Plant Life Under Increased Gravitational Environment

Introduction
On our planet Earth, every living thing functions under the same gravitational force (represented by letter g).

Proposition
Suppose a seed, say a groundnut seed is planted, watered under an increased gravitational force, say 5xg, and it sprouts, grows, flowers, sets seed and dies. How would it have performed under the increased gravitational force? What would be the effect of the increased g on the progeny (that grow from the seeds) in its growth under normal g conditions? Will a groundnut become a spacenut?

Apparatus
The apparatus required is a very simple one - on a metal base plate, a predesigned gearbox to vary the rotation speed of a vertical shaft may be fixed. The vertical shaft carries a horizontal bar, making a T with the vertical shaft (diagram to be provided) providing 2 arms. At the end of each arm is hung a freely swinging carrier to house a pot containing the requisite manure and soil to support plant growth. The seed of the chosen plant is planted at the commencement of the experiment. Ensure that the pots on each of the arms is balanced to ensure smooth rotation. A one metre long arm (from the axis to the point where the seed is planted) will give a centrifugal force equivalent to 4xg when the vertical shaft revolves at a speed of (Xrpm). The arms can carry suitable sliding catches so that the pot crriers can be fixed at suitable positions on the arm to match predetermined g levels. This is in addition to the manipulations that is available with the gearbox for varying the gearbox speed. The gearbox will have a provision to connect to a drive from a motor, preferably a DC motor. An impoortant precaution is the provision for suitable UPS to take care of any power supply interruptions.

At the centre of the arms (horizontal bar) fix a funnel, that has tubes running to the pots, with the ends (of the tubes) buried at a suitable depth for feeding water to the plants. The funnel will be reveolving on its own axis, so there wont be any problem of watering the plant with nutrient mixed wter throughout the plant's life.

The constant high g environment should be continued right from germination till the period the seeds are harvested.

The real experiment begins once the harvested seeds are planted and grown at normal g.

Some past results
About 2 decades ago the impact of high g (1000rpm) on dry seeds was tested: the g was so high that the seeds were powdered. Ha ha :D

Some suggestions on the study material
The devising of the the bove apparatus involves much mechanical skill; as an alternative can one think of an easier laboratory organism, where the effects of high g on the growth can be measured by simpler means in a shorter period of time? Some alternate study organisms are E. coli (bacterium), Spirulina (Cyanobacteria), Dictyostelium discoideum (Slime mould), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast - eukaryote), Arabidopsis thaliana (plant) C elegans (nematode) and D. melanogaster (animal).

Any takers for experimentation?

Super Conductor In A Layman's Approach

A super conductor is said to be basically a conductor, which facilitates least (absolutely least) resisted flow of electrons. The level of super-conductance depends, therefore, on the degree of absence of resistance. This resistance absence is made possible in conducting materials when their constituent molecules become so aligned, shall we say in a regimented fashion such that electrons flow is totally unhindered. We may call this alignment a super-slignment.

No conductor has, in its natural status, at ambient temperature, this superalignment of its constituent molecules (atoms) to provide this least resistance to the free flow of electrons.

Let us take the case of iron. A magnetic iron loses its magnetism when heated up. What happens when moletn iron solidifies under a very strong external magnetic field? At the threshhold of solidification under such a magnetic field, would there be a desirable change of molecules orientation into a regimented orientation uniformly to facilitate the most free flow of electrons to make it a near super conductor if not a super conductor at ambient temperature.(It looks somewhat fictional though) This has to be investigated in practice.
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