The Symbiotic Algae Suit

NerdAlert

21 Aug 201303:17

Summary

TLDRArtists Michael Berton and Micho Nikita have conceptualized the 'algaculture symbiotic suit,' where algae grow in tubes fed by the wearer's carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. This innovative idea draws inspiration from photosynthetic creatures like sea slugs. In their 'Algae Opera,' an opera singer enhances algae quality by breathing carbon dioxide, affecting taste through sound frequencies. Although the concept may seem far-fetched and unappetizing, it presents a sustainable and futuristic approach to food production.

Takeaways

🌱 Algae as a sustainable food source: The script discusses the potential of algae as a sustainable food source, highlighting its ability to grow through photosynthesis.
👩‍🎨 Artistic innovation: Michael Berton and Micho Nikita have created the 'algaculture symbiotic suit', where algae grow in tubes and are fed by the wearer's carbon dioxide.
🎭 The Algae Opera: An art piece where an opera singer uses her lung capacity to feed algae with carbon dioxide, suggesting a connection between sound and algae quality.
🎵 Sound and taste: The concept that different pitches and frequencies can affect the taste of food, specifically algae, is introduced as a new way to enhance food flavor.
🌿 Photosynthetic creatures: The script references scientific studies on photosynthetic creatures like sea slugs and salamanders that subsist on algae.
🌳 Debunked myths: It mentions the debunked idea that talking to plants helps them grow, clarifying that it's the carbon dioxide exhaled, not the sound, that aids growth.
🤔 Questioning the future: The script ponders whether algae could be a viable food source in a future where traditional food supplies are low.
🤢 Taste concerns: There is a humorous acknowledgment that algae might not be the most palatable food, comparing it to seaweed filled with bad breath.
📚 Literary references: The script draws a parallel to 'Lord of the Flies', suggesting a scenario where people might resort to consuming algae in a survival situation.
🎬 Pop culture: A reference to an episode of 'The Simpsons' is used to humorously illustrate the potential for algae as a food source in desperate times.

Q & A

What is the algaculture symbiotic suit?
-The algaculture symbiotic suit is a concept developed by artists Michael Berton and Micho Nikita. It involves wearing tubes filled with algae, which grow through photosynthesis, fed by the wearer's carbon dioxide and light.
How do the algae in the algaculture symbiotic suit grow?
-The algae grow through photosynthesis, utilizing the carbon dioxide exhaled by the wearer and light.
What is the basis for the concept of the algaculture symbiotic suit?
-The concept is based on the idea of photosynthetic creatures, as studied by scientists Deborah McKenzie and Michael Leage, which involve organisms like lyans, sea slugs, or salamanders that subsist on algae.
What is the significance of the 'algae Opera' art piece mentioned in the script?
-In the 'algae Opera,' an opera singer adorned with algae tubes uses her lung capacity to feed the algae with carbon dioxide, potentially producing higher quality algae.
How does the 'algae Opera' relate to the concept of sound affecting taste?
-The 'algae Opera' suggests that different pitches and frequencies can alter the taste of the algae, making it either bitter or sweet.
What is the scientific basis for the idea that sound affects plant growth?
-The idea that sound affects plant growth was debunked when it was found that plants respond to increased carbon dioxide levels, not the sound itself.
How does the script relate the concept of algae as a food source to the episode of The Simpsons?
-The script compares the idea of using algae as a food source to an episode of The Simpsons where characters survive by consuming slime, highlighting the unappetizing nature of algae.
What is the potential future application of the algaculture symbiotic suit?
-In a future where food supplies are low, the algaculture symbiotic suit could be a sustainable food source, though currently it is considered unappetizing.
Why might the idea of using algae as a food source be considered 'super gross'?
-The idea is considered 'super gross' due to the unappetizing nature of algae, often associated with seaweed and bad breath.
How does the script suggest that the algaculture symbiotic suit could be made more palatable?
-The script suggests that the taste of algae could potentially be improved by manipulating the sound frequencies, though this is presented in a somewhat humorous and skeptical manner.
What is the connection between the algaculture symbiotic suit and the concept of a symbiotic life form?
-The algaculture symbiotic suit represents a symbiotic relationship where the wearer provides the algae with carbon dioxide and light, and the algae in turn provides a potential food source.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Algae as a Sustainable Food Source

