Another Example of Convergent Biochemical Evolution: Caffeine

Sometimes I feel a bit like an odd-man-out living in Seattle, the coffee house capital of the U.S., because I don't like coffee. Don't get me wrong -- I'm no saint when it comes to caffeine. I just prefer to obtain the chemical through other means: I love tea (I've never tried a tea I didn't like), and I'm also a lifelong addict connoisseur of that sweet intelligently designed nectar known as Mountain Dew. (Here's a shot of a shelf in my office sporting a small basalt column and two bottles o...