According to recent reports from a research team led by
Australian biologist Monica Gagliano, some plants such as chili
peppers may be able to "hear" other plants. If proposals calling
for rights for animals are on the table, why not rights for
other living things? Plants, for instance. In 2013, the
Pennsylvania-based Nonhuman Rights Project, led by attorney
Steven Wise, plans to file a series of lawsuits in hopes that
one high court in one American state will finally recognize that
a nonhuman plaintiff can be a legal "person" in the eyes of the
law. If Wise and his group are successful, they will break new
ground by securing humanlike rights for nonhumans. The result
could open all kinds of possibilities for the rights of other
nonhuman entities. Advocates for plant rights and robot rights
are already planning for the future. If they eventually succeed,
it could bring sweeping changes to the way we live. This three-
part series on the Future of Nonhuman Rights explores the people
and ideas that may bring radi