The floors are able to emit sounds that indicate their status. Even each one speaks its own language, since it has been discovered that the sounds are specific to each species. And they can also indicate their state of health. This is a very interesting finding, which has just been published in Cell and puts an end to an age-old dilemma.
For years, it has been intuited that plants could Make sounds. This is because, when using vibrometers, suspicious vibrations have been detected around you. But did these correspond to acoustic waves? The truth is that humans cannot hear them, but that does not indicate that they do not emit sounds. It could just be that they are not in the frequency adequate.
That is what the authors of this study, coming from the Tel Aviv University. Finally, they have come to the conclusion that, as they suspected, they can indeed make sounds. These are at the same volume as humans speak, but at a higher frequency than our ears can detect.
The sounds of plants indicate how they feel
To carry out this study, its authors worked mainly with tobacco and tomato plants. However, they also used corn, cactus and meek nettle.
All these plants were divided into three groups. To some the stem was cut offothers were left five days without watering and, finally, to those of the third group he took care of them normally. Later, they entered loudspeakers, installed in turn in a basement isolated from any background noise. In addition, 10 centimeters from each plant, a ultrasonic microphonecapable of capturing sounds with frequencies located between 20 and 250 kilohertz. The human ear only picks up 16 kilohertzso sounds that we cannot hear could be detected.
When they studied the recordings, their suspicions began to come true. They had managed to capture sounds, similar to clicks, which seemed to vary for each species. In addition, they observed that the plants that had not been subjected to any stress emitted less than one click per hour, while the others, both damaged and dehydrated, emitted dozens of clicks per hour.
An algorithm to understand your language
The next step for these scientists was to insert the recordings into a artificial intelligence algorithm, so that he could discern what was happening to them. He trained himself on the known data, until finally he was able to distinguish on his own which species of plant had made the sounds and how stressed it was. He was even able to tell them apart in a greenhouse with many other background noises.
On the other hand, it was observed that, when subjected to dehydration, the amount of sounds increased little by little. until you reach a peak. From there, these began to descend.
Scientists believe that, in a way, this is a way that plants communicate. We cannot hear them, but certain animals, such as bats, mice and some insects. Also, the sounds could be detected even by other plants.
It would be interesting if we could too. For this reason, the authors of the study raise the possibility of using their artificial intelligence algorithm so that farmers and gardeners they can hear to your plants. Thus, they can have a much more approximate idea of their needs. They themselves would tell them how they are. Initially, it could have utility for those who are engaged in large crops; But who knows, maybe in the future we could all listen to our plants. Those with a small hand in gardening would appreciate hearing your cries for help.