1 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Hell them, and welcome to say we production of I 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,159 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. I'm Anni Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum. And 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: today we're talking about seed banks or vaults. Seed vaults. Yeah, 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: I'm into it. Uh. And this was inspired by a 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: recent episode Lauren and I nerded out. I think it's 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: peaches for our love of gene banks. And after that 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: we heard from a listener named Renee, who works for 8 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: the National Plant germ Plasm System at the National Laboratory 9 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: for Genetic Resource Preservation in Fort Collins. Very cool. Yeah, 10 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: oh yes, I I love hearing from all humans, but 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: when science humans right in it's it's perhaps particularly exciting 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: because I'm like, oh man, we a if it's not 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: hate mail, then we're vaguely doing our jobs and and 14 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: be um. Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I I love 15 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: it when the science humans are interested in the cultural 16 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: side and vice versa. It makes me happy. Yeah yeah. 17 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: And Renee did say, whenever the beautiful day, when this 18 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: pandemic is over, you can do tours. Oh cool. Yeah, 19 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: so yeah, that's so awesome and definitely want to devail 20 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: one day. Yeah all right, yes, And there there are 21 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: quite a few seed banks around the world. I'm sure 22 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: a lot of them do tours, so maybe where you 23 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: are they're still open. UM. And the seed banks you 24 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: come up in a lot of our episodes, So uh, 25 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: big topic, big important topic when it comes to food. 26 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: It certainly is um, which brings us to our question 27 00:01:52,480 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: seed banks what are they? Well? Uh need bank is 28 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: a place where seeds are kind of scientifically tupperwared for 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: future study or or other use. Um. Using more words 30 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: than that, um, it's a It's a type of bio 31 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: repository where the seeds of plants are cryogenically frozen to 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: maintain seed viability, like you could grow it later, um, 33 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: thus both preserving a genetic record of the evolution and 34 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: the diversity of particular plants that humans use, and also 35 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: preserving literally preserving those seeds so that they could be 36 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: revived to grow a plant in the future. And that 37 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: brings us to a sub question, which is how how 38 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: well Cryogenic freezing is a process where you reduce the 39 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: moisture in a fresh sample of a living thing, um 40 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: and then store it at a coal temperature, And if 41 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: you do it right and maintain that low temperature, you 42 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: can later rewarm and rehydrate the sample and in the 43 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: case of seeds, literally bring them back to life um 44 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: or bring them back to the potential for life which 45 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: they have. Yes, uh like, like you can germinate and 46 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: grow a plant from seeds treated like this. And the 47 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: moisture thing and the low temperature thing are both key, 48 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: Like like you know what happens to foods when you 49 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: stick them in the freezer, How they can get like 50 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: mushy sometimes when you warm them back up. That's because 51 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: water expands as it freezes, you know, um, and it 52 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: can burst sell walls, which you don't want if you 53 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: want the thing to live again. Um. So, low moisture 54 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: is good, and the low temperatures help prevent some chemical 55 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: reactions from happening, Like like you know how sesame seeds 56 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: or sunflower seeds that you forgot in the back of 57 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: you're covered taste off after a while. Yeah, that's because 58 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: fats degrade over time, especially at warmer temperatures. And both 59 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: low moisture and low temperature help prevent microbes from you know, 60 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: eating the samples. I'm simplifying, but that is basically why 61 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: cryogenics helps. Second sub question. We have a second sub 62 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: question or your second question, and it is why well, uh, 63 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: historically speaking, it's just interesting to see what plants have 64 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: been like and how they've developed. But more practically and 65 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: the reason why seed banks exist really is that as 66 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: farmers and researchers develop crops that have desirable traits for 67 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: a particular time and place, um you know, the the 68 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: ability to grow in drier or wetter conditions, or in 69 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: a certain type of soil, or to resist some specific 70 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: kind of pest or pathogen, or for