The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth

Schlanger contrasts her experiences as a climate reporter with her current research into plant intelligence. She discusses the ongoing problem with environmental research: Its singular focus on death and destruction negatively impacts those doing the reporting. Schlanger felt as though she had compartmentalized her emotions and could no longer access them. To rediscover curiosity and wonder, she turned to plants. She had always loved plants, even the invasive tree of heaven that grew by her front stoop in New York City. Her casual study soon turned into an obsession.

Schlanger turns her attention to the first question of botany: What is a plant? As researchers learn more about the complexity of botanical life, defining what a plant is becomes increasingly challenging. Controversy over the classification of plants captivated Schlanger early on: “Who doesn’t feel both drawn to and repulsed by the unknown?” (4). This was Schlanger’s first look into the complexity of life and the slippery nature of absolutes. She soon discovered another point of contention—plant intelligence—and wondered how an ideology of complexity might illuminate the topic.

While walking through the Hoh Rain Forest in the Pacific Northwest, Schlanger notes the complex ecology of the life around her.