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A famous book called the Secret Life of Plants says that plants are conscious, and even have a preference for music. In one research study, plants exposed to Mozart have been shown to be healthier and grow faster than plants exposed to Jimi Hendrix. While some skeptics have said that these studies are unscientific, there is growing research on plant intelligence and plant communication.

Plants don’t have brains, so they can’t think in the same way as humans, but they can perceive their environment and even communicate this information to nearby plants.

Cabbages have been shown to perceive threats in their environment and communicate this to other nearby cabbages. Researchers in Exeter, England cut the leaves of cabbages with scissors, to provoke a defensive response. The threatened cabbages produced a toxic gas that protects it from some insects. Interestingly, the uncut cabbages nearby also began to release a toxic gas. The healthy cabbages seemed to be reacting to a warning from their injured cabbage neighbors.

Pea plants have also communicated a similar warning when threatened with drought conditions. Pea plants are known to close their pores to protect themselves during drought. Researchers in Israel watered some pea plants, but didn’t give any water to others. As they expected, the dry pea plants closed their pores, but strangely, the pea plants that had plenty of water also closed their pores. The researchers believe that the thirsty pea plants were communicating a warning of drought through their roots to their nearby neighbors.

Some plants have even been shown to communicate with sound. Of course, plants don’t have ears, but some scientists think they can perceive sound vibrations. Using sensitive microphones, Italian scientist Gagliano recorded clicking noises produced by corn seedlings. She then placed these seedlings in water and played them similar sounds. Interestingly, the corn seedlings grew towards the loudspeakers.

There is no doubt that plants are perceiving their environment and communicating this information with their plant neighbors. The question is whether or not there is an intention to communicate. Whatever the case, plants are stranger and more wonderful than we can imagine. What do you think about plant intelligence? Let us know in the comments.

Expressions

Whatever The Case: This mean that whatever the situation or facts, certainly. Similar to “anyways” and “in any case.”

Example: Whatever the case, she’s my daughter and I’ll always love her.

Perceive: Become aware of something. Understand something through sight, sound, smell, touch or hearing.

The post Secret Language of Plants appeared first on Deep English.

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A game changer is an expression that describes an idea so different and original that the system or “game” cannot continue in the same way. Copernicus’s idea was a complete game changer that changed the way we see the world. He was an astronomer in the 15th and 16th century Europe who said that the earth was not the center of the universe. He studied the movements of the sun and stars to prove that they did not revolve around the earth. Of course, he was not the first person to understand that it’s the earth that revolves around the sun, but his ideas were so shocking to the western world, that the Catholic Church banned his writing.

Kopernik is an NGO that takes its name from Copernicus. Just like Copernicus, they want to be a game changer that changes the way people try to solve problems around the world. They connect producers of cutting edge technologies with poor communities that need it most. Some of their projects include affordable water filters, biomass stoves and solar lighting.

One of Kopernik’s most interesting projects is providing eyeglasses that can be self-adjusted. There are over 670 million people around the world who live with poor vision because they don’t have access to eye doctors. For many of the world’s poorest, even if they do have access to an eye doctor, it could cost up to 3 months salary to pay for glasses. The glasses that Kopernik sends around the world are designed to bring vision to people in a cost effective way. These glasses have syringes on each side filled with oil. Using these oil filled syringes, the wearer is able to increase or decrease the amount of oil that fills the lenses. In this way, these DIY glasses can be easily adjusted without a doctor. Watch the video below to learn about one way that Kopernik and these glasses are a game changer for people who can’t work, study or even leave the house because of vision problems.

Expressions

Cutting Edge: The highest level of development; innovative.

DIY: DIY means Do It Yourself. It often refers to projects that you can do, such as fixing things around your home, but it can also refer to anything that you do yourself without the help of a professional.

Deep English is a supporter of Kopernik. A portion of all Deep English profits go to Kopernik and other charities. Our mission is not only making the best English lessons that we can, but also to give back to the world community. If you appreciate our lessons, share this on Facebook or Twitter.

The post Game Changer appeared first on Deep English.

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That’s awesome! Maybe you’ve heard this English expression before. The word awesome has become so overused that it’s lost its true meaning for some people and now just means good or great. “That restaurant is awesome!” “That movie was awesome!” “My best friend is awesome!” None of these things are truly awesome. (I don’t know your best friend. Maybe she is awesome.)

The true meaning of awesome is something that fills you with awe or wonder. Awe is a feeling that takes your breath away. This is often something so powerful and extraordinary that words cannot adequately describe the feeling. The main thing common to the experience of awe or awesomeness is vastness of size. This could be a physical size like being near a large mountain or the ocean, or it could be an emotional vastness such as feeling a deep love or a religious experience.

