Giant Centipede

John Oberg is one of the most prominent characters in the modern animal rights movement. He is an animal advocate hoping to make the world a kinder place by utilizing the power of social media. Today, John sat down with Macken for a conversation about veganism and animal rights advocacy. Together they went through the reasons for being vegan, discussed the future of veganism, and jointly addressed some of the most common defenses of animal exploitation. John also spoke about his fascinating life story, and his journey towards animal advocacy. You can find John on his website, Patreon, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

16 Maj 201952min

Were honey badgers weaponized by the UK during the Iraq war? Who would win, the greatest fighter on earth, or a honey badger? What about a honey badger vs. a lion? Or a hyena? Or a cobra? How come honey badgers are so absurdly brave? Why are they such creative escape artists? Honey badgers are the toughest animals on the face of the planet, and today we talk all about them. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BoUEfR7tUcfFvlEeMabjbZ1F4meRuA7197t6Xv7-Hp4/edit?usp=sharing

13 Maj 201925min

This is the animal who inspired King Kong, and maybe some dragon stories. Find out about their magical healing abilities, their insane sense of smell, and their truly disturbing method of killing their prey. Discover the answer to the following questions: Why do almost all cultures have dragons? Do Komodo dragons kill by sepsis or venom? Are baby Komodo dragons just reptilian squirrels? Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Z5Gnu_HJURoW5VYyTTcfcgmeXfNfXGq39BDgUoXl6s/edit?usp=sharing

5 Maj 201923min

Ashley Gary is a science communicator and a wildlife educator. This afternoon, she had a wide-ranging, hilarious conversation with Macken in which they discussed the following topics:   The ethics of retweeting.  Social media and wildlife education.  What schools might do to improve entertainment value in class.  Indiana Jones & lizards.  Instagram aesthetics.  Wildlife television.  Gorillas vs. grizzly bears.  Cheetahs.  Enormous ducks vs. tiny horses.    The above list is only a sample of what they discussed. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a fun conversation about (mostly) animals. While you listen, take a moment to follow Ashley on social media, and visit her website!   Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewildlifehost Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifehost/ Website: https://www.thewildlifehost.com/newsletter

28 Apr 201940min

This animal is a sensory genius. They are masters at detecting everything while staying undetected. On this episode, Macken goes deep into the incredible science of how this animal can hear everything, without ever being heard; how this animal can see everything, without being seen. They are debatably the best listeners in the animal kingdom, and their entire face is like a radar dish. Find out all about them on this episode of species.   Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HxT7URtxD4DjF1vDgd5pj6h7nO7kltzz467nCUKU3uo/edit?usp=sharing

28 Apr 201924min

Today we are going to talk about the ugliest animal on earth (at least, by popular vote). Join us, and discover why they look so awful on land and so normal at sea. Find out the fun facts we have about this animal, and learn about the nature of ugliness itself, on this episode of Species.

22 Apr 201919min

This animal forces us to ponder the nature of intelligence itself. They are running incredibly complex software on unbelievably small hardware: Their brain could fit on the head of a pin, and yet their sensory processing and strategizing abilities rival those of the smartest animals on earth.   Look closely at the photo above, and you will count eight eyes. This spider-hunting spider can see in all directions at once, stalk and deceive their prey, seduce them with false siren calls and manipulate them like a puppet master. Like a brilliant martial artist, this animal out-maneuvers and out-thinks their victims, risking their own life in the process.   Join us, today, and glimpse the unsettling depths of the spider's mind.   Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11KiGGAiD1wiW4BiMZblFHqskHfQKyLfyBJJZk-hWL3w/edit

7 Apr 201926min

This creature has the greatest deceptive abilities in the animal kingdom, unless you count humans. The fork-tailed drongo's ability to lie and manipulate other species into doing what they want is nothing short of stunning, and their intelligence is absolutely unbelievable. Today, we learn about why humans lie, why it is usually wrong, and why Darwin might disagree. We address questions, such as:   Do drongos possess a theory of mind?  Should I skip school and pretend to be sick?  Why do meerkats keep falling for the drongo's trickery? Could drongos be doing this on autopilot?  Do 8-year-olds lie more often than 3-year-olds?  Are "white lies" a myth?    Learn about all the magnificent trickery of the drongo, and the nature of human dishonesty, on this episode of Species.    Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SWKFVL_iQ8k6lKW_AUyK1UccqH2kqLyEGfZzu5o8Ok/edit?usp=sharing

31 Mars 201917min