But how much do the re-searchers really know, and can they answer the perennial question, “Do plants feel pain?” This was a topic that interested Charles Darwin. [1], John M. Kmetz noted that Backster had not used proper controls in his experiments. Given that plants do not have pain receptors, nerves, or a brain, they do not feel pain as we members of the animal kingdom understand it. For simplicity’s sake, let’s only consider the type of plant we are most familiar with – vascular plants. Whether or not plants … Positive correlations did not occur at a rate great enough to be considered statistically significant. Similarly, the sensitive plant rapidly collapses its leaves in response to touch, an adaptation that might serve to startle away potential herbivores. Some plants have obvious sensory abilities, such as the Venus flytrap and its incredible traps that can close in about half a second. Short answer: no. A hurricane can blow a piece of straw through a palm tree: busted A hurricane can blow all the feathers off a chicken: busted Primary perception: All living things are interconnected by ESP and have emotions: busted The primary perception myth was the kooky myth of the episode and it started off on a weird note: they actually got a polygraph to react to Tory's thoughts of harming a plant. Plants can sense that an obstacle is before them before they come into contact with it. Likewise, do animals experience these sorts of emotions, should we care about killing them? They can change the direction in which they grow to avoid obstacles. None of these things are denied, BUT when it comes to feeling actual pain and physical and emotional suffering, you need a higher level of brain functioning than what plants possess and also need this handy thing called a nervous system. These are the same type of cells that transmit information from our senses, allowing us to smell, see, hear, […] NOW 50% OFF! This investigation used a total of 60 brine shrimp deliveries to boiling water while Backster's had used 13. Personally, I have come to the unfortunate opinion that at least some plants probably can feel some sort of pain. Horowitz, K. A., Lewis, D. C, and Gasteiger, E. L. (1975). [11], In the 1960s Cleve Backster, an interrogation specialist with the CIA, conducted research that led him to believe that plants can communicate with other lifeforms. Humans and animals perceive pain through sensory nerve cells. When you forcefully rip a vegetable out of its home in the ground and eat it, it undergoes physical pain, just like animals. save hide report. Watch later. Because a polygraph or 'lie detector' can measure electrical resistance, which would alter when the plant was watered, he attached a polygraph to one of the plant's leaves. A number of studies have shown that plants feel pain,Animal rights activists are often in the news,But has anyone ever protested for vegetable rights? 2 comments. Others argue that there cannot be pain without a brain to register the feeling. The notion that plants are capable of feeling emotions was first recorded in 1848, when Gustav Fechner, an experimental psychologist, suggested that plants are capable of emotions and that one could promote healthy growth with talk, attention, attitude, and affection. They just can't feel pain. “They can feel pain, [and] have emotions, such as fear. [13] Other controlled experiments that attempted to replicate Backster's findings have also produced negative results.[1][14][15][16]. Later experiments with an EEG failed to detect anything. 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