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Radiolab

Smarty Plants

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

Natural Sciences, History, Documentary, Science, Society & Culture

4.644.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 February 2018

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Do you really need a brain to sense the world around you? To remember? Or even learn? Well, it depends on who you ask. Jad and Robert, they are split on this one. Today, Robert drags Jad along on a parade for the surprising feats of brainless plants. Along with a home-inspection duo, a science writer, and some enterprising scientists at Princeton University, we dig into the work of evolutionary ecologist Monica Gagliano, who turns our brain-centered worldview on its head through a series of clever experiments that show plants doing things we never would've imagined. Can Robert get Jad to join the march? This episode was produced by Annie McEwen.  Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, Radio Lab. It's Molly Webster. Before we start the episode, I have a question for you,

0:08.0

somewhat impolite, probably wouldn't ask you this in-person question. And that question is,

0:13.0

are you trying to have a kid? Because if you are, I want to hear from you. So if you are trying,

0:20.0

and you'd be interested in talking to us totally confidentially,

0:23.2

you can email us at trying atradialab.org, and we'll tell you more.

0:28.9

That's trying at radio lab.org.

0:31.8

Thanks.

0:33.5

Wait, you're listening.

0:34.6

Okay.

0:35.9

All right.

0:36.9

Okay.

0:38.5

All right. You're listening. Okay. All right. Okay. All right.

0:39.9

You're listening to Radio Lab.

0:42.9

Radio Lab.

0:43.3

From W. N. Y.

0:45.4

C.

0:46.2

See?

0:46.4

Yeah.

0:48.7

Sorry.

0:52.9

Where do we want us to say?

0:54.4

It doesn't matter.

0:55.2

One or the other.

...

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