Could We Build a Tree?

[Old Monkey]

I look at mature trees and am thoroughly impressed. They are so strong and supple at the same time. What I wonder is if we could, using whatever materials available, build a large shade tree? I tend to think not but I am not certain. It would be interesting to see what an engineer would do.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Here ya go Darin.....
http://lnr.cambridge.gov.uk/uploads/build_a_tree_game.pdf
Or...
http://nand.net/~paras/genetic_decision_trees/

Or we could just plant or raise a baby tree from its sprout, trim it accordingly for its health and aesthetic requirements.
Shape it too its environment so to speak.

 

[SkwerI]

Living wood is many times stronger than dead wood. We cannot create a living tree, we can only mimic it with dead materials. A living tree grows stronger with time while a man made replica will only get weaker.

 

[Che]

I thought it was only Doctors who had a 'God complex', Darin....?

 

[gf beranek]

Well, Disney worlds Tree of Life certainly appears real enough. I imagine if someone with the money wanted to take it a step farther they could build a giant sequoia.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Living wood is many times stronger than dead wood. We cannot create a living tree, we can only mimic it with dead materials. A living tree grows stronger with time while a man made replica will only get weaker.

I have living wood on my property in many forms. Some are strong and some not so much so. It all depends on the environment and circumstance it grows in. Man can not mimic a trees life and make it accordingly suitable to how "man" would like it to manifest with out all consideration of environment etc.
Using dead materials would only defeat the purpose of a living organism.
Now if we engineer a living organism. Be it genetically and perfect environmental conditions it has a chance to develop into a beautiful being of a tree. No such thing as perfect (by mans standards). But a considerably wonderful life form. Magnificent in its own right. God complex no. We are still care takers of the given life that stands before us no matter. As humans we will strive for what we feel is perfection for that tree. However, I have seen symbiosis of trees to other forms of life and environment that would make a seemingly imperfect tree perfect for it's place in the scheme of its location. Let's face it, even dead wood serves a purpose in nature. Stronger need not be better, it only makes it longer lived. Can I shape it to try to help it survive and prosper? Yes. Can I dictate how it will all work out from start to finish.. Probably not. Trees will out live me any day. And who am I to say that that leaning scrag is not perfect ?

 

[MasterBlaster]

No, we can't build a tree.

 

[Stumper]

Brian, I am going to argue with you on an important technicality. Dry undecayed wood is stronger than green/living wood-Quite a bit stronger. However green wood is more flexible than dry wood. Strength is easy to quantify as resistance to bending, crushing or deformation but being able to bend further without breaking is a desirable attribute for a live tree so, in a sense, weaker IS stronger-not literally stronger but more enduring, better adapted to survival.

 

[Mr. Sir]

No!

TREES by Joyce Kilmer

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

 

[Mr. Sir]

I thought it was only Doctors who had a 'God complex', Darin....?

Scientists too!

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. They picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, “God, we’ve decided that we no longer need you. We’re to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don’t you just leave us be.”

God listened patiently to the man and after the scientist was finished talking, God said, “Very well. How about this? Let’s have a man making contest.”

The scientist, with great arrogance said, “That would be fine.”

The Lord added, “Now, we are going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam.”

The scientist said, “Sure, no problem,” then bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt.

God said to the scientist, “No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!”

 

[Old Monkey]

I thought it was only Doctors who had a 'God complex', Darin....?

The two things I think these days when I walk up under some great old tree is one, "there is no way we could build that" and two "that is so huge, how come there is no obvious depletion of soil and materials around the tree."


Mr. Sir a scientist who is an atheist(scientist are not all atheists) has as much interest in talking with god as he does in talking with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. They do have a reverence for the power and grandeur of nature. You can be humble even without a god in heaven.

 

[Mr. Sir]

It was a joke. :roll:

 

[Old Monkey]

Sorry, I took it as an agenda joke.

 

[Mr. Sir]

Who, me? Nah!

It's all good!

 

[GASoline71]

Well, Disney worlds Tree of Life certainly appears real enough. I imagine if someone with the money wanted to take it a step farther they could build a giant sequoia.

The Swiss Family Robinson Tree in the Anahiem Disneyland looks pretty real too...

Gary

 

[gf beranek]

It would be cool, I think.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Brian, I am going to argue with you on an important technicality. Dry undecayed wood is stronger than green/living wood-Quite a bit stronger. However green wood is more flexible than dry wood. Strength is easy to quantify as resistance to bending, crushing or deformation but being able to bend further without breaking is a desirable attribute for a live tree so, in a sense, weaker IS stronger-not literally stronger but more enduring, better adapted to survival.

Yes a trade off, of elastic distance for power; but to roughly same total capacity of both together, dictated by the wood itself. In kiln drying we would try to fine tune the tradeoff properties, to make 2x4's etc.

Thus, dead (but not rotted) or cold hinging, could give less elastic pull by back field(for sterring etc.), but more compressive push on dutch (in 'front field' face) to use.

 

[Mr. Sir]

This is an interesting question you've asked, Darin. I've been pondering it all day. The structural engineering is just one aspect to consider. You would also have to create a small factory within each leaf, basically a miniature chemistry lab to "feed" the living cells of the tree. Of course, you would also need a transportation system to carry water and essential elements from the ground up to the leaves, a defense mechanism to protect against insects and diseases, a repair/rehabilitation system to fix any damage, etc., etc., etc. A complicated problem, to say the least. This got me to thinking about the essential function of trees, their "essence" or nature, so to speak. What is their purpose and why such variety? Thanks for such a stimulating mental activity. Seriously!

 

[Old Monkey]

Working with trees has greatly increased my appreciation of all they do. They really are quite impressive.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Yah, evolution works.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

To me, we can learn more from trees than teach'em. They do so many things right and superlative at once. They are such survivors that they stake out a territory like an animal(if left to their own), but instead of wandering to a richer territory(becasue they can't), they make the present one better and richer for them selves and all 'associates' as well(if left to their own).

 

[Mr. Sir]

Yah, evolution works.

Yah, Whoever designed it sure knew what He was doing!

 

[gf beranek]

Building a tree, or bio-engineering a tree?

With materials you can build a facsimile of a tree in short time and get exactly what you want. Through bio-engineering it would take many years longer, but nonetheless it would eventually yield some of the desired traits you're aiming for.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Yah, Whoever designed it sure knew what He was doing!

Shigo?

 

[woodworkingboy]

In terms of the material as a medium for making attractive things, it has a quality that man would be hard pressed to replicate. Wood responds to efforts to bring out it's beauty in an endless way. The more you work it, the greater the depth of clarity and variation that it reveals.

Take a wood like Black Walnut, for example; it has an overall warm appearance when cut, but there are many subtle tones of greens, browns and purples, that don't reveal themselves until planeing it and polishing to an extensive degree. The more effort and time that gets put in, the greater the reward of interesting and beautiful that gets given back to you. It's infinite, and there is no point that you can't go beyond, if you want to. It's both visual and tactile. I can't much think of a man made material that has such an inherent quality to it.

Then, someone goes and sets a hot coffee cup directly down on it....