Planta Sapiens by Paco Calvo with Natalie Lawrence

With all of the focus lately on sentient beings, including AI and chatbots (see, for example, Grammarly’s recent announcement), it might not seem so strange to be looking at “The New Science of Plant Intelligence.” That is exactly what two academics, Paco Calvo (professor of philosophy of science at the Universidad de Murcia in Spain) and Natalie Lawrence (writer and illustrator with a PhD in the history of science) do in their new book, PLANTA SAPIENS. They begin by urging caution, saying, “whether you are deeply skeptical of the possibility that plants might have intelligence or are an enthusiastic believer in the supernatural wisdom of other lifeforms, we all need to broaden our minds carefully. … What you read here will be a challenge to anyone’s preconceptions.” Next, they describe the science in support of plant intelligence; they ask their readers to think deeply about plants, contemplating, for example, whether plant behaviors are merely genetically programmed reactions or actual engagement with their environment. Calvo and Lawrence praise thinking creatively and embracing trial and error – arguing repeatedly for open minds and “a new approach of cross-fertilisation between different specialisms [disciplines].” Although a bit long-winded in places, the authors pose numerous intriguing ideas and conclude by saying that studying plants may help humans “to better comprehend the nature of our own minds.” Notes and sources, plus a helpful index, comprise roughly twenty percent of this innovative text. PLANTA SAPIENS received a starred review from Publishers Weekly which described this work as a “mind-blowing debut.”