Invitation to participate in a global survey
The aim of this survey, which is part of a wider research project, is to find out about attitudes from a wide variety of people and cultures across the globe to the questions posed by the topic of plant intelligence.
Plants have no central brain or neurons, they cannot move like animals, they cannot evade predators. Yet they have developed highly effective ways of dealing with both animal and plant competitors. This seems to point in the direction of decision-making or even consciousness. Research into plant intelligence is not new, but its basic ideas and the understanding of the biological processes in plant reactions remain fiercely contested.
The present research project will examine the observable actions of plants and how far they may betray any inkling of an ethical framework. The survey is meant as a reality check as opposed to a purely academic discussion. The conclusion of whether plants display deliberate behaviour, intelligence, consciousness, morals or ethics, is a philosophical one, not a scientific one. This philosophical debate should, however, be informed by a generalist view, which the survey is meant to gather.
You will be presented with twelve scenarios. These will be repeated across four questions which deal with different topics. This survey is looking for your personal opinion: Do these scenarios allow the conclusion as to whether the plants' actions show evidence of deliberate conduct, intelligence, consciousness, or an ethical framework, as defined in each of those four questions. It is not about testing your knowledge of the research around plant intelligence, or whether you agree with the presented definition of each of the four concepts.
The survey is tri-lingual (English, French, and German). It can be accessed here
The survey will be open for participation until 10 January 2027.
