Plant Neurobiology - Commentary - The New Yorker

The New Yorker

22 Jul 201403:11

Summary

TLDRIn the video script, Michael Pollan delves into the fascinating field of plant neurobiology, exploring how plants, despite lacking brains and neurons, exhibit agency and responsiveness. Time-lapse photography reveals plants as dynamic entities, actively sensing their environment and striving to achieve goals, such as a bean plant's determined efforts to reach a pole. The script also touches on the competitive nature of plants, as seen when one plant gives up after losing a 'race' to a pole to another, showcasing a behavior that, while metaphorical, appears remarkably similar to human-like striving and defeat.

Takeaways

🌿 Michael Pollan has a long history of writing about plants and gardening.
🧠 The concept of plant neurobiology intrigued Pollan, despite plants lacking brains and neurons.
🕊 Plants exist in a different time dimension from humans, often appearing inactive due to their slower movements.
📹 Time-lapse photography helps bridge the gap between human and plant time scales, revealing plant activity.
🌱 Watching plants in time-lapse can lead to a newfound respect for their capabilities and agency.
🔍 A video of a single plant reaching for a pole shows the leaves working hard to assist the plant in achieving its goal.
🌱 Once the plant's tendril hooks onto the pole, the leaves appear to relax, suggesting a change in behavior.
🎣 The bean plant's growth and movement are described as effortful and purposeful, like casting a fly rod.
🤼‍♂️ A second video shows two plants competing for the same pole, with one giving up when it loses the competition.
😔 The losing plant appears to 'lose heart' and redirects its efforts elsewhere, but ultimately gives up, suggesting awareness of its environment.
🤔 While words like 'striving' and 'knowing' are metaphorical for plants, the videos suggest a level of awareness and effort.

Q & A

Who is Michael Pollan and what is his background in relation to the topic discussed in the transcript?
-Michael Pollan is a well-known author who has been writing about plants for a considerable amount of time. He is also an experienced gardener, which has given him a deep understanding and appreciation for the natural world of plants.
What is plant neurobiology and why was Michael Pollan intrigued by it?
-Plant neurobiology is a field of study that explores the behavior and responses of plants, despite the absence of brains and neurons. Michael Pollan was intrigued by the concept because it challenges our traditional understanding of how plants operate and interact with their environment.
Why do plants seem inactive or still to humans?
-Plants appear inactive or still because they exist in a different time dimension compared to humans. Their movements and responses occur at a slower pace, which is not easily perceptible to us in real time.
How does time-lapse photography help in understanding plant behavior?
-Time-lapse photography allows us to observe plant movements and behaviors over an extended period, compressed into a shorter time frame. This helps bridge the gap between the time scales of plants and humans, revealing the dynamic nature of plant life.
What does the video of a single plant reaching for a pole reveal about plant behavior?
-The video shows that plants are active agents of their own fate, capable of sensing their environment and moving in a specific direction. It also illustrates how the plant's leaves change behavior once the tendril reaches the pole, appearing to 'relax' and 'be happy'.
How does the bean plant's motion in the video resemble the action of casting a fly rod?
-The bean plant's motion is described as effortful and striving, with the plant growing a few centimeters and then 'throwing itself' over and over again with good aim, similar to the repeated casting of a fly rod to hit a specific spot on a river.
What happens in the second video when two bean plants compete for the same pole?
-In the second video, when one bean plant reaches the pole first, the other plant seems to lose heart and stops aiming at the pole. It then starts reaching in other directions, behind the pole, as if searching for an alternative support.
Why does the second bean plant eventually give up in the video?
-The second bean plant gives up because it is unable to find anything to hold onto behind the pole. It appears to be aware of its environment and the lack of support, leading to a sense of defeat.
How does the behavior of plants in the videos challenge our metaphorical understanding of their actions?
-The use of words like 'striving,' 'looking,' 'knowing,' and 'noticing' are metaphorical when applied to plants. While we should be cautious of attributing human-like moods and attitudes to plants, their behavior in the videos suggests a level of awareness and effort that is strikingly similar to human actions.
What is the significance of the script's discussion on plant behavior and our perception of it?
-The script highlights the complexity and dynamism of plant life, urging us to reconsider our understanding of plants as passive entities. It encourages a deeper appreciation for the capabilities of plants and the need for further research in plant neurobiology.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 The Fascination of Plant Neurobiology

In this introductory paragraph, Michael Pollan expresses his curiosity about the emerging field of plant neurobiology, which studies the behavior and responses of plants despite their lack of brains and neurons. He highlights the challenge of comprehending plant life due to their different time dimension and the use of time-lapse photography to bridge the gap between human and plant perception of time. Pollan emphasizes the newfound respect for plants as active agents capable of sensing their environment and moving purposefully, as demonstrated in time-lapse videos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Plant Neurobiology

Plant neurobiology is a field of study that explores the behavior and responses of plants as if they have a 'brain' or neural system, despite the lack of a central nervous system. In the video, Michael Pollan is intrigued by this concept, as it challenges traditional views of plants being static and unresponsive. The script uses this term to set the stage for a deeper understanding of plant behavior and their ability to sense and react to their environment.

