"But it makes a lot of sense especially when you think about how traditional healers and shamans have worked, they haven't felt that separation from nature like Western medics do. And so to rely on the knowledge of other species actually makes a lot of sense. It's probably a lot more than we know at the moment." - Jaap de Roode  Jaap de Roode is a biology professor at Emory University, and he is the author of an astonishing new book called <a href= "https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691239248/doctors-by-nature?srsltid=AfmBOopvtjzUjUJ4OvUxUQt9_Y7PRjgONDNs_s_fKKkfxhoXGO3sxF-V">Doctors by Nature How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves</a>. I say astonishing because I had no idea about so much of what he explores in his book. It never occurred to me to consider that other species use medicine and have been healing themselves forever.  Jaap tells stories of animals across nature, from bumblebees to chimpanzees, how they use plants and natural substances to treat infections, to ward off parasites, to self-medicate. There's so much that we have learned from them, and there's so much more that we still can.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt;"&gt;"But it makes a lot of sense especially when you think about how traditional healers and shamans have worked, they haven't felt that separation from nature like Western medics do. And so to rely on the knowledge of other species actually makes a lot of sense. It's probably a lot more than we know at the moment." - Jaap de Roode &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt;"&gt;Jaap de Roode is a biology professor at Emory University, and he is the author of an astonishing new book called &lt;a href= "https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691239248/doctors-by-nature?srsltid=AfmBOopvtjzUjUJ4OvUxUQt9_Y7PRjgONDNs_s_fKKkfxhoXGO3sxF-V"&gt;Doctors by Nature How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves&lt;/a&gt;. I say astonishing because I had no idea about so much of what he explores in his book. It never occurred to me to consider that other species use medicine and have been healing themselves forever. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt;"&gt;Jaap tells stories of animals across nature, from bumblebees to chimpanzees, how they use plants and natural substances to treat infections, to ward off parasites, to self-medicate. There's so much that we have learned from them, and there's so much more that we still can. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</description>

"But it makes a lot of sense especially when you think about how traditional healers and shamans have worked, they haven't felt that separation from nature like Western medics do. And so to rely on the knowledge of other species actually makes a lot...

Jaap de Roode: Doctors by Nature

“I mean, organoids in general are very exciting replacements for animal research because you could model a kidney or a liver or a or a heart without taking them from a real animal, which it’s very important to support that kind of thing. But yes, when it's the brain, there's this fear that you might end up creating another sentient being. And then and then you've just replaced one sentient being with another and maybe not made things better at all. So it seems really, really important to guard against that risk.” – Jonathan Birch   Dr. Jonathan Birch is a professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and is Principal Investigator on the “Foundations of Animal Sentience” project, a European Union-funded project to develop better methods for studying the feelings of animals and new ways of using the science of animal minds to improve animal welfare policies and laws. In 2021, he led a review for the UK government that shaped the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. In 2022-23, he was part of a working group that investigated the question of sentience in AI. Jonathan is here today to talk about his most recent book, <a href= "https://www.edgeofsentience.com/formats">The Edge of Sentience Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI.</a> <a href= "https://www.edgeofsentience.com/formats">The Edge of Sentience</a> is an open access book published under a <a href= "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en">CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0</a> license, meaning it can be distributed for free in any format.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; “I mean, organoids in general are very exciting replacements for animal research because you could model a kidney or a liver or a or a heart without taking them from a real animal, which it’s very important to support that kind of thing. But yes, when it's the brain, there's this fear that you might end up creating another sentient being. And then and then you've just replaced one sentient being with another and maybe not made things better at all. So it seems really, really important to guard against that risk.” – Jonathan Birch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; Dr. Jonathan Birch is a professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and is Principal Investigator on the “Foundations of Animal Sentience” project, a European Union-funded project to develop better methods for studying the feelings of animals and new ways of using the science of animal minds to improve animal welfare policies and laws. In 2021, he led a review for the UK government that shaped the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. In 2022-23, he was part of a working group that investigated the question of sentience in AI.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; Jonathan is here today to talk about his most recent book, &lt;a href= "https://www.edgeofsentience.com/formats"&gt;The Edge of Sentience Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="sqsrte-small" style="margin: 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.edgeofsentience.com/formats"&gt;The Edge of Sentience&lt;/a&gt; is an open access book published under a &lt;a href= "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en"&gt;CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0&lt;/a&gt; license, meaning it can be distributed for free in any format.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

“I mean, organoids in general are very exciting replacements for animal research because you could model a kidney or a liver or a or a heart without taking them from a real animal, which it’s very important to support that kind of thing. But yes,...

