Plants appear to detect the patter of falling rain

植物似乎能感知雨滴落下的声音

MIT engineers have found the first direct evidence that plant seeds can sense sounds in nature: Rice submerged in shallow water germinated 30% to 40% more quickly when exposed to vibrations from water dripping on the surface. They think other types of seeds may respond similarly. 麻省理工学院（MIT）的工程师们发现了首个直接证据，表明植物种子能够感知自然界中的声音：当浸没在浅水中的水稻受到水滴落在水面产生的振动影响时，其发芽速度加快了 30% 到 40%。他们认为其他类型的种子也可能做出类似的反应。

When a raindrop hits a puddle’s surface or the ground, the researchers found, the vibrations from the resulting sound wave can be strong enough to dislodge tiny gravity-sensing organelles called statoliths. The jostling of these statoliths is a signal for seeds and seedlings to grow and sprout, even if only the sound waves—not the water itself—are close enough to reach them. 研究人员发现，当雨滴撞击水坑表面或地面时，由此产生的声波振动强度足以使被称为“平衡石”（statoliths）的微小重力感应细胞器发生位移。这些平衡石的晃动向种子和幼苗发出了生长和发芽的信号，即使只有声波（而非水本身）传播到了它们附近，这种机制依然有效。

This phenomenon may confer a biological advantage: If seeds are close enough to the surface to respond to the sound of rain, they are likely at an optimal depth to grow. 这种现象可能带来生物学上的优势：如果种子距离地表足够近，能够感知到雨声，那么它们很可能正处于生长的最佳深度。

“What this study is saying is that seeds can sense sound in ways that can help them survive,” says Nicholas Makris ’83, PhD ’91, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, who coauthored a paper on the work with Cadine Navarro, SM ’25, a former graduate student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. “The energy of the rain sound is enough to accelerate a seed’s growth.” “这项研究表明，种子能够以有助于生存的方式感知声音，”MIT 机械工程教授 Nicholas Makris（83 届本科，91 届博士）说道。他与城市研究与规划系前研究生 Cadine Navarro（25 届硕士）共同撰写了这篇论文。“雨声所蕴含的能量足以加速种子的生长。”