Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
🌑 A Solar Eclipse… and Whispering Trees?
00:00 Introduction, Epstein Files and the UFO Files
01:40 Solar Eclipse in Vermont 2024
02:07 Russia, Iceland, Spain; Solar Eclipse 2027
04:19 Solar Eclipse: Animals & Plants Response
05:37 Activity "Electrome", in Plants before Eclipse
07:35 Trees recording "Solar Flares" & "Vikings" story
09:06 Eclipse of Reason: Debunking Speculative...
We know humans react to solar eclipses. Animals change their behaviour. Birds go quiet. Temperatures drop. But trees?
A surprising study claimed that spruce trees showed increased electrical activity 14 hours before a solar eclipse. An astonishing idea, as if forests could anticipate cosmic events. Then came the pushback.
🎙️ In This Episode of Mr. Universe
Monte and Salman dive into the controversial study suggesting spruce trees electrically responded ahead of a solar eclipse, and the serious critiques raised by another group of researchers challenging the methodology and conclusions. Beyond the headlines, this episode becomes a conversation about peer review, skepticism, replication, and the self-correcting nature of science.
🌍 Why This Matters
In the age of viral science headlines, bold claims spread quickly. But the real story often unfolds later, in academic debate, careful reanalysis, and critical review. This episode highlights an essential truth: science is not just about discovery, it’s about scrutiny. Understanding how scientific disagreements unfold helps us become better consumers of science news, and better defenders of evidence-based thinking.
🧠 What You'll Learn:
⦁ 🌒 How solar eclipses affect humans and animals
⦁ 🌲 What the original spruce tree electrical activity study claimed
⦁ ⚡ Why the “14 hours before” finding was so surprising
⦁ 🔍 What critics argued about flaws in the methodology
⦁ 🧪 How scientific disputes strengthen, rather than weaken, science
🔔 Join the Conversation
If you enjoy thoughtful discussions about astronomy, biology, and how science actually progresses, subscribe to Mr. Universe.
We bring you engaging, bilingual (English/Urdu) science conversations that connect cosmic events with real-world thinking.
💬 Tell us in the comments:
Do you think plants can “anticipate” environmental changes?
📚 References & Links:
1. Original paper:
Alessandro Chiolerio, Monica Gagliano, Silvio Pilia, Paolo Pilia, Giuseppe Vitiello, Mohammad Dehshibi, Andrew Adamatzky
"Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar Eclipse"
R Soc Open Sci. 1 April 2025; 12 (4): 241786.
doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241786
2. Rebuttal paper:
Ariel Novoplansky and Hezi Yizhaq
"Eclipse of reason: debunking speculative anticipatory behavior in Trees"
Trend in Plant Science
Published online February 6, 2026.
doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.12.001
🎧 Also airing on The Fabulous 413 (NPR/NEPM):
npr.org/podcasts/1155727495/the-fabulous-413
#solareclipse #eclipse #sharedskies #trees #scientificdiscovery #scientificmethod #epsteinfiles #trump #galaxy #universe #usa #science #podcast #podcastclips #astronomyadventures #astronomynews #astronomy #stars #pakistan #southasia #urduscience #kidseducation #kidslearning #esa #hubblespacetelescope #eso #kainaatigupshup #fabulous413
Subscribe to our Kids Urdu Channel here: youtube.com/@UCDt7wgStPBzuxtcAf2qqnkg
Subscribe to our Urdu Channel here: youtube.com/@UClJlxaRQLPsx0gPIHgIZffw
For more information about Kainaat Studios:
kainaatstudios.com
Sign up to our mailing list to get unseen content and hear special announcements! kainaatstudios.com/newsletter
Follow us for more:
Facebook facebook.com/kainaatstudios
Twitter twitter.com/KainaatStudios
Instagram instagram.com/kainaatstudios
TikTok tiktok.com/@kainaatstudios
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/kainaat
Salman Hameed has a PhD in astronomy and is Charles Taylor Chair and Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, and a member of the Five College Astronomy Department (FCAD) in Massachusetts, USA. He is also the CEO of the non-profit Kainaat Studios
Credits:
Hosts: Monte Belmonte & Salman Hameed
Editor: Shehryar Shaikh
Music: "Gates of Gagashah" by Zohaib Kazi
Images: NASA, ESA, ESO and Wikipedia
Galactic Orbiters (Founding Supporters):
Iqbal Family Foundation, Getz Pharma, PixelEdge, Qazi Family Foundation
Stellar Orbiters:
AIIR Foundation, Ashraf Qazi, Aimen Khan, Slavena Emilova Molle and Abid & Farah Donation Fund
Space Orbiters:
Dr. Abdul Nadir, Dr. Asad Ansari, Dr. Salman Mallick, Dr. Tariq Hameed, Asif Alam, Zubair Faiz, Dr. Kamran Manzoor, Dr. Arsalan Malik and Junaid Qurashi
Thank you to all our other monthly donors as well!
