Do plants have feelings?

02/12/25 • 9 min

1 Listener

Join Andy on The Curiious Kidcast as he explores the fascinating world of plant sentience! Do plants have feelings? While they don't have brains like us, discover how plants can sense and respond to their environment in amazing ways. Learn about phototropism (how plants feel and grow toward light), thigmotropism (how vines sense touch), and how Venus flytraps detect prey. Explore plant communication through chemical signals, the underground "Wood Wide Web" network, and how plants recognize family members. Did you know some plants can even hear caterpillars munching on leaves or detect bee buzzing? Perfect for curious kids ages 7-11 interested in botany, plant science, biology, and nature's hidden wonders. This engaging, fact-filled episode transforms how young listeners view the green world around them, proving plants are far more aware than we thought! Great for classroom discussions, family science time, and inspiring young naturalists.

Show Notes

In this episode of The Curiious Kidcast, Andy takes us on a fascinating journey into the world of plant senses. Did you know plants can do much more than just sit there and look pretty? They're actually sensing and responding to their environment in incredible ways!

What You'll Learn:

How plants can "feel" and grow toward light (phototropism)
The amazing way vines sense and respond to touch (thigmotropism)
How Venus flytraps detect and catch insects
Plants' secret communication system through chemical signals
The "Wood Wide Web" - how plants share resources underground
How plants can recognize their siblings
Plants' ability to "hear" and respond to sounds and vibrations

Cool Facts:

When caterpillars munch on leaves, plants release warning chemicals to alert their neighbors
Plants can make themselves taste bad when they detect predators
Some flowers produce more nectar when they "hear" bees buzzing nearby
Plants share resources more generously with family members than with strangers

Questions to Ponder:

If plants can do all this without brains, what other amazing abilities might they have?
How should we think about plant intelligence?
What might plants be sensing that we don't even know about yet?

Join us next time for another mind-expanding adventure on The Curiious Kidcast, where curiosity leads to discovery!

Don't forget to review, share, and subscribe. Have questions about plants or other topics? Drop them in the comments!

Resources for Curious Kids:

Try growing your own plants and observe how they respond to light
Visit a botanical garden to see different plant adaptations
Look for videos of Venus flytraps in action

The Curiious Kidcast makes science fun and accessible for children ages 7-11, encouraging them to observe the world around them with wonder and curiosity.

#NatureForKids #SciencePodcast #CuriousKids #KidScience #STEM #EnvironmentalEducation

Show Notes

What You'll Learn:

How plants can "feel" and grow toward light (phototropism)
The amazing way vines sense and respond to touch (thigmotropism)
How Venus flytraps detect and catch insects
Plants' secret communication system through chemical signals
The "Wood Wide Web" - how plants share resources underground
How plants can recognize their siblings
Plants' ability to "hear" and respond to sounds and vibrations

Cool Facts:

When caterpillars munch on leaves, plants release warning chemicals to alert their neighbors
Plants can make themselves taste bad when they detect predators
Some flowers produce more nectar when they "hear" bees buzzing nearby
Plants share resources more generously with family members than with strangers

Questions to Ponder:

If plants can do all this without brains, what other amazing abilities might they have?
How should we think about plant intelligence?
What might plants be sensing that we don't even know about yet?

Join us next time for another mind-expanding adventure on The Curiious Kidcast, where curiosity leads to discovery!

Don't forget to review, share, and subscribe. Have questions about plants or other topics? Drop them in the comments!

Resources for Curious Kids:

Try growing your own plants and observe how they respond to light
Visit a botanical garden to see different plant adaptations
Look for videos of Venus flytraps in action

The Curiious Kidcast makes science fun and accessible for children ages 7-11, encouraging them to observe the world around them with wonder and curiosity.

#NatureForKids #SciencePodcast #CuriousKids #KidScience #STEM #EnvironmentalEducation

Previous Episode

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

1 Recommendations

Join Andy on The Curious Kidcast as he cracks open the age-old mystery: what came first, the chicken or the egg? Perfect for curious minds ages 7-11, this fun-filled episode explores evolution, dinosaur connections, and the surprising scientific answer that will amaze both kids and parents. Packed with egg-cellent jokes and fascinating facts about animal origins, this kid-friendly science podcast turns complex concepts into digestible bites. Listen now to discover the truth behind this classic riddle and impress your friends with your dinosaur-sized knowledge!

Episode Summary

In this egg-citing episode of The Curious Kidcast, host Andy cracks open one of history's oldest riddles: what came first, the chicken or the egg? Using kid-friendly explanations and plenty of humor, Andy takes young listeners on a journey through evolutionary history to discover the surprising scientific answer.

What You'll Learn

The ancient history of eggs (they're over 300 million years old!)
How modern chickens evolved from Red Jungle Fowl
What mutations are and how they create new species
The surprising connection between chickens and dinosaurs
Why scientists believe the egg actually came first
How Aristotle viewed the chicken-egg question differently

Fun Facts From This Episode

Eggs existed hundreds of millions of years before chickens
Fish, reptiles, and amphibians were laying eggs long before birds existed
Birds (including chickens) evolved from dinosaurs
The first "chicken" was born from an egg laid by a bird that wasn't quite a chicken

Vocabulary Words

Evolution: The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop from earlier forms
Mutation: A change in the genes that can create new characteristics
Ancestors: The animals or plants from which others have evolved
Genes: Special instructions that determine what an organism looks like and how it functions
Paradox: A statement that seems to contradict itself but might contain some truth

Questions To Discuss With Your Kids

If you could travel back in time to see the first chicken hatch, what would you name it?
What other "which came first" questions can you think of?
Why do you think eggs have remained such a successful way for animals to have babies for hundreds of millions of years?
If chickens evolved from dinosaurs, what do you think dinosaur eggs looked like?
What other animals can you name that lay eggs?

Resources For Further Learning

Visit your local natural history museum to see dinosaur and bird fossils
Check out kid-friendly books about evolution from your library
Try the egg-drop experiment at home to learn about eggshell strength
Look up images of different animal eggs online and compare their sizes and colors

Have a science question you'd like answered? Drop it in the comments section and Andy might feature it in an upcoming episode!

Don't forget to subscribe to The Curious Kidcast for more mind-blowing science explained in kid-friendly ways!

Next Episode

Why do dogs sniff other dog's butts?

1 Recommendations

In this episode, Andy explores the fascinating world of canine communication, specifically why dogs sniff each other's rear ends when they meet. This seemingly funny behavior is actually a sophisticated form of communication that reveals a lot about how dogs experience and understand their world.

What You'll Learn

Dogs have an incredible sense of smell with up to 300 million scent receptors (compared to our 5 million)
Special anal glands near dogs' tails release unique scents that are like "fingerprints"
Through sniffing, dogs can learn about another dog's identity, health, mood, and more
This behavior comes from wild ancestors like wolves and helps establish social order
Mutual sniffing is a form of canine greeting and can strengthen bonds between dogs

Fun Facts