Researchers from the University of Tsukuba found that plants carry an internal mechanism named the 'Season-Meter' that tracks temperatures over preceding weeks or months to determine when to flower. ^[1] The Season-Meter comprises three genes that integrate past temperatures over distinct time scales, with one gene looking back a few days, another a few weeks, and the third nearly five months. ^[2] Researchers at the University of Tsukuba published a study in the journal Football Studies examining the kinematic factors associated with first-touch control and trap-to-pass transitions in football. ^[3] Researchers successfully predicted how the genes would behave in a separate year using a model constructed solely from past temperature data, indicating the seasonal forecast is reproducible. ^[4] The study suggests that this epigenetic memory mechanism is a general strategy rather than a species-specific quirk, as the same pattern appeared in both plant species despite their different life cycles. ^[5] Faster receive-to-pass transitions were associated with avoiding an excessively rapid foot approach immediately before ball contact. ^[6] Faster receive-to-pass transitions were associated with maintaining a more upright body posture when receiving the ball. ^[7] The study utilized a 3D motion capture system to examine whole-body and ball kinematics during the task. ^[8]