Dear Ella,

I love plants. But when I hug a tree, does it love me back? Does it think about anything at all?

I talked about your question with my friend Michael Knoblauch. He’s a plant scientist at Washington State University.

He told me that whether or not plants have feelings or conscious thought is an open question. Right now, most scientists think it’s unlikely.

Animals like us feel and think—and we’re aware that we feel and think. Scientists believe that has to do with how our brains evolved.

Plants don’t have brains and nervous systems like ours. They can send and receive … » More …

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