I completely agree @xyzashu! There is a growing body of evidence to show that even without what we would traditionally call a brain, plants actually experience all the same senses humans do and are able to understand what is being done to and around them. In other words, they are scientifically aware and can make logical decisions based on that awareness. By logical decisions, I mean that they do not just take the first option given to them, but they actually weigh the options and choose, all this without a brain! As you so clearly states, humans use a brain to do this, cephalopods use a combination of detached nervous system and brain, plants use neuron-like receptors in the roots and who know what else, since we are just starting to understand how they think.
One study I think both of you might find interesting, given that @teamsteem speaks about anesthesia, is that it has been shown that plants are affected to anesthesia in a way that is comparable to the way humans react. A study published in the Annals of Botany suggests that the action of anesthetic at cellular and organ levels are similar in plants and animals, which opens to new questions on sentience. Read the study here.
As a researcher on plant intelligence and plant music and communication currently studying under Prof. Stefano Mancuso, the scientist that coined the term plant neurobiology as is leading the way in proving scientifically plant intelligence, I am thrilled to see this conversation. Excited to see where it goes....
Yes and I think I've covered a bit about the effects of anesthesia on plants in this post. But thanks a lot for pointing to the exact study.
I found your blog & your research field interesting. Following you now to read more about this field from your own experiences and discoveries 😊
Thank you! Following you, as well. You did a great job bringing together the research.