💡Time-lapse

Time-lapse is a photographic technique that captures images at regular intervals and then plays them back at a faster rate, giving the illusion of accelerated motion. In the context of the video, time-lapse is used to bridge the gap between the slow movement of plants and the faster perception of time by humans. It allows viewers to witness the dynamic behavior of plants, which is otherwise imperceptible to the naked eye.

💡Agent of Its Own Faith

The term 'agent of its own faith' refers to the idea that plants, although lacking a brain or neurons, exhibit behaviors that suggest they have agency and can make choices. In the video, this concept is illustrated by the way plants move and adapt in response to their environment, showing a level of autonomy and purpose that is not typically associated with plants.

💡Sensing Environment

Sensing the environment refers to the ability of an organism to perceive and respond to external stimuli. In the script, plants are described as being capable of sensing their surroundings, which is a key aspect of plant neurobiology. This ability is demonstrated through the plants' reactions to the presence of a pole, which they seek to reach and climb.

💡Tendril

A tendril is a slender, thread-like structure that grows from certain plants and is used for climbing or grasping supports. In the video, the tendril's hook is highlighted as it reaches for and grasps a pole, showcasing the plant's active and purposeful movement.

💡Behavior Change

Behavior change in the context of the video refers to the alteration in a plant's actions in response to achieving a goal or facing a new situation. For example, once the tendril reaches the pole, the leaves, which were previously clenched and straining, appear to relax, indicating a change in behavior post-achievement.

💡Striving

Striving is the act of making great efforts to achieve or obtain something. In the video, the term is metaphorically used to describe the plant's persistent and seemingly purposeful attempts to grow towards and reach a pole, emphasizing the active nature of plants.

💡Competition

Competition, in the context of the video, refers to the interaction between two plants as they vie for the same resource, in this case, a pole. The script describes how one plant's success in reaching the pole affects the behavior of the other, illustrating a form of social interaction among plants.

💡Giving Up

Giving up is the act of ceasing efforts to achieve a goal, often due to perceived futility or defeat. In the script, one plant is described as giving up its attempt to reach a pole that has been claimed by another plant, suggesting an awareness of the competitive situation and a decision to cease its efforts.

💡Awareness

Awareness, in the context of the video, refers to the plant's apparent consciousness of its environment and the actions it needs to take to survive or thrive. The script suggests that plants are not just passive entities but are actively aware and responsive to their surroundings.

💡Metaphorical Language

Metaphorical language is used in the script to describe plant behavior in ways that are more commonly associated with human or animal actions, such as 'striving,' 'looking,' 'knowing,' and 'noticing.' This use of language is intended to convey the complexity and agency of plants without attributing human-like consciousness to them.

Highlights

Michael Pollan's long-term engagement with writing about plants and gardening.

Introduction of the new field of plant neurobiology, sparking Pollan's curiosity.

The absence of brains and neurons in plants challenges traditional understanding.

Plants exist in a different time dimension, often perceived as inactive due to slower movement.

Time-lapse photography as a tool to bridge the time scale gap between plants and humans.

Time-lapse reveals plants as active agents capable of sensing their environment.

Observation of a single plant's behavior as it reaches for a pole, showcasing its active nature.

The plant's leaves appear clenched and tight, indicating effort in reaching its goal.

The plant's behavior changes upon reaching the pole, suggesting a sense of achievement.

The motion of the plant is described as effortful and striving, akin to casting a fly rod.

A second video shows two plants competing for the same pole, illustrating plant competition.

One plant outgrows the other, leading to the latter's apparent loss of motivation.

The losing plant redirects its growth, searching for an alternative support behind the pole.

The plant's eventual surrender and defeat when no support is found.

Plants' awareness of their environment and their active efforts to grow towards a goal.

The metaphorical use of words like 'striving', 'looking', 'knowing', and 'noticing' in the context of plants.

A cautionary note on anthropomorphizing plants and the need for skepticism.