Charles Darwin was famously puzzled by the Venus flytrap's ability to snap shut in a fraction of a second—an almost animal-like responsiveness from a plant. Researchers have now solved the mystery. According to Nautilus, the flytrap's lightning-fast closure relies on a specialized neural-like system and hydraulic mechanics that trigger near-instantaneously when prey brushes its trigger hairs. The plant essentially weaponized rapid ion movement and structural tension. A classic scientific puzzle, finally explained by modern botany.

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