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Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨fossilesque@mander.xyz⁩ to ⁨science_memes@mander.xyz⁩

https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/f7b67852-4aa7-4f4e-98ef-40dbcd5d284d.jpeg

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Comments

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  • bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Funnily enough we try to cultivate everything we like, so in a roundabout way they were successful.

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    • tetris11@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I think the book Sapiens makes the point that wheat has trained us into cultivating it for selfish needs.

      (Except that it’s wheat, and that we annihilated 99% of its brethren to pick out the one that we liked so we could effectively clone it. But yes, we are the slaves…)

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      • jballs@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Sapiens and Homo Deus are both such good books. Lots of little anecdotes like that we’re just so fascinating.

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    • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I think that’s basically what The Botany of Desire is about, right?

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    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I guess… If you consider factory farmed chickens to be “successful.”

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  • Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Nicotine, THC, and cocaine are also insecticides. And psilocybin might be an insect repellent.

    Thanks poison!

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    • masterofn001@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Drugs - natures mosquito repellant

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      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Mosquitoes are such squares!

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      • rooroo@feddit.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        So that’s the reason I’m not stung as badly as my friends!

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    • SuperIce@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Capsaicin is a fungicide, which is extremely useful in the environments where spicy peppers grow.

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  • VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The best bit about the mint and chocolate thing is that chocolate is also poison, so we spice up our poison with more poison.

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  • Reggie@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    All valid Points. But also, humans: i will care for this plant and create huge fields where you can live prosper and in peace. We kill everything who comes near you and try to harm you. And we will ensure you will live forever. You dont need birds who shit your seeds out.

    Those plants domesticared us!

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    • MBM@lemmings.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Also humans: we will breed you until your fruit no longer bears seed, because we decide when and how you reproduce

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    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Sidenote: monocultures are devastating, long-term.

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    • bamfic@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Botany of desire

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  • cybervseas@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Basically humans will have sex with you, eat you, or make you a pet.

    Sometimes more than one.

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    • BlueLineBae@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Don’t forget we wear them also…

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  • Phineaz@feddit.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Tbf, this has proven to be extremely effective: Just think of how many tobacco or chili plants are grown today! Domestication really is a two-way-street

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    • muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Are we farming the plants or are the plants farming us.

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    • Speiser0@feddit.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I do would like to be an alien’s pet.

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  • Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Would aliens actually be weirded out by this quality of humans?

    I feel like any sufficiently intelligent species living on a planet will have some degree of biodiversity on said planet. And the chances of something being made to be a poison/deterrent for creatures other than the intelligent species is probably a large one, because it’s pretty hard for plants and animals to make a poison/deterrent that kills everything without also killing itself. So if there is a gap for itself, there is a gap for other life to coexist with the toxin.

    So I’d think it would be pretty natural for intelligent life to eat things that are harmful to huge swaths of other creatures.

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    • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Works best with the Earth-is-a-deathworld trope

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      • bluewing@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Level 12 Deathworld.

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    • Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      It is kinda weird that humans are so resilient to so many things though. It’s part of being scavenging omnivores, but alients with a more specialized diet might be weirded out.

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      • P00ptart@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Dogs can eat rotting meat and lick unwashed balls and ass but die from fucking grapes. 🤷🏼‍♂️

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      • Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Potentially. But think of it this way, there are somewhere around 400,000 plant species out there.

        news.mongabay.com/…/many-plants-world-scientists-…

        Based on this list, something on the order of like 99.5% of plants are either not safe, or not useful/beneficial. If other species on our planet share a similar rate without complete overlap, then it’s practically a guarantee that there will be thousands of plants that are safe and useful for us but not for other species. That doesn’t feel particularly strange or unlikely. So even with a specialized diet, I don’t think the numbers would be much different.

        It also could be the case that being scavenging omnivores is a strong precursor to becoming intelligent. If your species is on the rise in terms of intelligence, you’re probably using that to expand your food sources wide and far.

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      • 1rre@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        For mammals we are, sure, but there’s loads of things that’d kill humans that other animals chow down on perfectly happily, especially when it comes to microorganisms, mushrooms and the rotting things they’re often found in/around

        I don’t think scavenging is right also given that, humans used to mainly pick fresh fruits and persistence hunt, both of which are very fresh food which is not overlooked or left by others

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      • toynbee@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        I know it’s just a typo, but the image “alients” conjured in my head is pretty funny. I have less than zero artistic talent or I’d share it with you all. Hopefully the mental image is enough.

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    • whotookkarl@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      If we were the aliens and came across two worlds inhabited by intelligent life I would probably be more weirded out by the one where nobody uses any mind altering substance like caffeine that are poisonous to other animals.

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  • loaExMachina@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Somerimes, when a fruit or seed isn’t toxic enough for our taste, we make it liquid then make it ferment or age until some of it’s sugar turns into the deliciously neurotoxic ethanol.

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    • Hammocks4All@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      “Hmm tastes good but could taste a bit closer to death.”

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  • Etterra@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Don’t forget…

    Yeast: oh man I love sugars so much, I just wish they didn’t make me shit so bad.

    Humans: dude this stuff is fucking awesome!

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    • psud@aussie.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Yeast in sugar is going: I’ll just convert this to poison (ethanol) to keep everything away, then whenever I’m hungry I’ll break that poison into acid

      Humans: hold my… Wait a minute let’s make beer!

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      • DillyDaily@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        And if my yeasty poison goes bad, I’ll just pour it over some poisonous leaves, I love salad.

        Don’t forget to season it with minerals you chipped off a rock in a dried out lake bed.

