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The Fruit Detective Syndrome 🍐

SB205

Image from bakery.ai, a quite cool bakery chatbot

Hi there!

I don’t know how much your life depends on AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, but I’ve found something cool.

On Recomendo Mark Frauenfelder wrote:

…instead of asking “Write an action-item list for planning a trip to Kyoto next fall,” ask “I’m taking a trip to Kyoto next fall. Write a prompt I can use to ask you to create an action-item list.”

This simple trick leads to better results.

That makes me think: what if going meta, shifting up a layer, could drive us to better results?

In cooking, we already do that. We bake bread instead of buying it. Chefs grow crops to get the best vegetables. Good wineries pick the terroirs they know better.

We all improve by being active and asking for a better way to make things.

Piero

PS: still working for the right font size…

PPS: hey, I added a “listen online” option. You tell me what you think of that.

ONE ✤ QUOTE

✦ Martin Scorsese, director, probably talking about me making mistakes while cooking.

The Fermentation Kitchen by Sam Cooper
→ Shortplot: 🥬 🧂 🍓 🫙

THE ITALIAN FRUIT DETECTIVE

The Smithsonian Magazine has an incredible story about Isabella Dalla Ragione, a scientist who studying famous paintings and frescos has discovered many fruits that were once common in Italy but have since disappeared.

Some examples include:

Acquaiola cherries. These cherries were once common in Italy but have now almost disappeared. They were pale red with a white tint and were seen as symbolic of Christ's blood.
Api piccola apples. These apples were once common in Italy but have now become rare. They are crunchy and tart and can be stored at room temperature for about seven months.
Cow-nose apples. These apples were once common in Italy but have now become rare. They are so named because their shape recalls an elongated snout.
Bufalini pears. These pears were once common in Italy but have now become rare. They are known for their diversity and adaptability to different conditions.

Why does this work count so much? Well, Dalla Ragione's work is important because it helps to preserve the genetic diversity of Italian fruit trees. This diversity is important for the future of Italian agriculture, as it will help trees to adapt to the changing climate.

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