We’re talking about science. But not just any science...
Each episode, journalist Jo Marchant meets researchers who are doing things differently: challenging our assumptions, stretching our minds, and changing how we see the world.
We’ll be pushing boundaries from cosmology and quantum physics to neuroscience, archaeology, ecology… Jo’s guests are asking deep questions, chasing outrageous dreams, and exploring the world in completely new ways.
As well as learning about their pioneering ideas, we’ll hear their personal stories: what inspires their leaps of imagination; how they keep going despite the obstacles; the importance of thinking differently; and why we need creativity to survive. But most of all, Where The Wild Thoughts Are is about the wonder of peeking past supposed limits. Come into the wild with us, for a glimpse of what’s beyond…
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re talking about science. But not just any science...
Each episode, journalist Jo Marchant meets researchers who are doing things differently: challenging our assumptions, stretching our minds, and changing how we see the world.
We’ll be pushing boundaries from cosmology and quantum physics to neuroscience, archaeology, ecology… Jo’s guests are asking deep questions, chasing outrageous dreams, and exploring the world in completely new ways.
As well as learning about their pioneering ideas, we’ll hear their personal stories: what inspires their leaps of imagination; how they keep going despite the obstacles; the importance of thinking differently; and why we need creativity to survive. But most of all, Where The Wild Thoughts Are is about the wonder of peeking past supposed limits. Come into the wild with us, for a glimpse of what’s beyond…
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this first episode of Where the Wild Thoughts Are, I chat to Paco Calvo, prof of cognitive science from the University of Murcia in Spain. He’s author of the fascinating book Planta sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence, and he researches the neurobiology of plants. From bean plants searching out supports to climb up, to parasitic vines chasing down prey, to slow-growing oak trees, Paco is convinced that not only are plants showing intelligent behaviour, they’re sentient, awake, aware.
Perhaps you’re convinced that of course plants aren’t thinking! But is that based on evidence? Could there be other routes to intelligence than the neurons we happen to find in our own brains?
Paco and I discuss how to tell if an organism is intelligent; some of plants’ most impressive abilities (my favourite is the chameleon vine); as well as the mechanics of botanical decision-making, including many of the same neurotransmitters found in animals.
And, of course, we talk about the ethical implications… What would it even mean to start considering our plant companions as sentient?
Paco’s lab at the University of Murcia
https://www.um.es/mintlab/index.php/about/people/paco-calvo/
Paco’s book, Planta sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence (written with Natalie Lawrence)
https://www.um.es/mintlab/index.php/publications/planta-sapiens/
‘Do plants behave?’: 2024 paper by Paco & Inéz Abalo-Rodríguez
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/kr69e_v1
‘Plant sentience revisited’: 2023 paper by Paco & Miguel Segundo-Ortin
https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1830&context=animsent
‘The potential of plant action potentials’: 2023 paper by Paco & Jonny Lee
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11229-023-04398-7
‘A case study of learning in plants: Lessons learned from pea plants’: 2023 paper by Paco & colleagues
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17470218231203078
Video: ‘Reflections of a plant intelligence maverick’: 2025 lecture by Paco Calvo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-l1vJNm2H0&t=1s
Michael Pollan on how timelapse photography reveals the inner life of plants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPql1VHbYl4
TED talk by neurobiologist Stefano Manusco on plant intelligence
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence/transcript
Where The Wild Thoughts Are is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada https://www.yada-yada.net/ .
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
