Neil: I'm Neil.
Rob: And I'm Rob.
Neil: Many people these days choose not to eat meat, and for vegetarians, eating animals is wrong.
But what about digging up a carrot, or picking apples from a tree? Is that wrong too?
Rob: I don't think so, Neil.
Plants aren't alive in the same way as animals, are they?
They can't think or feel pain.
And even vegetarians need to eat something.
Fruit, vegetables, rice, beans – they all come from plants.
Neil: It's true that plants don't have brains or nerves, but according to some scientists,
they're much more than passive things rooted in the ground.
Plants can learn and remember, they solve problems, and can even recognise other plants in their 'family'.
So, given the amazing things plants do, is it right to eat them?
That's what we'll be discussing in this programme,
and as usual we'll be learning some new useful vocabulary as well.
Rob: But first I have a question for you, Neil.
Anyone who's seen cows grazing knows it's usually animals that eat plants,
but some plants have turned the evolutionary tables to eat animals instead.
So, which tropical plant is famous for trapping insects to eat? Is it:
a) the corpse flower?