Hey Nate.

Question for you.

Yeah. Is there a particular plant in your life, like maybe a house plant or a tree on your block that you have a particularly close relationship with?

Well, where I live right now is essentially the Great Plains and there are no trees around.

So there is no tree on my block.

But we do have a very particular plant

that grows in my driveway called Kachia.

And in some circles, it's considered an ornamental plant.

In this household, it's a freaking weed,

and it has been the bane of my existence. So I wouldn't say an

individual plant, I would say a gang of plants. I would say enemy team of plants that no matter what I do continually

keep coming back.

You're attributing some personality, some sort of social relationship here.

Yeah, I kind of see them like in a, you know, West Side story, you know, like walking down the alley,

walking down our gravel driveway, just... Do you feel and I'm not saying that you actually think this but do you feel in any way that these plants are also in this relationship in the sense that they're aware of you?

I mean, obviously they're aware of me when I'm literally pulling them out and killing them.

But... Interesting use of the word obviously. I guess I'm assuming that they're,

conscious. Hmm?

Well, I'll start by saying part of the reason I even went into this research is because plant scientists are some of the most delightful people to speak to.

No matter where they fall in this debate, they have such a care and feeling for plants that you don't often see in the general public or I had not

encountered such ferocious awe. This is Zoe Schlinger, who's a climate reporter at the Atlantic.

It's especially charming to expect. She's a climate reporter at the Atlantic.

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