Animals

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

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An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.

Animals

idea

You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

Photo of a yellow bird singing while perched on a branch with a blurred green background.

Animals

idea

Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await

Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby

by David M Logue

A small yellow bird singing on a branch with a blurred green background.

Animals

guide

Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await

Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby

by David M Logue

Photo of a man sitting in a circle on a speckled background, focusing on an object in his hands, with a cosmic effect.

Trauma and PTSD

film

How small creatures helped James connect with the human-scale world

Directed by Spencer MacDonald

Photo of a brown earthworm on rough grey asphalt in sunlight.

Bioethics

idea

Why, in a universe of pain, I’m saving stranded earthworms

Any action can seem futile amid so much suffering. I’ve realised the important thing is to stop despairing and do something

by Claire E Schultz

Photo of three humpback whales swimming underwater in a dark blue ocean, illuminated by sunlight filtering through the water.

Music

idea

I learned to hear the music of Earth’s underwater musicians

If we consider the sounds of whales and other organisms with an open mind, we find a strange beauty – and can even join in

by David Rothenberg

A large flock of birds fills the sky at dusk over a car park, where people with binoculars observe them from beside their vehicles.

Place

film

A makeshift community of people and migratory birds converge on a strip mall

Directed by Henry Davis

Photo of two bonobos hugging standing on grass with leafy jungle background.

Animals

idea

Same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals evolved to keep the peace

Although these new findings can’t tell us much about human sexuality, they could help to solve an evolutionary paradox

by Shayla Love

Illustration of a medieval trial with a sow and piglets in court, featuring people in robes and a judge in the background.

Animals

idea

If animals are persons, should they bear criminal responsibility?

Were medieval trials of animal criminals not a sign of backwardness, but in fact strangely progressive?

by Ed Simon

Person feeding hay to cows in a barn, with a brick building and fencing in the background on a cloudy day.

Ethics

film

A vegetarian with a beef farm faces a life-altering moral impasse

Directed by Alex Lockwood