Rice Seeds Can 'Hear' Rain, MIT Study Finds

A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that rice seeds can perceive the sound of rain, triggering germination. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including Cadine Navarro and Nicholas Makris, exposed 8,000 rice grains to simulated raindrops in a water bath. The seeds responded to the acoustic stimulus, indicating a sensory ability previously unknown in plant seeds. This builds on prior research showing that plants like tobacco and tomato emit ultrasonic clicks (40–80 kHz) under drought stress. The findings suggest that seeds possess rudimentary senses that influence their development.