Pumpkins are interesting plants. The way they grow, their unique color and how they vary in so many different shapes and sizes! The Atlantic Giant pumpkin can weigh more than 1800 pounds, while some other full grown pumpkins weigh no more than an ounce! An interesting thought to ponder is this: why do some pumpkins change their shape as they grow? Most large pumpkins seem a bit different in shape than the smaller ones. And why don't the larger pumpkins collapse under their own weight? A scientist name David Hu decided to pursue the answer to this question. After researching, he concluded that the reason bigger pumpkins are different in shape has everything to do with gravity. Evidently the cells of the pumpkin walls divide faster from the stress that gravity puts on them, giving the pumpkin a strange new look, with strong walls supporting the sagging top. To learn more on this subject, visit this site:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10332
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