Bibliotheca Alexandrina Planetarium Science Center AUTUMN 2015 | Year 8, Issue 4 IN THIS ISSUE...

Planetarium Extraterrestrial Science Center 4 Farming

Ancient Egyptian 5 Cuisine AUTUMN 2015

Year 8, Issue 4 Growing Problems in 6 Growing Food Cultural Outreach Sector Intensive Farming Educational & Promotional 8 Publications Unit (COPU) By: Maissa Azab Hydroponics: Soil-less 9 Agriculture Maissa Azab Head of Unit 10 Farming Advances This year 2015, we have chosen the overarching Editorial Team theme of “Bare Necessities”. Naturally, food is a major Shahenda Ayman 11 Data Farming bare necessity, without which life ceases to exist. Hend Fathy Not only is food a necessity of life, but its quality also Esraa Ali Water-wise determines the quality of our life. 12 Farming As all food comes from the soil, whether directly in Sara Khattab the form of plant products or indirectly in the form of Jailane Salem Food Science and cattle and poultry that feed on plants, a healthy soil is Moataz Abdelmegid 14 the way to a healthy life. That is basically why the 68th Food Conservation Ahmed Khaled United Nations General Assembly declared 2015 the Basma Fawzy International Year of Soils (IYS). Sherine Ramadan Feeding Bodies, Nourane Khaled 15 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of Feeding Mind the United Nations has been nominated to implement the IYS 2015 within the framework of the Global Soil Occupational Safety and Partnership and in collaboration with Governments Design 16 Asma Haggag Health in Agriculture and the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The IYS 2015 aims Give Me a Book, to increase awareness and understanding of the Publishing Department 18 importance of soil for food security and essential Not a Pick Language Revision ecosystem functions. In this issue, we tackle some issues related to the Contact Us: Agritourism necessity that is food, and its main source: agriculture. [email protected] 19 Each is a huge subject that no one can ever cover Expo 2015 SCIplanet 20 entirely. We have thus made a selection of a few interesting subjects. Among them, we discuss the 21 Food for Healthy Bodies possibility of farming in outer space, ancient Egyptian cuisine, safety and health in agriculture, growing Exploring the Human farming problems, as well as farming advances and 22 Civilization Enigma new technologies. That is all in addition to the valuable contributions of Dr. Khaled Elsaadany, Executive Manager of Grants, Innovation and Technology Transfer Center; For additional information Dr. Mohamed Soliman, Director of the Bibliotheca | WINTER 2014 and reservation, please contact: Alexandrina (BA) Manuscripts Museum; and Mr. [email protected] Gamal Hosni, Director of the BA Art Exhibitions and | AUTUMN | 2015 Collections Department; as well as the artwork of Tel.: +(203) 4839999 Mr. Mohamed Khamis, Deputy Director of the BA Art Ext.: 2350, 2351 Exhibitions and Collections Department. Finally, you Fax: +(203) 4820464 must not miss the final episode of the Sci-Fi series www.bibalex.org/psc “The Human Civilization Enigma” by Dr. Omar Fikry, Head of the BA Planetarium Section. Reference http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/about/en/ 2 yet withpercentdiscrepancybetween both. Most foodshaveamixtureofthetwo kinds, vitamins andminerals—insmallamounts. amounts; whileitneedsmicronutrients— carbohydrates, fats, and oils—in large body needs macronutrients—proteins, (macronutrients andmicronutrients). The groups according to their nutrient content and landuse. and sociologicalfactors,pestsdiseases, lack ofcapital,poorstorage,physiological faces; such as poor crop, animal husbandry, There aremanyproblemsthatagriculture materials for industries and foreign exchange. through provisionoffood,employment,raw and technologies. defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and itsdevelopmenthasbeendriven agriculture dates back thousands of years, development of civilization. The history of created food surpluses that nurtured the whereby farming of domesticated species in theriseofsedentaryhumancivilization, life. Agriculture wasthekeydevelopment and other products usedtosustainand enhance human medicinal biofuel, fiber, food, for of animals,plants,fungi,andotherlifeforms Foods are classified into different into classified are Foods Agriculture contributestotheeconomy What isagriculture?Itthecultivation Executive ManagerofGrants,Innovationand Technology Transfer Center Coordinator oftheEgyptianNetworkInnovative Technology (ENIT) n fseis sc a ln and water. as land resources andproductivitygrowth, we need such To improve sustainableuseofnatural fisheries, and natural resourcesneededforagriculture industrialization willleadtodecreasethe to double by 2050. Urbanization and sanitation forall. sustainable managementof water and agriculture, andensureavailability and improvednutrition,promotingsustainable eradicating hunger, achievingfoodsecurity include Nations Sustainable DevelopmentGoalsincluding United Now, theyareworkingondeveloping the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. by defined and generalwell-being. affecting theirprospectsoffutureemployment physical capabilitieswillbedamagedforlife, will experiencestunting—theirmentaland the ageof2yearssuffering fromhunger fromoneinfour1990. down A childbelow seven children worldwide are underweight, of 2.6millionchildreneveryyear;onein hunger. Malnutrition alone causes the death billion peoplearepermanentlysuffering from food insecurity. In other words, nearly one 925 millionpeoplesuffer malnutritionand food insecurityareenormous;currently, Global demandforfoodisestimated The MillenniumDevelopmentGoals The humanandeconomic costs of By: Dr. Khaled Elsaadany

and translating these into country level action. development ofglobalfoodsafetyinitiatives and WHOarekeyinternationalleadersinthe development andimprovinglivelihoods.FAO well-being ofpeopleandtofosteringeconomic plays a role in safeguarding the health and Effective foodsafetyfrom“farmtoconsumer” to consumerprotectionandpublichealth. pressure onmarineandlandresources. and food security, and pave the way for less contribute substantiallytosustainablegrowth effective food chain, on the other hand, can resources and biodiversity. Achieving an emissions, wastes,andmaintainingnatural while reducing pollution, greenhouse gas growth Green means enhancingeconomicgrowth well. as benefits remarkable effective foodchainconceptscan prove supplies ofhighqualityfood, the global food system provides adequate the increasingdemandsandensurethat management. This wouldhelphumanity meet to utilizeinnovationtoolsandsustainable assist poorercountries inthisregard. provide specialcareandexertmore efforts to but notleast,internationalorganizations should of innovativeandsustainablepractices. Last requires extensiveresearchandimplementation agriculture isamatterlifeordeathtohumanity. It Moreover, ensuringfoodsafetycontributes Adoption ofthegreengrowthand Addressing thechallengesoffood and 3 | AUTUMN 2015 By: Shahenda Ayman

With ongoing man-made and natural calamities hitting our home, Earth, scientists are working on several projects that aim to find other planets suitable for life. Mars, for example, probably had liquid water on its surface and could one day become our new home! Two Researchers, Giacomo Certini and his colleague Riccardo A COSMIC POINT OF VIEW Scalenghe, at the Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science, University of Palermo, Italy, recently published a study in the Planetary and Space Science journal, claiming that the surfaces of Venus, Mars, and the Moon appear to be suitable for agriculture.

On Earth, five factors work together to form is no active volcanism that affects the Martian release issued after the experiment. “We also soil: the parent rock, climate, topography, time, surface; however, the temperature difference found a reasonable number of nutrients, or and biota—the organisms in a region such as between the two hemispheres causes strong chemicals needed by life as we know it”. its flora and fauna. This last factor is still subject winds. Certini also said that the reddish hue One of the primary uses of soil on another to debate among scientists: “Most scientists of the planet’s landscape, which is a result of planet would be to use it for agriculture; to grow think that biota is necessary to produce soil,” rusting iron minerals, is indicative of chemical food and sustain any populations that may Certini said, “Other scientists, me included, weathering in the past. one day live on that planet. Some scientists, believe that important parts of our own planet, On the Moon, on the other hand, a layer of however, are questioning whether soil is really such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica or the solid rock is covered by a layer of loose debris. a necessary condition for space farming. Atacama Desert of Chile, have virtually life- The weathering processes seen on the Moon Researchers found traces of magnesium, free soils. They demonstrate that soil formation include changes created by meteorite impacts, sodium, potassium and chloride. The data also does not require biota”. deposition, and chemical interactions caused revealed that the soil was alkaline, a finding The researchers claim that classifying by solar wind, which interacts with the surface that challenged a popular belief that the Martian a material as soil depends on weathering. directly. surface was acidic. According to them, a soil is any weathered Nevertheless, some scientists feel that This information, obtained through soil veneer of a planetary surface that retains weathering alone is not enough and that the analyses, becomes important in looking toward information about its climatic and geochemical presence of life is an intrinsic part of any soil. the future to determine which planet would history. On Venus, Mars and the Moon, “Studying soils on our celestial neighbors be the best candidate for sustaining human weathering occurs in different ways. means to individuate the sequence of colonies. Venus has a dense atmosphere at a environmental conditions that imposed the pressure that is 91 times the pressure found present characteristics to soils; thus, helping at sea level on Earth; it is mainly composed of reconstruct the general history of those bodies,” carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid droplets, in Certini said. addition to small amounts of water and oxygen. In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander Researchers predict that weathering on Venus performed the first wet chemistry experiment References could be caused by a thermal process or using Martian soil. Scientists who analyzed the http://www.astrobio.net | AUTUMN | 2015 corrosion carried out by the atmosphere, data said that the Red Planet appears to have http://www.space.com volcanic eruptions, impacts of large meteorites, environments more appropriate for sustaining http://news.nationalgeographic.com and wind erosion. life than was expected; environments that could http://www.sciencedaily.com As for Mars, it is currently dominated by one day allow human visitors to grow crops. physical weathering caused by meteorite “There is more evidence for water because impacts and thermal variations rather than salts are there,” said Phoenix co-investigator chemical processes. According to Certini, there Sam Kounaves of Tufts University in a press

