Are plants conscious? | Marvin Liyanage @marvinliyanage
Plants exhibit complex behaviors including photoreceptor-based navigation and chemical signaling via glutamate, enabling responses to environmental stimuli without a brain. Research indicates that plants can learn and retain memories, demonstrated by experiments where a plant stopped flinching after being dropped over a thousand times and maintained this memory for more than a month. Stefano Mancuso, a plant neurobiologist, argues that these capabilities suggest an aware state comparable to human consciousness, challenging traditional views on intelligence. This evidence points to a form of plant intelligence that operates through action potentials and chemical signals rather than neural networks.
Vers un élevage des veaux plus respectueux | ARTE Regards
The dairy industry's reliance on Holstein breeds creates a surplus of male calves, which are economically unviable for milk production and often subjected to long-distance transport across the EU under deplorable conditions. While standard practices involve selling these males for low prices to specialized fattening operations, some Austrian and Italian farmers are adopting dual-purpose breeds like Fleckvieh to raise calves for both milk and meat. This integrated approach allows producers to keep animals from birth to slaughter, reducing stress and eliminating the need for cross-border trade that currently moves hundreds of thousands of calves annually. By prioritizing breed versatility and local supply chains, these farms demonstrate that ethical and economic viability can coexist without relying on the industrial disposal of male offspring.