logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
40m 31s

How sad are the monkeys in the zoo?

PJ Vogt
About this episode
To answer this question, we’ll unpack a scientific battle centuries in the making, one that involves a serial killer elephant and a suicidal dog. We’ll also learn a new way that people who are ambivalent about zoos can now go to zoos in good conscience. Guest: Dr. Laurel Braitman, author of Animal Madness. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Animal-Madnes ... Show More
Up next
Feb 27
Mysteries of Claude
Anthropic hired philosophers to teach its AI to be good. In their tests, the AI blackmailed a human to keep itself alive. Writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus went inside the company to figure out what's going on with Claude, and whether anyone can actually control it. Read Gideon's story h ... Show More
52m 9s
Feb 20
Why don’t we eat people? (classic)
A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundamental taboos: cannibalism. With help from New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield and writer Kelefa Sanneh. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacy ... Show More
1 h
Feb 13
How Peptides Conquered the Internet
Two decades ago, bodybuilders on niche internet forums started injecting peptides. Now they're in the secret mini-fridges of some teenage boys. How did they get there? We track their crooked path from Silicon Valley to jaw-smashing influencers. Check out Jasmine Sun's work (and h ... Show More
48m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Are Zoos Good or Bad for the Animals? | 4
Zoos have become a controversial topic in modern society. Nikki has long been conflicted about zoos and how they treat animals. Mr. Malone joins Nikki to talk to a zookeeper to figure out whether zoos are an inhumane relic of the past or an important link in the chain of educatio ... Show More
28m 43s
Aug 2019
Could Frozen Zoo DNA Stave Off Species' Extinction?
As human civilization encroaches on wild animals' habitats, some face extinction. Learn how researchers hope to someday use frozen DNA sample taken from zoo animals to replenish wild populations in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart ... Show More
4m 40s
Oct 2021
How Do You Keep Zoo Animals Happy?
Do you love going to the zoo? Want a behind-the-scenes peek into how zookeepers keep their animals safe and happy? Listen to this fascinating episode with Zookeeper Susan Summers as she tells us what it's like to take care of some amazing animals!  
32m 16s
Apr 2023
84: Abusive Prisons or Animal Oasis: Are Zoos Evil? | Dark History with Bailey Sarian
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. When you think of the zoo, what comes to mind? Saying hi to cute animals? That’s what I thought too, until I started digging and learned that zoos are way darker than I thought. And when I say darker, I mean human zoos with REAL people and a b ... Show More
52m 56s
Nov 2020
264: Our Wild Animal Best Friends | Ear Biscuits Ep.264
It all started with a tweet about an octopus. From a 16' crocodile to a wild lion in Africa, listen to R&L discuss astounding real-life human-animal friendships and what animal they would pick to be their wild animal best friend on this episode of Ear Biscuits! To learn more ab ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2015
Are You My Mother?: How Animal Imprinting Works
<p>What do little baby ducklings have to do with Nazis? A lot actually. Find out about animal imprinting experiments and the debate over their ethics.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c ... Show More
35m 54s
Dec 2019
The Frozen Zoo
Right now, one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Conservation scientists are doing whatever they can to save them, or at least of piece of them. For the last 45 years, a team of researchers at the San Diego Zoo has been freezing the cells of endange ... Show More
28m 14s
Mar 2021
What Reptiles Are Most Endangered?
Cute, fuzzy mammals often get all the attention (and funding) when they land on endangered species lists, but now reptiles are getting an equal spotlight. Learn about the effort to identify and preserve these animals in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choi ... Show More
3m 42s
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