Recently researchers at Stanford University have been looking at the connection between awe and our perception of time. They have found that people who experience awe also feel that they have more time in their life. They’ve also found that people that feel like they have more time, are more generous with their time, and are more likely to volunteer to help others. Why is this?

When we experience awe in our life, we become very present or ‘in the moment.’ This feeling of being ‘in the moment’ is a feeling of experiencing life very fully. Many of us often feel so busy that we don’t truly appreciate or experience our life. We rush from taking care of our families to doing our jobs or going to school. Many of us are always thinking of the next thing and we never slow down. When we experience awe, we naturally slow down and really notice what is happening. These researchers believe that this noticing or heightened power of attention is the connection between awe and a feeling of more time in our life.

How can you experience more awe in your life? Do you think that feeling like you have more time, can make you happier? Let us know in the comments.

Expressions

In the moment: Being ‘in the moment’ means you are experiencing the present moment fully. You are not lost in thoughts of the past or future. You are fully aware of your experience of the here and now.

Guess the Meaning of new vocabulary

OR: Sometimes the word ‘or’ is used to explain the meaning of new vocabulary or expressions. This can sometimes help you guess the meaning of new words.
Example 1: The true meaning of awesome is something that fills you with awe or wonder. (Wonder is another way of saying awe.)
Example 2: The connection between time and space is a conundrum or puzzle.
(A puzzle is another way of saying conundrum.)

The post Only 24 Hours in a Day? appeared first on Deep English.

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The ice is melting, the world is warming and the oceans are rising. Richer countries bear most of the responsibility for global warming, but it’s poorer countries like the Maldives that are the first to suffer the consequences.

The Maldives are a chain of islands famous for their natural beauty. Many rich foreigners vacation there, but it isn’t a rich country. Nasheed, a former president of the Maldives, estimates that 1/3 of the people in the Maldives are poor. These same people are the ones that are facing the effects of rising sea levels.

Most places in the Maldives are only 1.3 meters above sea level. The highest point in the Maldives is only 2 meters above sea level. The Maldives is the lowest country in the world and is literally in danger of disappearing.

Before 1870, there has been little change in sea levels for 2000 years, but sea levels have risen 8 inches since 1870. The National Academy of Sciences has predicted that sea levels will rise between 16 and 56 inches by 2100. The future of the Maldives and other coastal countries is not bright.

In 2009, President Nasheed held a cabinet meeting underwater to bring attention to the global problem of rising sea levels. He wanted the world to see the possible future of the Maldives, so he and all his cabinet members, wore scuba gear and communicated with hand signals underwater. They signed a document that called for decreasing worldwide carbon emissions. It said, “We must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises…..If Maldives can’t be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.”

While global warming is a problem that needs to be addressed by big businesses and governments, what can you do to use less energy and reduce your carbon footprint? Let us know your ideas in the comments.

Idioms

Carbon footprint: Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the environment because of your choices. Using plastic, gasoline, or eating meat are just a few of the things that increase your carbon footprint.

The post Underwater President appeared first on Deep English.

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We often judge people by their body language. People who stand up straight are thought to be confident. People who hunch over and cross their arms may be thought of as nervous or defensive.

Everyone knows that are bodies can be windows into our minds, but what about our sleeping bodies? Professor Chris Idzikowski surveyed 1,000 British people and found a connection between the way they sleep and their personality.

He identified 6 main sleep positions and personality types.

The Fetus position is the most common sleep position. 41% of people sleep in this curled up way. These people appear strong, but are actually quite shy and sensitive.

The Log position is the second most common position at 15%. They sleep on their side in a completely straight position with their arms down. Log sleepers are easy going, social people. They may also be too trusting and easily fooled.

The Yearner position is the third most common position at 13%. These sleepers sleep on their sides with their arms stretched out in front of their body. These people are open minded, but suspicious and cynical. They are not quick to make decisions, and they do not change their opinions easily.

Eight percent of sleepers sleep in the Soldier position. These sleepers sleep on their backs with their arms down at their sides. They are quiet and reserved. They expect a lot of themselves and others.

Seven percent of sleepers sleep in the Freefall position. These sleepers sleep on their stomachs with their hands around or under their pillow. They are extroverted, but dislike any criticism.

The Starfish position is the most uncommon at 5%. These sleepers sleep on their backs with their arms up. These people often make good friends because they are good listeners and helpful. They also dislike being the center of attention.

What kind of sleeper are you? A fetus, a log, a yearner, a soldier, a freefaller or a starfish? This sleep personality research is British. Do you think these sleep personality types are true for people in your country?

The post The Sleeping Body is a Window to the Mind appeared first on Deep English.