Jonathan Birch: The Edge of Sentience

"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one, beheaded and skinned in front of in front of audiences." - Elizabeth MeLampy  <a href= "https://www.elizabethmelampy.com/">Elizabeth MeLampy</a> is a lawyer dedicated to animal rights and protection, and her passion for this work shines through in her latest book, <a href= "https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/">Forget the Camel, the Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human</a>. To research the book, Elizabeth traveled across the country, immersing herself in a wide range of animal festivals — from the Iditarod dog sled race to the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas. Elizabeth examines these festivals as revealing microcosms of our broader relationship with animals. Whether it's rattlesnake hunts, frog-jumping contests, ostrich races, or groundhog celebrations, these events reflect the ways humans use animals to express cultural identity, community pride, and historical traditions. Yet beneath the pageantry and excitement lies a deeper question: Is our fascination with these spectacles worth the toll it takes on the animals involved? With compassion and insight, Elizabeth invites readers to consider whether there’s a more ethical and empathetic way to honor our stories — one that respects both animals and the traditions they inspire. Please listen, share and read, Forget the Camel. It will be released on April 8th, 2025. https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one, beheaded and skinned in front of in front of audiences." - Elizabeth MeLampy &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.elizabethmelampy.com/"&gt;Elizabeth MeLampy&lt;/a&gt; is a lawyer dedicated to animal rights and protection, and her passion for this work shines through in her latest book, &lt;a href= "https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/"&gt;Forget the Camel, the Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human&lt;/a&gt;. To research the book, Elizabeth traveled across the country, immersing herself in a wide range of animal festivals — from the Iditarod dog sled race to the rattlesnake roundup in Sweetwater, Texas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="527" data-end="1213" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;Elizabeth examines these festivals as revealing microcosms of our broader relationship with animals. Whether it's rattlesnake hunts, frog-jumping contests, ostrich races, or groundhog celebrations, these events reflect the ways humans use animals to express cultural identity, community pride, and historical traditions. Yet beneath the pageantry and excitement lies a deeper question: Is our fascination with these spectacles worth the toll it takes on the animals involved? With compassion and insight, Elizabeth invites readers to consider whether there’s a more ethical and empathetic way to honor our stories — one that respects both animals and the traditions they inspire.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;Please listen, share and read, Forget the Camel. It will be released on April 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, 2025.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt;https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/forget-the-camel/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

"The basic premise of the event is that hunters hunt rattlesnakes from the surrounding environment all across West Texas, and bring them into the roundup for the weekend. And during the roundup, these snakes are kept in a pit and then, one by one,...

