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We May Be Surrounded by Trillions of Conscious Beings, Research Suggests—And They Aren’t Human
Yahoo News ^ | June 11, 2026 | Susan Lahey

Posted on 10/07/2026 4:01:12 AM PDT by Pontiac

Human beings tend to be anthropocentric.

That is, we often see ourselves as evolution's magnum opus despite the fact that, as biomass goes, we're insignificant compared to plants and other animals.

For instance, scientists estimate that there are more than three trillion trees on Earth—a number that even dwarfs the amount of stars in our galaxy. And when you add the populations of the more than 380,000 other plant species, the total becomes mind-boggling.

Nonetheless, many of us assume that we're the smartest, most conscious beings on Earth.

But what if consciousness isn't a feature limited solely to humans—and what if we're actually wildly outnumbered by a planet full of other conscious beings? As it turns out, a handful of studies suggest that might just be the case.

For starters, plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso, PhD, notes that plants respond to anesthesia the same way humans do—they become nonresponsive.

Humans tend to think of plants as nonresponsive anyway, because they don't generally move in human timescales.

But when scientists have administered anesthesia to plants that do operate "quickly" by human measures, such as the Venus Flytrap, the plant stops responding when flies land on it.

And while you won't see a plant fleeing danger the way we do, some have been found to be gradually migrating north as the planet warms, just as animals are changing their migratory patterns.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: amateurphilosopher; animalhusbandry; anthropocentric; anthropocentricity; cats; consciousness; dogs; epigraphyandlanguage; gaiaworshippers; godsgravesglyphs; nutjobssuggest; pets; plants; ycrap; youmeanlikedemocrats
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To: Pontiac; All

Thought provoking?
I remember the 60s when a CIA polygraph expert claimed that a plant, when hooked up to his device, reacted with fear when he merely thought about burning one of its leaves - I guess they can read minds too - and let’s not forget how tomatoes were supposed to “scream in agony” when cut.


41 posted on 10/07/2026 5:27:22 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: ScottHammett

octopus?-)


42 posted on 10/07/2026 5:38:06 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US;-))
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To: unread
You can call it consciousness when I plant appears to bend toward the sunlight, or certain plains appear to be moving to the north?

This isn't even true taxis. The trees aren't walking north. They are just surviving farther north than they used to be able to.

It's a tropist movement.
A tree that appears to favor sunlight is just doing what is built into it's function, which is to favor those leaves and grow more in those portions of the plant that get more photosynthesis.
43 posted on 10/07/2026 5:39:58 AM PDT by z3n (Kakistocracy)
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To: z3n

I thought crap articles like this were supposed to stop with the closing of USAID. Need more investigating and protection of taxpayer public funds.


44 posted on 10/07/2026 5:42:10 AM PDT by Justa (Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people....)
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To: Pontiac; All

attached are some gorgeous, hilarious , fascinating photos that make me think of animal consciousness. You’ll love ‘em.

The relaxing praying mantis should be the winner

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/finalists-win-big-laughs-in-the-comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-look/


45 posted on 10/07/2026 5:45:48 AM PDT by chiller ( Davy Crockett said:"Be sure you're right, then go ahead." I'll go ahead.)
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To: Pontiac

What the hell is wrong with the people who write this drivel?


46 posted on 10/07/2026 5:48:12 AM PDT by Ditto
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To: Pontiac

Look I “talk to the animals” but I don’t have anything to discuss with plants…..


47 posted on 10/07/2026 5:55:14 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show host to me.... Sting)
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To: trebb
Artist Invents Device That Can Listen To Plant Music
48 posted on 10/07/2026 5:55:38 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminisheRs the human spirit.)
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To: Bonemaker

Hmmm? I dunno. There are rocks that are more conscious than some DemocRats.


49 posted on 10/07/2026 5:56:43 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: Bonemaker

Hmmm? I dunno. There are rocks that are more conscious than some DemocRats.


50 posted on 10/07/2026 5:56:46 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: Pontiac

I will take the plants any day over the horrid mass surveillance humans are foisting on each other.

More nonsense.


51 posted on 10/07/2026 6:00:38 AM PDT by dforest
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To: Chickensoup
A couple weeks ago I believe, a tree in our apartment complex tried to migrate south for the winter. It broke out of its spot in the ground, lost its balance and fell over. It fell across the road onto power lines and tragically, electrocuted itself.

The fire department and the electric company came to pay their respects.

I will spare the details, but we were in mourning until our tv and internet came back on, about 8 hours later.

52 posted on 10/07/2026 6:05:07 AM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: Ditto
What the hell is wrong with the people who write this drivel?

To my way of thinking its root is in Government Money.

As in grant money.

A starving scientist write a grant proposal, then gets government money to study plant consciousness. Writes article for a science journal.

Then a science writer finds the paper and writes an article.

I read the science news article and post it to FR.

You read my post and get irritated.

It's the cycle of life.

53 posted on 10/07/2026 6:06:56 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminisheRs the human spirit.)
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To: Chickensoup
A couple weeks ago I believe, a tree in our apartment complex tried to migrate south for the winter. It broke out of its spot in the ground, lost its balance and fell over. It fell across the road onto power lines and tragically, electrocuted itself.

The fire department and the electric company came to pay their respects.

I will spare the details, but we were in mourning until our tv and internet came back on, about 8 hours later.

54 posted on 10/07/2026 6:07:45 AM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: tired&retired
The same techniques allowed communication with Angelic Beings.

Don't be deceived into thinking that all 'Angelic Beings' are soft, fluffy, kind, or benevolent.

55 posted on 10/07/2026 6:09:29 AM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity ("...for the sake of His name." Psalm 23:3)
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To: ScottHammett; All
I think, therefore I am.

Frank Zappa said it best: You are what you is

56 posted on 10/07/2026 6:13:53 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing Obamacare is worse than Obamacare itself.)
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To: Bonemaker
Hahahahahahaha! Brings this to mind:

BOB HOPE: “Then maybe you know what a zombie is”

DOCTOR: “When a person dies and is buried, its seems there are certain voodoo priests who … who have the power to bring him back to life.”

WOMAN: “How horrible!”

DOCTOR: “It’s worse than horrible because a zombie has no will of his own. You see them sometimes walking around blindly with dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring.”

BOB HOPE: “You mean like Democrats?”

57 posted on 10/07/2026 6:14:04 AM PDT by rlmorel (Gas prices are Temporary. Communism is Forever. Vote Republican.)
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To: ScottHammett
From the book, The Secret Life of Plants:

AI Overview

In 1966, CIA polygraph expert Cleve Backster hooked a lie detector (polygraph) to a houseplant and claimed the plant reacted with stress when he merely thought about burning its leaf.

The Experiment and Book

• The Origin: Backster attached a polygraph's galvanometer electrodes to a Dracaena plant in his office on February 2, 1966. When he simply thought about burning the plant's leaf, the polygraph pen spiked dramatically without any physical touch.

58 posted on 10/07/2026 6:15:32 AM PDT by Mogger ( 7th generation Vermonter, refugee in New Hampshire hoping NH remains sane.)
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To: trebb

Ahh! You were one of the unfortunates who also saw “The Attack of The Killer Tomatoes”!

Heh, my brother has never forgiven me for getting him to watch that movie with me! (It fell into the category of “An hour of my life I will never get back!”)


59 posted on 10/07/2026 6:16:33 AM PDT by rlmorel (Gas prices are Temporary. Communism is Forever. Vote Republican.)
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To: Pontiac

Plants are people!


60 posted on 10/07/2026 6:19:05 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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