Jonny Lee
Minimal Intelligence Lab, Universidad de Murcia, España
(c) The Bridge Street Press.
Paco Calvo’s (2022) book “Planta Sapiens” offers a bold examination of plant intelligence and behaviour. It covers an array of topics at the intersection of botany and cognitive science, from the nervous system-like organisation of plants to the role of plants in inspiring a new paradigm in robotics. The author is ultimately concerned with the possibility of plant sentience, and “what it is like” to be a plant. In turn, Calvo considers the ethical implications of plant consciousness. The book leaves plenty of room for scepticism, especially regarding the basis for attributing sentience to plants. Nevertheless, it is an exciting invitation to explore the plant kingdom from a fresh perspective, rooted equally in scientific research and philosophical curiosity.