certain flavors or um, 71 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: or for structural integrity so that you can you know, 72 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: ship the produce long distances. Whenever you do that, you're 73 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: you're honing the genes of that plant, which is great 74 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: for for the purpose that it's being bred for, but 75 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: maybe someone in the future might want to grow that 76 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: plant at a different soil condition or with different flavors, 77 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: or you know, for canning instead of shipping, or maybe 78 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: maybe honing it for those purposes turns out to make 79 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: it vulnerable to new pests or pathogens that come around 80 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: down the line. So having a record of a genetic 81 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: strain um and of different honings of that strain for 82 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: other purposes on the farm, next store or across the world. Um, 83 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: it becomes extremely valuable because it lets you reintroduce genes 84 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: that you have bred out of your strain. And this 85 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: is especially important and valuable in these are modern times 86 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: for a couple of different reasons. Um First, and perhaps 87 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: most presently, because of the way that big commercial agriculture, 88 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: influenced by globalization and the Industrial Revolution, changed the way 89 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: that we grow our crops um. You know, we we 90 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: went from every farmer doing what worked best for them 91 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: on a fairly small scale, to these huge plantations where 92 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: you know, it's like you're you're thinking of it like 93 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: a like a factory. Um. The farm becomes a factory 94 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: where it's the most profitable to produce one type of 95 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: one thing and to produce the most of it that 96 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: you can as reliably as you can. And that's called 97 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: mono cropping. And it's great in that it helps you 98 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: feed the planets continually growing population, especially when you're talking 99 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: about staples like rice and wheat and corn. But it's 100 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: also problematic for a bunch of reasons. It tends to 101 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: be us environmentally friendly because growing a bunch of different 102 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: things together actually helps with soil quality and pest control. 103 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: But more directly, pertinent to our conversation today. You've honed 104 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: this plant down to one strain, and if you're a 105 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: big enough producer, you're growing just this one strain all 106 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: over the place and ending out your competitors and buying 107 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: out other farms and using their land to grow your 108 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: strain to the point that other strains and that valuable 109 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: genetic material that they contain can be lost. And this 110 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: can happen for for non capitalism related purposes as well. 111 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes this one strain is valuable to to too many 112 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: people just because of the wildly high yield that it 113 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: produces under a range of conditions. But at any rate, 114 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: it's in the long run bad for all of us 115 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: UM because like if if one of those new pests, 116 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: or say a global change in climate crops up, it 117 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: can ruin this crop and it's bad for humanity, like 118 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: in that that crop is part of our food supply, 119 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: and it's important that we're able to keep eating food. Yes, 120 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: it's the thing that we both enjoy and kind of 121 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: need to do. Uh. And it can be a really 122 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: big problem UM because to feed our growing population UM, 123 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: we may need to grow in the next thirty years 124 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: more food, animal feed and biofuel than we currently do 125 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: in order to support humanity on this planet. Um and 126 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: and we're not even truly supporting ourselves today. Um. Over 127 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 1: a hundred million people worldwide are severely food and secure, 128 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: to say nothing of the millions of millions more who 129 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:50,439 Speaker 1: are food and secure at at less dire levels. Yes, 130 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: and those are some pretty big numbers. Yeah. Um, So 131 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: it's really cool that seed banks preserve the genetic diversity 132 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: of plants. In conclusion, Yes, that is the versions and 133 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: I should say here that's not the only way to 134 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: preserve genetic diversity um. And not all plants create seeds 135 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 1: or or seeds that are amenable to this type of storage. Um. 136 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: And there are all kinds of other ways to to 137 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: preserve this stuff, botanical gardens, collections of tissue samples, collections 138 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: of DNA. And one in the downside of seed banks 139 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: in particular is that because the expression of genes in 140 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: a growing plant depends on the environment that that plant 141 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:44,599 Speaker 1: is raised in. Uh, just preserving old seeds doesn't necessarily 142 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: mean that we'll be able to get them to grow 143 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: in strange new environments. UM. But in general, seed banks 144 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: are just really good at what they do, and so 145 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: they constitute about of these types of conservation efforts around 146 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: the world as of today, and that is a good 147 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: segue into our number section. Yes. Yes, from seventy two 148 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: through seven point four million seed samples have been preserved 149 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,199 Speaker 1: in about one thousand, seven hundred and fifty seed banks globally. 