I noticed as I looked out of our balcony this morning, that one of our potted plants has grown over the years. I mean really grown, to the point that the volume of the plant now seems to far exceed the volume of the earth in the pot.
I have always imagined that when plants grow, they absorb 'stuff' from the earth and that the growth in mass of the plant must be compensated by an equal loss in the mass of the earth. This potted plant seems to be defying the law of conservation of mass; for the soil in the pot does not deplete as the plant grows.
Where is this magic growth coming from? Had to look it up and the answer was surprising.
Thank you Mr. Feynman.
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