4 Fruits prescriptions. as whether benefits, part of their daily meals or in medical well-known their to andeateninhugequantities thanks planted in addition to onion and garlic, which were leeks, turnips,radishes,andcucumbers; Egyptian tombs;suchaspeas,lettuce, and inscriptionsonthewallsofancient Vegetables quenches thethirst.” disgraceful to be greedy. A handful of water a briefmomenttorestraintheheart,anditis not the food, even if you want it; it takes only “If yousitwithacompanyofpeople,desire diet, which was positively reflected on the on Egyptians’ healthingeneral. reflected positively was which diet, sources, leadingtoahealthyandintegrated helped diversifyancientEgyptianfood substitute a cheaper for therelativelyexpensivemeats. fish; All this edible of kinds Moreover, Egyptianwaterswerefullofmany as wellanimalsandbirdsdomestication. itself played a majorrolein human settlement, fruits, andlegumes.Meanwhile,agriculture wide range of crops such as vegetables, factor inhelpingancientEgyptiansfarma mentioned in the Instructions of Kagemni considered gluttony a bad trait; that was food lovers,moderateintheireating;they such as grapes (raisins),dates,andfigs. such asgrapes was drunk as juice or wine, or even dried dates. The fruitwaseatenfreshorboiled, citrus, lemon, walnut, peach, pear, apple, and some new kinds were cultivated, such as fresh orusedfor sweetening. In later times, cyperus, and doum, all of which were eaten cantaloupe, pomegranate,tubers,berries, for fruits;suchassycamore,watermelon, Many vegetablesappearedinscenes Ancient Egyptians had great appreciation Ancient Egyptiansweregourmetsand The fertilesoilofEgyptwasanessential (1) : and yeast in making the bread; while used margarine, honey, milk, eggs, salt, barley, orcorn. Ancient Egyptiansalso used—wheat, flour of type the in as well as shape—round, oval,rolledup,orconical— 40 kindsofbreadandbakery, differed in everyone’s daily menu. There were about Recipes mustard, andthyme. anise, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek, in usingherbsandspicessuchasstar radishes; Egyptians were also pioneers benefits. seeds suchassesame,castor, and healthy and Moreover, oilwasextracted from plant nourishment their kidney beans,peas,andlentilsfor kinds of legumes such as black-eyed Legumes ways, whetherfresh,salted,ordried. ancient Egyptians;itwaseateninmany fish: was one of themostfavoredfoodsfor of synodontis, grouperandgudgeon.Fish schilbeidae, catfish, mullet, types tilapia, perch, different demonstrating Fish history. not availablein Egypt tilla later periodof and ostriches.Chicken,however, were most favoredkind,aswellpigeon,quail, migratory birds.Geeseandduckswerethe Birds favored forsocialreasons. wild goats,andcaribouwhileporkwasnot the listcomehuntedanimalssuchasdeer, followed bymuttonandgoat;attheendof meat since ancient times, preferring beef, Meat Bread occupied a major place on Ancient Egyptianslikedtoeatmany scenes, fishing Nile many are There There weredomesticated,wild,and Egyptians have tended to eat animals’ الهيئة القاهرة: القدمية، م�رص اخلبزيف املهدي، �إميانحممد عواد، رفعت ترجمة القدمية، م�رص يف احلياة فران�سوا دوما، حية ف �ص لدي، رم رع عا، the benefits of adding grease and fats in and preserving foodwhilecooking. grease adding of benefits the sparrows, andducks.Egyptiansalsoknew (fesikh), quails, fish mullet as such on; later sundried,orevensaltedtobeeaten boiled, dates, figs,andbuckthorn. added fruits onthetopofbreadsuchas decoration. Formakingsweetpies,they sesame, anise, and cumin were added for www.louvre.fr www.bibalex.org/archeology www.agrimus eum.gov.eg Cambridge Press,1992. Strouhal, Eugen.Lifeofthe Ancient Egyptians. American UniversityinCairoPress,2006. Lise Manniche, An Ancient EgyptianHerbal. The United Kingdom,1995. Dictionary of Ancient Egypt,BritishMuseumPress, Ian ShawandPaulNicholson,BritishMuseum Egyptology), UnitedKingdom,1988. Wilson,EgyptianFoodandDrinks(Shire Hilary Press, 1990. Fishing in Ancient Egypt, American UniversityinCairo Douglas. J.BrewerandRenéeF. Friedman,Fishand References: (1) soaked inwaterandsalted. (4) lupine,whichwaseatenafterbeing Glossary: Glossary: burns andinjuries. the treatmentofdiseasesaswellcuring a source of plant and animal remedies for a way to obtain energy and health, but also andintegrated.Foodwasnotonly balanced cuisine’s nutritionalelements werewell- chickpeas, stillknownas“Al-Mlanah”;and and demanded by many Egyptians; (3) salted now call“Bissara”—bothwaysarestillknown pots—this wascalled“Besarou”,whichwe “Medames”—or cooked in to modified later oven dust—thiswascalled“Metehmes”, were either cooked bybeing put it in the hot which were eaten frequently; (2) beans, which that westilleattoday, theyincluded:(1)lentils, Meat, fish, and birds were either grilled, grilled, either were birds and fish, Meat, pride andgluttony. about modesty, moderation, and avoiding both instructions andadvicesaddressedtohisson Kagemni: vizierofKingSenefru,leftagroup As forpopularancientEgyptiandishes It is clearthattheancientEgyptian القاهرة: املجل�سالأعلىللثقافة، 2006. By: SherineRamadan امل�رصيةالعامةللكتاب، 2009.

5 | AUTUMN 2015 THE STORY BEHIND THE SCIENCE Growing Problems in

DISCOVER LIFE Growing

By: Jailane Salem Food

ince the beginning of humanity, making them part of the framework of the markets, and can contribute to disasters Splucking food from the ground has World Trade Organization (WTO), which such as famines in extreme cases. been essential for survival. In the history of oversees international trade laws that set However, it is not all doom and gloom since human development, a crucial step was the the way by which countries trade with one there has recently been agricultural policies formation of farming communities. It was a another. that are being developed to promote food step in creating a more stable way of life What is unfortunate about the WTO sovereignty. because tilling the land was an arduous job; practices is that the regulations it upholds Many people believe that food security working as a group made it an easier job. champions global corporations while not is a human right and not a privilege; However, despite the importance always considering the needs of local therefore, regulations should be put in place of farming, in recent decades there farmers. By allowing corporates to rule the to protect those rights rather than the ones have been more and more problems trade scene and monopolize the market for of corporations. Many are also voicing their surrounding it. Whilst it is possible for us agricultural products it has had a drastically opposition in including agriculture in the to generate enough food for the entire negative effect on agricultural culture WTO since the procurement of food is an world’s population, millions and millions of worldwide, especially targeting those living essential human right that should not be people still suffer from chronic hunger and in the developing world. limited to any specific sector or trade. malnutrition. Many farmers are forced out of The global food system currently in their land and a cycle of destructive farming place increases problems such as loss How do corporates go about making practices are irrevocably ruining what was of land, promotes monoculture farming profit? once fertile land. that harms land biodiversity, cripples local Many farmers in the Western world Those who see this catastrophe in the farmers’ abilities to compete in their home have access to subsidies from their making are raising the alarm and clamoring government. The subsidies is a form of for the world to listen and take action to stop this negative change before it is too late. So what is actually happening? Who is causing this problem? Who are the land vigilantes asking for change? Let us take a look together. The Trouble Makers

| AUTUMN | 2015 The problems are numerous and intricately connected; one of them is caused by corporations forcing laws and legislations that profit their enterprise while harming the smaller independent farmers as well as the environment. These laws and regulations were implemented using legal methods,

6 their livelihood. farmers and workerswhorelyoncornfor by 70%,causinghugelossestoMexican cheaper corn,thepriceofMexicancornfell with markets Mexican flooding By Mexico. has been the biggest exporter of corn to Agreement (NAFTA); sincethentheUSA known as The North American Free Trade and theUSA signedatradeagreement their owncorn.In1994,Mexico,Canada, is astaplefoodandwherefarmersgrow One suchexampleisinMexico,wherecorn in countrieswheredumpingtakesplace. a negativechaineffect onfarmersresiding likely favorthecheaperproduct. most to beleftbehindsinceconsumerswill causes the localcounterpart of the product with thecheaperproducts. This, ofcourse, extremely low then flood a countries market buy saidsubsidizedproducts,pricethem called “dumping”,whichmeansthatthey corporates sometimesdoisapractice as tosubsidizedfarmproducts.What well have access to international markets, as option; theinternationalmarket.Corporates their countryoforigin,butthereisasecond artificially priced. prices indicate,andarethereforeknownas production costishigherthantheirselling be sold at competitive prices, even if their This meansthatthesubsidizedcropscan negative impactonthefarmers’ businesses. prices oftheirproductsdonothavea farmers’ senseofsecurityandthatmarket support givenbythegovernmenttoensure hi mres nentoal wt artificially low-priced agriculturalgoods.” with internationally markets their multinational agribusinesseshaveexpanded have watched their incomes crash as below thecost of production. Familyfarmers main five cotton, and rice averaged between 10-47% the of commodities ofwheat,soybeans,corn, dumping Agribusiness WTO. the of inception the since significantly US corporatefooddumpinghasrisen Trade Policyrecentlydocumentedthat “The Institutefor Agriculture and The problemwithdumpingisthatithas Some oftheproducecanbesoldin to grow. variety of crops that theyusedtobe able have enoughlandtogrowtheprevious on foodexportsbecausetheynolonger in thearea.Itcanalsoleadcountriestorely systems thatcancauseharmtoresidents damaging itandendupinnearbywater harmful chemicals,whichseepintothesoil farm practices;insteadtheycanuse because manydonotfollowsustainable on thehealthofsoilandenvironment crops forexport. This takesaheavytoll cultural agriculture,andfocusongrowing in, creatingindustrialfarms,favoringmono- behind their land, some corporates swoop everyyearinlostincome.” USD 24billion every year—costdevelopingnationsabout farm subsidiesofoverUSD300billion including tariffs, export subsidies and direct the agriculturalpoliciesofwealthynations— organization, research nonprofit a Institute, the InternationalFoodPolicyResearch of thestick.“Accordingtoastudyby poorer countries getting the short end itself overandworldwide,withthe occurrence, butissomethingthatrepeats international movementthatrepresents 200 such asLaVia Campesina,whichisan movements that are comprised of farmers countries. for producers and farmers in developing which promotes better trading conditions campaigned fortheFair Trade Movement, and communities at risk; theyhave also farmers, empowering workers,small to takeupactivismandtryworktowards does not comeattheexpenseofusall”. globalization of cost the that ensure protecting internationalhumanrightsto economics ofqualitycenteredupon Global Exchangeenvisionsanalternative people caused by this system of elite globalization, working In responsetoworldwidedegradation while and the planet are left to pay theprice. profits reaping power andpoliticalgreed,theeliteare the economicsofquantityfuelscorporate the cruxofmatter:“Inaworldwhere money. justice prevails and humans come before that workstowardscreatingaworldwhere an internationalhumanrightsorganization Exchange, which is based in the USA; it is to change. One such organization is Global decided tospeakupandcallfortheworld disenfranchised classworldwideandhave systems oftradeandbusinesscreatea Voices of Change Voices of When large numbers of farmers leave This scenarioisnotaone-timeonly There arealsointernational What they do to combat this issue is On their site, Global Exchange states There arethosewhoseehowthe million farmers million worldwide and is present in monetary profit. where human rights are elevated above in the future we might see a better world is lost,and environment thatperhapsnotall sovereignty and are protective of the and farmer groups who champion food to survive.Itisthanksorganizations provide theverysustenanceweneed for farmers who till the land tirelessly and on the ground to create a brighter future destructive grip,therearemanyworking tradethathaskeptitensnaredinits global are protected and independent of the ensure that farming communities worldwide people inthedevelopingworld. and chronichungersuffered of bymillions such aspoverty, environmentaldegradation, be eliminated so,manyproblemswill doing demand ofmarketsandcorporations;by produced forthepeopleandnot see thatfoodis institutions, theworldwill becomes the main goal of international the corporatesector”. hands ofthosewhoproducefood and notof seeds, livestockandbiodiversityareinthe to use and manage lands, territories, water, control production. local producersfromcheapimportsandto It givesacountrytherighttoprotectits local foodproductionandconsumption. for food sovereignty, which of theUnitedNations. The movementcalls Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) are consultedbyinstitutions,suchasthe recognized as an important entity and concerning foodandagriculture,theyare of this movement in Belgium; in debates companies andcorporateagribusiness. is sometimesthreatenedbytransnational farmers andpeasantswhoselivelihood works ondefendingtherightsofsmall-scale 73 countriesspanningallcontinents.It http://www.gatesfoundation.org http://viacampesina.org http://www.globalexchange.org http://www.nytimes.com References While alotstillneedstobedone By ensuringthatfoodsovereignty The year 1993 witnessed the birth It ensuresthattherights “prioritizes

