Aspects of Plant Intelligence (2003)

aob.oxfordjournals.org

45 points·Mz··7 comments

Ah I remember this paper - there was some pretty amusing back-and-forth sniping that emerged from it (ignoring the slightly more respectful alternative viewpoints and disputations at the time e.g Firn et al [1] and Trewavas' reply [2]).

Several years later Alpi et al [3] took (a 36 author) swipe at the original Trevawas paper linked above and the discussion/field (e.g. [4]) it provoked. Essentially "no you are wrong and we all agree". Then, never one to be deterred by anyone else, Trevawas replied with this letter [5] as did Brenner [6].

All in all it was quite an amusing little academic slapfight.

There was quite a nice New Yorker article talking the general idea of the "plant intelligence" thing if anyone is interested [7].

[1] - http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/93/4/345

[2] - http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/93/4/353.long

[3] - http://web1.sssup.it/pubblicazioni/ugov_files/302981_2007_23...

[4] - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138506...

[5] - http://www.linv.org/images/about_pdf/Trends%202007%20Trewava...

[6] - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138507...

[7] - http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-intelligent...

Also of note: trees strategize by game theoretic rules. See the chapter on communication in the amazing "Natural History of Trees" http://www.amazon.com/The-Tree-Natural-History-Matter/dp/030...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_intelligence#Plant_intel...

There is a Wikipedia article on this which may provide some wider information.

I can't remember where I read (might have been on here) that there is a taboo in botany against publishing results about plant intelligence because some guy wrote this book and tinhats started taking it seriously: http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Life-Plants-Fascinating/dp/...

This is an excellent presentation in the same thread.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/what-plants-talk-abo...

Plants do not have intelligence. This article directly compares plant "behavior" with that of animals, including comparisons with neurobiology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology)#C...

Define intelligence.

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