The Mystery ... of Plants
Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 00:05
A recent article in the NY Times points out some of the research done in the field of plant biology:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/science/22angi.html
But many questions remain unanswered. Questions that would have fascinated Charles Darwin but are ignored by modern scientists, because of the "woo-ish" and contraversial aspect of plant behavior.
For instance, Wikipedia's article on "plant intelligence" ... is two sentences long.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_intelligence
Plant neurobiology, a contraversial idea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_neurobiology
The question is: How do plants know what they know in order to do what they do?
How do they attract useful, symbiotic animal species, or repel unwanted parasitic ones? How did they evolve to know what colors, shapes, patterns, scents and flavors attract or repel specific animals? Without visual organs or a nervous system, plants must know the sizes and shapes of animals in order to accomodate them (hummingbirds for instance). They must know about the digestive systems of large animals, in order to produce seeds that can survive being eaten. They must know what colors animals can see. They must know what shapes may attract or may scare off animals. And they must know what scents and tastes animals find attractive or repulsive. And specifically for specific animals.
What are plants doing with animal neurotransmitters, with compounds like acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA and cannabinoids?
Thinking? Getting stoned?
Thinking about us? Spying on us?
Reading our minds? Controlling us?
What have you got to say for yourself?
Shy, huh?
From David Attenborough - The Private Life of Plants:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/science/22angi.html
But many questions remain unanswered. Questions that would have fascinated Charles Darwin but are ignored by modern scientists, because of the "woo-ish" and contraversial aspect of plant behavior.
For instance, Wikipedia's article on "plant intelligence" ... is two sentences long.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_intelligence
Plant neurobiology, a contraversial idea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_neurobiology
The question is: How do plants know what they know in order to do what they do?
How do they attract useful, symbiotic animal species, or repel unwanted parasitic ones? How did they evolve to know what colors, shapes, patterns, scents and flavors attract or repel specific animals? Without visual organs or a nervous system, plants must know the sizes and shapes of animals in order to accomodate them (hummingbirds for instance). They must know about the digestive systems of large animals, in order to produce seeds that can survive being eaten. They must know what colors animals can see. They must know what shapes may attract or may scare off animals. And they must know what scents and tastes animals find attractive or repulsive. And specifically for specific animals.
What are plants doing with animal neurotransmitters, with compounds like acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA and cannabinoids?
Thinking? Getting stoned?
Thinking about us? Spying on us?
Reading our minds? Controlling us?
What have you got to say for yourself?
Shy, huh?
From David Attenborough - The Private Life of Plants: