Should I stay at home or go to a rave? We all know the feeling when a certain position feels just right. Bruce, in keeping with the natural nature of leopard geckos, probably just happened to get into this exact position and stayed like that for a few minutes. If you see your animals doing things like this frequently, you should be careful. It could indicate weakness, for example due to illness. But Bruce is in great shape and probably just appreciated the relaxed moment. The photo is a few months old and shows him shortly after moving into the newly furnished terrarium.

You can say exactly which day that was 🤓🕰

The Zimmer Tower, originally the Cornelius Tower, was once part of the city's fortifications in the 14th century. In 1928, the astronomer and clockmaker Louis Zimmer gave the city of Lier his clock mechanism "de Jubelklok", which shows various times and astronomical events, to mark the upcoming 100-year anniversary of Belgium's independence.

1. Phases of the Moon:
Displays the current phase of the moon, such as new moon, first quarter, full moon, or last quarter.

2. Metonic Cycle and Epact:
The Metonic Cycle is a 19-year period after which the phases of the moon repeat on the same days of the year. The Epact is the number of days by which the lunar year differs from the solar year.

3. Equation of Time:
Shows the difference between solar time (as shown by a sundial) and clock time, accounting for the Earth's elliptical orbit and axial tilt.

4. Zodiac:
Indicates the current zodiac sign, which is determined by the position of the sun relative to the twelve constellations of the zodiac throughout the year.

5. Solar Cycle and Dominical Letter:
The Solar Cycle is a 28-year cycle used in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The Dominical Letter is a system for determining the day of the week for any given date in a year.

6. Week:
Displays the current day of the week.

7. Globe:
Shows a representation of the Earth, indicating the current position of the sun relative to the Earth.

8. Months:
Indicates the current month of the year.

9. Calendar Days:
Displays the current day of the month.

10. Seasons:
Shows the current season (spring, summer, autumn, winter).

11. Tides:
Indicates the state of the tides, which are influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.

12. Age of the Moon:
Shows the number of days since the last new moon, indicating the moon's age in its current lunar cycle.

Another astronomical clock, "de Wonderklok", has been located in an annex to the Tower. The clock mechanism contains, among many other displays, the slowest rotating hand in the world.🐌

Please put something sweet here! 😒

Intuition 🌿

While the Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is only known to most Europeans as an invasive species, it once had divine significance in its namesake homeland. Although its original distribution area extended across almost the entire African continent, it was particularly worshipped in ancient Egypt, especially around Thebes. There it was considered a deity, Gengen Wer, "the great cackler," whose loud cackle filled the primordial darkness and who laid the world egg in a mulberry tree in Heliopolis, from which light and the world then emerged. This deity was one of the various manifestations associated with the complex Egyptian pantheon, which included the fertility aspects of gods like Amun. People assumed that creation was a continuous cycle and that every human being hatched from an underworld goose egg.

From a flower's perspective. Today, we are all flowers! 🌸🌻🌼🪻🏵🍀

Seeing in the Dark and the Green: How Eyes and Leaves Share a Lighty Secret

The world of biology reveals surprising connections, and the human eye and a seemingly ordinary leaf share a fascinating one. Both organs rely on sophisticated light-sensing mechanisms to function effectively in their environments, despite their vastly different purposes.

Within the human eye, the retina houses two crucial photoreceptor cell types: rods and cones. Rods, responsible for low-light vision, utilize rhodopsin, a specialized protein, to capture even the faintest light signals. Cones, responsible for color vision, rely on various forms of iodopsin to differentiate colors in bright light conditions. Both rhodopsin and iodopsin function by undergoing a shape change upon encountering light, triggering a biochemical cascade that ultimately translates light energy into electrical signals the brain interprets as vision.

Plants exhibit a similar strategy. Nestled within their leaves lies phytochrome, a remarkable molecule that, like its counterparts in the eye, acts as a light receptor. Phytochrome exists in several states depending on the specific wavelengths of light it absorbs. By sensing variations in light intensity and spectrum, phytochrome provides the plant with vital information about its surrounding environment. This information plays a critical role in processes like photosynthesis, where plants utilize sunlight as an energy source, and regulates growth patterns based on light availability.

In both the eye and the plant, the photosensors function together with chromophores: retinal in the eye and phytochromobilin in the plant.

This unexpected parallel between the human eye and the leaf underscores a fundamental principle in biology – the ability to detect light is a powerful evolutionary advantage. By harnessing the power of light, both humans and plants gain the ability to navigate their environments, grow, and thrive.

The Ginkgo biloba has long been revered as a source of strength and life-prolonging properties. For centuries, the Chinese and Japanese have revered the Ginkgo as sacred because of its vitality and promise of miracles, and asked for their wishes from it.

The Ginkgo is a living fossil, as it has barely changed visibly over many millions of years. It is the only living representative of the Ginkgo genus, which has been documented by fossils for 290 million years. Until a few million years ago, Ginkgo trees were still widespread worldwide, until at some point its natural distribution area was restricted to parts of East Asia.

For centuries it was considered extinct in the wild, but some natural occurrences of this tree species, which can live for over a thousand years, have been discovered again. It is used worldwide as an ornamental plant, but has therefore hardly spread in the wild.

It is exceptionally well protected against diseases and insects. Bacteria and fungi avoid the acidic leaves and bark. They are poisonous to insects. Traditionally, Ginkgo leaves are used as bookmarks to protect books from insect infestation.

Someone who also valued the ginkgo leaf was Frankfurt-born Johann von Goethe, who even dedicated a poem to it. He saw the special leaf growth as a symbol of deep connection. Over time, the leaf splits but always remains connected.

It is a very special plant with a strong symbolic and spiritual meaning that truly does justice to its nature.

A sloth worth seeing! ✨️🦥✨️

I like to show myself, I feel good in my own skin and I'm happy every time I see your beautiful pictures.

😊🤎

My life is exciting and full of little adventures, even when I don't walk far from home. 🪲🍀

🪷 That's because of the way I see the world. 🌐

Inside of a black mirror, as darkness consumes.

In my lascivious portrait lies the Chakana pendant, symbolically placed, centered on my chest. The Chakana, an ancient symbol of Andean culture, connects me to cosmological concepts of heaven and earth. "Inside of a black mirror, as darkness consumes." alludes to a grim reality where manipulation and influence amplify the darkness surrounding us. As you gaze into the black mirror of modern technology, the image reveals the hidden aspects of myself and the world around me. It's a depiction of duality and cosmic order, where light and darkness merge. As a symbol of connection to the sun, the Chakana calls for contemplation of the dark and hidden aspects of life while simultaneously exploring your own inner strength and spirituality.