Plants have the ability to detect environmental stimuli and respond to them, so if for example there is a good source of water their roots will tend to grow in that direction. As well as obvious and well known stimuli such as the presence of water or light, of the direction of gravity, Plants do seem to be able to respond to a variety of more subtle environmental stimuli such as the presence of competing plants or of predators such as insects. In some cases the the plant may respond for example by stepping up the production of a toxic chemical which will discourage the insect from eating it. It would be wasteful to produce the chemical when there are no insects so it may not produced in the same quantity.
Yes, plants do have responses to changes in their environments. Since they lack mobility then the range of responses (a measure of 'intelligence') is more limited for them than for animals.
“Are plants have intelligence? how?”
Dear Ali, till you doesn’t define what is “intelligence”? your question hasn’t some concrete rational answer.
Cheers
Gentlemen.
It is absurd to give a definition to "intelligence" as Sergey suggests and then try to combine it with the word "vegetate" . Plants may react to environment, it is purely reflexive.
Dear Ali,
As our colleagues have mentioned in their answers, Plant reaction to the environment can not be called As ((intelligence)), But can be called
((Smart growth)) Such as palm growth In which the seed tries to reach the surface of the earth by sensing the soft areas of the soil.
Regards
Responding to diverse environmental changes while engaging in a lot of wonderful and productive activities does not indicate the intelligence of plants but rather these often ignored, but important species reflects in the minutest degree, the unparelled wisdom and display of intelligence in its mightiest form by our creator. Nature speaks a lot about its Maker. Best regards
Dickson Adom
Are plants intelligent? New book says yes
By Jeremy Hance
A new book, Brilliant Green, argues that not only are plants intelligent and sentient, but that we should consider their rights, especially in the midst of the Sixth Mass Extinction
Plants are intelligent. Plants deserve rights. Plants are like the Internet – or more accurately the Internet is like plants. To most of us these statements may sound, at best, insupportable or, at worst, crazy. But a new book, Brilliant Green: the Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence, by plant neurobiologist (yes, plant neurobiologist), Stefano Mancuso and journalist, Alessandra Viola, makes a compelling and fascinating case not only for plant sentience and smarts, but also plant rights.
......
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/aug/04/plants-intelligent-sentient-book-brilliant-green-internet
Smart growth is a neologism applied to urban development and economics.
Dear all participants,
intelligence is defined as a disposition for thinking, learning and adaptation, and it manifests itself with intellectual performance. Plants are high organised organisms, they are able not only adapted to changing environment, but are able to choose from more possibilities. The question is, to what extent this selection is active. So, for example: the Spermatophyta are more “intelligent” with comparison to Bryophyta.
Thanks to Ali Almehemdi for his interesting phylosophical problem.
Bozena
New research on plant intelligence may forever change how you think about plants
The Intelligent Plant. That is the title of a recent article in The New Yorker — and new research is showing that plants have astounding abilities to sense and react to the world.
But can a plant be intelligent? Some plant scientists insist they are — since they can sense, learn, remember and even react in ways that would be familiar to humans.
Michael Pollan, author of such books as "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "The Botany of Desire," wrote the New Yorker piece about the developments in plant science. He says for the longest time, even mentioning the idea that plants could be intelligent was a quick way to being labeled "a whacko." But no more, which might be comforting to people who have long talked to their plants or played music for them.
.....
https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-09/new-research-plant-intelligence-may-forever-change-how-you-think-about-plants
It seems here a comment in some RG project would be relevant. See attached
Cheers
Wisdom originates from mind and mind needs wisdom to become intelligent ... Plants have no physical mind but are ordered through certain genetic behavior that protects them and adapts them to perform their function. The animal has a physical mind but is limited but reaches a specific stage of intelligence out of need and under a certain circumstance. Human God gave him infinite material mind up to the highest levels of wisdom and innovation
Firstly do not confuse perception with intelligence.
A lot of mechanical things can perceive our surroundings - we have devices detecting infrared, sound, light etc. Being able to detect or perceive the surrounding doesn’t make the devices intelligent - there must be something to process the perception.
The problem for plants is where is the brain (or a center to process what it perceives).
Having a response system doesn’t make the organism an intelligent being too. Our reflex system doesn’t require much thought process, but it allows us to be able to react to changes in our environment and plants would certainly possess quite a number of such reflex mechanisms. But again this would not constitute intelligence.
