Inside the mysterious minds of horses
Summary
NPR’s Shortwave features neuroscientist Janet Jones discussing her book, *A Horse’s World*, which explores equine cognition and behavior. Jones explains how horses lack categorical perception, leading to unique memory capabilities and individualized social interactions. The episode also highlights the rare neural connection shared between humans and horses, revealing how their brains activate in real-time during riding.
Topics discussed
Intro: Janet Jones and her book A Horse's World
Sponsors: NetSuite, Edward Jones, and show promo
Categorical perception: Horses vs. humans
Horse long-term memory and learning
Facial expressions and horse emotions
Shared neural activation between horse and rider
Outro, credits, and final sponsors
Listen ad-free on Castria