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Science | Geography

Scientist says French beans may be conscious

Could plants be sentient – a basic form of consciousness? A stunning breakthrough at Spain’s minimal intelligence lab suggests that beans may have goals and purposes, just like humans. Who is the hero of Jack and the Beanstalk? Surely it is the boy who buys the magic beans, climbs the stalk, steals the treasure and kills the giant. But what if the real hero is the bean, growing from a tiny seed into an enormous ladder, reaching into the sky? That is the exciting implication of new research into climbing French beans which suggests that they may have “goals, gusto and determination” – and qualify for at least the minimum level of intelligence to claim consciousness. Spanish biologist Paco Calvo used time-lapse photography to find out whether plants grab hold of poles by accident, or by “anticipatory, goal-directed, flexible behaviour.” The research found their growth was more controlled and predictable when there was a pole to aim for, suggesting the bean plant has a sense of purpose. Calvo argues this is evidence of plant consciousness. This is a controversial idea. The conventional scientific view is that sentience requires nerve cells that receive information from the external world and send messages to the body. In order to have consciousness – and therefore form goals – these nerve cells need to converge in a central nervous system. Plants don’t have nerve cells or a brain. So while Jack controls his destiny by choosing to climb, the beanstalk obeys the instructions hardwired in its genes. But critics call this “plant blindness” – in other words a type of prejudice based on biased thinking that can’t accept the intelligence of plants. This error goes all the way back to Aristotle, who divided the natural world into “inactive” plants and “active” animals. Time-lapse photography seems to reveal the very busy life of plants. Leaves chase the sun, vines strive to reach a branch, sunflowers work together to share nutrients, and trees fight endless battles against predators. Some call this approach anthropomorphism: an illusion created by our own narrative-obsessed brains. Historically it has been exploited by science fiction writers. A famous example is the terrifying, human-devouring giant triffid plant invented by John Wyndham in his 1951 novel The Day Of The Triffids. But Calvo believes we should “rethink our perspectives on consciousness” and widen our definition. For example, sentient life learns to adapt to new situations. “Plants remember,” says behavioural ecologist Monica Gagliano, “They know exactly what’s going on.” For example the plant known as Mimosa pudica folds up its leaves when threatened, but in a laboratory it can learn not to do so when dropped. For some biologists this epigenetic memory is evidence of consciousness. Others remain unconvinced. Biologist Rick Karban says it only demonstrates intelligence if we redefine its meaning. So, are plants conscious? Seeds of doubt Some say, no. Plants are complex organisms capable of sophisticated interactions with their environment. But it is too big a leap to claim that beanstalks and sunflowers are conscious. Our desire to see purpose and intelligent behaviour in plants says more about the way humans think than it does about the minds of plants. Others say, it’s certainly possible. We used to believe humans were unique and the pinnacle of evolution. But the more we explore nature, the more we realise ours is only one way of experiencing the world. Conscious plants may sound absurd, but it is only by challenging assumptions that we can make scientific discoveries. KeywordsAristotle - A student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy.

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