University of Washington scientists said they now can tap into a tree's electric current to operate electronic devices. The findings will be published in the journal Transactions on Nanotechnology. By hooking nails to trees and connecting a voltmeter, researcher Carlton Himes found that bigleaf maples generate a steady voltage of up to a few hundred millivolts. By putting that voltage into a "boost converter", the scientists were able to to produce an output of 1.1 volts, enough to operate low-power sensors to monitor environmental conditions such as forest fires. Earthweek, September 12, 2009
that sounds like an article I read years ago about electrodes attached to plants to measure the voltage in plants and how they recognized people and how exited they were getting when a loved person was coming into the room and such thing. So are they are able "to see" us. what do you think, I tried to get the article back but I was no successful.
Claims that plants get happy when their caretaker appears should be viewed with this in mind. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/Horticultural Myths_files/Myths/Bad science.pdf
Thanks for your input. Now I am looking for the following recently (and I can't find it) I heard I think in Youtube, the following, Plants and trees mainly trees produce ultrasound and chemicals, this two make it rain. that sound logical because they are alive and they affect the environment, in a positive way. So I wonder if you guys heard something like this. Is amazing if this was proved.
Ron, my original post has as its subject the electric current produced by the tree, not speculation upon how this level might be affected by the tree's 'happiness'.
Hi, If that were true the Cedar trees that are now turning Autumn colours would have made it rain here long ago. If that were true I think my weather-head would be upset when I got near trees rather than the changes of the weather and I ought to have none at all now as there have been 3 major trees cut on the neighbouring properties in the past few years. I remember reading that book in the '70's! When I was a much younger gardener. Here's another test, the test of time.......what has anyone at all been able to do to build on this 'knowledge'? I, for one, have threatened plants with extinction if they did not start behaving and performing properly, with great success! They want to live :0. Seriously, if this were a useful phenomenon or even demonstrable we would have heard a lot more about it since the book was written, don't you think? I am open to it being true but have seen no solid evidence in all that time. D
I worked as a job developer for a Rehab. school in California years ago. We retrained mostly older people for new jobs after an on-the-job injury that prevented them from continuing to work in the their chosen field. Part of the training was to learn how to use a calculator. Not by touch or anything fancy just the basics. I had one student tell me "there weren't any outlets on the trees in the forest where he worked", so he didn't have to learn the calculator. FINALLY! after all these years I find out there is current in the trees!!! Where was the U of WA when I really needed them! ;-))) barb
Things have certainly changed since we were kids. I don't know how old you are togata but just think back to your grade school days. In mine if I didn't have access to an Encyclopedia I was in trouble. Math was all done with scratch paper - lots of it! Do you remember all the times tables? I sure don't. Now the kids have the internet (as do we) and can look up anything. They use calculators and still don't know their times tables. Just think of the changes we have seen in our lives. My Paternal Grandmother, (1888 to 1991) used to say, She saw the last of the Wagon Trains leave St Louis Missouri, and lived to see man walk on the moon. Where will we be next week or next month. barb
The mind boggles! The internet is a wonderful TOOL---but too often it is used as a substitute for KNOWLEDGE. The only way to get knowledge is to learn it, and learning anything takes TIME. Yes, it's human nature to seek the easiest way to do things, and the internet and all these fantastic new devices are so very easy and fast. But unless they are being used to some purpose, it's all just surface glitter and dust in the wind. A paradox I find: the internet is simultaneously a tool which unites and divides. As on this Forum, it can bring together people from all over the world for a fascinating exchange of knowledge and ideas. Wonderful! However, when each individual is glued to his or her own computer, interaction is not taking place on a personal, social level. "Real", if you will. I saw a cartoon in my local paper recently which illustrated this succinctly: Panel divided in half, left side showing a party, with folks standing around talking to one another. Caption---"Social networking: Then." Right half of panel, one person alone at her computer, Caption---"Social networking: Now." Only too, too true. We are all electronically interconnected, but are we not increasingly isolated?
Well the internet does isolate us, IF YOU USE the internet as a single social tool, then you get Isolated, but if you used the Internet to increase your cultural level and to use that culture obtained in the net, you use it to interact with others, that's the way should be, today I spent 1 hour in a Christian Forum, discussing if Christ was the real Christ seen in books and churches , everything I learned with this forum i am going to use tonight in a discussion about the same theme in a bible study. Talking again about trees, they do change the environment, they not only brake the ground provide shadow, and protect the earth, we all know that, and this is a fact. And recently was found the trees produce chemicals inhibiting the growth of other trees around themselves and sometimes event the growth of grass, fungi etc etc, even their own babies are not allowed chemically to grow close to the parental tree and start competing for food , light, and even shadow to the parental tree. some crops "get along with other crops" and they do better and the yielding is superior' and this is a fact. so I wouldn't be surprise if the trees and plants can recognize me when I come into a room to take care of them. and I would not be surprise they affect the environment in a different way a way we haven't found yet.
Only thing I AM sure of: I don't know everything! The more you learn, the more you know that there's always more to learn.
Toga that's the wonderful thing of God creation, there is something new available for us to learn, all the time.
And to add, The Chinese have long recognized that trees have unique energy which they try to tap into and use to sort of purify or enhance one's own energy when practitioners of a branch of Tai Chi,- Chi Gong - do so in the proximity of trees. I have read where pines are said to be of a beneficial nature while other trees are not so good for this practice. I met a modern Chinese gentleman here one day in the park practicing Tai Chi. We talked some and he said that was why he was among the big firs there, the revitalizing energy. He was a university grad and said that Tai Chi was taught in China as a health measure and preventive of stress overload, good for heart etc. He is a busy restaraunteur and yet he takes the time out to do some practice. Yes, GB, I agree that the net can be used to exclude or include and also it has taught me a lot about good communication and how to keep it going. I have learned that those places where people fight a lot or put others down is generally not very useful but that those sites where people can hold different ideas and still get along are the very best. Intention is at the heart of the matter, is it not? D
I know what the Chinese are trying to say about that energy, but the amazing thing is are the same people believing this are destroying their environment, and is us a still Christian Country and culture forcing them not to do it. I am more a Japanese person they have their meticulous gardens, their wonderful bonsais the one of them taught me more about the natural world and how we should approach it, they believe everything alive has a Kami or a spirit and we have to respect that kAMI, i was into the Shinto Religion when I was growing up, but then I found Christ and that made my choice simple, Christ died for us, and that made Him the only God dying for us. But I still have in me the respect for living things and the Love for everything alive or not. How Japaneses garden are so perfect, Katiko Makautusuku ( I hope I spelled right) a biology teacher in my University, told me and taught me once. He said " a garden is a living thing all trees, grass, stones, water, birds even earth are alive, you obtain perfection working in the garden every day a little bit, everyday, without forcing yourself". I do believe this, except the part about Earth is alive of course. And I keep my garden I wont say perfect but in very good Shape, and Japan is still a very pretty place to visit full of gardens and plants. He got something right and we should respect everything alive sharing this planet with us...
my favorite plant, and I wonder how is the nervous system in a plant, mainly in a plant as mimosa pubidica, I was told the nervous system in a plant is 75% chemical I have no idea what you guys think? here you go, enjoy my plant. GB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLTcVNyOhUc
