Researchers Discover Mimosa Pudica's Ability to Count Light Cycles Without a Brain
A study conducted by William & Mary psychology professor Peter Vishton and his former student Paige Bartosh has revealed that the Mimosa pudica plant, commonly known as the shy plant, can count light-and-dark cycles. This discovery challenges the assumption that such cognitive-like functions require a nervous system. The research, published in Cognitive Science, involved exposing the plants to a three-day cycle of light and darkness, observing that the plants adjusted their leaf movements based on the number of cycles rather than just time. This suggests that the plants are capable of tracking discrete environmental events, a function previously thought to be exclusive to organisms with neurons. 
