Ep. 46 – Paleobiologist Thomas Halliday on the Animals of Ancient Worlds

Ep. 46 – Paleobiologist Thomas Halliday on the Animals of Ancient Worlds

Author: Law, Environment & Animals Program at Yale Law School March 21, 2022 Duration: 57:48
The fossil record acts as both a memorial to life’s spectacular possibilities and as a warning to humanity about how fast dominance can become forgotten history, according to our guest, Scottish paleobiologist Dr. Thomas Halliday. Halliday’s research investigates long-term patterns in the fossil record, particularly in mammals. In his magnificent and daring new book “Otherlands: …

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What does our relationship with other creatures reveal about us? When We Talk About Animals explores this territory through thoughtful, often surprising dialogues with philosophers, scientists, legal scholars, and writers. Each episode moves beyond simple advocacy or biology to examine the complex ethical, legal, and philosophical dilemmas that emerge at the intersection of human and animal lives. These conversations, presented by the Law, Environment & Animals Program at Yale Law School, delve into questions of consciousness, justice, and coexistence. You’ll hear discussions that challenge assumptions-considering everything from the rights of wild species to the moral status of the creatures in our homes and labs. This isn't a lecture series; it's a genuine exploration where ideas unfold through conversation. The podcast provides a space to listen in as experts grapple with how our treatment of animals defines our own humanity. By engaging with these nuanced talks, you’re invited to reflect on your own place in a more-than-human world. Tune in for a consistently deep and intellectually generous dialogue that reshapes how you perceive the other beings sharing our planet.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

When We Talk About Animals
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 30 – Sonia Shah on how animal microbes become human pandemics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:30
Roughly two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases — including COVID-19 and almost all recent epidemics — originate in the bodies of animals. Microbes have spilled over from animals to humans for time immemorial, but, as…
Ep. 26 – Ian Urbina on the Outlaw Ocean [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:47
Over 40 percent of the Earth’s surface is open ocean that is over 200 miles from the nearest shore. These waters exist outside national jurisdiction and are almost entirely beyond the reach of law. Our guest, investigati…
Ep. 25 – Doug Kysar and Jon Lovvorn on law in the Anthropocene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:12
Professors Doug Kysar and Jonathan Lovvorn are the Faculty Co-Directors of the Law, Ethics & Animals Program (LEAP) at Yale Law School. Launched in fall 2019, LEAP is a multidisciplinary “think-and-do” tank dedicated to…
Ep. 24 – Christopher Ketcham on the abuse of the American West [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:43
For the past ten years, journalist Christopher Ketcham has documented the confluence of commercial exploitation and government misconduct on public lands across the West, the role of the livestock and energy industries i…
Ep. 22 – Ferris Jabr on reviving the Gaia hypothesis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:47
In the 1970s, scientists proposed what has become known as the Gaia Hypothesis: the idea that earth is best understood not as a passive substrate or background to life but as a life form in its own right. Our guest, jour…
Ep. 21 – David Barrie on the wonders of animal navigation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:45
Author and sailor David Barrie voyaged around the globe and through scientific literature to learn about the awe-inducing and still mysterious navigational powers of animals. Barrie writes of mysteries such as how birds…