The script introduces the concept of using algae as a sustainable food source through the innovative 'algaculture symbiotic suit' designed by artists Michael Berton and Micho Nikita. The suit incorporates tubes where algae grow through photosynthesis, utilizing the wearer's carbon dioxide for growth. This symbiotic relationship is inspired by natural examples of photosynthetic creatures like sea slugs and salamanders that subsist on algae. The script also references an 'algae opera' where an opera singer, adorned with algae tubes, uses her lung capacity to enhance the algae's quality, suggesting that different pitches and frequencies can alter the taste of the algae, making it either sweet or bitter. This concept, while seemingly outlandish, is rooted in scientific research by Deborah McKenzie and Michael Leage.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sustainable Food Source

A sustainable food source refers to a type of food production that can be maintained over the long term without depleting natural resources or causing environmental harm. In the context of the video, algae are presented as a sustainable food source due to their ability to grow with minimal inputs and their potential to provide nutrition.

💡Algae

Algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that can be found in both freshwater and marine environments. They are considered a potential food source in the video because they can be cultivated using photosynthesis, requiring only light and carbon dioxide to grow, which makes them an efficient and eco-friendly option.

💡Algaculture

Algaculture, also known as algae farming, is the process of growing algae for various purposes, including food, fuel, and other products. In the video, the concept of algaculture is introduced through the 'algaculture symbiotic suit,' which showcases how algae can be grown on a wearable device.

💡Symbiotic

Symbiosis refers to a close and long-term interaction between two different biological organisms, where at least one of them benefits. In the video, the term is used to describe the relationship between humans and algae in the 'algaculture symbiotic suit,' where the algae benefit from the carbon dioxide exhaled by the wearer, and the wearer potentially benefits from the algae's growth.

💡Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll pigments. In the video, photosynthesis is the method by which algae in the suit are 'fed,' utilizing light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose.

💡Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a chemical compound that is a primary component of the Earth's atmosphere and is essential for the process of photosynthesis. In the video, the exhaled carbon dioxide from the wearer of the algaculture symbiotic suit is used by the algae to grow, illustrating a direct interaction between human respiration and algae growth.

💡Plal

Plal, a term coined in the video, seems to be a play on words combining 'plant' and 'animal,' referring to photosynthetic creatures. Examples given in the script include lyans, sea slugs, and salamanders that subsist on algae, highlighting the concept of mutualistic relationships in nature.

💡Algae Opera

The 'Algae Opera' is an art piece mentioned in the video where an opera singer adorned with algae tubes uses her lung capacity to feed the algae with carbon dioxide. This concept artistically explores the symbiotic relationship between humans and algae, as well as the potential for algae to be a food source.

💡Sonic Enhancement

Sonic enhancement, in the context of the video, refers to the idea that different pitches and frequencies can affect the taste of food, specifically algae in this case. The 'Algae Opera' is an example where the singer's voice is used to enhance the quality of the algae, suggesting a novel approach to improving the taste of a potential food source.

💡Flavoring

Flavoring in the video is discussed as a potential solution to make algae more palatable. Since the taste of algae is described as 'terrible' and 'awful,' the concept of using sound to alter its taste is introduced, although it is met with skepticism in the script.

💡The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an animated television show mentioned in the video as a cultural reference to illustrate a point about survival and finding unconventional food sources. The episode referenced involves the characters discovering slime as a potential food source, drawing a parallel to the idea of using algae as food in the future.

Highlights

Algae as a sustainable food source is proposed by artists Michael Berton and Micho Nikita.

The Algaculture Symbiotic Suit allows algae to grow in tubes fed by photosynthesis.

Wearing the tubes with algae creates a symbiotic relationship with the algae.

Algae feeds off the wearer's carbon dioxide and light.

The concept is based on plal, photosynthetic creatures like lyans, sea slugs, and salamanders.

The Algae Opera art piece involves an opera singer using her lung capacity to feed algae.

Different pitches and frequencies in the Algae Opera affect the taste of the algae.

The idea that sound can enhance food quality is likened to the debunked belief that talking to plants helps them grow.

The concept of using sound to influence taste is considered 'nutballs scientific'.

The idea of using algae as food is compared to a scene from The Simpsons where slime is considered a food source.

The potential of algae as a food source in a future with low food supplies is acknowledged.

The current perception of algae as a food source is described as 'super gross'.

The concept of feeding tubes in Dune is suggested as a potential future or current reality for algae-based sustenance.

The Algae Opera is highlighted as an example of how art can explore scientific concepts.

The idea of flavoring algae is proposed as a way to make it more palatable.

The comparison of algae to seaweed filled with bad breath is used to describe its taste.

The potential for algae as a future food source is juxtaposed with its current unappealing nature.