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.
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.
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]
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