Stunning findings on the 7 human senses, the heartbeat of trees and the question of whether plants have consciousness
Do people have something like a seventh sense that can sense danger? Can we say that our sense of smell surpasses the sensitive sense of smell of a dog? Why does our immune system respond to the colours and smells of the forest?
And from the other side: Is it possible that trees breathe? That they can even measure something like heart rate? And should we view plants as intelligent beings?
Our immune system has been shown to use plant antibiotics that trees secrete into the air to protect themselves from invaders when walking through the forest. And our senses are in no way inferior to those of other living creatures. Just like animals that perceive earthquakes and other natural disasters long before we are aware of them, we humans have a seventh sense - thanks to it, for example, we sometimes get the unmistakable feeling that someone is watching us from behind. Dogs' sense of smell is generally much more sensitive than humans', but when it comes to the smell of ripe fruit and berries, we can give dogs the "long nose".
Plants and trees, on the other hand, have surprisingly many human features: Some plants are able to hear and distinguish between harmless and threatening sounds, for example, they can recognise the subtle sounds of caterpillars munching. Trees breathe in the oxygen in the air and use it for energy. They use their roots to feel as well as taste, and the regular movements that pump water up the trunk can be compared to our heartbeat in the world of trees.
Peter Wohlleben reminds us that humans are not superior to plants and animals, but remain, like all other species, part of an amazing system where all depend on each other and where all interact - and we are still far from understanding this complex interplay.