Storytelling Animals

Am I conscious? Yes. How about you, or a chimpanzee or a parrot? Almost definitely. What about an oak tree, a bacterium, an electron, or God? In The Book of Minds: How To Understand Ourselves and Other Beings, From Animals …continue

In T.C.Boyle’s 2021 novel Talk To Me, one of the main characters is a chimpanzee. It’s a fascinating study in how humans respond to other apes, and an ambitious experiment in imagining what it might be like to be one. …continue

Today marks the 205th birthday of Henry David Thoreau, and to celebrate, I brought on Alda Balthrop-Lewis, author of Thoreau’s Religion: Walden Woods, Social Justice, and the Politics of Asceticism. Why (if at all) does Thoreau still matter? How did …continue

Today’s topic is “degrowth”: What does it mean? Is it actually desirable? How could we achieve it? And do we really need to confront economic growth if we want to fight climate change and build a just, sustainable society? My …continue

Today’s guest is paleontologist Steve Brusatte, author of the new book The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us, previously the author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, …continue

Today I talk with David M. Peña-Guzmán about his new book When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness. David is associate professor of humanities and liberal studies at San Francisco State University and the cohost of Overthink podcast.Learn …continue

My guest for the 20th(!) episode is science journalist Hannah Seo–we talked about her reporting on the tragic demise of the Christmas Island forest skink and the Bramble Cay melomys, two extinct species she recently eulogized for the guardian. How …continue

Philosopher Kate Soper explains why going beyond consumerism won’t just help the environment–it will make us happier. Together we discuss a slower-paced world with fewer cars, less work, less stuff, and more pleasure.Learn more about her book, Post Growth Living: …continue