Organic Nature Search Results

Soil Science: How Microbes Make Compost to Feed the Soil

Are you looking for a little microbe magic? Think composting. Composting is a great way to reuse food and plant waste that you would otherwise throw into the trash, which would just end up in a landfill somewhere. During the composting cycle, microbes reduce this organic waste until it can be fed back into the soil as rich, crumbly compost. When returned to the soil, compost feeds plants and improves the nature of life underground. Sound like a great idea? It is — and it's easy.

News: Another Reason to Wash Your Sheets—Deadly Hospital Fungus Linked to Moldy Linens

Six people have died from fungal infections in Pittsburgh hospitals since 2014—that fact is indisputable. The rest of the situation is much vaguer. A lawsuit has been filed against the hospitals on behalf of some of the deceased patients, alleging that moldy hospital linens are to blame. While the lawyers argue over who's at fault, let's look at how this could have happened.

How To: The Trick to Making Roast Chicken Perfect Every Time

When roast chicken is concerned, perfection is hard to attain. The reason for this is surprisingly simple: the light meat and the dark meat should be cooked to different temperatures. Ideally, chicken legs should be cooked to at least 170°F, while breasts should be cooked to 150°F. Naturally, this poses a conundrum: how can you cook two parts of the chicken to two different temperatures, without taking the bird apart?

How To: This Hair Care Product Will Keep Water Spots Off Your Car for Good

Taking care of your car requires effort, whether you take it to the pros for washes, waxes, and detailing, or you spend time to make it shine yourself—and it often seems that, right after your car is sparkling again, rain or midnight moisture appears to cover its surface in water spots. With a small tweak to your typical car care routine, you may be able to keep your car's surface and windows shining longer and better: you just need to add a little hair conditioning liquid.

News: The Many Wonders of Black Garlic

Garlic: almost every cuisine in the world considers it a staple, and for good reason. Its pungent flavor gives depth and character to food. Dishes made without it seem bland and forgettable. And on top of all that, it's been studied for its potential anti-cancer properties (and don't forget: it's been mythologized for warding off vampires).

How To: Make a 3D lemonade cup card with Stampin' Up!

Dawn Griffith creates a cute card with a 3D lemonade glass embellishment from start to finish. Create a template by making a rough sketch of an 8 ounce paper cup onto a piece of white cardstock and cut it out. Take the template and either trace it onto a piece of vellum cardstock and cut it out, or use Dotto adhesive to attach the template directly to the vellum and then cut around the shape. Score each side at about 1/4", fold on the score lines and trim the overlap at the top. Apply sticky ...

How To: Make compost for your garden

Wherever possible it is a good idea to make your own garden compost. It not only saves you having to dispose of garden waste, the compost that you make is great for the garden. There's an old saying that goes "you only get out of the garden what you put into it" and one of the best things you can put into a garden is organic matter. Learn how you can compost your garden waste with this how to video.

How To: Get started on a raw food diet

In this video from Raw Radiant Health, Natasha explains how to begin a raw food diet. First, you need to decide when you want to start. Clearly define your goals and stick with them. Once you set a starting date, you can prepare your kitchen beforehand. Your fruit should be ripe. She always has ripe fruit in her kitchen, but she also keeps things that are jut beginning to ripen, so that there is always food that can be eaten immediately, and also food that can wait a while before eating.

How To: Use a Millbank bag water filter

A Millbank bag is a great way to filter water into drinking water. While bacteria is not removed by a Millbank bag, large debris is filtered out so the water can be boiled or purified by other means. Watch this video survival training tutorial and learn how to use a Millbank bag to filter water in nature.

How To: 'Quick Add' Calories for Snacks in MyFitnessPal to Keep Yourself Accountable for Every Tiny Bite

It's only normal to snack on a few french fries every once in a while when you're on a diet, but it's still important to hold yourself accountable, even when you cheat just a little bit. MyFitnessPal, for both Android and iOS devices, has a database of nutritional information to help keep track of the meals you eat, but it also has a way to add calories on the fly without digging for data.

News: Step Aside Penicillin — A Deep Dive into Fungus Genes Reveals Over 1,300 Potential Antibiotics Waiting to Be Discovered

On October 17, 1943, a story in the New York Herald Tribune read "Many laymen — husbands, wives, parents, brothers, sisters, friends — beg Dr. Keefer for penicillin," according to the American Chemical Society. Dr. Chester Keefer of Boston was responsible for rationing the new miracle drug, penicillin.

News: Scientists Are Using the Special Physics of Dragonfly Wings to Create Surfaces That Shred Bacteria on Contact

As drug-resistant bacteria become more commonplace, researchers are looking for new antibacterial strategies to disrupt disease-causing microbes. Some scientists are working to create new drugs, while others are trying out drug combinations. Another group, however, are ditching pharmaceuticals altogether and experimenting with non-drug alternatives.