Scientists Discover Tree Using Lightning To Kill Its 'Enemies'

Scientists discover that Tonka Bean trees not only survive lightning strikes, but that lightning damages nearby competing trees and vines.

Research paper:

#lightning #tree #breakthrough #shorts

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[DrBenMiles]

Maybe we just caught Thor gardening... ⚡️

[NedstarYouTube]

Never in my life did I think a tree would ever use lightning to destroy its competition.

[exploited]

Sacrificing parasites pestering you with the power of lightning is pretty metal

[LucasAngeli-kfez]

Another cool thing about this is that once the sournding trees die, the tonka tree will be able to use their nutrients to grow stronger, meaning they are basically farming plants, insuring with every lightning strike, they will survive for longer.
Edit: what the hell is going on.

[anibaban]

Fun fact:- Tonka bean is a rich source of a phytochemical named coumarin. This certain chemical and it's derivatives has been a immense topic of research in recent as they have several biological activities ranging from antiviral, anticancer and many more even in DSSCs

[DRELENE]

Nature never fails to amaze me, the fact it was able to adapt to lightning itself and even impressive is using those lightning at its advantage its so cool to even think about

[tze-ven]

Never take a rest under a Tonka tree during lighting strikes. It will use you to help channel lightning current to ground eliminating you together with the surrounding plants.

[pudgeboyardee]

Trees explode way more than people think. Most trees in northern biomes will more or less freeze top to bottom and that helps force unfrozen water down the trunk and back into the ground. But sometimes a hard icy shell forms and/or the base freezes first. When that happens and the tree keeps freezing it tries to compress that water as more of it freezes and expands. If the pressure gets high but the tree doesnt pop it can get a bubble on the trunk.

If the pressure goes up and no slow release is found then the reaction runs away until the crushing force of the freezing pushes back on itself and detonates outward.

People thatve seen or heard this happen on clear days say the noise can range from sounding like a rifle shot all the way to sounding like a cannon being fired.

The most common thing that seems to contribute to this phenomenon is icy wind. If a strong even and frozen wind cuts under a forest canopy and coats a bunch of trunks then you have a chance that a loud report will soon sound.

You might recognize those conditions as being similar to ones reported in association with infamously lost wilderness expeditions.

The dyatlov pass incident was under those cold high wind conditions, directly under a sizable snowbank. A tree freezing and exploding couldve caused a partial collapse and could account for the blind panic that seems to have ensued based on the follow up evidence.

no tree like that was found near there nor did anyone think to look for something like that. Without knowing to look for an unburnt explosive residue no one wouldve likely even known what they were seeing. Wouldve looked mostly like a tree struck by lighting. Big deal.

Still, there is a possibility other groups have been lost because of strange exploding trees. Be careful out there.

[GiantNerd]

Alternate cut of ATLA where Zuko learns lightning bending from a tree. 🗿

[YoshimiMilk]

Lightning: "Take 1 lightning strike or double it and pass to the next tree"
Tonka Tree: "Double it and pass it to the next tree"

[abhaynatoo]

And this is how a youtube short video should be made.
Concise, lucid, entertaining and infotaining.

[danielle-idontwantjustnumbers]

symbiotic relationship with lighting is crazyyyy

[jefffoy]

Certain pine trees have a sap in them that when the trees get struck, the lightning follows a path down a “vein” of it, between the bark and main body of the tree. It’s blows out a line of bark and keeps the tree from exploding. It’s incredible to see, and if you see older trees you can often see multiple scars showing what the tree has been through.

[kj]

Not only can it tank 300 million volts and 30000 amps, it's using that energy to destroy parasites but also other trees to get rid of competition. That is beyond badass! It's needs a better name, something this awesome needs an awesome name. This tree can go ssj2, and i am envious of it!

[Blitzoschitzo]

Need to correct: it actually has a high internal conductivity, not low. High conductivity is what allows current to flow without a lot of heat building up.

[wdsYT]

That is amazing! When lightning strikes pine trees they can literally explode (splitting them) in half. I've never seen the branches drop off like that!

[lonka_private]

Pine trees also use lightning to their advantage. When it dies, its fireproof shell is stripped but the exposed dry wood stands upright to attract a lightning strike. This then burns down the forest, leaving enough sunlight, space and nutrients for new pine trees to grow.

[johnfrancistrillana]

"i hate you get struck."
"i hate you get struck."
"hey how's it going man?"
"i hate you get struck."

[flopilop]

Tonka Bean is actually a wonderful spice that looks like a raisin but grates like nutmeg. It has hints of dried fruit, vanilla but is very specific on its own you have to try it

[norman]

Never did I think a tree could be scary