7 | AUTUMN 2015 human population; yet, it has grown to become the biggest threat to the global environment through its impacts on SCIENCE IN OUR LIFE ecosystem and global warming aspects. It With 40% of the planet’s land devoted has led to the emergence of new parasites to human food production, and as the By: Moataz AbdelMegid and re-emergence of parasites previously world’s demand for food, feeding a rapidly as farmers markets, is produced by these considered to be threat neutral, and is growing human population should be done smallholder farms. responsible for 80% of tropical deforestation. by adopting a sustainable food production Several techniques are included Furthermore, intensive farming kills approach with minimized impacts on the in intensive farming; crop rotation, for beneficial insects and plants, degrades and environment, animal welfare, and human example, is one very common technique depletes the very soil it depends on, and health. employed where a series of dissimilar creates polluted runoff and clogged water Intensive farming is an agricultural types of crops are grown in the same space systems. It also increases susceptibility intensification and mechanization system in sequential seasons. Benefits include to flooding, causes the genetic erosion of that aims to maximize yields from available avoiding pathogen and pest buildup, which crops and livestock species around the land through various means, such as occurs when one species is continuously world, and decreases biodiversity within the heavy use of pesticides and chemical cropped; crop rotation also seeks to perimeter of activity. fertilizers. This has also been applied to balance the nutrient demands of various It is clear that intensive farming is a raising livestock such as cows, sheep, and crops to avoid soil nutrient depletion. profiting business that is also essential chickens, being held indoors in what have A traditional component of crop rotation is for the economy considering the fast become known as factory farms. the replenishment of nitrogen through the use escalating food demand; however, this sort Intensive crop agriculture is of legumes and green manure in sequence with of “industrial agriculture” will always come characterized by innovations designed to cereals and other crops. It can also improve with the previously mentioned negative increase yield. Techniques include planting soil structure and fertility by alternating deep- impacts on the agricultural medium and the multiple crops per year, reducing the rooted and shallow-rooted plants. environment. Nevertheless, certain aspects frequency of crop-free years, and improving Another example is irrigation using of intensive farming have helped ease cultivars. It also involves increased “flood irrigation”, the most common and climate change by helping boost yields in and more detailed analysis of growing frequently used type, which usually leaves already cleared land that may be under- conditions, including weather, soil, water, the irrigated area unevenly distributed, as performing, which prevents the clearing of weeds, and pests. This system is supported parts of the field may receive excess water in additional land. by ongoing innovation in agricultural order to deliver sufficient quantities to other There are both pros and cons to machinery and farming methods, genetic parts. Overhead irrigation, in contrast, using intensive farming. Many would believe that technology, techniques for achieving center-pivot or lateral-moving sprinklers, compared to the dramatic disadvantages, economies of scale, logistics, as well as would give a much more equal and controlled the advantages are significantly less. This data collection and analysis technology. distribution pattern; it is, however, more fact will always be subject of doubt in a Intensive farms are widespread costly. Drip irrigation is the most expensive world that is in transition from an era of food in developed nations and increasingly and least-used type, but delivers water to abundance to one of scarcity. prevalent worldwide; most of the meat, plant roots with minimal losses. References dairy, eggs, fruits, and vegetables available Intensive farming practices produce http://www.everythingconnects.org/ in supermarkets are produced by such more and cheaper food per acre and http://www.britannica.com/

| AUTUMN | 2015 farms. Smaller intensive farms usually animal, which has helped feed a booming https://en.wikipedia.org include higher inputs of labor and more often use sustainable intensive methods; these farms are less widespread in both developed countries and worldwide, but are growing more rapidly. Most of the food available in specialty markets, such

8 the rootsinahighlysolubleform.Itiseasy pH adjusted nutrient solution is delivered to nutrient to the plant. A perfectly balanced inert substancethatdoesnotsupplyany in aninertgrowingmedium,whichis on based gardens floating hydroponics. of system a principles. The Aztecs also developed have functionedaccordingtohydroponic Gardens of Babylon are largely believed to in usefor thousands of years;theHanging besides soil.Hydroponicsisbelievedtobe to growing plants in any other medium growing plantsinwater, butnowitisapplied to medium provide mechanicalsupport. artificial an of use the without growing plants in nutrient solutions with or conditions. soil This techniquedependson grow plantsthatneedhard-to-maintain from soil.Farmersusehydroponicsto water andnutrients,bothareeasilyobtained What plants need is sunlight, in addition to towards morecapital-intensivesolutions. production declines, agriculture is moving increases and arable land available for crop With hydroponics the plantsaregrown The word“hydroponics”literallymeans As thepopulationofourplanet individually; thepumpcan becontrolled individually; of tubes,andisreleasedtotheplants The water is then pumped up a network reservoir thatiskeptawayfromplants. to atankofwatercreatenutrient typically usedathome. with smallplantssuch as herbs and are optimal growth. This system works best the plantsnutrientstheyrequirefor the traywithnutrientsolution,feeding floods pump the activated, reservoir.When activate apumpthatiskeptinthenutrient solutions. A timerissettoperiodically a reservoir containing water and mineral the tray below in a separate container is atray in whichtheplantisplacedamedium; itincludes system, drain and flood on thesamebasicconcepts. hydroponic systems,thougheachisbased search outthenutrientsandextractthem. as opposedtosoilwheretherootsmust touptakeitsfoodwithverylittleeffortplant the rightamountoffood. This allowsthe nutrient solution, so that the plants receive to controlthestrengthandpHof Drip System: Vital nutrientsareadded Ebb and FlowSystem:Alsoknownas There aremanydifferent types of By: SaraKhattab food scarcity. such asdiminishingsoil,waterscarcity, and a solution to the world’s growing concerns growing sectorofagriculture,andcanbe all yearround. growing, soitcanbeusedtogrowplants traditional. Hydroponicsisidealforindoor nutrients healthier plants in about half the time as find to them they need. This savestimeandproduces allow to systems are notforcedtodevelopextensiveroot direct access to water and nutrients, they around 25%offertilizers. carried bythem.Moreover, itrequiresonly and foodcleaner, alsopreventingdiseases use ofpesticide,effectively makingair, soil, soil, hydroponicseliminatesthemassive is wasted. As many pests are carried in nutrient solution,sointhiscasenowater recyclingandreuseofwater allow is due to the fact that hydroponic systems that soil-basedagriculturerequires. This they only require around 10% of the water benefits to the use of hydroponics systems; pumps orotherequipmenttobepurchased. system ispreferableasitrequiresno wicking them up to the plant’s roots. This nylon ropesabsorbthewaterandnutrients, The trayisplacedontopofareservoir;the freely, extendingtothebottomof the tray. rope isplacedandallowedtodangle or perlite rockwool; atthebaseofeachroot,anylon with filled tray a into placed are commercial uses. upand set manage, butithas great potentialforlarge to difficult most the is system as amistoverthehangingroots. This pressurepumpspraysthesolution higher is thenpumpedupatube,wheresecond hanging down below. The nutrient solution are suspendedintheair, with their roots system, suchastomatoesandcucumbers. work withthis established rootsystemswill system and reused. Only plants with large the endtobepumpedbackthrough slope down,andwateriscollectedat the high end of each channel. The channels water enrichedwithnutrientsispumpedto mediums, itisbuiltusingwoodenchannels; water-based systemthatrequiresnosoilor Flow Systems. such assmallerplants,justliketheEbband that donothaveadevelopedrootsystem using a timer. This systemisidealfor plants http://www.simplyhydro.com http://www.explainthatstuff.com http://www.homehydrosystems.com References Hydroponics technique is the fastest Since plantsgrownhydroponicallyhave environmental significant are There Wick Systems: Aeroponics: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): In thissystem,theplants Medium-based, plants A 9 | AUTUMN 2015 ZOOM TECH FARMING By: Jailane Salem ADVANCES What this means is that, instead of just between the light reflectance in the red and spreading the fertilizer across the whole near infrared spectrum of a plant, and the of the land, the farmers use a specialized nitrogen status of that plant”. This handheld fertilizer called “briquette”, which releases device is quite handy in aiding farmers to nitrogen in a gradual way, ensuring that make more informed decisions, and can also

