Ep 3. Animal Intelligence

In season 2, episode 3 of Explained titled "Animal Intelligence," the show delves into the fascinating topic of animal intelligence and the various ways in which scientists study it. Hosted by writer and comedian Peterson Toscano, the episode takes viewers on a journey around the world to meet animals and their human counterparts who are exploring the frontier of intelligence.

The episode begins by questioning what exactly intelligence is and how it relates to animals. Toscano highlights that traditionally, intelligence was seen as the ability to think and reason, but new research suggests that other factors, such as social skills and decision-making abilities, also play a role in animal intelligence. With this in mind, the episode then proceeds to showcase how various animals display incredible feats of intelligence in their daily lives.

The first stop on Toscano's journey is the city of Rome, where he meets with a group of crows researchers who have discovered that these birds are surprisingly adept at using tools and solving problems. Toscano watches as one of the researchers demonstrates how she has trained a crow to retrieve a snippet of food from a container by using a piece of wire as a hook. The crow deftly picks up the wire and uses it to obtain its reward, a testament to the bird's intelligence.

From Rome, Tourscano travels to New Caledonia, an island in the Pacific Ocean, to study a species of bird called the New Caledonian crow. These birds have been shown to fashion their own tools to help them obtain food, such as using twigs to extract insects from tree bark. Researchers in New Caledonia have even discovered that the birds have a rudimentary understanding of cause and effect, using rocks to weigh down containers in order to obtain food.

The episode then switches gears to explore the intelligence of primates, bringing viewers to Kyoto, Japan, to meet a group of macaques who have learned to wash sweet potatoes in freshwater streams before eating them. This behavior is not innate but rather has been passed down from generation to generation, demonstrating a form of cultural intelligence that is unique to these animals.

Toscano then travels to Puerto Rico to meet with researchers who are studying the intelligence of non-human primates. In the jungle, the scientists use touchscreens to test the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees and bonobos. Through games and exercises, the primates demonstrate impressive problem-solving skills and decision-making abilities, giving researchers insights into how their minds work.

The final stop on Toscano's journey takes him to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he explores the intelligence of dogs. Researchers here use MRI scans to study the brains of dogs as they interact with their human handlers. The scans show that dogs respond to human language in much the same way as humans do, using the same parts of the brain to process speech. This finding suggests a deep level of cognitive connection between humans and dogs, explaining why we feel such a deep bond with these animals.

Throughout the episode, Toscano highlights the ground-breaking work of the researchers studying animal intelligence, as well as the challenges they face in trying to understand the minds of creatures who cannot communicate with us in the same way that humans do. Through interviews with experts in the field, the show provides a compelling overview of the many ways in which scientists are pushing the boundaries of our understanding of animal intelligence.