The Potato: Pivotal Discovery

There have been many discoveries and technical advancements throughout human history; the discovery of magnetism, utilization of mathematics, the understanding of the mechanics of gravity and the harnessing the power of the atom. With all these pivotal discoveries and huge technological advancements, there have been many that have been overlooked, such as “The Potato.”

Since I was a child, I have always been interested in topics that kids and even adults would find inexorably boring and absurd. My parents were at one time concerned at my unorthodox interest. At one time, I remember myself enraged when my dad decided to turn the channel when I was glued to the TV watching a documentary on OPB about crabs. I recall myself when I was 8 running around my backyard chasing and collecting bugs. Ants were my favorite, as I would create mini ant farms. While bugs and crabs interest me still to this day, the potato caught my attention.

I am amazed at the various functions a potato can perform. It is arguably one of the most versatile food product out there. Unlike other foodstuffs, the potato comes in various names and has influenced slang. Some examples are tuber, spud and the infamous “couch potato.” Whenever potato comes into someone’s mind, they immediately think food! My friends, the potato is much more! It has been symbolized in toys such as Mr. Potato Head. It can be used as a projectile in spud guns and potato cannons. This food product has also been filmed in feature films such as Toy Story. The potato has also influenced our culture in some ways as well such as the highly controversial French fry (Or freedom fry, whatever makes people happy) and potato chip.

The potato did not inspire me to pursue my goals, spark my perceptiveness or inspire me in any way. I didn’t dig that deep when preoccupied with this. What it did though is make me aware of my unique interest in science and in history. It all started when I was about to cook some clam chowder when on