Learning Plant Learning: Prof. Ariel Novoplansky at TEDxJaffa

Professor Ariel Novoplansky talks about the unique way in which plants communicate through their roots. Via a complex system of non-verbal communication, plants are able to warn each other of impending danger and experiences. With his team of research scientists, Prof. Novoplansky has mapped the ways in which plants communicate, an important factor in agricultural planning, and also proven that plants have memory. Prof. Novoplansky was born and raised in Israel and received his Ph.D. in ecology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Following a post-doc period at the University of Michigan he joined the Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Institutes for Desert Research of the Ben-Gurion University. His scientific work focuses on evolutionary ecology of plants. His current research is related to the evolutionary rationale and physiological mechanisms enabling plants to make developmental decisions based on information they perceive from their environment and neighbors.