The Gist Putting Death Metal On Your Plants Playlist: Is That Bs?
8 snips
Jun 13, 2025 
Sadie Dingfelder, an author and journalist known for her insightful takes on science, joins the conversation to tackle the fascinating notion of talking to plants. She explores the quirky science behind how sound can influence plant growth, including surprising studies on strawberries and evening primrose. The lively discussion also touches on political undercurrents, humorously comparing New York's electoral landscape to the peculiar world of phyloacoustics. With a blend of skepticism and charm, Sadie sheds light on whether our whispers truly benefit our leafy friends.
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Plants Hear Sound, Not Speech Meaning
- Plants respond to sound, but probably don't care about the specific content of our speech.
- The effect of human speech on plants' growth may be linked to the sound frequencies they emit, not the words themselves.
Mythbusters' Broken Irrigation Test
- Mythbusters conducted an experiment with plants exposed to varying sounds including heavy metal, classical music, sweet talk, and abuse.
- Despite a failed irrigation system, plants exposed to heavy metal and talking thrived better than silent controls.
Plants Detect Pollinators' Buzz
- In 2019, researchers showed evening primrose flowers increase nectar sweetness by 20% when exposed to bee buzzing sounds.
- The petals vibrate mechanically at the same frequency as the bee buzz, acting similarly to hair cells in human ears.
