Michael Pollan: The omnivore's next dilemma

http://www.ted.com What if human consciousness isn't the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
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[slytown]

Fuck ethanol. :)

[buybulkwhey]

Just finished his book In defends of food... 5 stars!

[wisebbq1]

I hate this guy

[BaileysBeads]

@EATshitanddrinkbleac quinoa however...

[bjo0404]

Sounds like the way to go

[ilovegrumpybear1]

What a smart guy.

[EATshitanddrinkbleac]

@strongness13

beans =/=protein

[strongness13]

@RamadaArtist I don't condone the idea of decreasing biodiversity, and neither do producers. They implement registered programs to ensure that semen/breeding stock come from diverse genetic background. Keep in mind Ramada, we're not talking about a rainforest/cheetah population; we're talking about animals within our food production systems. It a lot of cases it is easier to control the quality, production efficiency, and medical Tx of animals that are genetically similar.

[strongness13]

@RamadaArtist It is true that a lack of biodiversity in the genetic pool leads to an increase in overall disease susceptibility. (i.e. a lack of haplotype diversity in the molecular rearrangements of MHC I and II). However, these animals not only serve as a food source but also as research subjects throughout academia. Therefore the very animals that are becoming susceptible to emerging disease are also being protected with new biotechnology (sometimes applicable to humans).

[RamadaArtist]

@strongness13 Except that any esteemed biologist would support the major tenants of biodiversity which Pollan talks about here (in not so many words) in the place of monocropping (or mono-meating) which, while perhaps "efficient" for total throughput, is ecologically unsound, and, in particular, genetically unhealthy. Short term veterinary practices may keep a living stock healthy, but as the genetic pool becomes homogenized it is susceptible to wide spread disease. History agrees.

[daemonite06]

@strongness13 Very strong arguments in a defined and well backed manner!