Plant Memories
An interesting article:
At the center of the experiment was the plant Mimosa pudica, which has a dramatic response to unfamiliar mechanical stimuli: Its leaves fold closed, perhaps to scare away eager herbivores. Using a specially designed rail, Gagliano introduced her M. pudica to a new experience. She dropped them, as if they were on a thrill ride in an amusement park for plants. The mimosa plants reacted. Their leaves shut tight. But as Gagliano repeated the stimulus—seven sets of 60 drops each, all in one day—the plants’ response changed. Soon, when they were dropped, they didn’t react at all. It wasn’t that they were worn out: When she shook them, they still shut their leaves tight. It was as if they knew that being dropped was nothing to freak out about.
David Trammel
Thu, 09/07/2017 - 18:07
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The Egotism of Human Superiority
I always shake my head at the way so many humans feel so superior in their humanity and their specialness as the ONLY thinking creature in the Universe. We as a species put such a stark black line that we think separates us from the rest of creation.
Of course plants have a consciousness and react and learn about their experiences. So too do animals and sometimes even in my opinion do so called inanimate objects. Am I the only one who talks to their machines?
I often praise my two cars, when we pass another auto broken down on the side of the road, for their hard work and the fact they get me to where I need to go. LOL, when I worked in Hollywood, we had a Mister PotatoHead, with a crown, who we had named the "Prop God". It was common to ask him for his benediction when about to begin a difficult project.
Its funny that the most recent post by Greer on Ecosophia, deals with the Gods.
http://www.ecosophia.net/death-god-speculation/
Recently a couple of people at my work have begun a little ritual, where on "Thursday" be bang a hammer on some metal and say to each other "Happy Thor's Day". Its primarily because of the television series "American God's" but still, as Greer writes until the recent domination of the Christian God and his Son, people knew many gods and goddesses. Our ancestors knew this and accepted this.
It makes me smile to envision that in some small part of the Multiverse, that being that in times of old was called "Thor", receives a little bit of nourishment each time we bag that hammer.
At my work for some of us, "We worship the Old Gods and the New".
Sometime, take an afternoon, find a friendly tree, sit down with your back to its trunk and have a conversation. You'll hopefully be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
Sophie Gale
Sat, 09/09/2017 - 03:35
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Death of the Gods?
I thought the "death of the Gods" thing was a bit weird and androcentric. Do the Gods exist to serve us or Creation? Does Bast turn her back on cats, if we don't recognize her? Does Odin shrug off the ravens? Does Artemis forsake her hills? Dieties, first and formost, inhabited places. Hathor and Yaweh both hung out at Mt. Sinai (and the Golden Calf is her son Ihy).
I've had a lot of strange encounters with gods. It's kind of like meeting people at a really good Halloween party: it can take me a while--sometimes a long while!--to figure out who I'm talking to. Hathor claimed me when I was only four, but it took me forty years to believe in her. I'd say Gods appear when there is a longing for them, and belief only comes into play when longing reaches critical mass.
Don't ask me about fairies!
ClareBroommaker
Sat, 09/09/2017 - 12:10
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What about fairies?
Eh, yeah. I'm gonna ask you about fairies. What about fairies?
Sophie Gale
Sat, 09/09/2017 - 19:36
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I don't mess with them!
I don't mess with them! Sometimes the little ones drop by, but I'm a terrible housekeeper, and they don't hang around--though they do hide sh*t all the time.. I do not purposely call the powerful ones, and I'm really not comfortable with them in my hotel room. At a World Fantasy convention, yet! And then there was a crippled werewolf who had a crush on me, but he was in therapy, and I am sorry, but he had way too much baggage! Life is much simpler now that I am old and grey.