Episodes

  • Agency in Nature

    Agency in Nature
    Jun 13 2023
    A special finale episode with groundbreaking philosophers, Alan Love, Denis Walsh, John Dupre and Helen Steward. Melanie hosts a roundtable discussion on the new science of agency in nature. How did all this intelligence emerge in the first place and why do we ignore the role of the intelligence and agency of other species in our understandings of ecosystems and evolution? Why do other animals pursue their goals and where did all this purposiveness come from in the first place. Listen in to some of the best minds approaching one of the most exciting areas of new research in science.
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Demystifying Consciousness

    Demystifying Consciousness
    Jun 13 2023
    So where did all this intelligence and agency come from in the first place? How did consciousness emerge on our planet and is it only a human property? Melanie gets into these ideas with researcher Todd Feinberg. Is it possible that the we exist in a thinking universe?
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    39 mins
  • Something to crow about

    Something to crow about
    Jun 13 2023
    Cambridge University professor Nicky Clayton discusses her pioneering work on the minds of crows and other corvids. Melanie and Nicky even get round to discussing the possibility of jackdaws performing magic tricks...
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    35 mins
  • Minds in miniature

    Minds in miniature
    Jun 13 2023
    Do honeybees dream? When bees perform their famous waggle dance, is it a form of swarm intelligence? Is it a kind of language? In this episode, Melanie discusses insect intelligence with pioneer and veteran researcher Randolf Menzel. Honey will taste even sweeter...
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    44 mins
  • Hearing Voices

    Hearing Voices
    Jun 13 2023
    Novelist and psychologist Charles Fernyhough discusses his fascinating research on the phenomena of hearing voices. Some people have a "voice in their head" and others don't. Some people "hear voices" other than their own and don't view it as a pathology. Others find it distressing. This episode considers what the research has to say about human consciousness and subjectivity.
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    36 mins
  • Animal personhood

    Animal personhood
    Jun 13 2023
    In this episode, Brandon Keim and Melanie talk about the new science on animal personhood. How do other animals relate to one another as subjects, and how do we relate to them as intelligent beings?
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    42 mins
  • Mind Myths

    Mind Myths
    Jun 13 2023
    Science writer Philip Ball discusses his writing life and his work on diverse kinds of minds and on the biological studies of agency in nature.
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    40 mins
  • Beyond Words

    Beyond Words
    Jun 13 2023
    Well-known scientist and animal advocate Carl Safina discusses his work on animal cultures with Melanie. Carl makes a case for why humans aren't the only species with cultures. Are the cultures of other species overlooked in conservation? What would it mean not to only work to save animal populations but their ways of life too?
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    33 mins