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Do plants feel pain?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Lawrence, Feb 8, 2015.

  1. Lawrence

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    I just can't get over it. I've gotten into one of the strangest discussions of my life.

    LOng story short; he believes plants can feel pain. I asked if he meant they can undergo agony and suffer like people and he says yes. He also believes plants can recognise people that previously hurt them. I've never heard of that and will have to research it. Although I think he's correct about plants communicating with trees.

    I told him that plants don't have pain receptors. And he says; "oh, listen to professor plum." I am not a professor! Okay, plants respond to stuff, but I find it very difficult to believe they could feel pain anything like humans do.

    So, if I gift flowers to somebody, is that a bit like a cat offering torn up dead mice to its owner? Such horrifying implications for valentine's day! Apples and oranges. My god, I'm sorry, I'm unable to be 100% serious right now.

    I want to know what you think; be it agreement, disagreement, or something else.
     
  2. CyanChachki

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    Plants do feel pain, yes. When you mow the grass, that fresh cut grass smell is a distress call. Maple trees also release a distress smell when they're being attacked by bugs. The smell is detected by nearby maple trees and they thicken their bark to protect themselves against possible oncoming bugs.

    I don't think that they identify specific people though, but maybe more like specific creatures? I don't really believe that tbh.
     
  3. Chiroptera

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    Did a quick research on this.

    -Susan Deal, Sheffield, UK

    A number of studies have shown that plants feel pain, and vegetables are picked and often eaten while still alive. Animal rights activists are often in the news, but has anyone ever protested for vegetable rights? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk

    Plants can respond to external attacks, either by triggering defense mechanisms, or by releasing chemicals that will "signal" to other plants "hey, i'm under attack". But this isn't the same thing that "feeling pain", considering "pain" what we, animals, feel. As you said, plants don't have pain receptors (at least, i'm unaware of any species that have them).

    "Signals" isn't the same thing as "pain". Take a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain

    "As for other animals, plants, or other entities, their ability to feel physical pain is at present a question beyond scientific reach, since no mechanism is known by which they could have such a feeling. In particular, there are no known nociceptors in groups such as plants, fungi, and most insects",
     
  4. aindrias

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    On a similar note, do you think if a lawn of grass gets a bad 'haircut', it feels embarrassment?
     
  5. resu

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  6. MisterTinkles

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    Plants are living things, of course they feel pain.
    They get burned if they have no water and get dried out, like humans do.
    They wither and die if not fed, just like humans do.
    They decompose after death, like humans do.

    I used to watch the Discovery Channel a lot when I was younger.

    One such program was this exact topic. And there were several scientists who PROVED that plants DO feel pain, cold, and heat.

    Which also explains why plants who "listen" to classical music develop and grow a lot more quickly than plants that do not.

    Vegetarians think they are doing the world a favor by not eating something that is alive.
    Well, plants are alive.....so they are hypocrites. The only way they could possibly be so gallant and not eat anything living, is to die from starvation. There is no other way around it.

    If animals can have feelings, emotions, and souls........................why cant plants feel pain, suffering, starvation, and death......and happiness?
     
  7. jay777

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    There was someone named Backster who hooked up plants to a detector.

    He made someone violate a plant in the presence of other plants.
    Every time this person entered later, the readout of the other plants changed.

    He also noted changes in readout with music, and with leaves cut.

    Plants are susceptible to music, for example.
    There is a p atent for a system which imitates birds singing, which leads to opening of pores in plants.
    If additionally sprayed with nourishing solutions, there can be very notable differences in growth
    (there are also without).
    The person using this method has won several prizes.

    There were experiments with plant seedlings.
    One batch was called bad names daily, another one was praised.
    There were very notable differences in growth. You can try this for yourself, if you like.

    So yes, plants respond to their environment very much.
    Imo this is what makes some people have "a green thumb". They treat plants as beings, which they respond to.
     
  8. NingyoBroken

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    Plants do not feel pain. They do not have consciousness.

    Hell, it is debated whether insects feel pain or not (many studies say they do not), let alone plants.
     
  9. jay777

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    This is simpy a matter of how you define consciousness.

    The test with the plant seedlings was reproduced with school children from around the world.
    Try for yourself, if you do not believe it.

    There are vegetarians who only eat fruit for this reason.

    And some take only a part of the plant.

    And some are trying to give back by giving love.
     
  10. Pret Allez

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    I really, really hope so. Something needs to present a practical concern for ethical vegans.
     
  11. kageshiro

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    As someone who personally identifies as a plant I can tell u I feel pain
     
  12. Kaiser

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    Vash the Stampede, is that you?
     
  13. TENNYSON

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    Humans are the only animals crazy enough to think that they do.

    "Responding" is not the same as "feeling". Dead frog legs twitch when you pour salt on them, and they're not even alive. They're just responding. If something dead can respond, what does that say about responding?

    If you want to say that plants feel pain, you have to define "pain" first.

    The whole "vegetarians don't cause pain" thing is dumb anyway; small animals are killed during harvesting and farms, even ones that only grow plants, can have negative effects on the environment (including animals), especially if chemicals are used.
     
  14. timo

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    I'm glad they do - it's one of the best smells in the world.

    :lol:
     
  15. Austin

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    They don't feel pain like humans do, or any pain at all, really. People who say they do are really stretching the perceptions of pain... being responsive to environmental cues doesn't make something conscious or able to perceive pain. Responding to your environment is a property of ALL life on earth. Even basic cells can do so. Similarly, bacteria can communicate... Plants can communicate... Sending out distress signals doesn't mean feeling pain; it means responding to it. They simply don't have the nerves or brain for consciousness.
     
  16. 741852963

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    Plants don't feel pain, but they respond to damage as a stimulus.

    They are very "clever" things really, capable or making incredible "calculations" to optimise themselves for their environment (detecting certain types of shade, knowing when to photosynthesize, growing differently to get the most out their surroundings) and even communicating with other plants.

    I think perhaps a good analogy is to see them like computers. Advanced bits of "tech" but (thankfully) not aware.
     
  17. Argentwing

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    Plants do a lot of cool stuff people generally don't consider, but feeling pain is not one of them. If it's proven otherwise I'll be really surprised.
     
  18. Lawrence

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    I'm no expert but that makes more sense. Not that I'm worried about plants recognising people and seeking revenge in some day of the triffids event.

    Very interesting responses. Also cool to hear feedback from plants. I died.

    And, Austin, you explained in plain english and it's easier to remember that way.

    Sometimes I keep a few severed plants (flowers) at home. I've dabbled in gardening. To the extent that I pull weeds out by the root. Because weed killer vs neighbourhood cats, isn't a fight I'd want to see. Anyway, I shouldn't be laughing at some article on the Castor oil plant.
     
  19. resu

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    Everyone keeps using the words "feeling pain". How do you scientifically prove that plants feel pain or not? Do you talk to plants? Even hospitals have to use visual and numerical scales because measuring pain in humans is hard to describe (there are many cases of humans incapable of "feeling" pain - are they less human for that?).
     
  20. RainbowGreen

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    In a way, it's impossible to prove that another person feels pain. We have to take their words for it. We have to know what the nervous system does.

    I guess we can only assume plants don't because they don't have the things we deem necessary to feel pain, and they also have no use for pain since they can't get away.