ZOOM TECH the plant gets the nitrogen it needs over a help reduce the pollution of groundwater. period of time. The briquette is placed near Of course, no talk of technology is the growing plants, around 10 cm deep; complete without the mention of robots, and this method ensures that only the amount in recent years farming robots have been needed is used, making the use of nitrogen making great advances. These agricultural arming has come a long way much more efficient. This method is being robots, or AgBots, can collect various data, Ffrom the days when it only used in some African countries such as record the amount of rainfall, soil water took a plough, a sickle, and water to Nigeria, and has generated great results. content, as well as monitor irrigation. They grow food to today’s farming where This use of site specific nutrient can also capture images and videos, and machinery, new techniques, and management can also apply to the irrigation send them to farmers in real time, as well science are used. The amounts of of crops. Irrigation systems that make use of as send sms alerts if something wrong was food we are capable of producing plastic pipes that have little outlets for water detected. Some AgBots are being designed has far surpassed what could be called drippers are placed where the root of to be able to mechanically or chemically produced in the past. However, even the plant is, and water is slowly released in that remove weeds and pests. with these advances close to a billion area specifically. This use of small amounts of AgBots are made using microcomputers, people still suffer from food insecurity water helps in conserving water, allowing the sensors, mobile network modems, and some and chronic hunger. soil to retain its nutrients since the nutrients are even connected to small drones that can will not be run off by excess water. fly over fields and collect aerial data. With A great addition to this system is that energy always a key issue, they are being In the developing world, where most it can also be made using solar power, designed to be solar powered, making them people suffering from hunger reside, so not only would farmers be conserving energy efficient. Linked with analytical and a “Green Revolution” took place in the water, they will be conserving on energy. A statistical software, a staggering amount of 1960s and 1970s, witnessing the use of study was conducted in Benin, and it was data will be readily available to farmers that technological advances to help increase found that this solar drip irrigation system will take agricultural management to a whole the crop yield. Crop varieties that were was cost-effective and also helped increase new level. specifically designed to be high yielding household incomes in the villages where With these advances and many more to were used, improved irrigation methods the test took place. This system is still highly come, hopefully efficient farming techniques were applied, and farming management costly, and therefore, not widely available and technologies will provide a large part of techniques were introduced, helping to farmers yet; however, researchers are the solution to feeding the world’s hungry transform the livelihood of farmers. hoping to create a more affordable design mouths. These innovations in agriculture are key in the coming years and have it widely to increasing the world’s food supply; available to farmers. References advances in farming have not stopped Precision farming has also led to the http://www.businessinsider.com since the Green Revolution, so let us take a https://will.illinois.edu development of devices that allow farmers http://farmindustrynews.co look at some of the newer techniques and to collect real accurate data from their http://www.theguardian.com devices being used nowadays. own fields and make decisions on farming http://www.theguardian.com Soil is, of course, one of the key players management using this data. One such http://www.agbot.org/ in farming; there are varying kinds of soil, device is called the “GreenSeeker”; it is | AUTUMN | 2015 some more fertile than others. The overuse used to measure the nitrogen level of plants of fertilizers can do more harm than good; as well as assess a plant’s health. if they are used in excess and not all of it is According to Bruno Gérard, the Director absorbed by the plants then they will end up of the Global Conservation Agriculture polluting waterways. To combat this issue, a new method is being used in the application Program at the International Maize of fertilizer; this is called Fertilizer Deep and Wheat Improvement Center, “The Placement. GreenSeeker is based on the relationship

10 collect, access, analyze, and share data database viacellsignalandthefarmer can stations transmitsthatinformationto amain decision to help the quality of the used seeds. One of the as so makers to decide when to irrigate and field the around adding on them data related to weather all required readings from the sensors we candependongreenenergytocollect field entire the through distributed stations a week.Withtheaidofsolarpowered process thattheysometimesdidjustonce each oneindividuallywhichisanexhausting read to fields the into walk to used farmers farmland acrossseventeenStates. acresof the data of nearlysevenmillion sensors andsucceededincollecting agriculture. They recentlyusedspecialized other, using the concept of crowd sourced of America tohelpthemlearnfromeach from farmersacrosstheUnitedStates new startup working on aggregating data a harvest. or anyoftheothervariablesthatcanimpact maybe thecropspacing,orlandquality, have beenthenewfertilizerheused,or the seedsthatmadeadifference. It could still beleftwonderingwhetheritreallywas farmer willhavesolidfeedback;yet,he pattern. After threeyears have passed, the fewmore a for seasons toensurethatheismonitoringa it again test definitely will see results until the Fall. Moreover, he test it in the Spring; however, he will not most probably of seedtobetested,hewill comparing itwithothersources. monitoring ofdatacollectedand Big toassistfarmerswithlive launched key. is data-enabled servicesarethusbeing efficiency production to public appetites,increasing crops not appealing still food modified food. Withtheideaofgenetically an increasingdemandformore which means that we are facing At thebeginningofusingsensors, The FarmersBusinessNetworkisa When afarmerisoffered anewbrand Th e

is growing rapidly, world’s population optimum levelofhighqualityproduction. the have to operation the fine-tune can that different cropswillmake ahugedatabase This data from different environments and productivity levelsaccordingtotheusage. which can be monitored to analyze the fuel consumption from different machines, of theexamplesthatcanbecollectedis One data. financial and weather including connecting thisdatawithexternaldatasets, sensors attachedtotheirowndatabase, and later access all gathered data from where any farmer can register his details crops. the orchard better to produce better quality purposes aswellmanagingthehealthof spent on water and save water for other type oftechnologyfarmerscansavemoney criteria toaskfortheiradvice.Usingthis preferred be selected based on the user’s with expertsortrustedpartnersthatcan shared be can data these all well as field, evaluate theimpactofeachaspecton by laying the maps side by side and office, truckorhome. on his computer, tablet, or phone from his Myjohndeere.com isanonlineportal All thecollecteddatacanbecompared off andstartspreadingintheworld. take time like any other technology to pay as they worked byhand;however, it will not beeagertousethatmuchtechnology farming journey. which canassisthimatthebeginningofhis risk assessment plans or revenue plans, can startbyaskingforplanning,suchas tractors. Ifthefarmerisabeginnerhe systems, compressorsevenloadersand products suchassparepartsforseeding farmer can ask for agricultural tools and collecting just than data andcomparingtheresults;any rather benefits many machines. more maintenanceservicestotheused for spare parts ordering and schedule plan stage totheengineerswhowill information canbesharedatanearlier failure pointsbeforetheyfail,sothis monitoring andpre-tests,thencanpredict minimizes downtimeofmachinesbylive https://myjohndeere.deere.com http://mashable.com References Still, manyfarmerswillhesitateand With theuseofthisportalthereareso This portalisaveryhelpfultoolthat By: Ahmed Khaled By: Ahmed 11 | AUTUMN 2015 ZOOM TECH ater-wise farming, Walso known as Xeriscaping, is farming, landscaping, and gardening that reduce, minimize, or eliminate the need for SCIENCE IN OUR LIFE supplemental water from irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have easily accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water, and is gaining acceptance in other areas as access to water By: Moataz AbdelMegid becomes more limited.

The term Xeriscaping is a derivation and delight as much as the traditional should either fit the soil, or soil should be from a combination of the words “xeri” generously-irrigated garden. amended to fit the plants. from the Greek word “xeros” meaning dry, Creating a Xeriscape landscape is 3) Efficient irrigation and “scape” meaning scene. Even though not a matter of opening a cookbook and this translates into “dry scene”, it does not following instructions. There are many Xeriscape can be irrigated efficiently by accurately reflect the results or the impact unique elements that are specific to the hand or with an automatic sprinkler system. of Xeriscaping because it does not include location of the site, the site characteristics, For grass, use gear-driven rotors or rotary barren, desert, arid, or any other form of the owner’s preferences, and a number spray nozzles that have larger droplets and plant material that you might associate with of other factors. There are seven basic low angles to avoid wind drift. Spray, drip dry climates. Perhaps the most accurate design principles for Xeriscaping that have line, or bubbler emitters are most efficient way to define it is the creative use of been expanded into simple and applicable for watering trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping to conserve water usage. concepts to creating landscapes that use groundcovers. There are many aspects to Xeriscaping; less water. The principles are appropriate If watering by hand, avoid oscillating yet, at its essence, it involves the use of for multiple regions and can serve as sprinklers and other sprinklers that throw plant materials that are appropriate for a guide to creating a water conserving water high in the air or release a fine mist. the region or to the water availability. This landscape that is regionally appropriate; The most efficient sprinklers release big frequently means the use of native plants. they are also easy to implement for drops close to the ground; water deeply Xeriscaping uses various specific species homeowners. and infrequently to develop deep roots. of plants, the choice of which to use is 1) Plan and design Never water during the day to reduce always case sensitive; meaning that, for Create a diagram of the location, drawn water lost to evaporation. With the use of every specific case, there is an optimal to scale, and show the major elements of automatic sprinkling systems, adjust the species to use. The selection is usually the landscape, including house, driveway, controller monthly to accommodate weather based on the climatic conditions and the sidewalk, deck or patio, existing trees and conditions; also, install a rain sensor to shut type of soil used. other elements. Once a base plan has been off the device when it rains. A new view of water-wise gardens determined, a conceptual plan showing has evolved from the creativity and 4) Appropriate plant and zone the areas for turf, perennial beds, views, experimentation of gardeners; it is selection | AUTUMN | 2015 screens, slopes, can be done. supported by the wider availability of native Different areas in a yard receive and adapted plants from high altitude dry 2) Soil amendment different amounts of light, wind, and climates around the world. Growing on less Most plants will benefit from the use moisture. To minimize water waste, group water does not mean water-wise gardens of compost, which will help the soil retain together plants with similar light and water will look like a garden of cactus; they can water. Some desert plants prefer gravel requirements, and place them in an area be colorful, include a wide variety of plants, soils rather than well-amended soils; plants that matches these requirements.