As some other quorans have explained - unless we re-define what we intend to mean by intelligence - currently it is broadly meaning the ability to think. Plants have not shown or demonstrated an ability to think hence, no intelligence.
An ability to react to its surrounding environmental changes cannot be taken to be an indication of the ability of the organism to think.
TLDR: No, plants are not intelligent by our current definition. Some may argue otherwise as in the article you referenced to but personally I think they are confusing an ability to react to stimuli with the ability to consider how to react to stimuli.
Actually, there are some researchers conducted right now on "plant intelligence". Firstly, it depends on how you define intelligence. The philosopher and psychologist New-Zealander David Stenhouse define it as an adaptative behaviour which varies along time". In that definition, plants are intelligent.
The occidental culture tends to confound movement and intelligence, therefore, saying that plants are un-intelligent because they don't move. However, we have a different scale of time than plants : we see seconds when they see weeks or months. So it is difficult for us to perceive their movements or their intentions.
I've just started to read about that subject so pardon me if I am not really thorough in my answer. If you are interesting in that question I recommend you this website : http://www.linv.org/linv_news.php
I also recommend you this book (although it is in french but maybe you can find a translation) : http://books.google.com.co/books...
Plants have the ability to detect environmental stimuli and respond to them, so if for example there is a good source of water their roots will tend to grow in that direction. As well as obvious and well known stimuli such as the presence of water or light, of the direction of gravity, Plants do seem to be able to respond to a variety of more subtle environmental stimuli such as the presence of competing plants or of predators such as insects. In some cases the the plant may respond for example by stepping up the production of a toxic chemical which will discourage the insect from eating it. It would be wasteful to produce the chemical when there are no insects so it may not produced in the same quantity.
Having said this, The cells in the plants communicate with each other using chemical messages in a similar way to the hormones which affect animals including human beings. These messages operate at a diffused cellular level rather than being processed at a central level, unlike the nervous system which is present in more complex animals, but which does not seem to exist in plants.
This central processing is the seat of intelligence in animals. For example the hormone adrenaline prepares your body for flight or fight but you brain ‘decides’ which course of action would be more beneficial in a particular instance, and plants do not seem to have this ‘higher’ level of control. Therefore I would argue like the rest of the responses that plants are not intelligent according to our current definitions.
Firstly do not confuse perception with intelligence.
A lot of mechanical things can perceive our surroundings - we have devices detecting infrared, sound, light etc. Being able to detect or perceive the surrounding doesn’t make the devices intelligent - there must be something to process the perception.
The problem for plants is where is the brain (or a center to process what it perceives).
Having a response system doesn’t make the organism an intelligent being too. Our reflex system doesn’t require much thought process, but it allows us to be able to react to changes in our environment and plants would certainly possess quite a number of such reflex mechanisms. But again this would not constitute intelligence.
As some other quorans have explained - unless we re-define what we intend to mean by intelligence - currently it is broadly meaning the ability to think. Plants have not shown or demonstrated an ability to think hence, no intelligence.
An ability to react to its surrounding environmental changes cannot be taken to be an indication of the ability of the organism to think.
TLDR: No, plants are not intelligent by our current definition. Some may argue otherwise as in the article you referenced to but personally I think they are confusing an ability to react to stimuli with the ability to consider how to react to stimuli.
regards
Plants are not intelligent. They don't have a nerve system to form thoughts.
Reacting to the environment does not require intelligence, just cells that are sensitive to particular stimuli (say, light) and a biochemistry that allows transmitting a signal to parts of the plant that need to react a certain way.
It's no different from the way that you don't need your intelligence to digest food or exchange carbon and oxygen with the atmosphere.
Hello,
Intelligence is a specific attribute of the human species: to try to attribute to other living beings behaviors or feelings!
Intelligence is the ability to perceive the environment of what is happening around you and react appropriately!
Plants are able to react with intelligent behaviors!!!
wonderful living beings requiring a huge maintenance, exploration and studies.............................
Cordially
WOW.
The somersaults intellectuals go through to justify their higher Verbal skills.
Just because plants have mastered survival without having to Uproot and move Around does not mean they are unaware, nor that their responses are not variable because they are conditional: a broader indication of intelligence.
Follow this link is very useful
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/66/7/542/2463205
regards
Dear Hassan:
You are assuming human arrogance: only defining intelligence in animal terms. A broader definition would include "valuable responses to change".
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