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The Cornell Daily Sun
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025




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More Than a Jack-O’-Lantern: The Science Behind Pumpkins

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Neither purely pie nor porch prop, the pumpkin haunts the boundary between science and superstition — a gourd so undefinable that even botanists can’t pin it down. From “zumpkins” born in backyard compost to hybrids bred for spooky perfection, the modern pumpkin’s true essence lies not in taxonomy, but in tradition.