12 this practice. plants with rockmakes the area hotter; limit be applied 5–7.5 cm deep. Surrounding mulches, suchasrocksandgravel,should resistant to wind and rain washout. Inorganic Fiber mulchescreateawebthatismore grindings shouldbeapplied5–10cmdeep. such asbarkchips,polepeelings,orwood and reduces weed growth. Organic mulches, soil from crusting, minimizes evaporation, 6) 5) receive low traffic or are in shady locations. shady in are or traffic low receive water savingsandisbestusedinareasthat 30%. Finefescuescanprovidesubstantial waterrequirementsbyatleast bluegrass Reveille, and tall fescue, can reduce typical Summer. Fall, and go dormant in the high heat of the and tall fescue, are greenest in Spring and grasses (coolseason)suchasbluegrass water thatbluegrassvarietiesneed.Native grass,cansurvivewithaquarterofthe blue for turflawns,suchasbuffalo grassand creates interestandbeauty. with different heights,color, andtexture in our climate. Planting a variety of plants support low-water-useplantsthatgrowwell half the amount of water. Dry, sunny areas perennial bedswillrequireapproximately requires the most water and shrub/ in theshadeofotherplants. Turf typically lying drainageareas,neardownspouts,or New cultivarsofbluegrass,suchas Native grassesthathavebeencultivated Mulch keeps plant roots cool, prevents Put moderate-water-useplantsinlow- Limited turf areas areas Limited turf Mulch

maintenance requirements. amount ofgrasstoreducethewateringand Using theappropriategrasswilllimit 7) not meet modern aesthetics, especially reduced wasteandpollution. ofheavy use therefore,Xeriscapingofferspollution; the and fertilizers contributes to urban runoff landfills in waste Lawn clippingscancontributetoorganic advantage ofrainfallretention. takes full design,soilgrading,andmulching, planting reduced lawnareas. and equipment,particularlyduetothe less, asXeriscapingrequireslessfertilizers to maintain. The costtomaintainisalso Xeriscaping requiresfarlesstimeandeffort occasional weedingandmulching, is oneoftheadvantages;asidefrom environment. Also reduced maintenance domestic andcommunityusesthe It makes morewateravailableforother less waterthanregularlawnlandscapes. Xeriscaped landscapesuseuptotwo-thirds is theloweredconsumptionofwater; and usedincompostingpiles. removed plantmaterialcanbeshredded or controlheightandspread.Muchofthe to removedeadstems,promoteblooming need occasionalpruning perennials will the clippingstofall. Trees, shrubsand Keep thegrassheightat7.5cmandallow fertilization every six weeks to eight weeks. Spring andFallaerationalongwithregular of careduringtheyear. Turf requires On the other hand, Xeriscaping may Xeriscape plants in an appropriate Among the many benefits of Xeriscaping All landscapesrequiresomedegree Maintenance utilized. farming, shouldbewidespreadappliedand the demandofwater, likewater-wise water consumingactivitiesthateconomize responsible techniques in agriculture and thenumerous of habitants. Therefore, water-dependent behavior the on reflect critically scarce. This factshoulddirectly in Egypt water resources will become unavoidable that at certain times and places range ofwater-consumingactivities,itis growing population density and wide security of supply, in addition to rapidly the region, raising questions about water flow oftheNileRiver. economic activity thanks to the continuous agriculture hasalwaysbeenthemain most ofEgypt’s landisunfertiledesert, supply situationofirrigationwater. Although directly proportionaltothedemandand growing. The needforsuchabusinessis the water-wisefarmingbusinessisslowly contractors competing in the market and some ofthestakeholders. project,maybeadeterrentfor landscaping and aboveall,theinitialcost,aswithany a garden’s useasarecreationalarea, lawns. Reducing lawn areas can limit a certainpercentageoflandbeusedas associations havestrictrulesrequiring in Europe, where some homeowners com http://www.xeriscapeweb.swiftpromotion. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ References Today, inlightofpoliticalchanges In Egypt,thereareseveralXeriscaping 13 | AUTUMN 2015 ood science is the discipline Fconcerned with the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of food, from harvesting or slaughtering to consumption; that is, “from the farm to the fork”. Food technology, on the other hand, is the application of food science to select, preserve, process, pack, distribute, FOOD SCIENCE and use wholesome and safe food.

AND FOOD CONSERVATION

By: Nourane Khaled SCIENCE & ME Food preservation is a process famous example for this method is smoked room temperature for months; famous that involves preventing the growth of fish, which is salted then smoked to ensure examples are milk and juice packs we find microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, yeasts, its safety. in stores. etc.—retarding oxidation and enzymatic Pickling: A famous method for Refrigeration: A recent technology that reactions in order to extend the shelf-life of preservation, it consists of conserving the originated after the discovery of electricity food, as well as maintaining its quality for a food in a salty solution (brine), vinegar, or oil. and the invention of refrigerators, food is kept longer time. Examples include pickled vegetables such in a low temperature (4°C or lower) to slow Food preservation is one of the main as cucumber, olives, carrots, etc. down the growth of microorganisms and the food technologies that have been in use Curing with salt (salting): It consists enzymatic actions. A common example is for ages. In the past, people used basic of adding high amounts of salt to the food any type of food stored in refrigerators in and simple methods to keep their food so that water is drawn out by osmosis. houses, factories, and restaurants. from spoiling and storing it for long periods; Famous examples include salted fish like Freezing: A technique close to they used to sundry fruits and vegetables, sardines and Fesikh; however, consuming refrigeration, freezing food at -18°C or salt meat and fish, and ferment milk. The Fesikh may cause dangerous health issues lower stops microbial growth and enzymatic techniques were primitive and the additives if inappropriately conserved. actions, thus, extending the conservation were natural, but these simple methods Sugaring: The same technique of salting several months. This method is widely saved countless lives during famines, wars, but we use sugar instead of salt. The food used nowadays for fresh and cooked food; and natural disasters. is stored in sugary solution or cooked with examples for this method include commercial Time has changed; science, sugar like what we do in jams. frozen vegetables and any type of frozen mechanization, and technology have Canning: Discovered by French food stored in domestic or large freezers. broken through the food preservation confectioner Nicolas Appert, food is cooked Artificial food additives: Antimicrobial domain. Pasteurization was discovered, and sealed in sterile cans or jars that are or antioxidant chemical substances that machines did more parts of the process, then boiled to kill or weaken any remaining prevent spoilage and deterioration of the dryers have become electrical, chemical bacteria. If this is properly done, food food, they are safe if used according to the food additives are widely used; now, the remains safe as long as the can or jar is recommended amounts. Examples include process has become fully mechanized with sealed. People used to cook the food and the use of nitrates and nitrites in processed minimal interference from humans. boil glass jars at home; nowadays, fully meat. mechanized factories prepare canned food. Irradiation: Sometimes called “cold Famous Food Preservation Pasteurization: Discovered in 1862 pasteurization”, this is a recent technology Techniques by French scientist Louis Pasteur, this where food is exposed to ionizing radiation Drying: One of the oldest and most used method is used with liquid food only. It that kills microorganisms, insects, and pests. methods, it involves the removal of water consists of heating the food to 72–75°C for At the end, we should all know that food from the food product. Long ago, people 15–30 seconds, then immediately cooling conservation always has been and will used to dry their food by sunlight, air, or wind. it to 4°C. Pasteurized food must be stored remain a lifesaving technology. Following Recently, new technologies and machines in a refrigerator; a famous example is strict hygienic practices during preparation is are used beside the old techniques, such as pasteurized milk. compulsory to ensure a safe nutritious food. electric food dehydrators or spray and drum Although a lot of progress has been | AUTUMN | 2015 Ultra High Temperature (UHT) dryers, which are used for making powder sterilization: A stronger form of done in this domain, discoveries never end milk and juice. pasteurization, liquids are heated to and there is more to come! Smoking: One of the oldest preservation 135–140°C for few seconds, then cooled methods, it is the exposure of food to References and packed in sterile container. This smoke from burning wood. The chemical http://www.ift.org method kills all microorganisms in the https://en.wikipedia.org components of the smoke act as preserves food. UHT treated food can be kept in http://www.fao.org and the heat dries the food product. A

