Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Nature & Environment > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Nature & Environment

Plants are very good at making decisions

By T.K. Randall
July 4, 2016 · Comment icon 14 comments

How smart are the plants in your garden ? Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Angelynn
Despite not even having a brain, plants are actually quite adept at making important life choices.
They might not be capable of self-awareness or complex logical thought processes, but when it comes to making decisions plants are surprisingly good at making the right choice.

In a recent study, researchers grew a number of pea plants and split their roots between two pots.

While both pots contained the same amount of nutrients on average, the levels in one of the pots was kept constant while the other varied over time. After a certain amount of time had passed the team then switched things up by keeping the nutrient levels equal in both pots.
Their findings indicated that the plants would lay their roots in the less predictable pot when the nutrient levels were low but would pick the more consistent pot when the levels were high.

This behavior is similar to the way a game show contestant might choose to gamble a low prize for the chance to win a higher prize because they wouldn't really have much to lose.

The plants actually seemed to know when to take a chance and when to play it safe.



Source: Gizmodo | Comments (14)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #5 Posted by bubblykiss 8 years ago
My entire garden suicided itself rather than letting me farm it. That probably speaks volumes about me.
Comment icon #6 Posted by Dark_Grey 8 years ago
"Don't get too down on yourself" ..is what I wrote 5min ago, trying to make a joke out of it. Sorry mate - maybe stick to plastic shrubbery?
Comment icon #7 Posted by universal skeptic 8 years ago
Plants are smarter than people.
Comment icon #8 Posted by Thorvir Hrothgaard 8 years ago
Tell that to the ones that won't get out of the way of my mower.  Hell, at least the insects are capable of that.
Comment icon #9 Posted by Why not 8 years ago
I'd be willing to gamble there are plants smarter then some of the people I've seen on the Price Is Right over the years.
Comment icon #10 Posted by Cryptid_Control 8 years ago
Even the plants are smarter than me now... It's not looking good
Comment icon #11 Posted by jethrofloyd 8 years ago
He's smart, he's the plant....he's Robert Plant! (Led Zeppelin)
Comment icon #12 Posted by GreenmansGod 8 years ago
I don't understand how the plants are making a choice? The roots grow better on the side with more nutrients, I would think that would be a given. I don't understand the study,    Maybe I am not reading it right. I was hoping it was something I could send off to my vegan friends, but that might be more trouble than it is worth.  Wouldn't want them to starve to death.  
Comment icon #13 Posted by ChaosRose 8 years ago
Maybe we should vote for the ficus.     
Comment icon #14 Posted by freetoroam 8 years ago
I think I am reading it the same as you. I can not understand how they can compare the plant to a game show contestant, it is not similar, as the game show contestant is = taking a chance, the plant is not. If there are more nutrients in the other pot, it is not taking a chance because it has less to lose, it is taking the better option because other wise it could everything to lose.  I would not put this down to taking a chance, i would put it down to its natural survival instinct. If the game shop contestant loses, they do not wilt and die, they just lose the prize they were gambling for ... [More]


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles