Best way to learn

In their paper Identifying hallmarks of consciousness in non-mammalian species (2005), Edelman, Baars, and Seth put forth the idea that research on consciousness needs to expand beyond methodologies which rely solely on the ability of organism somehow report their concious awareness of something (that is, behavioral tests) and encompass neuroanatomical and neurophysiological investigation.  To my delight, they chose to focus on birds and octopuses as examples of animals whose possible consciousness might be probed via non-traditional methods of inquiry.

Citing evidence related the neuroanatomical and functional bases of consciousness in humans and other mammals, the authors eventually conclude that it there is a good case for avian consciousness, and the possibility of cepahlopod consciousness, based on the presence or uncertainty of these three necessary criteria:

               (1) identification of neural structures that are the functional equivalents 
                       of cortex and thalamus; 
               (2) neural dynamics analogous to those observed in mammals during 
                       conscious states 
               (3) rich discriminatory behavior that suggests a recursive linkage 
                      between perceptual states and memory

I like their style and their argument.  However, I really wanted to write about this paper for a much simpler reason.  It has one of the best concluding figures that I have ever seen in a paper:


Not only do they have good ideas, but a great illustrator, too.

The land that we need for growing food is very important. We cant afford to spoil it. There are many ways in which farmers could make better use of the land and grow good crops without the help of factory-made chemicals.
If it is farmed with care, the land will go on giving us enough food to eat for thousands of years to come.
One method of careful farming is called crop rotation.
Different kinds of plants take different nutrients from the soil and leave others behind. The same crop planted year after year takes out the same nutrients.
But different crops, like corn and alfalfa, can be planted on the same piece of land.
One year, corn is planted. This will take out certain nutrients from the soil. The following year, alfalfa will be planted. The alfalfa will put back the nutrients absorbed by the corn.

Pollination definition for kids

Have you ever noticed how pleasant many flowers smell?
They have attractive scents, as well as bright colors, in order to attract insects. Insects use the nectar made by flowers as food.
In the process of getting the food, the insects transfer pollen from flower to flower.
The process of seed formation begins with this transfer of pollen grains from one flower to the stigma of another flower of the same kind.
This transfer is called pollination.
The main insects which pollinate flowers are bees and butterflies.
These insects feed on the sweet, sugar liquid called nectar that is usually produced by special cells in the receptacle.

On its way to the nectar, the insect has to pass the flowers anthers, which are covered in pollen. Some of the pollen sticks to the insects body and then brushes off onto the stigma of the next flower that the insect visits.
A thin tube grows from the pollen grain, down through the style, and into the ovule. A male cell, carried by this pollen tube, unites with an egg, and the ovule starts to develop into a fertile seed.

Wind pollinated flowers

Some flowering plants, such as grasses and hazel trees, dont have any nectar in their flowers to attract insects. These plants need the wind to pollinate them. The wind blows the pollen off the anthers of one flower and onto the sticky stigma of another flower.
The stigma of a wind-pollinated plant can be large and feathery, in order to catch the pollen more easily. Its the wind that takes the pollen from male cones to the ovules of female pine cones, too.

What are annual plants, biennial plants, perennial plants?

Some flowering plants, such as nasturtiums and giant sunflowers, grow and die in the same year.
We call these annuals.
Not all annuals are welcome in our gardens— many weeds are annuals!
Other plants take two years to grow.

We call these biennials.
Flowers such as foxgloves and vegetables such as carrots and parsnips are biennials. In their first year, biennial plants store up food. In their second year, they use the food, flower, and die.

Some plants, such as irises, madonna lilies, and begonias, go on growing and flowering for many years.
We call these perennials.