LIGHTS ON AUDIO DOCUMENTARY TEASER PREVIEW: CHAPTER 4: Plants and Parasites
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Mar 17, 2025 
Join Patrick House, a neuroscientist studying the mind-bending effects of Toxoplasma gondii, Daniel Chamovitz, a plant geneticist and president of Ben Gurion University, and Zoë Schlanger, a science writer delving into plant sound perception. They explore whether plants experience consciousness through their behaviors, question the necessity of consciousness in both plants and animals, and reveal surprising insights about parasitic plants' decision-making. Tune in for a captivating discussion that challenges perceptions of life and awareness!
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Intertree Communication
- Annaka Harris recounts a hike where she observed trees and considered intertree communication via mycorrhizal networks.
- Suzanne Simard's research revealed that trees like Douglas fir and paper birch exchange carbon and nutrients, with mother trees nurturing seedlings.
Mycorrhizal Networks
- Mycorrhizal networks, dense underground fungal networks, connect plants and trees.
- These networks facilitate the transfer of water, carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients.
Plant Behavior and Consciousness
- Observing plant behavior challenges assumptions about consciousness.
- Plants exhibit behaviors similar to pain, fear, or love, making us question why consciousness is necessary in animals but not plants.
