'An Immense World' dives deep into the umwelt of animals

Imagine that you take a walk around your yard or nearby park and, immediately, the sounds of an insect orchestra surround you.

Produced by the muscular movements of sap-feeding insects called treehoppers, this imagined soundscape emerges from vibrations that flow across the surface of plants. But it is not at all like the familiar vocalizations of crickets or cicadas; instead, it's something richer, more varied. Some sounds are song-like, others akin to the noises of machines or musical instruments. The noise emitted from even a single plant may be "as raucous as a busy street."

In Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist explains that, on a real walk instead of this one we've imagined, humans would not be able