150 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: Of those samples, about one point five to two million 151 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: are thought to be unique, all unique. According to the 152 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,359 Speaker 1: Millennium Seed Bank, one in five plants he sees faces extinction, 153 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: which is another just kind of adding on why this 154 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: is important. Uh. Yeah, And since the nineteen hundreds, over 155 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: of fruit and vegetable varieties previously grown have been lost 156 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: have gone extinct. Um. Just for example, in the eighteen hundreds, 157 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: American apple farmer, we're growing some seven thousand one varieties 158 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: of apples and today only three hundred of those have 159 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 1: survived extinction. Um. Yeah, yeah. And and we are a 160 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: food show and and a lot of the seeds preserved 161 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: at these banks aren't necessarily food. Um. So there are 162 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: about two hundred fifty thousand known plants species in the world, 163 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: and about two hundred of those are cultivated for food. 164 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: But but among those there are hundreds of thousands of 165 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: millions of varieties of these different things, and so most 166 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: of what is preserved in seed banks are food crops. 167 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: There's others that are animal feed or for bio fuel 168 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: or um or that are otherwise related to what we do, 169 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: like a like like wood for timber for construction, and 170 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: any other number of things. But but a great number 171 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: of them are our food plants. Yes, yes, and a 172 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: surprisingly long history of this, yeah, yes, um, And we 173 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: will get into that right after we get back from 174 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: a quick break for a word from our sponsor, and 175 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: we're back, Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. So by 176 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: most accounts, the oldest recognized seed bank in the world 177 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: is the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry and it dates 178 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: back to eight out of St. Petersburg, Russia, and it 179 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 1: was the brainchild of biologists Nikolai Vavilov. So he was 180 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: a plant breeder and because of that, probably other things, 181 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 1: he understood the importance of crop diversity. And he went 182 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: on to map eight centers of crop diversity, which was 183 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: really fascinating to read, but not specifically related to this, however, 184 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: you want to check it out. It exists. In Favolov 185 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: wrote the Centers of Origin of cultivated plants. However, Vavilov 186 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 1: came from wealth, and he wasn't exactly a friend of 187 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 1: the Communist Party, and in nineteen forty he was arrested 188 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: and hit with treason and espionage charges. Yeah, a really 189 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: really tragic story. Amazing thinker within all of this discussion 190 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: about about diversity of crops. But yeah, didn't didn't turn 191 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: out so great for him. Now, for eleven months he 192 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: was tortured and interrogated. When his trial finally arrived, he 193 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: was found guilty in five minutes and sentenced to death 194 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: by firing squad. That later was changed to twenty years 195 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: in prison. But Aavlov died of starvation within two years. UM. 196 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: And just the other side note about this place. During 197 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 1: World War Two, researchers protected the seeds, the seeds at 198 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: the Vavlov Institute of Plant Industry from rats with rods 199 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: and did not use them to feed the thousands of 200 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: starving soldiers. They protected the suits, they kept it up. Yeah, 201 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: the idea of seed banks is way older than that, though, 202 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: at least going back to the sixteenth century, and probably 203 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: even before of that. Some people argue you could include 204 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: gardens um themselves in this whole conversation and the back 205 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: yeah to three thousand years ago, to ancient Egypt and Messopotamia. 