Coffee and Provocation

The Yin and Yang of Coffee
Why do so many plants make chemicals to warp our minds, from marijuana to poppies, from coffee to ayahuasca, from Jimson Weed to nicotine? Michael Pollan asks that question, and others, as he delves into the history, chemistry, and biology of coffee, one of the world's most traded commodities in Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World.

The Hybrid in the Toothpaste

"Peppermint" isn't a single species of mint but rather a hybrid of two different species of mint (spearmint and watermint).

Unexpected Combinations

The first successful attempt to make a longer-acting insulin was accomplished by combining insulin with protamine extracted from trout semen.

A Global Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widespread land bird species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica.

A Bird Named After a Verb

The verb “to duck” existed before the name of the animal. The bird was originally called an “ened” in Old English, but became known as a “duck” (or a “ducker”) because of how the bird ducks underwater for food.

New York City and the Nutmeg Trade
In 1667, the Dutch traded the island of New Amsterdam to the British for the tiny island of Banda Run in order to gain control over the nutmeg spice trade. The British renamed New Amsterdam to New York.

Not a Fir Tree

The Douglas Fir tree isn't a fir -- it's a type of pine.  For the record, the Western Red Cedar is also not a true cedar -- it's a type of cypress tree.

The Jobs of Chess Board Pawns
In medieval chess, each of the eight pawns was associated with a "commoner’s" occupation. The pawn occupations were: farmer, smith, notary, merchant, physician, innkeeper, city watchman, and town messenger.