When you imagine intelligent life you probably think of humans, apes, even dogs. However, a new study from Cornell chemical ecologists outlines how we might have to change the way we think about intelligence in lifeforms on Earth and should possibly include some plants.
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00:00INTELLIGENT LIFE INTELLIGENT life on our planet usually looks
00:06something like this, you know, a creature with a brain and a central nervous system.
00:10However, a new study from Cornell chemical ecologists outlines how we might have to change
00:14the way we think about intelligence in life forms and should possibly include some plants.
00:19So what species are they suggesting is actually intelligent?
00:22Well this one, the Solidago altissima, better known as the tall goldenrod.
00:27Their recent experiments have revealed that when under attack, the tall goldenrod will
00:30release chemicals that suggest it's not a very good food source to the plant eater.
00:35They will also change the way they reflect light, a signal to their neighbors that an
00:38attacker is present.
00:40This signals other goldenrods to grow faster, and they also produce more of the previously
00:44mentioned defensive chemicals.
00:45In essence, this species of plant is anticipating and planning for an inevitable attack.
00:51And they're not the only plant species that does this, with the researchers saying they
00:54may not have a central nervous system, but every cell in their body is linked via chemical
00:58signaling rather than electrical.
01:00With the researchers writing in their paper, given the definition and the amassed evidence,
01:05the question is not whether plants express intelligent behavior, but how they achieve
01:09it without a nervous system and what the ecological consequences of these behaviors entail.