logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
43m 27s

Ed Yong on how animal senses reveal the ...

TED
About this episode

Like any animal, humans understand the world through our senses. But unlike other creatures, we can't detect magnetic fields with our bodies, or the flow of water from a fish swimming hundreds of feet in the distance. But Ed Yong wants us to really imagine what it would be like to perceive the world in these ways. In this episode, the Pulitzer winning science writer shares the unique ways that other living species get information about the world–from the melodic data-loaded songs of treehoppers and cicadas, to the olfactory brilliance of an average dog. Listen in for a glimpse at the beautiful animal narratives that lie beyond our restrained worldview that Ed writes about in his new book "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal The Hidden Realms Around Us", which is out now.

Up next
Feb 2023
Introducing Good Sport
This week on The TED Interview we’re excited to introduce TED’s newest podcast, Good Sport, hosted by veteran sports producer Jody Avirgan. What can sports teach us about life – and each other? Good Sport brings you invigorating stories from on and off the field to argue that spo ... Show More
3m 34s
Jan 2023
Our Predictions for 2023 | After Hours
Curious about 2023? Youngme, Mihir and Felix from the podcast After Hours are back with their celebrated predictions episode. Who will acquire Spotify? Will Twitter implode? What’s the trend in inflation and energy prices? Who will top the music charts? Space travel for all? List ... Show More
45m 44s
Nov 2022
The music of David Byrne’s mind
David Byrne views life through many lenses. He’s a musician, author, filmmaker, curator, conservationist, digital music theorist, bicycle advocate, visual artist... the list goes on. But through his many trajectories – from co-founding the acclaimed band Talking Heads to his late ... Show More
39m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
Ed Yong on how animal senses reveal the world around us
Like any animal, humans understand the world through our senses. But unlike other creatures, we can't detect magnetic fields with our bodies, or the flow of water from a fish swimming hundreds of feet in the distance. But Ed Yong wants us to really imagine what it would be like t ... Show More
43m 27s
Sep 2022
Making Sense of Our World
Welcome to Season 5 of Chasing Life, where we’ll explore the five traditional senses – sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell -- and beyond. To kick off the season, Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to award winning science journalist Ed Yong about his new book “An Immense World, How Animal ... Show More
27m 41s
Apr 2023
An Immense World with Ed Yong
Sharon welcomes guest Ed Yong to Here’s Where It Gets Interesting. Ed’s newest book, An Immense World, How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. It’s a fascinating look at the rich sensory world of animals, and Ed speaks to Sharon about how exploring this world opens ... Show More
41m 24s
Oct 2020
I. Newkirk and G. Stone, "Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion" (Simon and Schuster, 2020)
The founder and president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, and bestselling author Gene Stone explore the wonders of animal life and offer tools for living more kindly toward them. In the last few decades, a wealth of new information has emerged about who animals are—intelligent, aware, a ... Show More
49m 23s
Mar 2019
Amazing Creatures / Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr. Jane Goodall joins me today to take us into the wild and explore consciousness outside and beyond the realm of the human animal. How does understanding consciousness in other species help us understand our place in the web of life? How do we harness this understanding to ensu ... Show More
44m 5s
Jul 2021
How Octopuses Upend What We Know About Ourselves
I’ve spent the past few months on an octopus kick. In that, I don’t seem to be alone. Octopuses (it’s incorrect to say “octopi,” to my despair) are having a moment: There are award-winning books, documentaries and even science fiction about them. I suspect it’s the same hunger th ... Show More
56m 3s
Jun 2022
Sensing the World Anew Through Other Species
Ed Yong’s new book, “An Immense World,” urges readers to break outside their “sensory bubble” to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, mice and other animals experience their surroundings.“I’ve often said that my beat is everything that is or was once alive, which covers ... Show More
45m 53s
May 2022
David M. Peña-Guzmán, "When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness" (Princeton UP, 2022)
Are humans the only dreamers on Earth? What goes on in the minds of animals when they sleep? When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness (Princeton UP, 2022) brings together behavioral and neuroscientific research on animal sleep with philosophical theories of dr ... Show More
42m 59s
Mar 2021
The artists of the animal kingdom
In this episode, we’re displaying the most impressive artists of the animal kingdom. From tiny visual masterpieces, to animals that can dance to a beat, we’re shining a spotlight on the art that can be found in nature.Deep in the Amazon rainforest, there’s a tiny structure that ( ... Show More
28m 44s