1. Plants don't actually need soil to grow.

Yes, plants can grow without soil, but they cannot grow without the necessities that soil provides. Plants need support, nutrients, protection from adverse temperatures, an even supply of moisture, and they need oxygen around the roots. It is possible to provide these necessary components for plant growth without soil.

Many of us have grown ivy, sweet potatoes, and other plants in a vase containing only water. The vase supplies the support, the water provides mineral nutrients, and an indoor location provides the temperature protection. In the case of plants in water, the oxygen is the greatest problem. Plants that can be grown in water must extract oxygen from the oxygen dissolved in the water. Many other plants will not survive without the extra oxygen provided by the pore spaces in the soil.

We often force spring flowering bulbs to blossom indoors by placing the base of the bulb in gravel and adding only enough water to reach the base of the bulb. Oxygen is not the limiting factor. There are few minerals provided by the gravel and the water for these plants. Bulb plants, however, have their own supply of minerals and necessary food stored in the bulb so they grow and flower in the gravel. Under these growing conditions, the bulb is often depleted and should be discarded rather than saved since the food supply in the bulb is depleted.

It is also possible to grow plants hydroponically. Hydroponically grown plants are grown in a solution of water containing the necessary plant nutrients. A variety of methods are used to provide support and oxygen for the roots. Since hydroponic plant production is often in a greenhouse or other protected area, temperature control is provided for both the roots and the top of the plant.

Perhaps the most exotic example I have seem of plants growing without soil was at Disney World where plants were grown "aeroponically". These plants were suspended with their roots dangling in the air inside a greenhouse. The line supporting the plants moved, carrying the plants around a horizontal loop. Along a portion of the loop, the roots were sprayed with a hydroponic solution of water and nutrients. Along the rest of the loop, the roots were exposed to the air.

Some tropical plants grow in a manner similar to aeroponic culture. These plants (orchids, ferns, bromeliads, some philodendrons and other plants) grow attached to the branches of trees high above the soil. The tree provides support. Frequent rain showers provide the water. Nutrients are provided by composted materials that run down the trunk and branches of the tree during the rain showers. For most of the day, the roots hang in the air, which provides the necessary oxygen.

Yes, plants may be grown without soil as long as we provide for the necessities that are missing when soil is lacking.

Misconception 2- There are only three states of matter

Don't forget plasma. That makes four states. Plasma isn't some gel or goo, it's more like superheated ions and electrons. It's sometimes called “ionized gas.” When cooled, it becomes gas, but then it takes on different properties, too. So it's not quite right to think of it as a kind of “gas.” Plasma is more like a flame. Lightning, fire, the sun, and the tail of comets are all plasmas. Most any element or chemical compound can become plasma if heated high enough, but since plasma is just ions and electrons, the molecules have broken down. Water, for example, can be reduced to plasma, but it's no longer H2O; it's not even hydrogen or oxygen. And You definitely wouldn't want to drink it.

Misconception 3- We have 5 senses

Besides the five empirical senses (sight/visual, sound/auditory, touch/tactile, taste/gustatory, and smell/olfactory), there are at least four other senses that are rarely cited: proprioception—sensing one's orientation in space; thermoception—sense of temperature; equilibrioception—sense of balance; and interoception—sense of one's physiological condition. The next time someone talks about their "5 senses," you can say that you have "9 senses" and then sit back and let them think you have superpowers.

Misconception 4- Humans use only 10% of their brains

The human brain is quite busy all day and night using about 20% of the body's resources and never really “turning off” until death. Meanwhile, most every part of the brain is busy doing all sorts of things even when you aren't paying attention. In fact, various parts of your brain are active all the time, far more than the mythical 10%. Depending on how you use your brain, and how you care for it, there's always the possibility of tapping into unrealized potential but it's not because your gray matter was sitting idle before. Learning a new skill, gaining a new memory, or thinking about a person's face can all stimulate your brain in different ways but they aren't activating an unused part. Instead, they are utilizing an active part for a new purpose.

Misconception 5- Human beings evolved from apes

Even the most rabid critics and most rabid supporters of evolution can agree on this point. The standard evolutionary account is that human beings and the higher apes (gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, etc.) evolved from a common ancestor often referred to as the “missing link.” Humans did evolve from an ancestor that was far more ape-like than humans. But this is far from saying that humans evolved from apes. Humans did not evolve from chimps, rather they shared a common ancestor.

That's it for today. Until next time, stay curious, and stay sciencey!