The Science in The Fiction Sue Burke on Intelligent Plants in 'Semiosis'
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Oct 5, 2023 Sue Burke, author of 'Semiosis' and 'Interference', discusses intelligent plants and their interaction with human colonists on a planet named Pax. They explore plant behavior, symbiosis, sensory capabilities, mental health, and the controversial idea of plant intelligence. They also touch on Burke's books about a coronavirus pandemic and the evolution of viruses, as well as her upcoming installment of the Semiosis trilogy.
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Plants Recruit Predators With Scents
- Plants emit specific scents to recruit predators of their pests, like calling parasitic wasps to eat aphids.
- This shows plants identify attackers chemically and mount targeted defensive strategies.
Domestication Is Often Mutual
- Domestication can be mutual: some plants like wheat 'volunteered' to be cultivated because humans reliably tended them.
- Certain species evolved traits that entice humans to propagate them, creating co-dependence.
Plants ‘Hire’ Ant Defenders
- Burke describes plants intentionally domesticating ants by building structures and food to attract them as defenders.
- Ants then patrol and kill herbivores, creating a plant-ant mutualism.