I am a microbiologist and molecular biologist turned tenured biotech faculty turned bioinformatics scientist turned entrepreneur. My passion is developing instructional materials for 21st century biology (
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A long time ago, I saw a Star Trek episode where the crew encountered aliens who lived at a different frequency. I may have this backwards, but I think the aliens moved so quickly that no one knew they were there. And until problems struck, our heroes were happily oblivious to the existence of the others.
The Plants In Motion movies remind me of that episode.
Since plant movement occurs much more slowly than movements we can easily observe, we tend to think that plants don't move. These movies prove that idea wrong. Filmed with time-lapse photography, these short movies show seeds germinating, beans dancing to circadian rhythms, twirling vines, flowers bursting out with passion, and many other activities that we simply don't see because they happen at a different rate.
I think a collection of these movies on a DVD, with a good soundtrack, could be a lot of fun. It wouldn't have quite the impact of Jumanji or Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it still might inspire a deeper appreciation for the plants in our lives.
As for the background music, my vote goes to: "Feed me, Seymore!"
Comments
I always thought a plant anatomy amusement park would be loads of fun. There could be the xylem slide, the liana roller coaster, the stamen self-fertilization pollen drop, the pollen tube race, the circinate vernation ride...
Posted by: Carlie | September 11, 2006 9:44 PM
That's a great idea! There should be an exhibit of all the different types of pollen, too!
Posted by: Sandra Porter | September 12, 2006 12:55 PM