Do Fish Drink Water??

I recently attended a meeting and the speaker asked," Who considers themself really smart in this room? ". It was an interesting situation. I kept my modesty aside and raised my hand. She asked me four questions and I was able to answer the first three. This was the fourth question.

I was surpised/puzzled/shocked at this question. How can I not know an answer to such a simple question?? Well, the question looks simple, but the answer is not.

The answer to the question is Yes and No. It's a No for Freshwater Fish and an Yes for Seawater fish.

Saltwater fish have to drink water because the water in their environment is saltier than the liquids in their bodies. Osmosis causes water from their body tissues to be released into their environment. Saltwater fish have to constantly drink large quantities of water to replace what they lose through Osmosis . Diffusion then releases the excess salts and minerals taken in and not needed.

Fresh water fish never drink water because their bodies are saltier than the surrounding water. Osmosis draws water into the fish’s body through its skin and gills, unlike saltwater fish, where the water is drawn out of the body.

Some fish like Salmon have adapted to living in both salt and freshwater. Salmon eggs are laid in freshwater. After they hatch, the baby Salmon move to the ocean.

Interesting..hah!!!

An Inconvenient Truth

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain

I finally got around to watching the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore and I was thoroughly impressed. This documentary is basically about global warming. Global warming is a scientific reality and the science tells us that human activity has made enormous impacts to our dear planet which affects our well-being and even our survival as a species.

This is the warmest winter I ever experienced in Boston. I feel that I am the only one who is unhappy about the weather here. It's mid January and there is no snow in Boston till now.I heard that its been 200 years since this happened. There is obviously something wrong!!

How many times do we ignore what we know is right and the truth simply because it’s not convenient right then? I guess everyone should accept this inconvenient truth and try to make a difference.

Atleast one good thing is that the global warming problem can be solved. Infact, I feel that everyone has a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming.

"An Inconvenient Truth" is not the most entertaining film of the year. But, it might be the most important. It's high time that people and politicians do something about this problem!!

Join StopGlobalWarming.org.
Here are some interesting facts:
-All ten of the hottest years on record, globally, have occurred in the last fifteen years.
-An average car in the US driven 10,000 miles in one year releases 5.5 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.