20 Unbelievable TED Talks About Animals

Most people love at least one animal. And even those who claim they don’t still rely on them for survival. Bees, hummingbirds and other pollen aficionados determine plant populations, including staple crops. Scientists of all types look towards the animal kingdom for inspiration and information, and indispensible educational resource TED provides them a forum to share their amazing, often unusual, findings with the world at absolutely no cost to the viewer. One does not need a degree in biology to appreciate these fantastic lectures, merely an open mind and a curiosity about the world beyond humans.

Einstein the Parrot talks and squawks: Stephanie White and Einstein the African Grey from the Knoxville Zoo pair off in a comedic showcase of the latter’s talents. Capable of 200 unique vocalizations, including English phrases and other animal noises, she also performs at least half of them based on her handler’s cues. In spite of its humor and entertainment value, the video’s main goals revolve around education rather than performance. The concluding message of conservation’s importance pairs nicely with the brief display of parrot cognition. Einstein’s training parallels that of the extraordinary Alex, another African Grey used in researching avian brain functions and behaviors.
Corneille Ewango is a hero of the Congo forest: Politics and science are inextricably intertwined, and Corneille Ewango pulls from personal experience to shed light on the problem of poaching. Though a botanist by trade, his work with the Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has garnered much positive attention. Because Ewango grew up in the country amongst a family of poachers, soldiers and fishermen, he completely understands the social, political and economic motivations that factor into dwindling populations of threatened and endangered species. Education, he argues, remains the only way to ensure the preservation of the Congo’s flora and fauna. Without it, the unfortunate cycle of slaughtering elephants for ivory and other ecologically dangerous activities would persist in some form or another. This video is a must-watch for anyone interested in learning more about the history (and present) of mankind’s troubled relationships with the animal kingdom.
Dee Boersma: Pay attention to penguins: These quirky, beloved birds provide biologists with a means of better understanding the ocean ecosystems as a whole. Galapagos penguins, for example, change their habits whenever El Nino or La Nina passes through — a phenomenon of interest to more than just biologists! But from a macro standpoint, the birds in general serve as a generally accurate indicators of shifting currents and weather patterns. Dee Boersma absolutely adores penguins, and her work with the Wildlife Conservation Society hopes to replenish their populations in order to benefit the planet — most especially those needing to divine any potential natural disasters that may crop up as a result of tempestuous seas.
Dennis vanEngelsdorf: a plea for bees: Around 30% of bee colonies perished in the winter of 2007 and 2008. Scientists struggle to find the source of this alarming, unexpectedly high fatality rate, but have yet to come up with any definitive answer. Colony Collapse Disorder passes through apian communities like viruses, and the side effects directly impact humans and other animals. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Dennis vanEngelsdorf postulates that "one in three bites of food" shares some direct or indirect relationship with bees. Fewer insects means fewer plants — many of which explicitly attract them — receive the pollination they need to perpetuate. This can have some exceedingly unfortunate repercussions on food supplies, so the problem should not go ignored. vanEngelsdorf argues for better bee conservation, making a compelling plea to remain mindful of local plants that nurture their populations. Obviously, he does not mean to stop mowing lawns or other necessities, but rather making an effort to create more green spaces and refrain from making any unnecessary removals.
David Gallo on life in the deep oceans: Though filmed in 1998, these striking videos of the bizarre and beautiful creatures inhabiting the deepest oceanic depths still mesmerize viewers. David Gallo usually plunges into the ocean on his trusty submarine in search of sunken vessels, but he picks up some breathtaking images and videos of the ocean’s rich biodiversity along the way. The majority of people, animal lovers or not, lack the resources to properly plunge its depths and explore all the creatures within. People like Gallo are integral to promoting global understanding of such a delicate, eclectic ecosystem because of this, and his presentation does not disappoint. Jellyfish especially capture his eyes and lenses, flaunting some of the world’s longest specimens right here in this TED Talk.
Jane Goodall helps humans and animals live together: Jane Goodall left an amazing legacy in the field of primatology after her groundbreaking work amongst African (largely Tanzanian) chimpanzees. She continues to research and lecture on biological, ecological and environmental topics in addition to promoting harmonious relationships between people and the animals living nearby. This video sums up the tenets of TACARE and some of her other related undertakings, which involves educating communities, providing them with resources to prevent HIV/AIDS, viable water sources and more. The restructuring also means communicating clearly about preserving the surrounding environments and stressing the importance of understanding interspecies boundaries. After all, Goodall stresses, chimpanzees and humans share much, much more than common DNA. With so many eerily similar behavior patterns, people should come to a greater understanding (and respect) of their wild cousins.
