain
Do you have something to complain?
Do you dare to mention your personal pain?
Don't you see that the whole world's gone in-
Do you have something to complain?
Do you dare to mention your personal pain?
Don't you see that the whole world's gone in-
Do you have something to complain?
Do you dare to mention your personal pain?
Dont't you see that the whole world's gone insane?