What's a more refreshing and relaxing in-class activity than a documentary? Our AP biology class desperately needed some relaxation after the strenuous test. In our class, we watched Botany of Desire, a documentary on plants that have benefitted due to humans. Of course, as a class, we don't go a day without learning something new. I learnt so much about plants that usually aren't given a second thought.
The documentary started with apples, the sweet staple fruit that's found in lunchboxes across the country. But these apples have origins in Central Asia, with the silk road, trades in Europe, and the movement to the new world contributing to the spread of the apple. Apples became widely popular in America because as humans, we inherently crave sweet foods because we know they will provide us energy and taste good. Though not all apples are sweet, cider could be made out of the bitter and sour apples. Rural Americans consumed large amounts of hard cider, and post-prohibition, sweet apples were more widely appreciated. Something I found interesting about apples was that each apple seed in a core carries genes for a wide variety of apple trees, and there is no guarantee that the seed from an apple will produce the same apple. To maintain desirable flavors and qualities, farmers would take a section of the apple tree to plant another apple tree that would produce the same apples. This process is called grafting, and I draw a connection to how we breed animals to get desirable qualities in the offspring. Some cool facts that I learnt were that in rural America, you'd have to plant fruit by law to indicate your presence on the land. I wondered if colonial Americans only drank hard cider and how that affected the length of their lives since water is essential for life.
Flowers are practically useless. Sure, they add color to a home, but flowers don't have a function and do not benefit humans. Yet somehow, flowers such as tulips are widely popular and have caused financial collapses and obsession. A fascinating subject for me is the Dutch tulip mania. The most expensive tulip during that time period was sold at the value of ten million dollars today! The most sought-after tulips were broken tulips, those with multiple tones/stripes. What wasn't known back then was that the broken tulips actually were the tulips infected with a virus.
Some other interesting facts that I learnt about tulips were that they originated from the Central Asia, just like the apple. I wonder if there was any interaction between the tulip and the apple? We also have a lot in common with bees and other pollinators as we find the same fruits and flowers attractive. Whether it's the sweet scent or the bright colors, many flowers have evolved to attract both bees and humans.
From a young age, I was told not to do drugs because they are "seriously addictive". I found it fascinating that cannabis has evolved to become seriously addicting so that more of us humans are drawn towards using cannabis. Humans are born with the urge to feel sensations that are new, such as adrenaline or highs. I remember loving the merry-go-round and rollercoasters as a kid, enjoying the dizzy and heart-dropping sensations they provide. To realize that cannabis gives humans a similar sensation was interesting as it provided a reason on why so many people use the drug. Cannabis has "trained" us well, being a very fussy plant that needs a lot of care. Since the demand is high, cannabis farmers will put in all the effort and care the plants need to grow.
I found the roots of cannabis fascinating. While cannabis started as a healing treatment and was deeply ingrained in culture, in today's world, cannabis is thought of as a recreational drug. My parents have told me stories of Hindu festivals in India that use a watered-down version of a cannabis strain as a key part of the festival (they didn't have any, it was for the adults). When I asked my mom more about the festival and the drink, known as "bhaang," she said "The reason bhaang was so accessible during Holi (the festival) was because nobody sought after it outside the festival. The idea of using cannabis outside of a cultural tradition was basically unheard of". I want to know if cannabis would have the same effects on someone with damage to parts of their brain?
One of my favorite foods ever is sweet potato fries. I love having them with truffle oil and Parmesan shavings on top. I probably eat potatoes two to three times a week, whether that's making parathas stuffed with potatoes, or mashed potatoes. I find it so fascinating that most of the potatoes found in the wild are poisonous, and that mutations made some not toxic to humans, and those are the ones that we kept growing and consuming. I found Peruvian potato farming fascinating, both by the differing altitudes the potatoes were grown on and the spiritual nature of growing a potato.
The Irish potato famine is a well known point in history. The reason that all of the potatoes in Ireland died together was because the same type of potato was grown and there was no biodiversity in the potatoes. You'd think that we would learn our lesson today, but we are seeing history repeat itself.
Russet potatoes are mass-produced due to french fries being popular. There are acres and acres of land solely dedicated to growing Russet potatoes. To keep this monoculture alive and safe from insects that could kill the plant, Russets are doused in pesticides which probably won't, but may impact our health in the long term. I personally don't believe that enough research on pesticides and the human body has been conducted.
I want to know what we can do to get more organic potatoes and food on our plate? Without monocultures, there wouldn't be a need for pesticides and genetically modified food either
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