The genomics revolution made it possible to see just how impactful touch is to plants on a deeper level. Peering at the genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, a weedy plant in the mustard family and the lab rat of the plant biology world, researchers saw that touch quietly triggered such a dramatic response in their hormones and gene expression that it could substantially inhibit their growth. They stroked the arabidopsis with soft paintbrushes, and then analyzed the plants' genetic responses. Within thirty minutes of being touched, 10 percent of the plant's genome was altered. Clearly, the plant was reorganizing its priorities to deal with the disturbance, and rerouting energy away from the hard work of getting taller. Touched multiple times, arabidopsis cut its upward growth rate by as much as 30 percent.