Elizabeth MeLampy: Forget the Camel

"When we arrived, we had no records, we had nothing. We had no documentation. And one of one of the first things that you have to actually prove to all of these international government parties and so on, you need to you need to say, where did you get this elephant? And we had no idea. We were actually government officials, and we had this elephant, and we had no real idea of where this elephant came from." -Tom Sciolla  In 2012, during a scorching heatwave in Buenos Aires, a polar bear named Winner died in the city zoo. His tragic death ignited outrage—not just for him, but for all the animals suffering in the zoo’s dire conditions. The protests grew, and the city listened. Instead of just making small improvements, Buenos Aires did something extraordinary: they took over the zoo. That’s when Thomas Sciolla, the new wildlife and conservation manager, stepped in. But he and his team didn’t just aim to make life better for the animals still trapped there—they decided to set them free. Over the past decade, they have relocated hundreds of animals to sanctuaries, giving them the lives they deserve and the closest thing to freedom they could ever have after lifetimes in captivity. The very last animal to be translocated will be moving in the next few weeks. Pupy, a female African elephant who has been at the zoo since 1993 will be moving across South America to Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil. This is one of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard in a long time—a story of hope for animals, and a blueprint for how real change can happen. Please listen, share and follow Pupy's journey here: <a href= "https://globalelephants.org/project-pupy/">https://globalelephants.org/project-pupy/</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt;"&gt;"When we arrived, we had no records, we had nothing. We had no documentation. And one of one of the first things that you have to actually prove to all of these international government parties and so on, you need to you need to say, where did you get this elephant? And we had no idea. We were actually government officials, and we had this elephant, and we had no real idea of where this elephant came from." -Tom Sciolla &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14pt;"&gt;In 2012, during a scorching heatwave in Buenos Aires, a polar bear named Winner died in the city zoo. His tragic death ignited outrage—not just for him, but for all the animals suffering in the zoo’s dire conditions. The protests grew, and the city listened.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="395" data-end="505"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14pt;"&gt;Instead of just making small improvements, Buenos Aires did something extraordinary: they took over the zoo.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="507" data-end="884"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14pt;"&gt;That’s when Thomas Sciolla, the new wildlife and conservation manager, stepped in. But he and his team didn’t just aim to make life better for the animals still trapped there—they decided to set them free. Over the past decade, they have relocated hundreds of animals to sanctuaries, giving them the lives they deserve and the closest thing to freedom they could ever have after lifetimes in captivity.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="886" data-end="1133"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14pt;"&gt;The very last animal to be translocated will be moving in the next few weeks. Pupy, a female African elephant who has been at the zoo since 1993 will be moving across South America to Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="1135" data-end="1281"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14pt;"&gt;This is one of the most inspiring stories I’ve heard in a long time—a story of hope for animals, and a blueprint for how real change can happen. Please listen, share and follow Pupy's journey here: &lt;a href= "https://globalelephants.org/project-pupy/"&gt;https://globalelephants.org/project-pupy/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="1135" data-end="1281"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="1135" data-end="1281"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="1135" data-end="1281"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p data-start="1135" data-end="1281"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</description>

"When we arrived, we had no records, we had nothing. We had no documentation. And one of one of the first things that you have to actually prove to all of these international government parties and so on, you need to you need to say, where did you get...

Tom Sciolla: Free the Animals

“That's taxpayer’s money that is going to support research and development and pilot projects to develop a food system that is based on environmental destruction and greed and disregard for animals, fish, and any of the other marine mammals that might be around it.” - Andrianna Natsoulas Andrianna Natsoulas is the campaign director for Don't Cage Our Oceans, an organization that exists to keep our oceans free from industrial fish farms. Offshore finfish farming is the mass cultivation of finfish in marine waters, in underwater or floating net pens, pods, and cages. Offshore finfish farms are factory farms that harm public health, the environment, and local communities and economies that rely on the ocean and its resources.  Don’t Cage Our Oceans are a coalition of diverse organizations working together to stop the development of offshore finfish farming in the United States through federal law, policies, and coalition building. And, although it is not yet happening, right now the US Administration and Congress are promoting this kind of farming, which would be nothing short of disastrous for the oceans, the planet and the people and animals who live here.   dontcageouroceans.org

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: black;"&gt; “That's taxpayer’s money that is going to support research and development and pilot projects to develop a food system that is based on environmental destruction and greed and disregard for animals, fish, and any of the other marine mammals that might be around it.&lt;/span&gt;” - Andrianna Natsoulas&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; Andrianna Natsoulas is the campaign director for Don't Cage Our Oceans, an organization that exists to keep our oceans free from industrial fish farms. Offshore finfish farming is the mass cultivation of finfish in marine waters, in underwater or floating net pens, pods, and cages. Offshore finfish farms are factory farms that harm public health, the environment, and local communities and economies that rely on the ocean and its resources. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; Don’t Cage Our Oceans are a coalition of diverse organizations working together to stop the development of offshore finfish farming in the United States through federal law, policies, and coalition building. And, although it is not yet happening, right now the US Administration and Congress are promoting this kind of farming, which would be nothing short of disastrous for the oceans, the planet and the people and animals who live here.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"&gt; dontcageouroceans.org&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

“That's taxpayer’s money that is going to support research and development and pilot projects to develop a food system that is based on environmental destruction and greed and disregard for animals, fish, and any of the other marine mammals that...

Andrianna Natsoulas: Don't Cage Our Oceans

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