When dolphins laugh | Benjamin Mee | TEDxTotnes
Benjamin tells of his lifelong goal to prove theory of mind in animals and of the effect it could have on animal welfare.
Benjamin Mee is the author of We Bought A Zoo which then became a film featuring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. He is also the CEO of Dartmoor Zoo, and a Journalist. He has an MSc in Science Journalism and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Plymouth University in 2013 in recognition for his passion for research and the communication of science. His areas of research interest include Animal Intelligence, Biophilia, The Aquatic Ape hypotheses and Entomophagy.
Growing up Benjamin Mee had a turbulent relationship with the education system and was expelled from school. Then, after an encounter with a dolphin he became fascinated with the field of animal intelligence and never looked back. He decided to study Psychology at UCL before completing an MSc in Science Journalism at Imperial College. This led to a 15 year career in Journalism, both print and Broadcast. In 2004 his research interests took him and his family to France in order to write a book on the Evolution of of Humour in Man and Animals, and events led to him buying Dartmoor Zoo.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
Пікірлер: 62
About 20 years ago I did a summer internship for my marine biology class at sea world in Florida…We we’re watching a pregnant whale and cataloging everything…I sat right up next to the glass for hours. If I walked to one end, Kalina (the whales name) would follow me and sit next to the glass with me, just looking me in the eye. One time I was sitting up higher to get a better view and she came right up to the glass and actually motioned her head as if to gesture “come here”. She did this over and over until I came up to the glass. As soon as I did she flipped on her side and flung a huge amount of water on top of me (36 degree water) and opened her mouth and nodded her head as if she was laughing and swam off. She’d try that every couple of days when I let my guard down and by the third time I learnt my lesson and wouldn’t just come right up to the glass and so she knew the joke had run it’s course….Looking her directly in the eye you can see a thinking mind inside there and I was sad to think she spent her life in a tank…A very large tank by still a tank nonetheless.
What a lovely bloke! I wish him every success in his venture to get higher order animals to laugh!
@LennarthAnaya
Жыл бұрын
"higher order animals" to satisfy your own lack of scientific curiosity and moral conflicts
So much to comment on, but I find myself stuck at the last part. That elephant is clearly in awe to see the grace and beauty of the sea lion in its underwater home. I can't imagine not acknowledging that. ;-;
This is exactly why cetaceans should not be exploited for money and entertainment.
@jessicaj8564
2 жыл бұрын
no animals should
congratulations, excellent conference
The title seemed ridiculous, but this was a very enlightening Ted Talk
@writerconsidered
5 жыл бұрын
I thought the title was spot on, at least I understood exactly where this was going. Humor is inseparable from intelligence, knowing that and understanding the current plight of intelligent animals in our world. The title made an instant connection for proving intelligence.
I love what he has to say. I like his Intentions. Many thanks. :)
Hi Benjamin, Great that science is working on proving of theory of mind in animals! I think you are doing real good work. It will help humans to start respecting animals as worthwile as themselves. But the question is why is 'mind' needed to respect live? You, Benjamin are talking about the difference between eating a whale and a cow. But both are living creatures with feelings. We can see them enjoying themselves or having a bad time. Is that nog enough to respect and stop eating animals at all. Or at least stop treating them as we now do in de meat industry?? Keep up doing your good work Benjamin. I've just discovered your book and reading it with a lot of pleasure. Luckily my husband and I had already the plan for a vacation in Devon next august, so I.m able to come to visit your rescued zoo. I'm looking forward to it! I really hope the restaurant offers vegetarian and vegan food.....not only for me but as an important part of the educational program of the zoo. Don't worry, I'm not an agressive animail wellfare warrior who is coming to 'rescue' your animals, although I am passionate about dreaming and fighting for a world without animal slavery. Thanks for your work. Love, Connie (from Holland)
This was made in 2015. He states that (hopefully) he will have a breakthrough in the next 18 months. So what happened? Did he achieve this? What else did he do?
@moremerry57
3 жыл бұрын
Phillip, my next step was to go to Google. Did that not occur to you?!?
Bought tears.!
God bless Stanley the dolphin!
It still amazes me that by now there r some people who still do not get that some animals r self aware and capable of showing empathy for another animal or human being! Animals do so very much for human beings when r we finally go to do everything humanly possible to save their lives and make sure their lives r good???
