MINT Lab
Minimal Intelligence Lab
The world’s first laboratory in the philosophy of plant signaling and behavior.
Who are we?
We are a multidisciplinary research group with members from all over the world interested in questions about plant intelligence. Our research spans the scientific enterprise, from behavioral studies with climbing beans and pea plants to fundamental questions at the intersection of the biological and cognitive sciences. MINT Lab members and collaborators come from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives, and bring with them an eclectic array of methods and ideas.
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Key Research Questions
Plant Intelligence
What can plants tell us about the nature of intelligence? What is the best way to conceptualize “intelligence”, especially as it pertains to plants? What, if anything, is unique about plant intelligence?
Ecological Psychology
How do affordances influence perception, decision-making, and behavior? To what extent do environmental factors shape cognitive processes and how could this relate to plants?
Plant Consciousness
Can plants exhibit characteristics of consciousness? What biological mechanisms could support plant sentience in relation to environmental stimuli?
Ecosystems
Can ecological communities collectively exhibit emergent properties of consciousness or intelligence? How might this communication contribute to group-level decision-making and adaptation?
MINT Lab Projects
Discover our current projects.
Investigating Collective Intelligence in Forests
Ecological Insights for Plant Acoustics
Behavioral Evidence for Plant Consciousness
BeanSync: Mitigating Plant Jet Lag in Common Beans
We are unimaginable without plants, yet surprisingly blind to their powers and behaviors. Planta Sapiens weaves science and history into an absorbing exploration of the many ways that plants rise to the challenge of living.
Are plants conscious? Before you say no, read this fascinating new book by philosopher and scientist Paco Calvo.
PLANTA SAPIENS presents “fertile possibilities” to the public and in doing so it has put science on nice…We should be delighted with Professor Calvo’s seeding of scientific curiosity for the hope that it offers.
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MINT Lab Publications
The MINT Lab has published a variety of publications.