Today we tackle the age-old question: what if animals could talk?

Or, more precisely, what if we could actually understand what animals are saying?

Full transcript available in site.

Guests:

• Con Slobodchikoff, professor at Northern Arizona University, CEO of Zoolingua, and author of Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals.
• Irene Pepperberg, professor of psychology Harvard University, author of Alex and Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence-and formed  a Deep Bond in the Process
• Alexandra Horowitz, professor at Barnard, head of dog cognition lab, author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know (and other books)
• Ashley Shew, professor at Virginia Tech, author of Animal Constructions and Technological Knowledge
• Keri Cronin, professor at Brock University, author of Art for Animals: Visual Culture and Animal Advocacy, 1875-1914, co-founder of Niagara VegFest

Further Reading:

• Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals
• The “Clever Hans Phenomenon” revisited
• The Chimp That Learned Sign Language
• ‘Project Nim’: A Chimp’s Very Human, Very Sad Life
• Meet Washoe
• Washoe, a Chimp of Many Words, Dies at 42
• Koko, the beloved gorilla that learned to communicate using sign language, has died
• A Conversation with Koko
• Lost in Translation: Koko the gorilla and language research
• The Alex studies: cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots
• Evidence for conceptual quantitative abilities in the African grey parrot: Labeling of cardinal sets
• Functional vocalizations by an African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus)
• NOVA – Official Website | Profile: Irene Pepperberg & Alex
• Reddit AMA: I am Dr. Irene Pepperberg, research associate at Harvard in the field of avian cognition…ask me anything
• Alex and Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence-and formed  a Deep Bond in the Process
• Animal language studies: What happened?
• Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
• Learn to sniff like a dog
• How to master your sense of smell
• Is your dog smarter than a 2-year-old?
• Animal Constructions and Technological Knowledge
• Art for Animals Visual Culture and Animal Advocacy, 1870–1914
• “‘A Mute Yet Eloquent Protest’: Visual Culture & Anti-Vivisection Activism in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”
• “‘Can’t You Talk?’: Voice and Visual Culture in Early Animal Welfare