Dining Like Darwin: When Scientists Swallow Their Subjects
Scientists who eat the plants and animals they study are following in the tradition of Charles Darwin. During the voyage of The Beagle, he ate puma (“remarkably like veal in taste”), iguanas, giant tortoises, armadillos. He even accidentally ate part of a bird called a lesser rhea, after spending months trying to catch it so that he could describe the species.
Scientists are a driven bunch, dedicated and passionate about understanding the inner workings of the world. You must be focused, willing to work strange hours in every kind of weather. Willing to go beyond the known and be constantly inspired by your curiosity.
It takes guts to be a scientist. And a strong stomach doesn’t hurt, either.
I was in a graduate ecology class wh… Continue Reading