Amazing Animals - Somerscience

Overview

In this interactive show, we challenge you to complete tasks that have been used in real life to test the intelligence of a range of animals. You’ll need to use your creativity to solve tricky logic puzzles normally completed by chimps, parrots and dolphins. By exploring the abilities of our animal cousins, we’ll start to question what intelligence is, and how difficult it can be to test. You will leave with a new-found respect for the wonder of life on earth, and an understanding of the amazing abilities of our animal cousins.

Age Group

About Braintastic! Science

Amazing Animals Show

Throughout the animal kingdom, creatures great and small have developed amazing abilities. In this interactive show, Braintastic! Science challenge you to complete tasks that have been used in real life to test the intelligence of a range of animals. You’ll need to use your creativity to solve tricky logic puzzles normally completed by chimps, parrots and even dolphins. By exploring the range of abilities held by our nearest cousins, and those much farther from us on the evolutionary tree, we will throw light on the difficulties of defining intelligence, and the importance of fair tests. The audience will leave with a new-found respect for the wonder of life

Presenter bio: Nate Rae

Nate spent a lot of their early life being told that they were bad at science (because they didn’t pay attention in maths class) and that they should stick to telling stories instead. They did just that, getting a masters in english literature from the University
of Glasgow and writing dozens of children’s books about everything from dinosaurs to engineering to sharks. Somewhere along the line, they realised that what they really loved to do was tell stories about science – and that they were actually really
good at it! After a whole childhood of being told that science wasn’t for them, they’re passionate about showing kids just like them that science isn’t as hard and boring as they’ve been told. They have a masters in psychology, and when not presenting for Braintastic! Science, teach psychology at London South Bank University, write and edit children’s books, present and edit podcasts, and do mental health research with teenagers and transgender people. They don’t sleep much.