Stunned scientists discover that plants ‘learn like humans’ and intelligently adapt to their environments … are plants conscious?

Stunned scientists discover that plants ‘learn like humans’ and intelligently adapt to their environments … are plants conscious? by Vicki Batts, published on Natural News, on December 18, 2016 (NaturalNews) In the past, it had been assumed that the ability to learn was something exclusive to animals. However, new evidence has indicated that this may not be the case. Recent research from the land down under has shown that plants are also capable of learning.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia were determined to see if plants were also capable of “associative learning,” and their findings are quite astonishing. Their experiments with pea seedlings proved that plants can learn and adapt to their environment. In their study, the research team found that the seedlings were able to choose the optimal growth direction for survival by accurately anticipating the occurrence of light after it was removed.

Their findings were recently published in the online journal Scientific Reports. The team was actually inspired by one of the most telling studies in the history of behavioral research – Pavlov’s experiments with dogs, which revealed that behavior could be changed through conditioning.

With a number of behavioral experiments, the Australian team was able to identify some very persuasive evidence which suggested that plants do indeed have the ability to learn. In fact, the plants were able to actually make an association between one event’s occurrence and the expectation of what would come next. The study’s leader, Professor Gagliano, placed the pea seedlings into a Y-shaped maze to observe their response, after initially being exposed to light coming from a specific direction. . .

Source: Stunned scientists discover that plants ‘learn like humans’ and intelligently adapt to their environments … are plants conscious?