206 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: So depending on where you lie on that school of thought. Um. 207 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: During the sixteenth century, botanical gardens served as areas of 208 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: academic study, specifically for medicinal plants. One of the first 209 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: was the University of Pizza in fifteen forty three, and 210 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: other Italian universities followed suit pretty soon after that. With colonization, 211 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: explorers would bring back new crops. We've talked about that 212 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: all the time. For these gardens, not only were these 213 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: plants used for study, but they were foundational for growing 214 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: globalization of trade for products like chocolate and coffee. This 215 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: is also when researchers and growers started experimenting with breeding 216 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: crops to produce desirable treats. Are I guess experimenting more 217 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: in the like scientific way that we think of it? 218 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: Just oh, this, these two are good. See if we 219 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: can see if we put them out there and if 220 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: something good happens. Yeah, because of course, of course, farmers 221 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: had been doing that for literally ever. Yes. Yes. In 222 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: Missouri Botanical Garden was established one of the first botanical 223 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: gardens in the United States for colonists coming to the 224 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: New World, um seed preservation was a top priority. Thomas 225 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: Jefferson once said, the greatest service which can be rendered 226 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: to any country is to add a useful plant to 227 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: its culture. Uh. Yeah, that whole dude. Gosh, that whole dude. 228 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: During the Civil War, in eighteen sixty two, Congress established 229 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of gathering quote, 230 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: new and valuable seeds and plants and to distribute them 231 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: among agriculturalists in the U s. D A put into 232 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: place the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction huh uh, 233 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: and twenty million seed packages were sent out a year 234 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: two farmers. In the nineteen forties, regional seed banks were 235 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: established across the US, focusing on specific crops like corn 236 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: or potatoes. A decade later, a sort of national reserve 237 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: of seeds was established in for Collins, Colorado. The history 238 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: of seed banking starts in earnest in the nineteen sixties, 239 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: when governments in geo's private and international organizations started investing 240 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: heavily and conserving plant diversity, with a particular focus on 241 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: agricultural crops. And this uh, this is what's called the 242 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: green Revolution and leading leading up to it, of course, 243 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 1: you you had a lot of work UM in UH 244 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: in early like like genetics that was like, oh, jeans 245 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 1: are a thing, cool, um. But specifically, what's going on 246 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:15,160 Speaker 1: here is that by the late nineteen fifties, researchers were 247 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: looking at the growth of the global population along with 248 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: the distribution of wealth among that population. UM, you know, 249 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: the continued stratification of the very wealthy from the very poor, 250 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: along with the population just exploding. Land was becoming more 251 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: scarce and therefore more expensive and UH. By the nineteen 252 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: forties and and up through the nineteen fifties, researchers were 253 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: increasingly aware and and warning that famine was going to 254 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: kill hundreds of millions of people in developing areas of 255 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: the world over the next two or three decades alone. 256 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: Because basically, the world had gotten to a point where 257 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: the companies and the nations that could afford to create 258 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: solutions to famine didn't have the monetary or intellectual UM 259 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: like like research science incentive UM to do so, and 260 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: so on the whole they weren't. It's not to say 261 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: that none of them were there. There was some early 262 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: work by like the Rockefeller Foundation, for example, UM that 263 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: was that was doing some good out there but UH. 264 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: But based partially on that UM, a few international organizations 265 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: were founded to help drive the creation of those solutions 266 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: UM and furthermore, to incentivize them among among the wealthier 267 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: nations and companies that you know could could stand to 268 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: to to profit from them. Early research was in those 269 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: grain staples corn and wheat and rice UM, and a 270 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: lot of work was put into creating these crop strains 271 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: that could produce more food on less land and it 272 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: were UM which is YEA. As populations doubled over the 273 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: next few decades, serial staple production tripled UH with only 274 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 1: an increase in land use of so hazza UM. And 275 