Kartick Satyanarayan: How we rescued the "dancing" bears: Shocked at the intolerable cruelty heaped upon sloth bear cubs captured for entertainment purposes, Kartick Satyanarayan set out to end it. After discovering these dancing bears existed as the solitary source of income for marginalized and impoverished peoples, he realized that merely freeing the captives would not work. Instead, he devised a more sustainable plan revolving around exchange programs. He would give former owners the resources needed to set up small businesses of their own in exchange for the animals. Educational opportunities and vocational training are also made available to these overlooked communities in order to help them rely more on their own work rather than a dangerous, abused predator for sustenance. Such a measure has proven thankfully successful, and Satyanarayan set up a sanctuary to care for the recovered bears.
Paul Sereno digs up dinosaurs: Much like deep-sea organisms, prehistoric animals hold a particular fascination with the populace owing to their inaccessibility. Here, paleontologist Paul Sereno shares some of his research with the world in order to illustrate biology’s prehistory and its relevance to today’s scientific climate. Evolution also plays a heavy role in his lecture as well, with plenty of visuals to better highlight how animals slowly transitioned over time. In order to promote an appreciation of his chosen field, Sereno launched Project Exploration in Chicago for underperforming students. The nonprofit opens up animals and science to high school-aged minds and encourages their education rather than trap them in some sort of restrictive conformist mold. Many graduates end up studying at Ivy League or equivalent institutions after turning both their grades and their engagement around. And it all stretches back to those giant lizards stomping about the planet millions (not thousands!) of years ago.
John Kasaona: How Poachers Became Caretakers: In a move that benefits both communities and environments, John Kasaona works with Namibians to serve as caretakers for endangered species. Joshua Kangombe — the leader of the Himba peoples – realized that poachers like Kasaona’s father understood the needs and habits of the local wildlife better than anyone. In an attempt to quell serious issues of famine and drought, The Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation employed Kangombe as a consultant and began building off his observations. As a result, former poachers responsible for the dwindling populations of important animals ended up tasked with bringing them back from the brink — and the plan worked out splendidly. Businesses sprung up in the wake of established preserves, and tourists (and their money!) filter in to see the 130 lions and the world’s largest population of black rhinos — a much more sustainable, lucrative solution than poaching could ever provide.
Joshua Klein on the intelligence of crows: Sure, crows sometimes act the squawking, scavenging pest, but biohacker Joshua Klein finds them absolutely fascinating. This TED Talk peers into the fascinating science behind the common corvid, pointing out their impressive memories and knack for adapting to human encroachment. Crows display a remarkable talent for improvising their own tools as well, and Klein channeled his decade’s worth of research into creating a vending machine based on Skinnerian concepts. Suffice to say, the hyper-intelligent birds eventually figured out how to treat themselves to a peanut snack by sticking coins in the designated slot. The psychology and biology behind the experiment will likely fascinate anyone interested in learning more about birds and animal behavior — not to mention inspire speculation on mutually beneficial applications of this knowledge.
Sheila Patek clocks the world’s fastest animals: Surprisingly enough, mantis shrimp exhibit some of the fastest speeds in the animal kingdom. In water, it strikes prey between 10 and 23 meters per second, or around 45 miles per hour — very impressive, considering the amount of pressure and resistance involved. Different species utilize different methods, usually either a stabbing or a smashing motion, but either way they still accomplish insane velocity. Biologist Sheila Patek specializes in chronicling and studying animal speeds, and her lecture dissects the details of many videos she’s taken. She showcases the curious crustacean at various frames per minute to better highlight its strange and wonderful feeding habits.
Keith Bellows on the camel’s hump: This tragically underwatched lecture features a rather interesting premise. Keith Bellows analyzes "the SUV of the desert" from an engineering rather than biological standpoint. On a trip to Jordan, he became absolutely fascinated with the myriad ways in which camels adapted to their harsh desert homes — to the point he paired up with a National Geographic film crew and shot extensive videos of the Washington Zoo’s specimens. He shares these with the TED audience (and, by extension, viewers at home), allowing them to fully grasp how everything from their ears to their famous humps work. No, they do not store water — but there is actually some kernel of truth to the myth.
Laurie Santos: A monkey economy as irrational as ours: Anyone fascinated by primates and their intriguing — and understandable — parallels with human behavior needs to give this lecture a little look-see. Experiments and observations made of capuchin commerce seem eerily similar to human economic structures, and a "monkey marketplace" reveals their ability to make choices based on both quality and frugality. Marvel at how individual specimens make decisions that work best for them and how they hold a mirror up to mankind’s own habits. It certainly raises some provocative questions about the true nature and origins of reason and cognition.
