Episode 3 Transcript

Hello everyone, this is REAL Science Challenge, I’m Kent Lui, real science teacher.

February is Black history month, and we’ re continuing our discussion of scientific contributions by individuals from the black community. Today, we breakdown

• The big impact of the little peanut,
• and we tell you one action you can take going forward to make your world a better place.

Download our free worksheet for this episode from realsciencechallenge.com. It’s got all you need to follow along.

Let’s get going, this is REAL Science Challenge.

Intro

Consider the humble peanut. For such a small item, it sure is used in a lot of things. According to one report, peanuts were used in 45% of snacks and roughly 15% of new food products. They can also be found in non food items like soaps and shampoos, face creams, and stuffing for neck pillows or stuffed animals. But, it didn’t start out that way for the peanut. When it was first grown in the us in the late 1800s, it was used to feed livestock, as a source of oil, and as a cocoa substitute – not as the multipurpose item it is today.

The thing that makes me go hmmm… about the peanut is its rise in popularity as a cash crop. It wasn’t until the early 1900s – decades after it was first grown in the us – did the popularity of the peanut begin to rise. How come? What was the cause for this surge? 

Illustrate Your Science

I want you to take a few minutes and come up with 2 explanations for this phenomenon: What do you believe was the reason or reasons why growing peanuts suddenly became so popular after decades of being ignored?

Discuss with your partner. But don’t do an internet search. I don’t want to know what Google is thinking – I want to know what you’re thinking.You can draw out and label your ideas under the Illustrate Your Science Section of our worksheet. Set your timers for 3 minutes. Pause the video. Then come back afterwards when time is up. Ready? Begin.

Welcome back! Now, the big reveal: …?

It comes down to nitrogen and, specifically,  nitrogen compounds in the soil. Some of these nitrogen compounds are used by plants and crops to help them grow. Over time, the amount of useful nitrogen compounds in soil goes down, which results in a decrease in the amount of crop produced. This was the case for cotton  in the United States about 100 years ago. George Washington Carver, a black scientist and university professor, developed the idea of using crop rotation to help poor southern farmers increase their cotton production. Instead of planting cotton year over year on the same plot of land, farmers were encouraged to plant a crop that would help replenish the useful nitrogen compounds in the soil every other year. The peanut plant was one such plant. So, on one year, farmers planted cotton, and the next year, they planted peanuts, and then the following year, cotton – switching back and forth –  and the amount of cotton grown increased. Another byproduct was a sudden surplus of peanuts too. This led to the development of hundreds of applications for it. George Washington Carver came up with over 300 applications for peanuts.

Form Connections

Consider the following: Where else in your everyday life have you seen something like this – where such a big impact on your health can be determined by such a basic science concept? Write out your ideas under “Connection Corner” of our worksheet and follow the guiding questions if you need help getting started.

Direct Messages

Let’s wrap up this up, people, with some direct messages from me to you to make this world a better place.

First, support sustainable agriculture.  Buy from those corporations that use it. Or, adjust your lifestyle so you consume less of things that are not produced sustainably. Sustainable agriculture uses methods to meet our present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. George Washington Carver wasn’t just a man obsessed with peanuts – he was one of the first to promote sustainable agricultural practices – practices that are still relevant in how we grow food today. 

Second, change the world by geeking out. Do a deep dive into questions that may change the world. Who knows? Maybe you’ll develop agricultural practices that will help feed our population and maintain the health of our planet. It all starts by asking a question. So, what makes you go hmmm about peanuts or about sustainable farming practices? And, what do you want to study next? Follow the templates under Question Composition on our worksheet to help you started.

Thanks for watching REAL Science Challenge. We have more resources to help  on our website. Also, please subscribe to our channel by clicking the red button below.

Until next time, keep it REAL.

Resources

Handout(s): Ep3 – Big Effect, Little Peanut

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