Thursday 26 January 2012

Yep, these were supposed to be last weeks readings.


Pollan - Intro
Diamond - Chapter 7
So taking a step back, I looked at Jared Diamond’s book (chapter 7) as well as the intro to The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, though let’s start with Diamond: how to make an almond. The chapter discusses the mutation and intergenerational development of the plants we know today, most notably the almond. At Christmas time, when I eat an almond I do not stop to think of how this nut came to be before I eat it. I assume it grows as every nut does; then I crack the shell and pop it into my mouth to devour. Diamond describes the progression of the nut from its previous poisonous state when it contained an element which broke down into its more common form cyanide. I am baffled by this nut, how once it was extremely deadly to humans, but from a few mutant genes, it flourished into a staple in our regular diets.
I was also interested in the domestication of fruits by means of unintentional selection and how they prospered through farming. I thought Diamond did an excellent job of presenting intentional and unintentional selection which led nicely into artificial and natural selection. Diamond referenced Darwin nicely to complete this chapter and hammer home his point.
Botany of desire was taking a step back for me as I had already read chapter nine on the GM potato. The intro, however tied up some loose ends and gave me more of an understanding of the book itself as well as the chapter I had already looked at. Pollan also incorporates Darwin into his intro much like Diamond did. Considering the topic it is suiting after all, however Pollan introduces Darwin much earlier than Diamond did. Instead of referencing Darwin for solidifying the idea of the story, Pollan uses Darwin as more of a resource to explain and provide some history on the subject. Both books provide a different look at it, though Pollan was just an intro. I look forward to reading more from both authors. I seem to enjoy these more than I would a regular text book. These provide information as well as a story and feeling to go with it, making it much easier and more pleasant to read.

Thursday 19 January 2012

Generally Moronic Objective


GMOs (Genetically modified organisms)… huh. Pollan’s chapter on his genetically modified potatoes only solidified my opinion on GMOs. This is artificial selection at its finest. If we were to look at this idea in a broad perspective, it may look productive and even beneficial to the human race. But as we focus in on what is actually being done it just does not seem right; a potato that produces its own pesticide, corn that can withstand drought and cotton that grows all sorts of colours. The immediate risks of these cannot be that bad for us as humans seeing as how they are deemed worthy to eat or use, however what about long term affects? I am currently reading a book titled “Wheat Belly” in which the author claims the wheat we eat now is not the same wheat that was eaten 50 years ago. It has been so genetically modified and thus is harder for our body to process. It is this, the author believes, that is causing obesity problems.
Pollan describes the Incas and how they were able to produce year round potatoes without any source of genetic modification. So why is it that our culture now values this new ideology that genetic modification of foods and plants is the best thing for us? Is it a way of claiming advancement of technology/science?
One sentence that stood out for me in these readings was when the author spoke of Darwin and quoted him as saying “Man does not actually produce variability” to which the author responds “Now he does.” It really kind of a shock when you think about it: Human kind has taken control of every aspect of this planet and nothing grows or comes to be naturally anymore.
I found the background history of the potato and its integration into the European culture interesting in and amongst Pollan’s description of his own potato farming, especially its battle with wheat.
When describing his potato farming, Pollan mentions Bt toxins and provides a brief history. He later mentions that it seems to “build up in the soil.” It’s quotes like these that start me questioning the effects GMOs have on the environment. The author does go on, however, to mention that this may be insignificant, but no one knows for sure. Though further in the chapter it is mentioned that the increased amounts of Bt toxin may increase the likelihood that pests may become resistant to their poison.
Nearing the end of the chapter, Pollan meets with Danny Forsyth, a potato farmer from Idaho; this is where I became curious. Forsyth uses traditional tactics to produce his crops: pesticides and chemicals. So Pollan asks the question, where is the real risk? I still believe there is an alternative: Organic. Sure it may be more expensive, and harder to come by, but to me it’s worth every cent. I know exactly what I am putting into my body and I know exactly what it does for me.
Not even Pollan could bring himself to eat these potatoes, the potatoes he himself had grown.   

Sunday 15 January 2012

Blog Entry 1


When I started reading chapter two, I immediately dove right into it and was interested in the comparison between obtaining food between plants and animals. The analogy of an exterior of a leaf to the interior of the digestive tract being flipped inside out worked well for me.
The next section however, I found to be a bit mundane. What started out as a simple physics lesson dragged on and became somewhat monotonous. This could be due to my primary understanding of physics already, but I think it could be also the writing. Although I did not completely understand the principles of vertical and horizontal as well as tri polarity objects and how they come to be, close to 10 pages of description and diagrams I found to be a little overwhelming and excessive. This all lead to three conclusions, the last being (I thought) the strongest: “Plants have radial symmetry with one polarity and animals have bilateral symmetry with two polarities. These differences affect everything about them.”
            I continued to enjoy the comparisons between animals and plants that Halle used. This made the topic more relatable for myself as well as spiced up what would otherwise be routine textbook literature. The comparisons used when discussing hormones were helpful for me, as I understand the human body more than I do plants – currently.
            Page 99-100 I found tough to get through. I did not enjoy the poem(s) nor the idea of using it as a source of information or understanding.
            My favourite section of this whole reading would have been on movement and growth. I was fascinated by the movement of plants. I thought Halle did a good job of explaining it by discussing the speed of time in relation to the plants. Again though, Halle uses poetry in his explanation which I found did not suit my learning style.
            The section on individuals and colonies was pretty straight forward, though the part that caught my attention and got me thinking was the discussion and pictures of our toes (if they could be colonies). This both fascinated me and disgusted me at the same time.
            Chapter five was also pretty straight forward, though I struggled a bit with the heading “Soma and Germ.” I had to reread portions of it, though still am not completely content with what I know from it.
            Until next time,

Aleksander