Back
28· Cooling
Health & Science5h 11m ago
Scientists have found the physical mechanism behind the snapping action of Venus flytraps, initiating closure by rapid softening of cell walls in the outer layer of the plant’s trap.
Archive Window: 7 Days Left
Paris, France, North Carolina, South Carolina, United States, Marseille
Who
physicist Yoël Forterre, physicist Jeongeun Ryu
What
Scientists have found the physical mechanism behind the snapping action of Venus flytraps, initiating closure by rapid softening of cell walls in the outer layer of the plant’s trap.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 01:28:46 GMT · 5h 11m ago
Where
Paris, France, North Carolina, South Carolina, United States, Marseille ·
Why
The research aimed to settle a century-old question about how Venus flytraps achieve one of the fastest movements in the plant kingdom, a topic that interested Charles Darwin.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery, made in Paris and Marseille, provides fundamental new insights into the mechanics of the Venus flytrap, potentially inspiring future developments in soft robotics or smart materials. It details a novel biological mechanism where the plant actively tunes the stiffness of its own material, rather than relying on fluid pumping.
Story chain
4 events in this thread- Currently Reading5h 11m agoScientists have found the physical mechanism behind the snapping action of Venus flytraps, initiating closure by rapid softening of cell walls in the outer layer of the plant’s trap.
- Health & Science5h 11m agoScientists have now found the physical mechanism behind the snapping action of Venus flytraps, which involves a rapid softening of the cell walls in the plant’s outer layer.Open article
- Health & Science5h 11m agoScientists have found the physical mechanism behind the snapping action of Venus flytraps, attributing it to a rapid softening of cell walls in the plant's outer layer.Open article
- Health & Science5h 11m agoScientists have discovered that the Venus flytrap’s closure is initiated by a rapid softening of cell walls in the outer layer of the plant’s trap, rather than rapid water redistribution.Open article