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 1: that meant that that despite these growing populations, food prices 276 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: and hunger decreased but UM. But this also encouraged the 277 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: ever larger use of ever fewer strains of some of 278 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: these crops. Right. The National Academy of Sciences compiled a 279 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: report in nineteen seventy two about the vulnerability of US crops, 280 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: and it found that sevent of the corn crop, for example, 281 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: came from only six varieties of corn. A study conducted 282 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: in three found that since nineteen o three, as reported 283 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: by the New Yorker quote readily available. Varieties of cabbage 284 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: dropped from five hundred and forty four to twenty eight, 285 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 1: carrotts dropped from two hundred and eight seven to twenty one, 286 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: Cauliflower varieties fell from one hundred and fifty eight to nine, 287 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: and varieties of pairs fell from twenty six hundred and 288 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: eighty three to three hundred and twenty six. So those 289 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: are some pretty massive drops. Yeah, Okay, I I did 290 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: want to talk about this because I didn't know it 291 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: was a real thing. I thought this was a Seinfeld joke. Um, 292 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: there's a whole joke in Siginfold about this. So the 293 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: Man and the Biosphere Program are the M a B 294 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: program was launched in nineteen seventy one and it falls 295 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 1: under the jurisdiction of UNESCO and since its inception, they 296 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: are now six hundred and twenty one biospheres and one 297 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: seventeen countries and the goal of these biospheres is to 298 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: use the relationship between humans and their environment in order 299 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: to preserve resources. So the Seinfeld episode is one of 300 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: my favorite, very favorite Seinfeld episodes, called the Blood and 301 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: that Yes, and George jokes that Elaine was chosen to 302 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: represent New York and the other the newest biosphere experiment. 303 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: But I also got to confuse with something called Biodome. 304 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: Was that okay? Yeah, alright, So so Biodome was a 305 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: film starring Polly Sure it was not. It was not. 306 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 1: I mean it was a fictional film. I thought, like 307 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: I had this vision in my head that it was 308 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: like a sci five thing. Oh no, No, this was 309 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: like like he gets like kind of stuck in the 310 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: scientific experiment of of a of a biosphere, and like 311 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 1: the researchers just have to deal with them. And have 312 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: you seen this film? I never saw this movie, but um, 313 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: but in in looking it up, I have come to 314 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: realize that that it had cameo appearances from celebrities such 315 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: as Kylie Minogue, UM and Rose mc gowan. And also 316 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 1: it was the first time that they that Tenacious D 317 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: appeared on screen as such together. Okay, none of this 318 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: is making any sense to me. I My brain is 319 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: like faltering to process this. What this is? You gave 320 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: me a little Yahnie and don Hanny Osmond in our 321 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: last episode, and now I got today's just D and 322 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:52,959 Speaker 1: Paul Shore in the research Dome experienced. Yeah, it was. 323 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 1: It was a kind of a whole cultural phenomenon that 324 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: a lot of people were It was making big headlines 325 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: in the nineties because, uh, some some science humans and 326 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: some like non science humans would would either volunteer or 327 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:11,959 Speaker 1: be chosen or whatever to to go hang out, like 328 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: be sealed into these domes for a while and kind 329 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 1: of see what happened. I guess there was like the 330 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:26,120 Speaker 1: real world, but with more science on the same page. Okay, wow, 331 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: I was not expecting a tenacious reference to come up 332 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: in here, you know, neither was I. And I thought 333 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: for a second it might have been Carrot Top, not 334 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: Polly Shore. But oh my god, wow, all right, I 335 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: might have to look this up. I don't know. It 336 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: sounds like the very nineties type of comedy movie. Yeah. 337 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: From all the trailers I remember seeing, it was very slapstick, 338 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: very goofy. I think that even like like middle school, 339 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: high school, Lauren felt somehow above this film. So alright, alright, 340 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: I still I've got to know. I've got to know. Yeah, 341 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: I did. On the other side of this, I think 342 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: it was The Tight Knave, which is a movie I 343 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: loved as a kid. I think that movie ends what 344 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 1: they find like Earth too, and