by Audrey Clark My stepbrother lounged in front of the
television watching a reality TV show about mining in Alaska. I
sat on the couch, facing away from the television, drinking tea
and reading a book on visionary scientists. After a while, I
started to wonder what my stepbrother wondered about. “What
questions do you have about nature?” Then, in an outpouring I
wouldn’t expect from a non-naturalist, let alone one who was
watching TV: “Can plants feel pain? How does a woodpecker not
get a concussion? How do you tell how old a tree is without
cutting it down? How long does it take ants to build an ant
hill? Where does honey come from? Like what part of the bee?
What’s the best way to survive a bear attack? Can animals get
sick from drinking bad water like we can? Why do monkeys have
better immune systems?” In honor of my stepbrother, here are my
best attempts at answering these questions: Can plants feel
pain? We feel pain because we have nerves that send pain signals
to our brains. Plants do not have nervous