Billy: So, you are telling me all of life is connected? That is amazing!
Dr. Toad: [Adjusts tiny spectacles] Indubitably, Billy! From the mightiest whale singing in the deep to the humblest moss growing on my favorite thinking-rock. We are all tangled up in the same big, beautiful, slimy web.
Billy: Wait. Hold on. Even me and... that grumpy squirrel that throws acorns at my head?
Dr. Toad: Especially the squirrel. You share DNA! You are basically cousins. Distant, furry, acorn-throwing cousins.
Billy: Whoa.
Life Science themed Books
DID YOU KNOW…
Trees have a secret "Internet" underground!
You might think trees just stand there quietly, but they are actually talking to each other and holding hands under the soil right now.
How it works: Almost every tree in a forest is connected by a huge network of tiny, hair-like fungi growing on its roots. Scientists call this the "Wood Wide Web."
What they use it for:
Sharing Food: If a big tree has extra sugar (energy) from the sun, it can send some through the roots to a baby tree growing in the shade that needs help.
Warning Signals: If a bug starts eating a tree’s leaves, that tree can send a chemical "text message" through the network to warn its neighbors. The other trees then make their leaves taste bad so the bugs won't eat them!
It turns out forests aren't just a bunch of lonely trees; they are one big, helpful family.
