Last Wednesday I attended a Rose Cafe where the speaker, Ph. D. student Erica Hernandez, summarized various methods for growing produce through hydroponics as well as their strengths and weaknesses. I think that I found her presentation especially interesting because the lettuce grown hydroponically was included on the menu for that day’s Rose House dinner. Beyond seeing the photos of the lettuce growing, I also was able to relate some of her explanations of the light influence on plant growth and development to the basic, related topics discussed in my intro comparative physiology courses. As someone more interested and knowledgeable of animal, namely human, systems, it was nice to have an elementary prior understanding of what she was talking about.