Dr Heather Browning (Veit)

Lovely review by Kyle Johannsen, of our book 'What Are Zoos For?'
journals.uvic.ca/index.php/pi...

I'm sick of people saying that veganism is 'anti-farmer'. Who do they think grows the crops used in plant-based food?

Is Diversity Intrinsically Valuable? On the merits of thought experiments in philosophy and a reply to Eric Schwitzgebel

I wrote a new essay responding to Eric Schwitzgebel: Is Diversity Intrinsically Valuable? If you can provide me with better arguments for the existence of intrinsic values I'd be happy to be convinced.
walterveit.substack.com/p/is-diversi...

YouTube video by Unsolicited advice Why Modern Philosophy is Broken | Walter Veit

Made an appearance on one of youtube's largest philosophy channels. Joe Folley's Unsolicited Advice. Give it a watch! youtu.be/o1Fusxds1Lk?...

Sentience in cephalopod molluscs: an updated assessment This article evaluates the evidence for sentience – the capacity to have feelings – in cephalopod molluscs: octopus, cuttlefish, squid, and nautilus. Our framework includes eight criteria, covering b...

This open access paper in Biological Reviews offers an up-to-date synthesis of the scientific evidence on cephalopod sentience 🐙🦑

It considers 120+ studies using an 8-criterion framework:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

@zoophilosophy.bsky.social @birchlse.bsky.social

Further evidence for the sentience of octopi (and other cephalopods) by @birchlse.bsky.social @zoophilosophy.bsky.social Andrew Crump and Charlotte Burn, using an 8-valued matrix (it seems that one criterion only would be unfair to non-human animals who are so ≠ than us)
#AnimalMinds #OtherMinds

Page 1 of a letter in the Veterinary Record calling for a radical re-think of the government’s bovine TB policy.

Page 2 of a letter in the Veterinary Record calling for a radical re-think of the government’s bovine TB policy.

Our letter in the Veterinary Record on the future of bovine TB control (it’s over two pages).

TLDR: a radical re-think is needed. @markjonesvet.bsky.social @markavery.bsky.social @protectthewild.bsky.social
@zoophilosophy.bsky.social
@jw132.bsky.social
@garethenticott.bsky.social

Interesting argument here, making the Effective Altruism case for research into sustainable and cruelty-free pet diets
www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16...

Hmm, perhaps a Freudian slip?

Request for Proposals: Humane Fish Slaughter Research/Prototypes

Exciting funding opportunity for those working to develop human slaughter techniques for fish
coefficientgiving.org/funds/farm-a...

YouTube video by Interspecies Internet Letting Animals Speak: Increasing animal agency with animal-computer interaction — Heather Browning

For those who missed it, my recent webinar for @interspecies-io.bsky.social is now available to watch online:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxz...

Ratio Annual Conference on Animals and Philosophy I am pleased to announce that I am organizing the annual Ratio conference of our department this year on the topic of animals and philosophy.

I am pleased to announce that I am organizing the annual Ratio conference of our department this year on the topic of animals and philosophy.
walterveit.substack.com/p/ratio-annu...

So excited to see this recommendation coming from the Animal Sentience Committee, really hoping it leads to some real change in decapod protection
www.gov.uk/government/p...

New video essay - link in first comment

⏰ This Saturday (7 Feb): “Letting Animals Speak” with @zoophilosophy.bsky.social (University of Southampton). How can animal-computer interaction support animal agency and welfare?

 📅 5 PM GMT | Online 🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HpyXUDk7QSOsH3tyGiHE4A#/registration

What’s it like being a raven or a crow? This recording is based on an article Heather and I published in The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Recorded a new episode
substack.com/home/post/p-...

YouTube video by Walter Veit What’s it like being a raven or a crow?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcMY...

Panpsychism is a New Form of Creationism Why philosophers fail to take seriously the implications of the Darwinian revolution

New post:
walterveit.substack.com/p/panpsychis...

Now available in essay format - link below!

📣 What if animals could help design their own worlds?

Join @zoophilosophy.bsky.social for Letting Animals Speak—a lecture on animal agency, ethics & animal-computer interaction.

📅 Feb 7 | Online | Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Staff Entomologist — Insect Welfare Research Society Work with Us

The IWRS is hiring! Help us build the infrastructure for invertebrate welfare research—from husbandry databases to educational resources. 🐛📖

Remote Research Scientist position, $55-60K. We will begin reviewing applications on March 15.

Learn more and apply here:

Local specialists’ experience and skills in animal behaviour studies: insights from wild chimpanzee field assistants Abstract. The study of wild animal behaviour and cognition has greatly benefited from the foundational work of local specialists (LSs), particularly field

Local specialists’ experience and skills in animal behaviour studies: insights from wild chimpanzee field assistants

royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Philosophy friends - I've written a case for why you should become a nihilist to create a better world. Please let me know your thoughts!
walterveit.substack.com/p/why-effect...

Not at the moment, but PM me with your email and I can send a copy!

Led by Alex Schnell (@dralexschnell.bsky.social) and coauthored with me, Andrew Crump, Charlotte Burn, and Jonathan Birch (@birchlse.bsky.social)

Sentience in cephalopod molluscs: an updated assessment This article evaluates the evidence for sentience – the capacity to have feelings – in cephalopod molluscs: octopus, cuttlefish, squid, and nautilus. Our framework includes eight criteria, covering b...

For those cephalopod lovers among you, our new updated review of the evidence for cephalpod sentience has now been published in Biological Reviews. (Sadly the picture is of birds rather than cephalopods, as this is the journal cover!)
doi.org/10.1002/brv....

Oh yes, I have two of these! Fingers crossed we all get our resolution soon ...

Why a tool-using cow could change how we see farm animals A pet cow has learned to scratch herself with a broom, showing creative problem-solving skills that make it harder to ignore the fact that these animals have minds, says Marta Halina

Love this new evidence of the cognitive sophistication of cows and hope that it might make a few people rethink whether they want meat on their plates
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...

Minds All the Way Down On Panpsychism and Problematic Norms in Philosophy

Just posted some more reflections on panpsychism and the state of philosophy.
walterveit.substack.com/p/minds-all-...

I wrote about a small essay about metaphilosophy
open.substack.com/pub/walterve...