Plant Snap

Alright, so Plant Snap is an app that can be downloaded right onto your phone from the app store. Basically, it allows anyone to take a picture of any plant, and it instantly comes up with suggestions for the most likely options. This is incredible!!! I mean Wow, I've tested the app out on plants all over Arcata California, and it works. The picture has to be good, and the inflorescence generally has to be seen, but the app generally comes up with the right species every time. It is amazing that this technology exists right now. I talked with my friends about this app, and we realized that it is sort of like facial recognition for plants. It can analyze the features of a plant and determine exactly who it is. WOW! All of the old field guides are still very useful, but when I simply pull out my phone, take a picture, and a few seconds later have a result, it is hard to see the textbook form of keying out plants lasting much longer. 

     On one hand, I love that this app is available, because it opens up the world of plants to anyone. Someone who is curious about something has the answers at their fingertips. However, I feel worried that as technology like this becomes more and more common, our natural instincts and love for the environment around may diminish. I could be wrong, people could become more enthusiastic with all of this information and power at the tip of their fingertips. However, if history has taught me anything, it is that when things become easier to us, we often lose our energy and interest. I love plants and animals, and I am going to study them for the rest of my life. I hope that apps like these make it easier for everyone to understand their surroundings, but at the same time, I hope people continue to ask questions and think critically about the processes underlying all of the species' interactions.
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