Can trees truly communicate? Discover the fascinating blend of myths and science behind tree interactions, including their chemical defenses and the role of mother trees. Switch gears to trading cards, where the rich history of art from whimsical 19th-century trade cards to modern favorites like Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering is explored. Learn about the impact of chromolithography and the personal connections collectors foster with their cards. An entertaining journey through nature and art awaits!
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insights INSIGHT
Trees Communicate Biochemically
Trees don't literally talk but transmit biochemical information to warn each other of threats.
Giraffes learn to avoid acacia trees after damage chemicals signal nearby trees to bolster defenses.
insights INSIGHT
Fungal Networks Link Trees
Fungal mycorrhizal networks connect tree roots creating shared channels for resources.
Nutrients like carbon and water can pass between trees through these fungal connections.
insights INSIGHT
Mother Trees and Controversy
"Mother trees" are large, connected trees posited to nurture younger trees via fungal networks.
Scientific consensus is cautious; altruistic traits may not be intentional communication.
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A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man
Christopher Bird
Peter Tompkins
This book delves into the inner world of plants, uncovering their responses to human care and nurturing, their ability to communicate with humans, their reactions to music, lie-detection abilities, and creative powers. It highlights the deep relationship between humans and nature, emphasizing the importance of environmental protection.
The Hidden Life of Trees
Peter Wohlleben
Benjamin Flouw
Peter Wohlleben's "The Hidden Life of Trees" explores the complex social lives of trees, revealing their communication methods, symbiotic relationships, and intricate ecosystems. Wohlleben challenges traditional forestry practices and advocates for a more holistic approach to forest management. The book uses scientific research to illustrate the surprising intelligence and interconnectedness of trees, highlighting their ability to cooperate and support each other. It emphasizes the importance of preserving old-growth forests and understanding the vital role trees play in maintaining a healthy planet. The book's accessible style and captivating storytelling have made it a bestseller worldwide.
Finding the Mother Tree
Suzanne Simard
In 'Finding the Mother Tree,' Suzanne Simard combines her personal narrative with scientific insights to reveal the complex, interdependent relationships within forest ecosystems. The book highlights her research on the 'Wood Wide Web,' a network of mycorrhizal fungi that connects trees, allowing them to share nutrients and information. Simard also shares her personal journey, including her upbringing in the rainforests of British Columbia, her struggles within the male-dominated logging industry, and her groundbreaking experiments that challenge conventional wisdom about forest ecology. The book emphasizes the cooperative nature of trees, particularly the role of 'Mother Trees' as hubs in these networks, and explores the implications of this research for sustainable forestry and combating climate change.
Can trees talk to each other? And how does that personifying metaphor square with the actual science behind it? And what can we learn from the stories of art on trading cards throughout history?
The answer is yes maybe sometimes and no, talking tree folklore, communication as transferring information, The Secret Life of Trees, Caroline WAS vegan, plants feel pain - GOOD, tree self defense, secondary metabollites, you got me AND Ella to write that down, tannin defense mechanism, volatile organic compounds, giraffes avoiding nearby leaves after eating, maybe trees are eavesdropping, mycorrhizal networks, could it be diffusion or a baby tree suckling on its mother, do a stanford prisoner experiment for trees, that tree is giving mother, mother trees - altruistic fungi - and the perils of plant personification, literally talking to trees, your first priority shouldn’t be to not be boring - maybe second, respect for the organisms that are fundamentally unlike us - their unfathomable lives, the modern boom of trading cards, trade cards, mass produced color images were cool and novel, how many credits for that chromo? absurd advertising from the 1800s, anthropomorphic fruits and veggies were all the rage, trade cards were a microcosm of marketing-invention-and collecting, Ella’s baseball impression, looking at a mainstream sport through the nerdiest lens imaginable, cigarette baseball cards, Doug McWilliams photographed 8% of all major league baseball players, oh right photography is an art, and so is building relationships with players, cards began to stand on their own, Richard Garfield wanted baseball cards for nerds, Magic and Pokemon credit their artists - but YuGiOh does not, Yuka Morii’s sculpture cards, Adam Rex’s Terror, Richard Thomas’ Hyalopterous Lemure, Julie Baroh flipping off her classmates, companies screwing over artists, it’s still art in spite of being a piece of cardboard.
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