World’s shiniest berry

It’s a tiny African fruit with a big sparkle, called the berries of Pollia condensate. These berries are metallic blue and the shiniest fruits known in the world. Actually, they are the shiniest living materials in the world.

Although edible, there would be no point in eating them as they don’t taste good and provide next to no nourishment. They’re practically a dry seed-filled husk. These berries grow in the same regions as another plant, Psychotria peduncularis, which also produces blue berries. Scientists think that Pollia is mimicking the tasty blue fruits of its neighbour, tempting birds with the promise of tasty pulp, but rewarding them with nothing but seeds to carry as they eat or decorate their nests.

So why do these berry shine? Plant cell walls are made of a carbohydrate called cellulose.

The berries of Pollia have tiny layers of cellulose stacked like a spiral staircase. These layers reflect different wavelengths of light, creating a blue base colour with a rainbow shimmer of other colours on top.

What shape of watermelon do you want?

Well, the pictures you see have not been edited; these are real watermelons, shaped in Japan (and now in other countries as well). Don’t worry, they taste the same as regular watermelons. So how do they take various shapes? While the watermelon is still small on the vine, a square, heart or triangular mould is placed around it. So as the watermelon gets bigger, it assumes the shape of the box, heart, cube or any other!

But why are square watermelons grown? Two reasons actually. First, the square watermelons are easier to stack, which makes them easier to ship. Second, and perhaps most ingeniously, with space being an issue in crowded areas of Japan, the square watermelon is designed to fit perfectly inside smaller Japanese refrigerators.

But, just like the heart-shaped creations, square watermelons cost a bit more than one shaped by Mother Nature.

Potatoes, the most-loved veggies!

We love potatoes, whether as fries, wedges or mashed, and of course, it is the most popular vegetable around the world. Interestingly, in 1996, potato plants were taken into space in Columbia space shuttle where they were grown.

Potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6, potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, dietary fibre, and pantothenic acid.

But apart from the nutritional value of potatoes, potatoes contain poison in the stems and leaves — and even in potato itself, if left to turn green (the green is due to a high concentration of the glycoalkaloid poison).

Potato poisoning is rare, but it does happen from time to time. Death normally comes after a period of weakness and confusion, followed by a coma. The majority of cases of death by potato in the last 50 years in the USA have been the result of eating green potatoes or drinking potato leaf tea.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 2nd, 2018