You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.

I'm Matt Kaplan, the host of Safeguarding Sound Science, Evolution Edition.

Evolution is the unifying principle of biology, yet it still breeds controversy a century

and a half after Charles Darwin.

Join us as we meet the passionate researchers and communicators who are expanding our knowledge

and fighting to keep good science in our schools and politics. Subscribe to Safeguarding Sound

Science on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you like to listen. Well, here we are back on the farm. When were you ever last on a farm or ever

on a farm? Well, I was. I think we had a third grade field trip to a farm. Okay. So you're happy to be

back on a farm? I am. I am. And we're here at Deer Hollow farm in Mountain View, California.

Deer Hollow, by the way, is a working farm. This is not for show.

This isn't a petting zoo. These animals are, you know, part of an actual farm operation. Look at those chickens there. They look like they're having pretty good time. Well, I think so. It's hard to tell by just looking at their faces where they're having a good time or just sort of a mediocre time.

You know, really, the only difference between

these animals and us is that we live in cities, we wear suits, and we play Sudoku. Sudoku? I don't know.

Well, maybe these cows secretly play Sudoku, but there are other differences between us and these

farm animals. Well, what I'm trying to say is that humans are animals too. We're primates, yes.

There are no primates here on this farm, but we are animals all the same, even though we like to deny it. You could add feathers all over me, but I don't think I'd look like that rooster. Okay, well, look at the sheep over here. I think she looks frustrated. You're reading something into that sheep that I don't see. I think that sheep's pulling the wool over your eyes, actually.

Okay. The point is,

if we connect with animals, we might learn something. Well, what I want to learn is how can they

wear that wool year-round and still feel comfortable? I'm Seth Shostak, by the way. I'm Molly Bentley,

and this is Big Picture Science, where we're tapping into our animal instinct. Let's walk over here towards the, oh, here's a cat. Wow, yeah, but that's not a farm animal. Unless it's one of those shepherding cats. That cat's responsible for the goats. Goats sound like sheep. Do they? Maybe they are sheep. Oops. You might be right, actually, upon closer inspection.

I see you have spent a lot of time on a farm.

Well, I, you know, I've forgotten all the silhouette photos they gave me to identify the animals.

...