If you wish to donate, please visit: kainaatstudios.com/donate
🌑 A Solar Eclipse… and Whispering Trees?
00:00 Introduction, Epstein Files and the UFO Files
01:40 Solar Eclipse in Vermont 2024
02:07 Russia, Iceland, Spain; Solar Eclipse 2027
04:19 Solar Eclipse: Animals & Plants Response
05:37 Activity "Electrome", in Plants before Eclipse
07:35 Trees recording "Solar Flares" & "Vikings" story
09:06 Eclipse of Reason: Debunking Speculative...
We know humans react to solar eclipses. Animals change their behaviour. Birds go quiet. Temperatures drop. But trees?
A surprising study claimed that spruce trees showed increased electrical activity 14 hours before a solar eclipse. An astonishing idea, as if forests could anticipate cosmic events. Then came the pushback.
🎙️ In This Episode of Mr. Universe
Monte and Salman dive into the controversial study suggesting spruce trees electrically responded ahead of a solar eclipse, and the serious critiques raised by another group of researchers challenging the methodology and conclusions. Beyond the headlines, this episode becomes a conversation about peer review, skepticism, replication, and the self-correcting nature of science.
🌍 Why This Matters
In the age of viral science headlines, bold claims spread quickly. But the real story often unfolds later, in academic debate, careful reanalysis, and critical review. This episode highlights an essential truth: science is not just about discovery, it’s about scrutiny. Understanding how scientific disagreements unfold helps us become better consumers of science news, and better defenders of evidence-based thinking.
🧠 What You'll Learn:
⦁ 🌒 How solar eclipses affect humans and animals
⦁ 🌲 What the original spruce tree electrical activity study claimed
⦁ ⚡ Why the “14 hours before” finding was so surprising
⦁ 🔍 What critics argued about flaws in the methodology
⦁ 🧪 How scientific disputes strengthen, rather than weaken, science
🔔 Join the Conversation
If you enjoy thoughtful discussions about astronomy, biology, and how science actually progresses, subscribe to Mr. Universe.
We bring you engaging, bilingual (English/Urdu) science conversations that connect cosmic events with real-world thinking.
💬 Tell us in the comments:
Do you think plants can “anticipate” environmental changes?
📚 References & Links:
1. Original paper:
Alessandro Chiolerio, Monica Gagliano, Silvio Pilia, Paolo Pilia, Giuseppe Vitiello, Mohammad Dehshibi, Andrew Adamatzky
"Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar Eclipse"
R Soc Open Sci. 1 April 2025; 12 (4): 241786.
doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241786
2. Rebuttal paper:
Ariel Novoplansky and Hezi Yizhaq
"Eclipse of reason: debunking speculative anticipatory behavior in Trees"
Trend in Plant Science
Published online February 6, 2026.
doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.12.001
🎧 Also airing on The Fabulous 413 (NPR/NEPM):
npr.org/podcasts/1155727495/the-fabulous-413
#solareclipse #eclipse #sharedskies #trees #scientificdiscovery #scientificmethod #epsteinfiles #trump #galaxy #universe #usa #science #podcast #podcastclips #astronomyadventures #astronomynews #astronomy #stars #pakistan #southasia #urduscience #kidseducation #kidslearning #esa #hubblespacetelescope #eso #kainaatigupshup #fabulous413
Subscribe to our Kids Urdu Channel here: youtube.com/@UCDt7wgStPBzuxtcAf2qqnkg
Subscribe to our Urdu Channel here: youtube.com/@UClJlxaRQLPsx0gPIHgIZffw
For more information about Kainaat Studios:
kainaatstudios.com
Sign up to our mailing list to get unseen content and hear special announcements! kainaatstudios.com/newsletter
Follow us for more:
Facebook facebook.com/kainaatstudios
Twitter twitter.com/KainaatStudios
Instagram instagram.com/kainaatstudios
TikTok tiktok.com/@kainaatstudios
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/kainaat
Salman Hameed has a PhD in astronomy and is Charles Taylor Chair and Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, and a member of the Five College Astronomy Department (FCAD) in Massachusetts, USA. He is also the CEO of the non-profit Kainaat Studios
Credits:
Hosts: Monte Belmonte & Salman Hameed
Editor: Shehryar Shaikh
Music: "Gates of Gagashah" by Zohaib Kazi
Images: NASA, ESA, ESO and Wikipedia
Galactic Orbiters (Founding Supporters):
Iqbal Family Foundation, Getz Pharma, PixelEdge, Qazi Family Foundation
Stellar Orbiters:
AIIR Foundation, Ashraf Qazi, Aimen Khan, Slavena Emilova Molle and Abid & Farah Donation Fund
Space Orbiters:
Dr. Abdul Nadir, Dr. Asad Ansari, Dr. Salman Mallick, Dr. Tariq Hameed, Asif Alam, Zubair Faiz, Dr. Kamran Manzoor, Dr. Arsalan Malik and Junaid Qurashi
Thank you to all our other monthly donors as well!
If you wish to donate, please visit: kainaatstudios.com/donate
