‘From Spices to Vices’: Evolutionary Biologist Noah Whiteman on Nature's Toxins

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Beneath the surface of a coffee bean or a red pepper flake or a nutmeg seed — or any of the plants we rely on for medicine, food and drink — lie a “bevy of poisons,” writes UC Berkeley evolutionary biologist Noah Whiteman. But the chemical compounds that treat our infections, spice up our meals and calm our nerves didn’t evolve for our benefit. Instead, plants, fungi and even some small animals produce toxins to defend themselves against predators, attract pollinators and engage in battles of chemical warfare. We’ll talk about the biology and influence of “nature’s pharmacopeia” with Whiteman, whose new book is “Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins — From Spices to Vices.” Guests: Noah Whiteman, professor of Integrative Biology and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley; director, Essig Museum of Entomology; author, “Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins — from Spices to Vices” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for KikiWED podcasts comes from Landmark College, holding their annual summer institute for educators from June 24 through 26th.
0:09.1	More information at landmark.edu slash LCSI.
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0:27.6	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia.
0:31.6	When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and
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0:54.9	From KQED.
0:56.0	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim. Coming up on forum, so much of what we eat, drink,
1:17.7	or smoke, contains nature's toxins, often made by plants to defend against insects or pathogens.
1:24.3	The caffeine and coffee, capsaicin and red pepper flakes, cannabinoids, and marijuana buds.
1:30.0	And while these chemical defenses evolved long before humans entered the picture, we've come
1:34.9	to use and abuse them, says evolutionary biologist Noah Whiteman, to greet our days,
1:41.1	titillate our tongues, mend our hearts, bend our minds. We'll talk with
1:45.8	Whiteman about nature's vast array of poisons and how they've shaped our world and us. Pick your
1:51.0	poison and tell us why after this news. Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. For coffee lovers like me, it's hard to think of a substance
2:05.7	that's more tailor-made for human consumption. It's energizing, a mood lifter, a great way to start the day.
2:12.1	But I learned from Noah Whiteman's book, Most Delicious Poison, that the caffeine in the coffee plant
2:17.2	evolved as an insecticide,
2:19.3	not as anything for our sakes.
2:21.5	Whiteman is an evolutionary biologist at UC Berkeley, who is fascinated by the toxins,
	...

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