From StarTalk.
Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to space farming, we dig deep into the secret world of plants.
We start by looking at plant awareness—do plants know they’re being eaten? Can they predict where the sun is going to be in the morning? How do plants communicate internally without a central nervous system or a brain? Simon explains how plants communicate through chemistry, using glutamate signals, and how psychoactive molecules help defend the plant from predators.
We explore one of nature’s weirdest plants: the Venus flytrap. Can it count? How does it actually move? And can plants form memories? We explore how plants “learn” from past experiences as well as the dark side to the smell of freshly mowed grass. If a plant survives a harsh winter, how does it know when it’s safe to grow again? Plus, we ask: do plants know when they’re in space?
How do plants react in microgravity? Can they tell which way is up without gravity to guide them? What happens when you try to grow plants in lunar soil—can they survive without the nutrients they depend on here on Earth? And if Martian soil is toxic, could astronauts really fertilize their crops using composted waste? How close are we to turning science fiction into reality?
Finally, could we engineer tastier space food? Would tomatoes grown in orbit taste the same as those on Earth? What about spicy peppers—does space change their flavor? We discuss what foods should be targeted for space farming and what farming on another planet would look like. What if the light around another star is in a different spectrum? Join us as we explore the fascinating frontier of astrobotany and the hidden intelligence of the plants around us!
Thanks to our Patrons Charlie Delavida, Muhammad Sarfraz, Nirmal, Joseph Longoz, TerrasMom, Skyman’s Follies, Que Raetid, Dustin A Brinkman, Kevan P, Adam Randell, Deo, Roman Marakhoskyi, Ron, Raveneffect32, Robin Campbell, Corey Burke, Johnny G, Carl, Julia Linde, malik_m, Jim Mauck, Helen Johnson, Dawn Keebals, Nathan Campbell, Raunak Sethiya, Adam Holland, AT, Mary Zoellner, Jason Sykes, Dan The Man, Christopher Thompson, Brett Gillingham, Neil Moore, Jim Myhrberg, Jordan Blackler, strigiformes, John Rondo, shane eagles, Berbnote, B231, Easly_Bash, $H!Ft3Y, shannon hintze, Tre Ski, Andrew Nisker, Shree Sharma, Adam Z, Joseph Cutler, Charles Jarboe, and Dmitriy Sinyakin for supporting us this week.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Simon Gilroy
04:19 – How Aware Are Plants?
10:39 – Using the Language of Human Experience
11:49 – Plants Don’t Have Brains
16:34 – What’s Up With Venus Fly Traps?
20:00 – Can Plants Remember?
23:39 – How Do Plants Communicate?
28:37 – Do Plants Know They’re in Space?
34:12 – Space Farming
36:16 – Growing in Microgravity & In Regolith
42:28 – GMOs for Space
53:14 – Closing Thoughts
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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