How Has Living With Animals Shaped Our Brains? With Michael Bond

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, Arts, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2026

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Humans are animals. 40,000 years ago our ancestors considered themselves inseparable from the landscape and the wild animals that lived alongside them. But over generations, we developed an idea that still shapes modern life: the belief that we are separate from, and superior to, other species. In this episode, together with Dr Güneş Taylor, science writer Michael Bond draws on insights from neuroscience, anthropology and cultural studies to explore how animals have profoundly influenced our minds and cultures, and challenges our longheld assumption that we are superior to animals. Are we as exceptional as we have come to believe? And how should we be treating the animals we live alongside? Michael Bond’s new book, Animate: How Animals Shape The Human Mind, is available to buy now. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:58.0	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
1:02.0	I'm producer Mia Serente.
1:05.0	Humans have long believed themselves separate from and superior to the animal world,
1:10.0	but is new science revealing that the animals we have lived alongside for millennia
1:14.3	have helped shape the way our minds work today.
1:17.2	On today's episode, science writer Michael Bond joins host Dr Ganesh Taylor
1:21.7	to argue that our relationship with animals has influenced human thought, culture and cognition,
1:27.2	and what this means the way
1:28.6	we understand ourselves. Let's join our host Dr Ganesh Taylor now with more.
1:34.7	Welcome to Intelligence Squared. I'm Dr Ganesh Taylor, Chancellor's Fellow at the Centre for Reproductive
1:40.5	Health at the University of Edinburgh. Our guest today is Michael Bond, an award-winning
	...

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