Thoughts on Intelligent Plants

[DSPE]

I love the idea of intelligent plants, and I've even read Semiosis (which is my second source of exposure to the concept; the first is this project  ). But I... feel like it has problems. Plants don't do much activity; they just eat sun, and some species eat bugs. I feel like they could and probably would grow intelligence if they evolved in a harsh and variable environment, and thus had to cooperate and problem solve. But what do you think?

[arcanelviejo]

So, a plausible scenario where the selection of the "intelligence" trait would be positive for a population of plants. So far i can tell  (a botanic or biologist  knowledge would be needed), the plants have evolved "hard coded" strategies for survival, but no complex nor structured "computations", "though" or "communications" in the same sense that animals. I suppose a possible scenario could be a kind of environment as you stated demanding a so fast response (in comparison to usual time scale) for adaptation, that  a phyle? of plants transmitting not only DNA (for earth origin based) but also a small set of program-like "behaviors" faster to modify, and with biological structures of self-control and the possibility to be shared with others peers, could have some advantage for survival even with increased complexity and energy consumption.

[Godd Howard]

It has been theorized that mycorrhizal networks could potentially transmit information between plants, although as far as I know the evidence for this communication is pretty lacking. Like arcanelviejo was saying, I would imagine some form of intelligence could come about if this network were advanced enough to send dna and information between plants, however I am not a botanist and my knowlege of biology is limited.

[DSPE]

So, a plausible scenario where the selection of the "intelligence" trait would be positive for a population of plants. So far i can tell  (a botanic or biologist  knowledge would be needed), the plants have evolved "hard coded" strategies for survival, but no complex nor structured "computations", "though" or "communications" in the same sense that animals. I suppose a possible scenario could be a kind of environment as you stated demanding a so fast response (in comparison to usual time scale) for adaptation, that  a phyle? of plants transmitting not only DNA (for earth origin based) but also a small set of program-like "behaviors" faster to modify, and with biological structures of self-control and the possibility to be shared with others peers, could have some advantage for survival even with increased complexity and energy consumption.

That could be a nice precursor to plant intelligence 

[arcanelviejo]

So, a plausible scenario where the selection of the "intelligence" trait would be positive for a population of plants. So far i can tell  (a botanic or biologist  knowledge would be needed), the plants have evolved "hard coded" strategies for survival, but no complex nor structured "computations", "though" or "communications" in the same sense that animals. I suppose a possible scenario could be a kind of environment as you stated demanding a so fast response (in comparison to usual time scale) for adaptation, that  a phyle? of plants transmitting not only DNA (for earth origin based) but also a small set of program-like "behaviors" faster to modify, and with biological structures of self-control and the possibility to be shared with others peers, could have some advantage for survival even with increased complexity and energy consumption.

That could be a nice precursor to plant intelligence 

Happy to help. To be fair, it is quite the same that the mechanism mentioned for Cybyota (i like a lot this article). Although in the later it is described as base design of artificial ecology for all complex organisms (both plant-like and animal-like) to have in-built grown processors for communication. and transmitted programs. For natural evolution i suppose some analog of nervous system should be created.

I had just a though. Perhaps the going for the "symbiosis" route of co-evolution. Perhaps some simple animal organisms (in plural) in symbiosis with plants doing the rapid "sensory" and "computation" to influence the plants in where they are sheltered. Several of them linked to the plants and cooperating and competing in them for "control", with a feedback loop of their hosts, could emerge in intelligence. I know it is not what intended, more like the cells and the mitochondria (though to be originally symbiotic bacteria).  A biologist is highly needed.

[stevebowers]

Mycorrhizas are very commonplace in the plant world. I'd suggest that genetically-modified and artificially-enhanced inforrhizal systems are probably the best method for producing sentience in plants, although the goals and concerns of a plant mind are probably very different to those of an animal.

Plants respond to the environment, and have 'memories' and 'experiences' of sorts, all without a nervous system; add a nervous system, a better memory and improved information-processing capabilities and this could result in a wide range of mindtypes that are nothing like human minds.

[DSPE]

although the goals and concerns of a plant mind are probably very different to those of an animal.

Plants respond to the environment, and have 'memories' and 'experiences' of sorts, all without a nervous system; add a nervous system, a better memory and improved information-processing capabilities and this could result in a wide range  of mindtypes that are nothing like human minds

Ooh I'd like to see some examples  

Semiosis gives one, and I'll read Interference soon, but I'm still curious!

[DSPE]

are the articles saying that plants have some sort of intelligence crankery, or legitimate stuff?

[Godd Howard]

are the articles saying that plants have some sort of intelligence crankery, or legitimate stuff?

As far as I remember, the evidence for plant intelligence is controversial at best. It's a topic that's being researched at the moment, but I don't think there's anything conclusive yet. I imagine many of those articles are mostly speculation, but i'm no botanist, and I haven't researched this much.

[stevebowers]

Plants respond to the environment, and have 'memories' and 'experiences' of sorts,

Ooh I'd like to see some examples...

I did study botany at college, and my daughter is a plant scientist, so I might be able to give some clues. The 'memories' that a plant creates consist of specialised tissue that grows in response to stimuli in the environment. A plant in a breezy location will grow a stronger and more flexible stem and deeper roots, in order to withstand the wind; if a plant grows in a location where it is overshadowed, it can grow taller and 'reach for the sunlight', and extend more roots in the direction of resources where those resources are out of reach. If a plant has long roots it is well anchored, and can access water and minerals more easily if a drought occurs, and this allows them to 'remember' past conditions and use that 'experience' if the drought reoccurs.

When I was at college 'mycorrhizas' were the next big thing, and maybe they have been overhyped, but it seems a forest with a good mycorrhiza network can out-perform one with a poor one, and so on. This is unusual, since most infections (especially most fungal infections) are deleterious. Mycorrhizas can irrigate the soil for an entire community of plants, and combat microbial disease using antibiotic-like chemicals, so that a wide range of species benefit.