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>but it would be interesting to ponder how they would have evolved on a metal planet It overlaps a whole lot with the concept of a dyson trees, but the core pr
by Qwertious 2y ago
>but it would be interesting to ponder how they would have evolved on a metal planet
It overlaps a whole lot with the concept of a dyson trees, but the core problem is that it needs to be able to use the metal in the first place - earth is a metal planet, in the sense that ~10% of the planet is iron, and yet our trees are not steel.
- joha4270 2y agoI don't really think that's a fair assessment, since most of it is in the core. That's some very long and heat resistant roots. I also can't help but wonder, could trees even use iron if it was plentiful in the upper crust? You need a lot of energy to separate iron oxide into elemental iron. Betting against what evolution can make is usually a bad idea, but that would be a neat trick.
- Anotheroneagain 2y agoBoth iron and titanium are ubiquitous in the crust. I think they are the 4th and 9th most common elements, and definitely far more common than carbon.
- shiroiushi 2y agoYeah, but plants don't normally pull carbon out of the ground; they get it from the air.