it's basically a big 345 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: seat fault, like it has all this. Oh yeah, I 346 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: think there's some movie ins that way where they find 347 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: like a backup Earth and it has um. And I 348 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: suppose Water World was also in a small way about 349 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: a very similar theme. Another film like Cultural Touchstowe I missed, 350 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: but I have heard a lot about it. Oh wow. 351 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: Oh I hope that this is on your list of 352 00:24:53,359 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: terrible movies because it is truly a terrible movie. Okay, 353 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: And I feel like you would enjoy the watching of 354 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: it and a very popcorn and box of wine kind 355 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: of way. Oh enough said, I am into it. You 356 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:21,120 Speaker 1: sold me. People are like, watch this excellent award winning film. 357 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: Watched this very bad movie, but you'll like it. Okay. 358 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: There's like a lot of of of of what are 359 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: they called? Are they jet skis? The things? Yeah, I've 360 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 1: seen the live action show at Universal, so I got 361 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: some kind of image in my head. They well, they 362 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: use jet skis. How do I know if they actually 363 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,719 Speaker 1: do any movie? Oh yeah, no, they use they use 364 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: a lot of jet skis. It's you know, no agriculture, 365 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: but lots of jet skis. That's what the film is 366 00:25:55,520 --> 00:26:02,160 Speaker 1: basically about so they preserved the important thing, the chips. Wow. 367 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: This this was a cultural tangent I was not expecting 368 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: in the seed bank episode. Uh, but you're welcome everyone. 369 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 1: There's some variety of things to try out there. Maybe 370 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: if you're looking for entertainment. Yep, something for everyone. Uh. 371 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: Perhaps not a good thing for everyone, but hey, alright, 372 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: okay back to the seed fall. Yeah, we have the 373 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:32,919 Speaker 1: Seed Savers Exchange, which was founded in and their mission 374 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 1: is too because they're still around the day um conserve 375 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: and promote America's culturally diverse but endangered food crop heritage 376 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds 377 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: and plants. And nowadays they are one of the largest 378 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: seed banks in North America and they manage several seed 379 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: bank locations outside of their headquarters in Iowa. Then the 380 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: slow food movement, very briefly the gan in the ninete eighties, 381 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: prescribing neo gastronomy and a slower, more thoughtful approach to food. 382 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: But in in two thousand three, members of Slow Food 383 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: International created the Slow Food Foundation for Bio Diversity. The 384 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties is also when community seed banks started popping 385 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: up the Convention on Biological Diversity took place in nineteen 386 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: ninety three. And then the Millennium Seed Bank that we 387 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, located in Wakehurst, England. The Millennium Seed Bank 388 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: Partnership was started by the Royal Botanic Gardens in two 389 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: thousand and has gone on to preserve ten percent of 390 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: wild plants se sees, posting over one billion seeds from 391 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty countries. Their goal was to be 392 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: home to one fourth of the global Bank of plants. 393 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 1: And I went on this whole like, well did they 394 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: do it? And I was trying to find it everywhere 395 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: I forgot It's still still work in progress. Believe it 396 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 1: or not, it is, Oh gosh, so maybe we'll check 397 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: back in. And then in February two thousand eight, Fall 398 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: Barred International Seed Vault open up its doors for storage. 399 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:20,160 Speaker 1: And this is also known as the Doomsday Vault. Although 400 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: the founder pretty much he's known as the founder Carrie 401 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:29,439 Speaker 1: Fowler prefers Library of Life, which is also good. Also, 402 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: they're they're both really nice. Yes, yes, so okay, get this. 403 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: This seed Bank is located inside a frozen Arctic mountain 404 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: in Norway, a location that can survive pretty much whatever 405 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: is thrown at it, from earthquakes to bombings. Um. It's 406 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: meant to be this kind of global backup system. Seeds 407 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: provided from seed banks all over the world are kept there. 408 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 1: Black box protocols are used for the sees, the seed 409 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: packages won't be opened or tested, and no one person 410 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: knows all the vault codes required for jury. It is 411 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:14,120 Speaker 1: a serious place, y'all, um, and a really cool one. Literally, sorry, 412 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: um high Uh, it's kept a negative eighteen degrees celsius. 