I’m not a vegan myself, but I understand and appreciate why people make the decision to remove animal products from their foods and lifestyles. However, there are a few plant-based people who take things to the extreme, which is why they’ve been losing their minds at the news that many plants actually “scream” when they’re being cut. If that’s the case, what’s safe to eat anymore?!
- The sound is beyond human hearing. If you’re thinking the research out of Tel Aviv University is total BS because you’ve never heard your tomatoes crying as they’re picked or your grass yelling out in protest as you run the lawnmower over it, that’s because the noise emitted by plants is undetectable to the human ear.
- Screaming isn’t the only sound plants make. They communicate in all kinds of inaudible (to human ears) ways. If we could hear it, it might help us understand what’s up with our plants – whether they’re dying, dehydrated, being attacked by insects, etc. That being said, maybe it’s better that we can’t.
- Some of the plants can hear each other screaming. Research from the University of Missouri found that smaller species like petunias and carnations emit sounds at about 50 Hz while larger ones like corn and chili peppers are at about 20 kHz. Chances are, they can hear each other’s sounds.
- At the end of the day, this is just natural biological process. Things make noise. Even black holes emit a sound, but it doesn’t mean anyone is suffering because of their existence. Being mindful of what you put in your body and how you interact with the natural world is important, but as with all things, there is such a thing as “too much” and it’s important that you keep things in perspective. No one is doing anything wrong by enjoying a tomato or any other natural foodstuff. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to appreciate the gifts of our planet.
