Ultrasonic Plant Sounds

[ysabetwordsmith]

Apparently plants make ultrasonic clicks.

I have not noticed this.  Bats I notice.  Electronics, definitely.  But plants are outside where that sort of sound likely blends into the background.  I shall have to listen and see if I can detect it.

Anyhow, for my friends with super-hearing: if your plants are clicking, water them.

Comments

[acelightning73]

I have a brown thumb. Plants die when they see me coming. I've never had a plant survive long enough for me to detect any clicking sounds. I can hear the relays in the the furnace clacking when they switch on the hot-water pump. I can hear the valves in the heating system opening and closing to route hot water to the zone that's selected. I used to be able to hear the high-pitched buzz of the high-voltage ("flyback") transformer in old CRT televisions (and old monitors). I can actually hear myself blink if I focus on it.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I can hear blinking, if the house is quiet enough.

[we_are_spc]

Sometimes they draw me to them. Especially the roses, if I listen...or 'feel' hard enough. Sometimes it's an inextricable pull.

...

I never thought about trying to listen for it, though.

-T~

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Huh, now that you mention it, I get that too. I thought it was just part of my general nature-sense, ordinary and extraordinary. The clicks could be part of that, noticed subliminally.

Now I'm trying to imagine an experiment that would address whether people can perceive the clicks. Maybe show people pictures of plants and ask which ones need to be watered. For each category of water in the soil ("really needs water" "could use water" "doesn't need water"), play the ultrasonic clicks for half the pictures, and see if that makes more people check the "water this" box.

Re: Thoughts

[see_also_friend]

One could also try a variable to see if the clicking elicits caretaking behaviors - i.e. does clicking prompt people to, say, check a 'fake' plant, or try other caretaking behaviors?

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

And if a fake plant clicks, is it more plausible than one which does not? Could work the same as putting essential oil on a fake flower to make it seem more realistic. Testable, and interesting!

I love having an audience that enjoys thinking about such things.

Re: Thoughts

[see_also_friend]

Well, humans can be conditioned to respond* to help-me noises other than the preprogrammed human distress signals. It stands to reason that someone good with plants may be conditioned respond to plant distress signals.

Empathetic responses can be learned or trained. With me, I am more responsive to barking dogs after I have been taking care of dogs. I've also observed myself responding differently to voices when asleep (in my case, requests for assistance, but I've also seen it done with calling names or phone ringtones).