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  • MouseKeyboard@ttrpg.network ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I evolutionary terms being edible to humans is quite useful.

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    • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      It worked for chickens…

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      • MouseKeyboard@ttrpg.network ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Chickens are the most numerous bird on the planet, wheat covers more land area than any other plant.

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    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Doubt. Look what will happen with our bred plants and animals, if humans aren’t around anymore.

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    • TheChemist@hexbear.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Because humans feel encouraged to further protect that plant against pests.

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      • MouseKeyboard@ttrpg.network ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        As well as spreading and planting seeds, clearing competing plants, and providing water and nutrients.

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  • Kolanaki@yiffit.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    They just want to propagate. The best chance a plant has to do that is by being tasty to humans so we cultivate them.

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  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    TBF, life’s objective is to reproduce and keep its genetic materials continuing on. Even if humans propagate and consume said plant because they find it desirable, that is still a success for the plant. So even if it has toxic caffeine or fiery capsaicin to deter some pests and humans find it enjoyable, the plant wins.

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    • Spaceballstheusername@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Especially since many of the plants die after 1 year anyway so it’s not even like we shorten their lives anyway.

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  • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Caffeine is poisonous to us too. It’s generally not possible for a healthy person to drink enough coffee to die, but they sell pure caffeine (for research) and even seemingly small amounts of that will kill a person.

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    • BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      You can buy 200mg pure anhydrous caffeine pills at Walmart for like $5. It’s abundant and as safe as coffee if you don’t go nuts. The max daily recommended dose is 400mg, anything past that could cause harm

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      • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        What I had in mind is more like this 25kg bucket.

        I’ve never actually seen caffeine in a bucket myself, but I worked in a lab once that had a big plastic jar of it.

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  • FlyingSquid@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Rhubarb: most of me is poison. The rest of me is kind of bitter.

    Humans: Hold my pie crust.

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    • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Rhubarb crumble is legitimately delicious though.

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      • FlyingSquid@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Don’t get me wrong, I love rhubarb. But whoever first figured out it was edible must have been desperate.

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      • fossilesque@mander.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Strawberry rhubarb :)

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    • Skydancer@pawb.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Polk salet, anybody?

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  • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    People who have accidentally eaten death cap mushrooms (amanita phalloides for the autists out there) say that it’s fucking delicious (before their liver shuts down). Rabbits can eat them without problems. So if we use rabbit genes, we can crispr cas 9 our way to a good meal.

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    • derpgon@programming.dev ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Not sure if the article is legit, but there is hope for an antidote: scientificamerican.com/…/worlds-deadliest-mushroo…

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    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I don’t think we even need to do that, just extract the poison shit from the mushrooms and eat them poisonless?

      Or determine what chemical (or combination of chemicals) is causing the delicious flavor, isolate them, and then add them to tofu or some shit.

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    • fossilesque@mander.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Let’s gooo

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  • Etterra@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Is they plant that’s made into cocaine in this same category?

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    • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Listing the manufacturing steps needed to get cocaine from plant into a wall street trader nose is mind blowing

      Step Chemicals Used
      Harvesting Coca Leaves N/A
      Soaking in Solvents Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel Fuel, Water
      Alkaline Treatment Sodium Carbonate, Lime
      First Filtration N/A
      Acidification (Coca Paste) Sulfuric Acid
      Evaporation N/A
      Further Alkaline Treatment Ammonia, Sodium Bicarbonate
      Solvent Extraction Ether, Acetone, Kerosene
      Precipitation Hydrochloric Acid
      Oxidation (Purification) Potassium Permanganate
      Conversion to Cocaine HCl Hydrochloric Acid
      Drying N/A
      Cutting/Adulteration Baking Soda, Sugars, Levamisole, etc.
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      • FlyingSquid@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        And that doesn’t say how many coca leaves it takes. Which is a whole shitload.

        I once had coca leaf tea (mate de coca). Obviously a fraction of the strength of cocaine. I did not care for the taste, sort of like damp straw, but the effect was so much better than caffeine. Total alertness without a jittery feeling and it wears off after 3 or 4 hours.

        Honestly, if they could do something about the taste, I’d find ways to import it.

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  • daddy32@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    What does anyone have against “u”, fucking fuck?

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    • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Americans have been trying to eliminate the letter"u" for centuries.

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      • Letstakealook@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        No u

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  • ShortFuse@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Aliens would extract out bile and earwax.

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    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      My previous bodily fluids!!

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      • SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Rain water and grain alcohol for me

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  • someguy3@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Poppies kill things?

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    • 1024_Kibibytes@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Heroin, opium and morphine are derived from poppies. Too much of any narcotic and you die

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      • someguy3@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Yeah but we need to process the shit out of it. It’s anything really going to die from eating some raw poppy seeds?

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    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Onion and leek to btw. And unripe tomato.

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  • repungnant_canary@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Sooo actually why land mammals can’t filter out salt from seawater?

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  • Gullible@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Obligatory symbiosis is a sexy, sexy vehicle for propagation.

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  • UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Hot peppers anyone?

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  • pineapplelover@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    She looks so familiar, who is this? Is this from Veep?

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  • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I’ll just leave this here.

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  • SteveXVII@pawb.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Related post

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  • JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Just imagine how many of these were first consumed on a drunken bet.

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  • Nagarath@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Isn’t the flavour of cocoa also originally a pesticidal chemical lol

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  • Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    What’s the bottom imagine from?

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  • Jumi@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    HFY vibes

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  • Slovene@feddit.nl ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Completely unrelated but JLD is so freakin’ gorgeous in this pic.

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