According to the source, this is a very short-lived and controversial venture, as science still has no concrete way to study or even describe consciousness. But Paco Calvo’s experiments are still very interesting.

What do scientists do?

It has long been known that plants can communicate with each other, react and perform various “tricks” that help them survive in nature. However, it is not clear whether this is their true will or the passive and unconscious reactions produced by millennial evolution.

We know that plants are aware of their environment, of themselves and of each other. We do not know whether they are conscious or not.
– says Elizabeth Van Volkenburg, professor of crop science at the University of Washington.

Calvo and colleagues developed a list of factors to analyze and measure the presence of willpower, or at least cognition, in plant behavior.

• First, they ask if the behavior is flexible and proactive.
• Second, they ask whether such behavior is prospective.
• Finally, third, they determine whether the behavior is intentional.

With this list, scientists may have found an example where the facility meets the requirements. These are beans.

As the beans rise, they really seem to be looking for the best spot. He reaches out in broad, “crawling” motions as he decides where to settle, and when he clings to a ledge, a burst of internal electrical signals unfolds in his shots. The researchers say the combination of these factors could point to an underlying cognitive function and even more could be evidence that plants have subjective experience.

It can even mean that the grain “knows” that the pole is there,
– explains Calvo, but also adds that his team tries to be very careful not to assume too much.

Scientists have many doubts because reactions and behavior alone are not evidence. Despite everything, the “intelligence” of plants continues to amaze and lead scientists to new ideas and research.