Dr. Chandra Bose

[Andrew R]

Anyone familiar with his work with plants?

[Astronuc]

Apparently, Chandra Bose discovered that plants, animals and metals will show similar responses to electromagnetic radiation stimuli. He designed highly sensitive measuring devices which recorded plant growth. One of these was the cresography, which demonstrated that plants actually grow in pulses. His observations showed that plants are sensitive to the environments of light and temperature and of air and water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdish_Chandra_Bose - not a lot written here though.

[Andrew R]

You'll find more at the Bose institute site.
http://boseinst.ernet.in/home.html

What do you know of Cleve Backster and his work?

[Astronuc]

I don't know of Cleve Baxter.

BTW, Andrew, are you a botanist, or just interested in plants?

 

[Andrew R]

Not a botanist, I'm just an amateur with science but I have areas of more interest than others.

It's time to get unorthodox

Cleve Backster is/was (not sure of his living status) a criminologist in the US just for a laugh one day hooked a polygraph to his office/house plant, expecting to get no response as per the text books, but apparently did get a response which led him to a range of experiments involning plants and galvinometers.

[Patty]

So.... was the plant telling a fib? This could have serious repercussions for vegeatrians. I mean, they think plants don't feel pain.

[Kiteman]

This Backster story is ringing bells - didn't he rig up his system to a tape machine or synthesiser so when the plant was in distress it screamed, then he tortured them by pulling off leaves and bark, or leaving them in hot rooms etc, just to hear the screams.

Neighbours who complained about his cruelty got nowhere, as it's not illegal to damage plants you own.

Or did I imagine all that?

[Andrew R]

So.... was the plant telling a fib? This could have serious repercussions for vegeatrians. I mean, they think plants don't feel pain.

no not telling a fib, just stressed. That's all the polygraph meassures anyway.
Indeed, that's one of the rationales they use.

[Andrew R]

That's about right Kiteman. There have also been experiments done with plant memory. Backster did one with a plant being murdered while in the company of another plant and a polygraph was put on the lucky plant which then reacted when the murderer was paraded in front of it.

[Yevaud]

IIRC, this was done many years ago on a daytime talk show (Merv Griffin?).  I have a vague recollection of one plant being "tortured," and the guest showing the responses by the other plant, which were supposed to be fear.

Later, the person who'd tortured the first plant returned, and the second plant responded with "fear" at his presence.  Apparently remembering what he'd done.

[Andrew R]

Whether it's fear or just a reaction it apparently shows something that we generally think shouldn't happen.

'Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast'

[Kiteman]

I keep thinking back to the BBC version of the Day of the Triffids (I know you all were as well, but were waiting for somebody else to say so  )

[Andrew R]

Thankfully plants don't organise well.