Think of a platypus: they lay eggs (that hatch into so-called platypups), they produce milk without nipples and venom without fangs and they can detect electricity. Or a wombat: their teeth never stop growing, they poo cubes and they defend themselves with reinforced rears. Platypuses, possums, wombats, echidnas, devils, kangaroos, quolls, dibblers, dunnarts ... Show More
Today
Timothy Barnard, "Imperial Creatures: Humans and Other Animals in Colonial Singapore, 1819-1942" (NUS Press, 2019)
In Imperial Creature: Humans and Other Animals in Colonial Singapore, 1819-1942 (National University of Singapore Press, 2019), Timothy Barnard explores the more-than-human entanglements between empires and the creatures they govern. What is the relationship between the subjugati ... Show More
44m 2s
Aug 9
Paul Thagard, "Bots and Beasts: What Makes Machines, Animals, and People Smart?" (MIT Press, 2021)
Octopuses can open jars to get food, and chimpanzees can plan for the future. An IBM computer named Watson won on Jeopardy! and Alexa knows our favorite songs. But do animals and smart machines really have intelligence comparable to that of humans? In Bots and Beasts: What Makes ... Show More
59m 54s
Aug 5
Heather Browning and Walter Veit, "What Are Zoos For?" (Policy Press, 2024)
Are zoos an anachronism in the 21st century when we can watch animals in their natural habitat, close-up from our couches without worrying about cruelty? Should they go the way of other bygone era ‘spectacles’ and ‘attractions’ that we now regard as barbaric? There are vocal camp ... Show More
1h 30m
Apr 2021
Saving the world's rarest marine mammal
In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous comebacks.Perhaps one of the most endanger ... Show More
32m 7s
Dec 2022
Tooth and Claw: African Wild Dog
As a great African predator and a hot-spot on safari, it is hard to believe that only last century, the African wild dog was considered vermin. It's beautiful coat of painted strokes makes it undeniably distinctive. Yet out in the field, this animal is hard to find. Yes, it camou ... Show More
28m 3s
May 2021
Réintroduction d’une espèce animale : le diable de Tasmanie renait en Australie
Depuis sa ferme pédagogique installée à Boisset en Haute-Loire, Fanny Agostini met à l'honneur l'alimentation, la santé et l'agriculture. Ce mercredi, elle s'intéresse à l’exemple réussi de la réintroduction d’une espèce animale. Des diables de Tasmanie, une espèce qui avait disp ... Show More
2m 54s