Venus Flytraps Snap Shut via Rapid Wall Relaxation, Study Finds
A study from Aix-Marseille University shows Venus flytraps begin closing not by water-driven motion but through a rapid one-second softening of the outer epidermal cell walls that releases stored elastic energy, making the trap snap shut. This overturns prior water-movement theories, highlights the fastest known plant-wall mechanics modulation, and could inspire soft-robotics and smart-materials design; the work led by Jeongeun Ryu was published in Science.
