Will GMOs Bring Back The American Chestnut Tree?

Short Wave

NPR

Daily News, Nature, Life Sciences, Astronomy, Science, News

4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 25 December 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the early 20th century, a blight fungus wiped out most of the 4 billion American chestnut trees on the eastern seaboard. The loss was ecologically devastating. Short Wave host Emily Kwong dives deep into how scientists are trying to resurrect the American chestnut tree — and recent controversy over a plan to plant genetically modified chestnuts in the wild.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This message comes from Side Note by ASAP Science, a podcast about the science behind controversial subjects.
0:06.6	Is marijuana addictive?
0:08.2	How will the universe end?
0:10.1	Hosts Mitch and Greg dissect a new topic every Wednesday on your favorite podcast app.
0:15.9	Hey, shortwavers, Emily Kwong here, with an episode from our holiday archives all about chestnut trees.
0:22.2	Stick around until the end of the episode for an update on the latest science, too.
0:26.9	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:32.3	Hey, everybody. Maddie Safaya here with Shortwave reporter Emily Kwong.
0:35.6	Hey, Maddie.
0:36.2	Hey, Kwong.
0:37.0	You've been delving into the mystery of what happened to one of the most significant trees in the United States, the American chestnut.
0:44.1	Yes, the Kwong family is very into chestnuts.
0:48.1	Every Christmas season, we'd buy them roasted on the streets of New York.
0:51.8	My dad folds them into his stuffing.
0:54.1	And of course, you honestly can't go anywhere this time of year without hearing Nat King Cole sing
0:59.1	about them.
1:00.0	You know what I'm talking about.
1:01.1	I do.
1:01.8	Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
1:06.0	It just sets the mood.
1:07.5	Right?
1:07.8	You know what time it is.
	...

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