liesegang poisoning

hqcreations:

bestofplanetearth:

berlinfarmlab:

Philip Ross Molds Fast-Growing Fungi Into Mushroom Building Bricks That Are Stronger than Concrete

I ‘was’ studying to be a biologist in college. If I had the level of self knowledge as I do now… I would’ve loved to become a mycologist. Or a focus on plant biology in some way. Le sigh…being a backyard farmer is a close second.

(Source: berlinfarmlab, via rocksforjocks)

unnaturalist:

A bezoar is a mass found trapped in the human body, usually the gastrointestinal system, like a kidney stone or something, that can be organic or inorganic (sometimes with hair).  Bezoars became highly prized back in the Renaissance days when the upper crust people were poisoning each other for power right and left.  The Bezoars were thought to be magical and it was believed that putting a bezoar in your drinking glass or food would neutralize the poison.  As a result bezoars were quite expense and made into necklaces, rings, goblets …

There is a famous story that in 1575 a surgeon devised an experiment to test the properties of the bezoar stone. It happened that a cook at King’s court was caught stealing fine silver cutlery and was sentenced to death by hanging. The cook agreed to be poisoned instead. The surgeon used the bezoar stone to no great avail, as the cook died in agony seven hours later. 

Even more interesting, in tests at the Scripps Institute in modern times, it was discovered that the bezoars actually DO work as an antidote to arsenic, just not all poisons.

(via litteraenimoccidit)

awesomegoddess:

Chrysanthemum Stone - “A black and white rock made of gypsum clay, dolomite and limestone with internal crystals of Calcite, Feldspar, Delestite or Andalusite.” It gets it’s name from the similar appearance it has to a chrysanthemum flower. First found in Japan but are also in Canada and the US. Sculptors will work around the white, flower like part and sell them as gorgeous artworks.

Spirituality, chrysanthemum stone represents grounding, prosperity, and finding one’s true path in life.