14 FEEDING lives. better chancesofleadinghealthy have from debilitatinghealthproblemsand Likewise, they will also be protected and learn,bephysicallyactive. habits to have the energy to study choices anddevelophealthyeating must be taught how to make good food That iswhyourschool-agechildren our mindswillneverbenourished. however, withoutfeedingourbodies, and improving mental abilities; sodas arenotgoodforachild. They do such assweets,chocolates,candies,and many sticky, sugaryandsaltysnacks, him/hergrowwell.However,helps eating meals providethechildwithenergy, and your child’s diet. variety offoodswiththerightproportionsin and fruits. Thus, make suretoincludea suchasvegetables them againstillness, foods, legumes, and oilseeds; and protect cereals; helpintheirgrowth,suchasanimal food thatprovidethemwithenergy, suchas very fast,theyneedincreasingamountsof learn well. As their bodies grow and develop being particularly important to help them a day, a breakfast before going to school diets;theyneedthreemeals balanced F Moreover, healthysnacksbetween needtoeathealthyandhave Children related to acquiring knowledge mindsentailsprocesses eeding By: Esraa Ali By: of thelargesthumanitarianproviders The World FoodProgramme(WFP),one often the only regular meal a child receives. their childrenatschools. These mealsare tosendandkeep an incentivetofamilies cycle ofhungerandpoverty. healthy andproductiveadults,breakingthe development sochildrencanbecome better, andsucceed. They support example, helpchildrengrow, concentrate society asa whole. Schoolmeals, for growth ofchildren,communities,and of school feeding in the development and improving schoolmeals. in school gardens, preparing food, and example, growingfruitsandvegetables activities. The programsmightinclude,for as well as engage children in practical nutrition education in the school curriculum, be deficiency—could using reduced iodine effective schoolprograms. significantly or to prevented due intellectual deficiency—and disability andbraindamageinchildren— A vitamin to as preventable childhoodblindness—due such deficiencies, mineral and vitamin developed. Many health problems due to and healthylife-longeatinghabitswillbe as their families’ nutritionalwell-being at schools,children,adolescents,aswell life skills. place forchildrentoacquiretheseimportant regarded in many communities as the only eating. As amatteroffact,schoolsare social pressures, which discourage healthy children practicehealthyeatingandresist an idealsettingforthis. They canhelp basic skillsoffoodandnutrition;theyare beliefs, food-related values, andpractices. on influence greater goal ontheirownwhentheculturehas eating behaviors,theycannotachievethis roles are essential in shaping children’s them intheirchoices. Although families’ children eatandbuyatschool,guide They should also know what foods their to recognizeand choose healthy foods. overweight-related diseases. decay, leadtooverweightandobesity, and against illness. They can also cause tooth not helpthebodygrowwell,norprotect In poorcountries,schoolmealsprovide Governments recognizetheimportance These programs shall integrate food and Through implementingvariousactivities Schools mustsupportteachingchildren Families shouldteachtheirchildrenhow our children. increase environmentalawarenessamong and gooddiets,developlifeskills, must cooperate topromotebetternutrition children on theirown. All thesocietysectors responsibility ofimprovingthediet Families andschoolsdonotbearthe resources toensurenutritionalwellbeing. to knowhowmakethebestuseofour related chronic diseases exist. It is crucial supplies are scarce or abundant, diet- understand.” –Chineseproverb. and Imayremember. Involveme,andIwill povertyrates. high with countries in program this from benefit Unfortunately, manymorechildrendonot school receivefoodateveryday. children fromkindergartentosecondary feeding program, and at least 368 million all countries around the world have a school school mealsworldwide,statesthatnearly MINDS BODIES, www.who.int www.wfp.org www.unicef.org www.fao.org www.cdc.gov References In manycountries,whetherfood “Tell me, and I willforget. Show me, 15 | AUTUMN 2015 By: Hend Fathy

that are potentially hazardous to the health Most of us spend nearly one-third of our days at our workplaces, and of farmers.

SCIENCE & ME experience different safety and health issues according to the type of job we do Some dusts are generated during the and the work environment we work within. Miners, for example, are exposed to production processes of various grains, hazards different from factory workers, chemists, office-based staff, farmers, etc. legumes, and other field crops; this involves Although the International Labour Organization (ILO) Constitution states preparing seeds for planting, harvesting, that workers should be protected from sickness and injury arising from their primary processing, bagging, and transporting employment, the reality is very different. Around two million people die annually crops to markets. Such dusts may include from work-related accidents and diseases, and there are nearly 160 million components such as straw, bagasse, husks of people suffering from work-related diseases. In response, the ILO has adopted a grain, fungal and bacterial residues, pesticide global strategy to improve Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) during the past residues, and particles of silica. decade, setting tens of OSH standards, instruments, and codes of practices. Other forms of dusts are related to animal I have been lucky to be assigned the task of translating the ILO “Draft Code production, and may include particles of of Practice on Safety and Health in Agriculture” into Arabic at some point of my straw and grain, animal wastes, bacteria, career. I, thus, got acquainted with the various kinds of hazards/risks workers toxins, fungi, animal hair, feathers and pollen. at the agriculture sector face, and the measures of protection that should be Exposure can cause various lung diseases, followed to guarantee they return home safe and sound. Let me share some of such as chronic obstructive pulmonary this information with you, starting with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disease, asthma, Organic Dust Toxic which will be present in all the scenes. Syndrome, and extrinsic allergic alveolitis also known as Farmer’s Lung. Personal Protective Equipment and allow safety signals to be heard. Total elimination of exposure to such Last but not least, adequate washing and harmful dusts is practically impossible, hygiene facilities should be available at the particularly in outdoor environments; hence, worksites. the use of PPE is particularly vital in this Farmers should be fully informed of concern. Farm owners should employ bio- the significance of using PPE, and given filtration and ventilation technologies in closed adequate training on how to use and facilities to minimize the hazards. Construction maintain them. Each set of equipment should of animal confinement houses should ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be personal to one wearer, unless properly adequate space per animal and reasonable are the most basic line of defense against cleaned and sanitized after each use. ceiling heights to minimize the concentration hazardous conditions in agricultural Generally, equipment should be handled of dusts. Last but not least, regular adequate cleaning of the workplace equipment aimed production. However, it should never be according to the nature of hazard and the at reducing exposures should be performed. considered an adequate substitute for instructions given by the manufacturer. other control measures. Exposure to Dusts and Handling Animals Popular PPE includes helmets for Particulate Matter Animal and bird production operations workers exposed to the risk of head involve different hazards, including injury, face shields, eye protectors, and exposures to animal wastes, with risks of respirators used to protect against flying | AUTUMN | 2015 particles, fumes, dust, and chemical hazards. They also include gloves to protect hands, safety footwear with slip- resistance properties, knee protectors when tasks involve kneeling. Hearing Agriculture involves the generation of a protection devices such as muffs or variety of dusts and other particulate matter earplugs are designed to attenuate noise 16 disposal ofinfectedanimals. sites, andprompttreatmentorproper cleaning and disinfection of contaminated safe practicesofwastedisposal,regular safe sustainable water supplies in the farm, are trainings meant tokeepthemsafefrominfections. These fluids. body animal’s animal beingbrokenandincontactwith an perform proceduresinvolvingtheskinof trainings should be held for workers who reduce theriskofzoonoses. Specialized vaccination of animals and workers to gowns,aprons,andboots. appropriate gloves, masks,eyeprotectors,aswell the useofappropriatePPE,including farmers shouldnotstepintothemwithout be from highlevelsofunsafegases.Similarly, should facilities ventilated adequately to protect the workers confinement Animal protective measuresshouldbetaken. avian influenza. psittacosis, whichcausespneumonia;and lesions; brucellosis, which causes fevers; such as anthrax, which causes skin Humans aretheultimatehoststozoonoses, an infectedanimalorby-products. develop symptomsofthemafterhandling other problems. diarrhea andseverekidneyinfection in severegastrointestinaldiseases,suchas with to secondary contamination of groundwater infection, ontheotherhand,mayhappendue result indeathfromasphyxiation.Bacterial inmanuresystemsanditcan is produced of theeyesandbreathingirritation.Methane during indooroperationsresultsinwatering livestock and poultry wastes; exposure to it Chemical Hazards and zoonoses*. exposures to ammonia, methane, bacteria, respiratory effects. cause skinirritationandpotentially serious gaseous formsofanhydrousammonia can toxic, somearehazardous;forexample, the public. Although most fertilizers are non- health risks tofarmersandthe general agriculture worldwide,posing serious Safety Agrochemicals are widely used in It is alsoimportanttomaintain Farm ownersshouldconsiderregular To control animal-related hazards, some As for zoonotic diseases, workers can Ammonia isemittedinhighlevelsfrom E. coliandothercoliforms.Itcanresult thyroid diseases,andallergicdermatitis. diseases include neurotoxicity, liver and registered inmostcountries.Otherchronic carcinogenicity arebannedandnolonger However, chemicalswithclearevidenceof occupational exposurestopesticides. leukemia havebeenassociatedwith chronic healtheffects; lungcancersand distress anddeath. excess salivation,andnausea,torespiratory The symptoms can range from headaches, poisoning tooccurwithinveryshortperiods. effects,acute health causingsymptomsof insecticides canresultinlocalorsystemic as organophosphorus and carbamate greenhouses. orinenclosedspacessuchas compounds is commonwhenworkingwithvolatile in therespiratorytract.Inhalation absorbed inhalation, wheregasesandvaporsare vulnerable toabsorptionthroughtheskin. in thedevelopingworld—areparticularly who are heavily employed in agriculture used correctly. Women andchildren— andprotectiveequipmentare application pesticide active ingredient, and whether the concentrationofchemical,or onthefrequency of activity,depends the chemical.Intensityofskinexposure the skin,whichcanoccurduringspraying route of exposure is absorption through known as routes of exposure. The main into thehumanbodythroughwhatis in regardtohealthandsafetyagriculture. agrochemicals, andareofgreatestconcern arethemostcommonlyused rodenticides fungicides, herbicides,insecticides,and Pesticides andsimilarproductssuchas and toxicgasesformedduringcropstorage. exhaust gasesfromfuel-poweredequipment include reducingtheperiodofexposure of control chemicalhazards.Examples mitigation measures. information onpotentialhealtheffects and and application procedures. They also carry of thechemicals,propermixing,loading, information andadviceonthesafehandling materials. These materialsprovidecritical andotherhealth andsafety labels (SWPs), andconsultingthepesticides through followingSafeWork Procedures this,mostotherrisks canbeavoided doing hazardous chemicalsinagriculture.By and legislationsconcerningtheuseof and enforceinternationalstandards hazards, governmentsmustabideby Other agrochemicalscancause exposure tosomeagrochemicalssuch Another majorrouteofexposureis way their find chemicals Hazardous Other sources of chemical hazards are Other administrativeissuescanfurther To protect farmers from such chemical appropriate PPE. storage anddisposalpractices,using accidental spills or leaks, applying safe equipment, immediate clean-up of any workers, regularcleaningofcontaminated supply, willremainindanger. in agriculture,aswelltheworld’s food one-third oftheworld’s laborforceinvolved workers worldwide.Otherwise,morethan seriously addressedtoprotectaroundbillion However, allthesehazardsmustbe agricultural activitiesgounsystematically. ofthe countries suchasEgyptwheremost Most toyou,especiallyindeveloping unrealistic more. and measuresmayreadluxuriesand required fires, potential such as thermal exposure, noise, vibration, risks that threaten workers in agriculture condition tominimizepotentialrisks. maintained and kept in safe working andothersafetydevicesareregularly lights, The ownerhastoensurethatthebrakes, maintenance system to the machine itself. seat–one rider”rule. fasten theseatbeltandabideby“one safely; furthermore,operatorsmustalways tomountanddismountthem operators ladders orstepsandhandrailstoenable prevent them. of the associated risks and the means to and drive with theoperatinginstructionsandaware to fit physically control thetractor. They shouldbefamiliar be must they oftractorsmustfollowSWPs; operators injuries causedbynoiseandvibration. climbing on or off tractors, as well as organic rolling,slipsandfallswhen unintended resulting inrollovers,crushinginjuriesfrom associated with tractors are instability agricultural machineryaretractors.Hazards Use of Machinery Use of http://www.ilo.org http://www.who.int agriculture. (2010).Geneva:ILO. Draft codeofpracticeonsafetyand healthin References to humans. naturally transmissiblefromvertebrate animals *A zoonosisisanydiseaseorinfectionthat Glossary There areseveralotherhazardsand Last but not least, there must be a strict The tractorsshouldbeequippedwith To minimizethese hazards, ownersand Among the most commonly used 17 | AUTUMN 2015 SCIENCE IN OUR LIFE By: Esraa Ali "Give Me a Book, Not a Pick” is the title of a drawing by an 11-year old child; she used it to express her view of child labor. The drawing was published along with other artworks by children from all over the world in a book entitled Children’s Views of Child Labour published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Geneva World Association. The Book includes drawings Child labor is often a choice between life and death for children and poems by children, emphasizing the need for urgent action to whose parents are unable to support their families. It perpetuates rescue defenseless children from child labor. a cycle of poverty for the children involved, their families, and Child labor is defined by the ILO Convention No. 138 on communities. When children are forced to work for long hours, they Minimum Age (1973) and the ILO Convention No. 182 on Worst become unable to attend school or vocational training, which prevent Forms of Child Labour (1999) as work that harms children’s them from gaining education that could help lift them out of poverty. well-being and hinders their education, development, and future Without education, these boys and girls are likely to remain poor. livelihoods. It is a violation of human rights that damages health and By perpetuating poverty, it undermines efforts to reach sustainable personal development based on child’s age, activities performed food security and end hunger. Accordingly, poverty is regarded as and hazards involved, hours and conditions of work. cause and consequence in one, and that vicious circle must be Child labor is mostly found in agriculture, which is one of the broken. most dangerous sectors in terms of work-related fatalities, non- Child labor is an agricultural issue worldwide that undermines fatal accidents, and occupational diseases that can last into their sustainable agriculture and food security; it cannot be eliminated adulthood. Children are particularly at risk as their bodies and simply by prohibiting poverty. Decisive measures must be taken to minds are still developing and are more vulnerable to hazards. ensure that children do not have to work to supplement their family Sixty percent of all child laborers, aged 5–17 years old, work income, which includes the protection of vulnerable families, access in agriculture, including farming, fishing, aquaculture, forestry, and to social services, and the creation of decent work for those of livestock. The majority of child laborers, around 67.5%, are unpaid working age. family members; this percentage is higher in agriculture and is In order to address this matter, the Food and Agriculture combined with very early entry into work. Organization (FAO) and ILO are increasingly focusing on combating Indeed, children’s participation in some agricultural activities child labor in agriculture through developing many initiatives since is not always child labor, and it is important to distinguish 2007. The World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL), observed on between light duties that do not harm the child, and child labor. 12 June, to raise awareness about children worldwide working in Non-hazardous age-appropriate tasks that do not interfere with situations of child labor in agriculture, as well as the importance of schooling and leisure time can be positive; they contribute to the addressing this human rights violation for achieving food security inter-generational transfer of skills and children’s food security. and reducing poverty. These tasks also result in some attributes often detected in young Child labor is a problem of a large magnitude; it is difficult to people engaged in some aspects of farm work, such as improved eliminate it completely, but not impossible. New generations have the self-confidence, self-esteem, and work skills. | AUTUMN | 2015 right to attend school, be protected and cared for, and not face any kind However, for nearly 100 million girls and boys, their work in of violation or be deprived from their childhood. They have the right to agriculture goes beyond these limits and becomes child labor that be children. If we have effective mechanisms, strong willpower, and needs to be eliminated. Eliminating child labor in agriculture is everyone contributes, elimination of child labor is within our reach. intertwined with other development issues. Poverty is one of the main causes along with limited access to quality education and traditional References www.fao.org attitudes towards children’s participation in agricultural activities. www.ilo.org