413 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: But yes, it's built into this mountain in a permafrost 414 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: climate zone like eight hundred miles that's third kilometers north 415 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: of the Arctic circle, um, so that it hypothetically can 416 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: keep cool even if it loses power, even for a 417 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: long period of time. UM. A recent deposit of seeds 418 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: included samples from the Cherokee Nations seed Bank. They have 419 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: their own seed bank as well, UM, including their oldest 420 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: and most sacred corn variety, which like they brought with 421 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: them on the Trail of Tears. It's a it's a 422 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: it's a really it's a really fascinating place. And I 423 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: think we could probably do an entire episode just on, 424 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: just on on on any of the There are like 425 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: so many little seedlings of other episode ideas in here. 426 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: But anyway, yes, and if you are really impatient you 427 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: want to know more about that. Right now, there is 428 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 1: an interview with the founder on fresh Air. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 429 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: and it's it's really interesting. I think he said that 430 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: if you look up the closest town to there to 431 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: this seed bank, it's literally home to almost every like 432 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: furthest northern bathroom for this northern bar, like it's up there, 433 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: it's up there, um and and just hearing the logistics 434 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: of having people there uh and building it was fascinating 435 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: mm hmm. In recent years, wars have led to the 436 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: destruction of seed banks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, with 437 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: researchers scrambling to establish new seed banks in their stead 438 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: and then hurricanes like Maria have also been a problem. Yeah, 439 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: climate change in general has been adding wrinkles to the 440 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: to the operation of seed banks. Back in melting permafrost 441 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: flooded access tunnel at Small bard Um, luckily the water 442 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: refroze before it got into the actual vault. But yeah, 443 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: they've spent some twenty million dollars over the past three years, 444 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: like waterproofing everything and upgrading the cooling systems, because yeah, yep, yep, 445 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: it is very important and very fascinating stuff going on 446 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: in this world of seed banks. Yeah yeah. And although 447 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: I didn't read anything specifically about it, maybe I wasn't 448 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 1: using the right search terms, or you know, I just 449 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: didn't look specifically for it. But I really wonder how 450 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: much of the fear of nuclear war and the Cold 451 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: War played into the original development of seed banks, and 452 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: and and the conceptualization there. I would make a lot 453 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: of sense. Um, I feel like I want a geography 454 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: question just by why were they digging and into this 455 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: huge mountain and putting stuff in there in eighth grade? 456 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: Just by being like what what around? What time was this? Oh? Yeah, 457 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:22,479 Speaker 1: probably yeah, um. And certainly there are a bunch of 458 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: really we we mentioned some of the big sea banks 459 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: in here, but there are a bunch of them doing 460 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: really cool stuff. And some of them are both global 461 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: but pretty specific to where they are. Um, So if 462 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: you're interested, you can look that up there. There are 463 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: a lot of them. Oh yeah, yeah. And if you 464 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: have a particular interest in any one of them and 465 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: really want to uh to hear us talk about it, 466 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: then you know right in and let us know. Yes, 467 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: and speaking of we do have some listener mail for you, 468 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: but first we've got one more quick break for a 469 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, 470 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: thank you, and we're back with snor. It's like, oh, okay, okay, 471 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: I thought it was so clear, but apparently my my 472 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: small closet space isn't the best breaking a dough. I 473 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: was like, is this a mushroom? We weren't talking about mushrooms, 474 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: but I like mushrooms. Okay, yeah, which mushroom is dome adjacent? 