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Electrical experiments with plants that count and communicate

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Greg Gage |

TED2017

• April 2017

Neuroscientist Greg Gage takes sophisticated equipment used to study the brain out of graduate-level labs and brings them to middle- and high-school classrooms (and, sometimes, to the TED stage.) Prepare to be amazed as he hooks up the Mimosa pudica, a plant whose leaves close when touched, and the Venus flytrap to an EKG to show us how plants use electrical signals to convey information, prompt movement and even count.

Neuroscientist Greg Gage takes sophisticated equipment used to study the brain out of graduate-level labs and brings them to middle- and high-school classrooms (and, sometimes, to the TED stage.) Prepare to be amazed as he hooks up the Mimosa pudica, a plant whose leaves close when touched, and the Venus flytrap to an EKG to show us how plants use electrical signals to convey information, prompt movement and even count.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about how to bring neuroscience to life through the use of live experiments and demonstrations at home and in the classroom.

About the speaker

Greg Gage

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TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards.

Daniel Chamovitz | Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012 | Book

What a Plant Knows

Daniel Chamovitz’s book is a sensory exploration of plants which presents the history and modern state of plant sciences in an engaging and accessible form. Do plants see? Smell? Hear? Remember? Are plants aware? Chamovitz balances his provocative speculations with historical scientific accounts and contemporary scientific research, which together serve to amaze readers by revealing the true nature of plants. This text inspired our own interest in plant physiology and behavior, and we recommend it to anyone who seeks to learn more about plant behavior.

Backyard Brains | Explore

Backyard Brains Plant SpikerBox

Don’t believe it? Interested in doing these experiments for yourself? The Plant SpikerBox is the tool which Greg Gage uses in the talk to record, visualize, and communicate between plants. It’s a powerful, but affordable, alternative to high-cost electrophysiology equipment. The device was developed to create opportunities for students, teachers, and passionate amateurs to perform real electrophysiology experiments at home or in the classroom. By enabling aspiring scientists to perform real, hands-on experiments, Greg and his team at Backyard Brains hope to inspire a new generation of STEM professionals.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about how to bring neuroscience to life through the use of live experiments and demonstrations at home and in the classroom.