Japanese Gadget Gives Voice To Plants

Yet another..umm, well it's interesting, from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Japanese romantics will have the chance to hear some truly flowery language with the help of a playful gadget purported to express the feelings of plants.

Through the voice of a small doll, the device will share what the plant
is supposedly 'thinking' when a person strokes it.
The "Hanakotoba", or "Communication Flower", consists of a small
rod topped with a fairy figurine that can be put inside a potted plant
or vase of water.
When the owner touches the stem or leaves, a small electric current passes from the rod through a wire to a small doll.

The toy was released this month at 4,179 yen (35 dollars) each and,
if successful in Japan, will make its way abroad, the company said.


SOURCE:
PhysOrg.com

This is an interesting and unique device, I would'nt assume that,
if plants actually have any kind of thought at all, it's getting it
right, but it's still interesting.

I think this will have a nice sized niche market globally, perhaps
being more popular in some countires than others.


Comments, Opinions?

Yes its interesting the kinds of trash those Japanese engineers keep inventing.
For a moment I thought they had found a way to communicate with the spirit of Mother Nature, (or something like that). Instead it’s merely a way to put a bit more carbon dioxide in the sky; and trick Japanese people into thinking a plant has said something like “I'm thirsty”.

By the way the only time Japan was “the land of the rising sun” was when we dropped two atomic bombs on it.

But no disdain to you iori_komei (just whoever invented this mick take of paganism). (Or perfect icon of consumer culture).

Originally posted by Liberal1984
Yes its interesting the kinds of trash those Japanese engineers keep inventing.

I would'nt call it junk, not very useful, yes.

Instead it’s merely a way to put a bit more carbon dioxide in the sky; and trick Japanese people into thinking a plant has said something like “I'm thirsty”.

Well, I'm not sure of the design, but it probably takes very little
energy, add to that that Japan is one of the environmentally
green countries..

I'm pretty sure that people realize that the plants not actually
talking, so I would'nt call it tricking them.

By the way the only time Japan was “the land of the rising sun” was when we dropped two atomic bombs on it.

Japan is called the Land of the Risin Sun by many people, it's
just a nickname, just like other countries have nicknames.

Makes you think if they might develop somethin for are pet's next eh?

I think that be pretty crazy to hear would Sparky or Fi Fi would have to say.

Sorry I wasn’t being completely serious.
This isn't a one line answer. It's a two line answer

Ok, so while I can agree that this is more than likely a gimmick device, it could possibly be a little better than you might think. But only if they tried to use the Baxter effect in conjunction with the thing. Then I could see it working (if in fact the Baxter effect it's self pans out over time.)

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about or too lazy to look at the links I'm about to post, Baxter hooked up some plants to a lie detector machine. After doing various tests, he found the plants responded to him. The only problem that I'm aware of is it can't be replicated in (sorry for the lack of the words) They can't do it in a controlled setting.

here's some links (I don't know much about the sources.)

www.pureinsight.org...
www.plim.org...
www.falundafa.org...
www.dur.ac.uk...

sorry if anyone feels im dragging this off topic. it's not my intentions.

Originally posted by COWBOYCON
Makes you think if they might develop somethin for are pet's next eh?

I think that be pretty crazy to hear would Sparky or Fi Fi would have to say.

Actually, the same guy/company originally made a K9 translator,
the plant one was made to target women, as the dog one was
successful primaril with males.

Really?

That's nuts you got a link I made be able to have a gander at, Or should I just google it up?

why not?

a plant pseudo-communicator device has as much credibility
as does the new-age shared consciousness where 'attuned' people
are reported to be 'Empaths' who can 'talk' even 'listen' to other species
& even communicate with rocks & trees

Why? shouldn't the rest of us be able to indulge in cross-kingdom
communiction, too?
after all, isn't the sublime message of this device, that science
and a few $$ is all one needs in the new paradigm.

It'd be interesting to see plants talk to eachother. We already know they respond to voices and music... how would they respond to their own voices?

All I have to say is "Woohoo!"

