Part Of Mind Matters: Exploring The Animal Mind

Beginning April 28, the Exploratorium presents Mind Matters: Exploring the Animal Mind, a three-program Spring lecture series that investigates the latest research and knowledge about how non-human animals' minds are similar to and different from human minds. This series anticipates a new exhibit section Mind: Attention, Emotion, and Judgment, scheduled to open at the Exploratorium in October 2007.

All talks are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium, and are made possible with the support of the National Science Foundation.

The program schedule is as follows:

Saturday, April 28, 2pm, Exploring the Animal Mind: Animal Personality, With Dr. Sam Gosling

Consistent, individual differences in personality have been identified in numerous non-human species, ranging from guppies and octopi to hyenas and chimpanzees. Drawing from his research on spotted hyenas, dogs, chimpanzees, squid, and humans, Dr. Sam Gosling examines the ways in which personality can be measured in non-human animals. He also considers the implications of this work in science (e.g., understanding the genetic bases of personality) and applied settings (e.g., identifying dogs best-suited to explosive-detection).

Saturday, May 5, 2pm, Exploring the Animal Mind: Orangutan Communication, With Dr. Rob Shumaker

Join Dr. Rob Shumaker, lead scientist at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, and learn about the behavior and mental abilities of orangutans - the only Asian great ape. Dr. Shumaker works with orangutans as research partners and collaborators, not as subjects. His presentation includes a discussion of the ways in which this philosophy affects research design and implementation.

Saturday, June 9, 1pm, Exploring the Animal Mind: Enriching Animals in Captivity, With Kelly Gomez and Mikel Delgado

Environmental enrichment enhances the overall well-being of captive animals by providing for their physical and psychological needs. To learn about the San Francisco Zoo's Enrichment Program, join zookeeper Kelly Gomez and learn about a variety of enrichment activities and live animal demonstrations.
Following Kelly's presentation, SPCA Cat Behavior Specialist Mikel Delgado discusses interactive toys, food puzzles, cat furniture, and other ways to keep your housecat happy, as well as the benefits of keeping cats indoors. -- www.exploratorium.edu