If you think about the numerous ways in which we depend on the sun for warmth, light and energy, then you come to realize that without the Sun there is no life on Earth. In fact, the Sun commands the entire solar system in ways that may surprise you.

This is not an exaggeration. These minute organisms, most of which are microscopic, are essential to maintaining an atmosphere that is breathable for humans. In addition, these organisms lie at the bottom of the food chain and make up the diet of many other organisms both micro and macroscopic.

The variety of fish is a testament to the creative ways in which they have adapted to their environment. These clever designs include camouflage, mimicry, poison, body shape, fin shape, echolocation, teeth, speed, gas bladders, hearing, seeing, pressure sensing, bioluminescence, flying, and inky secretions among others.

Did you know you can date landslides with lichen? While we can appreciate how unusual these life forms look, it’s not obvious that they are not a single organism but rather a colony of very different life forms. A lichen is not just a plant, a fungus, or bacteria, rather it may consist of a complex intertwining of any one of these organisms. There is a whole lot more to these organisms than meets the eye.

Many of us have seen mussels on the beach as clusters of dark shells attached to rocks in the intertidal zone. These seemingly nondescript creatures are a remarkable example of how animals can adapt to a very distinct and harsh marine environments. They also produce some of the strongest glue known to man.

While tsunami messages are well designed, there are situations where the message may fall short in attracting the attention of viewers, portraying all the signs of impending danger, or delivering a call to action. We test the ability of stakeholders in designing their own sign that would be meaningful and informative. Hazard warning signs are an exercise in marketing.

Monster quakes are just that. Monstrous, gargantuan, magnitude 9 earthquakes. These giant mammoths of instantaneous earth deformation are the big kahunas of seismology. One monster quake may release the energy of nearly all other earthquakes of a century. These events are rare indeed, but their effect is global.

Every now and then chitin or its commercial derivative, chitosan, appear in the news with a new application. In a recent study chitosan coupled with Gymnemic acid was shown to effectively remove mercury from water. Just as chitosan can absorb this toxic material from water, chitosan has also been used in the wellness industry for its ability to bind to fat molecules in weight loss programs.

[Book review}. Throughout history shipping vessels have lost their goods through storms or shipwrecks. Not all these goods consist of treasure chests that sink to the bottom of the sea. Much of this cargo is lighter than water and floats until it comes ashore. This castaway material is known as flotsam, and flotsam helped oceanographers better understand ocean currents.