The Language of Plants

Where does human language come from? There is no known mechanism as to how human speech “evolved.” No theories are supported by evidence. Even noted linguist Noam Chomsky admits that there is no clear path for the “evolution” of human speech.

What about animals? Many species have intricate systems of communication. Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, sing songs that travel hundreds of miles. Bees use a “wiggle dance” to tell other bees where to find nectar. The dances are complex, and various wiggles tell other bees how far and in what direction. Somehow, without attending a single dance class, the bees know how to do and understand precise dances that give three dimensional directions. It strikes me as ridiculous to claim that these and hundreds of other animal “languages” were developed through any step-by-step process of trial and error, of keeping the best mistakes.

Language is a subject Darwinian evolutionists prefer to ignore. Do you really think blue whales got together to decide what their songs mean? That bees sat around and agreed that shaking the thorax means the nectar is south? We have left plausibility far behind.

And then there is communication between plants. Yes plants! Some plants, when attacked, give off signals that tell other plants to create chemicals to discourage attacking animals. Plant communication was laughed at when first discovered, but dozens of rigorous scientific studies reveal a hidden world of communication, and there is much more to be learned. I don’t see how any rational person could claim plant communication “evolved.” We are talking about organisms without brains and generally without the capacity to move. Note that the plant being eaten gains no evolutionary advantage by warning other plants.

For plants to communicate, both plants have to know that a certain signal, chemical or other, means that certain steps should be taken. You need that agreement, and you need mechanisms to send and receive the signals – for humans, vocal cords and ears. Then you need the ability to take action – for the plants, increase production of compounds designed to discourage predators. The system is obviously irreducibly complex; if you take away any of the parts the system no longer works. The pieces could not have separately “evolved.”

Only God could have designed human eyes, ears, and vocal cords, and given us the gift of language. Only God could have designed communication systems for animals, and for plants.

And so I ask you to use your gift of language, your ability to communicate through speech, writing, and actions, to spread the good news of modern science. As I have noted in post after post, modern science absolutely reveals the existence of God. Together we can spread a message of hope, and defeat the Atheist claim that we are chemical scum, and the universe is a meaningless place. Those who deny obvious facts are without excuse. As St. Paul wrote two thousand years ago:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20 (emphasis added).

I think God made systems that allow plants to communicate to reveal his power and glory. When you look closely at “the things that have been made,” you see God.

Thanks for reading. I’ve been dealing with medical issues that have slowed me and my posts down. But the science of God and creation keeps growing, and I have much more to share.

Doug Ell