Why, you ask? Well, because all them vegitarians are going to have to get off of their moral high horse when they listen to a bean plant yell out in pain as you pick the beans, then spend the next 9 months mourning for its lost children. Because we don't kill plants we eat, just horribly, horribly maim them. A whole new group of morally superior (in their own minds, like many vegitarians/vegans) carnivores will emerge with contrasting recordings of the pet version of this vs. the plant version:

COW: Oh, please don't kill me to eat me please do....

PLANT: Oh, please don't rip off my arm and eat it. Please don...EOOOOWWWCH! Ow! Ow! My arm! You ripped off my arm, you sick ^$$#! What the $^## is wrong with you! Ow! Owwwwwww >sob< my arm, my poor, poor...You're going to eat it!? What the ^#$#!!! No, don't eat it! They'll never be able to graft it back on! Noooo! NOOOO!!! >Sob<

>20 day snip<

No, no, no more! Don't rip off another limb! I'm just starting to heal from the last time! You sick ^$##! I hate life as a plant! I wish I could run away! HELP ME, SOMEONE! HELP!

Originally posted by junglejake

All I have to say is "Woohoo!"

Amen. of course this is a Japanese device and the chances it will have much effect on Japanese culinary habits is extremely unlikely.

*WARNING* above link may be unsettling to some.

junglejake,


you have a missperception of the reasons why someone is a vegetarian....



for me it has nothing to do with being superior, its my own spiritual choice and it's for my body.


to each his own, i do not think i am better then anyone, you shouldn't assume reasons why people do things, we all have different reasons...


peace and love.

Leave it to the japanese to come up with a thing like this. Pretty clever thought I must say.

Originally posted by selfless
you have a missperception of the reasons why someone is a vegetarian....

Which is why I added the "some" qualifier

erm...Actually, on rereading what I wrote...I added the "some" qualifier in my mind, not in the actual post Sorry if it was perceived as universal, I do know several vegetarians who don't lord it over we carnivores, but I also know some who act like some of those morally superior anti-smokers, too. The kind that state in a restaurant, "you're going to order steak? Do you know what they do to the cows? They ..." and proceed to describe how cows are slaughtered in graphic detail. It's for those people that I look forward to pulling out my tape recorder when they order a salad and say, "You're ordering a salad? Do you know what a plant goes through to make that little treat? Listen to this" and then play the tape for em. Then I'll turn to the waiter and say, "I'd like some humane foie gras because I'm not a vegetable torturer. Thanks!"

If plants had feelings and were able to communicate, the vegetarians would have nothing left to eat. I think plants are able to react to outside sources, like heat, light, water, sound, and air, but they have no way of having thought.

Originally posted by Liberal1984
By the way the only time Japan was “the land of the rising sun” was when we dropped two atomic bombs on it.

Guess it's not hard to imagine where the term 'ugly American' came from.


On a lighter note - do they have a pornographic version, ie - Stroke me, I'm a lonely bush.

Hehehehehehehehehe

You never know with those Japanese and their non-puritanical outlook on eros.

Originally posted by iori_komei

Originally posted by Liberal1984
Instead it’s merely a way to put a bit more carbon dioxide in the sky.

Well, I'm not sure of the design, but it probably takes very little
energy.

He was talking about the manufacturing.

junglejack,


yes i see that some people might be like you descrive but here's an overall solution to all problems of that sort.

ignore what they think about you and have peace :0


no need to think of ways to retaliate to others just because they are stepping on your views, that's what creates wars.


of course you could be kidding as well so my advice is up for grabs to anyone who reads it and choose to take it into consideration or not.


peace and love.

I'd give this about as much credibility as a mood ring.

The effect a plant has on a current which is passed through it can hardly be considered a 'mood'.

If the plant is not properly hydrated, it will resist current more... indicating it needs watering.
If it's properly hydrated, then it will pass current easily, allowing you to know it's properly watered.
The chemical composition of the plant, IE : nutrients, you cannot judge by simply passing a current through it.

I can see this being used as a means to know when to water the plant again... but we allready know when certain plants need water. So the point is moot.

Plants do not have a mood.
It's a clever idea to use current to judge the water content of a plant... but it's an old concept.

Like I said, I give it as much credibility as a mood ring... it can tell your temperature... but not your 'mood'.