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Last Word is Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com
Plants wither away when they don’t receive enough water and sunlight. Can they also feel pain as a result?
Matthew Stevens
Sydney, Australia
The short answer is no, plants cannot feel pain. Pain is an experience that provokes an instant response to avoid the cause of the pain. This evolved in animals because it gives a survival advantage:…
