A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower). Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.
In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.
"Flower" is a song recorded by Australian singer Cody Simpson for his upcoming third full-length studio album, Free (2015). The song was released digitally in February 5, 2015 by Simpson's independent label Bananabeat Records.
When he left Atlantic Records, Simpson said: "It's the first time I've had the creative freedom to do what I want." American singer Miley Cyrus contributed for the song's artwork and said: "He's a super fucking cool guy and an epic guitar player and singer."
A music video for the song was released on Simpson's official YouTube account in February 10, 2015. The video was directed by Cameron Duddy and features Gigi Hadid.
Flower is the eighth solo album by drummer Akira Jimbo and was released on January 28, 1997. It features several guest musicians, such as longtime collaborators Gary Stockdale and Keiko Matsui.
X is the tenth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 21 November 2007 by Parlophone. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie (2004), and her first studio album since Body Language (2003). Work on the album began following Minogue's gradual recovery from breast cancer and subsequent radiotherapy treatment. Her cancer, which was diagnosed in May 2005, resulted in the postponement of Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour midway through its run. Minogue resumed the tour in late 2006, in the midst of recording X, and was completed later in the following year. The album introduced new American and European producers including Bloodshy & Avant, Guy Chambers, Calvin Harris and Freemasons.
X has received positive reviews from music commentators. Many critics had commended the production, Minogue's innovative writing and many believed that it was a true welcome back to the pop scene. However, upon release, some critics were divided whether the album was a 'comeback' album and some noted the fillers and theme inconsistency. Commercially, X was a success. In Minogue's native Australia, the album debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart, becoming her first number-one album since Body Language (2003) and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number four, being held off by artists Westlife, Shayne Ward (which was the highest debuting album that week) and Leona Lewis. It gained a higher position than her last record and was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. The album achieved strong charting internationally, peaking inside the top 20 in countries including Austria, Germany, Ireland, Taiwan and France. X became her lowest selling studio album in the United States, peaking at a lowest 139 on the Billboard 200.
The National Space Organization (NSPO; formerly known as the National Space Program Office) is the national civilian space agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the auspices of the Executive Yuan's National Science Council. NSPO is involved in the development of space exploration, satellite construction and development as well as related technologies and infrastructure (including the FORMOSAT series of Earth observation satellites) and related research in aerospace engineering, remote sensing, astrophysics, atmospheric science, information science, space weapons, a future Taiwanese manned space program and the deployment of space-based weapons for the defense of national security in the ROC.
NSPO headquarters and the main ground control station are in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Indigenously developed suborbital launch vehicle based upon the Sky Bow II surface-to-air missile. Six to seven launches as of 2010.
Nil is a word commonly used to mean not in list or zero; it is one of several names for the number 0.
Nil may also refer to:
Nil (stylized as nil) is a Japanese rock band that was formed in 1998 by Tetsu Takano (ex-Malice Mizer, ex-Mega8Ball, ex-Zigzo, The JuneJulyAugust), Hiroyuki Kashimoto and Kyoshi Moro. The original intent of Nil was to become Tetsu's solo unit and even though it has become a full fledged band, all lyrics and songwriting has been solely handled by Tetsu. The band only lasted briefly during its first incarnation and went on hiatus by the end of 1998. It would not resurface until the middle of 2002 when they would start recording again and Tetsu formed his own record label, Afro Skull Records. The name "Nil" literally means "absolute zero" and as an acronym refers to "native irreligious language".
In 2005, Nil had many setbacks which resulted in the departure of founding members Kashimoto and Moro who both left the band on January 10, 2005, the last day of the "Touring Inferno" tour. Eventually replacement drummer Furuton (ex-Oblivion Dust, ex-Mega8Ball support) left the band after only 6 months. By the end of 2005 Nil finally settled down with the addition of Masaru Kobayashi (ex-Soy Sauce Sonix, ex-Sads, The Cro-Magnons) on bass and Kazama Hiroyuki (ex-Fantastic Designs) on drums.