Animal Intelligence

As Charles Darwin suggested more than a century ago, the differences between animals and humans are of degree and not of kind. Not long ago, ethologists denied that animals had emotions or true intelligence. Now, we know that rats laugh when tickled, magpies mourn as they cover the departed with greenery, female whales travel thousands of miles for annual reunions with their gal pals, seals navigate by the stars, bears hum when happy, and crows slide down snowy rooftops for fun.

Recent years have seen rapid advances in 'artificial' intelligence, which increasingly appears to be something stranger than we ever imagined. At the same time, we are becoming more aware of the other intelligences which have been with us all along, unrecognised. These other beings are the animals, plants and natural systems that surround us, and are slowly revealing their complexity and knowledge - just as the new technologies we've built are threatening to cause their extinction, and ours.

What if human intelligence is actually more of a liability than a gift? After all, the animal kingdom, in all its diversity, gets by just fine without it. At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence, yet human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. What if human exceptionalism is more of a curse than a blessing?

Frans de Waal, psychologue et primatologue mondialement reconnu, nous amène à réexaminer tout ce que nous croyions savoir sur l'intelligence animale - et humaine.

Les éléphants bénéficient d'une impressionnante mémoire spatiale, olfactive, visuelle et vocale, on le sait, mais sait-on que certains oiseaux peuvent cacher leur nourriture dans plus de mille emplacements différents ? Dans ce livre audio riche d'une quinzaine d'années d'expérience de terrain, Emmanuelle Pouydebat montre que l'intelligence est une fonction adaptative partagée par tous les animaux.

Special Agent Felix Whiter always gets his man...or tortoise. Or does he? Sometimes the tortoise gives him the slip, and sometimes the real villain is.... Oh, but that would be telling. A very silly spy thriller for kids, with plenty of giggles for adults too. For Cats' Eyes Only is packed with excitement, danger, terrible puns, and fart humor. Educational allergy advice. This is intended to be a purely fun story.