this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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the researchers recorded both healthy and stressed tomato and tobacco plants using microphones. They conducted experiments in a soundproof chamber and later in a greenhouse with background noise. The plants were stressed in two ways, by withholding water for several days and by cutting their stems. The team then trained a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between healthy plants, dehydrated plants, and cut plants.

audio is uploaded in the article

Source : https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-plants-scream-we-just-couldnt-hear-them-until-now/

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[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 17 points 15 hours ago

They pop and snap, calling that "screaming" is a bit sensationalist.

This is the kind of headline that hearkens the anti-vegetarians to claim nonsense arguments. "Plants scream when you cut them, so that means you're a hypocrite because you're hurting plants. Just look at this paper that says so!"

[–] Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago

Finally, a reason to consider vegetarianism

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 56 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 7 points 15 hours ago

Yoko Ono presents: plant jams #2

[–] Damarus@feddit.org 18 points 1 day ago

Wow that's my favorite song

[–] username_1@programming.dev 40 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I bet that wet brick sounds in a different way than a dry one.

[–] starik@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You mean dry bricks scream in agony!

[–] some_designer_dude@lemmy.world 6 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

So YOU mean the wet bricks scream with … pleasure?

[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

ur a wet brick lol

[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago

They discovered this in the 70's. Lyall Watson's Supernature documented plant reactions, even when cutting a leaf taken from the plant. It may not have been the most rigorous science, I don't know. But it did encourage thinking outside the box for ways to attempt to learn about the natural world.

[–] DishaweslemOride@lemmy.org 15 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 13 hours ago

"in not vegetarian because I love animals. I'm vegetarian because I hate plants"

[–] stickyprimer@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago

“The salad is screaming” has been a notion for decades.

Also, the Jains have entered the chat.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 3 points 16 hours ago

They, too, are aware of the state of the world.

[–] TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I recall in college about 14 years ago we spoke about the electric impulses in plants and how they change in reaction to stress

[–] whaleross@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

I was thinking about pop science headlines in the nineties, maybe even earlier.

[–] 69420@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOFVXckEiQs&t=1071

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I thought they found this over a decade ago?

[–] dbtng@eviltoast.org 3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I think the thing from a decade ago was about them emitting chemical messages through transpiration. Nova did a piece where transpiration and the fungal network in the soil were reconsidered as a whole communication system. I recall it was popularized using the same "scream" terminology in pop-sci rags.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Nah, it was the same thing, just 8 years ago I guess. This is an article from after I must have caught the paper: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-record-stressed-out-plants-emitting-ultrasonic-squeals-180973716/

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 11 points 23 hours ago

Research has to be repeatable

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 0 points 20 hours ago

Now it's reproducible bullshit.

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now I want to hook up a mic to my succulents and run a local ML model on a raspberry pi to water it.

[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 20 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Don't water your Raspberry Pi.

[–] No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 7 points 22 hours ago

Yeah, you're supposed to bake pie

[–] MunkyNutts@lemmy.world 6 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[–] dbtng@eviltoast.org 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

Unfortunately, Mark passed away. One of the best. Ever. I saw him in Olympia a year or so before he died. Great show, but the man was nearly blind and looked pretty exhausted at the end. He hung out in the lobby signing stuff, must have talked to a hundred fans.

[–] DiarrheaSommelier@lemmy.ca 4 points 21 hours ago
[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] qprimed@lemmy.ml 4 points 22 hours ago

any day that includes roald dahl is a good day. thank you!

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 hours ago

Except then it was without machine learning.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

Decades old.

[–] SalmiakDragon@feddit.nu 1 points 23 hours ago

Sounds like popping bubble wrap, or popcorn.