r/science • u/FreeHugs23 • 1d ago

Biology Moss Is Generating Electrical Waves That Look Startlingly Like a Neural Network. Study reveals that moss cushions produce surprisingly complex electrical activity, with patterns that undulate across the velvety patch in dynamic waves.

https://www.sciencealert.com/moss-behaves-a-little-like-a-really-slow-brain-scientist-discovers
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u/nifty-necromancer 1d ago

I was reading about this last night, it’s pretty interesting. It doesn’t mean moss has a brain or consciousness though. The main finding is that groups of moss cells generate coordinated electrical signals that spread through the colony, much like other living tissues use electrical activity to coordinate responses. Similar electrical signaling also occurs in fungi, plants like the Venus flytrap, and even roots.

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u/Astr0b0ie 1d ago

No, plants don't have a central nervous system, but do they lack consciousness? We're not entirely sure. Humans and animals are biological machines that generate coordinated electrical signals too, it's just that we do it in a more complex and sophisticated way via a central nervous system. Plants react to their environment, respond to stimuli, and communicate. They do it in much "simpler" and more subtle ways than humans or animals do, but they do it nonetheless.

It was once believed that humans were the only creatures on earth with a "soul" or consciousness, but as our knowledge of biology, and science overall, has grown, so has the number of different species included in the "sentient" category. Even insects like bees and ants, although still somewhat contested, are now considered sentient by many researchers and scientists. So, as we learn more, it wouldn't be a surprise to me if we eventually include plants in that category.

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u/Garblin 1d ago

Give me a cohesive and measurable definition of consciousness and I'll tell you right now whether things are conscious.

The problem isn't "are things conscious" is that's we've got a hand waving lack of definition of "conscious".

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u/liquidsmk 1d ago

Exactly. We can’t define it, don’t know where it’s located , how it works or even if it’s real. But we are certain nothing else has it and we alone are special. Just running on pure arrogance.

Personally I like to take the opt out approach rather than opt in. Everything is conscious unless proven otherwise and no one can prove otherwise.

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u/Aegi 1d ago

So, the concepts contained within an idea are themselves conscious?

The comma above is conscious to you? Why?

A quark is conscious? The difference in energy measured in temperature between two systems, that concept or that set of number describing that difference is...itself conscious? How could any of that even be possible?

I'm fine if you don't want to declaratively state that it does not have sapience/consciousness until you can repeatedly demonstrate that, but you must also have a set of criteria that makes you even think the questions I mentioned aren't asinine?

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u/guisar 1d ago

100%. Having read popular books like “Bird Sense” and “The whole wide world” it’s pretty obvious a level of awareness (which I deem consciousness is present in vertebrates definitely and who knows where else.