The new research, he says, is in a field called plant neurobiology — which is something of a misnomer, because even scientists in the field don’t argue that plants have neurons or brains.
“They have analagous structures,” Pollan explains. “They have ways of taking all the sensory data they gather in their everyday lives … integrate it and then behave in an appropriate way in response. And they do this without brains, which, in a way, is what’s incredible about it, because we automatically assume you need a brain to process information.”
And we assume you need ears to hear. But researchers, says Pollan, have played a recording of a caterpillar munching on a leaf to plants — and the plants react. They begin to secrete defensive chemicals — even though the plant isn’t really threatened, Pollan says. “It is somehow hearing what is, to it, a terrifying sound of a caterpillar munching on its leaves.”
Pollan says plants have all the same senses as humans, and then some. In addition to hearing, taste, for example, they can sense gravity, the presence of water, or even feel that an obstruction is in the way of its roots, before coming into contact with it. Plant roots will shift direction, he says, to avoid obstacles.
Dear Mr. Trudeau: Today’s attempt at political mind manipulation hidden in the Sunday Comics indicates to me that you have lost your creative talent for sarcastic humor. I laugh out loud each day about Hilary, Ms. Waters, Ms. Irrelevant Feinstein, Ms. Warren of Indian heritage, and the fossiliferous Ms. Pelosi, and similar liberals who cannot accept the fact that they are, for the moment, irrelevant. They roll around in the most absurdly humorous ways, pining their lost world that they so took for granted – why can’t you find humor in that fertile ground when your creative juices are on hold? Conservatives are easy targets when your your cutting wit is in a roadblock. The above-mentioned political targets are far more hilarious…Today’s comic from you is nothing more than a blatant, biased attempt at political thought manipulation. And the great thing about early voting is that it is behind us and attempts like this to influence events are irrelevant. And by the way, how is your attempt at influencing US voting experiences any different that what the Russians and others try to undertake? Shame…
Its all perspective, Bubba. A few more years and all viewpoints are irrelevant, whether you win or lose. Sad for blatant political lickspittal in the form of humor… Other times, other views…No one is right or wrong; only the feeble attempts to manipulate your mind change their perspectives.
He seems to be fairly mangy….