18 By: Moataz AbdelMegid

opportunities, boarding facilities and reproduction services and may provide profitable value-added businesses. One other possibility that can be considered is hosting weddings on a farm as a part of agritourism. As a form of niche tourism, agritourism is counted as a well- established industry in many parts of the world. Pioneers of this industry are Australia, Canada, China, the Philippines, and the USA. In China, an imperial study in a rural village in the district of Yunnan examined the impacts of agritourism on an ethnic Anytime a farming operation opens its doors to the public and community and discussed the challenges faced by residents invites visitors to come and enjoy their products and services that who are attempting to improve their livelihoods through tourism. is agritourism. There are various terms that refer to Agritourism in This qualitative study of selected households indicated positive different parts of the world; the most common term is “farm stays”. experiences both economically and socioculturally based on Agritourism includes a wide variety of activities, including buying the study elements feedbacks recorded. Agritourism has not products that are directly produced from a farm stand, navigating a only provided a supplementary income and new employment corn maze, picking and collecting fruits, feeding animals, or simply opportunities to the rural community, but has also increased the staying over at a B&B on a farm. Farms and ranches invite the conservation of the environment and appreciation of minority public onto their property to experience the out-of-door, the leisure cultures and rural lifestyle. pace, and the healthy and nutritious produce that is only possible Yet, the development of agritourism is facing a number of when it is fresh picked at the peak of perfection. Some farm owners challenges. Systemized rules or laws need to be formulated have become involved in agritourism as a way of supplementing to support farming families establishing and operating tourism their income, while others desire an opportunity to educate the enterprises. For every agritourism business success story, there is a public and introduce people to farming. counter-story of a farmer or a rancher who got out of the agritourism Today, agritourism is considered one of the fastest growing because it was not profitable and he was continuously losing money. segments of travel industry because it offers a huge variety of Most surveys of farmers or ranchers find that the business is full entertainment, education, relaxation, outdoor adventures, shopping of challenges and hardships. Property tax problems, high insurance and dining experiences. Farm stay businesses market their and liability costs, and the limits of seasonality and weather are few activities by highlighting how people can have a new experience on among many problems agritourism operators regularly face. the farm land while escaping from the stress of traffic jams, office Marketing for the business in a market that is not quite familiar cubicles and carpooling. to this kind of tourism, as in the Egyptian tourism market, is also A segment of rural tourism is referred to as nature-based a challenge. In sum, agritourism has great potential for farmers tourism, ecotourism, or sometimes recreation-based tourism. and ranchers seeking to generate additional revenue, capitalize Nature-based tourism attracts people interested in visiting natural on underused assets, and educate the public. However, it is not a areas for the purpose of enjoying the scenery, including plant and magic bullet and not all agritourism ventures will succeed. animal wildlife. Examples of nature-based tourism include hunting, fishing, photography, bird watching and visiting parks. References http://www.agmrc.org/ Equine tourism activities may also be a part of agritourism; http://www.tandfonline.com this includes using horses for horseback riding lessons, trail-riding http://www.eckertagrimarketing.com/

19 able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium. As an example, the UK’s presence at Expo Milano 2015, with the theme Grown in Britain and Northern Ireland, aims to raise global awareness of and provide innovative solutions to one of the most pressing challenges of our time–how to feed and sustain an expected rise in the world’s population to nine billion by 2050. The UK Pavilion follows the journey of the honey bee to highlight the role of pollination in the global food chain and ecosystem. Visitors take part in an immersive experience through a British orchard and wildflower meadow with typical native plant species, moving onto a 17 meter-high stylized bee hive in the form of an aluminum sphere. The hive is made up of over 180,000 components and weighs 30 tons. Visitors are surrounded by sounds and lights flickering in response to movements within a real bee hive based in the UK. We hope that many of the avant-garde ideas and good intentions for a better present and future for humanity presented through this mega-event are implemented in good time to save our resources on the planet and insure their continuity for posterity. By: Gamal Hosni, Director EXPO 2015Art Exhibitions & Collections Department Universal Exposition or Expo is a major global event that A aims at educating the public, sharing innovation, promoting progress and fostering cooperation. It takes the form of a massive gathering of events always spread over a vast area with numerous pavilions each representing a country, an entity or a special theme. It is organized by a host country that invites other countries, companies, international organizations, the private sector, the civil society and the general public to participate. Due to the diversity of its participants, from top decision makers to children, an Expo is a multifaceted event where extraordinary exhibitions, diplomatic encounters, business meetings, public debates and live shows take place at the same time. The Expo is characterized by extravagant display of latest known inventions in any given area and the use of High technology and design are brought to great extents at the French Pavilion. the newest technologies in presentation sometimes even ones that The building, made mainly of laminated wood, spread over a 3,592 square- are still in experimentation phases. meter space, is inspired by the covered market, a symbol of French food culture. Each Expo revolves around a major theme that all participating countries and entities are to forge their contribution around. A British orchard and wildflower meadow with typical native plant species, moving This year 2015, Milan was selected as the host-city for the onto a 17 meter-high stylized beehive in Universal Exposition. Italy then chose “Feeding the Planet, Energy the form of an aluminum sphere. for Life” as its central theme. Expo Milano 2015 talks about the problems of nutrition and the resources of our planet. The idea is to open up a dialogue between international players, and to exchange views on these major challenges which impact everyone. Considering the importance of this theme, the Italian Government officially invited for participation all member states of the United | AUTUMN | 2015 References Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and companies http://www.bie-paris.org/ as key stakeholders in the global debate on the challenges related site/en/ to nutrition and food. http://www.expo2015.org/ Over a six-month period, Milan becomes a global showcase en/index.html where more than 140 participating countries show the best of their image credits: technology trying to come up with an answer to a vital need: being Gamal Hosni

20 By: Dr. Mohamed Soliman Director, Manuscripts Museum

There is no doubt that food is the key wise men), and by the Latinized version of Europe for 400 years. He also amazes to healthy bodies. This is why the Arab his name Avicenna—had a famous quote us by his book Food and Its Harmfulness, heritage is abound with manuscripts that that stated: “Beware of overeating; food which he concluded by a chapter about tackle the cure of many diseases using debris are the reason for most illnesses”. He choosing useful and appropriate food for food; or eliminating diseases by following a presented different food types in his book human health after he categorized eating specific diet as a pre-stage to using medical Repelling All Harm from Human Bodies, and food and their effect. prescriptions of combination drug, or both which he authored in seven treatises. The Al-Razi is also the author of Treating together. Moreover, Muslim scholars divided fourth treatise was concerned with food, its the Diseases by Food and Drugs, which food and beverages as useful or harmful types, and harmful effects on human health. included 37 chapters, in which he presented to the body, describing their impacts; not Likewise, the botanist and pharmacist treatment methods using diet and medicines only because they knew the importance of ibn al-Baitar abu Muhammad Diya al-Din for diseases, such as headache, epilepsy, food for the body’s health, but also for the al-Malaqi (d. 645 AH/1248 CE) was one forgetfulness, mind corruption, and eye treatment of several diseases. of the greatest Medieval scholars. Born ailments. By mind corruption here, he We find the statement of Najib al-Din in Málaga, educated in Seville and lived meant mental and psychological diseases, Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Samarqandi in Egypt, ibn al-Baitar passed away in after he presented body diseases “from (d. 619 AH/1222 CE) in the introduction of Damascus at the age of 49, after he was head to feet”, as he described. his book The Book of Food and Drink for the poisoned by a plant tested for producing Furthermore, we have several books Healthy: “I gathered the words of Galen and medicine. He authored his book The in our Arab heritage, in which the authors his commentators hearsays on food and all Compendium on Simple Medicaments tackled the principles of proper nutrition, what human eats that are anthropologically and Foods for the same purpose, which is diet regimes, measures for getting rid beneficial, and the properties of each. All I treatment using medicine and food. of obesity and overweight, treating found was documented in this volume.” In Ibn al-Baitar also discovered a plant underweight, and that is what is newly his book, al-Samarqandi classified food and named Hindiba—Cichorium is its scientific called dietary treatment. We may recall, drinks, and their impacts on the body. He name—for curing cancer. We may for example, Diets by Abu-Zakariya Yahya also tackled food and drinks recipes, and contemplate his words cited in his book, ibn Masawaih (d. 243 AH/857 CE), Healthy their usages in treatments for healthy bodies. which identify the modern approach rules of Measures Relating to Food and Drinks by In the seventh Hijri century, we find scientific research: “I only considered what Hunayn ibn Ishaq (d. 260 AH/873 CE), and abu Al-Hassan Ala-al-din Ali ibn Abi- proved right by observation and experiment, Poem in Food and Antidote by Lisan ad-Din Hazm al-Qarshi, known as Ibn al-Nafis and I excluded what is opposite to opinions, ibn al-Khatib (d. 776 AH/1374 CE). (d. 687 AH/1288 CE)—the discoverer of the procedures, sensory observations, and On the other hand, the Arab civilization pulmonary circulation—who wrote a book essence of the right”. knew recipes for food preparation, for the same purpose, entitled The Choice If we go back to the third and fourth Hijri presentation and etiquette, but we cannot of Foodstuffs. He presented in his book centuries, we will be dazzled by “one of the state them all here. Yet, we could mention the food that we should eat during illness, greatest humanitarian physicians of all times” Proper Conduct in Eating by ibn Imad AUTUMN | 2015 and described which led to overweight as described by the Orientalist Sigrid Hunke: al-Din al-Aqfahsi (d. 808 AH/1405 CE) or underweight. That is in addition to his al-Razi Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya and Foodstuffs Measures by Al-Kindi leading contributions in the field. (d. 313 AH/925 CE). Al-Razi authored The (265 AH/873 CE). At the end, I would like Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah ibn Comprehensive Book on Medicine (also you to remember the common saying: Sina (427 AH/1037 CE)—also known as known in English as The Virtuous Life), “The stomach is the home of disease and al-Sheikh al-Rais (meaning leader among which lasted as a medical reference in restraint is the basis of remedy”.

21 By: Dr. Omar Fikry Head, Planetarium Section Planetarium Science Center

Dear Reader, the human civilization to know their identity and the truth behind the story? I heard and saw from you a lot is not an enigma; it has its causes and their visit. The tallest calms you down, of things that would scare anyone else, basics that essentially support it. Before saying: “We come from a faraway galaxy but I am still normal and talking to you.” you continue reading the following lines, I called ‘Andromeda’, located about The tallest replies “Sure my friend, you recommend you read the previous seven 2.5 million light years from here; it is are one in a few special persons on this episodes if you have not read them yet at known to be the twin of your galaxy, the planet; you are brave, open minded, and http://goo.gl/uEJCDk because they are ‘Milky Way’. The reason behind our visit smart.” related to the topic in this final episode. is to substitute you on Earth”. You are When we asked you for a place to The strange creatures who visited surprised by his words, but he does not talk to Earth’s inhabitants, we were you at your home to converse and allow you to interrupt and continues “Do thinking of announcing our idea, but it discuss with you are real characters not be surprised my friend; we are your seems that it is not a good idea because amongst us. The tallest, the fattest, and copies and our number there equals it is not necessary that what you heard, the shortest live with us and we see them your number here on Earth. When we comprehended, and accepted would be daily wherever we go, with the same saw the situation here, our trip was long understood and accepted by the rest of mentality and physical features. and we chose you among others to tell the Earthlings. Our conversation with Who wants to live on this planet with you the mission we came for.” you tonight is enough for us and we will its growing pollution, ignorance, and lack This time, you reply impatiently communicate with our colleagues in this of conscious? That is what the shortest “What? Do you mean that you have mission to reevaluate our meetings.” called for in the previous episodes. Who visited other people?” The fattest The fattest interrupts: “What are you have not met the pedant who talks like answers you “Yes, yes, but they were saying buddy? Do you mean that we a playback record and everyone wants different in culture, shape, religion, color, may change our plan in substituting the him to shut up? This is the fattest. The way of talking and expression. At the end Earthlings?” The tallest answers “No, | AUTUMN | 2015 tallest appears to be their leader whom of these visits, we concluded that…” The nothing will change; we will replace they follow and obey; this kind of leading tallest interrupts him “Wait my friend, do them. Every one of us will replace the character lives among us also. not continue; he may not stand the rest one similar to him; the tallest creature Back to your final story with your of your story”. You answer excitedly “No, replaces the tallest Earthling, the fattest visitors; the previous episode ended with no, let him continue; what do you mean replaces the fattest, and the shortest you screaming in their faces, demanding by saying that I will not stand the rest of replaces the shortest, every consort

22 characteristics. of humancivilizationbyhisthoughts and or verytall,fatfat,isthe epitome being, mayhebeshortorveryshort, tall fat one;you conclude that the human a very tall person, a very short or a very Your smileturnsintoagrinwhenyousee changed? Orhaveitnothappenedyet? substitution has happened and we have and colleagues.Isitpossiblethatthe contemplate thefacesofyourfriends and everyonearoundyou,you on yourface;youfocuseverything have yourbreakfastandstartday. your room’s door beckoning youto go beauty inourlife”. You hearknockingon resurrecting themeaningsofjusticeand to reconstructthisplanet,andworkon virtuous creatures that have a strong will other thansubstitutingourselveswith is no way to renovating this planet civilization toriseonEarth. Yes, there indeed the perfect solution for a new insanity. experienced istruenotadreamand you becomesurethatallwhathave the nearestchairinmeredisbelief;then on sit Youfinally not. or happened what you do not know whether to believe then youlooktothestreetagainand behind youdoubtingtheirexistence, ismorning it and anewdayisabouttostart;youlook that find to window room behind thedoor. You look out from your behind thecurtains,underbed, searching for them in the entire room; your faceyoudonotfindthem! heard; when you remove your hands off rub You your eyes, bewildered by what you have specifications.” and shape in replaces thepersonwhoissimilartohim

You leaveyourhousewithasmile You askyourself“Whynot? This is Just likethat? You askyourselfwhile FINAL FINAL

• • • 15:30] [10:30, 11:30, 12:30,13:30,14:30, Sunday–Thursday: Guided Tours Schedule Saturday: Sunday–Thursday: Opening Hours Visitors INFO History ofScience Museum History • • Visitors INFO holders. Museum Tours arefreeforticket Museum entryfeesareEGP 2.- For non-audienceofthePlanetarium, all Planetariumshowstickets. Museum entryfeesareincludedin at any time without prior notification. the righttocancelorchangeshows reasons, thePlanetariummaintains Kindly note that, for technical www.bibalex.org/psc officialwebsite: Center’s and fees,pleaseconsultthe For thePlanetariumdailyschedule 45 min.LiveShowbythePSC VISITORS INFO VISITORS Alexandria, TheCradleof 22 min.Full-domeShow 35 min.Full-domeShow 33 min.Full-domeShow 30 min.Full-domeShow 35 min.Full-domeShow 25 min.Full-domeShow Stars ofthePharaohs Resident Astronomer Available Shows Mystery oftheNile Planetarium 35 min.IMAXShow 45 min.IMAXShow The Life ofTrees Seven Wonders Cosmic Voyage Oasis inSpace Kaluoka’hina Stars Show Astronomy [12:00-16:00] [9:30-16:00]

Non-students: EGP 15.- Students: EGP 10.- 4D shows: Non-students: EGP 10.- Students: EGP 5.- 3D shows: Non-students: EGP 4.- Students: EGP 2.- DVD shows: Show fees • • Listen andDiscover Non-students: EGP 10.- Students: EGP 5.- Entry Fees Tuesday: Saturday: Thursday: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Guided Tours Schedule Saturday: Sunday–Thursday: Opening Hours Discovery Zone Visitors INFO Tuesday: before thedesireddate. PSC Administrator, at least one week For reservation,pleasecontactthe www.bibalex.org/psc. officialwebsite: Center’s the schedule, please consultthe at the“ListenandDiscover” For the list of shows available ALEXploratorium [ [ [ 9:30, 11:00 12:00, 14:00 9:30, 11:00, 12:30,14:30 [ [ [9:30- 12:30] ] 12:00-16:00 9:30-16:00

] ] ] ] 23 | AUTUMN 2015 ﺍﻟﻄﺎﺯﺓ | AUTUMN | 2015

24 Illustrated by: Mohamed Khamis Check out the “Extraterrestrail Farming” article, page 4.