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.
Pseudoscience if I ever did see it. Even if the plants could in fact think at all, then they would be unable to observe the cabbage being torn to shreds to to lack of any sensory organs. And, assuming they had both of those things, and the intelligence to understand what had happened, what would the significance of this be?
Furthermore, there's no evolutionary pressure for such "lant empathy." *Cabbage next to me gets chopped up* Ooh, free lettuce and organic material...less crowded soil, and more sunlight.
Furthermore, there's no evolutionary pressure for such "lant empathy." *Cabbage next to me gets chopped up* Ooh, free lettuce and organic material...less crowded soil, and more sunlight.
I don't know, maybe "HOLLY CRAP THEY GOT BOB! Maybe I will be next! I better sit here and do nothing, like cabbage always do. That will save me!"? The only logical reason would be self preservation, which cabbage are unable to do anyway...
Well ignoring rock leo, I did learn in school one time that trees purposely grow over other trees so that they don't get as much light and don't thrive.
i dont find plants inelligent what so ever if they feel no pain or move around thats not by the wind sure they grow over time but thats the only part of it i see that gives it proof of life
Read the LOTR series. The Ents in The Two Towers are sentient trees and they complain about how humans are destroying the forrest. When that happens, I will believe that there are sentient plants capable of thought, but until that day, sorry mack, there is no way that a cabbage can get freaked out by a guy with an axe.
Man you guys are just plant haters / non believers > Can sensing what other plants are feeling through "lant hormones" Be considered intelligence for a plant atleast?
Man you guys are just plant haters / non believers
Non believer describes me pretty well here.
an sensing what other plants are feeling through "lant hormones" Be considered intelligence for a plant atleast?
That would be impressive, but considering the fact that plants do not feel, and cabbage don't have hormones to my knowledge, then it would be impossible.
Also I found this from a website... Plants are bursting with movement. They are rich in sensation, and respond to the stimulation of the Surrounding world every moment of their active lives. They can send messages to one another about overcrowding or a threatened attack by a new pest. Within each plant there is ceaseless activity as purposive as that in an animal. Many of them share hormones that are remarkably similar to our own. Their senses are sophisticated: some can detect the lightest touch (better than the sensitivity of the human fingertips), and they all have a sense of vision. (http://www.brianjford.com/soulsa.htm)
Plants have a sense of visions?? Could you quote that passage please, because I don't want to read everything of that.. And yes, plants do move quite a lot, they rotate on their axis several times a day which is how, for example, climbing plants screw along a support; they do interact, and can sense their surrounding in a way; but you formulated it as though this was all a conscious process, which in my opinion is wrong; they can't have a consciousness as we have.
