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11 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why did plants evolve caffeine? |
Caffeine is used as a defense mechanism. It is lethal to insects in high doses and makes a bitter taste. However, the caffeine does not kill the insects, as this might produce resistance. It confuses and reduces the insects' appetite. It also has herbicidal properties that kill competing seedlings. |
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What is the relationship between caffeine and bees? |
Tea, coffee, and citrus plants release caffeine in the pollen as a way to attract pollinators. Bees are more likely to recognise a food with caffeine in it than any other. However, the plant is exploitative, as it lowers forage quality and makes bees return despite no pollen being available. |
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Briefly outline the history of coffee. |
Coffee and tea arrived in Europe in 1650. However, both were known in indigenous places for millenia. Tea was used in China as early as 1000 BC in medicine. Coffee was drunk in Ethiopia in 850 AD. |
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Why was tea and coffee beneficial for a person's health in historic times. |
Coffee and tea was the safest thing you could drink as you had to boil it. Tannins present in both are also shown to have microbial properties |
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Briefly describe the origin of Lloyd's Insurance. |
Lloyd's started as a coffee house frequented by merchants to gain news and buy insurance policies on ships. It later became solely about insurance policies. |
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What effect does caffeine have on creativity? |
There are two types of focus: spotlight and lantern (common in toddlers and psychedelics). Caffeine improves spotlight focus, however diminishes lantern focus, which can limit creativity. |
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What is the history of roasting coffee beans? |
Coffee beans were first roasted to stop live seeds from being exported out of the Middle East. This embargo was broken by a Dutch merchant in 1616. |
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How did tea become the drink of choice in England? |
In the late 1700's, the East India Trading Company began trading with China, allowing tea to be distributed to the poor and wealthy alike. |
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What is a pharmacon? |
A pharmacon is a substance that could be considered a medicine or a poison depending on its use - like caffeine |
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Why do soft drinks have caffeine as an ingredient? |
While the Coca Cola company claims that caffeine is added for the slight bitter taste, a double blind study shows that caffeine does not impact flavour. Instead, the taste is associated with caffeine in order to make it more addictive. |
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Briefly outline the history of the coffee break. |
After WW2, a company was having trouble finding adequate workers to replace the young men lost. They were replaced with mostly women workers, however they found that they were less effective. After they introduced two 15 minute breaks with access to coffee, they found the new workers could do more in 8 hours than what the males could do in 6. After a debate in federal court, it was decided that this break should be paid. |
