TED Radio Hour What we — and AI — can learn from nature's intelligence
31 snips
Jan 16, 2026 
Greg Gage is a neuroscientist who explores plant behaviors and even slime mold as a single-cell 'computer'. He reveals how the Venus flytrap counts to catch prey and how plants adapt their growth in response to touch. Frances Chance studies dragonfly brains, showcasing how they perform fast computations that could inspire energy-efficient AI. Keely Muscatell explains the connection between our immune system and social behavior, revealing how inflammation affects mood. Karen Bakker discusses decoding animal communications with AI, emphasizing the hidden wisdom found in nature.
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Discovery Of The Venus Flytrap
- Greg Gage recounts Arthur Dobbs discovering the Venus flytrap in 1750s North Carolina and documenting its snap-trap behavior.
- He demonstrates onstage how the trap's trigger hairs and electrical signals make it an evolutionary marvel.
Plants Perform Simple Computations
- Greg Gage shows the Venus flytrap counts touches before closing to avoid wasting energy on false alarms.
- The plant times successive touches within ~20 seconds to compute whether to snap shut.
Mimosa And Peapod Learning Example
- Greg Gage demonstrates the mimosa's rapid leaf-folding and describes experiments showing peapods learn to anticipate light from airflow cues.
- He frames these behaviors as flexible decision-making that can be inherited through selection.