475 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: It's true? Sure, thank you, thank you. And this first 476 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: topic is the first listener mail fits in with well 477 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: a lot of what we've been talking about, but some 478 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: stuff I wasn't even expecting us to talk about, but 479 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: we did. Bobby wrote, if I may suggest a topic 480 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: food or radiation. So I worked at Sandy a National 481 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: Lab as an undergrad. And why I was there The 482 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: Gamma radiation facility was being used to radiate oranges for 483 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 1: different companies in a huge lead lined room with a 484 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:16,760 Speaker 1: huge cobalt sixties source. Also, we did experiments in undergrad 485 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 1: where we would I radiate strawberries and compared them over 486 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 1: two weeks than a month to non irradiated strawberries. It 487 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: was still fresh. I think people get really nervous about 488 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: food irradiation, but it's a great way to keep food 489 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: from spoiling without using pesticides and is used commercially. So yes, yes, 490 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,720 Speaker 1: that oh wow, yeah, oh that that sounds that sounds 491 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: super fascinating. Um It's not something I've particularly looked into before, 492 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 1: and also sounds like a terrific headache. But that that 493 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: that fun that I get the specific headache whenever I 494 00:34:53,920 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 1: try to talk about radiation. So it's so cool and no, 495 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 1: I I it genuinely is really really fascinating. Um, so 496 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: yeah adding it to the list. Thank you. Uh. Stephanie wrote, 497 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: I have been a huge Saver fan since the very 498 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 1: first episode of food Stuff. I love learning new tidbits 499 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: of food trivia, and your side tangents are always delightful. However, 500 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:19,359 Speaker 1: none delighted me quite as much as when you shared 501 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: during the Funky Green Onion episode. When I saw it 502 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: come up in my queue, I thought to myself, Oh, 503 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: I wonder if they'll talk about far fetched. But my 504 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: expectations were low because I figured leaks were one of 505 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 1: those this needs its own episode situations. When you started 506 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,760 Speaker 1: to bring up Pokemon, I couldn't believe it. My wish 507 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 1: was coming true. I have always thought far fetched and 508 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 1: his leak were completely adorable. I regularly referred to him 509 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,280 Speaker 1: as leak Bird, which makes my husband roll his eyes 510 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: every time, and I like to imagine him using his 511 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 1: leak to make himself soup at the end of a 512 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: long day of battles. Though I was a bit horrified 513 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,439 Speaker 1: to learn that the duck and the leak on its 514 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: back both go into the soup in the original proverb. 515 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,320 Speaker 1: It was really cool to find out the inspiration behind 516 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:05,880 Speaker 1: one of my favorite pokemon. Okay, so so many of 517 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 1: you have written in about this. We love it. Um. 518 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: We will be reading more of them over the coming 519 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: we um. But Okay, I have learned through some of 520 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:21,320 Speaker 1: these that there are a ton of food based Pokemon 521 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: like a lot um, and we are always happy to 522 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:32,280 Speaker 1: grow on these ner tangents and bring up Pokemon whatever possibility. Superinducer, Andrew, 523 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: I'm counting on you. If we miss one, you've got 524 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:40,279 Speaker 1: to let us know. Uh. But yeah, I'm we are 525 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: so happy to go on these tangents, and I was 526 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 1: very thrilled myself when you brought it up completely. Yeah, yeah, 527 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: maybe I And we've we've gotten requests for like overall, 528 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: like for food of Pokemon or like food and Pokemon 529 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: maybe because it's it's a weird little universe, uh, with 530 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: some strange things that you can eat and some strange yeah, 531 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: strange critters. So apparently there's one poulty geist and it's 532 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 1: a pot of tea with a poulter Geist in it. Guys, 533 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 1: are you telling me we got to talk about that? 534 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 1: You can't give me that piece of information not expect 535 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:40,000 Speaker 1: me to spend way too long researching it. Yeah, oh 536 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 1: that's beautiful. Oh my heck, okay, yeah, just just the 537 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: just the different puns in different languages alone is enough 538 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: to make me want to look into all of this. Okay, 539 00:37:55,719 --> 00:38:02,399 Speaker 1: two solid episode ideas right there. Yeah, yeah, thank you both, Yes, 540 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 1: thank you so much. And uh, we would love to 541 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,360 Speaker 1: hear from you listeners if you would like to email 542 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:11,839 Speaker 1: as you can. Our email is Hello at savor pod 543 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: dot com, or you can get in touch via social media. 544 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,320 Speaker 1: We are on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at savor pod 545 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 1: and we do hope to hear from you. Savor is 546 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my 547 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, you can visit the i heart Radio app, 548 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 549 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 1: Thank you as always to our super producers Dylan Fagin 550 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,360 Speaker 1: and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we 551 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,359 Speaker 1: hope that lots more good things are coming your way