Do Plants Have A Memory?: An Analysis of Media's Ability to Share Knowledge
The other day my mom and I were listening to Radio Lab on NPR, and the episode was called Plant Parade. It discussed one of the most fascinating science experiments I have heard about. This experiment started with dogs and their food. Right before the dogs were fed, a bell would be rung. This pattern of bell then food carried on for a bit of time. Then, they started ringing the bell without feeding the dogs. This experiment trained the dogs to expect the food with the ring of the bell, so they began to salivate and whine even though there was no food presented.
This immediately reminded me of The Office, when Jim gave Dwight a mint every time he restarted his computer, so that he would start to salivate at the sound of his computer restarting. Our brains use association to build expectations, through associating certain happenings with others.
They wanted to test if plants were able to remember patterns and associate things as we do, despite them not having neurons or a brain. They started with some pea plants and a lamp. The pea plants would grow towards the lamp when it was turned on in a dark room, because the light allows them to perform photosynthesis.
Because of this established pattern of them growing towards the lamp, they wanted to see if they could associate another occurrence with the lamp turning on. So, they began turning on a fan just before turning on the lamp every day for 3 days. The plants continued to grow towards the lamp, as expected. Then, they took away the lamp to see what would happen. When they came back the next day the plant grew in the direction of the fan, even though there was no light.
This is a scientific breakthrough, for it shows that one does not need neurons to have a memory, contrary to former belief.
Now, it may seem that this post has nothing to do with media, but the only way I heard about this breakthrough was through the radio. If this world didn't have media, discoveries would not be shared as easily, and wouldn't be accessible to as wide an audience as it is now. It allows people to easily venture into different subjects and ideas, which helps people find things that interest them. The radio serves as a great way to become aware of what is happening, and to also learn new things.
My dad loves history documentaries and science shows on TV, which are two forms of media that are extremely educational. They allow people who may not have taken the best science classes or are lacking awareness in history to branch out and become more knowledgeable.
Overall, I love this aspect of media, and I am very fortunate to have easy access to the media that allows me to expand my knowledge. This is the side of media greatly benefits our world, and makes me very grateful to have the ability to access it.
This immediately reminded me of The Office, when Jim gave Dwight a mint every time he restarted his computer, so that he would start to salivate at the sound of his computer restarting. Our brains use association to build expectations, through associating certain happenings with others.
They wanted to test if plants were able to remember patterns and associate things as we do, despite them not having neurons or a brain. They started with some pea plants and a lamp. The pea plants would grow towards the lamp when it was turned on in a dark room, because the light allows them to perform photosynthesis.
Because of this established pattern of them growing towards the lamp, they wanted to see if they could associate another occurrence with the lamp turning on. So, they began turning on a fan just before turning on the lamp every day for 3 days. The plants continued to grow towards the lamp, as expected. Then, they took away the lamp to see what would happen. When they came back the next day the plant grew in the direction of the fan, even though there was no light.
This is a scientific breakthrough, for it shows that one does not need neurons to have a memory, contrary to former belief.
Now, it may seem that this post has nothing to do with media, but the only way I heard about this breakthrough was through the radio. If this world didn't have media, discoveries would not be shared as easily, and wouldn't be accessible to as wide an audience as it is now. It allows people to easily venture into different subjects and ideas, which helps people find things that interest them. The radio serves as a great way to become aware of what is happening, and to also learn new things.
My dad loves history documentaries and science shows on TV, which are two forms of media that are extremely educational. They allow people who may not have taken the best science classes or are lacking awareness in history to branch out and become more knowledgeable.
Overall, I love this aspect of media, and I am very fortunate to have easy access to the media that allows me to expand my knowledge. This is the side of media greatly benefits our world, and makes me very grateful to have the ability to access it.
First of all, that's HELLA cool. And it makes sense too. I think the original purpose of media like radio was to communicate these breakthroughs and discoveries, and it has since evolved beyond that. The original purpose of cell phones, of news, of social media, even, is to share new ideas and make connections. So how did something so positive turn so negative? I agree that we are fortunate to have all these connections, but at the cost of higher risk for depression, anxiety, and lack of human interaction. In your opinion, where should the line be drawn for media use to ensure that it's only helpful, not harmful? Is it possible to find a balance? Was there ever a point in history that you think used media only appropriately and productively?
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