ANIMAL ORIGINS OF OUR INTELLIGENCE?

Who would have guessed that bumblebees can solve problems similar to those used to test chimpanzees? Or that a spider’s behaviour can be compared to that of a cat? Scientists are discovering that many of the traits we associate with intelligence are hiding in plain sight across the animal kingdom — and that brain size is only part of the story. Join Simon for a fascinating exploration of the remarkable intellectual, social, and emotional abilities of animals. Drawing on recent research and surprising examples from nature, this session will challenge assumptions about what makes us intelligent and reveal how deeply connected we are to our evolutionary relatives.

Dr Simon Pollard is a spider biologist, award-winning natural history writer, photographer, and science communicator. He is an Adjunct Professor of Science Communication at the University of Canterbury and the author of numerous books on the natural world.