Ian Dunbar on dog-friendly dog training: Ian Dunbar’s experience as a veterinarian, animal behavior expert and dog trainer led him towards an empathic method of ensuring that canine companions know how to act. He argues that most training involves strictly human perceptions of hierarchy and interest, but these ultimately yield more uneven results. The more effective approaches involve a greater understanding of canine social, biological and cognitive structures, which fosters strong, harmonious relationships between person and pet. Although the talk deals with connections between humans and their beloved animal friends, broader lessons flow throughout the lecture. After all, compassion and empathy resonate in more than pet training situations!
Robert Full: Learning from the gecko’s tail: These quirky lizards make for popular pets, partly because they possess such intriguing tails and feet. Biologists, including Robert Full, developed wall-climbing devices emulating the fine, sticky structures that allow them to scale flat, vertical surfaces with ease. They eventually created Stickybot to test practical and mechanical applications of gecko movement and accompanying use of dry adhesive. When studying the tail’s role in locomotion, the scientists realized that they were working with "the world’s fastest air-righting response" — and later experimented with wind tunnels to see if the lizards could teach themselves to glide. Suffice to say, the resulting videos proved breathtaking. And no animals were harmed.
Peter Tyack: The intriguing sound of marine mammals: Listen to an incredible cetacean symphony and learn about their uncanny ability to vocalize across hundreds of miles. Dolphins and whales utilize a highly complex communication system to discuss feeding opportunities, find straying family members and more. Unfortunately, human machinery unwittingly disrupts their clicks, hums and tweets. As a result, some of the animals grow confused or wander out of audibility’s range. Fortunately, companies such as Maersk reduced their possibly negative impact by slowing down their shipping lines and lowering their fuel intake. The International Maritime Organization responded to pleas by scientists to redraw their lanes in order to minimize the risk of colliding with giant marine mammals.
Tierny Thys swims with the giant sunfish: These fishy behemoths are referred to as both the giant sunfish and the Mola mola. Weighing in at nearly 5,000 pounds, Guinness recognizes the species as the world’s heaviest bony fish, most prolific vertebrate egglayer and the "vertebrate growth champion." Combine that with an extremely strange "cut-off shape," and it makes sense why so many find it a fantastically intriguing study. Sunfish feed off moon jellyfish and enjoy basking on the ocean’s surface and soaking up some light. They have remained largely unchanged from an evolutionary perspective as well, having burst on the scene some 50 million years ago. Tierny Thys absolutely loves these curious, overlooked denizens of the deep, and her TED talk reflects that passion and opens up viewers’ minds to the strange and beautiful animals they may not otherwise know about.
Charles Anderson discovers dragonflies that cross oceans: Out of the insect world, the unassuming Globe Skimmer dragonfly makes the longest migratory journey every year. Marine biologist and naturalist Charles Anderson curiously noted discrepancies in these insects’ populations while living and working in the Maldives. And he discovered their breeding behaviors corresponded directly with the changes in monsoon season. Because dragonflies require bodies of fresh water in order to proliferate — a scarcity on Andersons island home — these amazing specimens make a circuit around the Indian Ocean when mating season rolls around. They travel in swarms of millions, hovering around 2,000 meters above the water’s surface and crossing within the range of around 400 miles.
Susan Savage-Rumbaugh on apes: Susan Savage-Rumbaugh’s inquiries into the inner workings of bonobos — as with many involving primates — opens up scientists to a greater understanding of the human species. Many of the primates’ behaviors raise some incredible questions about the age-old nature versus nurture debate in the animal kingdom. And that includes human society, too. This lecture includes some astounding videos of bonobos raised amongst their homo sapiens sapiens cousins, showcasing some particularly provocative scenes of acculturation. But audiences are left to ponder the true tenets of the relationship, most especially the blurry lines between learned and instinctual behaviors.
Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes: Biologists spend so much time finding common ground between humans and the primate brethren, mainstream audiences rarely get a chance to learn about the differences. Beyond amount of body hair, of course. Jane Goodall draws from her groundbreaking research to discuss the one major factor that lay between the two groups. Specifically, language. Humans possess a more sophisticated, nuanced vocalizations and a far broader range of communications. The ability to write ensures that ideologies expressed move further through both location and time, offering some degree of permanence over ethereal speech. And because of food preservatives and additives as well as medications, she claims that peoples’ bodies contain roughly 50 chemicals more than they did 50 years ago. Diseases such as asthma and cancer increase in numbers, especially in more polluted areas. Humanity needs to put its amazing vocal prowess to work fixing its own problems before they become too much to handle.

20 Unbelievable TED Talks About Animals

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