The Science of Pets
with Jay Ingram
Hosted by Jennifer Baker
In Person Streaming Non-Fict Science
The Science of Pets paints a vivid picture of what we know about our relationship to dogs and cats, as well as a variety of exotic pets, like horses, parrots, and even robots. In a light accessible manner, Jay Ingram tells us about the people and personalities that are attracted to different pets, and even whether it is true that people look like their dogs. A must-read for all pet owners.
Veteran science broadcaster and journalist Jay Ingram, author of twenty popular science titles, including the bestselling Science of Why series, returns to the Festival to share the latest science behind our beloved furry, and not-so-furry, creatures that sleep on our sofas and eat our pizza crusts.
More than one billion pets live in homes around the world, sleeping on dog beds, clawing at cat trees, swimming in bowls, crawling around in aquariums. Canada, the United States, Brazil, the EU, and China make up half of those households, with half of the world’s population owning a pet of some sort. Yet despite the ubiquitous animals that lick our faces and steal food off the counter, we really don’t know a lot about the scientific side of their existence: why do dogs spin around when excited, do our cats really love us, do lizards make good pets, can single-celled organisms be considered pets (you can cut the hydra in two and have two pets!), what are parrots thinking, and can a horse be considered a pet? Or pigs (even those sent to market)? Or praying mantises? Or how about robot pets in Japan, caring for the elderly?
Full of fabulous insights, humorous asides, and the wisdom of decades in science reporting, The Science of Pets will elucidate as it entertains. You will never look at your pets the same way again (but be sure, they’re watching you closely).
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