Episode

‘The Light Eaters’ by Zoë Schlanger

Podcast
Nature in Crisis
Published
Feb 9, 2026
Duration seconds
893
Processing state
not_requested
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https://traffic.megaphone.fm/LRB7582119013.mp3
Audio
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/LRB7582119013.mp3
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Markdown
/podcast/nature-in-crisis-7731357/the-light-eaters-by-zo-schlanger.md

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Summary

In The Light Eaters (2024), Zoë Schlanger reports from the frontiers of botany, where researchers are discovering forms of sensing, signalling and responding that challenge our ideas of plants as passive life forms. Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith explore Schlanger’s account of new research into plant behaviour. They examine the case for plant agency – and the far more speculative claims for plant consciousness – and attempt to make sense of some astonishing discoveries. Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ture In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingsna⁠⁠⁠ture