The Marvelous Physics of Plants: a personal Introduction

 "The Marvelous Physics of Plants" presents an exploration of the physics behind how plants function, particularly focusing on water transport mechanisms. The presentation begins with poetic descriptions of plant processes, then explores Erwin Schrödinger's fundamental question about how physics and chemistry can explain the events within living organisms. The authors examine various physics domains relevant to plants: quantum physics, thermodynamics, hydraulics, micrometeorology, stability, and light.

Among the other things,  the authors examine the physical limits of tree height, discussing how hydraulic restrictions ultimately limit how tall trees can grow. They also demonstrate synthetic tree models that scientists have created to replicate these natural mechanisms.

The slides combine mathematical formulations, anatomical diagrams, and experimental results to illustrate the physical principles governing plant function. A video of the talk is also available.