Honeybees deliberate democratically. Rats reflect on the past. Snakes have friends. In recent decades our understanding of animal intelligence has exploded, revealing an animal kingdom bursting with thinking, feeling beings—but the way we relate to wild animals has yet to catch up. What would it mean if we took these insights into the landscape?
On Animal Concerns of Texas, Liz and Tom talk with Brandon Kiem, science journalist who specializes in nature and animals, about his most recent book: Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than-Human World. Brandon began to think about animals as fellow persons with intelligence and feelings, making him think of animal use for food, research or labor as exploitation of laborers. In his book, he explores our relationship to animals and discovering a sense of community beyond our species.
Originally aired on August 25, 2024
