A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to • Hacker News Board

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#21

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:27 AM UTC

GuiA wrote: post #16

kulu2002 wrote: post #10

Jagadish Chandra Bose[1] was one of the earliest Indian scientist who proved Plant perception[2] experimentally [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagadish_Chandra_Bose#Plant_re... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(paranormal)

Did you perhaps mean to link to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology) ?

[deleted]

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#22

Post by adityapurwa » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:28 AM UTC

I remember there was some experiments on plants that were treated differently. Both receives the same physical treatment (water, sunlight, etc). The difference was the other plant used to get yelled at, or cursed at. While the others is treated with kindness, talk positive in front of it. The result was, the plant who got cursed died. I forgot where I found this, would be helpful if anyone else encountered such researches.

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#23

Post by some_account » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:31 AM UTC

Humans can't perceive a lot of things, and on top of that, we have egos that makes us feel superior even though in reality, we are the only ones on the planet who can't live in harmony with other species.

If you ever had a cat and really observed it and communicated with it, you know it has feelings and emotions. Birds have it also, so does pigs, horses... But we just ignore all that when it's convenient for us to eat them.

I'm not a big fan of humanity. We are pretty awful.

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#24

Post by mullikine » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:33 AM UTC

Language is found everywhere in nature. Personally, I'm looking forward to when google translate can do cat language

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#25

Post by kranner » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:33 AM UTC

some_account wrote: post #23

Humans can't perceive a lot of things, and on top of that, we have egos that makes us feel superior even though in reality, we are the only ones on the planet who can't live in harmony with other species. If you ever had a cat and really observed it and communicated with it, you know it has feelings and emotions. Birds have it also, so does pigs, horses... But we just ignore all that when it's convenient for us to ea…

Relevant short story from Ted Chiang et al: http://supercommunity.e-flux.com/texts/the-great-silence/

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#26

Post by petecox » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:35 AM UTC

dang wrote: post #15

chris_wot wrote: post #7

"help, help I'm being cut down!" If we learned how to speak to trees, it could be terrifying.

If you keep posting unsubstantive comments, we're going to have to rate-limit your account again.

Steady on, it's mentioned in the article.

"the Waorani aren’t alarmed by the notion that a tree might scream when cut"

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#27

Post by kulu2002 » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:35 AM UTC

GuiA wrote: post #16

kulu2002 wrote: post #10

Jagadish Chandra Bose[1] was one of the earliest Indian scientist who proved Plant perception[2] experimentally [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagadish_Chandra_Bose#Plant_re... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(paranormal)

Did you perhaps mean to link to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology) ?

In fact paranormal link is more relevant in context of above article.

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#28

Post by kpnbg » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:37 AM UTC

some_account wrote: post #23

Humans can't perceive a lot of things, and on top of that, we have egos that makes us feel superior even though in reality, we are the only ones on the planet who can't live in harmony with other species. If you ever had a cat and really observed it and communicated with it, you know it has feelings and emotions. Birds have it also, so does pigs, horses... But we just ignore all that when it's convenient for us to ea…

I too enjoy watching the perfect harmony of a lion eating a live impala

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#29

Post by fipple » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:38 AM UTC

yosito wrote: post #18

If by "speak a language" you mean "have unique ways of sharing information", then of course trees speak a language and of course we can learn about it.

It's not "of course" obvious that trees "share information." That's pretty cool if true and not something that all or even most plants are known to do.

Re: A biologist who believes that trees speak a language we can learn to listen to

#30

Post by mpfundstein » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 6:42 AM UTC

kpnbg wrote: post #28

some_account wrote: post #23

Humans can't perceive a lot of things, and on top of that, we have egos that makes us feel superior even though in reality, we are the only ones on the planet who can't live in harmony with other species. If you ever had a cat and really observed it and communicated with it, you know it has feelings and emotions. Birds have it also, so does pigs, horses... But we just ignore all that when it's convenient for us to ea…

I too enjoy watching the perfect harmony of a lion eating a live impala

The huge difference is that lions dont put impalas into huge factories, where they feed them afwul food, rob them of any dignitiy, slaughter them by the masses, ship them across the globe in order to throw half of it away because it didnt hit the market’s taste of the month!