‘Delicious science’ begins with three questions. Why, what and how do humans eat? Let’s scientifically analyze the human act of “eating” in the next three times.
First question. Why humans eat To answer this somewhat philosophical question, we must first distinguish between humans and non-humans. Except for inanimate objects like stones, living creatures are basically eaten. Plants “eat” air and sunlight, and other animals also eat grass and prey. Right. Organisms must eat to live. To live or to live is to eat. You can’t live without eating. If you don’t eat it, you die. First of all, what we know is that the equation ‘living’ = ‘eating’ holds. Why do you eat to live?
Then the question rises again. What do you mean by ‘live’? To live or live means that life must meet two conditions. It is self-preservation and reproduction. It is the definition of biologists. Self-preservation refers to the homeostasis of life. Even if the external environment changes, organisms must always keep the internal one constant. It is the power to adapt to challenges such as temperature, pressure and light. If homeostasis is not maintained, organisms die. For example, when the temperature outside the body rises, plants open their pores, lizards flee to the shade, and humans perspire. To refresh the interior and resist change. If you cross the limit, you lose a life. So self-preservation, or the ability to survive, is the first task and characteristic of life. Now, suppose a life survives all dangers and survives.
What’s next? It’s about leaving offspring. It is called reproduction or reproduction. It is a function to continue a longer life by giving birth to an entity similar to itself, one more life, before the end of its natural life span. If self-preservation is the function of maintaining the finite existence of individuals, reproduction is the longer-term task and characteristic of promoting infinite permanence. Self-preservation and reproduction are the basic conditions of living life. However, some people object. A software program like a computer virus or a company, like a company, tries to survive on its own by responding to external challenges, copying malicious code, or establishing subsidiaries, leaving no descendants. Right. This is because they are human-created forms of pseudo-life that mimic the characteristics of life. Artificial intelligence (AI), the latest software, is similar to humans beyond life. But let me tell you that further definitions of life include things like organization, metabolism, and evolution.
I will fix it. Having survived the changes in the external environment, life must leave offspring that resemble it. This is the function of self-preservation and reproduction. Eating is a process by which organisms replenish energy from the outside for the self-preservation and reproduction of the species. Plants absorb water and air to produce their own energy when exposed to sunlight, but animals have no choice but to inhale the energy accumulated by these plants and other animals. It is a distinction between herbivores and carnivores. Although grass and meat have different chemical compositions, they are ultimately broken down into three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. With a few regulatory elements such as vitamins and minerals, animals can go on with their lives.
So let’s go back to the original question. Why humans eat Since humans are also living beings, they must preserve and reproduce. It takes energy. For example, to maintain a constant body temperature and concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood, the aforementioned metabolism is required. Also called metabolism. It is the process of ingesting foreign substances and breaking them down in the body to extract energy. Commonly known as ‘eat well and pack your bags’ it refers to the digestive circulatory system. Hence, humans eat to provide the energy needed for survival and reproduction. Like a car that fuels itself to run on the fly, the plants and animals we eat supplement the calories we consume for survival and reproduction. It’s a refueling. We don’t use all of them, but we save about 30% of the nutrients we eat just in case. Like bears that hibernate, they too save money. In a word, the act of eating is the power to live. This is the biological answer to why we eat.
However, humans eat not only for biological survival and reproduction but also for emotions such as pleasure, communication and cultural background. This is a uniquely human trait. Most animals eat to live. But humans also live to eat. It means pursuing the pleasure of eating as well as survival. Even if it’s the same food, I try to eat delicious, fresh, happy and enjoyable. The food culture that seeks taste and style in the act of eating is a characteristic that only man possesses. So, in addition to the principles of physics, chemistry and biology, ‘Delicious Science’ will also cover some areas of psychology and brain science dealing with senses and perceptions. Art theory, like art and music, will also be mobilized from time to time. It means that “delicious science” broadly covers not only the science of food and cooking, but also the science of taste. Because taste and style are born on the border between science and culture and art.
Reporter Noh Seong-yeol [email protected]
Neutrino blog https://blog.naver.com/neutrino2020
