Summary
David in Bogota might have raised a few eyebrows in the CrowdScience office with his questions – can plants talk? And can they hear us talking to them? But actually scientists now know that plants do have the ability to communicate with the world around them to a much greater extent than previously thought. Some scientists even talk about plants being able to “hear” a hungry caterpillar or the sound of running water, while others argue that we should not anthropomorphise plants.
One underground communication network, affectionately dubbed the Wood Wide Web by scientists, is made of fungi that grow off the roots of plants. The network lets plants forge alliances, friendships and business partners.
But as we learn nothing is free in nature. In return for their haulage services, the fungi which make up the network siphons off some of the sugar produced during photosynthesis by the plants. Presenter Anand Jagatia goes foraging for answers in the woods together with fungal ecologists.
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Louisa Field
(Image: Misty path running through woodland. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's caught, she's going to be shot. |
| 0:09.3 | I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on extraordinary stories from World War II. |
| 0:17.6 | What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz. |
| 0:22.0 | Tales of deception, an incredible acts of resistance and courage. |
| 0:26.3 | She was a born soldier. |
| 0:27.4 | She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense. |
| 0:29.9 | The brand new series of History's Secret Heroes. |
| 0:32.8 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:34.7 | The honeysuckle bush, bush, bush. |
| 0:43.3 | Meet Christine and Karen, singing a song that their friend composed and sang to a dying honeysuckle bush. |
| 0:50.3 | According to them, it did the trick. |
| 0:53.3 | It's all beautiful to this. |
| 0:55.0 | It blossomed. |
| 0:56.0 | I should probably say that you are listening to Crowd Science on the BBC World Service. |
| 1:01.0 | I'm Ann Jan Jagatia, and this is the show where we take your questions on life, the universe and everything, |
| 1:07.0 | and hunt down the scientists around the world who can help us to get some answers. Now today, producer Louisa and I have come to the Chelsea Flower Show in London. |
| 1:14.6 | It's an absolutely gorgeous day and it's the perfect place to start answering this question. |
| 1:19.6 | Hi, Crut Science and the BBC World Service. I'm David, and I'm calling you from Bogota in Colombia. |
| 1:25.6 | My question is, can plans hear us when we talk to them? |
| 1:29.5 | David, why do you want to know the answer to this question? |
| 1:31.9 | Why are you interested in plants? |
| 1:34.2 | I know, because my mother had plants here in my house, |
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