The Invisible Paw (Rebroadcast)

Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.6 • 32K Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2019

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Humans, it has long been thought, are the only animal to engage in economic activity. But what if we've had it exactly backward?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, it's Stephen Dubner.
0:03.8	This week we bring you one of our favorite and most popular episodes from the archive.
0:07.6	It's called The Invisible Paw.
0:09.3	We'll be back next week with a brand new episode, also a reminder.
0:13.2	If you live around Los Angeles or you just want a good excuse to visit, we'll be doing
0:17.0	Freconomics Radio Live in Los Angeles on May 18th at the Ace Hotel Theater in partnership
0:22.7	with our friends at KCRW.
0:24.8	Tickets at Freconomics.com slash live.
0:44.2	Here's a question.
0:45.4	What is the one thing that sets humans apart from all other animals?
0:50.3	I believe it is our curiosity and specifically the curiosity of the why and the how that
0:56.0	is the essence of our humanity and separates us from all other species on this planet.
1:01.4	It's Bill Diamond.
1:02.6	He's president of the SETI Institute that stands for Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence.
1:08.0	Other animal species may exhibit the curiosity of the what, as in what was that noise?
1:13.1	What do I see or smell?
1:15.0	Is it a threat or is it a meal?
1:17.2	And we all know that curiosity may kill the cat, but our curiosity to understand the how
1:22.4	and the why drives humans to learn, to explore, to discover and invent all of which contribute
1:28.9	to our success as a species, perhaps sometimes to a fault.
1:34.1	Well I think the thing that distinguishes humans from animals most obviously is language.
1:37.9	And that is Anthony Apia who teaches philosophy at NYU.
	...

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