Wait, he’s the dude who wrote We Bought A Zoo!? Goddamn talk about a small world.
Blown away..... I knew a tiny bit of this but wow... Just wow.
lovely, superb talk
Awesome... Keep up your work 😇😇😇
That is brilliant!
Good show
you rock
why am I studying English I want to play with animals too :c
he described my life
good video
I got to read about this guy in my english igcse test lol
considering this, I'm looking forward to studies that will reveal differences and similarities in how intelligent animals react to bad things, and how they deal with that, all through communication. Apes for instance seem to be able to get pretty violent amongst themselves, while Dolphins are known for their aggression against sharks and such to protect life, even humans in some cases. How this might be different from how humans are, morally ethically, those kind of things.
I don't agree with any animal being stupid, but interesting nonetheless!
Its a travesty how some people and companies treat these creatures in this day and age. We are too educated.
@moremerry57
3 жыл бұрын
Then speak to them. You have a voice; use it.
My dog laughs at me all the time.
💚😭💚
👏👏👏👏👏😊
I love and basically worship cetaceans like they are humans closest 'evolutionary niche' equivalent in the aquatic realm; but, dolphin midwives doesn't seem like a great idea.
The subtitles instead of saying "intelligent primates" say "Italian Prime Minister"! Around 14.10 mark.
@sciencecompliance235
5 жыл бұрын
Zappa Woman Either a poor transcription or a really good one. "Bunga Bunga"
@subg8858
4 жыл бұрын
Zappa woman? I didn't know there was such a thing! What you doing later?
ha all animals have awareness
Your brother shouldn't have said that, it's not right. Cats are just as alive as we are, and they probably do have their own feelings and thoughts. What was he expecting her to do, seriously? Be a human? Is he your older or younger brother? I mean, you were just 5, and if you wanted to believe she had thoughts, then he should've just left you to it. That's like telling a child whilst they're young that there's no Santa, and they strongly believe in him. No one has the right to dampen a small child's perspective of things. They're allowed to have an imagination. I'm not saying that what you thought was imaginary , but your brother should've just kept his mouth shut, no offense.
@bexyevans777
8 жыл бұрын
Of course. I had to be honest, as I'm always honest. Jay Dee
@raphmaster23
2 жыл бұрын
Have you checked out the channel Billiespeaks? She's a little kitty who uses buttons to speak
Free the animals... the smart ones at least.
Stewardship, in the Christian tradition, implies protection. [Hu]Man should exist in harmony with the Earth, not work against it as is noted in Colossians 1:16-17
Second ^
your work is important, but your error is incorporating political ideology, which is contentious and subjective it's clear to me some canines have some sort of mind for example, in the decades I have lived with pits, terriers, and labradors, I've had several dogs that came to console when they clearly sensed my sadness at something...this was striking because I never initiated or trained behavior like this...i.e. if I'm bothered I tend to recluse myself...this is a clear example of cognitive empathy use of tools in species is predicated on memory, which is a recorded function of SELF experience - that seems like pretty clear evidence of mind to me
@zappawench6048
4 жыл бұрын
Dogs have also been known to smell out cancer and alert the sufferer, surely they wouldn't do this unless they had some amount of empathy.
@jessicaj8564
2 жыл бұрын
ALL ANIMALS are intelligent and feel sadness,pain, love etc
Yay first comment
does this work on congress? lol
@moremerry57
3 жыл бұрын
Have you tried writing/calling?!? Dead serious. Now that we are 🙏🏻 re-entering *more* normal governing patterns, you have a chance to exercise your MINIMUM responsibility as a citizen and tell your “representatives” what you expect them to do now that they work for you. 🤨
Lovely info. However cats are way more intelligent than this man thinks. Look up Billy the talking cat, he has many buttons that he presses to talk.
Show your chimps videos of beluga whales scaring little kids. Everyone finds beluga whales funny!
@moremerry57
3 жыл бұрын
❤️
@moremerry57
3 жыл бұрын
Also gorillas, and other orangutans. 😉
I loved the idea but not much of an objective argument...
@ThePaynerr
8 жыл бұрын
+Brady Gaisser Just like your comment then.
@baydeee13
8 жыл бұрын
ThePaynerr Good one... I guess...
@nickilovesdogs8137
6 жыл бұрын
Thumbs down on your comment.