(no subject)
Funny how fast I switched from interest in film to interest in plants. I've become such a nerd. I was on a shoot this afternoon out north of Chapparal on Native lands, between fields of broccoli and cotton, and all I could think of while I ought to have been producing was their ingenious irrigation system or the smectites that must have been responsible for the cracking of the dried soil in the ditches off the road.
Everyone thinks it's hilarious that I'm bent over the seeds of a rogue squash plant instead of discussing "Brick," but the more I learn, the more I realize that plants are, in a lot of ways, far more advanced than humans.
1. Plants make their own food. Plants are autotrophs, which mean they use energy directly from the sun to feed themselves. When given the right ingredients, they are entirely self-sufficient. In addition, some plants are carnivorous, which means they are not only capable of making their own food, but have also adapted to secure additional sources of available nutrients.
2. Asexual reproduction. Humans have been attempting to perfect the art of cloning for decades, while plants have been doing it since the beginning of time. Many plants possess the ability to clone themselves through a number of means, continuously throughout their lifespans. In addition, most plants are also able to sexually reproduce not only with themselves, through self-pollination, but also with others through cross-pollination.
3. Stem cells. All plants possess meristematic cells even in maturity. These cells are undifferentiated and are able to become whichever cell the plant most needs - be that a branch, a leaf, a bud, flower or root. Humans are stuck with their same 'ole undifferentiated cells from birth until death.
4. Chimeras are possible. Only in the fictitious world of Dr. Moreau is it possible to graft an ape's head onto a human's. In plants, however, it is entirely possible, and sometimes even beneficial, to graft the top half of one species to the bottom of another. Most commercial citrus and pine are grown in this manner. Just think - this year's Christmas tree might as well be the minotaur!
5. Plants heal themselves. You can pull an entire weed up, only to see it sprout again a week later. From just a single root, leaf or portion of stem, many plants are able to rebuild themselves entirely. Imagine if a man could regrow himself from just a single toe.
In addition to all these, there are an infinite number of reasons that plants were here on Earth before us, and will probably be here long after. Many live longer (redwoods are some of the oldest organisms on the planet). Many are capable of movement, of sensing touch, of creating noise and of competing with one another. The sheer volume and number of adaptations of plants is overwhelming. And yet plants do not participate in wars, discriminate and are not violent. They are beautiful, tenacious things that perplex me endlessly.
Everyone thinks it's hilarious that I'm bent over the seeds of a rogue squash plant instead of discussing "Brick," but the more I learn, the more I realize that plants are, in a lot of ways, far more advanced than humans.
1. Plants make their own food. Plants are autotrophs, which mean they use energy directly from the sun to feed themselves. When given the right ingredients, they are entirely self-sufficient. In addition, some plants are carnivorous, which means they are not only capable of making their own food, but have also adapted to secure additional sources of available nutrients.
2. Asexual reproduction. Humans have been attempting to perfect the art of cloning for decades, while plants have been doing it since the beginning of time. Many plants possess the ability to clone themselves through a number of means, continuously throughout their lifespans. In addition, most plants are also able to sexually reproduce not only with themselves, through self-pollination, but also with others through cross-pollination.
3. Stem cells. All plants possess meristematic cells even in maturity. These cells are undifferentiated and are able to become whichever cell the plant most needs - be that a branch, a leaf, a bud, flower or root. Humans are stuck with their same 'ole undifferentiated cells from birth until death.
4. Chimeras are possible. Only in the fictitious world of Dr. Moreau is it possible to graft an ape's head onto a human's. In plants, however, it is entirely possible, and sometimes even beneficial, to graft the top half of one species to the bottom of another. Most commercial citrus and pine are grown in this manner. Just think - this year's Christmas tree might as well be the minotaur!
5. Plants heal themselves. You can pull an entire weed up, only to see it sprout again a week later. From just a single root, leaf or portion of stem, many plants are able to rebuild themselves entirely. Imagine if a man could regrow himself from just a single toe.
In addition to all these, there are an infinite number of reasons that plants were here on Earth before us, and will probably be here long after. Many live longer (redwoods are some of the oldest organisms on the planet). Many are capable of movement, of sensing touch, of creating noise and of competing with one another. The sheer volume and number of adaptations of plants is overwhelming. And yet plants do not participate in wars, discriminate and are not violent. They are beautiful, tenacious things that perplex me endlessly.