I've always wanted to know, do plants think? I just like to assume they do but I read this article about an experiment that a few Russian scientists did with cabbage. Here it is:
A row of about six cabbage plants were attached to a sensitive instrument that measured various electronic waves transmitted by the living plants. The device worked somewhat like an electroencephalograph attached to the human brain.
During the experiment, a man entered the room each day at a certain time to water and add nourishment to the soil in each of the pots in which the cabbages were growing. The signals were recorded. There was a reaction to this activity each day.
Then one day a new person entered the room carrying an ax. This man walked up to one of the cabbage plants and chopped it to pieces. The response on the recorders was immediate. There was a wild increase in electronic activity. It was clear that the other cabbage plants not only were aware of this terrible event, they expressed a strong response to what just happened.
From that time on, the mere entrance of the room by the man who had wielded the ax, caused the same kind of electronic reaction among the surviving cabbage plants.
The conclusion among the scientists conducting the study is that the cabbage plants not only are aware of their surroundings, they communicate with one another, and respond to events that affect them.
No, what happens is that this chemical causes further growth on the darker side of the plant. Since that side is growing faster than the other, it will cause a curvature toward the light. This isn't the greatest picture to explain it with, but here goes:
In this picture, the light would be shining in from the right. Now, because auxin moves away from light, it will move towards the left side of the growth shoot. Because Auxin also induces growth, the left side where the auxin is gathered away from the sun will grow faster, causing a curvature. But, this curvature will be towards the sun.
I guess that is what the brain is. a giant series of chemical reactions. Probably the plant has a smaller amount of these reactions and they are just not put in one place like the brain.
Most of these chemicals are freely diffusible throughout the plant, some of them are localized as well however.
I kind of relate it to how jellyfish work. They are wired to get food, protect themselves, etc. But not by choice. It is by adaptation. Jellyfish can catch food and stay away from predators, but they have to brain. They are controlled by a nerve net which responds to certain stimuli. They do not have the ability to know how to react consciously, they just do it.
Whereas if you have a brain, you are able to consciously take in a situation and change what you are doing because of it. Plants just respond.
Exactly jwalshjr, I do not see them as having intelligence because all they can do is react. They cannot asses a situation, look around, and decide what the best course of action would be.
Okay, so I looked through all the posts. I don't think the question is answerable without first defining what "thinking" is. Classically it's defined as having thoughts, i.e. sentience. Is there a baser level of thought to which we're referring?
Thinking is looking at options and taking the best one, and does not have to include brainstorming. All your brain is is a bunch of interconnected neurons. The signals get passed from one to another by changing electrical energy to chemical energy and back again. I view thinking as assesing a situation and using that as a base for reaction.
You are right Moegreche. That is why Carlie and I have been arguing. I veiw thinking as a natural reaction system while Carlie veiws it as a conciousness (I think).
Hmm, this is an interesting point. So I guess if you guys are operating from different definitions of "thinking" then you would both be right by your own definitions. Hmmm, I think I smell a new thread topic.
I view thinking as the conscious effort to make a decision. Everything else are just chemical reactions responding to physical stimulae. It takes no actual thought, and without thought there is no intelligence.
Thought is the capacity to reason. Plants do not reason, they just DO.
1) If thought is the capacity to reason, then thought requires a brain. (Premise) 2)Thought is the capacity to reason. (Premise) 3)Thought requires a brain (Modus Ponens 1,2) 4)Plants do not have brains (Premise) 5)Anything without a brain cannot think. / Plants cannot think. (3,4,5)
depends on what plant it is, they might have different senses of intelligence, as maybe we animals have considered on making the 'brain size' the main topic of our intelligence
