logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2020
1h 20m

Koko The Gorilla

Sarah Marshall
About this episode
“It’s interesting that we became enthusiastic about ASL in the process of teaching it to a population that couldn’t benefit from it.” Mike tells Sarah about a very special ape and the very problematic humans around her. Digressions include video dating, "Biography" and the terrible terrible inventor of the telephone. We start with a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT abo ... Show More
Up next
May 26
Rainbows with Lulu Miller
Why are there so many songs about rainbows (and what’s on the other side)? A bridge between worlds, a map to a pot of gold, the centerpiece of a Lisa Frank trapper-keeper, and of course, an ever-changing symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, the rainbow has been a profound part of the ... Show More
1h 12m
May 12
What to Carry, What to Burn with Blair Braverman
Ada Blackjack wants one thing: To make enough money to bring her son home from an orphanage. But good work is hard to find in 1920s Nome, Alaska, so when four strangers come to town, looking to hire someone for a secret yearlong expedition, Ada embarks on the trip—not knowing tha ... Show More
1h 4m
Apr 29
Desperation Pie with Sarah Archer
What would you do for a desperation pie? Kitchen correspondent Sarah Archer is here to talk with Sarah about the American food trends that marked the 20th century and how they related to the political and cultural changes of a nation in need of constant culinary inventiveness. Th ... Show More
1h 14m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
Introducing: A Show About Animals
Today we are sharing an episode from one of our newest series -- A Show About Animals. This season, we tell the strange and wonderful story of the wildly famous Koko the “talking” Gorilla. In the early 1970s, a grad student named Penny Patterson set out to investigate a big quest ... Show More
36m 33s
Jun 2020
When the Monkeys Met the Chimps
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Dr Jane Goodall DBE, comedian Bill Bailey and primatologist Dr Cat Hobaiter to find out what we've learnt in the 60 years since Jane first discovered the chimpanzees of Gombe. From tool use, to language and even to culture, her revolutionary ... Show More
50m 39s
Jun 2021
Humans and other animals | Ray Tallis, Melanie Challenger, Jamie Blackett and Kay Peggs
tail spinning
46m 32s
Mar 2022
The IKEA Monkey | 10
On Dec. 9 2012, video of a baby monkey running around in a faux-shearling coat at a North York IKEA garnered international attention when Darwin escaped a locked crate and vehicle before making a dash toward the furniture store. “(I thought) this is absolutely ridiculous that the ... Show More
47m 8s
Oct 2023
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Being Human
Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider the quirks that make human beings unique and check in with experts from The Infinite Monkey Cage back catalogue. Prof Alice Roberts explains that our ancestors interbred with Neanderthals to make us who we are today. We’re also excellent at commu ... Show More
17m 54s
May 2023
How Do Great Apes Go Wild? with Dr. Laura Simone Lewis
Chimpanzees and bonobos know how to live it up. They hang out with their friends, they take self-care breaks, they eat fresh fruit, and when it’s raining they fashion umbrellas out of leaves. Dr. Laura Simone Lewis is back on the show this week to tell us all about the social liv ... Show More
1h 18m
Jun 2022
Gorillaology (GORILLAS) with Tara Stoinski
<p>Gorillas. These chest-beating, salad-munching, communal living, thick-furred beauties have so many surprises for you. Gorillaologist (IT’S A WORD) Dr. Tara Stoinski has been a gorilla scientist for nearly 3 decades and dishes on everything from fieldwork in cloudy mountains to ... Show More
1h 4m
Apr 2023
Le chimpanzé, notre plus proche cousin, utilise des outils !
tail spinning
12m 17s
Oct 2013
Episode 33: Monkeys, Smurfs, and Human Conformity (With Laurie Santos)
<p>Special guest Laurie Santos (Psychology, Yale) joins us to talk about what animal cognition can tell us about human nature. Why are other primates better at resisting the misleading influence of others than humans? Is conformity a byproduct of our sophisticated cultural learni ... Show More
57m 10s
Oct 2021
Scary Story Time: "Go-Away Monkey" (Ep. 86)
For the spooky month of October, I'm reading my short horror story, "Go-Away Monkey" from my collection The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales. It's set in an older Japan in a small village that has been ravaged by smallpox. If you remember Episode 4 (Monkeys and Monkey Lore), you'll ... Show More
59m 54s