The monarch is a common butterfly, found in the Americas that is considered a poster species of pollinating insects. The monarch butterfly is easily recognizable because of its bright black, orange, and white patterns. Monarch butterflies are a parasite to their caterpillars’ only food source, milkweed. This plant itself is toxic to thwart insects from consuming its plant body, this includes an attempt to be toxic to monarchs. This has resulted in an evolutionary arms race between the two species. 

You’ve probably released monarch butterflies at some point in your life, if you’re from the Americas, but what do you really know about this flagship species? 

How does this tiny insect migrate such great distances, something normally only seen in larger animals like birds? How did monarchs evolve to eat a toxic plant, and why do they still exclusively eat it? What, if any, are the benefits of releasing captive raised Monarchs into the wild? What needs to be done to ensure the survival of this species?

You probably think you know all about this common butterfly, but do you really? Listen now to learn about the most recognizable and well studied butterflies on the planet.

In this episode, Jennifer and Amber explore the history of the potatoes. Or as a hobbit would say, "Po-tay-toes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew." However you like them, potatoes have changed the world. Jennifer insists potatoes are not roots or stems, but they’re tubers. Amber insists they are technically a specialized stem called a stolon. These tubers evolved to store food for potato plants when resources were scarce. The Native Americans living in what is now Peru quickly realized this benefit and began cultivating them. In the Western World, Potatoes were slow to catch on, due to the myth that they cause leprosy or that they were poisonous, and because they were thought of as “poor people” food. However, regardless of its rather interesting history, the potato has become the third most important food crop in the world.

The potato had a large effect on society; it yielded about three times the calories per acre of grain while also being  nutritious enough to almost support all your nutritional needs. It also grows in a wider variety of soils and climates, making it easy to grow almost anywhere.
Historically, potatoes were cheaper than bread, just as nutritious, and did not require a gristmill for grinding (which was important if money was tight). Because of this, potatoes sustained workers through the industrial revolution, and are still sustaining us in modern times. 

Potatoes have gotten a bad rap recently, but they are simple, nutritious, and taste good with a bit of butter. Listen now to learn about potato, the tuber native to the Americas. 

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Most widely known as the 'feel good chemical,' dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the pleasure area of the brain's reward system that plays a role in many important body functions, including movement, memory, and pleasurable reward and motivation. 

But do you really know what Dopamine really is, and what it actually does in your brain? Or how it works in other parts of your body, or even how other life forms use it?

Dopamine is made up of a benzene ring, which is one of the most important chemical structures that carbon based life forms need to exist. Dopamine is one of the oldest neurotransmitters (around 500 million years). Dopamine is found in a wide variety of both plants and animals, and it has a profound effect on the behaviors of all. 

Having the right amount of dopamine is important both for your body and your brain. High or low dopamine levels are associated with diseases including Parkinson's disease, restless legs syndrome and ADHD. Treating dopamine-related diseases can also cause issues. For example, treatments for Parkinson’s can cause schizophrenia-like symptoms, all because one tiny chemical in your brain is out of balance. 

The way your body makes and uses dopamine can actually be predicted based on your DNA, which makes some of us the losers when it comes to the dopamine gene lottery. However, more research is needed to determine how and why each individual use of dopamine is different.

Listen now to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about dopamine, your motivation to do anything. 

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on Facebook @betterthanhumanpodcast

on Instagram @betterthanhumanpodcast

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or Email us at betterthanhumanpodcast@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you, and we look forward to you joining our cult of weirdness!