Ethnobotany vids on YouTube

[Jodie]

I searched for "ethnobotany" in YouTube and found a video published by the people
at Google. Mark Plotkin, who wrote a book called "Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's
Healing Secrets" (I don't think I'd ever heard of him or the book before as far as I know),
visited the Google people to deliver a lecture on his work as part of the authors@google
series.

I'll watch it in full another time (it's bedtime!) but I got as far as hearing about the type of
Cordyceps fungus which invades an insect, eating part of its brain which causes it to
climb up the tallest tree in the forest. It then eats the rest of the brain killing the insect
and causing its exoskeleton to burst open, releasing the spores

This fungus apparently provides cyclosporin which is used in suppressing the immune
system in organ transplants.

I do like these little glimpses into the chemicals we get from nature that benefit us - he's
also talking about statin drugs (help lower cholesterol) and that they too come from
fungi. The Cordyceps are, as far as I can see, using their chemical armoury as
a 'cloaking device' so that the insect is blissfully unaware of their machinations.

The Mark Plotkin video is 55min long:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ALG5NQgcMqQ

There's also a presenter show reel from someone called James Wong - very enjoyable;
apparently it's a promo for a TV programme pitch called "Suburban Shaman":
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HZJ4ewD5pg8
(duplicate at: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5BvQCZ2xaRE - with slightly different text)

 

[xylaria]

Congratulations you have found the uses of himalayan balsam:You_Rock_
(malaria treatment in the leaves, lamp oil from the seeds)

I do wonder how effective herbal malaria treatments are. Do you know they found a drug in mugwort that kills the parasite, it is cheap to make, and they don't think resistance can develop. Mugwort, wormwood and tarragon have being used globally since recorded time, to treat parasitic infections.

 

[Jodie]

I didn't get that far last night, but I've settled down in front of the "telly" to watch it
and find out more about Himalayan balsam

First though I might write a spot of drivel in my blog about the summer science
exhibition where I got given a free epiphyte from Borneo (OK it probably came
from Woolworths) and a piece of coral from 400m down near Rockall (off the
UK coast I think). The coral had already been damaged by trawler nets and
apparently - very recently - the fishing industry has agreed to avoid certain
areas

I also got to whack spruce trees with a hammer...

I've had quite a fun evening!

 

[Jodie]

I've been in touch with the Suburban Shaman chap (see post below) and he mentioned
he did a piece with Richard and Judy on the plants of Harry Potter which is on YouTube.

On the computer I'm on at the moment I can't view it but I might try and get a net
connection tonight in my hotel as I really want to see it (and can't possibly wait the
four days until I am back in my flat!) as it would seem to combine my twin passions of
plants and science communication.

If you search for BGCI it should show up - along with a couple of other items that look
interesting.

Jo

 

[gregorach]

I'll watch it in full another time (it's bedtime!) but I got as far as hearing about the type of
Cordyceps fungus which invades an insect, eating part of its brain which causes it to
climb up the tallest tree in the forest. It then eats the rest of the brain killing the insect
and causing its exoskeleton to burst open, releasing the spores

Cordyceps fungi are fascinating, and freaky! There's a great segment about them on Attenborough's Life in the Undergrowth if you can track it down. There's actually loads of different ones, each specialising in a particular species of insect. The subtlety with which they can modify the behaviour of their hosts is just awesome.

 

[Jodie]

I might have nightmares

Also David Attenborough is so terrifyingly prolific that I feel a bit intimidated
by the volume of available DVDs so tend to admit defeat before I get started!

But I shall look out for Life in the Undergrowth - with any luck it'll be on UKTV
History soon, ta :-]

 

[Galemys]

and a piece of coral from 400m down near Rockall (off the
UK coast I think).

It's somewhere to the left of Scotland...

It's a shame it is still not possible to see Rockall with Google earth
I know it is only a tiny rock in an endless sea but I am intrigued by it since my childhood (my dad's atlas clearly showed it).

I'm just fascinated by remote and unknown islands. Luckily there was a Dutch writer, Boudewijn Buch, with the same 'island disease' ("Nesomania" he called it) who wrote books full of them and even made a travel program visiting some of my childhood dream islands.

Next on the Google earth-wishlist is Blupblup island (North of Papua New Guinea)

Cheers,

Tom

PS Rockall: 57'35''48 North 13'41''19 West, if anyone has a spare satelite to make some pictures from above…

PSPS Best Attenborough program ever (IMHO) is "Attenborough in Paradise", about birds-of-paradise

 

[gregorach]

I might have nightmares

Also David Attenborough is so terrifyingly prolific that I feel a bit intimidated
by the volume of available DVDs so tend to admit defeat before I get started!

But I shall look out for Life in the Undergrowth - with any luck it'll be on UKTV
History soon, ta :-]

Turns out the Cordyceps segment is on YouTube, of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCOQ0VU24xw

You might want to watch it from behind the sofa!

 

[Jodie]

I think I'd like to see that programme about nesomania more than the cordyceps thing
which I have just watched Fascinating and horrifying.

The magic plants of Harry Potter video was excellent.

 

[Jodie]

I might have found ethnobotany 'motherlode' in terms of videos

The University of Hawaii has an online introductory course in ethnobotany with
videos and accompanying documentation and the vids are very good.

Education Modules from the ethnobotany track
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/ethnobotany/educationmodules.html

I use the VLC player to watch the videos (copying and pasting the relevant URL
into the player) but the files can be viewed by the usual players.