Listening to the languages of nature

Back to news list

Source: Science Magazine

Original: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aec6091?af=R...

Published: 2025-12-18T07:00:11Z

The article "Listening to the languages of nature" in Science magazine (Volume 390, Issue 6779, page 1236, December 2025) is a review of a collection of essays by journalist Elizabeth Kolbert entitled Life on a Little-Known Planet[3][6]. The essays examine how we articulate the rights of nature and explore the intricate complexity of Earth's ever-changing ecosystems[3]. The text addresses the question of what is the language of the planet, from the queries of ChatGPT to the words of the last speaker of the Eyak language[6]. Kolbert probes the staggering diversity of nature's languages and the challenges of understanding them[3][6]. The article highlights how humans ignore nature's signals, such as changes in birdsong or the rhythms of rain[1]. It proposes a shift towards ecocentrism through tools for "listening" to nature, including sensory exercises and ecocentric management[1]. Through projects such as Talking Rivers, ecosystem rights and dialogue with living nature are promoted[1].